American comics: I am full of martial virtues and I love to be kind to others.

Chapter 223: Probably a Mutant
Carter frowned. "What do you mean? This doesn't seem like a simple game."

Lin En put away the note and key and whispered, "I think this might be a clue left by the murderer. The place where the rose blooms may point to his next move."

After the two men left the warehouse, Lin En immediately notified the technical department to examine the note and key. However, neither the handwriting on the note nor the marks on the key could trace them back to the murderer. This "urban puzzle" activity still failed to provide them with a clear breakthrough.

"Did we miss something?" Carter asked in a low voice, his tone full of regret.

"Perhaps it's time to think from a different perspective." Lin En's eyes were deep and his voice was low. "If the murderer really targeted the victim through activities, then his motive is not just killing. He wants to convey some kind of message to us. We need to find the logic behind this information."

"The question is, where do we start?" Carter asked.

Lin En pondered for a moment and said firmly, "Start with the meaning of the rose. Every action of the murderer seems to revolve around it. We must find out what the rose symbolizes."

Lynn and Carter returned to their office and immediately began digging deeper into the symbolism of the rose. They assembled a small team of analysts and compiled a list of possible cultural, historical, and psychological explanations.

Love and Beauty: Traditional symbols, but irrelevant to the case.

Sacrifice and death: common in religious symbolism during the Middle Ages.

Mystery and Secrets: Roses are often used as a symbol of hidden messages.

Rituals and worship: In some secret organizations, roses represent a certain ritual or power.

Lynn stared at the whiteboard and pointed to the last item: "We know that the murderer's behavior was ritualistic. If this was some kind of ritual, then the roses might not just be decoration, but the core clue."

"The question is, is this an individual ritual or a group behavior?" Carter rubbed his temple. "This will determine the direction of our investigation."

Lynn circled the words on the whiteboard. "Let's assume the most complex scenario. What if this isn't an isolated case, but part of a larger plan?"

At this moment, a technician knocked on the door and came in, handing Lynn a report: "Detective, we have conducted a detailed analysis of the note found in the warehouse. Although the handwriting on it does not match the database, the source of the paper is somewhat strange - this paper is handmade and only sold in an antique bookstore on Manhattan's Upper East Side."

Lin En immediately grasped the clue: "Address?"

The technician handed over a note: "Kana Books, East 79th Street."

Lin En looked at Carter and said, "Let's go to the bookstore."

Kana Books is a small, old shop hidden on a Manhattan street corner. Upon entering, you're greeted by the scent of stale paper and ink. Heavy bookshelves fill almost the entire space, and sunlight filtering through the windows casts dappled shadows, making you feel like you've traveled back in time.

An elderly shopkeeper wearing gold-rimmed glasses was sorting the books behind the counter. Hearing footsteps, he looked up and said kindly, "Welcome. What can I do for you?"

Lin En showed her ID: "I'm FBI Detective Lin En, and this is my colleague Carter. We're investigating a case and have found some clues that may be related to your store."

The old shop owner pushed up his glasses, looking a little surprised: "A case? Is it related to me?"

"We found a note using the same paper you sold." Linn got straight to the point. "Can you tell us if anyone has recently purchased a large quantity of this paper?"

The old shop owner frowned, thought for a moment, and then nodded. "This paper is a specialty of our shop, and few people buy it. But a few months ago, a woman bought two dozen at once."

"A woman?" Carter demanded. "Do you remember her appearance?"

The old shop owner stroked his chin. "I don't remember clearly, but she looked a little peculiar. She was tall, dressed elegantly, and seemed to have a pair of... blood-red eyes."

"Red eyes?" Lin En's heart tightened, and his tone became more serious. "Are you sure?"

"I thought it was some kind of special contact lens," the old shop owner shrugged. "She gave me a very strange feeling, but she was very polite and spoke in a low voice. She was very elegant."

"Did she leave her name or contact information?" Carter continued.

The old shopkeeper shook his head. "No, she paid in cash. But I remember she asked about a certain book."

"What book?" Lynn asked immediately.

The old shopkeeper rummaged around for a while and pulled out a yellowed register. "Let me see... Ah, I found it. It's a book about esoteric symbols and rituals, called 'The Rose and the Thorn: Secrets of Shadow Ritual'. She asked about it, but I didn't have it in stock at the time."

Lin En wrote down the title of the book, his eyes becoming even more severe: "What is the content of this book?"

"It's about an ancient ritual involving the mysterious worship of roses as a symbol." The old shop owner's tone became low. "It is said that participants will establish a connection with an 'unknown power' through the ritual, thereby gaining some kind of 'blessing' or 'salvation.'"

Lynn and Carter exchanged a solemn look, and vaguely felt that the outline of the case was gradually becoming clear.

After returning to the office, Lynn immediately began to track the book's whereabouts. He contacted the antique book collection network and soon discovered that this "Roses and Thorns" was indeed a rare book, but a private library in Manhattan might have a complete version.

At the same time, he shared this information with the technical department and ordered them to investigate all recent activities related to the cult.

"Roses, rituals, secret cults," Lynn murmured to herself. "The murderer isn't just a cold-blooded killer. She might be part of a larger organization, and these victims... might be her 'sacrificial' subjects."

Carter nodded and added, "If that's the case, then other participants may also become targets. We must quickly find the core of this organization to prevent further casualties." Lin En took a deep breath and stared at the key words on the whiteboard. He knew that the next step would be a life-or-death struggle, and the secret of Rose might be the only key to unlocking it all.

Kate left her apartment, freshly compiled interview notes and materials in hand, ready to continue working in a quiet cafe. She had recently been digging deep into the details of the serial murder case, trying to unravel the truth in her own way. However, as she walked down the street, her keen intuition made her detect a strange atmosphere.

