The corpse was discovered inside a trash bin behind the school cafeteria, soaked in filth, its surface covered with food scraps and various garbage. As it was slowly lifted out, a nauseating stench of decay filled the air.

Li Shang furrowed his brow tightly, his face dark and grim. He gently covered his nose, his heavy gaze fixed on the corpse lying horizontally on the ground.

Like the previous two terrifying creations of [Mask], this corpse had also been tormented into a shriveled, desiccated state.

The limbs and neck were brutally twisted and broken, curled into a grotesque and horrifying posture. The neck was contorted painfully at a 90-degree angle, the face turned upwards, staring into the empty air above, as if voicelessly recounting the horror and despair experienced before death.

"What's on the face of this corpse?" Li Shang wondered, swiftly crouching down and moving closer for a careful observation. Several glaring white objects stood out starkly on the bloodied face.

He cautiously extended his finger, lightly touching the white objects. Instantly, an icy chill, like an electric current, rushed from the soles of his feet to his head.

"Bones, are several cheekbones protruding from beneath the flesh and skin?!!"

Li Shang's heart was shocked: "Unlike [Mask], which covers the entire face with bones, this corpse only has a few cheekbones protruding, accounting for about 1/10 of the whole face."

"But, the nature is the same."

"It's undeniable now, there's no room for doubt, these cases are definitely the work of [Mask]."

"Moreover, the method of killing has escalated. [Mask] is no longer satisfied with just draining blood and breaking limbs. [Mask] has started sculpting the faces of the deceased?"

"With bones protruding on the face, it looks just like a, shattered, incomplete [Mask] corpse."

A cold shiver ran down Li Shang's spine, an inexplicable and terrifying thought emerged: "[Mask] is not just killing; [Mask] is creating new [Masks]?!!"

Despite having solved numerous cases over the years, Li Shang realized that he has never had a moment as it is now, where his imagination was so active.

Investigative work requires some imagination, and at this moment, it was the pinnacle of Li Shang's imaginative capabilities.

Li Shang's heart reached an answer: "The corpse on the ground is a failed attempt by [Mask] to create a [Mask], thus becoming a defective product to be disposed of?"

"[Mask] is an inhuman monster, yet this monster was once human. But [Mask] is not content with being the only one. It is trying to turn others into [Masks], craving to create its kind!!!"

Li Shang suddenly stood up, his eyes blazing as he asked Chang Erbing, "Who entered and exited the cafeteria today?"

Chang Erbing's expression was equally grim. He responded in a heavy tone, "Of the 50 suspects listed so far, 47 entered and exited the cafeteria today."

Li Shang pressed on, "What did the monitoring team say? Did they notice anything suspicious?"

Chang Erbing replied, "I just questioned them one by one. No suspicious behavior was observed."

After a slight pause, Chang Erbing added, "To avoid alerting [Mask], we minimized surveillance within the school, only assigning a few undercover personnel disguised as staff members to observe. However, the flow of people in the cafeteria is huge, and it's possible that there were oversights."

Li Shang felt a surge of frustration, realizing he might've fallen into a mental trap.

Originally, he thought that after a murder on campus, [Mask] would be more cautious, likely choosing an unnoticeable corner off-campus for the next action.

Thus, he mainly extended surveillance towards the movements of the 50 suspects after school, closely tracking their every move. However, against his expectations, [Mask] boldly continued with its killings inside the school.

"Is this blind and fearless arrogance, or does it truly believe that by lurking deep within the campus, the Patrol Office will have no means to capture it? Had it anticipated the Patrol Office's strategies, hence acting with even more impunity?"

Li Shang, feeling anxious and uneasy, speculated inwardly.

"But how could it possibly know the Patrol Office's search strategies? [Mask] can't possibly have a mole inside the Patrol Office, can it?"

Feeling restless, Li Shang lit a cigarette, and asked Chang Erbing, "Any reports of anomalies from the Arresting Bureau surveillance?"

Chang Erbing shook his head, "The Arresting Bureau sent the second team. Their captain, Gou Xinggang, contacted me and said everything is normal with no unusual findings."

Li Shang took a deep breath, casting his eyes over the slowly gathering crowd of students outside the cafeteria, and said gravely, "Send the corpse for examination at the hospital. Let's return to the Patrol Office first."

[Mask]'s cunning and brazenness exceeded Li Shang's expectations, thrusting the school investigation into a stalemate, leaving Li Shang feeling immensely burdened.

Luckily, [Black Face] was apprehended; perhaps there's a brand-new breakthrough to be found there?

Within the crowd, Feng Yuhuai, his face slightly pale, silently watched, his right hand in his pocket grasping a cloth doll, its tongue redder than ever.

Then, 40 minutes later.

In the morgue of the Patrol Office.

Li Shang's visage was overcast, as gloomy as a sky filled with dark clouds.

His gaze was firmly locked on the headless corpse on the morgue table, upon which an iron basin was placed, filled with a mix of vivid red and pale remains of flesh, brain matter, and shattered bones.

He furrowed at the iron basin on the table, and asked darkly, "Are you telling me, this is the [Black Face] sent by the Arresting Bureau?"

Chang Erbing's face seemed as dark as coal, replying, "The Arresting Bureau told me they'd send him right over, but didn't specify sending him in this state."

"With no face, how am I supposed to confirm who this is, huh? Just grabbing any black-skinned person and calling it Black Face? Is this how the Arresting Bureau handles cases?"

Empathizing with the Arresting Bureau's lack of sincerity, Li Shang strongly suspected they had randomly found a scapegoat to cope with the situation.

"The job was done too shabbily." Li Shang suppressed the fury within him, asking deliberately, "Where is the culprit?"

Chang Erbing pondered for a moment, stammering, "The Arresting Bureau said they were too late, didn't spot the culprit."

Out of frustration, Li Shang laughed, "Utterly ridiculous, who's handling this case at the Arresting Bureau?"

Chang Erbing: "I inquired, it's the third team at the Arresting Bureau, and the captain is that crazy woman, Liu Xie."

With a slight frown, Li Shang was well-aware of Liu Xie's audacious notoriousness within the Arresting Bureau, having no intention initially to provoke such a tricky figure.

Yet, harsh reality demanded Li Shang to report to the special commissioner.

The sudden breakdown of the [Black Face] lead, this responsibility he must deflect.

Not just to remove the interim status on his title, but also to secure his leadership.

A fierce glint swept through Li Shang's eyes, his lips curled into a cold, cruel smile, "Let's go find the special commissioner."

Chang Erbing prepared to follow along with a nod.

Li Shang paused and told him, "Never mind, I'll report to the special commissioner myself, you go find Ma Bin from the Cyan Wolf Gang."

With a pause, Li Shang emphasized further, "The third team at the Arresting Bureau can't be relied upon, neither can the second team. You go to Ma Bin, and ask him to arrange his men to help us closely monitor those students."

Chang Erbing nodded at this, his expression serious, and responded firmly, "Understood, I'll get right on it."

....

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