Alice had been sitting beside Jubal, watching him flip through the documents. Before she could react to Jiejie's warning, she saw Jubal had already flipped to the page with the photos of the scene.
"Oh my God, what's wrong with her face?" She instinctively turned her head away, then felt that this was unprofessional for an FBI agent and forced her gaze back.
The photos were incredibly clear, but they also caused a strong sense of discomfort on a physical level, especially after having just seen photos of Jessica Townsend in her daily life.
The body had been discovered more than three or four days after death, and it was already showing the early signs of gigantism: eyes wide open, slightly protruding, lips swollen, and a protruding tongue.
Although the body was obscured by clothing, the branches of decaying veins, a dirty green color, were clearly visible, extending from the neck to the face.
However, this was merely the superficial manifestation of the body's decay. The most disturbing aspect was the face: Jessica Townsend's once beautiful face was covered in various cuts.
The longest cut ran from her temple down her cheek to her jawbone, as if the killer had attempted to peel off her entire face.
"At least a hundred stab wounds, and the bones of her nose and jaw appear to be shattered." Besides Jack, who carefully examined the photo, Jubal was the only one who remained calm as he looked at such a gruesome photograph of the body.
"Itaewon is Seoul's most famous entertainment district, so the suspect's identity could be complex: local, foreign, or even..."
Jubal stopped short, but the rest of the sentence was clear to everyone.
Itaewon is located on the eastern side of the mountains in the southern part of Seoul's Yongsan District, adjacent to Yongsan Air Base, once home to one of the US military bases stationed in South Korea.
This military base is only a few kilometers from the Blue House, making it a reasonable place for a "personal bodyguard" to be employed. However, the cost of maintaining such a "personal bodyguard" for a major power in the world is extremely high.
Besides providing food and drink, these "personal bodyguards" are all young, strong men, and naturally, they also help with menstrual needs.
Thus, Itaewon, nestled between the northern and southern camps of Yongsan Base, flourished. Initially a collection of "taverns" and "teahouses," it later became a vibrant neon-lit bar scene.
At the time, the economy of the superpower was dire, but the "bodyguards" were all wealthy, enjoying the royal service of these bars and clubs for the price of a single Marlboro cigarette, naturally flocking to them.
However, even the strongest ox can eventually tire itself out, and the uneven distribution of good and bad farmland led to widespread disease.
Seeing these sturdy "bodyguards" pleading for a little rain, their bodies visibly withered, and at one point, the infection rate reached 60%.
The superpower's authorities, heartbroken, immediately launched a massive renovation effort, demolishing the dilapidated, leaky bungalows and creating a bustling commercial district.
At the same time, millions of young women were organized, receiving English and "vocational skills" training and designated as "civilian diplomats," declaring their service a "patriotic cause" to "boost the morale of Allied officers and soldiers, ensure national security, and boost the national economy."
Furthermore, the authorities provided regular medical examinations for these "civilian diplomats," generously purchasing penicillin, providing high-dose treatment to the "few" women who unfortunately fell ill, encouraging them to continue their efforts and earn more foreign exchange for the country.
Although the Yongsan base has been relocated, with over 20,000 "bodyguards" and their families residing at Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, Itaewon has not declined.
It has become Seoul's most prestigious "fashionable" destination, with countless foreign tourists enjoying its bars and nightclubs, and of course, the camouflaged soldiers are still present.
Jack speculated that this was also the reason why the Korean National Police Agency was so cooperative with the FBI's arrival. Given the sensitive nature of the murderer's possible identity, few prosecutors would be willing to take on such a difficult task.
The reason they refer to prosecutors rather than the South Korean police is naturally due to the unique independent prosecutor system of the global superpower.
Anyone who's even watched a few Korean dramas knows that the South Korean police are arguably among the most incompetent in the world, lacking even the most basic independence in handling cases.
In this country, all criminal investigations are initiated and completed solely by prosecutors, who hold the sole power over the investigation and conviction of a case.
In other words, even if a criminal kills someone in front of the police, and the entire incident is captured on camera, without the prosecutor's approval, the police can only release the perpetrator. Precisely because of the desire to film what's lacking, the image of the righteous and impartial prosecutor in Korean dramas has become deeply ingrained in the public consciousness, as if this group is a supreme authority above all others, the only hope for ordinary people against the bullying of the chaebol.
However, in reality, the independent prosecutor system of the global superpower is like the "Special Investigation Department" within the prosecutorial system of neighboring Japan: a sharp and wieldy knife in the hands of the United States.
Those disgraced former presidents, who died with lingering regrets, were unanimously convinced.
A country with foreign troops stationed there could not possibly have full sovereignty. Their vaunted independent prosecutor system, supposedly more powerful than the president, was a freak of the past from the moment it was created.
However, none of this had anything to do with the FBI, who were solely focused on finding the real culprit. As for the identity of the culprit and whether the case would ultimately proceed to court, that was a matter for the upper echelons of both countries to wrestle with.
After reviewing the case, everyone's expressions were grim. They didn't need to consider the complexities behind the case, but the modus operandi alone was already quite daunting.
"Let me guess, wasn't this case caught on camera by the press, and the public outcry couldn't be suppressed, so we were called in? Only serial killers typically involve this kind of systematic, public dumping of bodies. I'll bet you $20 this isn't the first body."
Jack lazily leaned back on the sofa, closed the folder, and handed it to Clay, who waited nearby.
"It's unlikely to be military personnel. At least, we haven't found any relevant clues yet. Otherwise, it wouldn't be us here, but NCIS (Naval Criminal Investigative Service) or the Army Military Police," Clay offered, offering his perspective as a veteran.
"It doesn't look like a cult, either. At least the photos from the scene don't show any religious symbols or rituals," Hannah said, turning on the TV.
She randomly flipped through a few news channels and found one covering the case. Although no one here, except Jack, could understand Korean or read the Korean alphabet, the station prominently showed a close-up photo of the victim, Jessica Townsend.
"If this is truly a serial killer, such a high-profile report would likely provoke the killer and increase his killing efficiency. We must hurry before we see more bodies."
Jubal rose from the sofa and surveyed the decor of the upscale suite with a rather regretful look.
"The police and embassy will deliver our guns and IDs shortly. Then Aubrey and Alice will rent a house as our base of operations for the next few days. Remember to find a place with good internet."
"Why?" Aubrey was puzzled. "Aren't we staying in a hotel?"
"How many people do you think will be watching us, wanting to know the progress of the investigation?" Jack looked at him like he was stupid, and finally sighed helplessly.
"We're operating overseas. Have you forgotten all the counterintelligence knowledge you learned at Quantico Science?"
(End of this chapter)