A legendary chief forensic pathologist is afraid of being seen by others?
At 4:56 a.m., Yu Yan's phone suddenly lit up in the darkness, the glaring blue light reflecting off his sharply defined face. He opened his eyes almost instantly, grabbed the phone, and saw "Emergency call from the police station" on the screen.
"Speak." His voice was deep and cold, without the slightest hint of slurred speech from just waking up.
"Captain Yu, dismembered remains have been found at the abandoned slaughterhouse in the east of the city. It's confirmed to be deliberate dismemberment, and the method... is very professional." Officer Chen's voice on the other end of the phone was tense. "Preliminary assessment indicates at least twenty pieces, with clean cuts, it looks like..."
"It looks like it was done by someone in the same industry."
Yu Yan picked up where he left off, his muscular physique barely concealed beneath his black vest. He held the phone between his shoulder and belt with one hand, asking, "Have you notified the forensic team?"
"We notified them, but forensic doctor Zhang said the case is too complicated, and he suggested..." Xiao Chen hesitated for a moment, "...that they ask that person to come out of retirement."
Yu Yan paused, a cold smile playing on his lips: "Fan Jinci?"
"Yes...yes. But I heard that guy has a weird temper. Last time the city bureau asked him to come, he just said, 'Useless, get lost, don't bother me,' and then..."
"Send me the address." Yu Yan interrupted him, hung up the phone, grabbed his coat, and strode out of the bedroom.
In the early hours of March, the wind was biting cold. Yu Yan's black Land Rover sped along the empty streets, the navigation pointing to an upscale apartment complex on the outskirts of the city. He gripped the steering wheel with one hand and dialed another number with the other.
"Check all of Fan Jinci's information and send it to my phone within five minutes," he commanded briefly.
The phone vibrated quickly, and a concise file appeared on the screen:
Ci Jinfan, 32 years old, is a medical genius and a forensic medicine doctor at S Medical University. He has assisted in solving many major national cases. Due to his cold and aloof personality, he is known as "the flower on a high mountain". He is currently on temporary assignment in the provincial department and rarely takes on cases.
"What 'high-class beauty'? I think she's just a fool."
"Holy crap, boss! Single bet!" A teammate's voice came through the microphone.
Yu Yan gave a soft hum and hung up the phone. He parked his car in front of a low-key yet luxurious apartment building. The elevator required a card, so he simply showed his police ID and asked the security guard to let him in.
"At this hour... Mr. Fan is definitely sleeping. He has a bad temper..." the security guard said cautiously.
Yu Yan sneered, "What a coincidence, my temper isn't much better either."
The 28th floor had only one apartment. Yu Yan stood in front of the door and rang the doorbell without hesitation. Once, twice, three times... When the doorbell rang for the fifth time, the door was suddenly pulled open.
"You'd better have a good enough reason to explain why at this time—"
The sound stopped abruptly. Yu Yan met the legendary Fan Jinci for the first time.
The man was younger than he had imagined. His pale skin was almost translucent under the corridor lights, and beneath his disheveled black hair were a pair of sharp, piercing eyes, now slightly narrowed with anger. He wore loose-fitting black silk pajamas, the collar wide open, revealing his delicate collarbone and a small patch of chest. Most striking was the scalpel he held in his right hand, its blade gleaming coldly in the light.
"Criminal Investigation Team, Yu Yan." Yu Yan flashed his badge, his gaze sweeping over the other person without any attempt to conceal his identity. "We need your assistance in the dismemberment case at the East City Slaughterhouse."
Fan Jinci's gaze shifted from anger to indifference. He leaned lazily against the doorframe, the scalpel twirling deftly between his fingers: "What does that have to do with me? Have your forensic doctors eaten shit?"
Yu Yan had anticipated this reaction. He stepped forward, almost touching Fan Jinci's body, looking down at him: "27 pieces of body parts, incisions precise to the millimeter level, internal organs completely removed and cleaned. The murderer is either a surgeon, or..." He paused deliberately, "...a forensic pathologist like you."
Fan Jinci's eyebrows twitched almost imperceptibly; this was the first genuine reaction that Yu Yan noticed.
