# When The World's Most Wanted Criminal is Reborn as a Detective Dynasty's Son

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8XeML7JbDco

[00:00] I never imagined it, not even in my wildest dreams.
[00:04] Me, one of the most notorious criminals on the planet, reborn into a family legendary in law enforcement.
[00:10] My grandfather and father, both high-ranking officials.
[00:11] My grandmother, a renowned expert in criminal investigation.
[00:13] And my mother, a forensic scientist known across the world, being reborn into a family like this, the pressure is real.
[00:21] But for someone who knows the criminal world inside and out, when I come face to face with a serial murder case cold for 10 years, a baffling elevator killing, and even a cannibalism case that shocked the entire world, I prove to everyone that I am far more than just the privileged son of a law enforcement dynasty.
[00:36] I am the king of both crime and criminal investigation.
[00:39] I press my fingers to my temple, set down my chopsticks, and think about taking a walk in the yard.
[00:43] But the moment I reach the door, mom rushes in.
[00:44] She glances at the breakfast on the table and smiles with satisfaction.
[00:48] Not bad.
[00:48] Not bad, Leo.
[00:50] Looks like you finally broken those bad habits of yours.
[00:52] Come here.
[00:54] Mom's got a reward for you.
[00:56] A reward?
[00:56] I lean in eagerly.
[00:58] What?
[00:58] I don't expect.
[00:58] She grabs my face and twists it back and forth.
[01:00] Yelp. Mom, what kind of reward is that?
[01:02] She laughs.
[01:04] I don't have time to get you a real gift right now.
[01:06] Consider it an IOU.
[01:06] A major case just broken.
[01:06] King Doo.
[01:08] I have to head back soon.
[01:10] She laughs and turns toward the stairs, but in her rush, the files in her hands slip and scatter across the floor.
[01:14] I walk over to pick them up and can't help giving her a hard time.
[01:18] No wonder dad says it's the world's greatest miracle that you ever became a forensic scientist.
[01:21] Look at you just as careless as dad.
[01:23] Mom's face flushes red with irritation.
[01:25] You dare make fun of me, too?
[01:27] Fine.
[01:27] I don't have time for this.
[01:29] She stops arguing and turns to leave, but I grab her hand.
[01:33] When I picked up those files, I caught a glimpse of a crime scene photo.
[01:35] I frown.
[01:35] Mom, this case, it's not simple.
[01:37] Mom, Vivian Sue looks at me with surprise.
[01:39] What do you know about it?
[01:41] Go do your own thing.
[01:42] School starts in a few days.
[01:42] Shouldn't you be studying?
[01:44] If she hadn't said that, I might have actually forgotten.
[01:46] Right now, I'm just a 17-year-old high school student.
[01:47] Second semester starts soon, senior year.
[01:49] But my attention stays fixed on that photo.
[01:51] This killer.
[01:52] Something is seriously wrong with them.
[01:54] Death is death.
[01:56] The victim's head is down.
[01:58] Yes.
[01:58] But after death, the killer kept going, carving
[02:01] slash after slash into the body.
[02:03] That's not just murder.
[02:03] That's hatred.
[02:05] Mom listens to the end and shakes her head with a bitter smile.
[02:08] You don't understand.
[02:10] But in your mind, Mom, this killer is someone who's done this before, isn't it?
[02:13] And going upstairs, you're going to get the files on the serial torture murder case from 10 years ago, right?
[02:18] The words barely leave my mouth before mom's eyes go wide.
[02:19] How did you know that, Mom?
[02:23] You keep files on all kinds of cases in your study, but the serial torture murder case from 10 years ago, that one has always been a thorn in both yours and dad's side.
[02:28] The condition of this female victim, plus the fact that you're in such a rush to get upstairs, it's not hard to figure out.
[02:33] She blinks.
[02:33] Well, well, I didn't know you had such a sharp eye.
[02:36] All right, then.
[02:36] Keep going.
[02:38] Why do you think this killer had a personal grudge against the victim?
[02:42] Every piece of evidence from the 10-year-old case pointed to a killer acting on impulse.
[02:46] By your logic, based on the stab wounds alone, you can't rule out the original killer.
[02:48] I never said this wasn't the same person.
[02:49] Maybe he really did have a grudge against this woman.
[02:53] I smile and say nothing more.
[02:54] Mom watches me walk toward the door.
[02:56] Then suddenly, she steps forward and grabs my wrist, smiling.
[02:57] Leo, mom needs a favor.
[03:00] I turn around.
[03:00] What is it?
[03:00] Come with me to the
[03:02] hospital. I need to examine a body.
[03:03] Before I know it, mom has pulled me all the way to the hospital.
[03:05] But the moment we arrive at the entrance, a swarm of cameras and microphone surrounds us.
[03:10] Professor Sue is here. Professor Sue, do you believe the killer behind this case is truly the same person responsible for the serial torture murder case 10 years ago?
[03:16] Professor Sue, a decade later and an identical case surfaces. You were the lead forensic scientist back then. It's also the only case in your entire career where you found no leads on the killer. What do you have to say?
[03:25] The moment we're surrounded, the reporters bombard her with question after question. Mom's brow tightens. Autopsies are her strength. Dealing with reporters is not.
[03:34] And what they're saying isn't wrong. There is one stain on mom's otherwise flawless career. It happened at the height of her reputation when she had absolutely no leads on that serial murder case.
[03:42] Right now, I can see her anger beginning to rise. But before she can react, a hand reaches out from behind her. I step in front of mom and push aside everyone blocking the way. There's a murder to solve. The story can wait. The case just broke. What exactly are you reporting on? Do you understand that every second you waste here could be the second a killer walks free? Move, all of you. My face is ice cold. I pull
[04:02] mom forward without slowing down.
[04:04] The reporters stand frozen for a moment, then come back to their senses.
[04:07] Someone asks, "Is that boy one of the professor's students? Who does he think he is?"
[04:10] That's Leo Yi, the eldest son of the Yi family.
[04:12] He's protecting his mother.
[04:14] So, what if he's a little intense?
[04:15] Exactly.
[04:17] And what he said wasn't wrong.
[04:19] There's a murder to solve.
[04:20] The story can wait.
[04:21] The case just happened.
[04:22] Aren't you just wasting everyone's time with all these questions?
[04:24] By now, mom and I have reached the door to the hospital morg.
[04:25] She pushes it open.
[04:27] Inside, a handful of officers and forensic staff are still documenting the body.
[04:29] When they see us walk in, everyone straightens up.
[04:31] They come over.
[04:33] Professor Sue, you're here.
[04:35] And young Master Leo, too.
[04:36] Everyone is visibly surprised to see me.
[04:38] I give a brief nod and walk straight to the body.
[04:40] My eyes move slowly over the victim.
[04:42] Some of the officers are about to say something, but they catch mom shaking her head at them.
[04:45] I pull my gaze away and speak.
[04:46] Where is the victim's family?
[04:48] The victim is from out of town.
[04:49] We've already contacted her next of kin.
[04:51] They're on their way.
[04:52] Did she live alone?
[04:54] Mom speaks up.
[04:57] The victim's name is Fe Huang, 27 years old.
[04:59] She worked as a manager at a design firm.
[05:01] She had two close friends here in Kingdu.
[05:01] She lived with her fianceé.
[05:02] had a very loving relationship.
[05:04] I respond with a quiet, "I see."
[05:06] then pull on a pair of gloves.
[05:07] The room immediately shifts.
[05:09] Everyone's expression turns to disbelief.
[05:11] Even mom looks completely taken aback.
[05:13] She knows better than anyone that I have never examined a body before.
[05:16] Most people feel fear when they come face to face with a corpse.
[05:17] But from the way I'm moving, it looks like I'm about to conduct the autopsy myself.
[05:22] One of mom's junior forensic staff steps forward quickly with a polite smile.
[05:26] Young Master Leo, the body has already been examined.
[05:27] I ignore him.
[05:29] With my gloved hand, I reach into one of the stab wounds without hesitation.
[05:32] Under the stunned gaze of everyone in the room, I use two fingers to carefully expose the flesh around the wound.
[05:38] Mom says with concern, "Lo, don't push yourself.
[05:40] You've never done this before.
[05:41] Your body might react."
[05:41] I release the wound and speak.
[05:43] The victim died somewhere between 3:30 and 4 in the morning.
[05:47] The fatal wound is the one to the chest.
[05:47] That's what killed her.
[05:49] The weapon was a blade approximately 13 cm long and 2 cm wide, a dagger, but it wasn't particularly sharp.
[05:53] Most likely worn down from frequent use.
[05:55] That's why the flesh shows slight tearing at the wound edges.
[05:59] After the fatal blow, the killer slashed wildly across the body,
[06:03] all the way down to the legs, the cuts becoming shallower as they go.
[06:06] When I finish, I turn around to find every single person staring at me in stunned silence.
[06:10] I walk over to mom.
[06:12] What's wrong?
[06:13] She reaches out and vigorously rubs my face with both hands, then cries out, "Wait, are you really my Leo?"
[06:17] I roll my eyes.
[06:19] Who else would I be?
[06:21] That's impossible.
[06:23] My Leo was supposed to be, you know, a little slow.
[06:26] How can you examine a victim's wounds in just a few seconds and get everything right?
[06:28] Mom is still reeling, but I don't explain.
[06:30] Instead, I turned to the senior officer.
[06:31] Officer Jang, please bring everyone connected to the victim here to see the body one last time.
[06:35] Officer Jang takes a slow, deep breath.
[06:37] His expression turns serious.
[06:39] Understood.
[06:41] I'll get them now.
[06:43] After officer Jang leaves, I step out as well.
[06:44] The moment I'm gone, the morg erupts and whispers, "That's the Ye family for you.
[06:48] Grew up surrounded by this.
[06:50] It shows what he just did with that body.
[06:52] Completely incredible.
[06:53] Seriously impressive.
[06:55] Other than Professor Sue and Senior Finch Chen, I've never seen anyone who could glance at a body for just a few seconds and already know the murder weapon, the fatal wound, and the time of death.
[07:00] Professor Sue, your son is a genuine genius.
[07:02] Smiling in the presence of the
[07:04] dead isn't something most people would do, but for someone as accustomed to death as mom, she feels nothing but pride in this moment.
[07:09] Every mother wants her child to shine.
[07:10] She smiles and responds warmly to the room.
[07:12] Before long, Officer Jang brings in everyone connected to the victim.
[07:16] Fa's two friends and her fianceé enter the morg together.
[07:19] When they see Fay's body, all three of them share the same expression, a split second of disbelief.
[07:23] Then they break down completely.
[07:25] Fay's boyfriend collapses to the floor, utterly shattered.
[07:28] I stand outside the morg, watching all three of them closely.
[07:30] After a moment, I push the door open and walk in.
[07:32] Mom knows exactly what I'm doing.
[07:34] She leans in and asks quietly, "Are you sure this killer has nothing to do with the one from 10 years ago?"
[07:37] "Of course not.
[07:39] The prime suspect is still the killer from the serial torture murder case, but anyone connected to the victim is also a suspect."
[07:44] With that, I walk over to the three of them and look Fay's boyfriend directly in the eyes.
[07:46] How long have you two been together?
[07:48] He takes several seconds to respond.
[07:49] He finally looks up and when he sees I'm just a teenager, he drops his gaze again.
[07:51] I shrug and turn to the two friends.
[07:53] And you two, how long did you know her?
[07:54] We've known Fay for four or 5 years.
[07:56] We used to live together.
[07:58] We only
[08:05] moved out when Fay and Leon got serious about getting married.
[08:08] One of them speaks and the other follows.
[08:10] I just can't believe something like this happened to Fay.
[08:11] Who would do this?
[08:12] Why would anyone be so cruel?
[08:14] Finally, Fay's boyfriend, Leon Lee, speaks, but his voice won't stop trembling.
[08:18] It's my fault.
[08:19] I should have stayed with her last night.
[08:21] Why did I leave?
[08:22] If I had just stayed, none of this would have happened.
[08:24] I crouched down in front of him.
[08:24] Has she been busy lately?
[08:27] She wasn't leaving work until after 3:00 in the morning.
[08:28] She's been pouring everything into a design project.
[08:31] She finally got a breakthrough a few days ago and has been working around the clock ever since.
[08:34] I kept telling her not to rush, but she was so driven.
[08:36] Nothing I said made a difference.
[08:38] Leon's emotions surge again.
[08:38] It's my fault.
[08:40] Why didn't I just stay a little longer?
[08:42] I stand up.
[08:42] Officer Ciang, let them go home and rest.
[08:44] I'm not leaving.
[08:45] I'm staying with her.
[08:47] We were going to get married just two or three months away.
[08:49] Why did this happen?
[08:51] Leon's voice breaks into a raw, anguished cry.
[08:53] Every officer in the room looks on with quiet grief.
[08:55] Even mom, who has witnessed more death than most, lets out a long, quiet sigh.
[08:59] What a tragedy.
[08:59] I watch it all in silence.
[09:03] In my past life, I orchestrated countless crimes.
[09:04] Enough to put the world's most elite agencies on my trail.
[09:06] As someone who was once the crime lord,
[09:08] no one understands the criminal mind better than I do.
[09:10] What the eyes see may be the truth or it may be exactly what someone wants you to see.
[09:13] I give the officers a subtle signal.
[09:15] They gently guide Leon and Fay's friends out of the room.
[09:17] Mom steps toward me.
[09:18] Leo, did you pick up on something?
[09:21] I don't answer.
[09:23] I reach into Mom's file bag and pull out the crime scene photos.
[09:24] Sharp, clear, taken from every angle.
[09:27] I lay them all out in order.
[09:28] I study them for two minutes.
[09:30] Then I speak.
[09:32] I can say with certainty, "This case and the serial torture murder case from 10 years ago are not the same."
[09:35] The moment those words land, mom and every officer in the room go rigid with shock.
[09:37] But the method, the brutality, this killing is identical to the one 10 years ago.
[09:41] Exactly.
[09:43] And there were words carved into the victim's back.
[09:45] I'm back.
[09:46] The original killer left marks just like this.
[09:49] Brutal, deliberate.
[09:51] The only difference is this time it's words.
[09:52] Before it was numbers.
[09:54] In the serial torture murder case 10 years ago, every single victim was female and every one of them had a mark left on their body.
[10:00] Back then it was numbers 9-1 9-2 carved into each victim's back.
[10:01] After 9-9, the killing
[10:07] stopped.
[10:09] I listen to the officers push back and a cold smile crosses my face.
[10:11] Are you sure the level of brutality is truly the same?
[10:15] Fa's body has at least five vital points where the blade was buried to the hilt.
[10:18] The victims 10 years ago, not one wound like that.
[10:20] Every slash was casual, almost careless, and each one penetrated to roughly the same shallow depth, barely breaking the skin.
[10:26] That tells us the original killer had exceptional control with a blade, and his profession almost certainly involved one.
[10:31] One of the officers speaks up.
[10:33] Even if the depth of the wounds differs, that's not enough to rule him out.
[10:36] The killer from 10 years ago was brilliant.
[10:38] Or maybe he was just playing games with all of you.
[10:42] This killer is nothing but a poor imitation.
[10:43] As I speak, I pull an old, worn photograph from mom's file bag.
[10:47] It shows the back of one of the original victims.
[10:48] I press my finger to the bound wrists in the photo.
[10:50] I'm done going back and forth on this.
[10:52] I turn and head for the door.
[10:54] Leo, where are you going?
[10:56] I grin.
[10:57] I have a pretty good idea where to find the killer.
[10:59] We head straight to Fay's workplace.
[11:01] The office has no idea their manager is dead.
[11:02] I push open the door to the design firm.
[11:04] It's right at the start of the workday.
[11:05] Everyone at their desks looks half asleep.
[11:07] They all stare at me, mom, and the two officers with wideeyed
[11:08] confusion.
[11:10] One person stands up and walks over with a polite smile.
[11:11] Officers, how can we help you?
[11:13] We're here about your manager, Feay Huang, I say.
[11:14] The person blinks.
[11:16] Oh, you're looking for manager Fay.
[11:18] Let me get her.
[11:19] She's always the first one in every day.
[11:21] She's definitely in her office.
[11:23] I stop them.
[11:24] Don't bother.
[11:26] She's dead.
[11:29] That single sentence hits the room like a shock wave.
[11:30] Eyes go wide everywhere.
[11:32] What?
[11:34] Manager Fay is dead.
[11:35] That can't be right.
[11:37] She was perfectly fine yesterday.
[11:40] How was that possible?
[11:41] She was here working late last night.
[11:43] Her fiance was with her the whole time.
[11:45] The entire office erupts.
[11:47] The quiet morning air turns into chaos.
[11:49] I scan every face in the room.
[11:50] One of the officers behind me, worried about wasting time, calls out,
[11:52] "Everyone, please calm down.
[11:54] We're here to investigate.
[11:56] Has anyone noticed anything unusual about Fay recently?
[11:57] And has she had any conflicts with anyone here?"
[11:59] Before the officers finish, I cut in.
[12:01] Never mind that.
[12:03] Anyone who hasn't been at work recently step forward.
[12:04] Both the officers and mom look at me with surprise.
[12:06] I'm asking about the people who weren't here.
[12:08] Mom says under her breath.
[12:10] Leo, it can't be that straightforward.
[12:11] The killer left absolutely no trace at the scene.
[12:13] That means they have real counterforensic skills.
[12:15] Why would they leave themselves
[12:09] Open to suspicion?
[12:11] I smile without missing a beat.
[12:13] Just throwing it out there.
[12:14] Three people step forward quickly.
[12:17] One man, two women, all young.
[12:18] All three wear varying shades of shock and grief on their faces.
[12:20] One of the women already has red rimmed eyes.
[12:22] I walk over to her.
[12:24] Before I can say a word, she bursts into tears.
[12:25] It can't be.
[12:27] How could FA be dead?
[12:29] She was such a good person.
[12:31] How could this happen?
[12:32] The tears keep falling.
[12:34] I grab a tissue from a nearby desk and hand it to her.
[12:35] You were close to FA, weren't you?
[12:37] I'm her assistant.
[12:39] I've been sick the past couple of days.
[12:40] She was the one who insisted I go home and rest.
[12:41] I came back today because I'm finally starting to feel better.
[12:43] I never imagined something like this could happen.
[12:45] I can tell she's genuinely unwell.
[12:47] She keeps coughing and her voice is thick with congestion.
[12:49] I give a small nod and move on without pressing further.
[12:50] I step over to the young man next.
[12:52] He takes a breath.
[12:54] I've been out of town on a work trip.
[12:56] Just got back today.
[12:57] And you?
[12:59] I turned to the last woman.
[13:00] There's something about her.
[13:02] Mom's eyes have barely left her.
[13:04] Because when the news of Fa's death was announced, this woman's face showed the same shock as everyone else.
[13:05] But underneath it, just for an instant, there was something else.
[13:07] Relief.
[13:09] It vanished almost immediately, but not fast enough to escape mom's eyes.
[13:10] Instinct has already told her this woman has some kind of history with Fay.
[13:12] I study her now, too.
[13:14] Pretty composed.
[13:16] What about you?
[13:16] Why were you away?
[13:17] Something came up back home, so I took some time off.
[13:19] How many days?
[13:21] A week, she says.
[13:21] I let a look of realization cross my face.
[13:23] Seven whole days.
[13:25] Was it something serious back home?
[13:27] Not really.
[13:27] I was just tired.
[13:27] Needed a break.
[13:29] I hum quietly and turn away.
[13:29] Seven days.
[13:31] That's plenty of time for someone to study another person's methods.
[13:32] More than enough, really.
[13:33] Enough to pull off a decent imitation.
[13:35] At those words, many eyes in the room snapped toward her.
[13:37] A deputy manager blurts out, "What exactly are you implying?"
[13:39] When Fay's body was found, she was bound with rope.
[13:41] Head down, body raised, words left on her back.
[13:43] Anyone who's lived in Kingdu long enough should know exactly what that means.
[13:44] Before I finish, a middle-aged employee stares wideeyed and gasps.
[13:46] The serial torture murder case.
[13:48] Exactly.
[13:49] The serial torture murder case from 10 years ago.
[13:51] My voice drops to something cold and deliberate.
[13:53] The way manager Fay was found, it matches every one of the nine victims from 10 years ago.
[13:56] The woman who showed that flicker of relief.
[13:57] Her body jolts.
[13:59] Whatever was in her eyes before is completely gone now.
[14:01] She looks up
[14:11] sharply, meeting my gaze and her voice starts to stammer.
[14:13] Why?
[14:13] Why are you looking at me like that?
[14:15] I didn't kill anyone.
[14:16] I give a cold laugh.
[14:18] But you had a grudge against Fay, didn't you?
[14:20] She slapped me once, but I would never kill her over that.
[14:22] She lifts her chin.
[14:23] I said you had a grudge.
[14:25] I never said you killed her.
[14:25] No need to get so worked up.
[14:27] After that, nearly every eye in the room is fixed on her.
[14:29] Her panic is growing.
[14:31] Her eyes dart left and right.
[14:33] Mom steps beside me and murmurs.
[14:36] You suspect her?
[14:36] I'm just observing.
[14:37] When we announced Fay was dead, there was satisfaction in her eyes.
[14:39] For a moment, I almost thought she was the one, but now I understand everything.
[14:42] I turn to the sick girl.
[14:44] I almost forgot.
[14:44] What's your name?
[14:46] She blinks, then answers in a slightly horse voice.
[14:48] My name is Vera Wang.
[14:50] All right, Vera.
[14:50] I'd like you to come with us to the hospital morg.
[14:52] She looks uneasy.
[14:54] Why me?
[14:54] I had no grudge against Fay.
[14:56] My smile shifts into something stranger.
[14:58] I never said you did.
[14:59] Didn't you say you were close to her?
[15:01] Then you should say your goodbyes.
[15:03] She finally nods.
[15:03] Fine, I'll go.
[15:05] I smile and then I grab her hand.
