CHAPTER 180: 98. THAT SINFUL YET NOBLE MAN SLOWLY WALKED OUT FROM THE MIST.

The tone made every officer present involuntarily exchange glances with those beside them.

Jia Tianzi added, "That’s right, everyone has heard a crucial word: mastermind. This means this series of cases is not the work of just one person. However, there is only one mastermind; the accomplices are executing the mastermind’s criminal intent and imitating the mastermind’s methods. Of course, among the killers, there’s not always a conventional hierarchy between the principal and the accomplices, as the mastermind might not even regard the accomplices if they have never been incited, and the accomplices might voluntarily act for the mastermind, motivated by something akin to paying tribute to an idol."

The officers exchanged looks once again.

Tang Yanqing folded her arms, her fingertips lightly tapping her elbow, "It’s not surprising that you all have such a reaction. Because in your police careers, you may have never encountered such sophisticated ’organized capability crime’. I just want to remind you all: incredible does not mean it’s not the truth."

Only then did the officers quiet down and listen again with renewed focus.

Tang Yanqing got to the main point:

"1. The suspect is extremely familiar with the schedule of Kangchuan University, especially the time patterns of the Eastern Studies Department dormitory. The time from 7:30 to 8:00 p.m. seems not too late, but it’s the quietest time in the Eastern Studies Department dormitory. Students are either going for night classes or going out for leisure, so they aren’t back at this time, and there are very few people in the corridors."

"So this person can be found among those from inside the campus or people who have an extremely close relationship with the faculty and students of the Eastern Studies Department;"

"2. This person has a calm mindset and possesses quite a high level of professional knowledge; has a strong sense of logic and particularly respects order. They have a strong cleanliness fetish — people with such a personality generally appear slim, slightly pale, with slender fingers. They prefer wearing tailored clothes, a symbol of their identity, and subconsciously to highlight the rationale of every line."

"3. The suspect is a man aged between 30 and 40, who has lived or worked in Asia, especially China, before. And the time spent would not be short. Or, they might simply have Asian, especially Chinese, ancestry. Their educational background includes professional experience related to Asia, especially China."

The first two points were silently accepted by everyone, but upon finishing the third point, an officer hesitantly raised his hand.

Tang Yanqing nodded for a pause, pointing to the officer: "Gao Cheng, you want to ask why it’s a man and not the Spicy Girl... because you were the first to gather the clue that Spicy Girl had an altercation with Sean, so you thought the suspicion towards Spicy Girl was greater."

Gao Cheng nodded appreciatively, giving Tang Yanqing a thumbs up.

Tang Yanqing calmly accepted this gesture, looking up at the officers: "I believe Gao Cheng is not the only one with this question, many of you have similar doubts."

About half of the officers nodded.

Tang Yanqing turned her eyes to Jia Tianzi.

Jia Tianzi knew that Tang Yanqing was passing the ball back to him midway, and he wanted to keep his thoughts on the main line of the narrative without getting distracted. Jia Tianzi, therefore, took up the thread without hesitation and said:

"Firstly, the deceased, Sean, died from a high-level cervical spine injury, and the suspect had an accurate and brutal method. Sean’s height is 185 cm, you can try to imagine, with Spicy Girl’s height of 160 cm, how would she have the strength to reach Sean’s neck and also find the fourth cervical vertebra so precisely?"

Gao Cheng immediately asked, "Then perhaps Sean was sitting, and the height was just right."

Jia Tianzi smiled, "Gao Cheng, you were at the scene at the time, answer me, was Sean sitting?"

Gao Cheng blushed: "That’s right, from the scene, it was clear that Sean did not slide down from a seated position; his knees showed a standing slide-down posture."

Jia Tianzi nodded with a smile: "Secondly, Spicy Girl’s hands are too small. Comparing Spicy Girl’s hand circumference to Sean’s neck, Spicy Girl couldn’t accurately grip Sean’s fourth cervical vertebra."

"Once again, I believe everyone also noticed a blood handprint left on the window. Although the blood handprint did not successfully yield fingerprints, it did show the approximate width of the palm. That too proves it wasn’t Spicy Girl’s."

Jia Tianzi tilted his head slightly: "In fact, there are many details to corroborate. However, I think the above three key details are enough to provide everyone an answer."

The officers nodded, seemingly convinced.

Jia Tianzi moved aside, handing the position of the main speaker back to Tang Yanqing.