Chapter 138: Mortician? The Best Profession for Making Human-Skin Masks

Inside the Yuhua Criminal Investigation Team of Liangxi City.

In a meeting room that had been specially cleared out, the crucial information just provided by Gao Chao immediately sent everyone present into deep thought.

The deceased had a fondness for flowers, plants, and trees, which is why she chose to major in horticulture at university.

This is a field that requires extensive knowledge of plant characteristics, as well as skills in grafting and specialized agricultural techniques.

According to the previous deductions—

The perpetrator in this “Rose Flower Shop Unmasking Case” was very likely someone familiar with the victim, probably a close friend or best friend, who harbored deep jealousy toward her.

In addition—

The killer also had to understand the various properties of the datura flower, using it for its most effective intoxicating effects, and used a large amount of lilies for cover.

This clearly indicates the killer must also have a certain level of botanical knowledge.

Putting all the clues and requirements together—

It seemed that the suspect pool could now be narrowed down to a point where identifying the killer was possible.

…

At this moment—

Veteran investigator Lin Tian spoke up without hesitation.

“Director Gao.”

“I believe the person codenamed ‘Rose’ is most likely a former classmate of the victim, possibly even a roommate from university.”

“Because based on the current reasoning, the possibility of a familiar perpetrator is almost 100%.”

“And conveniently, during the organizational assessment five years ago, ‘Rose’ selected the victim as her target—on one hand, because she had enough understanding to strike easily, and on the other, to seek revenge or satisfy her long-standing jealousy.”

“As for why we got no breakthroughs earlier when investigating the victim’s friends, childhood acquaintances, or close companions in Liangxi City—there’s now a reasonable explanation.”

“University classmates come from all over the country. After graduation, they go their separate ways. And if ‘Rose’ excels at using human-skin masks to hide her identity…”

“Then it’s entirely possible—”

“That ‘Rose’ wasn’t originally from Liangxi City at all. She came here from another city specifically to kill the victim.”

“After passing the drug trafficking organization’s assessment, she took root in Liangxi and started operating a high-purity drug distribution network.”

“In other words, any activity or record of her in Liangxi City likely started only after the victim’s death. So the question now is…”

“How do we identify ‘Rose’ from among the many university classmates who shared the same major as the victim?”

Sitting nearby, Su Ming took in Lin Tian’s analysis, quickly organized his thoughts, and followed up.

“Director Lin, Director Gao.”

“I already have a rough idea of how to proceed.”

“First of all, we can confirm that ‘Rose’ possesses highly advanced skills in crafting human-skin masks—so much so that she could join a drug trafficking organization.”

“The main reason she was recruited was probably because the organization’s leader took interest in her mask-making skills.”

“Otherwise—”

“I don’t believe someone who needed help from the boss just to pass the assessment would be recruited purely for criminal intellect.”

“Next, based on what we just discussed—both ‘Rose’ and the victim majored in horticulture, and everyone knows that it’s one of the hardest majors to find a related job for.”

“Just like the victim, who had to work in HR at a company to make a living.”

“As for the killer… if we’re right, she’s likely engaged in a profession related to human-skin masks. And her technical skill would have to be pretty high—high enough to catch the attention of the drug ring leader.”

Su Ming’s proposed direction for the investigation clearly lit a spark in everyone’s eyes.

Because this really might be one of the best ways to find the killer.

Horticulture majors struggle to find jobs.

So for survival or better prospects, most graduates switch careers.

If the killer’s abilities caught the attention of a drug lord, then her post-graduation career is highly likely to be related to human-skin masks.

Lan Jing, who had a wealth of academic experience, adjusted her black-rimmed glasses and offered a pointed insight.

“It does make sense to start by checking what kind of job she took after graduation to find ‘Rose.’”

“And from our discussion just now, I might have figured out…”

“One of the reasons why ‘Rose’ chose to kill the victim.”

“When we were in school, horticulture was one of the lowest-scoring majors, mostly filled by students who were reassigned there.”

“But the victim chose it voluntarily, purely based on her personal interest, without worrying about job prospects.”

“And—”

“Earlier, Director Gao mentioned that the victim’s parents looked down on and disapproved of her boyfriend, and that the victim escaped through a second-floor balcony with her household registration book.”

“Doesn’t all this suggest that the victim came from a very well-off family—living in a standalone villa, perhaps—and thus disdained her boyfriend?”

“And her family’s wealth allowed her to pursue her passion, enabling her to apply directly to a major like horticulture without worrying about future employment?”

“From a criminal psychology perspective, the victim’s privileged background could very well be the root of ‘Rose’s’ jealousy.”

“If ‘Rose’ came from a poor family and was forcibly placed into a hard-to-employ major like horticulture, she would already be in pain.”

“And then she finds out—”

“That her roommate used scores good enough for economics or computer science to voluntarily pick horticulture, the very major she despised. Just imagine the emotional impact.”

“Later on, she finds out the victim’s family is far more affluent than hers. That slowly growing jealousy—”

“Could absolutely be enough to justify murder. Jealousy really can turn someone into a monster.”

Lan Jing’s deep dive into the psychology of the crime—

Made the suspect profile of ‘Rose’ even clearer and more convincing.

Xu Changsheng stroked his chin and thought silently for a few seconds before speaking in a low voice.

“So we start with post-graduation jobs, and look for professions related to human-skin masks?”

“Honestly, that shouldn’t be too difficult to narrow down. Could it be something like a makeup artist or beautician?”

“Jobs that involve long-term work on people’s faces would make the most sense, right?”

“Because honestly, I’ve never seen anything as realistic as the human-skin masks ‘Rose’ made.”

At that moment—

A particular profession suddenly flashed through Su Ming’s mind. He glanced around the room, raised an eyebrow, and spoke with pointed emphasis.

“No, that’s not quite right.”

“I just realized something—‘Rose’ was able to peel the victim’s facial skin off so completely. That’s not something a makeup artist or beautician could do.”

“And for any normal person, skinning a face would be psychologically far more traumatic than simply killing someone. That takes some serious mental toughness.”

“And if ‘Rose’ did come from a poor background, wouldn’t she be motivated to earn money quickly by picking a high-paying but unusual profession?”

“Of course, I mean—what if ‘Rose’ is actually a…”

“Mortician?”