[15:07] No matter how pitiful you look to everyone else.
[15:09] Make no mistake, you are the killer.
[15:09] The office goes absolutely
[15:11] silent.
[15:14] Every single pair of eyes locks onto me and the girl whose hand I'm holding.
[15:17] Then someone snaps back to reality.
[15:17] Officer, you've got it wrong.
[15:19] There's no way Vera killed manager Fay.
[15:21] You said this matches the serial torture murder case exactly.
[15:25] So, shouldn't the killer be the same person from back then?
[15:26] And besides, Vera has no motive.
[15:29] Exactly.
[15:29] Vera is scared of bugs and manager Fay helped her when Vera got into gambling debt.
[15:32] Fay was the one who paid it off.
[15:35] The colleagues keep defending her.
[15:35] But I immediately turned to the one who mentioned gambling.
[15:39] She gambles.
[15:39] Yes, she got pulled into online gambling.
[15:41] Racked up serious debt.
[15:43] The last time her creditor showed up here at the office, it was manager Fay who stepped in.
[15:48] I feel a cold laugh rise in my chest.
[15:48] My eyes fix on Vera like a hawk.
[15:51] I really hope this isn't a story about biting the hand that fed you.
[15:53] Take her to the hospital.
[15:53] I give the order.
[15:55] Send another team to search her place.
[15:57] Ver's face drains of color.
[15:57] I'm just going to pay my respects.
[15:58] What gives you the right to call me the killer?
[16:01] You couldn't catch anyone 10 years ago.
[16:01] Now the killer strikes again.
[16:03] So why are you coming after me instead?
[16:05] Interesting.
[16:05] You know a lot about the case from 10 years ago.
[16:08] I narrow my eyes.
[16:08] Mom tenses beside me.
[16:11] Vera snaps back.
[16:11] Is that a
[16:13] problem?
[16:14] If you'd caught the killer back then, Fay would still be alive.
[16:16] I step forward, still not admitting it.
[16:18] The calluses on your hands are fresh.
[16:19] You've been doing heavy physical work recently.
[16:21] You're an assistant.
[16:23] Does this company require you to haul things around?
[16:24] She opens her mouth to argue, but I don't give her the chance.
[16:26] The calluses.
[16:27] That's one.
[16:30] Two.
[16:31] When we said Fay died exactly like the victims 10 years ago.
[16:33] Why did you suddenly relax?
[16:35] And when we turned our attention to your colleague, your eyes were full of satisfaction.
[16:37] I know the criminal mind too well.
[16:38] My past life taught me this.
[16:40] The killer is almost always the last person you'd expect, and only a guilty person works that hard to look innocent.
[16:45] Vera cried her eyes out when she walked in.
[16:46] Even mom was moved.
[16:48] But I don't trust tears.
[16:50] Emotion is the most reliable way to cloud judgment.
[16:52] Ver's lips tremble.
[16:53] I don't know what you think you saw.
[16:55] You're wrong.
[16:56] I tug the corner of my mouth and turn to a colleague.
[16:58] Call Leon Lee.
[16:59] Ask him whether Vera has been trying to borrow money from Fay lately.
[17:01] The call connects.
[17:03] Leon's voice is exhausted.
[17:05] Yes.
[17:07] She asked about 2 weeks ago.
[17:08] She came back a few more times after that, but Fay kept saying no.
[17:10] Fay even told her if she couldn't quit gambling, she'd have to let her go.
[17:12] I thank him calmly.
[17:14] Leon's voice sharpens.
[17:16] You suspect Vera?
[17:17] I thought the killer
[17:14] was the same one from 10 years ago.
[17:16] We never confirmed that.
[17:17] We only said the cases were similar.
[17:19] I fix my gaze on Vera and I speak slowly, one word at a time.
[17:23] Am I correct in understanding that you were repeatedly turned down for money and that you knew FA was planning to fire you and that you let that resentment push you to kill?
[17:29] Ver's eyes go wide.
[17:32] Her lips shake.
[17:32] Several seconds pass before she forces out the words, "I did hate Fay, but I got over it.
[17:36] She was right.
[17:36] And where's your proof?
[17:38] You can't convict me on guesswork alone."
[17:39] She even lets out a soft laugh.
[17:41] Don't worry, the evidence is coming.
[17:43] A few hours isn't nearly enough time to destroy everything.
[17:46] Fay died after 3:30 in the morning.
[17:48] It's only 8:00 now.
[17:48] She needed time to cover her tracks.
[17:50] And looking at her right now, there's no way she could have killed anyone.
[17:53] No way she could have replicated the methods from 10 years ago.
[17:57] I stare directly at her.
[17:57] Forget the hospital.
[17:58] We're going to your place.
[17:59] The team there should have found something by now.
[18:01] Vera's jaw tightens.
[18:03] That one involuntary reaction tells me everything I need.
[18:05] I give the order to move.
[18:07] Ver's apartment is only a 10-minute drive from the office.
[18:08] She's eerily silent the entire way.
[18:10] When we pull up to her building, two police vehicles are already waiting.
[18:13] A middle-aged officer spots us and hurries
[18:15] Over. Professor Sue, Young Master Leo, sorry to have you running around like this.
[18:18] Mom shakes her head.
[18:20] Assisting with cases is my job.
[18:22] I assume the bureau has been briefed.
[18:24] The city bureau has issued orders given how closely this case mirrors the one from 10 years ago.
[18:28] They're demanding it be solved within a week.
[18:29] And he pauses.
[18:32] And what? Mayor Zang held a meeting this morning and made it very clear.
[18:35] If another murder like this occurs, every department in the city bureau will be held accountable.
[18:38] Mom gives a cold smile.
[18:40] We won't need a week.
[18:42] This case gets solved today.
[18:44] Everyone stares.
[18:46] Today, more precisely, within the hour, I turn to Vera.
[18:48] Isn't that right, Miss Wang?
[18:50] Silence.
[18:52] An officer comes down from upstairs.
[18:54] Report: No suspicious items found in the suspect's apartment.
[18:55] No weapon, not even a kitchen knife.
[18:57] Vera finally lets a small smile slip.
[19:00] Officers, do you believe me now?
[19:02] No rush, I say, keeping my voice easy.
[19:04] Let's head upstairs.
[19:05] Oh, do you have any water?
[19:08] All this talking has made me thirsty.
[19:09] Mom hides a small smile.
[19:12] The Ye family never backs down in front of a suspect.
[19:13] Yes, Vera says quietly.
[19:13] We take her upstairs.
[19:13] Officers are already inside searching, but the place is still
[19:15] Tidy.
[19:15] I spot a water dispenser.
[19:17] I pour mom a cup first, then carry my own.
[19:19] As I walk slowly through the apartment.
[19:20] When I reach the bathroom, I stop.
[19:22] I stare at the floor.
[19:25] Mom comes up beside me.
[19:25] Leo, what are you looking at?
[19:26] I point downward.
[19:28] Mom, doesn't there seem to be a lot of water on the floor?
[19:30] Miss Wang, do you usually shower in the early morning?
[19:31] Ver's eyes shift.
[19:31] Yes.
[19:34] Why is water in a bathroom really that suspicious?
[19:35] Water in a bathroom?
[19:35] Not at all.
[19:37] What's suspicious is that you're this sick and you still took a shower this morning?
[19:39] Bold.
[19:40] I walk straight to the only bedroom door and push it open.
[19:42] The room is small.
[19:44] One bedroom, one living area.
[19:46] She doesn't live extravagantly.
[19:47] Maybe all her money went to gambling.
[19:49] But the moment I open that door, my eyes lock onto something and I go completely still.
[19:52] Standing in Vera's room is a life-sized rag doll, old and worn.
[19:54] It looks like it has been handled over and over again.
[19:56] I spin around immediately.
[19:58] Get me a rope.
[20:00] Vera sways on her feet.
[20:02] Mom seems to understand, but says nothing.
[20:03] The officers are confused, but one of them hands me a rope anyway.
[20:05] I take it, pick up the rag doll, and begin wrapping the rope along the faint but unmistakable marks already pressed into its body.
[20:07] Vera's face is white as paper.
[20:09] When I pull the rag doll
[20:16] doll's arms behind its back, someone
[20:17] gasps. "How is this possible?" I answer
[20:19] low and steady. "Why wouldn't it be?" My
[20:21] hands don't stop. The ragd doll slowly
[20:23] takes on the same bound position as
[20:25] Fay's body. Before I even finish, Vera
[20:27] lets out a hysterical scream. "Stop!
[20:29] Stop binding it. Stop!" She collapses to
[20:32] the floor, sobbing with her head down. I
[20:33] crouch in front of her and look at her
[20:35] calmly. "Anything left to say?" She
[20:36] lifts her face. Her color is gone. Why
[20:38] could you tell just from one look that
[20:40] the ragd doll had marks on it? And how
[20:42] did you know how to bind it like that? A
[20:43] knowing smile spreads across mom's face.
[20:46] The case is cracked. I stay crouched and
[20:48] speak without any rush. Simple. Fay
[20:50] helped more than just you at that
[20:51] company. When I announced her death,
[20:52] everyone else reacted with shock first.
[20:54] You went straight to tears, she asks
[20:56] weakly. Isn't that normal? No, because
[20:58] you showed zero surprise. Then I saw the
[21:00] calluses on your hands and I was even
[21:02] more certain. The moment someone
[21:03] mentioned your gambling, I had no more
[21:05] doubt. You were the killer. I stay
[21:06] crouched and say quietly, what a shame.
[21:08] This really is a story about biting the
[21:10] hand that fed you. Even in my past life
[21:11] as a criminal, I never stooped to this.
[21:13] A twisted sneer breaks across Vera's
[21:15] face. Ungrateful. She helped me once and
[21:17] I paid her back. So why couldn't she
[21:19] help me one last time? Was she really
[21:21] going to just watch while debt
[21:22] collectors beat me to death? If I had to
[21:23] die anyway, then we'd die together. Her
[21:25] expression turns ugly. Do you know what
[21:27] I gave her? When I begged for her help,
[21:28] I handed over all my design ideas. Every
[21:31] single one. And what did she do? She
[21:33] took them and then tried to fire me.
[21:34] Doesn't someone like that deserve to
[21:36] die? I'm caught off guard, whether by
[21:37] coincidence or fate. Her phone rings at
[21:39] exactly that moment. Answer it, I say.
[21:42] You're not quite at the point where you
[21:43] can't take a call. She picks up. A
[21:45] pleasant woman's voice comes through.
[21:47] Hello, is this Miss Vero Wang from
[21:48] Starlight Design? We're calling from the
[21:50] Radiance Cup Design Competition Review
[21:52] Committee. Your submission has met all
[21:53] the requirements. Please arrive at the
[21:55] competition venue within 3 days to
[21:57] compete for a spot in the finals. Vera
[21:59] freezes. Mom and I are equally stunned.
[22:01] Hello, Miss Wang. Can you hear us?
[22:02] Hello? Vera's entire body is shaking.
[22:05] She can't speak. Tears pour out of her
[22:07] without warning. She screams in a raw,
[22:09] broken voice. Why didn't you tell me
[22:10] why? I rise to my feet, my tone flat. As
[22:13] far as I'm concerned, you deserve what's
[22:14] coming, but if you ever get out of
[22:16] prison, then find a way to make it
[22:17] right. Mom signals the officers to put
[22:19] on the handcuffs. As Vera is helped to
[22:21] her feet, she says under her breath, "I
[22:22] really was ungrateful, wasn't I?" "Lo,
[22:24] did you know everything from the start?"
[22:26] I ask, "The rag doll? You just didn't
[22:28] have time to get rid of it, right?" "And
[22:29] your illness? You got it by dousing
[22:31] yourself with cold water and sitting
[22:32] under the air conditioning all night
[22:33] after the murder. Am I right? Her mouth
[22:35] opens slightly. She nods in silence. It
[22:38] started the first time she said no.
[22:39] After the debt collectors beat me, I
[22:41] began planning. Her voice goes calm. I
[22:43] tracked down every piece of information
[22:44] on the case from 10 years ago. It took
[22:46] me more than half a month to learn it
[22:48] well enough. 2 days ago, I went to her
[22:49] again. She tore into me. That's when I
[22:51] decided to move. After I killed her last
[22:53] night, I was afraid of being suspected,
[22:55] so I came back, soaked myself with cold
[22:57] water, and stayed under the air
[22:59] conditioning all night. just like you
[23:00] said. As for the rag doll, you were
[23:02] right. I used it to practice the binding
[23:04] for half a month, but it's too big to
[23:05] throw away without being noticed, and I
[23:07] thought no one would ever suspect me.
[23:09] She finishes. I have no interest in
[23:10] hearing more. Take her. I turn to mom.
[23:13] Go ahead and arrange the press
[23:14] conference. Announce that last night's
[23:15] murder has been solved any longer, and
[23:17] people might actually start doubting
[23:18] what this family is capable of. Mom
[23:20] nods, warmth in her eyes. Vera is
[23:22] escorted toward the door, but at the
[23:24] threshold, she stops. Leo, all of you,
[23:26] if I ever make it out of prison alive, I
[23:28] will make amends. If you ever get the
[23:30] chance, please go to Fa's grave and tell
[23:31] her I'm sorry. She seems to want to say
[23:33] more, but swallows it as she's taken
[23:35] away. Everyone left in the room breaks
[23:37] into applause. Mom gives a thumbs up,
[23:39] her eyes bright. Son, mom is so proud of
[23:41] you today. I find out later that while I
[23:43] was taking Ver away, Dad Marcusier's
[23:45] office was heavy with tension. Case
[23:47] files spread across his desk, his eyes
[23:49] moving over a room full of troubled
[23:50] faces. Dad speaks. Let's hear some
[23:52] thoughts. His voice is measured. The
[23:54] Kingdu City Bureau has publicly
[23:55] committed to answering to the public
[23:57] within a week. As he speaks, a faint
[23:59] smile tugs at the corner of his mouth.
[24:00] Someone says under their breath. Raymond
[24:02] Xiao really couldn't wait, could he?
[24:04] Can't blame him. It happened in their
[24:05] jurisdiction. It's their right. Dad
[24:07] doesn't seem bothered. The priority is
[24:08] solving the case. What's your read on
[24:10] it? A man in glasses speaks up. This
[24:11] case is complicated and simple at the
[24:13] same time. Complicated because it's a
[24:15] perfect match for the serial torture
[24:16] murder case from 10 years ago. Simple
[24:18] because that killer has most likely
[24:20] resurfaced. He pauses and looks at dad.
[24:22] When that case happened 10 years ago,
[24:23] Director Yi, you were serving as the
[24:25] head of the Kingdu City Bureau. for it
[24:26] to resurface now. It really is. Before
[24:28] he finishes, dad waves a hand. We
[24:30] discuss the case, nothing else. You're
[24:32] all from my original team. No one knows
[24:33] that case better than we do. A murder
[24:35] committed in the early hours is already
[24:37] making waves today. The whole city will
[24:38] be watching. If we can't solve it within
[24:40] the deadline, the entire system will
[24:42] face consequences. His expression
[24:44] darkens, but for all the words spoken,
[24:46] no one offers anything useful. Dad
[24:48] watches them exchange helpless glances.
[24:49] His heart sinks. Maybe years of comfort
[24:51] have worn away whatever fire they once
[24:53] had. Just as frustration begins to
[24:55] overtake him. There's a knock at the
[24:56] door. The assistant opens it. An officer
[24:58] bursts in, barely containing his
[25:00] excitement. Director, great news.
[25:02] Someone snaps. What are you rushing in
[25:04] here for? Can't you see we're in a
[25:05] meeting? The officer looks flustered.
[25:07] Sorry, I got carried away. We just got
[25:09] word the murder from last night has been
[25:11] solved. Dead silence falls over the
[25:13] office. 2 3 seconds pass. Everyone leaps
[25:15] to their feet, eyes wide. You're not
[25:17] joking. The killer from 10 years ago,
[25:18] they caught him. Finally, that monster
[25:20] is done. Surprise rushes across dad's
[25:22] face, too. But the officer's expression
[25:24] falters. What's wrong? Was there a
[25:25] complication? Sir, the killer isn't the
[25:27] one from 10 years ago. The binding
[25:29] method, the state of the body, the blood
[25:30] markings on the back. Everything pointed
[25:32] to that old case. Exactly. We know that
[25:34] binding technique better than anyone.
[25:35] There's never been anything like it. It
[25:37] can't be wrong. Dad is just as
[25:38] bewildered. Then a voice drifts in from
[25:40] outside the door, full of pride. Just as
[25:42] I thought. You were all fooled by the
[25:43] method. Same as I was at first. While
[25:45] everyone else was lost, one person saw
[25:47] clearly. Marcus Yei. The Ye family has
[25:49] raised quite a son. The only person who
[25:51] calls dad by his full name like that is
[25:53] mom. Vivien Sue. Vivien, what do you
[25:55] mean? Leo was involved in the case. Dad
[25:57] looks completely lost. Mom nods, her
[25:59] tone certain. The killer's binding
[26:00] method was only roughly similar. We
[26:02] spent who knows how long studying the
[26:03] body. Leo spotted the difference in 3
[26:05] seconds. And the killer, he had them
[26:07] arrested in just over an hour. The room
[26:08] goes into shock. They spent hours
[26:10] examining every detail. Someone else saw
[26:12] through it in 3 seconds. They deployed
[26:14] equipment and an expertise and came up
[26:16] empty. Someone else brought in the real
[26:17] killer in just over an hour, and that
[26:19] someone was me. When the shock fades,
[26:21] dad's laughter fills the office. The
[26:23] others feel a little embarrassed, but
[26:25] they're genuinely happy for him. That's
[26:26] the Ye family for you. Leo's only 17,
[26:28] isn't he? Mom smiles and nods. The man
[26:30] takes a deep breath and raises his
[26:32] thumb. Incredible. I'll be the first to
[26:34] admit it. But if the killer isn't the
[26:36] one from 10 years ago, then who is it?
[26:37] Vera Wang, Fa's assistant, a girl who
[26:39] looked completely ordinary. The room
[26:41] jolts again. Not one of them had cast
[26:43] suspicion on Fay's colleagues for the
[26:44] entire morning. Sometimes those closest
[26:46] to a case are the last ones to see
[26:48] clearly. Dad acts immediately. Notify
[26:50] Raymond Jiao right away. Hold a press
[26:52] conference and release the case details.
[26:54] Vivien, have Leo attend in person. He
[26:56] straightens up with pride, but mom just
[26:58] laughs. She shakes her head. Marcus, ye,
[27:00] my son has something to say about that.
[27:02] There's still plenty of time left in
[27:03] that oneweek deadline and the reputation
[27:05] this family lost 10 years ago. He
[27:07] intends to get it back. Dad draws a
[27:09] sharp breath. His voice is full of
[27:10] disbelief. You're saying Leo wants to
[27:12] dig up the killer from 10 years ago? I
[27:14] get home and go straight to the study.
[27:15] Auntie Wang calls me down for a meal. I
[27:17] answer briefly and tell her not to
[27:18] disturb me. I find the case files from
[27:20] 10 years ago. Thick, but I read through
[27:22] every page. September 16th, 2007, 6:00
[27:25] in the morning. A female body discovered
[27:26] at Fangyong Park in Kawang district.
[27:28] Lena Lee, 23 years old. Head down, body
[27:31] raised. Cause of death, severe trauma to
[27:33] the skull. September 18th, 2007. A green
[27:36] belt along Chinguang Road in Arong
[27:38] district. Sophia Huang, death by
[27:39] asphixxiation. September 29th, 2007.
[27:42] Beneath Kaanguang Bridge, Yara Jang,
[27:44] assaulted and thrown into the river. I
[27:46] read through it all in one breath. I
[27:48] close the file and pick up a pen,
[27:49] writing down every lead. 10 years have
[27:51] passed. Criminal investigation today is
[27:53] nothing like what it was back then. If
[27:55] the same case happened now, it would
[27:56] probably have been solved long ago. I
[27:58] lose myself in notes and paper until mom
[28:00] walks in carrying lunch. Mom, why are
[28:02] you back? Auntie Wang called me. Said
[28:04] you hadn't come down to eat and she
[28:05] didn't want to bother you. As she
[28:06] speaks, her eyes land on what I've
[28:08] written and they go wide. Where did you
[28:10] get this psychological profile of the
[28:11] killer? I smile. Simple. Just compare
[28:14] the blood markings left on each victim's
[28:15] back. Look, from the very beginning, he
[28:17] had already decided to kill nine people.
[28:19] That's why he carved 9-1 into the first
[28:21] victim's back. But in the photos, the
[28:22] strokes are shaky in several places.
[28:24] That means even he was terrified the
[28:26] first time. Look at the second victim.
[28:28] The markings are noticeably steadier,
[28:29] and as the body count grows, the
[28:31] killer's writing becomes messier and
[28:32] messier. Why? Because by the time he
[28:34] reached the ninth victim and still
[28:36] hadn't been caught, he started to
[28:37] believe he was untouchable, that the law
[28:39] meant nothing to him. From fear at the
[28:40] start to growing comfortable, then to
[28:42] arrogance, open contempt for the entire
[28:44] law enforcement system. That's the
[28:46] mental shift from victim one to victim
[28:48] 9. And the fact that he stopped after
[28:49] nine, that overturns one of the original
[28:51] conclusions. Mom hasn't caught up yet.
[28:53] Which conclusion? The killer didn't
[28:55] choose his targets at random. He may be
[28:57] disturbed, but he is absolutely a killer
[28:58] with a purpose. These nine victims,
[29:00] whether directly or indirectly, are
[29:02] connected. Mom pushes back almost
[29:03] instantly. Impossible. Those nine people
[29:06] didn't know each other at all. What
[29:07] connection could there possibly be? And
[29:09] do you know who reached the original
[29:10] conclusion? Of course, Dad. But does
[29:12] that make it right? She still isn't
[29:13] convinced. I continue. Mom, think about
[29:15] it. If the killer were just a random
[29:17] murderer, even if he decided to kill
[29:19] nine people, he would have simply
[29:20] written the number nine. There's no
[29:21] reason to leave 9-19-2,
[29:23] which means he had the count planned
[29:25] from the very beginning and the targets
[29:26] were chosen, too. These nine victims are
[29:28] connected to him. I lay it out so
[29:30] clearly that mom has no choice but to
[29:32] believe it. In her heart, dad has always
[29:33] been the finest investigative mind she
[29:35] knows. But I'm not wrong, and every part
[29:37] of my analysis points to the same thing.
