My First Love is a Genius Profiler - Chapter 2

On a cold, early morning, the sky seemed veiled by a thin gauze. A faint mist, like a dream, hung in the air.

The city was slowly waking up. There were few pedestrians on the streets, only a few hurried figures vaguely visible in the fog.

In the cold wind, a street cleaner pushed his cart, humming a tune, as he followed his familiar route, emptying the trash bins along the streets.

When he reached a secluded alley, he suddenly caught an unusual odor. He frowned, following the scent towards a large dumpster deeper inside the alley.

The smell grew stronger. With a sense of unease, he cautiously lifted the lid of the dumpster.

He gasped sharply, his hands trembling uncontrollably.

Lying amidst the clutter of garbage was the body of a young woman, like a withered flower. The fear was still etched on the deceased woman’s face, and her mouth had been wildly slashed. The countless gruesome fissures, like a distorted abstract painting, were unbearable to look at.

The street cleaner stumbled back a few steps, nearly falling to the ground. Fighting back nausea and panic, he pulled out his phone with a trembling hand and called the police.

Siren sounds quickly echoed through the street, like a sharp sword piercing the city’s tranquility. Police officers swiftly sealed off the scene, and forensic and criminal investigation personnel began busily collecting evidence.

The detectives from the SOI Task Force hurried to the location. Captain Wang Li listened with a grave expression to the preliminary inspection report.

This was already the third similar case this month. Although the gender and age of the victims had no common thread, the manner of death was strikingly similar.

“Captain, this must be a serial killer,” Hu Bingyu walked slowly towards Wang Li. “Based on the evidence left at the scene, especially those unique knife marks and residual fibers, the pattern highly matches the previous two cases. The killer is so twisted; this is definitely the style of a serial killer…”

“Hu Bingyu, I agree with your assessment,” Wang Li nodded to Hu Bingyu, his gaze serious. “I’ve already reported this to the superiors. Tomorrow, our Task Force will have a new colleague transferred in—a criminal psychological profiler!”

“A profiler?” A hint of surprise flashed in Hu Bingyu’s eyes, quickly settling back into calmness. “What’s her name? Is she any good?”

Wang Li squinted slightly and said earnestly, “Her name is Shen Anyan, 24 years old. She graduated from Jiangcheng Criminal Investigation University in the Class of 2015. After graduation, she interned for two years in the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit and recently returned to the country. It’s said she possesses extraordinary insight and astonishing deductive abilities, capable of discerning the killer’s psychological motives from minute details…”

Upon hearing that name, Hu Bingyu instantly stiffened. Why her? And how did she become a criminal psychological profiler? Memories flooded back like a tide. The warm figure from her past immediately surfaced in her mind, making her feel complicated.

Hu Bingyu tried hard to quell the inner turmoil, forcing herself to refocus on the case.

She took a deep breath and said to Wang Li, “Captain, we need to organize all the evidence and clues as quickly as possible. This killer is clearly reoffending; we must act fast.”

Wang Li nodded: “Exactly, Bingyu. We must race against time. You coordinate with the forensics and technical departments. I’ll go talk to the eyewitness.”

As night fell, the activity at the crime scene gradually quieted down.

Hu Bingyu sat alone in the office, with various reports and photos piled up in front of her. She rubbed her tired, strained eyes, but her thoughts drifted involuntarily to the woman who was about to arrive.

Shen Anyan. A name so familiar to her. She had been so fond of that person, searching everywhere for her after returning to the country, but her efforts had been fruitless. Well, now she runs into her. Isn’t this too much of a coincidence?

Hu Bingyu shook her head, temporarily pushing these thoughts aside. The case was the priority, and she had to be completely focused. She re-examined the evidence before her, trying to find any traces of the killer. Every photo, every report, might hold the key to solving the case.

The next morning, an air of tension permeated the Task Force office. Everyone was anticipating the arrival of the mysterious profiler. Soft sunlight streamed through the window, adding a touch of warmth to the tense atmosphere.

The moment Shen Anyan stepped into the office; Hu Bingyu felt like time had stopped.

She still looked like the person in Hu Bingyu’s memory, only with added composure and confidence. Time seemed to have made that woman more mature and elegant. Every step Shen Anyan took seemed to tread on Hu Bingyu’s heart, stirring ripples of emotion.

Wang Li introduced her warmly: “Everyone, this is our new colleague, Shen Anyan. She will assist us in solving this serial murder case.”

The Captain’s voice broke the brief spell, pulling Hu Bingyu back to reality.

“Shen Anyan… a profiler… younger than me. Can I call you Xiao Shen?” A woman with long hair and a delicate appearance cheerfully greeted Shen Anyan. “I’m Li Siqi, the SOI’s Ms. Know-It-All. Feel free to ask me anything you don’t understand!”

“Tsk tsk Li Siqi, you boast as soon as a newcomer arrives. Isn’t that bad? Ms. Know-It-All? I think you’re clearly Ms. Gossip-All.” At this moment, a man with bright, sharp eyes couldn’t wait to tease Li Siqi.

“Captain Wang, control your Yang Fei.” The woman named Li Siqi pouted, looking displeased.

“Alright, alright, you two big babies stop arguing. Why don’t you learn from Chen Xi and Hu Bingyu, okay?” Wang Li tapped the table, shaking his head helplessly.

