Chapter 700: BAU, Behavior Analysis Department (Part 2)

The animals’ food, water, and other necessities also had to be arranged.

They would need to coordinate well throughout this process.

If even one of the animals got sick, they’d never hear the end of it.

York quickly received word that Shen Xin was willing to go to the United States.

He was thrilled. He told Jon that he’d predicted this outcome all along, saying that he and Shen Xin were cut from the same cloth and that there was no way Shen Xin wouldn’t be interested in a case of this magnitude.

Then he learned of Shen Xin’s conditions.

When he heard that Shen Xin wanted to bring quite a few animals, York wasn’t concerned in the least. He said it was a small matter and that he would handle all the paperwork.

But when he actually got the list, York was dumbfounded.

A full 100 dogs, 50 birds, and 2 cats.

“Shen Xin, are you serious?” York went to Shen Xin at once.

He knew that animals were Shen Xin’s weapons.

But this was just too many.

“Of course,” Shen Xin nodded.

To be honest, Shen Xin felt it was too few, not nearly enough.

After all, the search area was five hundred thousand square kilometers—a full five times the size of Ningjiang Province.

However, after hearing Shen Xin’s search plan, York said no more. He simply assured Shen Xin that he would take care of everything.

After nearly two weeks of preparation, on September 27th, Shen Xin and his party boarded a private jet to the United States.

That’s right—a private jet.

The necessary quarantine procedures were no issue at all for the FBI.

The real challenge was transporting all these animals.

You could tell the FBI was taking this case very seriously.

After all, with fifteen victims, this was no minor case, not even in the United States, a country teeming with serial killers.

To that end, the FBI directly chartered a “Panda Jet” from Alliance Express.

This was the same type of private jet used to transport pandas on loan from China in previous years.

United States, Utah. Salt Lake City International Airport.

On a corner of the tarmac sat two official FBI vehicles: Chevrolet Suburbans.

York was a completely different man from the schlubby, middle-aged guy he’d been back in China. Now, he sported shiny, pointed leather shoes, well-fitting trousers, and a crisp white shirt. A holster glinted at his waist, and with sunglasses on, he looked impossibly cool leaning against the hood of the car.

“They’re here.”

Standing beside him was another middle-aged white man. He was dressed similarly, though more formally in a full suit. With a long, stern face, he patted York on the shoulder.

York nodded slightly.

In the distance, a plane was making its final approach.

The plane touched down smoothly and began to taxi down the runway.

The middle-aged white man watched in silence before he couldn’t resist asking, “Brigitte, did he really bring a hundred police dogs and fifty crows?”

Even though York had told him, he still found it incredible.

York patted his companion’s shoulder. “Nathan, trust me, he’s going to blow you away. I’m starting to think he knows some kind of magic. He’s basically the Brown-robed Mage, Radagast, from *The Hobbit*.”

That wizard could also communicate with animals and command them to do his bidding.

The middle-aged white man was Nathan Griffin, the unit chief of Unit 4 of the BAU, the Behavior Analysis Unit, at Quantico. His rank was the same as York’s—Supervisory Special Agent—placing him in middle management.

In the late 1970s, agents led by John Douglas founded the BSU, the Behavioral Science Unit.

It began the systematic study of serial killers and developed the technique of criminal profiling.

In the 1990s, after growing and developing, it was officially renamed the BAU, the Behavior Analysis Unit. The unit’s focus shifted from research to fieldwork, providing psychological profiling support for violent crimes and serial killer cases across the United States to help solve them.

By the new millennium, it had developed and specialized further, dividing the entire department into five operational units, each responsible for a different focus.

Nathan Griffin’s team, Unit 4, was responsible for violent crimes against adults and was considered the core unit.

And York was, in fact, this unit’s liaison agent.

Just then, the window of the car behind them rolled down. A young white man stuck his head out, resting his arms on the windowsill. “I’ve carefully studied the news reports on him. There aren’t many, but a few exist, especially the ones about the giant pandas.”

“He’s a very skilled zookeeper. A lot of netizens say that under his training, the giant pandas have become sentient. They’re personified, like in *Kung Fu Panda*—as smart as people.”

“Boss, you know, right? The pandas even stage jailbreaks. I can send you a video later. Seriously, they’re so cute.”

Nathan Griffin cut the young man off.

This was his team member, Norman Philips.

“Norman, what exactly are you trying to say?” Griffin asked.

Philips said, “What I mean is, we really can trust his abilities. There are certain special people in this world, and I believe he’s one of them.”