[29:39] The nine victims are linked. So, what's
[29:40] your next move? She exhales slowly,
[29:42] track down the families of all nine
[29:44] victims, and go through everything
[29:45] again. This time, we dig to the bottom.
[29:47] It's been 10 years, though. They may not
[29:49] all still be in Kingdu. We find as many
[29:51] as we can. Three families should be
[29:53] enough to start. I move to get up. Two
[29:54] steps in. Mom grabs me with a grip like
[29:56] iron. My precious son, you eat first,
[29:59] finish your meal, then your old mom will
[30:00] go with you. No food, no leaving. After
[30:03] lunch, mom and I head to the police
[30:04] station to check household registry
[30:06] records. 10 years is a long time. Three
[30:08] of the families have left Kingdu for
[30:09] good. The remaining six have mostly
[30:11] moved to new addresses. Kingdu has grown
[30:13] fast over the years. Families that were
[30:15] once merely comfortable have leapt into
[30:16] the ranks of the seriously wealthy. Some
[30:18] worth tens of millions, others over a
[30:20] hundred. The first family we visit is
[30:22] that of Lena Lee, the first victim. They
[30:24] now live in a residential complex on the
[30:26] outskirts of Kingdu. I ring the
[30:27] doorbell. A woman close to 60 opens the
[30:29] door, her face puzzled. Who are you? Can
[30:31] I help you? Mom smiles gently. You don't
[30:34] remember me? I'm Vivian Sue. The woman
[30:36] stills, then her eyes well up. Dr. Sue,
[30:38] the forensic scientist. She quickly
[30:40] ushers us inside. The home is well
[30:41] furnished, clearly a comfortable life.
[30:43] We sit. She brings tea, her expression
[30:45] hovering between wanting to speak and
[30:46] holding back. I get straight to it.
[30:48] We're here about what happened to your
[30:49] daughter 10 years ago. She sways
[30:51] slightly. Her voice shakes. It's been 10
[30:53] years. Is there a new lead? Some new
[30:55] theories? I have a few questions. Just
[30:57] tell me what you know. She nods, clearly
[30:59] tense. Did your daughter, Lena Lee, know
[31:01] the later victim, Sophia Huang? No. And
[31:03] you and your husband? Did you know
[31:04] Sophia Huang's family or Yara Jang<unk>s
[31:06] parents? No. After everything happened,
[31:08] the families met briefly, but we were
[31:10] strangers. Expected. Mom offers a few
[31:12] quiet words of comfort. I shift
[31:14] direction. Do you still have any of her
[31:16] belongings? May I take a look? She
[31:17] shakes her head. Aside from a few
[31:19] photographs, everything she owned was
[31:21] either buried with her or burned. I
[31:22] couldn't bear to keep them. Looking at
[31:24] them hurt too much. Understandable. Some
[31:26] hold on to what's left. Others can't
[31:27] bear to touch the memories. We don't
[31:29] stay long. There's nothing useful here.
[31:31] As we're leaving, Lena Lee's mother
[31:32] grips mom's hand tightly. Dr. Sue, tell
[31:34] me honestly, after 10 years, can this
[31:36] case still be solved? Mom doesn't know
[31:38] what to say. But I do. Don't worry.
[31:40] Expect word within a week. The real
[31:42] killer will be found. One week. The
[31:44] exhaustion in her face lifts. Good.
[31:46] Good. If you can find whoever did this,
[31:48] then these 10 years of waiting won't
[31:49] have been for nothing. We leave the
[31:51] building. Mom looks at me with mild
[31:52] reproach. Why were you so sure? We found
[31:54] nothing today. Not entirely
[31:56] empty-handed, I say. We've at least
[31:57] ruled out any grudge from the previous
[31:59] generation. Now the question is, what
[32:00] connects Lena Lee, Sophia Huang, and
[32:02] Yara Jang? We head downstairs. Before we
[32:04] reach the car, Lena Lee's mother comes
[32:06] running after us. Dr. Sue, wait. She
[32:08] hurries over and pulls a store card from
[32:10] her pocket. This belonged to my
[32:12] daughter. She had quite a bit of money
[32:13] loaded on it. That's why I kept it.
[32:15] Didn't bury it with her. I just suddenly
[32:16] remembered it. Take a look. Maybe it's
[32:18] useful. I take the card. My eyes
[32:20] sharpen. Then I smile. This is very
[32:22] useful. After she goes back upstairs,
[32:24] mom watches me hold the card like I
[32:26] found buried treasure. Completely
[32:27] baffled. Leo, what's so special about
[32:29] this card? Mom, go through each victim's
[32:31] identity and profession one more time. I
[32:33] say nothing else and leave the answer
[32:34] for her to find. The car rides for about
[32:36] 10 minutes. Then mom lights up. She
[32:38] reaches over and snatches the card
[32:40] embossed in gold lettering. Golden mall.
[32:42] A department store established 15 years
[32:43] ago forced out of Kingdu 3 years back by
[32:45] the rise of online shopping. But that
[32:47] mall just became a critical lead. The
[32:49] third victim, Yara Jang, had worked
[32:50] there as a sales clerk. Before mom can
[32:52] say another word, I cut in. Take us to
[32:54] the old Golden Mall site. Mom puts it
[32:55] all together. She laughs. You little
[32:57] devil. You figured it out the moment you
[32:59] saw that card and you kept it from me on
[33:00] purpose. I sat here for 10 whole minutes
[33:02] for nothing. Don't you know your old mom
[33:04] is busy? I smile. The moment of
[33:06] realization was worth every minute.
[33:07] Nobody could have predicted that Lena
[33:08] Lee and Yara Jang would be connected
[33:10] through Golden Mall, which was at the
[33:11] height of its fame 10 years ago. Now we
[33:13] just need to find out whether something
[33:14] happened there before the first murder.
[33:16] Something that ties back to the
[33:17] killings. If we find it, the pool of
[33:19] suspects narrows dramatically. Mom
[33:21] listens, then reaches out and squishes
[33:22] my face back and forth. Unbelievable.
[33:24] Are you really my son? If this weren't
[33:26] about the family's reputation, were you
[33:28] planning to hide this forever? I just
[33:29] smile without denying it. I could let
[33:31] other things slide, but letting mom lose
[33:33] face that I won't stand for. Mom is
[33:35] overjoyed. She pulls me in with a firm
[33:37] arm around my shoulders. Mom is so happy
[33:39] right now. My son can finally protect
[33:40] me. The car falls quiet. Before long, we
[33:43] arrive at the old Golden Mall, now
[33:44] renamed Dawan Plaza. shopping, leisure,
[33:47] entertainment, all under one roof. As we
[33:49] get out, mom mentions the ownership has
[33:51] changed hands. But fortunately, the
[33:52] general manager is still the same man
[33:54] from the Golden Mall days. Manager Lee.
[33:56] He should know something. We head
[33:57] straight to his office. The door opens.
[33:59] Manager Lee greets us with a smile.
[34:01] Professor Sue, young Master Leo, what an
[34:03] honor. Once we're seated, he looks at us
[34:05] with visible curiosity for both of you
[34:07] to come to me personally. I'm truly
[34:08] flattered. Please speak freely. I'll
[34:10] tell you everything I know. Mom gets
[34:12] straight to the point. We want to ask
[34:13] about one thing. 10 years ago. Before
[34:15] September 16th, did anything significant
[34:17] happen at Golden Mall? Manager Lee
[34:19] blinks. He gives a dry laugh. Golden
[34:21] Mall, that's a long time ago. It's been
[34:23] so long. I honestly can't remember.
[34:25] Understandable. 10 years is a long time,
[34:27] but I watch his eyes and a cold smile
[34:29] rises in me. So, manager Lee is saying
[34:31] he can't remember and that nothing major
[34:33] happened at Golden Mall that year. My
[34:34] smile goes colder. All right, then. We
[34:36] are formally requesting your assistance
[34:38] as officers of the law. Compile every
[34:40] incident of any significance from Golden
[34:41] Maul that year. Have it on directory's
[34:43] desk by 9 tomorrow morning. Every
[34:45] detail, no matter how small, not one
[34:47] thing left out. Manager Lee stares.
[34:49] Young Master Leo, what do you mean by
[34:51] that? Every detail fully documented.
[34:53] Manager Lee, your eyes tell me you've
[34:54] already thought of something. You just
[34:56] don't know how to say it. I stand. Since
[34:58] that's the case, this is how we'll
[34:59] proceed. Tomorrow at 9:00, I hope
[35:01] Director Yei gets to read your report. I
[35:02] catch Mom's eye and we turn to leave.
[35:04] We're almost out the door when manager
[35:05] Lee panics. Professor Sue, young Master
[35:07] Leo, please don't rush off. It was so
[35:09] long ago. I need time to think. He's
[35:11] afraid of offending us. He's even more
[35:13] afraid of crossing the Yei family
[35:14] because if the Yei family decides to
[35:16] make trouble, this mall could be
[35:17] inspected from opening to closing every
[35:19] single day. Mom doesn't quite understand
[35:21] why I shifted tone so suddenly. Manager
[35:23] Lee's words seem reasonable on the
[35:25] surface. Who could easily remember
[35:26] something from that long ago? But
[35:28] whatever I'm doing, she stands with me
[35:29] without question. I stop and turn back.
[35:32] Manager Lee, I've made myself clear.
[35:34] We're here about the serial murder case
[35:36] from 10 years ago. If you're withholding
[35:37] information and we find out later, you
[35:39] will be held legally responsible. I turn
[35:41] to leave again. Manager Lee's jaw
[35:43] tightens. Fine, I'll tell you. Before
[35:45] September 16th, 10 years ago, something
[35:47] significant did happen at Golden Mall,
[35:49] and it involves me personally. I spin
[35:51] around. What happened? Why does it
[35:52] involve you? On September 10th, there
[35:54] was an escalator accident at Golden
[35:56] Mall. The victim was my son. He stops
[35:58] there. His eyes go red instantly. His
[36:00] expression twists into something raw and
[36:02] ugly. Mom and I both freeze. September
[36:04] 10th, 6 days before the first murder.
[36:06] Golden Mall really did have a tragedy.
[36:07] An escalator accident that killed a
[36:09] child. What happened? I press. Manager
[36:11] Lee sinks into the memory, his voice
[36:13] hollow. It was a weekend. My wife was
[36:15] busy, so I brought my son to the mall
[36:16] with me. I didn't think he'd run off to
[36:18] play on the escalator the moment I
[36:19] wasn't watching. And I never imagined
[36:21] the escalator would malfunction at
[36:22] exactly that moment. He was pulled in
[36:24] and crushed. His voice starts to shake.
[36:26] Do you know what happened, young Master
[36:28] Leo? His skull was crushed. Brain matter
[36:30] splattered across the inside of the
[36:31] escalator shaft. By the end, he looks
[36:33] like a wounded animal with nowhere left
[36:34] to go. Eyes burning with rage. Mom says
[36:36] softly. I'm sorry. Manager Lee stares at
[36:39] the floor. He doesn't seem to hear her.
[36:40] I watch him for a long moment, then let
[36:42] out a quiet breath. I'm sorry, manager
[36:44] Lee. We didn't expect this. He lifts his
[36:46] red rimmed eyes and lets out a hollow
[36:48] laugh. Is there anything else young
[36:49] Master Leo and Dr. Sue would like to
[36:51] know? The smile is laced with
[36:52] bitterness, as if asking, "Does it feel
[36:54] good to tear open old wounds?" We don't
[36:56] linger. We leave his office and get back
[36:58] in the car. Mom sees me deep in thought.
[37:00] Leo, what are you thinking? I'm thinking
[37:01] about how Six Days connects Manager
[37:03] Lee's son, Lena Lee, Sophia Huang, and
[37:06] Yara Jang. Mom's eyes go wide. You're
[37:08] not saying Manager Lee is the killer.
[37:10] Not necessarily. Anyone connected to the
[37:11] case from 10 years ago is a suspect.
[37:13] Manager Lee is one of them. So is
[37:15] everyone who worked at Golden Mall back
[37:16] then. I keep my voice low. I'm just
[37:18] thinking about whether 6 days was enough
[37:19] time for someone to devise a murder plan
[37:21] that meticulous. I prefer to put
[37:23] everyone on the suspect list first, then
[37:24] eliminate them one by one. Whoever's
[37:26] left, that's the killer. The original
[37:28] case files were full of theories, but no
[37:29] one ever looked at Golden Mall. That
[37:31] might be the new angle we need. It might
[37:32] even be the right one. Mom, find out
[37:34] which senior staff from Golden Mall are
[37:36] still in Kingdu, especially find out who
[37:38] was present during the escalator
[37:39] accident. Was Lena Lee there. Was Sophia
[37:41] Hang? Any footage from that day would be
[37:43] ideal. We'll probably need to visit the
[37:45] police station. I think there was
[37:46] footage at the time. Just not sure if
[37:47] it's still been kept. Then what are we
[37:49] waiting for? Let's go now. The driver
[37:51] accelerates, but mom looks uneasy. Are
[37:53] we really going to the police station?
[37:54] That's Raymond Jiao's territory. Aren't
[37:56] you worried about tipping him off?
[37:57] Raymond Xiao is no match for the Yei
[37:59] family on his own, but the family
[38:00] backing him is another story. They're on
[38:02] equal footing with us, and the two sides
[38:03] have been tripping each other up for
[38:04] years. I understand her concern, but I
[38:07] smile with confidence. Mom, don't forget
[38:09] we're going there to investigate the
[38:10] serial torture murder case from 10 years
[38:12] ago. Raymond Jiao has no idea we've
[38:14] already caught Fa's real killer. What's
[38:16] the problem with going now? Mom blinks,
[38:18] then laughs at herself. The car pulls up
[38:19] to the station quickly. Quite a few
[38:21] officers inside know mom. They stand and
[38:23] greet her. Word naturally reaches
[38:24] Raymond Jiao. He makes a leisurely
[38:26] entrance. All smiles. Well, well,
[38:28] Professor Sue and Leo, what brings you
[38:30] two here? New leads on this morning's
[38:32] murder. He wastes no time fishing for
[38:34] information on the early morning case.
[38:35] Mom speaks up. We're here to access more
[38:37] detailed records on the serial torture
[38:39] murder case from 10 years ago. Director
[38:41] Jiao, the station should still have them
[38:42] on file. Of course, every case the
[38:44] station has ever handled, big or small,
[38:46] has been filed and archived. Though a
[38:48] case from 10 years ago won't be easy to
[38:49] dig up, you're welcome to check with the
[38:51] records room. As long as it's you two,
[38:52] the entire Kingdu station will make it
[38:54] as easy as possible. He waves his hand
[38:56] grandly, projecting the air of someone
[38:58] very much in charge. But what era are we
[39:00] living in? The digital age. The records
[39:02] room still exists, but most files have
[39:04] been digitized and stored permanently on
[39:05] computer. Going through physical files
[39:07] could take forever. Mom's expression
[39:09] titans. Director Jiao, can't we access
[39:11] the digital records? I'm terribly sorry.
[39:13] Our entire computer system is undergoing
[39:15] upgrades today. Temporarily unavailable.
[39:17] If you're willing to wait, feel free.
[39:19] Mom is about to push back, but I speak
[39:20] first with a smile. No need. We'll
[39:22] search the records room ourselves.
[39:24] Raymond Xiao smiles coolly. Young Master
[39:26] Leo, Professor Su has clearance to
[39:28] access records. You do not. You're
[39:30] right, I say. I'm not part of the law
[39:32] enforcement system. I have no clearance
[39:33] to view classified files, but that's not
[39:35] a problem. I smile lightly. Director
[39:37] Xiao, your information is a little
[39:38] behind. I wasn't part of the system
[39:40] before, but as of 1 second ago, I've
[39:42] been officially appointed as a special
[39:43] investigator on this case. If you don't
[39:45] believe me, call Director Yei. I'm not
[39:47] saying a few minutes ago, not a few
[39:49] hours ago, 1 second ago. Raymond Xiao's
[39:51] face shifts immediately. Someone escort
[39:53] Professor Sue and Young Master Leo to
[39:55] the records room. Take all the time you
[39:57] need. Mom knows this place well. It used
[39:58] to be dad's office building. She waves
[40:00] off the escort and heads to the records
[40:02] room herself. Inside, two older officers
[40:04] greet us. I get straight to it. Which
[40:06] shelf holds the files on the serial
[40:08] torture murder case from 10 years ago?
[40:10] The two officers exchange a glance. They
[40:12] smile apologetically. We get a lot of
[40:14] files every year. that particular case,
[40:15] we honestly can't remember. Then where
[40:17] are all the files from 10 years ago?
[40:19] Shelf C12, but there are over a thousand
[40:21] folders up there. How would you even
[40:22] begin? I don't answer. I walk straight
[40:24] to shelf C12 and start searching by
[40:26] month. Finding the right section isn't
[40:28] hard. The challenge is pulling out the
[40:29] relevant details from hundreds of
[40:31] folders. Mom and I stand on the step
[40:33] ladder and go through them together.
[40:34] After a while, Mom lets out a quiet
[40:36] sound. We found it. Looking at the sheer
[40:38] volume of files, Mom can't help rolling
[40:40] her eyes. This case dragged on for so
[40:42] long back then. No wonder there's this
[40:44] much paper. We only need the witness
[40:45] interview records. Everything else is a
[40:47] waste of time. I remind her, but I don't
[40:49] reach for the witness files myself.
[40:50] Instead, I keep scanning the shelf. Mom
[40:52] quietly flips through the pages,
[40:54] focusing on the public witness
[40:55] statements, especially anyone who
[40:57] assisted the investigation. Time ticks
[40:59] by slowly. After a while, a strange
[41:01] smile creeps across my face. Mom, in
[41:03] those case files, is there someone who
[41:05] gave a statement? A man named Jackson
[41:07] Shiao. Mom immediately flips through the
[41:09] pages. Yes. How did you know? I hold up
[41:11] the file in my hand and smile with
[41:12] complete certainty. Whether the serial
[41:14] torture murder case from 10 years ago
[41:16] gets solved, it all comes down to
[41:17] Jackson Shia. Jackson Shia. Neither mom
[41:20] nor I know this name. But as he appears
[41:21] in the files, something in mom's memory
[41:23] begins pulling her back 10 years. That
[41:25] case shook the entire city. As the lead
[41:27] forensic scientist, Mom followed every
[41:29] development just as closely as any
[41:30] officer on the force. She vaguely
[41:32] remembers being present when Jackson
[41:33] Shia gave his statement. The memory
[41:35] sharpens slowly. Mom sets down the file.
[41:37] Jackson Shia, if I'm remembering
[41:39] correctly, he was the head of security
[41:40] at Golden Mall. That's right. I hand her
[41:43] the file I'm holding. Her eyes sharpen.
[41:44] This is the file on the escalator
[41:46] accident. I nod. The records from the
[41:48] day manager Lee's son died. And guess
[41:49] what else I found? What? Tell me. There
[41:51] are several witness statements here, and
[41:53] one of them is from Yaraangs mother. I
[41:55] read from it quietly. That day, manager
[41:57] Lee's child was playing on the
[41:58] escalator. I called out to him several
[42:00] times. He clearly heard me, but he
[42:02] ignored every word. My supervisor called
[42:04] for me, so I turned to go back to my
[42:05] post. But the moment I turned away, the
[42:07] escalator malfunctioned. The child's
[42:09] body was pulled in. His head it just The
[42:12] investigator asked, "Why didn't you
[42:13] press the emergency stop?" I was in
[42:15] shock. Everyone around me was in shock.
[42:17] None of us could think straight. These
[42:18] are Yara Jangs statements from back
[42:20] then. They tell us exactly what happened
[42:22] that day. Manager Lee's child ignored
[42:24] all warnings and kept playing on the
[42:25] escalator. The people around him
[42:27] hesitated, held back by who his father
[42:29] was. They couldn't say anything, but
[42:31] they couldn't stay silent either. And no
[42:32] one imagined the escalator would fail at
[42:34] that exact moment. pulling the child in
[42:36] feet first. If someone had hit the
[42:38] emergency stop in time, the worst
[42:39] outcome would have been losing a limb,
[42:41] not his life. My mind starts running
[42:43] through possibilities. But when one
[42:44] particular theory takes shape, I keep it
[42:46] to myself. Instead, I ask about
[42:47] something else. Wait, why is there no
[42:49] footage from the scene? Mom's expression
[42:51] shifts. The crime scenes in the serial
[42:53] torture murder case were almost all in
[42:55] areas with no surveillance. Back then,
[42:56] it wasn't like now. Only scattered
[42:58] footage of the victims while they were
[42:59] still alive. I mean, a major shopping
[43:01] mall had an escalator accident that
[43:02] killed a child. How is there not a
[43:04] single piece of footage? Mom looks taken
[43:06] aback. That can't be right. The file
[43:08] shows the investigating officers did
[43:09] review footage at the time, but it was
[43:11] never archived. I slide the file back
[43:12] onto the shelf and take mom's arm. We
[43:14] need to find Jackson Shia. My gut tells
[43:16] me he's the link between both cases,
[43:18] find him, and we find the killer from 10
[43:20] years ago. Mom doesn't argue. We put
[43:22] everything back and leave the records
[43:24] room immediately. The moment we're out,
[43:25] the two officers inside head straight to
[43:27] Raymond Jiao. Whatever they report, we
[43:29] don't care. We have no time to waste on
[43:31] office politics. We leave the station
[43:32] and head to the department that handles
[43:34] residential registry records. In a city
[43:36] as large as Kingdu, finding one person
[43:38] without it would be nearly impossible.
