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

Chapter 227 We must seize his weakness
He paused the video, rewound to this frame, and checked it over and over again. Although the picture was blurry, the man's outline and figure were highly consistent with Musk.

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

A few minutes later, Carter pushed the door open and saw Lynn's furrowed brow. He immediately realized the seriousness of the problem.

"What's going on?" Carter asked.

Lin En paused the video at the moment the figure appeared and pointed at the screen, saying, "Look here. This is footage from near the crime scene. Who do you think this person is?"

Carter leaned in to look at the screen for a few seconds, then his eyes widened. "This is impossible, right? This is... Musk?"

"That's right." Lin En nodded. "I find it incredible too, but his presence around the time of the crime is definitely not a coincidence."

Carter frowned. "But how could Musk be connected to these crimes? He has no motive, no reason to even be in this part of Manhattan."

"That's the problem." Lin En rubbed his brow. "If he really has nothing to do with it, then it's just a huge coincidence. But if he does, then the case becomes much more complicated."

Carter calmed down and analyzed: "Maybe Musk was not a direct participant, he might just be passing by. But his appearance may suggest that there is more behind the case that we don't understand."

"There's another possibility," Lin En said in a low voice. "This wasn't a single killer, but a team. They might have a clear division of labor: someone responsible for carrying out the crime, someone responsible for monitoring, or even someone responsible for cover."

Carter's expression instantly grew more serious. "You're saying... this is a collaborative crime?"

Lin En nodded, his tone firm. "If that's the case, then we're not just dealing with a serial killer, but an organized group. They probably have clear goals and plans, and we're only scratching the surface."

Lynn immediately took action. He contacted the technical department and requested facial recognition and tracking of all figures in the video, specifically to confirm whether that person was indeed Musk. At the same time, he ordered the intelligence team to conduct a comprehensive investigation into Musk's recent movements and find out why he was in Manhattan.

At the same time, Lynn arranged an emergency meeting to inform the team of the discovery.

"If the case involves multiple people, then we have to re-examine all our previous clues and assumptions," Lynn said at the meeting, his eyes scanning each team member. "Every seemingly isolated behavior may be part of a team. We need to connect these dots from a new perspective."

One detective questioned: "Inspector, if it really is a team, what is their goal? Why did they choose these victims?"

Lynn said coldly, "That's exactly what we need to find out. Their goal may not just be killing people. Perhaps these victims are the key to some larger plan."

Late that night, Lynn returned to the office again, staring at the video alone, analyzing all the possibilities over and over in his mind.

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

Lin En's fingers tapped lightly on the table, his thoughts racing. He knew he had touched upon the core of the case, but to uncover the truth, he needed clearer clues.

Lynn's car stopped at the entrance of a luxury hotel in Manhattan. He and Carter walked to the lobby with several agents. Elon Musk was sitting on a large sofa, holding a cup of coffee, as if he had known they were coming.

"Inspector Lynn." Musk smiled faintly, his tone calm, "It's an honor to meet you. How can I help you?"

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

Musk raised an eyebrow, his smile remaining unchanged. "Serial murder? Inspector, have you made a mistake? However, since you insist, I am willing to cooperate."

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

Arriving at the FBI interrogation room, Musk was led inside and seated at a table. He took off his jacket and adjusted his cuffs, his expression remaining calm. Lynn and Carter sat across from him, the recording equipment activated.

"Mr. Musk," Lynn began in a low voice, "we found you on the surveillance footage near the crime scene. The time was the night of the crime, in an alley less than fifty meters away. Can you explain why you were there?"

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

Lin En stared into his eyes, her voice even colder. "It's your right to remain silent, but you should also be aware that your actions are likely to arouse even greater suspicion. As a public figure, appearing in a place like that is bizarre enough in itself."

Musk shrugged. "Inspector, I believe you are fully aware of my rights under the Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution. I don't need to explain them, nor do I need to answer any of your questions."

Carter frowned and interrupted, "Mr. Musk, we are investigating a serial murder case involving five lives. If you have done nothing wrong, it would be better for everyone if you explain it now."

Musk looked at Carter, his expression remaining calm. "Agent Carter, I understand what you're saying, but I also have the right to remain silent. You can continue to ask questions, but I have no comment."

Lin En's expression grew even more grim. "Your behavior leads us to assume that you are covering something up. If you have nothing to do with the case, why don't you just state it directly?"

Musk didn't answer, but just smiled faintly, then looked 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 smiling politely. His attitude made the whole atmosphere oppressive and anxious.

As the arraignment deadline neared, Musk glanced at the clock on the wall and finally spoke: "Detective, I respect your work very much, but I want to remind you that my lawyer should be outside by now. If you don't have any other substantial evidence, can you end this?"

