“Let’s examine the height and appearance of our four known victims,” Yu Zheng clicked to the next slide.
“Li Liwei, thirty-one years old, height 166cm, weight 51kg.
Wang Wei, twenty-four years old, height 165.5cm, weight 49.5kg.
Wang Qianqian, twenty-four years old, height 167.5cm, weight 53kg.
Ding Jing, twenty-six years old, height 167cm, weight 52kg.”
He smiled again: “All four victims were young women, all attractive, but the most crucial point is that their physical builds were remarkably similar.”
He wrote down the third commonality—”physique.”
“How did I not think of this!” Little Zhou turned to Jiang Chengyi in surprise. No wonder the Captain had specifically asked him to highlight the victims’ heights and weights—he had noticed this pattern early on.
“Let’s look at the next slide.”
The screen showed two cartoon stickers side by side, both butterfly patterns. The left one was old and faded, the right one bright and new.
After staring at the butterflies for a few seconds, Yu Zheng turned back, giving Jiang Chengyi an appreciative look: “This is the most interesting piece of evidence we’ve found, and it’s a crucial entry point for profiling the criminal. This kind of physical evidence is easily overlooked during investigations because it seems insignificant. Fortunately, Captain Jiang didn’t make this mistake—not only did he conduct a second search of Wang Qianqian’s home, but he also preserved this as evidence.”
Little Zhou beamed with pride: “Captain Jiang was my senior at school, he was a top student back then.”
Yu Zheng chuckled before continuing: “Although these butterfly stickers can be bought anywhere and we can’t definitively say the killer planted them in the victim’s home, considering the ritualistic nature of the body dump sites, I’m assuming they were distributed by the perpetrator.”
“The left sticker was found in Wang Qianqian’s home. The second sticker was placed on the door of the witness surnamed Lu who encountered the Deng Man impersonator.”
“Coincidentally, according to surveillance footage, the woman lingering outside the Lu witness’s door that night was dressed very similarly to Li Liwei—wearing an orange H-brand silk scarf, coat, and ankle boots. If I remember correctly, the records show Li Liwei was wearing these same clothes when she was killed. Of course, if Captain Jiang hadn’t taken over Li Liwei’s case and reviewed her files, this detail might have been missed. Unfortunately, because the perpetrator was skilled at avoiding surveillance blind spots, we couldn’t successfully track them.”
“However, based on this, we can reasonably conclude that the witness who called the radio station wasn’t making things up—someone was indeed impersonating Li Liwei at night. Unlike subjective witness accounts, surveillance video provides direct, objective evidence.”
Old Qin had a sudden realization: “Following Dr. Yu’s logic, the fake Deng Man that Dr. Lu encountered that night could very well have been the killer. According to Dr. Lu, she encountered this person around 1 AM, while Wang Qianqian’s time of death was between 11 PM and 1 AM. After committing the crime, the killer was accidentally seen by Dr. Lu, and fearing exposure, began following Dr. Lu the next day, placing butterfly stickers and marking her as the next target?”
Little Zhou looked puzzled: “But wait, it makes sense that the killer would imitate Li Liwei and steal Wang Wei’s clothes, but Deng Man committed suicide, right? Why would the killer imitate Deng Man eight years later? What’s the purpose?”
“That’s why I’m saying there must be something suspicious about Deng Man’s cause of death,” Old Qin said to Yu Zheng. “Dr. Yu, please continue.”
Yu Zheng turned to look at the screen: “Unfortunately, Li Liwei’s case is three years old, and much physical evidence has been lost. We couldn’t find any butterfly stickers in Ding Jing’s home either, but this doesn’t prevent me from believing this is a signal left by the killer. Without this element, the meaning of the bodies floating in water would become ambiguous. Now, let me ask a crucial question—Captain Jiang, you’ve met the Lu witness, can you tell me her approximate height and weight?”
“167cm, around 50kg,” Jiang Chengyi answered quickly.
“And her appearance?”
“Beautiful.”
