金蝉脱壳

jīnchántuōqiào

金蝉脱壳 — jīnchántuōqiào

1. lit. the cicada sheds its carapace; fig. to vanish leaving an empty shell; a crafty escape or evasive maneuver

   嫌疑人使用了金蝉脱壳的手法，警方只发现了一个空屋。 xiányírén shǐyòng le jīnchántuōqiào de shǒufǎ jǐngfāng zhǐ fāxiàn le yígè kōngwū — The suspect used a 'cicada-sheds-its-shell' trick; the police only found an empty house.