Case 1.1 of the Puppet Master
The ink on the case report was barely dry when the atmosphere at the island resort had completely changed. It was as if every window held a spying eye, and every passing staff member seemed suspicious.
“‘Collector’.” Yu Yan ground the word between his teeth, it reeked of blood. He looked at Fan Jinci, “This code name has never appeared in Ryan’s files.”
Fan Jinci stood before the villa's floor-to-ceiling windows, gazing at the seemingly calm sea outside, the silver butterfly ornament on his wrist twirling unconsciously. "It was mentioned once in Ryan's private notes. Not an experiment, but... a 'connoisseur'." He paused, "He believed that the perfect 'container' required the ultimate 'resonance,' and the 'collector' was responsible for discerning this 'resonance.'"
Li Weimian projected the IP tracking map from Ling Shuang's chip onto the wall. The red lines eventually converged into a glaring red dot at the location representing their villa. "He was already lurking here before we moved in. The administrator? A waiter? Or even some 'tourist'?"
Jiang Zhaoyan directly used his financial power to pressure the resort's management, obtaining detailed information on all employees and recent long-term guests, and is now conducting a brutal cross-checking. "If the 'collector' is truly a 'connoisseur' as Ryan said, then his goal..." His gaze fell on Fan Jinci, his unspoken words obvious.
Wen Lin led his men to conduct another thorough search of the villa with the highest security standards, practically prying open the floorboards. "Damn it, this feeling of being stared at like an exhibit is absolutely awful!"
Silently, Situ Jin checked the trace collectors at all the entrances, trying to capture any evidence of unusual visits.
The pressure, like invisible mercury, spread to every corner of the room.
The impasse was broken by a package delivered directly to the villa's front desk. There was no sender information; the recipient's name was simply printed as: M-0 (To be opened by the recipient).
Yu Yan personally took the package to the temporary isolation room. After opening the outer layer, there was an exquisitely crafted black velvet box inside.
The moment the box was opened, even Yu Yan gasped for breath.
Inside the box, on a red velvet cushion, lies a doll about twenty centimeters tall. The doll wears an exquisitely detailed white linen shirt and black trousers, its grey-blue pupils inlaid with some rare gemstone, and its pale face with a texture so delicate it resembles real skin. On the doll's left wrist wears a miniature, lifelike silver butterfly ornament.
—This is a scaled-down doll of Fan Jinci, every detail is frighteningly precise.
The puppet is not static. It is cleverly fixed to a miniature metal frame, maintaining a walking posture, with a cold and aloof expression, exactly like Fan Jinci's usual demeanor.
On the inside of the box lid, a line of elegant cursive script is engraved:
"To M-0: A perfect embryo, worthy of being frozen in time forever."
There is no signature, only an embossed symbol: a Victorian-style collector's hat.
The doll was rushed to a forensic laboratory. The results were alarming.
The material used for the doll's "skin" is a novel bio-composite material containing a homologous fluorescent polymer found in Han Dong's collar.
The process utilizes 3D printing with micron-level precision, far exceeding the scope of civilian applications. The clothing is a miniature replica of the original, and the silver jewelry is made of pure silver in the same proportions.
Information: The doll is hollow inside; no tracking or explosive devices were found, but a glass chip the size of a grain of rice was embedded in the spine. The chip contains only a single, processed electronic sound playing on a loop:
"The curtain rises, the puppeteer is in position. Looking forward to dancing with you, M-0."
“Puppeteer…” Li Weimian repeated the title, “Is this the ‘collector’s’ self-proclaimed title? Or is it another ‘artist’ under his wing?”
“He’s demonstrating his control,” Jiang Zhaoyan said coldly. “His ability to perfectly replicate Fan Jinci means he has a meticulous understanding of Fan Jinci. This ‘gift’ is both an appreciation and a threat.”
Yu Yan gripped the black velvet box tightly, his knuckles turning white from the force, a destructive storm raging in his eyes. He looked at Fan Jinci, his voice hoarse: "If he dares to touch you, I'll crush him to dust."
Fan Jinci's gaze, however, fell on the lifelike doll. His gray-blue pupils held no anger at being offended, only a cold, almost anatomical scrutiny.
“He doesn’t want to hurt me.” Fan Jinci raised his eyes, his gaze sweeping over everyone present, finally meeting Yu Yan’s eyes. “He wants to ‘collect’ me. And a true collector, before acquiring his most precious possessions…”
He paused, his voice soft and cold, like quenched ice:
"...we will first remove what we consider to be 'flaws' or 'obstacles'."
The air froze instantly.
The next target of the "collector" may no longer be a single individual, but... everyone around Fan Jinci.
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