Absurd But Also Scientific

Mei Wa's gaze lingered for a moment on the only two inferences on the notebook – height and weight – before she decisively took out her phone.

"This approach is worth a shot," she said quickly to Walter, her fingertips already dialing her superior.

"Sir, the forensic expert on site has proposed a groundbreaking plan," her voice cut through the scene's noise.

A clear note of doubt came from the other end of the line.

Mei Wa lowered her voice and added, "Considering the killer might be the same one responsible for the Downing Street incident, Beta."

After a brief silence, the attitude on the phone shifted. The Downing Street case involved national prestige and royal security; doing anything now was better than doing nothing. Thus, this seemingly far-fetched idea received approval from the highest levels.

As the order was issued, all police officers at the scene began to withdraw in an orderly fashion, leaving only a cordon tape to maintain the blockade on the perimeter.

Mei Wa received explicit instructions from her superior to remain at the core site and await the implementation of this unprecedented plan to test mosquito residual blood for DNA, alongside the forensic expert.

"Looks like we'll be here for a while," Mei Wa said, putting away her walkie-talkie and turning to Walter.

Beneath the oak tree, only the two of them remained, with forensic markers scattered across the ground. The surroundings were so quiet that the rustling of leaves could be heard.

Walter clearly hadn't expected his casual suggestion to elicit such a significant reaction.

He stood somewhat awkwardly under the oak tree, swatting at the surrounding mosquitoes from time to time. This action was not only to prevent bites but also to avoid his own DNA contaminating the mosquito swarm that might carry the killer's genes.

"Seriously," he muttered to himself, his voice filled with disbelief. "A sudden whim was actually adopted."

Mei Wa said calmly, "When the state machinery operates at full capacity, even the wildest ideas will be executed without reservation. It's hard for ordinary people to imagine the astonishing execution power a sovereign nation can display when it wields its privileges. This is the power of the state; to achieve its goals, it can mobilize all resources regardless of cost."

Walter looked at the gathering team in the distance and asked curiously, "Who will execute this plan? They're not going to hire an exterminator, are they?"

Mei Wa's expression turned serious. "The Sanitation and Epidemic Prevention Force will be fully responsible. Furthermore, this is a high-level operation. You will need to sign a non-disclosure agreement later. I hope you can understand and cooperate."

Walter immediately nodded. "Of course, I'll cooperate fully. After all, I'm just a forensic investigator for the police."

Military personnel arrived at the scene, dressed in fully enclosed protective suits, and began their work. As a unit trained in professional disinfection, they quickly established a work area.

Mei Wa and Walter were politely but firmly escorted outside the safety line. Both put on gas masks provided by the military and stood at the edge of the cordon, observing. Thick, fog-like chemical vapor spread through the woods at an astonishing speed, soon shrouding the entire area in a haze.

"Disinfection is just the first step," Walter said muffledly through his gas mask, his eyes following the figures faintly visible in the mist. "The real challenge is how to completely collect these mosquitoes that might carry crucial evidence."

Mei Wa didn't reply, merely watching the forest being specially treated before her. The figures of the special military personnel appeared and disappeared in the thick fog.

Walter's voice, muffled by the gas mask, sounded somewhat heavy. "Honestly, I'm not sure if this method will really work. If it fails, they won't hold me responsible, right?"

Mei Wa turned to look at him, her voice from behind the mask calm and certain. "This is an operation personally approved by the highest level. Even if there's blame to be assigned, it won't fall on you."

"That's good," Walter let out a soft sigh, white mist briefly condensing and dissipating inside his mask.

The disinfection work continued, with the constant hum of machinery audible within the dense medicinal fog. It was impossible to see what methods the military was using to collect the blood-sucking mosquitoes.

Mei Wa's phone vibrated. She quickly walked to the side to answer. "Speak."

The voice of her subordinate came from the other end. "We've found Alexander Duggan's information. He served in Afghanistan and was declared dead ten years ago. But strangely, the military-provided records are almost entirely blank pages with no substantive content. Based on current clues, he likely belonged to an undisclosed shadow unit. That's all the information we could dig up."

Mei Wa rubbed her temples hard, her voice laced with suppressed anxiety. "No. There should be more clues. I'm sure I've seen this name somewhere, but I can't recall it right now."

She took a deep breath. "Use the highest clearance to access all classified files. My intuition tells me his information must exist somewhere."

"Commander, do you believe this Alexander is Beta?" the subordinate asked cautiously.

Mei Wa's gaze swept over Walter, who was still standing by the cordon, and she lowered her voice. "No, he's more likely 'Jackal,' the killer who committed the assassination of the presidential candidate in Munich. But for now, I need concrete evidence to prove my intuition."

The subordinate hesitated and asked, "Commander, aren't we investigating Beta?"

Mei Wa surveyed the scene enveloped in medicinal vapor, lowering her voice. "Listen, when we can't find any trace of Beta, a 'Jackal' whose modus operandi closely matches Beta's becomes Beta. We need to have complete information on Jackal, ready to present him as Beta. This should be enough to quell the anger of Downing Street and Buckingham Palace. Believe me, the department's higher-ups will appreciate this plan. Compared to a killer who assassinated a German presidential candidate, an assassin who dared to commit murder in the heart of Britain is clearly more worthy of their attention."

She continued, "In the absence of the real culprit, a scapegoat with a highly consistent modus operandi is the perfect solution. This is the rule of the political game."

"Now, execute my orders," Mei Wa said to her subordinate on the phone.

"Understood, Commander. Access classified files and retrieve all information on Alexander Duggan," the subordinate replied.

Mei Wa hung up the phone, her gaze piercing through the pervasive medicinal fog towards the forest where work was still underway.

She slightly lifted her gas mask, quickly scratched her itchy cheek, and then put it back on.

After a moment of thought, she dialed her subordinate again. "One more thing to do."

"Please instruct, Commander," the subordinate responded immediately.

"Prepare a few fake identities with connections to the Underground Dark Web," Mei Wa instructed in a low voice. "Post high bounties for assassinations on various dark web forums. The reward must be sufficiently enticing. Find a way to lure out Beta or Jackal. Remember, all operations must be conducted through encrypted channels, leaving no traceable evidence."