[43:40] The supervisor is cooperative. Nobody in
[43:42] Kingdu dares to turn the Yei family away
[43:44] to make sure we hear the moment they
[43:45] find something. We even ignore Auntie
[43:47] Wong<unk>s calls about dinner. It isn't
[43:49] until 8:00 in the evening that a staff
[43:50] member finally comes running with
[43:51] results. Professor Su, Young Master Leo,
[43:54] we found Jackson Shiao. We both rise at
[43:56] the same time. Where does he live? The
[43:57] staff member's expression falters. I
[43:59] frown. Is something wrong? It's not that
[44:01] it's difficult to say. It's just that
[44:03] the Jackson Shia who served as head of
[44:05] security at Golden Mall, he died 10
[44:06] years ago. Mom and I stare at each other
[44:08] in shock. In the serial torture murder
[44:10] case from 10 years ago, the one person
[44:12] who could be the key to everything was
[44:14] already dead 10 years ago. I hadn't seen
[44:16] this coming. Whether it's the serial
[44:17] torture murder case or the escalator
[44:19] tragedy involving manager Lee's son,
[44:21] Jackson Shia has always felt like the
[44:23] bridge between them. He gave statements
[44:24] in both cases. I don't waste a second. I
[44:27] have the staff pull up his full records
[44:28] immediately. The records confirm this is
[44:30] the man I'm looking for, but he died in
[44:32] a car accident on October 4th of that
[44:34] same year. The driver responsible was
[44:35] caught a few months later, but died of
[44:37] cancer in prison not long after. I read
[44:39] through everything and narrow my eyes.
[44:41] This was a contract killing. Mom, with
[44:43] over 20 years as a forensic scientist,
[44:45] picks up on the same thing. His death
[44:46] was no accident. Yara Jang, a sales
[44:49] clerk at Golden Mall, died on September
[44:50] 29th. Jackson Shia died on October 4th,
[44:53] 5 days apart. and the driver who hit
[44:54] Jackson Shia just happened to be
[44:56] terminally ill with cancer, making it
[44:57] almost impossible not to be suspicious.
[44:59] It seems the serial murders from 10
[45:01] years ago had more than nine victims.
[45:03] Mom's voice drops. 10. I let go of the
[45:05] mouse. It's dark outside. Let's set the
[45:07] case aside for now and go home for
[45:09] dinner. Mom glances at her watch and
[45:10] smacks her forehead. Right. It's past 8.
[45:13] I'm used to skipping meals, but you're
[45:14] young. You can't be eating like this.
[45:16] The moment food comes up, she's all
[45:18] focused. She pulls me out the door. We
[45:20] arrive home to find the yei house lit up
[45:22] right. Dad Marcus Yi is on the sofa
[45:23] watching television. Beside him sit two
[45:25] elders, my grandparents, Gerald Yei and
[45:28] Gloria Zouer. Grandpa carries a natural
[45:30] authority without needing to raise his
[45:31] voice. Grandma is poised and elegant,
[45:33] but her eyes hold the depth of someone
[45:35] who has seen everything. People in King
[45:36] Du once described the Yi family this
[45:38] way, except for the teenage young
[45:40] master, every member of the family, man
[45:41] or woman, is a tiger in the world of law
[45:43] enforcement. Even the gentle-looking
[45:45] Grandma Shu Yu was a celebrated criminal
[45:47] investigation expert, retired now, but
[45:49] never forgotten. She once traveled to
[45:51] northeast China personally to capture
[45:52] the country's most wanted gang leader. I
[45:54] walk through the door with a grin.
[45:55] Grandpa, grandma, what brought you back?
[45:58] Grandma has always had a soft spot for
[45:59] me. The moment she sees her grandson,
[46:01] she jumps up with delight, takes my
[46:03] hands and hers, then glances outside at
[46:05] the dark sky. Her eyes sharpen. She
[46:07] turns to Dad. Have you eaten? Dad looks
[46:09] confused. Mom, didn't we just eat
[46:11] together? How could you sit down and
[46:12] eat? Grandma is indignant. Your child is
[46:14] out there running around all day on your
[46:16] behalf, and you're at home eating a full
[46:17] meal. Is that what a father looks like?
[46:19] Dad's face scrunches like he's bitten
[46:20] something sour. He wants to say, "You
[46:22] ate just as hardily yourself, but he
[46:24] doesn't dare." He just keeps
[46:25] apologizing. Grandma humps and calls
[46:27] into the kitchen. Ani Wang, make a
[46:29] couple more dishes. We can't let my
[46:30] precious grandson and wonderful
[46:32] daughter-in-law go hungry. Mom and I
[46:33] both feel a little embarrassed. After
[46:35] dinner, Grandpa takes off his glasses
[46:36] and asks, "Leo, I heard you were out all
[46:39] day today working on the case with your
[46:40] mother." "Yeah, good progress." Dad
[46:42] leans forward immediately. "Oh, a lead
[46:44] on the case from 10 years ago." Before
[46:46] he even finishes, grandma smacks him on
[46:48] the arm. How dare you ask? If it weren't
[46:50] for us back then, do you think you'd
[46:51] still be sitting in that position? Mom,
[46:53] you can't just throw your son aside the
[46:54] moment a grandson shows up. I came from
[46:56] you and so did my grandson through you.
[46:59] As for you, I've had 40ome years of you.
[47:01] I'm tired of looking at you. As she says
[47:03] this, she peels an orange for me. I eat
[47:05] it and smile. The reason the case from
[47:07] 10 years ago was never solved. A big
[47:09] part of it was investigator negligence.
[47:11] Exactly. Mom adds, to put it plainly,
[47:13] the biggest reason is you, Marcus. Ye,
[47:15] dad's brow creases. I was careful at
[47:17] every step back then. How could I have
[47:18] been negligent? I speak slowly. You
[47:20] never looked at Golden Mall. And the
[47:22] victims weren't as unconnected as
[47:23] everyone assumed. Lena Lee and Yara Jang
[47:25] were both sales clerks at Golden Mall.
[47:27] Shortly after Yara died, the head of
[47:28] security, Jackson Shia, was killed in a
[47:30] suspicious road accident. And before all
[47:32] of that, manager Lee's son died in the
[47:34] escalator accident. The single most
[47:36] important location, Golden Mall, was
[47:38] completely overlooked. That's why the
[47:40] real killer walked free for 10 years and
[47:41] why this family has carried the blame
[47:43] for just as long. Dad's expression
[47:44] changes completely. He says nothing. He
[47:46] just stares at me. Grandpa and Grandma
[47:48] do the same, but differently. Grandma
[47:49] picks up a pen and starts mapping it out
[47:51] quickly on paper. Before long, she
[47:53] writes down a name. Manager Lee. Unless
[47:55] I'm wrong, he's the prime suspect.
[47:56] Grandma sets down the pen. I glance at
[47:58] the paper and give a thumbs up. Grandma
[48:00] still got it, but Grandma doesn't smile.
[48:02] Her expression is grave. Even if we
[48:03] suspect Manager Lee, where's the
[48:05] evidence? 10 years have passed. It's
[48:06] likely been destroyed. No. A small
[48:09] smile. Jackson Shia or Yara Jang?
[48:11] They'll tell us where to find it.
[48:12] They're both dead, I say quietly.
[48:14] Someone once told me the dead can still
[48:16] speak. The night deepens. The lights of
[48:18] the ye house go out one by one, but in
[48:20] one room, mom and dad are still awake.
[48:22] Vivien, have you noticed something off
[48:24] about Leo? Dad sets down his book, a
[48:25] slight frown on his face. Mom doesn't
[48:27] look pleased. And you have the nerve to
[48:29] say that if this weren't tied to the
[48:30] case from 10 years ago, do you think
[48:32] he'd be stepping forward like this?
[48:33] Right now, public opinion is linking
[48:35] Fay's murder to the one 10 years ago. If
[48:37] we can't give people answers, what will
[48:38] that mean for this family? I understand
[48:40] the stakes, but Fa's case has already
[48:41] been resolved, hasn't it? Mom scoffs.
[48:43] Marcus Yei, sitting in that high seat
[48:45] has made you soft in the head. If you
[48:47] stood up and told everyone the killer
[48:48] was Vera Wang, how many people would
[48:50] actually believe you? The case from 10
[48:52] years ago left a mark on this city that
[48:53] never healed. Fa's death has been all
[48:55] over the news. The whole city is in an
[48:56] uproar. Every street corner is buzzing
[48:58] with talk that the killer from 10 years
[49:00] ago is back. The online backlash is
[49:02] impossible to contain. People have even
[49:03] dug up the names of the lead
[49:05] investigators from back then, and the
[49:06] attacks are pouring in. Dad's eyes open.
[49:08] You're right. No one would believe us.
[49:10] That Vera Wang dropped a time bomb right
[49:12] in our laps. Mom's tone softened
[49:13] slightly. But setting that aside, I'll
[49:15] admit I'm amazed. Our son used to be so
[49:17] timid. A little spoiled even. Nothing
[49:19] like what you'd expect from a family
[49:20] like ours. But spending the whole day
[49:22] with him today, I feel like I never
[49:23] really knew him. He truly is my son. By
[49:25] the end, she can't help patting herself
[49:27] on the back. Dad sits a little
[49:28] straighter, pride written across his
[49:30] face. But neither of them could have
[49:31] imagined that in the quiet of this late
[49:33] night, someone would open a door and
[49:35] slip out of the house. That someone is
[49:36] me. It's nearly midnight. I walk for a
[49:39] while before flagging down a taxi. The
[49:40] driver looks exhausted. kid. Out this
[49:42] late, your parents don't give you grief.
[49:44] I smile and shake my head. Later the
[49:46] better. Take me to Huan Sean Cemetery
[49:48] outside the city. The driver's eyes go
[49:50] wide. Where? Huan Sean Cemetery. Late at
[49:52] night, a 17-year-old who isn't going
[49:54] home isn't heading to an internet cafe.
[49:57] Is asking to be taken to a cemetery.
[49:58] It's past midnight. The driver scrubs
[50:00] his face hard, confirms I'm actually
[50:02] alive, then takes a long breath. A fair
[50:04] out to the suburbs pays well. He steals
[50:06] himself and drives. We reach the
[50:07] cemetery close to 1:00 in the morning. I
[50:09] get out. The driver calls after me with
[50:11] genuine concern. Hey kid, what on earth
[50:13] are you doing here at this hour? I
[50:15] smile, catching a thief. Want to come
[50:16] take a look? He shakes his head
[50:18] immediately and drives off as fast as he
[50:20] can. I smile to myself and walk into the
[50:22] cemetery. The cemetery at this hour
[50:23] feels cold and hollow, but it doesn't
[50:25] bother me. In my past life, I spent time
[50:27] in graveyards, sat through entire nights
[50:29] in front of headstones, letting the cold
[50:31] settle around me. I pick up my pace.
[50:33] Before long, I stop at a grave. A photo
[50:35] is affixed to the headstone. a man who
[50:37] looks to be around 30, strong features.
[50:39] I look at the headstone and say quietly,
[50:41] "Jackson Shiao, do you think your old
[50:43] superior manager Lee will come to visit
[50:45] you tonight?" I step off to the side. As
[50:47] someone who was once a criminal myself,
[50:49] I understand a certain type of mind all
[50:51] too well, especially those who have
[50:52] committed serious crimes and were never
[50:54] caught. Inside, they are arrogant and
[50:55] untouchable. In public, they may appear
[50:57] perfectly ordinary, but turn your back
[50:59] and their eyes go cold as a snakes. Some
[51:01] even let their guards slip on purpose,
[51:03] playing games, drawing people in.
[51:05] Manager Lee didn't leave a strong
[51:06] impression on me at first. He seemed
[51:08] like the most ordinary person in the
[51:09] world, but if he is the killer, then
[51:11] he'll have already realized that Jackson
[51:12] Sha's name could surface. And once that
[51:14] thought takes hold, he might just come
[51:16] to this grave to share what he's
[51:17] accomplished over the past 10 years.
[51:18] It's a long shot, but manager Lee is a
[51:20] lonely man. Over the past decade, he
[51:22] divorced his wife, has no children,
[51:24] lives alone every day. Now that
[51:25] everything from 10 years ago is being
[51:27] dug up again, if I put myself in his
[51:29] position, if that were me, I'd want to
[51:30] talk to someone, too. But for a man with
[51:32] blood on his hands, the only one he can
[51:34] speak his secrets to is the dead. Time
[51:36] passes second by second. After a long
[51:38] while, something catches the edge of my
[51:40] vision. A faint light, a flash below in
[51:42] the cemetery, gone almost immediately,
[51:43] but I caught it. A few minutes later, a
[51:45] figure in a sharp suit appears at
[51:47] Jackson Sha's grave. He sits down,
[51:49] lights a cigarette in silence, and then
[51:50] speaks, his voice thick with cold
[51:52] amusement. Jackson Shia, someone has
[51:54] finally started remembering what I did
[51:55] 10 years ago. Some nobody decided to
[51:57] copy my methods. couldn't even tie the
[51:59] rope right and had the nerve to
[52:00] impersonate me. Don't you find that
[52:02] pathetic? But those idiots at the
[52:04] station just as useless as they were 10
[52:06] years ago. Tell me, should I make a real
[52:07] comeback? I killed for my son's revenge
[52:09] back then. But I never expected killing
[52:11] would become something I craved. Do you
[52:13] have any idea how much I've been itching
[52:14] these past 10 years? As his words fade,
[52:16] I speak from the shadows. Manager Lee,
[52:19] why don't I give you that chance? Let's
[52:20] scratch that itch of yours. I step out
[52:22] of the dark. Manager Lee's face floods
[52:24] with shock. What are you doing here? He
[52:26] leaps to his feet. I smile softly.
[52:28] Relax. You're a man who evaded law
[52:30] enforcement for 10 years. A genuinely
[52:32] high intelligence criminal. Getting
[52:33] rattled this easily doesn't suit someone
[52:35] like you. His expression shifts through
[52:36] shadow and uncertainty. A moment of
[52:38] silence, then he speaks. You suspected
[52:40] me the moment you saw me this afternoon,
[52:41] didn't you? No, let me rephrase that.
[52:43] The moment we came to find you, you knew
[52:45] it was almost over. Manager Lee lets out
[52:47] a full laugh. I know you're probably
[52:48] wearing a recording device, but you do
[52:50] know a recording made without willing
[52:52] consent can't be used as evidence. I
[52:54] shake my head. I'm not as complicated as
[52:56] you think. I've never been interested in
[52:57] recordings. I came to see what kind of
[52:59] person you really are. He frowns. He
[53:01] doesn't quite believe the no recording
[53:02] part. It can't be used as primary
[53:04] evidence, but it could still help. But
[53:05] looking at me, he starts to probe with a
[53:07] cold smile. So, what kind of person do
[53:09] you think I am? Someone who's genuinely
[53:11] good at this. By the way, where did you
[53:12] learn that binding technique? There were
[53:14] only a few days between your son's death
[53:16] and Lena Lee's murder. That's nowhere
[53:17] near enough time to learn something like
[53:19] that. I think you already knew it. A
[53:20] flash of pride crosses his face. That
[53:22] binding method caused more panic than
[53:24] you can imagine 10 years ago. People had
[53:26] the same nightmare. Dreaming of being
[53:27] bound that way, waking up drenched in
[53:29] cold sweat. Manager Lee clearly has no
[53:31] intention of telling me more. He says
[53:33] coldly. Guess. He turns and starts
[53:35] walking away. I watch his back and speak
[53:37] evenly. Wait. Still trying to get
[53:39] something out of me? He turns with a
[53:40] cold laugh. Leo, I came tonight to visit
[53:42] a former subordinate. Nothing in the law
[53:44] says you can't visit a grave in the
[53:45] middle of the night. And everything
[53:46] you've said, I haven't understood a word
[53:48] of it. So even if you think I'm the
[53:50] killer, without evidence, I am still
[53:51] just manager Lee, general manager of
[53:53] Dwan Plaza. He finishes and laughs again
[53:55] loudly, then walks away without looking
[53:57] back. I let out a quiet sigh. That
[53:59] arrogant, he's asking for it. The words
[54:01] barely leave my mouth before I grab him
[54:03] by the hair. He freezes with shock. In
[54:05] his mind, if it weren't for who my
[54:06] family is, he wouldn't even bother
[54:08] talking to me. A 17-year-old kid, gifted
[54:10] or not, still just a boy who hasn't seen
[54:12] the world. But he didn't count on my
[54:13] grip being this strong. The moment I
[54:15] grab him, he can't move at all. Leo,
[54:17] what do you think you're doing? You're
[54:18] the son of a great family. Don't tell me
[54:20] you're willing to break the law. Let go
[54:21] of me. Manager Lee knows the law well.
[54:23] He spent years studying it, watching for
[54:25] every loophole, preparing for the day he
[54:27] might get caught. But he overlooked one
[54:29] thing. I am someone with no leash and no
[54:31] hesitation. Even if I put you down right
[54:33] here, who's going to do anything to me?
[54:34] I say with a quiet laugh. My foot comes
[54:36] down on his left leg. There may be
[54:38] someone in Kingdu who could hold me
[54:39] accountable. But that person is
[54:40] definitely not you, manager Lee. I
[54:42] barely look like I'm applying force.
[54:44] Then comes a sharp crack. He screams. I
[54:46] crouch in front of him, eyes narrowed,
[54:48] smiling. You don't have to tell me. I
[54:50] already know. Lena Lee, Yara Jang,
[54:52] Sophia Hong, on the day your son died,
[54:53] they were all standing near that
[54:55] escalator. They watched your son die,
[54:56] and because they stood there and did
[54:58] nothing, you decided they were
[54:59] responsible for your son's death. That
[55:00] hatred made them your targets. And one
[55:02] by one, you killed them. Am I right? In
[55:05] the escalator accident files, only Yara
[55:07] Jangs statement was recorded because she
[55:09] was the only one among the nine victims
[55:10] who worked at Golden Mall. But that day,
[55:12] whether by coincidence or something
[55:14] else, all nine of them happened to be
[55:15] near that escalator when it happened.
[55:17] Manager Lee seems to forget the pain
[55:18] entirely. His eyes go wide. His face is
[55:21] covered in disbelief. The look on his
[55:22] face asks one question. How do you know
[55:24] something no one else knows? I lift my
[55:26] foot. I start walking down the hill.
[55:28] I'll give you one more day. Use it to
[55:29] make things a little more interesting
[55:31] because when the time is up, the game is
[55:32] over. My voice drops to almost nothing
[55:34] toward the end, almost to myself.
[55:36] Solving cases might actually be more fun
[55:38] than committing them. Looks like I'll
[55:39] have plenty to keep me busy. Manager Lee
[55:41] stares at my back, frozen. He's probably
[55:43] thinking, "Is matching wits with a high
[55:45] intelligence criminal really just a game
[55:46] to Leo?" Over an hour later, I returned
[55:48] to the Yei house. The whole place is
[55:50] still asleep. No one knows I was ever
[55:52] gone. When I open my eyes again, it's
[55:53] fully bright outside. Mom is calling me
[55:55] for breakfast. After washing up and
[55:57] eating, Grandpa heads back to the
[55:58] military academy. Grandma goes to her
[56:00] office. Mom and dad rush out as well. I
[56:02] water the plants, then leave the house.
[56:03] I gave manager Ali 24 hours. During that
[56:06] window, I will get the evidence I need
[56:07] and put him behind bars. Whatever he
[56:09] went through, he had no right to bury
[56:11] nine lives alongside his grief. He
[56:12] doesn't deserve that. And one man will
[56:14] not be allowed to damage this family's
[56:15] name. The ride from home to Jackson
[56:17] Shia's address takes nearly half an
[56:18] hour. I walk to the door and knock. A
[56:20] hunched woman in her 60s answers. Young
[56:22] man, who are you looking for? Ma'am, I'm
[56:24] an officer with the station. I pull out
[56:26] my credentials. I told Raymond Xiao I
[56:28] could become a temporary investigator at
[56:29] any time. And to avoid complications,
[56:31] I'd actually had dad arrange it. Please
[56:33] take a look. I'm here because I have
[56:34] some questions. She's literate, glances
[56:36] at it, then says, "There's only me here,
[56:38] just an old woman. What could possibly
[56:39] concern the law?" I'm caught off guard.
[56:41] This tiny apartment, barely 30 m, and
[56:44] she's completely alone. I step inside
[56:45] and accept the tea she offers with both
[56:47] hands. The tea has gone a little stale,
[56:49] but I don't say a word. I take a sip.
[56:51] Ma'am, where's the rest of your family?
[56:52] Bitterness crosses her face. My son
[56:54] passed in an accident 10 years ago. My
[56:57] husband couldn't take the loss. He
[56:58] followed a month later. We were such a
[57:00] good family, all three of us. Now it's
[57:02] just this old woman alone for 10 years.
[57:04] My eyes narrow slightly. I hadn't
[57:06] expected Jackson Shia's family to look
[57:07] like this. Jackson Shia was killed
[57:09] because he knew manager Lee's secret.
[57:10] His father died of heartbreak after
[57:12] losing his only son. Manager Lee
[57:14] directly or indirectly has 11 lives on
[57:16] his hands. The weight of that lands
[57:17] hard, but my face stays steady. I see.
[57:20] Ma'am, I'm sorry to have to ask this,
[57:22] but I'm here about your son, Jackson
[57:24] Shia. A case from 10 years ago. Through
[57:26] careful investigation, we believe your
[57:27] son may be the most important witness.