Yu Zheng could barely contain his excitement: “Excellent. The killer is a perfectionist who has been strictly following their victim selection criteria all these years. If they merely wanted to eliminate a witness, they wouldn’t have left butterfly stickers for the Lu witness. Once distributed, it indicates they’re already considering whether to make the Lu witness their next ritual subject.”
Jiang Chengyi became restless. Lu Yan was at home right now, and although his mother, Aunt Liu, and the trained driver were all there, he still couldn’t help feeling worried.
After pondering for a few seconds, he called Little Zhou over and gave him some quiet instructions.
Seeing Little Zhou’s reluctance to leave, he promised: “Go first, when you return, I’ll have Old Qin play the audio materials for you.”
After Little Zhou left, Dr. Yu continued: “The butterfly, called ‘psyche’ in Greek, carries a double meaning of love and soul, and also symbolizes metamorphosis and rebirth.”
He walked to the whiteboard and drew a butterfly pattern, then said to Old Qin: “Please replay the slides.”
When the image froze on the victims’ white waterproof bags, he asked Old Qin to stop.
“According to witnesses, all victims’ bodies were floating in the center of the lakes. Due to being wrapped in white waterproof material, they appeared starkly white even at night. Records show that the witness who discovered Ding Jing’s body described the scene as ‘a fetus floating in amniotic fluid.’ I imagine the killer would be quite pleased to hear this description, as they’ve essentially achieved their desired criminal aesthetics. Looking at the photos, besides resembling fetuses, the victims also somewhat resemble chrysalises. But regardless of which image the killer intended to present, both suggest ‘new life,’ ‘rebirth,’ and ‘transformation.’ Water carries connotations of ‘incubation,’ ‘cleansing,’ and ‘purification.'”
Jiang Chengyi caught one word: “Transformation?”
“Yes. The killer selects a specific type of target, stalks and kills them, and persistently fine-tunes the dump sites. From researching buoyancy and purchasing packaging materials to scouting dump locations in advance, the killer has meticulously calculated almost every step, again and again, until achieving their desired effect. We know that learned criminal motivation mechanisms include reinforcement mechanisms, self-reinforcement mechanisms, and punishment mechanisms. Looking at this series of cases over the years, the killer has evolved from reinforcement to self-reinforcement mechanisms, with criminal impulses gradually escalating and crime frequency increasing.”
“No wonder,” Old Qin scratched his head. “There was a three-year gap between Li Liwei and Wang Wei in B City, then four months later came Wang Qianqian’s case, and between Wang Qianqian and Ding Jing, there were only a few days. Does this mean the next victim will appear very soon? Captain Jiang, we need to catch this psychopath quickly.”
Dr. Yu continued: “Moving on, through the cycle of selecting victims—arranging crime scenes—imitating victims, the killer has achieved high self-affirmation and increasingly accumulated criminal pleasure from these behaviors. I suspect that after each successful crime, they reward themselves in some way.”
He pulled out a chair and sat down, smiling like the Mona Lisa: “You’ve probably heard of Arthur Shawcross’s case. After this killer emerged, eleven women fell victim to this demon, and it was psychological profiling that finally led to his capture. However, this case is fundamentally different from that type of sexually deviant serial killing.”
“First, none of the four victims showed signs of sexual assault. Second, except for the strangulation marks on their necks, the bodies weren’t otherwise damaged and were preserved quite completely. Third, after the victims’ deaths, the killer seemed to deliberately imitate their clothing. Assuming this last point is a form of the killer’s self-indulgence and self-reward, I have reason to believe their motive involves another intention—substitution.”
Someone expressed confusion: “Dr. Yu, this is too complex. Could you explain it in simpler terms?”
Dr. Yu, being approachable, immediately switched to a more colloquial expression: “OK. Let’s return to the four victims themselves. Besides similar builds, these women must have had other commonalities like gait patterns, which together triggered the killer’s criminal associations, but these points alone wouldn’t be enough to activate the killer’s ‘crime stimulus scenario.'”