Lynn took a deep breath, his eyes stern. "Mr. Musk, that's all for today. But I can assure you, this isn't the end. If you're involved in the case, we'll find evidence sooner or later." Musk stood up, straightened his clothes, and maintained that faint smile. "Inspector, I look forward to you finding the answers. I also hope you'll hurry, because the public needs the truth, not speculation."

He walked out of the interrogation room accompanied by the agent. Not long after, he saw a lawyer 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 frustrated. "This guy is too cunning. He doesn't give us any chance to break through."

"That's exactly the problem," Lynn said coldly, staring at the video files on the table. "He's so calm, not just because he's Musk. He knows very well that we have no direct evidence to do anything to him. This confidence is not without reason."

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

Lin En nodded. "Or maybe he's just a cover, and the real murderer is hiding behind him. We have to start from somewhere else and find the real connection between him and these cases."

"Like the one with purple pupils?" Carter asked.

"That's right." Lin En's eyes became even colder. "We now have two clues: Musk's behavior, and the suspect with purple pupils. They may be collaborators, or they may be completely different individuals. But no matter what, we must speed up. Find them before the murderer strikes again."

Lynn's office was brightly lit, his eyes fixed on the surveillance footage displayed on the screen. Musk's every move was closely monitored, whether he was out or in the office, Lynn had people watching him closely.

"He's very calm," Carter said, standing aside, with a hint of uncertainty in his tone. "He hasn't behaved in any unusual way. He's even more well-behaved than most people."

Lynn didn't answer, his eyes still fixed on the screen. His intuition told him that Musk was definitely not innocent, but there was no evidence that directly linked him to the serial murders.

At this moment, Carter's cell phone rang suddenly. He picked up the phone, listened for a few seconds, and his face turned pale instantly.

"Lynn," Carter said hurriedly after hanging up the phone, "another murder just happened in an abandoned factory in Brooklyn. The method, the scene layout, and even the red rose are all exactly the same as the previous case."

Lin En's face darkened and he stood up suddenly: "When did it happen?"

"About an hour ago, the time and location completely ruled out Musk as a suspect." Carter frowned. "He was at home the entire time, as evidenced by the surveillance footage."

Lynn clenched his fists, anger threatening to burst from his eyes. He grabbed his coat and hurried to the interrogation room. Musk was still inside, awaiting his lawyer's orders, leisurely flipping through a magazine, completely oblivious to the outside world.

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

"Inspector, you're here again?" Musk looked up, still with that polite smile on his face.

However, Lin En didn't waste any time. He grabbed Musk's collar and pulled him up from the chair. His voice was cold and angry: "Don't pretend to be so innocent! Another murder has happened, and you - you knew all these things, but you didn't say anything!"

Musk didn't struggle, but narrowed his eyes, his expression remaining calm. "Detective, I understand you're angry, but this behavior doesn't help the case at all. Besides, you know there's no way I could be at the crime scene at that time."

Lynn's fingers trembled slightly with anger, and there was an uncontrollable rage in his heart. He knew that Musk was right to some extent - he did have an alibi, and if Lynn took action against him now, it would only make the whole case more complicated.

"Inspector!" Carter's voice came from the doorway, anxious and dissuading. "Calm down! Musk really doesn't have direct evidence linking him to the case right now. Continuing like this will only put us in a passive position."

Lin En took a deep breath, and the anger in his eyes gradually subsided. He slowly let go of Musk and said coldly, "I won't let you go. If I find out that you have even the slightest connection to this, I will make you pay for it."

Musk straightened his ruffled collar and smiled. "Inspector, I respect your resolve very much. But please remember that I am also a law-abiding citizen. If you need my cooperation, please do so in a more professional manner."

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

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

Lin En sat down, covered his face with his hands, and took a few deep breaths. "I know. He's too cunning. His calmness and confidence all show that he knows something we don't know. But I can't break through him."

Carter was silent for a moment, then said, "Perhaps we should think from a different angle. This murder occurred in a completely different place and at a different time than the previous cases. The murderer may be trying to disrupt our rhythm."

Lin En raised his head, a calm glint in his eyes. "The murderer is playing with us. He knew we were keeping an eye on Musk, so he chose to act without completely ruling out Musk as a suspect."

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

Lin En nodded. "That's the most reasonable explanation at the moment. We might be dealing with an organized group with a clear division of labor. Some are responsible for implementation, some for cover-up, and some for obfuscation. And Musk is most likely the one who's obfuscating the public."

"What's next?" Carter asked.

Lin En stood up and said in a stern tone, "Rush to the crime scene immediately. The murderer is changing locations and times, and every move he makes reveals more information. This time, we must seize his weakness."

It was completely dark when Lynn and Carter drove to the abandoned factory in Brooklyn. A cordon was set up outside the factory, red and blue police lights flickered in the rain, and the air was filled with the smell of damp blood.

(End of this chapter)