Chapter 968: Who Is He?

After venting their emotions, the trio returned to the conference room. The room was abuzz with discussions; Long’an had never seen a criminal like the Human Observer in its twenty-year history of crime.

“The mastermind directly sent us a video, spreading his criminal ‘philosophy.’ This is an extreme provocation. Let’s hear everyone’s thoughts,” Chen Shi said.

Old Zhang asked, “Captain, can you play the video again?”

Chen Shi complied, and at a certain point, Old Zhang shouted, “Stop! Did anyone notice the shifting background behind his head? It looks like a video-generated image. This background might be a clue.”

The group discussed it. Some thought it was a TV, others a fish tank. On closer inspection, the dots’ movement didn’t match that of fish. They were too orderly and chaotic at the same time.

Xu Xiaodong suggested, “Could it be… clouds?”

“Yes!” Lin Dongxue agreed. “It does look like clouds. If he recorded the video where clouds are visible, it means he was in a high-rise building.”

“The clouds change rapidly, indicating it was a windy day,” Chen Shi speculated.

“No, no!” Tao Yueyue interjected. “The clouds aren’t moving. His face keeps changing too. It’s likely pixel loss from a special encoding technique.”

Tao Yueyue grabbed a pen, pulled a chair under the screen, and started drawing. Chen Shi tried to stop her but thought better of it. For the sake of solving the case, a screen was a small sacrifice.

Tao Yueyue asked Lin Dongxue to keep the video playing while she traced the clouds’ shapes. When she finished, she turned off the projector.

A detailed cloud pattern emerged on the screen. The room was impressed by Tao Yueyue’s quick thinking. A police academy student had noticed what a room full of seasoned detectives had not.

“Well done!” Chen Shi praised. “Contact the meteorological bureau. Find out where this cloud pattern was seen in Long’an recently and from which buildings it could be viewed.”

Tao Yueyue added, “Captain, I have some personal analysis of the Human Observer.”

“Go ahead, little detective,” Chen Shi encouraged.

“I think he’s a single male, around thirty, suffering from sexual dysfunction, obsessive, perfectionist, and highly paid. He might work in statistics, have a science background, come from a religious family, and his mother was a murder victim.”

Someone praised her, “Yueyue is really sharp now, must have read a lot of criminal psychology books,” and “Like father, like daughter.”

But Chen Shi disagreed, “Your analysis is way off!”

“Where did I go wrong?”

“You think he’s single and has sexual dysfunction based on his antisocial behavior, suggesting unfulfilled desires turned into a destructive urge. But this person doesn’t show traditional violent tendencies. He remains calm, delegating the killings, indicating no violent or antisocial personality traits. He likely has a perfect public persona, which suggests he’s married.

“I agree he has high income; orchestrating this requires resources. He has the space and freedom for such activities, indicating significant power, but not a government official. He’s a young, successful company executive, between twenty-five and thirty.

“The idea of a religious family or a statistical job is too specific. His role in training executors shows strong leadership, aligning with a high-level corporate position.

“He is confident, rational, and proud, suggesting he was raised in a well-to-do, nurturing family. He calls himself the Human Observer, implying a middle-to-upper social standing.”

Chen Shi’s detailed profile left Tao Yueyue blushing. “Psychological profiling relies on extensive data. It’s better to be conservative than misleading, which can derail an investigation. Don’t show off without solid backing.”

Tao Yueyue admitted, “Your points make sense, but according to your profile, he’s a perfect, wealthy, well-adjusted person. Without trauma, why would he start this ‘mission’?”

Chen Shi pondered, “Think from his perspective. To him, killing isn’t evil but a form of purification. He’s an extreme perfectionist and idealist. The beginning of his ‘mission’ might be due to a specific trigger.”

Lin Dongxue added, “And we haven’t mentioned his access to people’s private data. He must manage vast amounts of data. So, what business is he in?”

“In today’s world, the internet is the easiest way to access personal information,” Chen Shi replied.

Lin Dongxue gasped, “I just thought of someone we recently met.”

Chen Shi nodded, “He matches my profile perfectly.”

“Who?” everyone asked.

Chen Shi searched for Hai Guoyang’s information on the computer, projecting it on the screen. The photo showed Hai Guoyang in a branded suit with gold-rimmed glasses, smiling elegantly.

Many officers gasped, recognizing the name. Many of their phone apps were developed by his company, making it hard to believe he could be the Human Observer.

“Married, successful, a young CEO with an office in one of the city’s tallest buildings. He fits perfectly!” Chen Shi said. “But profiling isn’t evidence. We need to closely monitor him.”

Xu Xiaodong said, “Actually, there are few people in the city who fit this profile. Even if Hai Guoyang is the Observer, I wouldn’t be surprised.”

Another officer noted, “He’s smart to announce a halt to his activities. Unlike other brazen criminals, he’s giving us time.”

“Which is what we need,” Chen Shi said. “Tomorrow, we contact Hai Guoyang and probe him. The Observer predicts we’ll give up in twenty-seven days. Let’s show him how quickly we can find him!”