[57:29] She sigh. My son has been gone for 10
[57:31] years. I don't know anything about what
[57:33] he was involved in. Won't you just be
[57:34] wasting your time? Ma'am, I just need
[57:36] you to tell me before the accident, did
[57:38] your son ever mention anything he needed
[57:39] to keep safe? And he was around 30 when
[57:41] he passed. Was there anyone he was very
[57:43] close to at the time? The question makes
[57:44] her eyes well up. Yes, she answers. He
[57:47] was seeing a sales clerk from Golden
[57:48] Mall at the time. Why was my son's life
[57:50] so hard? He finally found someone and
[57:52] she died horribly. Then he himself was
[57:54] gone not long after. Heaven above. Why
[57:56] did you do this to our family? One
[57:57] question and she unravels. I never
[57:59] imagined Jackson Shia and Yara Jang were
[58:01] a couple. I gently pat her back. Ma'am,
[58:03] I'm here precisely because of the case
[58:05] involving your son's girlfriend, Yara
[58:07] Jang. Tell me, after Yara died, did your
[58:09] son behave unusually? The old woman
[58:11] furrows her brow, drifting into memory.
[58:13] Then something surfaces. Yes, that night
[58:15] he was different. I heard him come home
[58:17] in the middle of the night and shut
[58:18] himself in his room, crying. Crying like
[58:20] his heart was breaking. My husband and I
[58:22] went to ask. He refused to say a word.
[58:24] My chest tightens. Jackson Sha really is
[58:26] the key. Ma'am, think carefully. In
[58:28] those days, was there anything he seemed
[58:30] especially attached to? Anything he kept
[58:32] close? There was a small belt pouch. He
[58:34] carried it with him almost every day.
[58:36] But on the day of the accident, he'd
[58:37] left it at home. When we held his
[58:39] funeral, I buried it with him. My heart
[58:41] sinks. From what she's just told me,
[58:43] it's almost certain. The most critical
[58:44] evidence is inside that pouch. But the
[58:46] pouch was buried with him. To get to it,
[58:48] we'd have to open Jackson Sha's grave.
[58:49] But for someone of her generation, would
[58:51] she ever allow it? Looking at her
[58:52] griefstricken face, I feel the weight of
[58:54] it. But without opening that coffin,
[58:56] there's no evidence. After a moment, I
[58:57] test the waters. Ma'am, do you truly
[59:00] believe your son died in an accident?
[59:01] She blinked slightly. Yes. The driver
[59:04] admitted it in court, didn't he? But did
[59:05] you know he had terminal cancer? He died
[59:07] in prison shortly after being sentenced.
[59:09] She nods slowly. I found out later that
[59:11] accident destroyed his family, too. I
[59:13] hated them at first, but what good does
[59:15] hate do in the end? Between her words, I
[59:17] hear something else. She is someone who
[59:19] has found a way to make peace with
[59:20] herself. Otherwise, she could never have
[59:22] forgiven the person responsible for her
[59:23] son's death simply because his family
[59:25] suffered too. Ma'am, if I told you your
[59:27] son was deliberately murdered, would you
[59:28] believe me? Her eyes go wide. She can't
[59:30] speak for a long moment. I guide her to
[59:32] sit and speak slowly. Ma'am, I can't say
[59:35] for certain yet, but his death is
[59:36] directly connected to the serial torture
[59:38] murder case that shook Kingdu 10 years
[59:40] ago. And whatever is in that buried
[59:41] pouch, it's critical. You mean take it
[59:44] out? Her voice trembles. I nod firmly.
[59:46] He's been gone for 10 years. But if he
[59:48] was truly murdered, don't you want to
[59:50] find the real killer so he can rest in
[59:51] peace? Tears pour down her face. She
[59:53] keeps repeating, "How can we do this?
[59:55] He's been lying in there for so many
[59:57] years. Do we have to disturb him?"
[59:58] Ma'am, you are a reasonable woman. You
[01:00:00] even found it in yourself to forgive the
[01:00:02] driver who killed your son. Why won't
[01:00:03] you let him die with the truth known?
[01:00:05] She falls silent again, head bowed,
[01:00:07] saying nothing. I don't push. I wait for
[01:00:09] her to decide on her own. Time passes
[01:00:10] second by second. Finally, she looks up.
[01:00:12] Does it have to be this way? We looked
[01:00:14] at that pouch. There was nothing in it.
[01:00:16] Ma'am, maybe it wasn't examined
[01:00:17] carefully enough at the time. If there
[01:00:19] really is nothing inside, I promise I'll
[01:00:21] have your son moved to a better resting
[01:00:22] place. But there's one condition. It has
[01:00:24] to be today. Wait any longer and things
[01:00:26] may change. The old woman stops
[01:00:28] hesitating. She nods. All right, I'll
[01:00:30] trust you. I pick up my phone
[01:00:32] immediately and arrange for a
[01:00:33] professional team to go to Huan Shan
[01:00:34] Cemetery to open a grave. I also arrange
[01:00:36] for a ceremonial right to be performed.
[01:00:38] Understood, young Master Leo, when will
[01:00:40] the team arrive? The grave must be open
[01:00:42] before this evening. Everything done by
[01:00:43] 4:00. I hang up. I turn to Jackson
[01:00:46] Shia's mother. Ma'am, let's head to Huan
[01:00:48] Cemetery now. Young man, you really
[01:00:49] think Da Jang won't blame me for this? I
[01:00:51] give her shoulder a gentle pat. If he
[01:00:53] was murdered, he'd only blame you for
[01:00:54] not finding out the truth. She says
[01:00:56] nothing more. We go together. Before
[01:00:58] long, the ceremony master and the
[01:00:59] workers arrive. I give a nod. As the
[01:01:01] work begins, I already know something
[01:01:03] important. Jackson Shia may not have
[01:01:04] died unjustly. He and Yara Jang were a
[01:01:06] couple, and if he truly had evidence
[01:01:08] against Manager Lee, he should have gone
[01:01:10] straight to the authorities, but he
[01:01:11] didn't. And a few days later, manager
[01:01:13] Lee had him killed. There's only one
[01:01:15] explanation. Jackson Shia and Manager
[01:01:17] Lee shared a secret that couldn't be
[01:01:18] spoken aloud. I would never say this in
[01:01:20] front of his mother. Otherwise, there's
[01:01:21] no way she'd let us open the grave.
[01:01:23] After the ceremony is performed, the
[01:01:24] workers move in. After a long while, the
[01:01:26] coffin is brought up from the ground.
[01:01:27] There is no intact body inside.
[01:01:29] Cremation has been standard practice for
[01:01:31] years. Only a few personal belongings
[01:01:33] and the pouch. The coffin is brought up.
[01:01:35] I look at the weeping old woman and ask
[01:01:36] gently, "Ma'am, may we open it?" "Go
[01:01:38] ahead. If there is an injustice, he
[01:01:40] would want it known." She wipes her
[01:01:41] eyes. I nod to the workers with a slow
[01:01:43] creek. The coffin opens. The first thing
[01:01:45] I see is the pouch. I reach in and grab
[01:01:47] it. I pull the stiff zipper open, but
[01:01:49] when it's open, it's completely empty,
[01:01:51] as if nothing was ever placed inside. 10
[01:01:53] years underground. The fabric has
[01:01:55] changed, but things don't simply vanish.
[01:01:57] I stay calm. I reach in and run my
[01:01:59] fingers carefully along every surface.
[01:02:00] No one around me understands what I'm
[01:02:02] doing, including the old woman herself.
[01:02:04] She knew the pouch was empty, but I
[01:02:06] insisted it held critical evidence, and
[01:02:07] that's why she agreed to open the grave,
[01:02:09] and she had her own reasons, too. She
[01:02:11] wanted a better resting place for her
[01:02:13] son. Young man, can this pouch really be
[01:02:15] used as evidence? She sounds uneasy. I'd
[01:02:17] known all along that she knew the pouch
[01:02:19] was empty, but I don't blame her. The
[01:02:20] evidence has been found. Ma'am, unless
[01:02:22] something goes wrong, your son's true
[01:02:24] cause of death will be made public
[01:02:25] tonight. I turn to the workers. Have Mr.
[01:02:27] Shia's remains kept at the funeral home
[01:02:29] for now. A new burial site will be
[01:02:30] arranged within two days. The old woman
[01:02:32] grabs my hands over come. Young man, you
[01:02:34] knew I lied to you. Why are you still
[01:02:36] doing this? Every parents heart is the
[01:02:38] same, ma'am. And the Ye family keeps its
[01:02:39] word. What's promised won't be taken
[01:02:41] back. Besides, the pouch isn't empty
[01:02:43] after all, is it? I don't stay. I take a
[01:02:45] car straight to mom's office. She's
[01:02:47] going back through the autopsy reports
[01:02:48] on Lena Lee and the other victims,
[01:02:50] hoping to find something new in the old
[01:02:51] records. When the door swings open,
[01:02:53] she's about to object, then sees it's
[01:02:55] me. And her expression shifts to
[01:02:57] surprise. What are you doing here? Mom,
[01:02:59] call dad. We can issue the arrest
[01:03:01] warrant for manager Lee right now.
[01:03:02] Arrest manager Lee, you have evidence?
[01:03:04] She gasps. See for yourself. I pull out
[01:03:06] the pouch with a hint of mystery. The
[01:03:08] stitching already unpicked by my hand
[01:03:10] and draw out a folded photograph from
[01:03:11] inside. The fold is tight and small. The
[01:03:14] photo is dark and blurry, nearly all
[01:03:15] black, but a single streak of silver
[01:03:17] light cuts through the darkness,
[01:03:18] illuminating a face. Yara Jang was never
[01:03:20] killed at Chaang Bridge. She was killed
[01:03:22] at Chaangu Park, which has since been
[01:03:24] demolished. Using the decorative lights
[01:03:26] along the park's flower beds, Jackson
[01:03:27] Sha captured manager Lee and Yara Jang
[01:03:29] on camera. Mom is stunned beyond words.
[01:03:32] The original investigation assumed the
[01:03:34] primary crime scene was Kawong Bridge.
[01:03:36] No one imagined the real location was
[01:03:37] Kawang Park, and no one could have
[01:03:39] imagined that while a brutal killer was
[01:03:40] taking a life that night, someone else
[01:03:42] was hiding in the shadows, using what
[01:03:44] little light existed to photograph the
[01:03:45] killer's face. Mom stares at the
[01:03:47] yellowed photograph. She can barely
[01:03:49] believe it. But why didn't Jackson Shia
[01:03:50] hand this over to us at the time? Mom,
[01:03:52] you may not know this yet. Jackson Shia
[01:03:54] and Yara Jang were in a relationship.
[01:03:56] Mom's eyes go wide. That's impossible.
[01:03:58] If they were together, why didn't he
[01:03:59] save her? Only manager Lee can answer
[01:04:01] that. Call Dad now. We can hold a press
[01:04:03] conference before dark and announce the
[01:04:04] serial torture murder case from 10 years
[01:04:06] ago is solved. Mom calls dad
[01:04:07] immediately. He's so excited. I can hear
[01:04:09] his voice from where I'm standing.
[01:04:11] Really? The case from 10 years ago
[01:04:12] solved? Our son solved it? Of course.
[01:04:14] Left to you. Who knows if it would have
[01:04:16] been solved in another 10 years. Now
[01:04:18] send people to Dawan Plaza to make the
[01:04:19] arrest. Mom snaps back. Dad roars with
[01:04:22] laughter, then catches himself. Wait, I
[01:04:24] had people watching Dwan Plaza since
[01:04:26] this morning. Manager Lee hasn't shown
[01:04:27] up all day. That can't be right. Did he
[01:04:29] run? Mom's expression shifts sharply. I
[01:04:31] take the phone with a smile. He's not
[01:04:33] going anywhere. Last night, I found a
[01:04:34] moment to break his leg. He should be in
[01:04:36] a hospital right now. Check the
[01:04:37] hospitals. I'll go pick him up myself.
[01:04:39] What? You broke his leg last night? I
[01:04:41] thought you were asleep. Dad shouts. I
[01:04:43] roll my eyes. We'd already tipped him
[01:04:45] off. How could I sleep? No wonder
[01:04:46] grandma says you stumbled into that
[01:04:48] position. Stop talking nonsense. I'm
[01:04:50] sending people to find him right now.
[01:04:51] I'll deal with you later. He hangs up
[01:04:53] exasperated. Within 10 minutes, word
[01:04:55] comes back. Manager Lee is lying in an
[01:04:57] orthopedic hospital. A photograph buried
[01:04:59] for 10 years has become the most
[01:05:00] critical piece of evidence. But sending
[01:05:02] anyone else to handle Manager Lee, I'm
[01:05:04] not confident they can break him. Too
[01:05:05] much time has passed. One photograph
[01:05:07] alone isn't ironclad proof. But that's
[01:05:09] fine. I'm already on my way to the
[01:05:10] hospital. Manager Lee isn't going
[01:05:12] anywhere. As expected, he's lying in a
[01:05:14] hospital bed, left leg in plaster,
[01:05:16] expression dark. He doesn't believe I
[01:05:18] could actually find evidence against
[01:05:19] him. But the moment he pictures my face,
[01:05:21] resentment surges through him. Leo, you
[01:05:23] think breaking my leg traps me here and
[01:05:24] gives you time to dig things up. Don't
[01:05:26] flatter yourself. 10 years and nothing
[01:05:27] touched me. You're a kid. Sure, you're
[01:05:29] capable, but when it comes to brains,
[01:05:31] you're nowhere close. A vicious smile
[01:05:33] creeps across his face. In all of
[01:05:34] Kingdu, he's just a nobody, but this
[01:05:36] nobody once threw an entire city into
[01:05:38] panic. He's confident, defiant. He
[01:05:40] glances at the clock. 3:00 in the
[01:05:42] afternoon, less than two hours until the
[01:05:43] evening deadline he'd agreed to with
[01:05:45] Leo. Will Leo actually show up with
[01:05:47] officers to arrest him? He lets out
[01:05:48] another cold laugh, but the smile hasn't
[01:05:50] even faded. When the hospital room door
[01:05:52] bursts open, seven or eight officers
[01:05:54] flood in. Weapons trained on him.
[01:05:55] Manager Lee goes blank, staring, mouth
[01:05:58] almost forming words. But when he sees
[01:05:59] me step out from behind the officers,
[01:06:01] something inexplicable grips him. Leo,
[01:06:03] why did you bring so many officers? I
[01:06:05] give him one brief look. I turn to the
[01:06:06] officers, close the door, the door
[01:06:08] shuts. I continue. Suspect manager Lee
[01:06:11] attempted to flee. I had no choice but
[01:06:12] to break his other leg. Before the words
[01:06:14] even finish, I'm already in front of
[01:06:16] him. His face drains of color. My fist
[01:06:18] comes down. A scream tears through the
[01:06:20] room. Manager Lee, you are suspected of
[01:06:22] murdering Lena Lee, Sophia Huang, Yara
[01:06:24] Jang, Jackson Shiao, and six others, 10
[01:06:27] victims in total 10 years ago. This is
[01:06:29] your arrest warrant. Look carefully. I
[01:06:31] hold it in front of him. His whole body
[01:06:32] shakes with pain, but his eyes lock onto
[01:06:34] it. That's impossible. You have no
[01:06:36] evidence. What gives you the right? He
[01:06:38] snarls. If I had no evidence, would I be
[01:06:40] here? I smile. Does the name Jackson
[01:06:42] Shia in a certain photograph ring any
[01:06:43] bells? His face goes pale for a full 3
[01:06:46] seconds. His lips tremble. Not a word
[01:06:48] comes out. Looks like you remember. Good
[01:06:50] thing I dug it out of his coffin. I hold
[01:06:51] up the photograph. Manager Lee, think
[01:06:53] carefully. Do you happen to have a twin?
[01:06:55] He reaches for it. Not a chance. To have
[01:06:57] come this far, and you still think your
[01:06:59] intelligence is above everyone else's.
[01:07:01] Still think your methods can outsmart
[01:07:02] every investigator in the system?
[01:07:04] Manager Lee, you got careless when you
[01:07:06] paid that dying driver to kill Jackson
[01:07:08] Shiao 10 years ago. You should have
[01:07:09] finished the job. Not destroying that
[01:07:11] one piece of evidence that makes you a
[01:07:13] failure. My voice is ice. He deflates
[01:07:15] completely. He sinks back against the
[01:07:17] bed. You really dug it out of his grave.
[01:07:18] He's been buried for 10 years and you
[01:07:20] still managed to pull out something that
[01:07:22] matters. I thought what goes into the
[01:07:23] ground stays safe. I hold his gaze. Talk
[01:07:26] that night. Why didn't Jackson Shia stop
[01:07:28] you from killing Yara Jang? Why did he
[01:07:29] only take a photo? That's what I'm most
[01:07:31] curious about. Jackson Shia and Yara
[01:07:33] Jang were a couple. Any man watching
[01:07:35] someone kill the person he loves. He
[01:07:36] wouldn't stand there taking photos.
[01:07:38] Manager Lee says nothing. He closes his
[01:07:40] eyes. I know exactly what he's thinking.
[01:07:42] I smile. You're thinking about how to
[01:07:43] minimize your sentence. Forget it. With
[01:07:45] me involved, you're not getting out of
[01:07:47] this. He slowly opens his eyes. He asks
[01:07:49] a strange question. Leo, are you really
[01:07:51] only 17? I pause. I touch my own face. I
[01:07:54] smile. What do you think? Your mind,
[01:07:56] your intelligence. There's no way you're
[01:07:58] just a kid. He says it through gritted
[01:08:00] teeth. I give a quiet smile. That's not
[01:08:02] important. What's important is that you
[01:08:04] owe me an answer. After a long exhale,
[01:08:06] he speaks. Honestly, I don't fully
[01:08:08] understand why Jackson Shia did what he
[01:08:10] did that night. All I know is he came to
[01:08:11] me later demanding 500,000 to keep
[01:08:13] quiet. I knew immediately someone like
[01:08:15] that can't be bought. He had to be
[01:08:17] eliminated. But I think there must have
[01:08:19] been something serious between him and
[01:08:20] Yara Jang. Something unresolvable. At
[01:08:22] the time, a manager at the mall was also
[01:08:24] pursuing her. When I moved in, she was
[01:08:26] still on the phone with him. Maybe
[01:08:27] Jackson Shia had his own resentment
[01:08:28] toward her. And besides, Jackson Shia
[01:08:30] came from nothing. Head of security,
[01:08:32] yes, but the pay was never much. More
[01:08:34] likely he saw this as a way to get
[01:08:35] money. Or maybe he didn't arrive until
[01:08:37] after I'd already killed her. There's
[01:08:38] only one photo. It shows me sitting
[01:08:40] beside her body after the fact. I start
[01:08:42] to understand, though, only Jackson Shia
[01:08:44] truly knows why. Love has a way of
[01:08:46] blinding people more completely than
[01:08:47] anything else. Enough about him. Did you
[01:08:49] really take out nine people just because
[01:08:51] of what happened to your son on that
[01:08:52] escalator? At that, something savage
[01:08:54] ignites in manager Lee's eyes. His voice
[01:08:56] drops low. Do you know Lena Lee was
[01:08:58] standing right next to my son? She was
[01:09:00] quick. Got herself in time. She got
[01:09:02] herself out in time. But why was she so
[01:09:04] stupid? She had time. Couldn't she grab
[01:09:06] my son and take him with her? She had
[01:09:08] time. And Sophia Hang, that woman was
[01:09:10] standing right next to the emergency
[01:09:11] stop. Why didn't she just press it? My
[01:09:13] son would have lost his feet at worst,
[01:09:14] but their panic and stupidity cost him
[01:09:16] his life. He's like a crazed animal. I
[01:09:18] shake my head slowly. I understand your
[01:09:20] psychology better than you might think.
[01:09:21] When you killed Lena Lee, the hatred was
[01:09:23] real. But somewhere along the way, you
[01:09:25] discovered that killing was interesting,
[01:09:26] like smoking or something stronger. It
[01:09:28] becomes addictive. Am I right? He
[01:09:30] stares. How do you know that? I let out
[01:09:32] a quiet breath, turn, and say nothing
[01:09:34] more. The officers move in to cuff him.
[01:09:36] He's still shouting. Leo, what are you?
[01:09:38] I'm just Leo. I don't turn around.
[01:09:39] Manager Lee, I simply know how people
[01:09:41] like you think. Toward the end, you
[01:09:43] stopped wanting revenge for your son at
[01:09:44] all. Because somewhere inside, you knew
[01:09:46] those women were innocent. They may have
[01:09:48] made a mistake, but not one worth dying
[01:09:50] for. You just couldn't stop yourself.
[01:09:51] And when law enforcement couldn't find a
[01:09:53] trace of you, you became reckless. You
[01:09:55] wanted to see the fear on their faces
[01:09:56] before the end. You enjoyed touching
[01:09:58] their cold bodies afterward, didn't you?
[01:10:00] By the time I finish, I'm already out
[01:10:02] the door. Manager Lee stares at my back,
[01:10:04] unable to speak. I wasn't wrong. By the
[01:10:06] time he killed Sophia Huang, the hatred
[01:10:08] was already gone. He just hadn't
[01:10:09] expected killing to become a need.
[01:10:11] Manager Lee is dragged away with two
[01:10:13] broken legs and cuffs. I stand outside
[01:10:15] the room and call Dad. Has everything
[01:10:16] been arranged with the driver's family?
[01:10:18] All taken care of. They'll testify when
[01:10:20] the case goes to trial. Dad's voice is
[01:10:21] warm. I can tell he's genuinely happy.
[01:10:23] Oh, there's a press conference this
[01:10:25] evening. Come along. Not interested. The
[01:10:27] moment the case is closed, I'm no longer
[01:10:28] part of the system. I'm still a student.
[01:10:30] Huh? Right. Right. You're still a
[01:10:31] student. Dad rode your coattails on this
[01:10:33] one. How about a big gift to make up for
[01:10:34] it? Sounds good. Depends on what it is.