Old Qin couldn’t help interjecting: “From the information we’ve gathered, when the Winter Solstice website was first established, perhaps as a joke, Ding Jing was the first to make a wish on it. In other words, including Ding Jing, all four victims had made wishes on the Winter Solstice website. Dr. Yu, even if, as you say, the victims’ wish-making might not be directly related to their murders, that doesn’t mean they’re unrelated. Could you analyze this website aspect for us?”
Dr. Yu wrote “Wish-making” on the whiteboard.
“Very good, let’s try adding another hypothetical factor—the Winter Solstice website. Everyone here surely knows that in both Western and Eastern cultures, only one type of being can fulfill human wishes. In the West, we call them God; in the East, we call them deities.”
The room fell silent.
Yu Zheng’s eyes gleamed with a hunter’s characteristic light: “I don’t know exactly when the killer began their crimes, but from their insistence on selecting women of the same build as targets, the victims’ physique must remind them of a familiar and hated female figure—wife, mother, superior, teacher, female relative, etc., and this is the first condition that their target selection must satisfy.”
Jiang Chengyi pondered: “Over the past eight years, the Winter Solstice website had over a hundred users who drew the rarest card, yet so far there have only been four victims. I found this puzzling at first, but combining it with this point makes it understandable.”
Yu Zheng: “That’s why I say this criminal is a perfectionist. For them, crime is a complete and continuous process where several elements are indispensable. I speculate that the killer wants to obtain a sense of dominance over their victims, so they achieve this element by fulfilling their wishes. Although Winter Solstice was established eight years ago, it wasn’t until three years ago that the first victim meeting all criteria appeared—Li Liwei. In other words, until three years ago, the killer didn’t have sufficient financial means to fulfill victims’ wishes and carry out a series of crimes. Does anyone disagree with this point?”
Old Qin nodded eagerly: “Please continue, Dr. Yu.”
“Good, let’s discuss the second point. After committing the crimes, the killer wraps the victims’ bodies like fetuses or chrysalises before placing them in water. From a psychological perspective, this behavior suggests ‘destruction,’ ‘transformation,’ ‘rebirth,’ and ‘cleansing of sins.’ Meanwhile, imitating their clothing suggests either ‘infatuation’ or ‘substitution.’ Given the killer’s level of composure during the crimes, I lean toward the latter—substitution.”
“Furthermore, based on some unknown trigger, the killer firmly believes their chosen targets have ‘no reason to exist’ in this world and must be ‘remade.’ After fulfilling their wishes, the killer believes their relationship with the victims has changed—they’ve become their master, able to control and even destroy their lives at will. After completing the chrysalis/fetus ritual, they believe the victim’s sins have been cleansed, and they become the reborn one. That’s why they take pleasure in imitating the victims’ appearance afterward, repeatedly continuing this process.”
Jiang Chengyi put down his pen and presented his notes to Yu Zheng, asking for verification: “Please see if anything needs to be added.”
Yu Zheng narrowed his eyes at the paper, which read: 1. Male. 2. Substantial financial means. 3. Small build. 4. Well-educated. 5. Rules out group involvement.
After their previous analysis, there was no need for lengthy elaboration—every point was accurate.
“Excellent,” he nodded repeatedly, speaking earnestly to Jiang Chengyi, “Captain Jiang, this is the most complex case in terms of criminal motivation that I’ve encountered in recent years. I’m deeply interested in the perpetrator’s personality. If we catch them, I hope to have an in-depth conversation with them.”
Jiang Chengyi shook his hand: “Thank you for your help, Dr. Yu. With your profile, we plan to narrow our search range for the killer. We may need your assistance again if we encounter other issues.”
“Don’t mention it,” Yu Zheng’s eyes sparkled. “No need to ask, Captain Jiang—I’ll be following this case actively.”
Lu Yan sat on the sofa talking with Jiang Chengyi’s mother, maintaining a polite smile despite knowing how flushed her face was.
She wasn’t sure if Jiang Chengyi had done it deliberately, not telling her where the washing machine was. While she was still wandering around the house with the bedsheets, his mother arrived.
Most embarrassingly, when Aunt Liu took the sheets, Jiang Chengyi’s mother “accidentally” glimpsed the large stains, her mouth forming a perfect O in surprise.
