The case of the teddy bear hiding a corpse 1.4

The inner room had been converted into a makeshift operating room. The walls were covered with children's drawings, all depicting black figures leading children.

On the operating table lay an open medical kit containing various sophisticated anatomical tools. Most chillingly, a teddy bear hung directly above the table, its abdomen cut open to reveal a dried-out placenta inside.

"Was that...his first 'work'?" Wen Lin asked.

Li Weimian stared at the calendar on the wall. Last Friday's date was circled in red, with the words "Final Correction Day" written next to it. Today's date, however, was marked "New Student".

"He's trying to escape." Yu Yan suddenly turned around. "Check all flights departing today!"

Fan Jinci stood still, staring at the trash can beneath the operating table. He bent down and picked up a crumpled piece of paper with a line of printed text on it:

"The specimen has been moved to the original location. —M"

"I await your pursuit, my butterfly. —M"

"It's not an escape," Fan Jinci's voice made everyone turn around, "It's a relocation. He has another 'studio'."

Yu Yan's phone suddenly rang. After answering, his expression became unusually complicated: "Airport police just intercepted a man trying to board the plane with a fake passport... He had a teddy bear in his carry-on luggage."

"The case is closed?" Wen Lin asked incredulously.

Fan Jinci and Li Weimian both shook their heads.

"Too easy," Li Weimian said.

Fan Jinci held up the note: "'M wouldn't make such a basic mistake. The person who was arrested might be..."

"Scapegoat." Yu Yan gritted his teeth. "We've been played."

Just then, Situ Jin's phone received a text message from an unknown number.

Clicking on it reveals a photo: a brand-new teddy bear sits in a sunny room, with three empty cups beside it, as if preparing afternoon tea. Below the photo is a caption:

"The game has only just begun. I look forward to facing even smarter opponents. —M"

"We also look forward to your return, M-0. —M"

Fan Jinci stared at the photo, then suddenly zoomed in on the teddy bear's right ear—a very thin silver hair on the fur shimmered in the sunlight.

"He knew we'd find this place," Fan Jinci said softly. "It's a provocation, but also a clue."

Yu Yan clenched his fist: "What clue?"

Fan Jinci pointed to the strand of hair: "The texture of an elderly woman's hair. It's guiding us to find someone... perhaps the starting point of all this."

Li Weimian gasped: "That crying woman in the newspaper... Chen Ming isn't the real culprit, he's investigating something too!"

The case is like a Russian nesting doll; each layer reveals a deeper mystery. Meanwhile, no one notices that the security camera at the back door of the community health center is quietly recording the retreating figure in a white coat.