[01:10:36] We talk a bit more than hang up. Nothing
[01:10:38] else to do. I head home. The moment
[01:10:39] Auntie Wang sees me, she wants to make
[01:10:41] food. I claim I'm not hungry and turn on
[01:10:43] the TV. By evening, nearly every channel
[01:10:45] on Kingdu television is running the same
[01:10:47] report. Breaking news. The serial
[01:10:48] torture murder case that shook Kingdu 10
[01:10:50] years ago has been officially solved.
[01:10:52] The suspect was apprehended at an
[01:10:53] orthopedic hospital at 3:42 this
[01:10:55] afternoon. According to the law
[01:10:56] enforcement bureau, the torture murder
[01:10:58] case from 2 days ago and the decade old
[01:11:00] serial case were committed by different
[01:11:01] perpetrators. Both cases have now been
[01:11:03] closed. Beyond the efforts of the law
[01:11:05] enforcement bureau, a young man with the
[01:11:06] surname Yei, who has declined to be
[01:11:08] identified, made the greatest
[01:11:10] contribution to solving both cases. I
[01:11:12] watched the report. I'm not surprised my
[01:11:14] involvement leaked. I was there the
[01:11:15] whole time. There's no hiding that. But
[01:11:17] I didn't expect mom to call so soon.
[01:11:19] Mom, what is it? Jackson Sha's mother is
[01:11:21] here. She has something to say to you.
[01:11:22] Her voice comes through the phone. Young
[01:11:24] Master Leo, thank you for your kindness.
[01:11:26] But my son doesn't deserve that kind of
[01:11:27] honor. I mean it. Thank you. And I want
[01:11:29] to take this chance to apologize. I
[01:11:31] shouldn't have hidden the truth from
[01:11:32] you. A smile comes to my face. No need
[01:11:34] for any of that. No need at all. Leave
[01:11:36] him where he is. He made his choices.
[01:11:38] Then we'll do as you say. I don't do
[01:11:39] good deeds without reason. There are too
[01:11:41] many people in this world who truly need
[01:11:43] help. No point going out of my way for
[01:11:45] someone who may not have deserved it.
[01:11:46] The reason I made that promise in the
[01:11:48] first place was because I said it before
[01:11:49] we opened the coffin. Now that she's
[01:11:51] declined, I simply follow her lead. I
[01:11:53] set down the phone and go back to the
[01:11:54] television. Mom and dad don't get home
[01:11:56] until nearly 10 at night. The moment
[01:11:57] they walk in, mom calls me out of my
[01:11:59] room. Leo, your dad has a gift for you.
[01:12:02] I honestly didn't think dad would
[01:12:03] actually follow through, so I looked
[01:12:05] genuinely surprised. Dad, you were
[01:12:07] serious about that? Dad laughs out loud.
[01:12:09] He claps me on the shoulder. What did
[01:12:11] you think? You should have seen Raymond
[01:12:12] Jiao's face when he came to my office.
[01:12:14] It was deeply satisfying. You did the
[01:12:15] most for this family and for the entire
[01:12:17] law enforcement system. A gift is
[01:12:19] non-negotiable. Let's see it then. Stop
[01:12:20] being mysterious. But after a moment,
[01:12:22] neither of them moves. There's no gift
[01:12:24] box on the table either. Mom smiles with
[01:12:26] pressed lips. Your dad is arranging for
[01:12:28] you to graduate from high school early.
[01:12:30] Next semester, you'll be enrolled
[01:12:31] directly into the Kingdom Police
[01:12:33] Academy. I go completely still. At
[01:12:35] first, hearing I don't have to finish
[01:12:36] senior year. I'm quietly pleased. Then I
[01:12:38] realize it's just a different school.
[01:12:40] Dad sees my expression and speaks up.
[01:12:42] The Kingdom Police Academy is the
[01:12:43] highest ranked law enforcement
[01:12:44] institution in the country. Everyone who
[01:12:46] gets in has the talent to become an
[01:12:48] exceptional officer. When it was
[01:12:49] founded, your grandfather was its
[01:12:51] honorary principal. I graduated from
[01:12:53] there myself. Leo, the people there are
[01:12:55] genuinely interesting. Don't you want to
[01:12:56] find out for yourself? The top
[01:12:58] graduates, as long as nothing goes
[01:12:59] wrong, almost always end up in positions
[01:13:01] of authority. But more than a few people
[01:13:03] have said, the top students from the
[01:13:04] Kingdu Police Academy could just as
[01:13:06] easily have been criminal masterminds.
[01:13:08] If they ever turned to crime, they'd
[01:13:09] send the entire law enforcement system
[01:13:11] into chaos. Now, that actually sounds
[01:13:13] interesting. In this world, I lack
[01:13:15] neither money nor power. I'm the one who
[01:13:17] gets to push others around. Nobody dares
[01:13:19] do the same to me. My days consist of
[01:13:21] eating, playing, and sleeping when I'm
[01:13:23] done. And honestly, it's gotten dull.
[01:13:24] So, when the serial torture murder case
[01:13:26] surfaced, and when it became tied to the
[01:13:28] Yei family, I couldn't wait to get
[01:13:29] involved. And if the academy really is
[01:13:31] full of people that interesting, life is
[01:13:33] about to get a lot more entertaining. At
[01:13:34] least more than staring at textbooks in
[01:13:36] high school every day. All right, I'll
[01:13:38] go. Mom practically lights up. Yes, yes,
[01:13:40] yes. Mom's going to start getting your
[01:13:42] things ready for next semester right
[01:13:43] now. I stare at her. Mom, next semester
[01:13:45] is still a month away. What's the rush?
[01:13:47] News of the serial torture murder case
[01:13:49] being solved continues to spread through
[01:13:51] every corner of Kingdu. The mysterious
[01:13:52] young man with the surname Yei takes on
[01:13:54] an almost mythical status in the rumors.
[01:13:56] a born genius of criminal investigation,
[01:13:58] a top student from some elite
[01:14:00] international law enforcement academy. I
[01:14:02] scroll through the comments and can't
[01:14:03] help grinning, but people are busy. The
[01:14:04] buzz fades fast. Half a month later,
[01:14:07] manager Lee and Vera Wang go to trial
[01:14:08] one after the other, and the story hits
[01:14:10] the news again. Another wave of
[01:14:12] attention, but my mind has already moved
[01:14:13] on. I've been browsing whatever I can
[01:14:15] find about the Kingdu Police Academy.
[01:14:17] Unfortunately, there's almost nothing
[01:14:18] online about it. It must be a
[01:14:20] deliberately protected institution.
[01:14:21] Before dad mentioned it, I had no idea
[01:14:23] it even existed. Every summer, the
[01:14:25] academy sends invitations to carefully
[01:14:27] selected students beyond children of
[01:14:29] prominent families. It also includes
[01:14:30] kids from ordinary backgrounds, but the
[01:14:32] condition is the same across the board.
[01:14:34] They all have the potential to become
[01:14:36] exceptional officers or leaders in the
[01:14:38] system. As the new term approaches, I
[01:14:39] receive the academyy's invitation. Dad's
[01:14:42] policy. Don't use the Yei family's name
[01:14:43] until the last possible moment. When the
[01:14:45] invitation arrives at the house, Dad
[01:14:47] can't stop smiling. Those old guys at
[01:14:49] the academy still have their head
[01:14:50] screwed on, right? Arlo cracked two
[01:14:52] major cases. If they didn't come
[01:14:54] knocking on their own, that would have
[01:14:55] been an outrage. With the whole family
[01:14:57] in happy anticipation, the new semester
[01:14:59] finally arrives. Mom packs bag after
[01:15:01] bag, clothes, daily essentials, backup
[01:15:03] supplies. I stare at the mountain of
[01:15:05] bags and feel a headache coming on. Mom,
[01:15:07] the academy is in kingd.
[01:15:09] What is all this? I'm not moving to
[01:15:11] another country. Mom waves it off and
[01:15:12] points to each bag. This one is all
[01:15:14] clothes. This one is all shoes. And this
[01:15:16] bag, remember this one? It's full of
[01:15:18] medicine, just in case. Oh, and here's a
[01:15:19] card. Mom will check the balance every
[01:15:21] so often. When it runs low, I'll top it
[01:15:23] up. I take the card with a helpless
[01:15:24] smile. How much is in it? Not much. Just
[01:15:26] a h 100,000. My face twitches. Heaven
[01:15:29] help me. I'm a 17-year-old student with
[01:15:30] a six-f figureure allowance. No limit,
[01:15:32] and it'll be refilled when it runs out.
[01:15:34] All right, I'll admit the family has
[01:15:35] businesses that keep the money flowing,
[01:15:37] but 100,000 for pocket money is
[01:15:38] genuinely excessive. I let out a quiet
[01:15:40] sigh. I tuck the card into my pocket
[01:15:42] without a word. Got it. I'll call you
[01:15:43] before it runs out. Mom's expression
[01:15:45] suddenly turns soft. She pulls me into a
[01:15:47] tight hug. Leo, take good care of
[01:15:49] yourself while you're there. Eat on
[01:15:50] time. Sleep on time. You hear me? I pick
[01:15:52] up my suitcase. I hear you. I'll
[01:15:54] definitely come back a few pounds
[01:15:55] heavier. I say it with a smile and head
[01:15:57] out the door, taking the car to the
[01:15:58] academy on my own. Every year, the
[01:16:00] academy sends highly specialized
[01:16:02] graduates across the country. For
[01:16:03] students who dream of a career in law
[01:16:05] enforcement, this place is sacred
[01:16:06] ground, a destination everyone chases.
[01:16:08] As the break ends, the academy slowly
[01:16:10] comes alive with noise and movement.
[01:16:12] Energy, ambition, and youth fill every
[01:16:14] corner. It feels like a place where
[01:16:16] nothing dark belongs. On the rooftop of
[01:16:18] block B dormatory, seventh floor. No one
[01:16:20] has been up here in two months. Wind
[01:16:22] howls across the rooftop, rattling every
[01:16:23] piece of metal. Sheets of corrugated
[01:16:25] iron clattering bolts and pipes knocking
[01:16:27] against each other. The iron door at the
[01:16:28] top of the stairwell seals this place
[01:16:30] off completely from the floors below. No
[01:16:32] one has ever seen what's up here, only
[01:16:34] that there's a water tower. With the new
[01:16:35] term starting, the tower will begin its
[01:16:37] work again, storing and releasing water
[01:16:38] for students to shower and do laundry.
[01:16:40] But after more than 2 months without
[01:16:41] use, combined with a loose valve, there
[01:16:43] isn't a drop of water left inside the
[01:16:45] tower. only small things bumping and
[01:16:46] scraping against the metal walls. The
[01:16:48] sound is faint, but press your ear close
[01:16:50] enough and you'd hear something
[01:16:51] squeaking. Almost certainly, there are
[01:16:53] rats inside that tower. I stand at the
[01:16:55] academy entrance. The gate house is
[01:16:57] dedicated officers on duty. They stand
[01:16:59] perfectly straight, eyes sharp as hawks.
[01:17:01] No ordinary school looks like this. The
[01:17:03] academy has one notable feature. The
[01:17:05] students range widely in age. Some are
[01:17:07] 25, some are as young as 15. The older
[01:17:09] ones can't help feeling a little humbled
[01:17:11] here. The younger ones naturally carry
[01:17:13] an air of superiority, but it's still a
[01:17:14] full academic institution. Most of the
[01:17:16] curriculum is designed to serve the law
[01:17:18] enforcement system, but math, language,
[01:17:20] science, and the rest are all still
[01:17:21] required. I approach the entrance. A
[01:17:23] guard immediately extends an arm.
[01:17:24] Student, please present your enrollment
[01:17:26] notice. I pull it from my bag. Even on
[01:17:28] the first day, parents are not permitted
[01:17:29] inside. Any student who needs their
[01:17:31] parents to walk them in would never live
[01:17:33] it down. The officer checks everything,
[01:17:35] then waves me through. I smile and say
[01:17:37] thank you, then step through the gates.
[01:17:38] I find the admissions office and
[01:17:40] register my information. After working
[01:17:42] through all the formalities, I'm finally
[01:17:43] handed a room key. The conditions here
[01:17:45] are decent. Three students per room,
[01:17:47] each with their own bed. I get to the
[01:17:48] room first. No roommates yet. I unpack
[01:17:50] and arrange everything on my own, then
[01:17:52] quietly scroll through my phone for a
[01:17:54] while. Before long, the door opens. A
[01:17:56] young man in his early 20s walks in.
[01:17:58] Closecropped hair, shorter than me, but
[01:17:59] solidly built. He does a double take.
[01:18:01] Hey, are you in this room, too? I nod.
[01:18:03] He looks even more surprised. So, it's
[01:18:05] true. Students here really do come at
[01:18:07] any age. You look 17 at most. Just
[01:18:09] turned 17. No way. Incredible. Genuinely
[01:18:12] impressive. Hi, I'm Zach from Behe City.
[01:18:15] Great to meet you. I smile and shake
[01:18:16] hands, exchange a few pleasantries. Then
[01:18:18] the third roommate arrives. Zach's
[01:18:20] composure slips again because the person
[01:18:22] who walks in is also clearly young. He
[01:18:24] wears glasses, his clothes a little
[01:18:25] worn. He looks at me and Zach and gives
[01:18:27] a small smile, though his eyes are a
[01:18:28] little shy. Hi, I'm uh Dale. I'm Leo.
[01:18:32] I'm Zach. How old are you, man? He seems
[01:18:34] very invested in this question. 19. Oh,
[01:18:36] come on. Are you serious? Three people
[01:18:38] in one room, 117, 119, and then there's
[01:18:41] me at 21. How am I supposed to show my
[01:18:42] face around you two? Zack beats his
[01:18:44] chest dramatically. Dale and I both
[01:18:46] laugh, but Dale keeps glancing over at
[01:18:48] me and finally can't hold back. Are you
[01:18:49] really only 17? I confirm it. He grins.
[01:18:52] Looks like I came to the right place.
[01:18:54] This is going to be fun. I glance at him
[01:18:55] in mild surprise. He has the exact same
[01:18:58] attitude as me. Here for the fun of it.
[01:18:59] The three of us talk for a bit, then
[01:19:01] decide to check out the cafeteria
[01:19:03] together. It affects the food quality
[01:19:04] for the entire semester. Not something
[01:19:06] to take lightly. Fortunately, the
[01:19:08] cafeteria doesn't disappoint. The food
[01:19:10] is actually good, at least enough to
[01:19:12] have Dale and Zach grinning and singing
[01:19:13] the academyy's praises. But when we get
[01:19:15] back to the dorm after dinner, the good
[01:19:17] impression takes a hit. No water. Dale
[01:19:19] is shirtless. There's air conditioning,
[01:19:21] but he still feels sticky. After waiting
[01:19:23] a while, he says, "This won't do. Let's
[01:19:25] go ask the dorm supervisor downstairs
[01:19:27] when the water's coming back." Zach and
[01:19:28] I both agree. No shower in this heat.
[01:19:30] Genuinely miserable. The three of us
[01:19:32] head down only to find a crowd already
[01:19:34] bombarding the dorm supervisor. The
[01:19:36] supervisor grabs a megaphone over the
[01:19:37] noise. Everyone calm down. I only just
[01:19:39] got back to campus this evening myself.
[01:19:41] I've already reported the issue. Looks
[01:19:43] like the rooftop water tower hasn't been
[01:19:44] used in too long and something's gone
[01:19:46] wrong, but it's too late now. The school
[01:19:48] says a maintenance worker will come fix
[01:19:49] it tomorrow. We have to wait until
[01:19:50] tomorrow. We're going to smell like
[01:19:52] salted fish by then. Exactly. We need
[01:19:54] water. We need showers. Our roommate
[01:19:55] Wang Daming has the worst foot odor. If
[01:19:57] there's no water tonight, we'll all be
[01:19:59] suffocated by morning. Students keep
[01:20:00] shouting. The supervisor looks exhausted
[01:20:02] trying to manage them. Dale size. I say,
[01:20:04] "Let's just go back. We'll make do for
[01:20:06] tonight." Dale nods. Guess that's all we
[01:20:08] can do. Then Zach speaks up out of
[01:20:10] nowhere. It's just a water tower. Let's
[01:20:12] go up and fix it ourselves. I saw some
[01:20:14] tools for sale in the campus store. Come
[01:20:15] on. We buy the tools, go up to the roof,
[01:20:17] fix the tower, and give everyone in the
[01:20:19] building a proper shower tonight. Let's
[01:20:20] do it, Zach says. I've been sweating all
[01:20:22] day. I can't just sit around. If we can
[01:20:24] handle it ourselves, there's no point
[01:20:26] waiting until tomorrow. So, the three of
[01:20:27] us buy the tools, and when no one is
[01:20:29] watching, we slip up to the top floor.
[01:20:31] But there's an iron door blocking the
[01:20:32] way with a heavy padlock on it. Zach
[01:20:34] holds the wrench, shirt off, muscles
[01:20:36] showing. Break it. We came all the way
[01:20:38] up here. Why wouldn't we? If we leave it
[01:20:39] to the school, they'll make us wait
[01:20:41] until tomorrow no matter what. Zach jams
[01:20:43] the wrench into the lock loop. Click.
[01:20:44] And it pops open. He pushes open the
[01:20:46] cobweb covered iron door. A gust of wind
[01:20:48] hits us in the face. Refreshing at
[01:20:50] first, but my nose catches something. I
[01:20:51] put my arm out and stop Zach and Dale.
[01:20:53] Something's off. I breathe in slowly.
[01:20:55] It's a smell of decay. Not overwhelming,
[01:20:57] but it's there. A moment later, Dale
[01:20:59] turns and looks at me. There is
[01:21:00] something, probably a dead animal. Could
[01:21:01] be a rat or a bird that fell up here. I
[01:21:03] give a small nod. Let's just go fix the
[01:21:05] tower. It's unbearably hot up here.
[01:21:07] Let's move fast. If someone catches us,
[01:21:09] we'll get in trouble, even if we're
[01:21:10] doing a good thing, Zach says, heading
[01:21:12] toward the tower. It's large with a
[01:21:13] puddle of water around the base. Zach
[01:21:15] takes one look and shakes his head. I
[01:21:17] thought it was something serious. It's
[01:21:19] just the valve came loose when the water
[01:21:20] pressure hit. It fell right off. With
[01:21:22] the opening exposed, there's not enough
[01:21:24] pressure to push water through the
[01:21:25] pipes. Then let's get it back on. Water
[01:21:27] will flow in no time," Dale urges. Zach
[01:21:29] nods with a grin and reaches into the
[01:21:30] puddle to pick up the valve. But what he
[01:21:32] doesn't expect, lying right beside the
[01:21:34] valve is a ring. "This can't be real
[01:21:36] gold, can it?" At those words, Dale and
[01:21:38] I both walk over. In Zach's hand is a
[01:21:40] ring. Looks like gold, small, but with a
[01:21:42] single character engraved on it.
[01:21:43] "Someone must have dropped it up here by
[01:21:45] accident. We'll hand it into the school
[01:21:46] later," Dale says quietly. Zach looks a
[01:21:48] little reluctant, but not actually
[01:21:50] thinking of keeping it. He pockets the
[01:21:51] ring and moves to screw the valve back
[01:21:53] on when a sharp little head squeezes out
[01:21:55] of the opening, squeaking rapidly. Zach
[01:21:57] jumps back, disgusted. What the When did
[01:21:59] rats get into the water tower? That is
[01:22:01] disgusting. The water tower supplies the
[01:22:02] entire dormatory block. The thought of
[01:22:04] rats in there makes the stomach turn.
[01:22:05] But as Dale and I step closer, that same
[01:22:07] smell of decay hits us through the
[01:22:09] fist-sized valve opening. If it were
[01:22:10] just rats, why would the smell be that
[01:22:12] strong? Dale says in disbelief.
[01:22:14] Something pulls at me. I need to climb
[01:22:15] that ladder. I pull open the hatch at
[01:22:17] the top and shine my phone flashlight
[01:22:18] inside. Lying at the bottom is a body.
[01:22:20] The stench hits me full force. Zach and
[01:22:22] Dale below notice the change in my
[01:22:24] expression and ask in unison what's
[01:22:26] wrong. Come up and see for yourselves. I
[01:22:28] climb down. Dale goes up first. He
[01:22:30] shines his phone into the dark when he
[01:22:31] sees the motionless body inside.
[01:22:33] Surprise flashes across his face, but
[01:22:35] almost immediately his left hand moves
[01:22:37] to his chin. A look of deep thoughts
[01:22:39] spreading across his face. Zack calls up
[01:22:41] impatiently. What are you staring at up
[01:22:43] there? Get down and let me look. Dale
[01:22:44] comes down quietly. Zack climbs up,
[01:22:46] peers inside, and completely loses his
[01:22:48] composure. Oh my. Oh my. A body. There's
[01:22:51] an actual body in the academyy's water
[01:22:52] tower. Zach looks about as stunned as
[01:22:54] Columbus discovering a new continent.
[01:22:56] Dad mentioned before I came that the
[01:22:57] academy has its share of unusual people.
[01:22:59] Case in point, Zach is absolutely one of
[01:23:01] them. A normal person finding a corpse
[01:23:03] would be falling apart right now. Zach
[01:23:04] mildly surprised for two seconds and
[01:23:06] then actively trying to climb inside the
[01:23:08] water tower. I roll my eyes. What are
[01:23:10] you doing? Get down. We pull the body
[01:23:12] out first, then examine it. Dale, get
[01:23:14] ready. Didn't you say you came here
[01:23:15] mainly to study forensics? Once we get
[01:23:17] the body out, it's your time to shine.
