"So what do you plan on doing next?" You Qiaolin asked, glancing at the utterly gruesome headless female corpse, a hint of worry in his tone.

"Right now, we don't even know the victim's specific circumstances, let alone the killer. We'll have to start with the deceased and then canvass the body disposal site. Maybe we'll get lucky and turn up something," a corpse so horrific that even a ghost would lose its nerve looking at it made the string in my mind pull taut.

"Alright, if you need anything at all, just call me." You Qiaolin said politely.

"Thanks. You carry on then. Just let me know if you find anything. I'll leave this one to you for slow 'appreciation'," I cast another glance at the headless body and quipped with a casual joke.

"Heh heh, don't worry, I'll 'savor' it slowly." You Qiaolin actually managed a rare smile. I guess this was a way of finding humor in misery for us.

"Turns out you're even more hardcore than me. I'll get going then. Keep in touch if anything comes up."

After bidding farewell to the still-smiling You Qiaolin, Zhang Jiewei and I returned to the office to meet up with the others. We had just begun detailing the specifics of the headless female corpse when Gao Jianning started throwing up again, and even Blue Sister's face had turned deathly pale.

"Senior Brother, what could the killer possibly be thinking, to be so cold-blooded, to be able to do something like this? Could he really just be a sadist?" Blue Sister murmured, gently smoothing her chest, her brow deeply furrowed. Perhaps because she was a woman like the victim, her feelings were more immediate and intense than ours.

"Honestly, I don't think the killer is as simple as just a sadist. In his eyes, this headless corpse is just another one of his works. His cuts were sharp and clean, delivered without hesitation, suggesting his mental and spiritual state was highly focused and orderly." This was merely my personal conjecture; the true facts would only emerge through further investigation.

"But didn't you say the killer was completely mimicking the 'Black Dahlia' case? How could he treat this body as his own artwork then?" Blue Sister seemed unconvinced by my idea.

"Yes, but it’s like a toddler learning to walk; the first attempts are always imitation. Gradually, he will break free from those original constraints and begin 'creating' freely." I swallowed hard; even I hadn't expected to articulate that thought. "But we can see that the way the killer positioned the body upon disposal clearly took considerable effort. A common sadist only finds gratification in the act of abuse, but for someone like this killer, the source of his satisfaction is far broader. What we must do now is quickly sketch out the killer's profile and apprehend him before things spiral further out of control."

"Right. I'll contact the victim's family now and see if the deceased had any known grudges. Someone who would endure such torture must have been hated to the bone by the killer," Blue Sister speculated while awaiting my response.

I nodded, and Blue Sister immediately set to work.

"Xiao Cuo, you and Zhang Jiewei check the surrounding area near the discovery site in the western suburbs. Ask around if any suspicious individuals have been seen recently. Gao Jianning, you keep a close watch on that email; stay on standby here, maintain absolute focus, and we'll contact you the moment we need your expertise." I outlined the assignments. Zhang Jiewei and Xiao Cuo grabbed their jackets and left the office.

I turned and walked over to Blue Sister, who was currently noting down the contact information and address of the victim's family.

"I'll go with you." For some reason, a case like this made me want to stay close to Blue Sister, as if fearing some harm might befall her.

"That would be good, but it seems the victim's parents don't know their daughter is dead yet. We'll have to be very careful with our words this time," Blue Sister cautioned me.

"No problem, let's go quickly," I urged, though a shadow of sorrow already lay over my heart. I had looked at the deceased's file—she came from an ordinary working-class family, and as an only child, she must have been doted upon by her parents. Now, with their daughter tragically killed, parents mourning a child—that truly is one of life's great tragedies.

The atmosphere in the car was somewhat heavy; none of us wanted to see such a brutal crime occur, and informing the parents only added a layer of pressure to both Blue Sister and me.

"Senior Brother, since the killer was so cruel to the victim, why would he take her head, leaving his so-called 'work' incomplete?" Blue Sister finally broke a long silence with such a question.

"Generally, there are two possibilities in a situation like this. One: the victim's head contains information that could reveal the killer's true identity. Two: the killer views the head as his trophy, something worth keeping for constant admiration," I replied while driving.

"Heavens, that's disgusting. I'd rather believe the first possibility. If we find that missing head, we might have a lead on the killer's identity," Blue Sister clearly couldn't stomach the psychological state of a killer fitting the second description.

"This killer is no pushover. If it’s the first case, he's certainly hidden the head somewhere we could never find it. Solving the case would be like finding a needle in a haystack," I said with a slight smile. Given this thought, I actually hoped it was the second scenario.

"Well, I hope this case is solved quickly. Someone like that deserves to be cut into a thousand pieces," Blue Sister grew increasingly agitated, as if she held a deep, personal enmity toward the killer.

"Alright, alright, let's take it one step at a time. We will definitely find the killer and bring justice for the victim," I said, not just to calm Blue Sister, but because those were truly my own convictions as well.

"Turn right at the next intersection; that’s where Ou Jinglan's parents live," Blue Sister pointed toward an intersection not far ahead, her expression serious.

I turned the car in, entering a neighborhood lined with typical old residential blocks where Ou Jinglan's parents had lived for years.

Finding a spot to park haphazardly, Blue Sister and I walked toward the building where they resided. It was a five-story block, no elevator, and Ou Jinglan's parents lived on the fourth floor. The already narrow stairwell was piled high with clutter, making it feel cramped even when Blue Sister and I ascended side-by-side—though I secretly wished they lived on the eighteenth floor instead.

Blue Sister pressed the doorbell, but there was no response; it was probably broken long ago. I opted to knock directly.

"Who is it! Coming, coming!" After only a few knocks, a response came from inside—a woman's voice, likely Ou Jinglan's mother.

The rickety security door was flung open abruptly, causing Blue Sister and me to instinctively step back. An elderly woman, probably in her early fifties, scrutinized us with wary eyes. Our appearance as two strangers was certainly abrupt.

"Hello, we are investigators from the Special Investigation Division of the Municipal Public Security Bureau. We need to ask you a few things regarding a case," I explained, as Blue Sister and I presented our credentials.

"What is it?" Hearing people from "the authorities," the old lady seemed surprised.

Just as we were about to answer, a voice called out from inside the room: "Honey, who is it?"

"Nothing, nothing, they say they're from the Public Security Bureau," the old lady replied, turning back to us. "Come in and talk."

I nodded, and Blue Sister and I followed the old lady inside. It was an old house decades old, but it was cozy, with everything neatly arranged—a family portrait of three hung in the living room, radiating happiness.

"Hello, you are..." The man of the house emerged from the kitchen, likely unsure how to address us upon learning we were police.

"You are Ou Jinglan's parents, correct?" Beating around the bush wasn't my strength; it was better to get straight to the point, except, of course, when trying to woo a beautiful girl.

"Yes, what can we do for you?" Father Ou seemed nervous upon hearing our direct question.

"We have some unfortunate news to deliver. This morning, Miss Ou Jinglan's body was discovered in the western suburbs. Preliminary examination shows she has been deceased for over twenty-four hours." I tried to slow my pace and modulate my tone, hoping the words wouldn't sound too harsh when delivered.

"Nonsense, how could that be? Xiao Lan visited us just a few days ago