The man tapped the table with his fingers unconsciously: "We can't make a definitive statement yet. Let's just talk about last night's incident. There are three possibilities.
The first is that the person who reported the incident made a mistake, whether she was distracted or has a mental issue, it's ultimately her own cause.
The second possibility is that she lied, no matter what the motive, she intentionally filed a false report. If we rule out these two possibilities, then the last situation is that a new Hidden Moth has appeared.
But that's not what I want to ask you about. After introducing so many situations just now, didn't you summarize any patterns? Patterns related to the Hidden Moth."
The girl blinked, counting on her fingers: "First, it's said that the Hidden Moth can mysteriously appear and disappear from a place, but no one has seen it with their own eyes.
Or rather, people can only see the results, but not the process.
Second, the Hidden Moth does not die. Even if the Hidden Moth disappears, new ones will always appear after a period of time. But it seems like there is only one Hidden Moth in the world, and the new one can only appear after the old one disappears.
Third, many Hidden Moths have weak constitutions, but not necessarily because there's no evidence that all Hidden Moths have short lifespans... How did I do, Master?"
The man glared at her: "In public, don't call me Master, call me Brother-in-law!"
Girl: "There's no one else here, though."
Man: "This is a public place!"
When the girl spoke again, her tone carried a bit of a whiny sound: "Brother-in-law, how did I do?"
The man shook his head: "Not so well! Aren't all these the situations I told you about? Let me ask you again, how does an ordinary person become a Hidden Moth?"
Girl: "Right, I was thinking about that too, how can one become a Hidden Moth?"
Man: "Just thinking isn't enough. You have to learn to analyze. The most important information is that after becoming a Hidden Moth, they remain ordinary people.
So all the ancestors believed that they obtained something, what modern people would understand as some kind of item in a novel or game, called the Hidden Moth Object.
The person who acquires this item can become a Hidden Moth, which explains why the Hidden Moth is a single person and not a group. There might be restrictions on using this item, or a price to pay, so many Hidden Moths are not in great health."
The girl added: "It might not just be due to physical reasons. If they commit crimes often, they're more likely to encounter accidents."
Man: "You finally said something useful, that is indeed possible! From now on, you need to pay more attention to collecting information in this area and try to confirm the identity of the Hidden Moth, at least the general range of identities."
The girl suddenly seemed to realize something, her tone shifted: "Brother-in-law, you had someone find connections to get me a job as an operator at the command center just to find the Hidden Moth?"
Man: "The last Hidden Moth with clear traces appeared in Qi Yuan City. Over the past twenty years, there have also been some clues of suspected Hidden Moth activity, all occurring here.
So I believe that after Zhou Du's death, the thing he left behind was obtained by someone else. This person became the new Hidden Moth, living locally.
Some bizarre incidents have been reported, but the police find it hard to trace the results. So, I arranged for you to work as an operator at the police report center, and after some time, I'll promote you to a team leader or something, aiming for you to access all the report records.
I didn't expect that after only a few months on the job, you would find an important clue."
The girl leaned forward and said: "I found out that the person who reported the incident last night is named Gao Xue'e, thirty-two years old, living in Bishu Renjia District, Building 12, Unit 2004. That house is one she recently purchased.
Her workplace is not far from her residence; it's a major internet company, Tengxin Group's Qi Yuan Company headquarters. This company is currently recruiting for social positions, and the department Gao Xue'e is responsible for is also hiring.
The work at the report center is too boring. Although you come across hilarious idiots every day, it gets meaningless over time. How about I resign and apply there too?
If the incident last night was done by the Hidden Moth, then the Hidden Moth should be someone familiar with Gao Xue'e, and there must be some conflict between them. I think Gao Xue'e is the key to investigating clues. Following her may lead us to uncover the identity of the Hidden Moth."
The man furrowed his brow and contemplated: "Tengxin? From what I know, they've been recruiting all year, and the newcomers start as corporate slaves, but the entry requirements are quite high.
Don't rush to resign yet. Staying at the report center might reveal other clues. For now, Gao Xue'e only seems to have the possibility of encountering the Hidden Moth, but we can't be certain it was definitely done by the Hidden Moth.
Let me probe her situation first to see if there's anything new to discover. If it can be confirmed that this is related to the Hidden Moth, then I'll support you in resigning to apply there."
The girl exaggeratedly replied: "Brother-in-law, you're going to 'probe' her? They say that woman is quite good-looking, don't make any mistakes!"
The man said sternly: "Enough of this nonsense! I suggest you be careful too. We are not the only ones who know about the existence of the Hidden Moth and are tracing the clues. Surely there are others as well—those who are truly capable."
Girl: "We have another lead, that company that lost its official seal. These two incidents don't seem to be done by the same person—one is out of a sense of justice, and the other is purely a prank."
Man: "It's not impossible. Human nature is that complex."
Girl: "You said earlier that you could create a psychological profile of the perpetrator. You haven't elaborated on that. What kind of person do you think they are?"