American comic book: I, with my abundant martial virtue, love to do good to others.

Chapter 227 We must find his weakness.

He paused the recording, rewound to that frame, and reviewed it repeatedly. Although the image was blurry, the man's silhouette and figure closely matched Musk's.

Lynn calmed down and quickly dialed Carter's number: "Carter, come to my office right away, I've found something."

A few minutes later, Carter pushed open the door and entered. Seeing Lynn's furrowed brows, he immediately realized the seriousness of the problem.

"What's going on?" Carter asked.

Lynn paused the camera at the moment the figure appeared, pointed to the screen, and said, "Look here. This is footage from near the crime scene. Who do you think this person is?"

Carter leaned closer to the screen and stared at it for a few seconds, then his eyes widened: "This can't be! Is this Musk?"

"That's right." Lynn nodded. "I also find it incredible, but his presence near the time of the incident is definitely not a coincidence."

Carter frowned. "How could Musk possibly be involved in these cases? He has no motive, no reason, to be in this part of Manhattan."

"That's the problem." Lynn rubbed his temples. "If he really has nothing to do with it, then it's an incredible coincidence. But if he does, then the case becomes much more complicated."

Carter calmed down and analyzed, "Perhaps Musk wasn't directly involved; he might have just been passing through. But his presence could suggest there's more to the case than we know."

"There's another possibility," Lynn said in a low voice. "This wasn't a lone killer, but a team. These people probably had a clear division of labor, with some responsible for carrying out the crime, some for monitoring, and even some for providing cover."

Carter's expression instantly turned even more serious: "You mean—this is a multi-person collaborative crime modus operandi?"

Lynn nodded, his tone firm: "If that's the case, then we're not just facing a serial killer, but an organized group. They may have clear goals and plans, and we've only scratched the surface."

Lynn immediately sprang into action. He contacted the technical department, requesting facial recognition and location tracking of all figures appearing in the video footage, especially to confirm whether the person was indeed Musk. Simultaneously, he ordered the intelligence team to conduct a full investigation into Musk's recent movements, searching for his reasons for being in Manhattan.

Meanwhile, Lynn also arranged an emergency meeting to inform the team of this discovery.

"If the case involves multiple people, then we must re-examine all the previous clues and assumptions," Lynn said at the meeting, his gaze sweeping over each team member. "Every seemingly isolated action could be part of a team effort. We need to connect these points from a new perspective."

One detective asked, "Detective, if it really is a team, what would their target be? Why choose these victims?"

Lynn said coldly, "That's exactly what we need to figure out. Their goal might not just be killing; perhaps these victims are key to some larger plan."

Late that night, Lynn returned to his office and stared at the video recording alone, repeatedly analyzing all the possibilities in his mind.

"The person with purple eyes is the perpetrator, and Musk's involvement may be another key. Who else? What is their goal?"

Lynn's fingers tapped lightly on the table as his thoughts raced. He knew he had touched the heart of the case, but to uncover the truth, he needed clearer clues.

Lynn's car pulled up in front of a luxury hotel in Manhattan, and he and Carter, along with several agents, headed towards the lobby. Elon Musk was sitting on a large sofa, a cup of coffee in his hand, seemingly already aware of their arrival.

"Detective Lynn," Musk smiled slightly, his tone calm, "it's an honor to meet you. Is there anything I can do to help?"

Lynn looked at him sharply: "Mr. Musk, we have reason to suspect that you are involved in a serial murder case. Please come with us to the FBI to assist in the investigation."

Musk raised an eyebrow, his smile unchanged: "Serial murders? Detective, are you mistaken? But since you insist, I'm willing to cooperate."

Lynn didn't waste any words and gestured for the agent to take Musk to the car. He himself sat in the passenger seat, keeping a close eye on Musk's expression throughout the journey, but the man remained calm and confident the entire time.

Upon arriving at the FBI interrogation room, Musk was led inside and seated at a table. He removed his coat, straightened his cuffs, and maintained his composure. Lynn and Carter sat opposite him, the recording equipment already activated.

“Mr. Musk,” Lynn began, his voice low, “we spotted you on the security footage near the crime scene. It was the night of the incident, in an alley less than fifty meters from the crime scene. Can you explain why you were there?”

Musk smiled slightly and leaned back in his chair: "Detective, I would love to cooperate with your investigation, but on my lawyer's advice, I choose to remain silent."

Lynn stared into his eyes, her voice growing colder: "You have the right to remain silent, but you should also know that your actions are likely to arouse even greater suspicion. As a public figure, appearing in a place like that is strange enough in itself."

Musk shrugged. "Detective, I'm sure you're very familiar with the rights I have under the Fifth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. I don't need to explain or answer any of your questions."

Carter frowned and interjected, "Mr. Musk, we're investigating a serial murder case involving five lives. If you haven't done anything wrong, it's better for everyone to explain now."

Musk looked at Carter, his expression still calm: "Agent Carter, I understand what you have to say, but I also have the right to choose not to speak. You can continue to ask questions, but I have nothing to say."

Lynn's expression grew even colder: "Your actions force us to assume you're covering something up. If you're not involved in the case, why not just say so?"

Musk didn't answer, but just smiled faintly, then glanced at his watch as if calculating the time.

During the two-hour interrogation, Lynn and Carter repeatedly asked questions, but Musk remained silent, only occasionally offering a polite smile. His attitude made the atmosphere oppressive and anxious.

As the arraignment deadline approached, Musk glanced at the clock on the wall and finally spoke: "Detective, I have great respect for your work, but I'd like to remind you that my lawyer should be outside by now. If you don't have any other substantial evidence, could you please end this?"