"Interesting," Fan Jinci said softly, a faint smile playing on his lips, yet devoid of warmth. "But it's still none of my business."
Yu Yan lost his patience. He grabbed Fan Jinci's arm with such force that the other frowned. "Listen, genius. Either you come with me now, or I'll arrest you for obstructing official business. Choose one."
The two stood facing each other at the doorway, the air seeming to freeze. Finally, Fan Jinci gently pulled her hand away from Yu Yan's and turned to walk into the house: "Wait for me to change my clothes."
"No need." Yu Yan's gaze swept over the other person's slender figure. "Let's just go."
Fan Jinci turned to look at him, her eyes strange: "You want me to go to a crime scene in my pajamas?"
"What?" Yu Yan laughed provocatively, "A legendary chief forensic pathologist is afraid of being seen?"
Unexpectedly, Fan Jinci smiled, a smile that suddenly brought him to life: "Alright, Captain Yu. I hope you won't regret this decision."
Ten minutes later, Yu Yan began to understand the meaning of Fan Jinci's words.
The crime scene was brightly lit by police lights, and a crowd of onlookers and reporters had already gathered outside the police cordon. When Yu Yan's car stopped and Fan Jinci, wearing a silk nightgown and barefoot in canvas shoes, got out, the scene fell silent for a few seconds before a murmur broke out.
"That's... a forensic pathologist?"
"My God, he's even younger than the rumors said..."
"I heard he has a terrible temper..."
"He's really handsome..."
"Stop being so infatuated..."
Fan Jinci ignored the discussions and walked straight to the area where the corpses were. Yu Yan followed behind him, and for some reason, looking at Fan Jinci's slightly shivering figure in the cold wind, he suddenly regretted his decision.
"Get him a jacket," Yu Yan whispered to the officer next to him.
Fan Jinci was already squatting beside the body parts, using his fingers to manipulate the neatly cut human tissues without wearing gloves. His expression was focused and calm, as if what he saw before him was not a bloody body, but a work of art waiting to be deciphered.
"Time of death 12 to 14 hours ago. The killer used a professional scalpel, but the technique wasn't entirely medical..." Fan Jinci's voice was calm and clear, a stark contrast to his earlier languid demeanor at home. "Look at this cross-section; he was enjoying the process, striving for perfection with every cut..."
Yu Yan was involuntarily drawn in and squatted down beside him: "Can you spot the killer's features?"
Fan Jinci turned his head to look at him, their faces almost touching. Yu Yan suddenly noticed that his eyes had a peculiar gray-blue tint under the police lights, like the surface of a lake in winter.
"Male, 25 to 35 years old, left-handed, with a medical background but possibly not a licensed physician..." Fan Jinci said, suddenly reaching out and pinching a small piece of tissue from a pile of internal organs, "Look here, he took the victim's adrenal gland—this is unusual, adrenal glands are not common trophies."
Yu Yan stared at Fan Jinci's blood-stained fingers, his heart skipping a beat. In this bloody and horrific scene, Fan Jinci was breathtakingly beautiful, her focus and composure exuding an almost dangerous charm.
"Why the adrenal glands?" Yu Yan heard himself ask, his voice lower than usual.
Fan Jinci's lips curled into a slight smile: "Adrenaline, the chemical of fear. He's collecting the victim's fear." He stood up, suddenly leaning close to Yu Yan's ear, his warm breath brushing against the earlobe, "Your heart is racing, Captain. Is it fear... or excitement?"
Yu Yan suddenly grabbed his wrist, their eyes clashing in the air, sparks flying. Just then, a police officer rushed in: "Captain Yu, we found the victim's head in the sewer!"
Fan Jinci gently pulled away from Yu Yan's hand and walked towards the location where the incident was discovered. Yu Yan stood there, watching his back, which appeared exceptionally thin yet incredibly strong under the police lights, and for the first time felt an indescribable attraction.
This arrogant and aloof genius forensic doctor, dressed in pajamas, moved with such ease amidst bloodshed and death that even Yu Yan, known for his calm and self-control, felt a stirring he had never experienced before.
He took back the word "fool".
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