Forensic pathologist Qin Ming is urgently summoned to an abandoned apartment building on a rainy night. There, he finds a woman’s corpse that has been “perfectly dissected.” The body has been posed like a work of art, and its internal organs have been removed with extraordinary precision, leaving none of the forensic traces one would expect.
- **Anomalous discovery**: Qin Ming finds a folded note in the corpse’s throat bearing the words “First.” He also notices minute blue fibers under the victim’s fingernails that do not match the surroundings, making them a crucial piece of evidence.
- **Serial murders**: Two weeks later, a second murder using the same method takes place. The victim is a medical student, also “perfectly dissected,” and a note reading “Second” is left at the scene. Qin Ming realizes he is dealing with a serial killer.
- **Escalating taunts**: The killer begins targeting Qin Ming directly, sending him dissection tools and photographs of the victims, and even leaving traces in Qin Ming’s home, showing how much they know about him and how closely they are watching him.
- **A battle of wits**: During the investigation, Qin Ming discovers that all the victims were connected to the same medical accident, and that he himself was involved as well. He gradually realizes the killer is carrying out a kind of “judgment.”
- **The truth draws near**: Qin Ming uses trace evidence to narrow down the suspects, unaware that the killer has already infiltrated his social circle and is secretly preparing a final “dissection” meant for him.