“He might be able to communicate with animals, like Tarzan. It’s a rare ability, but not unheard of, and it can be explained scientifically.”

York waved a hand, signaling for Philips to be quiet.

The BAU’s members weren’t just veteran agents with extensive field experience; there were also numerous specialist agents.

Philips, for example, was an academic prodigy, an expert in multiple disciplines like criminology and psychology.

The plane slowly taxied to a halt.

York and Griffin went forward to greet them.

Shen Xin almost didn’t recognize him in his new getup.

When York introduced Griffin, Shen Xin froze for a second. He was surprised and asked if the FBI really had a Behavior Analysis Unit.

Shen Xin had seen the American TV show *Criminal Minds*. It focused on the BAU, showing them flying all over the country to help local police capture serial killers.

It ran for over a dozen seasons, with a new serial killer in every episode.

This was a major reason why Shen Xin had the impression that serial killers were an American specialty.

“Of course.” Griffin’s expression was stern, but his tone was polite. After shaking hands with Shen Xin and his companions, he asked if Shen Xin had seen the TV show *Criminal Minds*.

He mentioned that he had been a consultant for the show.

Shen Xin’s interest was instantly piqued, and he curiously asked how many of the cases were based on real events.

‘After all, there were over three hundred episodes.’

“For example…” One particular case stood out in Shen Xin’s memory. “The one with the paralyzed brother who made his intellectually disabled brother kidnap homeless women, kill them, and feed them to the pigs.”

“I still remember that final shot of the box of shoes.”

From behind Griffin, Philips poked his head out. “The case you’re talking about is based on a true story.”

To Shen Xin’s surprise, the man was speaking Chinese, and his accent was even better than York’s.

Forgetting to ask how he knew Chinese, Shen Xin just asked in amazement what the real case was like.

Philips explained, “The case was based on Canada’s most notorious serial killer, Robert Pickton. He ran a pig farm.”

“Over a span of twenty years, he admitted to killing a total of forty-nine women. Then, just like in the show, he fed the victims’ bodies to his pigs.”

As he spoke, he seemed to guess Shen Xin’s next question. He gave a cryptic smile and nodded. “That’s right. Not only did he sell the pork, but he also processed some of it into other meat products and sold them to his neighbors. It’s sickening.”

‘A cold sweat broke over Shen Xin. Now that’s a true monster.’

‘The most incredible part is that he got away with it for twenty years without getting caught.’

Suddenly meeting the real-life inspiration for a case from the show, Shen Xin’s interest surged. He peppered them with questions about their daily work.

He asked if it was really like the show, where they could visit a crime scene and immediately have a near-perfect profile of the killer.

“Are you all master psychologists?” Shen Xin asked, sizing up Philips.

‘He certainly looked the part.’

“I’m decent,” Philips said modestly. His eyes glinted as he held out his right hand. “Why don’t you see for yourself? Let’s play rock-paper-scissors. Rest assured, I can beat you every time.”

Shen Xin immediately shot back, “How could you possibly win every time?”

‘Unless you cheat by timing it, it’s just a game of chance.’

Philips just smiled without a word, wiggling the fingers of his right hand.

“Bring it on.”

‘Shen Xin wasn’t one to back down from a challenge.’

On the count of three, he threw scissors.

Philips, simply smiling and staring at Shen Xin, threw rock.

Their timing was identical.

“Hmm?”

Shen Xin’s eyebrow twitched. On three, he threw scissors again.

Philips’s hand was still a fist.

“What the hell.”

Shen Xin sucked in a breath. Defiantly, he threw rock.

‘Okay, assuming he’s smart, he’ll predict I’ll throw paper to cover his rock. That means he’ll throw scissors, so I’ll throw rock.’

But Philips threw paper.

“Holy shit.”

Shen Xin’s eyes widened slightly. ‘Is this for real?’

Philips was grinning, his eyes brimming with even more confidence.

Shen Xin decided to just throw at random.

But the result was the same. It was as if Philips could read his mind, beating him every time.

“Rock!”

“Paper!”

After losing nine rounds in a row, Shen Xin was starting to get tilted.

And still, he lost.

If Ding Yuwei hadn’t stepped in, unable to watch any longer, Shen Xin might have lost twenty straight rounds.

Looking at Philips again, Shen Xin took a sharp breath. ‘These guys are definitely not ordinary.’

‘But then again, if a group of people this incredible still couldn’t catch the serial killer, what chance do I have?’