Lu Yan stood nearby, wishing she could disappear into the ground. Last night, she and Jiang Chengyi had made love five or six times without protection, leaving the sheets in an almost “flood-like” state—it was mortifying.
However, Jiang Chengyi’s mother seemed quite excited, first instructing Aunt Liu: “Put the things we brought in the refrigerator later.”
Then she pulled Lu Yan to sit on the sofa, smiling as she studied her: “Dear child, what would you like for lunch? Whether it flies in the sky or walks on the ground, Aunt Liu can cook anything you can think of. I’m not picky about anything except cooking—Aunt Liu has been with me for many years and has been well-trained.”
Though her face was still hot, Lu Yan tried to smile naturally: “Auntie, I’m not picky at all, I enjoy everything.”
“How wonderful!” No matter what Lu Yan said or did, Jiang Chengyi’s mother was thoroughly pleased. “Unlike Jiang Chengyi—Yan Yan, you don’t know, he’s much better now that he’s grown up, but as a child, he was so picky. He wouldn’t eat anything with even a hint of fishiness.”
She naturally changed to calling her “Yan Yan,” unconsciously becoming more intimate.
Seeing Lu Yan’s gentle smile, Jiang Chengyi’s mother continued: “This morning, Jiang Chengyi called his father’s secretary to help book flights and hotels for you two. This boy has good taste—after much consideration, he chose Salzburg, Austria. But then he seemed to have something urgent come up and left without setting specific dates. Are you two planning to travel soon?”
Salzburg?
Lu Yan was startled. Back in high school, she had once read a novel that described that place so beautifully she couldn’t help yearning to visit, but she couldn’t remember if she had ever mentioned this to Jiang Chengyi.
“Maybe he wants to surprise you.” Jiang Chengyi’s mother seemed to regret letting it slip, quickly winking with a smile. “Just pretend you don’t know.”
She pulled her up, smiling: “Come, let’s talk inside. Auntie has some nice things for you.”
Not long after they entered the room, Little Zhou arrived. Lu Yan felt saved, hurrying out to open the door.
Jiang Chengyi didn’t return until evening. As soon as he arrived, Aunt Liu began preparing dinner.
While waiting for dinner, Jiang Chengyi chatted with his mother while Lu Yan sat nearby, smiling and drinking tea, her mind full of the things his mother had given her. More than an hour had passed, and her face had finally stopped flushing so easily, allowing her to think more calmly.
But would Jiang Chengyi, being so stubborn, let her tie him to the bed and have her way? Just thinking about it seemed impossible.
Though Jiang Chengyi was talking with his mother, he kept watching Lu Yan from the corner of his eye, noticing her unusual quietness and mysterious expressions while drinking tea, which made him somewhat puzzled.
After dinner, it was past eight.
When Jiang Chengyi returned from seeing off his mother and Little Zhou, he found the living room and dining room empty, with no sign of Lu Yan.
He went to his room—she wasn’t there. Coming out, he knocked on her door and heard her muffled reply: “I’m taking a bath first.”
He lingered at the door for a while before having to return to his room.
After some thought, he decided to take a bath as well.
But after finishing and waiting in his room for a long time, there was still no movement from Lu Yan.
Though he wanted to hold out longer, thinking about Lu Yan saying she was bathing, he couldn’t resist and opened the door to go out.
Lu Yan had finished bathing long ago, but faced with a bed full of “nice things,” she was both suffering from choice paralysis and feeling somewhat embarrassed.
After much deliberation, she finally chose the most conservative white lace set to wear, putting regular pajamas over it, then tidied everything up and walked to the door.
As soon as she opened it, she saw Jiang Chengyi standing outside, about to knock.
“What are you doing?” He looked at her, his voice slightly husky, wearing a dress shirt and pants—much more conservatively dressed than her. The crystal lights in the hallway cast multiple shadows, illuminating his exceptionally handsome face.
“Nothing,” she replied, trying to appear calm, naturally closing the door behind her as she came out.