She felt a faint sense of being followed, and her pace quickened. As she turned a corner, she glanced at the shop window and spotted a man in a dark coat following behind her with his head lowered. He maintained a delicate distance, neither too far nor too close, yet still feeling oppressive.

Kate's heartbeat quickened, her mind racing with possibilities. She remained calm, pretending to be nonchalant as she pulled out her phone, switching to camera mode and using the selfie function to observe the movements behind her. The man continued to follow, his steps steady and his eyes dark.

"Someone is following me." This was the only thought in Kate's mind.

Instead of heading home, she quickly turned into a busy commercial street. From the corner of her eye, she saw the man still hadn't left. Kate thought quickly: she needed a safe place where she could discreetly observe the man's intentions.

She found a fast food restaurant, quickly entered, and chose a window seat, deliberately placing her phone on the table. Through the window glass, she clearly saw the stalker parked across the street. He didn't enter the fast food restaurant, but leaned against a newsstand, pretending to read a newspaper, but his eyes kept glancing inside.

Kate's heart tightened. She knew she couldn't delay any longer, so she immediately took out her cell phone and dialed Lynn's number.

The phone rang twice before it was picked up. Lynn's voice was low and calm: "Kate? What happened?"

"Lynn, someone's following me." Kate lowered her voice, trying to appear calm, but there was still a hint of nervousness in her tone. "A man in a dark coat. He's been following me since I left home, and now he's staring at me from across the street."

Lin En on the other end of the phone paused noticeably, and then his tone became more serious: "Where are you now? Don't hang up, tell me your exact location."

Kate quickly reported the name of the fast food restaurant and the block it was on. She continued, "He didn't approach me, but I didn't dare leave rashly."

Lin En's voice was filled with calm command. "Very good. Stay in the store and don't show any signs of abnormality. I'll be there right away and send nearby police officers for support."

Kate nodded, then realized Lynn couldn't see and whispered, "Okay, I'll wait for you."

After hanging up, Kate placed her phone on the table and pretended to write something while observing the movements across the street with her peripheral vision. The man was still leaning there, occasionally pretending to read the newspaper, but his eyes would occasionally glance at her position.

"Who is this person? Why is he targeting me?" Kate's mind was filled with countless questions. She suspected it might be related to her report, but she was completely unsure of the other party's purpose.

About ten minutes later, Lynn appeared outside the window of the fast food restaurant. He was dressed in plain clothes, but his eyes were sharp. As soon as he entered the door, he walked straight to Kate's table.

"Are you okay?" Lynn asked quietly, glancing quickly out the window.

Kate nodded and lowered her voice. "He's still across the street. He's the man leaning against the newsstand."

Lin En took a quick glance, a cold glint in his eyes. He sat down, pulled out his phone, and pretended to make a casual call, actually calling for reinforcements. His voice remained low, "Very good, follow my instructions. Don't look at him, and don't show any signs of abnormality. I need to confirm he's alone."

Kate nodded and continued to pretend to look through her notes. She could feel the tension in Lin En, but also felt a sense of security in his presence.

A few minutes later, an unmarked police car pulled up on the street. Two plainclothes officers got out and quietly approached the target. Lynn whispered to Kate, "Stay here. I'll go see who he is."

Kate nodded nervously and watched as Lynn stood up and pretended to walk out of the fast food restaurant casually. His steps were slow and deliberate, but his eyes remained fixed on the suspicious man. At the same time, the two plainclothes officers surrounded him from different directions.

The man seemed to notice something, suddenly raised his head, glanced around, and quickly turned away. His movements were crisp and clear, clearly a result of some training. Lin En immediately raised his voice, "Don't let him get away!"

The police officers immediately chased after him, and pedestrians on the street were startled by the sudden pursuit and stopped. Kate saw through the window that the man was very fast, but Lynn and the police officers worked together well and finally pinned him to the ground at the entrance of an alley.

A few minutes later, Lynn returned to the store with a grim expression and said to Kate, "We caught him. He had no identification and refused to answer any questions, but judging by the equipment he was wearing, he was no ordinary person."

Kate's heart sank. "Is he here to see me, or is it about the case?"

Lynn sat down, moved closer to Kate, and her tone became even deeper. "We don't know yet, but you have to be careful. Don't go out alone in the next few days. I will arrange for someone to protect you until we find out his identity and intentions."

Kate bit her lip. Although she was scared, she pretended to be calm. "Lynn, I can protect myself, but you must tell me the truth."

Lynn nodded, her eyes firm. "I'll find the answer. And no matter who they are, they can't hurt you."

As Lynn and Kate were about to leave the fast food restaurant, his cell phone rang. It was a plainclothes police officer who was pursuing the suspect. He could hear rapid breathing and faint groans on the other end of the line.

"Inspector, that man..." The plainclothes police officer's voice was filled with shock and pain. "He's not an ordinary person. When Jack and I surrounded him, he suddenly turned around and stretched out his hand. I... I felt like I was thrown out by an invisible force and hit the wall. Jack... Jack is injured."

Lin En's face immediately darkened, and his tone was low: "Invisible power? Describe it in detail."

"It was like... a sudden shockwave erupted in the air." The officer's voice trembled slightly. "We didn't even touch him. He just waved his hand and we were thrown three meters away. He was very fast and disappeared in the blink of an eye."

After Lin En hung up the phone, his fists clenched and creaked. He turned to look at Kate and said in a low but firm voice, "It can now be confirmed that the person following you is most likely a mutant."

Kate was slightly stunned, then her eyes widened: "Mutants? You mean... related to the serial murder case?"

"I'm not sure yet, but this ability is obviously not something an ordinary person can possess." Lin En frowned. "If he is a mutant, then his tracking you is definitely not simple."

(End of this chapter)