Lynn took a deep breath, his gaze turning cold: "Mr. Musk, that's enough for today. But I can assure you, this is not the end. If you are involved in the case, we will find the evidence sooner or later."

Musk stood up, straightened his clothes, and still wore that faint smile: "Detective,"

I look forward to you finding the answer. I also hope you act quickly, because the public needs the truth, not speculation.

He walked out of the interrogation room accompanied by an agent, and soon after, a lawyer was standing outside the door, waiting to take him away.

After the interrogation, Lynn and Carter returned to the office. Carter sat down in his chair, somewhat dejected. "That guy was too cunning. He didn't give us any clues at all."

“That’s exactly the problem,” Lynn said coldly, staring at the video file on the table. “He’s so calm, and it’s not just because he’s Musk. He knows perfectly well that we don’t have direct evidence to do anything to him. This confidence isn’t unfounded.”

"You mean he might actually be involved in the case, but he's convinced we can't track him down?" Carter asked.

Lynn nodded: "Or perhaps he's just a cover, and the real killer is hiding behind him. We need to start elsewhere and find the real connection between him and these cases."

"Like that person with purple eyes?" Carter asked.

“That’s right.” Lynn’s gaze grew even colder. “We now have two leads: Musk’s actions, and the suspect with the purple eyes. They might be working together, or they might be completely different individuals. But either way, we must speed things up. Find them before the killer strikes again.”

Lynn's office was brightly lit, and he stared intently at the surveillance footage on the screen. Musk's every move was being closely monitored; whether he was out or in the office, Lynn had people watching him closely.

"He was very calm," Carter said, standing to the side with a hint of uncertainty in his voice. "He didn't do anything unusual, and he was even more law-abiding than most people."

Lynn didn't answer, his eyes still glued to the screen. His intuition told him that Musk was definitely not innocent, but there was currently no evidence to suggest he was directly involved in the serial killings.

Just then, Carter's phone rang. He answered it, listened for a few seconds, and his face turned deathly pale.

"Lynn," Carter said urgently as he hung up the phone, "another murder has just occurred in an abandoned factory in Brooklyn. The method, the scene setup, even the red rose—it's all exactly the same as the previous case."

Lynn's face darkened, and he abruptly stood up: "When did this happen?"

"About an hour ago, the time and location completely ruled out Musk as a suspect," Carter frowned. "He was in his home for the entire period, and there's CCTV footage to prove it."

Lynn clenched his fists, his anger almost bursting from his eyes. He grabbed his coat and strode towards the interrogation room. Musk was still inside, waiting for his lawyer's instructions, leisurely flipping through a magazine, completely oblivious to the outside world.

Lynn pushed open the door, strode up to Musk, and his gaze was as cold and sharp as a knife.

"Detective, you're here again?" Musk looked up, still wearing that polite smile.

However, Lynn didn't waste any words. She grabbed Musk by the collar and pulled him up from the chair, her voice cold and furious: "Don't play innocent! Another murder has occurred, and you—you knew all about it, yet you said nothing!"

Musk didn't struggle; he merely narrowed his eyes, his expression remaining calm: "Detective, I understand you're prone to anger, but this kind of behavior is of no help to the case. Besides, you know I couldn't possibly be at the crime scene at that time."

Lynn's fingers trembled slightly with anger, a surge of barely contained rage welling up inside him. He knew Musk was right in some ways—he did have an alibi, and Lynn's actions against him now would only complicate the case further.

"Detective!" Carter's voice came from the doorway, urgent and urging, "Calm down! Musk doesn't have any direct evidence linking him to the case right now. Continuing like this will only put us at a disadvantage."

Lynn took a deep breath, the anger in his eyes gradually subsiding. He slowly released Musk and said coldly, "I won't let you get away with this. If I find out even the slightest connection between you and this, I will make you pay for it."

Musk straightened his disheveled collar and smiled slightly: "Detective, I greatly respect your determination. But please remember, I am also a law-abiding citizen. If you need my cooperation, please do so in a more professional manner."

Lynn didn't say anything more, just glared at him coldly, then turned and walked out of the interrogation room.

Back in his office, Lynn slammed his fist on the desk, his emotions on the verge of collapse. Carter followed him, closed the door, and whispered, "Lynn, I know you're angry right now, but Musk does have an alibi. He might know something, but we can't directly charge him right now."

2

Lynn sat down, covered his face with his hands, and took a few deep breaths. "I know. He's too cunning. His calmness and confidence indicate that he knows something we don't. But I can't get past him."

Carter paused for a moment, then said, "Perhaps we should look at this from a different angle. This murder occurred in a completely different location, and at a different time than previous cases. The killer may be trying to disrupt our rhythm."

Lynn looked up, a calm light returning to his eyes: "The killer is toying with us. He knows we're watching Musk, so he chose to act only after completely ruling Musk out as a suspect."

"Does this mean the killer wasn't acting alone?" Carter asked tentatively. "Or, is Musk just one of them?"

Lynn nodded: "That's the most reasonable explanation at the moment. We might be facing an organized group with a clear division of labor: some are responsible for implementation, some for cover, and others for creating confusion. And Musk is very likely the one creating confusion."

"What do we do next?" Carter asked.

Lynn stood up, his tone stern: "Get to the crime scene immediately. The killer is changing locations and times; every move he makes reveals more information. This time, we must find his weakness."

By the time Lynn and Carter arrived at the abandoned factory in Brooklyn, it was completely dark. Police tape had been put up outside the factory, red and blue police lights flashed in the rain, and a damp, bloody smell filled the air.