Shen Anyan looked at the group with interest. Her colleagues seemed to have very harmonious relationships, but also a tremendous amount of internal drama.

She smiled gently and nodded a greeting to everyone. Her eyes inadvertently met Hu Bingyu’s, and a complex emotion flashed in her gaze, as if there were a thousand words she wanted to say, but could not articulate them now.

Wang Li continued introducing the team members:

“This is Chen Xi, our cyber investigator.” A woman wearing glasses nodded politely to Shen Anyan.

“And Hu Bingyu, the best hand-to-hand combat officer in our SOI.”

Hu Bingyu managed a strained smile and extended her hand to Shen Anyan. The moment they shook hands, she deliberately squeezed the other’s hand a little firmly. “Welcome aboard… Shen Anyan.”

Shen Anyan was momentarily stunned by the squeeze, realizing the woman in front of her was undoubtedly doing it on purpose.

“Thank you,” Shen Anyan said softly, the residual warmth of the other’s hand lingering in hers.

Wang Li noticed the subtle atmosphere between the two and cleared his throat to break the silence: “Alright, now that everyone has met, let’s start discussing the case.”

Upon hearing this, everyone quickly shifted into a state of high tension. Photos of the crime scenes and the victims began scrolling across the large screen.

“This is an extremely rare serial murder case. The three cases show obvious similarities in the method of killing, but apart from all being locals of Jiangcheng, no other common characteristics can be found among the victims…” Captain Wang Li stood in front of the screen, summarizing the case details for everyone.

Shen Anyan lowered her head, carefully reading through the materials in her hands.

The first victim, Ma Ming, a 26-year-old male, died around 2 AM on January 22nd, over half a month ago. This single young man rented an apartment in an old residential building in the Chun Tian Community, Jianghuai District, Jiangcheng City.

Neighbors recalled that Ma Ming rarely interacted with people, keeping himself confined to his cramped rental room all day. The only sound they heard was the tapping of his keyboard and occasional cheers while playing games late at night.

Investigations showed that Ma Ming made a living by taking online orders for game leveling, barely leaving the house. His diet consisted entirely of food ordered through delivery apps, and the outside of his door was piled high with takeaway boxes.

Police found a large number of energy drink cans and instant bread wrappers throughout the room, turning the apartment into something resembling a dump. When the police arrived, the computer screen was dark, but after lighting it up, an FPS game called Fireline was logged in.

The second victim, Yang Bifang, a 65-year-old female, died around 11 PM on February 3rd. The elderly woman lived in a dilapidated communal block building in Wangjiadun Street, Qiaokou District, Jiangcheng City.

Neighbors knew her as a “medium,” and people often came to her late at night asking for talismans, exorcisms, or fortune-telling.

Yang Bifang had been retired for many years, and her greatest pleasure was playing Mahjong with her neighbors. However, she was not living alone. Her grandson lived with her. Tragically, the 10-year-old boy seemed to have suffered severe psychological trauma after his grandmother’s bizarre death, falling completely into a state of autism.

Police attempted to question him several times but consistently failed to get any useful information from him. The child’s vacant eyes and abnormal silence cast a shadow over every officer’s mind.

The third case occurred last night. The victim was a young woman whose identity has not yet been confirmed. Other officers are currently canvassing the area to identify the deceased. The forensic medical examiner estimated her time of death to be around 3 AM this morning.

Based on pelvic structure analysis, the woman’s age is estimated to be between 20 and 25. There were no signs of sexual assault on the woman’s body, nor were any valuables missing.

Shen Anyan quietly exhaled; her eyes fixed on the horrific crime scene photos spread out on the table. Her slender fingers unconsciously stroked the edges of the pictures, her expression as calm as still water, as if such terrifying scenes were commonplace for her.

In the photos, the victims’ pale skin contrasted sharply with the glaring red bloodstains. Each frame felt like a sharp blade, deeply stabbing into the viewer’s heart.

The killer’s technique was chillingly skillful. The fatal wound was to the major carotid artery in the neck; the sharp blade was almost instantly lethal. The forensic report indicated that the wound edges were clean, with no signs of hesitation or sloppiness, clearly the work of an experienced killer.

Shen Anyan couldn’t help but wonder how many times such skill needed to be “practiced” to reach this level.

According to the detailed forensic analysis, the killer only began to further mutilate the body after the victim had died from excessive blood loss. The victims’ mouths were savagely cut, creating gashes of varying depths and complexity. The gruesome wounds seemed to be the killer’s frantic outpouring.

“The mouth represents language and communication. I believe the killer may have recently had intense verbal conflicts with these three victims. I suggest we focus our investigation on the three victims’ interpersonal relationships before death. There must be something we’ve overlooked.”

Shen Anyan spoke softly, her brow slightly furrowed. “The time interval between his crimes is shortening, and he’s growing angrier. I can feel that he’s nearing his breaking point! Because his abuse of the victims’ mouths is becoming increasingly cruel! I estimate he will commit another murder within three days!”

“Based on the available information, the preliminary profile suggests the killer is male, about 175-180 centimeters tall, and relatively thin. He likely possesses some knowledge of medicine or anatomy. His external demeanor is calm and collected, but his inner self is impulsive and frantic, and he has recently suffered immense emotional trauma.”

Hu Bingyu listened intently to Shen Anyan’s analysis, a subtle curve unconsciously forming on the corner of her mouth, because she realized that Shen Anyan was quite professional…