[01:23:19] Dale's eyes light up with excitement. He
[01:23:20] rubs his hands together. I won't let
[01:23:22] anyone down. Truth be told, I'm just as
[01:23:24] eager to get a proper look. This is a
[01:23:26] police academy, and the body inside,
[01:23:28] though hard to make out clearly, is
[01:23:29] wearing the academyy's uniform. It's
[01:23:31] been there a long time. Killing a
[01:23:32] student inside a police academy and
[01:23:34] hiding the body in the water tower for
[01:23:36] weeks. The killer is exceptionally
[01:23:37] intelligent. As for whether the victim
[01:23:39] could have fallen in on their own, no
[01:23:41] one would believe that the hatch was
[01:23:42] sealed shut. If that isn't murder and
[01:23:44] concealment, what is? Zach braces
[01:23:46] himself with both arms, ready to drop
[01:23:48] into the water tower. But the moment he
[01:23:50] lifts himself up, the iron door swings
[01:23:51] open again. A figure steps out, takes
[01:23:53] one look at Zach halfway into the water
[01:23:55] tower, and his face changes completely.
[01:23:57] You three, what do you think you're
[01:23:58] doing? Get down right now. A man who
[01:24:00] looks like a school administrator
[01:24:01] strides over, furious. It's dark
[01:24:03] outside. Why aren't you in your rooms?
[01:24:04] What are you doing on the roof? Zach
[01:24:06] explains with a pout. There's no water
[01:24:08] in the dorms. The supervisor said it
[01:24:09] wouldn't get fixed until tomorrow. Turns
[01:24:11] out it's just the valve fell off. Small
[01:24:13] fix. We were handling it ourselves. The
[01:24:15] man's expression softened slightly. If
[01:24:17] the school said tomorrow, then as
[01:24:18] students, you follow that. But seeing as
[01:24:20] you meant well, I won't make an issue of
[01:24:21] it today. The maintenance workers are
[01:24:23] already here. You three go back to your
[01:24:25] rooms. What? My word not good enough.
[01:24:27] I'm Director Grant Wang, head of school
[01:24:29] operations. I'm ordering you to leave
[01:24:30] immediately. I speak up. Director Wang,
[01:24:33] there's a body in the water tower. Grant
[01:24:34] Wang stops. There's a what? A body in
[01:24:37] the water tower? Yes. As the first
[01:24:38] witnesses to discover the victim, none
[01:24:40] of us can leave the scene right now. So,
[01:24:42] Director Wang, the immediate priority is
[01:24:44] to remove the body from the tower,
[01:24:45] confirm the victim's identity, and
[01:24:47] conduct a thorough examination of the
[01:24:48] scene. Then, we proceed to find the
[01:24:50] killer. I say it all calmly. Zach and
[01:24:52] Dale are barely holding back smiles.
[01:24:53] Grant Wang's face shifts. He turns to
[01:24:55] the maintenance workers. Gentlemen,
[01:24:57] please hold on a moment. He climbs the
[01:24:58] ladder and looks inside. Then, he picks
[01:25:00] up his phone. Security, send people to
[01:25:02] Block B rooftop immediately. A body has
[01:25:04] been found in the water tower. He makes
[01:25:05] another call. Principal Sue, it's Grant
[01:25:07] Wang. A male body has been found on the
[01:25:09] rooftop of block B. The victim is
[01:25:11] wearing our school uniform. This is an
[01:25:12] extremely serious matter. I need you
[01:25:14] here immediately. The school moves fast.
[01:25:16] Security first, then the principal. This
[01:25:18] man isn't just an ordinary
[01:25:19] administrator, but I'm more focused on
[01:25:21] the body. Zach and Dale are both fixed
[01:25:23] on it, too. Zach leans in and whispers,
[01:25:25] "Leo, what kind of person do you think
[01:25:27] could do this? Kill someone inside the
[01:25:28] academy without leaving a single trace."
[01:25:30] Dale pushes up his glasses. And judging
[01:25:32] by the state of decomposition combined
[01:25:34] with the timing of the break ending, do
[01:25:35] you think the victim might have been
[01:25:36] killed last semester? I smile. How would
[01:25:38] I know? But we can ask to be involved in
[01:25:40] the investigation. We are the witnesses
[01:25:42] after all. And the fact that we found
[01:25:43] this on our very first day, doesn't that
[01:25:45] mean something? They both look at me. I
[01:25:47] lower my voice. It means the victim
[01:25:49] didn't trust anyone except us three.
[01:25:51] Zach and Dale both roll their eyes at
[01:25:52] the same time. As future officers, we
[01:25:54] should be atheists. When you're gone,
[01:25:56] you're gone. Our job is to find the
[01:25:58] facts. What does the dead person have to
[01:25:59] do with it? No. Some things are meant to
[01:26:01] happen. I leave it at that. Security
[01:26:03] arrives quickly and efficiently removes
[01:26:05] the body from the tower. The corpse is
[01:26:06] badly decomposed, organs exposed, face
[01:26:09] completely unrecognizable from animal
[01:26:10] activity. Zach goes pale, he mutters
[01:26:12] under his breath. This poor guy dying
[01:26:14] like that. You think he'll come back as
[01:26:16] a ghost? Dale swallows, but his eyes
[01:26:18] behind those glasses are absolutely
[01:26:19] gleaming. I can't help it, guys. I have
[01:26:21] this overwhelming urge to examine that
[01:26:23] body. Look at the state of it. For a
[01:26:24] forensic student, this is an absolute
[01:26:26] gold mine. I don't respond. I walk
[01:26:28] straight toward the body. Grant Wang
[01:26:29] moves to stop me, then stops himself. He
[01:26:31] wants to see what we find. Dale crouches
[01:26:33] to examine the body. Zach checks the
[01:26:35] surrounding area. I observe quietly.
[01:26:37] Before long, Dale looks up. Because of
[01:26:38] death, blunt force trauma to the skull.
[01:26:40] This is not the primary crime scene. The
[01:26:42] body was moved here after death. Time of
[01:26:44] death is hard to determine with rain and
[01:26:46] sun alternating. Whenever it rained, the
[01:26:48] body would have been submerged. When the
[01:26:49] sun came out, everything would dry out
[01:26:51] again. Zach comes back holding out the
[01:26:53] ring. No sign of the primary crime scene
[01:26:54] on the rooftop, but based on this, the
[01:26:56] victim or the killer has the character
[01:26:58] Ash in their name. I shake my head. No,
[01:27:00] the time of death is actually
[01:27:01] straightforward. It had to be in the
[01:27:03] last few days of the semester before the
[01:27:04] break. And the killer, almost certainly
[01:27:06] a graduating student from last semester.
[01:27:08] One of the best in every way. After the
[01:27:10] break begins, the campus goes into full
[01:27:12] lockdown. Only essential staff are
[01:27:13] permitted. No students. And the body has
[01:27:15] been decomposing for a long time.
[01:27:17] There's no way this happened in the past
[01:27:18] few days, so it had to be those final
[01:27:20] days of the semester. Dale's eyes go
[01:27:22] wide. Of course. How did I miss that? A
[01:27:24] flash of surprise crosses Grant Wangs
[01:27:26] face. He looks at me. What's your name?
[01:27:27] My eyes stay on the body. Leo Yei. His
[01:27:30] gaze sharpens like something just
[01:27:31] clicked. I don't acknowledge it. I reach
[01:27:33] down and open the victim's clothing,
[01:27:35] then pull down the trousers. Everyone
[01:27:36] freezes. Zach lets out a strangled
[01:27:38] sound. Where is his eaten by the rats? I
[01:27:41] give him a look, then stand. This is
[01:27:42] almost certainly a revenge killing. And
[01:27:44] the mutilation after death, almost
[01:27:46] always a crime of passion. The words
[01:27:48] barely leave my mouth when a voice comes
[01:27:49] from behind. True to the ye name, looks
[01:27:51] like in 3 or 4 years the academy will be
[01:27:53] sending another rising star into the
[01:27:55] world of criminal investigation. The
[01:27:56] speaker is principal Sullivan Sue. The
[01:27:58] moment he appears, Grant Wang rushes
[01:28:00] over. Principal Sue, you're here.
[01:28:02] Sullivan Sue waves it off. He walks to
[01:28:04] the body, takes one look, and sigh. You
[01:28:06] three said this is a revenge killing.
[01:28:08] That the name contains the character for
[01:28:09] Ash and that the victim is most likely a
[01:28:11] graduate from last semester. Grant Wang,
[01:28:13] which graduates from last semester, had
[01:28:15] that character in their name. Principal
[01:28:16] Sue, I've seen this ring before. Ash
[01:28:18] Yang used to wear one exactly like it.
[01:28:20] Grant Wang says it carefully. Sullivan
[01:28:22] Su<unk>s expression changes completely.
[01:28:24] Say that again. He is Ash Yang. I look
[01:28:26] over. Even the principal is this shaken.
[01:28:28] This Ash Yang must have been someone
[01:28:29] extraordinary. No way. Ash Yang, the Ash
[01:28:32] Yang who ranked in the top three in
[01:28:33] every subject last semester, Zach says
[01:28:35] in disbelief. Sullivan Su doesn't
[01:28:37] answer. He raises his voice. Now contact
[01:28:40] the city bureau immediately. The academy
[01:28:41] will form a dedicated investigation team
[01:28:43] to work alongside them. Have them run
[01:28:45] the DNA as fast as possible. Confirm
[01:28:47] whether this is Ash Yang and immediately
[01:28:49] contact his parents. He's been dead for
[01:28:51] nearly 2 months. If this really is Ash
[01:28:52] Yang, his parents should have called the
[01:28:54] school long ago. I'm thinking the same
[01:28:55] thing. Grant Wang calls the authorities
[01:28:57] immediately, then dials Ash Yangs home
[01:28:59] and puts it on speaker. He keeps his
[01:29:00] voice casual and warm. Hello. Am I
[01:29:02] speaking with Ash Yangs father? This is
[01:29:04] Grant Wang, director of operations at
[01:29:05] the academy. Oh, Director Wang, what can
[01:29:07] I do for you? I was wondering, is Ash
[01:29:09] Yang at home right now? There's
[01:29:10] something at school we'd like to discuss
[01:29:12] with him. Grant Wang keeps his eyes on
[01:29:13] the principal as he speaks. Ash Yangs
[01:29:15] father sounds relaxed. He's not here.
[01:29:17] Who knows what's going through his head?
[01:29:19] After graduation, he said he was going
[01:29:20] to a rural mountain area to teach.
[01:29:22] didn't even discuss it with us, but he
[01:29:24] did mention we'd get to see him in the
[01:29:26] next couple of days. Everyone exchanges
[01:29:27] startled looks. Grant Wang presses on.
[01:29:30] Has he been in contact? Video calls,
[01:29:32] phone calls. He's in a remote area. No
[01:29:34] internet. Barely any signal. Video calls
[01:29:36] are out of the question, even phone
[01:29:37] calls. Last month, he said he'd gone
[01:29:39] into town just to call us. Then Ash
[01:29:41] Yangs father seems to sense something.
[01:29:43] Is something wrong, Director Wang? Has
[01:29:44] something happened to our son? Grant
[01:29:46] Wang looks at the principal. Sullivan Su
[01:29:47] takes a deep breath and takes the phone.
[01:29:49] Mr. Yang, this is Principal Sullivan Su.
[01:29:51] I need you to confirm something. The
[01:29:53] person who called you last month, are
[01:29:54] you certain it was Ash Yang? Of course,
[01:29:56] though his voice was horseo. He said he
[01:29:58] had a cold sounded very congested. I
[01:30:00] look at the body on the ground. That was
[01:30:01] him. And the person who made that call
[01:30:03] to his father. That was the killer.
[01:30:04] Telling Ash Yang<unk>s parents they'd
[01:30:06] see him in a couple of days because
[01:30:07] these are exactly the registration days.
[01:30:09] The body in the water tower was about to
[01:30:11] be discovered. Sullivan Su clears his
[01:30:13] throat. Nothing has happened, but since
[01:30:15] we haven't been able to reach Ash Yang,
[01:30:16] we'd like both of you to come to the
[01:30:18] academy. There's something very
[01:30:19] important we need to hand to you in
[01:30:20] person. But we're in Shanghai, Mr. Yang.
[01:30:22] You and your wife need to be here in
[01:30:24] person. This is of the utmost importance
[01:30:25] for Ash Yang. Sullivan Su tells a kind
[01:30:28] lie. Ash Yang<unk>s father agrees. The
[01:30:30] call ends. Sullivan Su stands in silence
[01:30:32] for a long moment. Zach and Dale can't
[01:30:34] hold back. Principal, we're new students
[01:30:36] this year. Let us be part of the
[01:30:37] investigation team. We'll find the
[01:30:39] killer. We promise. Are you willing to
[01:30:41] tatles on me? Leo, are you willing to
[01:30:43] take part? If you are, I'll let you
[01:30:45] choose whoever you want for the team. I
[01:30:46] understand. He almost certainly knows
[01:30:48] about the cases I've solved, and I'm
[01:30:49] genuinely curious about this killer.
[01:30:51] What kind of person could silently
[01:30:52] eliminate the best student from last
[01:30:54] year's graduating class and then
[01:30:56] impersonate him for two full months? All
[01:30:58] right, the three of us. But I don't want
[01:31:00] too much interference from the bureau.
[01:31:01] That means complicated procedures and
[01:31:03] wasted time. The school handles the
[01:31:04] formalities. The real authority stays
[01:31:06] with us. The academy has all the
[01:31:08] equipment we need, doesn't it? I lay out
[01:31:10] my terms. Grant Wang starts to push
[01:31:11] back, but Sullivan Sue cuts him off with
[01:31:13] a smile. Done. I'm putting you three in
[01:31:15] charge. I'll handle the bureau myself,
[01:31:17] but Leo, you understand this case can't
[01:31:19] drag on naturally. Good security. Take
[01:31:22] the body to the forensics lab. Have them
[01:31:23] run the DNA confirmation. On Sullivan
[01:31:25] Sue's word, the security team wraps the
[01:31:27] body and carries it away. The three of
[01:31:29] us stand around the body in the
[01:31:30] forensics lab until the DNA results come
[01:31:32] back. Nothing can be confirmed. The ring
[01:31:34] alone isn't enough to make a positive
[01:31:36] ID. Dale examines carefully. I observe
[01:31:38] from the side. Zach, meanwhile, keeps
[01:31:40] staring at the victim's lower half.
[01:31:41] Every so often, he says something. Leo,
[01:31:43] do you think he was seeing two people at
[01:31:45] once and one of them snapped and killed
[01:31:46] him? Then did that to him afterward. He
[01:31:48] seems fairly convinced of this theory
[01:31:50] when neither Dale nor I respond. Zach
[01:31:52] says with a pout, "Why is no one
[01:31:54] answering me? Do you have any idea how
[01:31:55] ruthless people can be when they're
[01:31:57] hurt? I wouldn't put anything past
[01:31:58] someone consumed by that kind of
[01:31:59] hatred." Before the truth is confirmed,
[01:32:02] every theory is just a theory. Dale
[01:32:04] speaks up. Zach pouts. He leans toward
[01:32:06] me. Hey Leo, is your family seriously
[01:32:08] loaded? I noticed Principal Sue called
[01:32:10] you young Master Leo when he arrived. I
[01:32:12] look back at him. Are you here to solve
[01:32:13] a case or to gossip? To solve it,
[01:32:16] obviously, but honestly, I already see
[01:32:18] the real challenge here. It's not
[01:32:19] figuring out who the killer is. It's
[01:32:21] finding proof. Our opponent is a highly
[01:32:23] intelligent criminal. Someone who could
[01:32:24] eliminate one of the academyy's best
[01:32:26] students without leaving a trace. Any
[01:32:27] evidence they left behind will be
[01:32:29] extremely rare. Zach seems like someone
[01:32:31] who doesn't take things seriously, but
[01:32:33] getting into this academy means he has
[01:32:34] something. Right now, his read on the
[01:32:36] situation matches mine exactly. The
[01:32:38] hardest part isn't identifying the
[01:32:39] killer, it's proving it. We work from
[01:32:41] evening into the dead of night. Dale
[01:32:42] finally gets the results. It's Ash Yang.
[01:32:44] Leo, you were right. Time of death
[01:32:46] approximately 60 days ago. Skull crushed
[01:32:48] by a blunt object, then mutilated and
[01:32:50] hidden in the water tower. I take off my
[01:32:51] jacket and say quietly, "I'm thinking,
[01:32:53] could what was removed from the body end
[01:32:55] up being our most important piece of
[01:32:56] evidence?" Dale and Zach both go still.
[01:32:58] They give a pain smile, "That's
[01:32:59] impossible. It's been 2 months. Would
[01:33:01] the killer actually preserve it?" Just a
[01:33:03] theory. I smile and leave it there. We
[01:33:05] open the lab door and find a crowd of
[01:33:06] people waiting outside. All academy
[01:33:08] students. A tall young man steps
[01:33:10] forward. You're the investigation team
[01:33:12] principal. Sue appointed the new intake.
[01:33:14] Zach steps right up to the front. He
[01:33:15] lifts his chin. That's us. I'm Mason
[01:33:17] Wang, second year. Your senior. My team
[01:33:20] is requesting to join you. Share what
[01:33:21] you know about the case so we can solve
[01:33:23] it faster. His tone sounds reasonable on
[01:33:25] the surface, but it's an order wrapped
[01:33:26] in politeness. Zach's expression
[01:33:28] darkens. Dale pulls the folder close to
[01:33:30] his chest. Mason Wang sees our silence
[01:33:32] and continues, "Listen, this is the
[01:33:34] first murder in the academyy's history.
[01:33:35] The outside world already knows. It's
[01:33:37] everywhere. for the sake of the school's
[01:33:39] reputation. Know your limits. Don't let
[01:33:40] this drag on and make things worse.
[01:33:42] Ridiculous. Who says we can't solve it?
[01:33:44] Zach fires back. I say you can't, and I
[01:33:46] mean it. The only reason I'm offering to
[01:33:48] join is out of respect for Principal
[01:33:49] Sue. Otherwise, I'd be calling for your
[01:33:51] team to be dissolved. Mason Wangs eyes
[01:33:53] fill with anger. The guys behind him
[01:33:55] chime in. We'll give you credit when the
[01:33:56] case is solved. But you just arrived.
[01:33:58] You probably don't even know the basic
[01:34:00] procedures. So, agree now. You'll learn
[01:34:02] from us. Zach's fists tighten. Get lost.
[01:34:04] The only people who can teach me are
[01:34:06] professors. Who do you think you are
[01:34:07] lecturing us? Mason Wangs eyes go cold.
[01:34:10] I'm giving you a chance. You sure you're
[01:34:11] turning it down? One application from us
[01:34:13] and your team gets dissolved. Zack and
[01:34:15] Dale can both tell Mason Wang isn't
[01:34:16] someone ordinary. I hate this kind of
[01:34:18] thing. I quietly pull Zack behind me and
[01:34:20] face Mason Wang. Last warning move.
[01:34:22] Mason Wang laughs out loud. I heard this
[01:34:24] intake has a bunch of so-called
[01:34:25] geniuses. 17, 18 years old. Sure lives
[01:34:28] up to the hype, but do you understand?
[01:34:30] Even here, you follow the rules. Rules?
[01:34:32] Tell me about them. I smile and ask.
[01:34:34] Mason Wang is one of the top criminal
[01:34:36] investigation students in the second
[01:34:37] year and his uncle is Raymond Xiao, head
[01:34:39] of the city bureau. Once he graduates,
[01:34:41] he walks straight into a position there.
[01:34:43] For most people, Mason Wang is someone
[01:34:45] worth respecting. Even Dale and Zach's
[01:34:47] expressions shift, but in the next
[01:34:48] second, Mason Wangs arrogant expression
[01:34:50] vanishes. I put my palm flat against his
[01:34:53] face and shove his head hard to the
[01:34:54] side. Mason Wang stumbles back, face red
[01:34:56] with humiliation. You dare push me?
[01:34:58] You're Raymond Xiao's nephew. That's it.
[01:35:00] And you come in here putting on a show.
[01:35:02] I look at him steadily. Call your uncle.
[01:35:03] Ask him who Lio Yi is. I turn and walk
[01:35:05] away with Zach and Dale. They fall in
[01:35:07] behind me. I can feel their curiosity
[01:35:09] about who I am. Now they'll understand
[01:35:10] why a bureau chief means nothing to me.
[01:35:12] The people behind Mason Wang are
[01:35:14] seething. Stop right there, they shout.
[01:35:15] I turn and ask. Want to fight? Trust me.
[01:35:18] The ones getting expelled afterward
[01:35:19] won't be us. When the situation calls
[01:35:21] for it, I don't mind using what I have.
[01:35:23] The Ye name gives me all the confidence
[01:35:24] I need. Mason Wang pulls himself
[01:35:26] together and starts thinking hard about
[01:35:28] who Leo Yi is. The academy has no
[01:35:30] shortage of students from prominent
[01:35:31] families. Then something clicks. That
[01:35:33] serial case from a little over a month
[01:35:35] ago. When his uncle brought it up, he
[01:35:36] was furious. A decade old case he'd been
[01:35:38] kept in the dark about. And the one who
[01:35:40] solved it was Leo Yi, the eldest son of
[01:35:42] the Yi family, his uncle's greatest
[01:35:43] rival, the Yei family. Mason Wang
[01:35:45] finally understands. He hurries after us
[01:35:47] and forces a smile. You're the young
[01:35:49] master of the Yi family. I glance at
[01:35:51] him. No answer. I just say to Zach and
[01:35:53] Dale, "Let's go." We walk away without
[01:35:55] looking back. Mason Wang stands there,
[01:35:57] expression dark, ears burning red.
[01:35:59] Someone beside him mutters, "Mason Wang,
[01:36:01] are we really just letting them go?
