The premiere of "Hunter with a Scalpel" kicks off with an evocative image: a solitary little girl perched on a rugged beach, cradling a doll as she picks at a wound on her hand. In the background, a white truck stands as a silent sentinel. The camera transitions to a lively club, where chaos ensues as a young woman savagely executes a man in plain sight. The scene then flips to the aftermath, with law enforcement officers scouring the area for clues. Among them is Seo Se-hyun, a forensic pathologist with a hidden identity – she is the same woman who caused the stir earlier, albeit in a fictional capacity. Sharing her insights with a fellow detective, she postulates that the perpetrator derived pleasure from the act, hinting at a possible drug dependency or psychopathic tendencies. However, her musings are purely speculative; she herself is not the killer, merely visualizing from the murderer's perspective.
Se-hyun subsequently interviews other club-goers detained by the police, scrutinizing each one while producing the murder weapon – a knife. Their diverse reactions serve as a barometer for her to pinpoint the culprit. Meanwhile, Detective Jung Jung-hyun and his partner are engrossed in a stalking case, lying in wait for the perpetrator. Jung-hyun's colleague, however, displays a casual disregard for the mission, wandering off to a nearby shop where he creates a scene over a young boy attempting to pilfer a chocolate.
While Jung-hyun engages in a heated exchange with his colleague about the boy, he catches sight of the stalker and takes off in pursuit. Regrettably, the suspect eludes capture. Both officers later face reprimand for their indiscipline, with Jung-hyun receiving a dressing down from his superior. In a gesture of goodwill, Jung-hyun escorts the boy back home, where he is welcomed by his younger sibling.
Elsewhere, Se-hyun immerses herself in her work at the lab, analyzing the remains of the club victim. Her demeanor towards colleagues lacks warmth, creating a frosty atmosphere. The narrative shifts once more, this time to a laundromat run by Mr. Choi, who catches a news segment featuring Se-hyun being interviewed about her notable achievements as a forensic pathologist. The scene is painted with vivid detail, drawing viewers deeper into the enigmatic world of "Hunter with a Scalpel."
On her journey back home, Se-hyun paused to nurture a hungry stray cat, her kindness momentarily disrupted by a邻近商铺老板的抱怨. The businesswoman fumed about how the feline and its kind were disturbing the neighborhood, all because of Se-hyun's benevolent acts. In response, Se-hyun delivered a piercing glare before continuing on her way. Meanwhile, chilling images flashed by—someone stealthily placing maggots upon a deceased form.
As dawn broke, Jung-hyun and his fellow officers received a grim report about a body discovered in a secluded field, encased in plastic. Upon arrival, they unearthed a scene of horrific decay. Jung-hyun, leveraging his connections, reached out to Se-hyun, pleading for her expertise in unraveling this mystery. He presented her with the case files, detailing the advanced state of decomposition. Se-hyun, moved by the gravity of the situation, agreed to take on the challenge.
The deceased was Lee Yeon-ju, a vibrant 23-year-old whose life had been brutally extinguished. As Se-hyun meticulously examined the corpse, she discovered maggots feasting where one of Yeon-ju's eyes once resided. Her internal organs, save for the stomach, had been meticulously excised. A syringe mark caught her eye, and upon further inspection, she realized that the girl's neck had been brutally snapped.
But the most perplexing discovery was a crimson thread entwined within the victim's body. This simple artifact served as a catalyst for Se-hyun's memories to resurface—vivid flashbacks to her childhood, where she sat on a rocky beach, clutching a beloved doll. A haunting whistle echoed, drawing the young girl towards a pristine white truck. With bated breath, she climbed aboard, unaware of the dark secrets it harbored.
