Snow Dance Case 1.3
The snowflake mark found under the waiter's cart was like a sharp alarm, instantly shattering the resort's relaxed atmosphere.
"Provocation? Or a warning?" Yu Yan gripped the evidence bag tightly, his knuckles white, his eyes blazing with ruthlessness. The murderer not only knew they were here, but had even pinpointed their location to the vicinity of their residence.
Fan Jinci took the evidence bag and examined it carefully against the light. "Same batch, same nanoscale circuits." His tone was calm, but his tightly pursed lips betrayed his tense emotions. "This wasn't randomly placed. He's telling us that he can see it."
Li Weimian has retrieved all the hotel staff's information and activity records for a quick screening. "The staff members have clean backgrounds and no suspicious contact. The markings must have been placed there by someone when they weren't looking. There are too many blind spots in the surveillance, especially in the staff passageway and the kitchen area."
Jiang Zhaoyan contacted the resort management directly and, citing a "highest-level security drill," temporarily sealed off the entire villa area and mobilized more reliable personnel to guard the perimeter. Wen Lin, like a wolf whose territory had been invaded, led several people to search the villa inside and out three more times, not even missing the air conditioning vents.
"From now on, everyone must move in pairs or more, and no one is allowed to go out alone." Yu Yan gave the order, his gaze finally landing on Fan Jinci, with an unquestionable determination, "Especially you, Fan Jinci, you are not allowed to go anywhere without me with you."
Fan Jinci looked up at him, offering no rebuttal, which was tantamount to acquiescence. He knew that at this moment, Yu Yan was not the lover who would pester him for kisses, but the criminal investigation captain, the commander who had to ensure everyone's safety in a crisis.
Under pressure, the investigation became more focused.
Direction 1: Technology Tracing. The targeted disintegration hydrogel and the specific protease inside cannot be synthesized in an ordinary laboratory. Jiang Zhaoyan used his family resources to secretly investigate all institutions and teams in China capable of developing such cutting-edge biomaterials, focusing on those that had technical exchanges or personnel transfers with "New Moon Bio" or "Grey Tower Fund".
Direction Two: Han Dong's "Dance Posture." Li Weimian repeatedly watched the investigation videos and photos of the scene where the body was found; that distorted, sacrificial posture haunted her. She expanded her search, comparing it with art, religious symbols, and even the logos of certain secret organizations worldwide.
Direction Three: Fluorescent Particles and 3D Printing. Situ Jin, in collaboration with the trace evidence department, conducted more detailed component analysis of the fluorescent polymer particles, attempting to identify their manufacturers or specific applications. Simultaneously, he began to review all items or projects that Han Dong might have recently come across that required 3D printing technology.
The first to achieve a breakthrough was Li Weimian.
In an extremely obscure digital archive of modern dance, she found a video. The dancer's final pose bore a striking resemblance to the posture of Han Dong when his body was discovered.
The dance, titled "Frozen Prayer," was created five years ago by a Chinese-American artist named Ling, renowned for her profound exploration of "life and stillness." The core message of "Frozen Prayer" is "to embrace inevitable demise amidst ultimate beauty."
“This isn’t random manipulation; it’s the killer’s ‘signature.’” Li Weimian showed the dance video to everyone. “He was using this method to declare that he had completed his ‘work’ on Han Dong and to interpret his understanding of ‘extinction.’”
"Investigate this 'Ling'!" Yu Yan immediately ordered.
Jiang Zhaoyan moved even faster, her fingers flying across the keyboard: "'Ling,' whose real name is Ling Shuang, is 32 years old. She graduated from a top medical school and later devoted herself to modern dance. It is worth noting that she served as a technical consultant for a short period of time in the early days of 'New Moon Bio'... Her research direction happens to be 'biomaterials and human dynamics'."
The clues were instantly connected.
Ling Shuang’s residence is a stand-alone studio and home in an artist community on the outskirts of the city.
The raid began in the early hours of the morning. Yu Yan personally led the team, and when they broke down the door, the studio was brightly lit but empty.
Only the 3D printer in the center of the workbench was still humming, printing an unfinished, complex snowflake model. On the computer screen beside it, a line of text scrolled slowly:
"M-0, the stage is ready for you. Will you be the next dancer?"
A faint smell of fluorescent polymer, the same smell that Han Dong had noticed on his collar, filled the air.
“She ran away.” Wen Lin checked the surroundings, his face grim. “But she definitely didn’t go far; she didn’t take any equipment with her.”
Yu Yan walked to the workbench, his eyes darkening as he stared at the provocative words. He took out his phone and dialed Fan Jinci's number—he insisted that Fan Jinci and Situ Jin remain in the relatively safe command center.
“She mentioned you.” Yu Yan’s voice was low. “Ling Shuang may be another pawn left behind by Ryan after M-17. Her target may have been you from the very beginning.”
On the other end of the phone, Fan Jinci was silent for a moment, then calmly said, "Bring back all the encrypted files in her database, especially those related to 'stage' and 'dancers'."
He paused for a moment, his voice extremely soft, yet carrying an unmistakable resolve:
"She wants me to perform on stage? Fine. But the script isn't up to her to write."
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