[01:36:03] Solving this case would count for a
[01:36:04] lot." Mason Wang turns on them with a
[01:36:06] glare. Don't say I didn't warn you. From
[01:36:08] now on, when you see Leo Yi walk the
[01:36:10] other way, he's the eldest son of a
[01:36:11] three generation military and law
[01:36:13] enforcement dynasty in Kingd. Don't
[01:36:15] touch that. Everyone goes quiet. We head
[01:36:17] to the principal's office in the early
[01:36:18] hours of the morning. Sullivan Su hasn't
[01:36:20] slept. He stands as we enter. What's the
[01:36:22] result? Confirmed. The victim is Ash
[01:36:24] Yang. Time of death approximately 2
[01:36:26] months ago. Now we need his social
[01:36:27] records from that period to narrow down
[01:36:29] the suspects. Sullivan Su nods and pulls
[01:36:31] a folder from his drawer. Already
[01:36:32] prepared. Don't stay up too late. We
[01:36:34] take the files back to the dorm.
[01:36:36] Sullivan Su's notes are thorough
[01:36:37] covering Ash Yang<unk>s roommates,
[01:36:39] classmates, everyone. Zach reads for a
[01:36:40] bit and gets a headache. Dale is about
[01:36:42] the same. Give him a body to examine and
[01:36:44] he'll go all night, but anything else
[01:36:45] and he's yawning within minutes. I sit
[01:36:47] alone at the desk and go through
[01:36:49] everything. I focus on Ash Yangs two
[01:36:50] roommates and his girlfriend Jess Guo,
[01:36:53] now a junior officer at the West
[01:36:54] District Police Station. I close the
[01:36:56] file and write down three names. Jess
[01:36:57] Guo, Warren Ju, Eli Wu. I lock away the
[01:37:00] files and go to sleep. 8. The next
[01:37:02] morning, I'm woken up. Sullivan Sue is
[01:37:04] at the door with a girl beside him. We
[01:37:05] get up. Principal Sue, what brings you
[01:37:07] this early? Introducing a new team
[01:37:09] member, Iris Lynn. Also a new student
[01:37:11] just like you. Just turned 17. The girl
[01:37:13] in the blue Doryon t-shirt steps forward
[01:37:15] and smiles at me. Leo, hi. I heard your
[01:37:18] name almost every day for the last month
[01:37:19] of break. Nice to finally see the real
[01:37:21] thing. I shake her hand lightly and look
[01:37:22] at Sullivan Sue with a curious smile.
[01:37:24] Principal Sue, what's your relationship
[01:37:26] with Iris Lynn? Sullivan Sue clears his
[01:37:28] throat, looking a little awkward. Iris
[01:37:30] Lynn doesn't miss a beat. He's my
[01:37:31] grandfather. It won't affect anything,
[01:37:33] she continues. I've already gone through
[01:37:35] the files. Three primary suspects. Ash
[01:37:37] Yang<unk>s girlfriend Jess Guo, his
[01:37:39] roommate, Warren Ju, who had a bad
[01:37:40] relationship with him, and Eli Wu, who
[01:37:43] had a secret interest in Jess Guo. Zach
[01:37:45] and Dale exchange a stunned look. I
[01:37:47] smile. Iris Lynn, welcome to the team. I
[01:37:49] spent all night working through the same
[01:37:50] three leads. All three had close ties to
[01:37:52] Ash Yang. It looks like they'd be easy
[01:37:54] to approach for information, but in both
[01:37:56] my view and Iris Lynn's, they're not
[01:37:58] just starting points. The killer is very
[01:38:00] likely one of them. Sullivan Sue has
[01:38:01] already slipped away. Iris Lynn stays.
[01:38:03] She glances around the room. It's light
[01:38:05] out. What's the move? I smile and lay it
[01:38:07] out. Zack, go with an officer and find
[01:38:09] Eli. Woo. Dale, go find Warren Jew. Iris
[01:38:12] Lynn, you're with me. We go see Jess
[01:38:13] Guo. That's probably what Principal Sue
[01:38:16] would most want. Sounds good, Iris Lynn
[01:38:18] says with a small smile. We wash up
[01:38:19] quickly and leave the dorm together. On
[01:38:21] the way down, more than a few male
[01:38:22] students do double takes at Iris Lynn.
[01:38:24] Nobody pays them any mind. At the school
[01:38:26] gate, Iris Lynn and I hail a cab and
[01:38:28] settle into a coffee shop near the West
[01:38:29] District Station. I call Jess Guo.
[01:38:31] Officer Guo, I'm Leo Ya from the police
[01:38:33] academy. You've likely already heard
[01:38:34] about the murder. I need to verify a few
[01:38:36] things with you. Jess Guo, on the other
[01:38:38] end, doesn't sound surprised. She says
[01:38:40] fine and hangs up. Iris Lynn stirs her
[01:38:42] coffee. Leo, why hasn't Jesso contacted
[01:38:44] the school on her own? How suspicious do
[01:38:46] you think she is? I pause. By any normal
[01:38:48] logic, she's the top suspect. Her
[01:38:50] boyfriend is dead and she's still going
[01:38:52] to work. But do you know why I sent Zach
[01:38:53] and Dale after the other two? Iris Lynn
[01:38:55] furrows her brow and shakes her head.
[01:38:57] Simple. I ruled Jesso out last night.
[01:38:59] Whoever swung that blunt object and
[01:39:00] killed Ash Yang. It wasn't her. Iris Lin
[01:39:02] looks even more puzzled. In her
[01:39:04] assessment, Jesso is still the most
[01:39:05] likely suspect. Then Jesso appears at
[01:39:07] the coffee shop entrance. "She's here,"
[01:39:09] I say quietly. She walks in, takes off
[01:39:11] her officer's cap to reveal a sharp
[01:39:13] closecropped hairstyle. She doesn't look
[01:39:14] well, but she manages a small smile.
[01:39:16] "Hi, I'm Jess Guo. Officer Guo, please
[01:39:18] sit." After she does, a server sets down
[01:39:20] a black coffee. She looks at the cup and
[01:39:22] says with a bitter smile. You even know
[01:39:24] I drink it black. What don't you know
[01:39:26] about me? Or maybe you're wondering, "Am
[01:39:28] I the most likely killer? I told Iris
[01:39:30] Lynn before you arrived that you're
[01:39:31] definitely not the killer." I say
[01:39:33] quietly. Jess Guo stares at me frozen.
[01:39:35] Why? I had the most access to him. I had
[01:39:38] the most reason to. Why rule me out? She
[01:39:40] clenches her jaw. From everything I've
[01:39:42] seen, your relationship was solid. Ash
[01:39:44] Yang only ever had you and the killer is
[01:39:46] male. Unless you can produce a
[01:39:47] convincing male voice, I don't believe
[01:39:49] it was you. Iris Lynn frowns beside me.
[01:39:51] As a criminal investigation student,
[01:39:53] ruling out a suspect so definitively
[01:39:54] doesn't sit right with her. But what
[01:39:56] surprises her even more? Jesso's tears
[01:39:58] start falling. No, even if I didn't kill
[01:40:00] him, he died because of me. Leo, I've
[01:40:02] heard of you. I never expected you'd be
[01:40:04] the one coming to find me. With your
[01:40:06] mind, you shouldn't be wasting time on
[01:40:07] me. I narrow my eyes and ask almost
[01:40:09] without hesitation. So, you also think
[01:40:11] the killer is Warren Ju or Eli Wu? Iris
[01:40:13] Lynn follows up. Has Eli Wu always had
[01:40:15] feelings for you in secret? The
[01:40:16] bitterness on Jesuo<unk>s face deepens.
[01:40:18] What if I told you both Warren Ju and
[01:40:20] Eli Wu have been pursuing me? Of course,
[01:40:22] we believe you. You carry yourself with
[01:40:24] the strength of an officer, and you're
[01:40:25] still striking at the same time. And you
[01:40:27] were one of the top students from last
[01:40:28] year's graduating class. Yes, last year
[01:40:31] had many outstanding students. Ash Yang,
[01:40:33] Lie Huan, Xiao, Yerui, even the talented
[01:40:35] Warren Ju was only second tier by
[01:40:37] comparison. But there's something
[01:40:38] neither of us expected. Ash Yang wasn't
[01:40:40] the only one who disappeared this
[01:40:42] summer. Iris Lynn and I both shift
[01:40:43] expressions at the same time. Jesso
[01:40:45] pulls out her phone. It shows call logs
[01:40:47] to Ash Yang, Warren Ju, and Eli Wu. Over
[01:40:50] a hundred calls to each. That means Ash
[01:40:51] Yang wasn't the only one who went
[01:40:53] missing this summer. Warren Ju and Eli
[01:40:55] Wu have also vanished. I call Zach
[01:40:57] immediately. Did you find Warren Jew?
[01:40:58] Don't even ask, Leo. I've got a bad
[01:41:00] feeling. Warren Ju's parents say he went
[01:41:02] to a remote mountain area to teach after
[01:41:04] graduation, just like Ash Yang. My
[01:41:06] expression goes still. I say quietly,
[01:41:08] "Got it, and stare at the phone." Sure
[01:41:09] enough, Dale calls next. Before he can
[01:41:11] speak, I ask first. Did Eli Wu go to
[01:41:13] teach in the mountains, too? Yes. How
[01:41:15] did you know? Just heard. My eyes go
[01:41:17] back to Jess Guo. She looks completely
[01:41:19] hollow, mouth moving over and over.
[01:41:21] They're dead. All of them. They're
[01:41:22] really all dead. Iris Lynn and I
[01:41:24] exchange a look. We both feel the
[01:41:25] urgency. I lean in. Officer Guo, what do
[01:41:28] you actually know? Did Warren Jew and
[01:41:29] Eli Wu disappear at the same time as
[01:41:31] Ashang? Jesso's face is pale. Yes, I
[01:41:34] found out about Warren Jew a month ago.
[01:41:35] Then Eli Wu 2 weeks ago. I genuinely
[01:41:37] believe they'd gone. Not until last
[01:41:39] night when the school told me Ash Yang
[01:41:41] was dead did everything click. Who told
[01:41:42] you they went to teach? I called all
[01:41:44] three of them almost every day. When
[01:41:46] something felt wrong, I started calling
[01:41:47] their families. Every family said the
[01:41:49] same thing. Remote mountains
[01:41:51] unreachable. I tried to find them in
[01:41:52] Kingdu board game cafes, gaming centers.
[01:41:55] I even used my access to check hotel
[01:41:57] records. Nothing. No registration
[01:41:59] anywhere in the country. Now that Ash
[01:42:01] Yang has turned up. Warren Ju and Eli Wu
[01:42:03] must be close behind. Jess Guo goes
[01:42:05] quiet. Iris, Lynn, and I press forward.
[01:42:07] Did the three of them in room 314 ever
[01:42:10] have a serious conflict with anyone? I
[01:42:12] don't know. I genuinely don't. No one
[01:42:14] wants to find the killer more than I do.
[01:42:16] Those three, my boyfriend and my two
[01:42:17] closest friends, Jeso's fists tighten. I
[01:42:20] frown. Wait. From what I understand,
[01:42:22] Warren Ju and Ashy Yang didn't get
[01:42:23] along. That's true. Ash Yang and Warren
[01:42:26] Ju clashed. Same with Eli Wu. But when
[01:42:28] something real happened, those three
[01:42:30] trusted each other more than anyone.
[01:42:31] That I believe. Every school has people
[01:42:33] like this. They rub each other the wrong
[01:42:35] way on a regular basis. But the moment
[01:42:37] someone goes after one of them, they
[01:42:38] close ranks tighter than anyone. All
[01:42:40] right, officer Guo. We won't take up any
[01:42:42] more of your time. I have what I need.
[01:42:43] Jess Guo takes a long breath and stands.
[01:42:45] She's almost out the door when she turns
[01:42:47] back. Find them as soon as you can. Once
[01:42:49] they're all found, I'll go see them,
[01:42:50] then she's gone. Iris Lynn watches her
[01:42:52] leave. She's hiding something. She is,
[01:42:54] but it's probably not related to the
[01:42:56] case, I say lightly. Iris Lynn thinks
[01:42:58] for a moment, then says quietly. The
[01:43:00] dynamic between Jesso and those three is
[01:43:02] more complicated than it seems. Even if
[01:43:03] she misses Ash Yang. Was it really
[01:43:05] necessary to call Warren Ju and Eli Wu
[01:43:07] hundreds of times? I smile and say
[01:43:09] nothing more. We head back together. In
[01:43:11] my mind, Warren Ju and Eli Wu were the
[01:43:13] prime suspects, but the case has gone in
[01:43:15] a direction no one expected. Anyone
[01:43:16] would be caught off guard by this. In
[01:43:18] the car, Iris Lynn's expression is
[01:43:20] serious. I glance at her. What's wrong?
[01:43:21] Feeling thrown off? Not quite. I'm just
[01:43:23] thinking, what kind of person could take
[01:43:25] out three exceptional students like
[01:43:26] that? And where are Warren Jew and Eli
[01:43:28] Wu<unk>s bodies? I don't pause. At the
[01:43:30] school, Iris Lynn looks up. The school
[01:43:32] has people everywhere right now. After
[01:43:34] Ash Yang, the administration launched a
[01:43:36] full sweep. If their bodies were there,
[01:43:38] they should have been found by now. What
[01:43:39] do you think? Besides the water tower,
[01:43:41] where else on campus could a body be
[01:43:42] hidden? Iris Lynn furrows her brow,
[01:43:44] turns it over and over, and can't come
[01:43:46] up with anything. The car goes quiet.
[01:43:47] Then, both Iris Lynn's phone and mine
[01:43:49] receive a notification from the school's
[01:43:51] official account. Today is the second
[01:43:52] day of the new semester. It is also the
[01:43:54] academyy's annual tree planting day. All
[01:43:56] students are asked to plant their tree
[01:43:58] on the back hill before 6:00 this
[01:43:59] evening. Tree planting is a school
[01:44:01] tradition. Every new student plants a
[01:44:02] sapling on the back hill. Four years
[01:44:04] later, the trees have grown and so have
[01:44:06] they. From students into officers who
[01:44:08] can hold their own. Iris Lynn stares at
[01:44:09] the notification. She looks pained. Who
[01:44:11] has the heart to plant a tree right now?
[01:44:13] Then she stops mid-sentence and snaps
[01:44:15] her eyes to me. But I'm already shouting
[01:44:16] at the driver. Step on it. We need to
[01:44:18] reach the back hill of the police
[01:44:19] academy in 10 minutes. The cab pulls up
[01:44:21] to the academyy's back gate quickly. As
[01:44:23] Iris Lynn and I get out, we see students
[01:44:25] gathering in the back courtyard. Despite
[01:44:26] the murder, life on campus goes on. I
[01:44:28] spot Grant Wang organizing the activity
[01:44:30] and run over. Director Wang, hold the
[01:44:32] tree planting for now. Grant Wang
[01:44:34] frowns. Weren't you investigating Ash
[01:44:35] Yang<unk>s case? What are you doing
[01:44:37] here? Director Wang. Warren Ju and Eli
[01:44:39] Wu are unaccounted for. Their families
[01:44:41] say they went to teach in the mountains
[01:44:43] just like Ash Yiang. We now believe
[01:44:44] Warren Ju and Eli Wu have also been
[01:44:46] killed. Their bodies are likely hidden
[01:44:48] in these trees. Grant Wang stares at me
[01:44:50] in disbelief. What are you talking
[01:44:51] about? Ashang is the only victim. How
[01:44:53] could Warren and Eli Wu be dead, too?
[01:44:55] Whether you believe me or not, Director
[01:44:57] Wong, to prevent the scene from being
[01:44:58] disturbed, the activity has to be
[01:45:00] suspended. Grant Wong thinks for a
[01:45:01] moment. All right, get into the tree
[01:45:03] line. I'll have security assist you.
[01:45:04] Iris Lynn and I nod and run toward the
[01:45:06] trees. I send a message to Dale and Zach
[01:45:08] to come to the back hill the moment they
[01:45:09] return. Every tree here represents a
[01:45:11] student. It's a tradition established
[01:45:12] when the current principal took office.
[01:45:14] So, even though there are many trees on
[01:45:15] the back hill, we go straight to the
[01:45:16] student planting area. The killer told
[01:45:18] Ashang's parents they'd see him in a
[01:45:20] couple of days. I originally assumed
[01:45:21] that referred to Ash Yang. Now, I think
[01:45:23] that line included Warren Ju and Eli Wu,
[01:45:25] too. The killer meant in a couple of
[01:45:26] days, all three of their families would
[01:45:28] be finding out the truth. If that's
[01:45:29] correct, Warren Jew and Eli Wu<unk>s
[01:45:31] bodies are most likely at their own
[01:45:32] trees. As we move deeper into the
[01:45:34] planting area, a faint smell of decay
[01:45:36] drifts on the wind. Not strong, but Iris
[01:45:38] Lin and I both know the bodies are
[01:45:40] ahead. We reach the three trees planted
[01:45:41] side by side. Ash Yangs, Warren Jews,
[01:45:44] Eli Woos. Sure enough, two decomposed
[01:45:46] bodies hang from the branches. Crows
[01:45:48] perch on them, heads dipping. We step
[01:45:49] closer. The crows scatter with a harsh
[01:45:51] cry. They really are here. Iris Lin says
[01:45:54] quietly. I say nothing. I climb Warren
[01:45:56] Jews tree slowly. When I reach the body,
[01:45:58] the first thing I notice is the mouth is
[01:45:59] open. No tongue. The jaw is propped open
[01:46:01] with a nail. That single image tells me
[01:46:03] everything. Warren Ju was brought here
[01:46:05] while still alive. Hung from the tree to
[01:46:07] stop him from crying out. The killer cut
[01:46:09] out his tongue and used a nail to keep
[01:46:10] the jaw from closing. Down below, Iris
[01:46:12] Lynn is an idol. She's searching the
[01:46:14] ground. She finds something quickly.
[01:46:15] There are blood pools beneath both
[01:46:17] trees. I examine the rest of Warren Jews
[01:46:19] body from my position in the tree. I
[01:46:20] pull down his trousers. My eyes go
[01:46:22] still. If Zach were here, he'd probably
[01:46:24] say it again. I climbed to Eli Wu's
[01:46:26] tree. Same. No tongue, jaw propped with
[01:46:29] a nail and the same mutilation. Just as
[01:46:31] I thought, I say. Iris Lynn doesn't look
[01:46:33] away. For students at the police
[01:46:34] academy, a case is a case. Gender is
[01:46:36] irrelevant, but she can't see clearly
[01:46:38] from below. So, she asks, "Same as
[01:46:40] Ashang? Same, but different." Ashy Yangs
[01:46:42] body, aside from the mutilation, wasn't
[01:46:44] deliberately damaged anywhere else.
[01:46:46] Warren Ju and Eli Wu are different.
[01:46:48] Besides the mutilation, they're missing
[01:46:49] their tongues. The killer was afraid
[01:46:51] they'd be heard, I say. Iris Lynn
[01:46:53] follows the thought. There's a large
[01:46:54] amount of dried blood on the ground
[01:46:56] below. The killer didn't end it quickly.
[01:46:58] Cut the tongue, then opened the veins,
[01:47:00] bled them almost completely dry. Ash
[01:47:02] Yang, Warren Ju, Eli Wu, roommates who
[01:47:04] clashed but stood up for each other when
[01:47:06] it counted. The first body was Ash Yang.
[01:47:08] These two don't need DNA confirmation.
[01:47:10] They're absolutely Warren Ju and Eli Wu.
[01:47:12] None of them were bullies. So, what on
[01:47:14] earth did they do to deserve this? And
[01:47:15] there's still one question that matters
[01:47:16] most. Why was Ash Yang in the dormatory
[01:47:19] water tower while Warren and Eli Wu are
[01:47:21] out here in the trees? The killer had no
[01:47:22] practical reason to do it differently. I
[01:47:24] say it quietly, brow creased tight. When
[01:47:26] Warren and Eli Wu<unk>s bodies are
[01:47:28] carried out of the trees, the entire
[01:47:29] academy erupts. Ash Yang<unk>s death had
[01:47:31] already set the school buzzing and
[01:47:33] outside media had picked up the story.
[01:47:34] The school managed to keep it contained,
[01:47:36] but now with two more bodies, it's
[01:47:38] beyond what the academy can manage.
[01:47:39] Sullivan Su calls the four of us to his
[01:47:41] office. His face is more serious than
[01:47:43] I've ever seen it. The death toll is now
[01:47:45] three. This is the most serious event in
[01:47:47] the history of this institution. The
[01:47:48] city bureau has issued a directive. They
[01:47:50] are taking full control of this case.
[01:47:52] The academy will cooperate fully and I
[01:47:54] will be submitting my resignation to the
[01:47:56] board today. Dale and Zach look
[01:47:57] horrified. Principal Sue, what does this
[01:47:59] have to do with you? This is a major
[01:48:01] criminal case that occurred under my
[01:48:02] watch. He is the highest authority in
[01:48:04] this school. There's no other way. I
[01:48:06] sigh too. Iris Lynn's face is full of
[01:48:08] resistance, but she doesn't want to make
[01:48:10] things harder for her grandfather.
[01:48:11] Grandpa, don't worry. Even without
[01:48:13] direct investigative authority, we will
[01:48:15] find the killer. Sullivan Sue's eyes
[01:48:16] move across each of us. He smiles. I
[01:48:18] believe in you. A case at this school
[01:48:20] solved by students of this school.
[01:48:22] That's how you restore the name. That's
[01:48:23] the best thing you can do for the
[01:48:24] victims. Go. Keep going. Heth's office.
[01:48:27] Iris Lynn's eyes are red. Don't be
[01:48:29] upset. Principal Sue might still come
[01:48:30] back, I say quietly. Iris Lynn bites her
[01:48:33] lip. Everything has moved so fast these
[01:48:34] past 2 days, faster than any of us were
[01:48:36] ready for, and now we've even lost
[01:48:38] direct investigative authority. Leo,
[01:48:40] tell me what we do now. Right now, we
[01:48:42] have only a few confirmed leads. The
[01:48:44] calls made to all three families came
[01:48:45] from the same voice, which means the
[01:48:47] suspect is likely male. Second, don't
[01:48:49] change the direction. This case is still
[01:48:51] deeply tied to emotional motive. Third,
[01:48:53] and most importantly, we have to
[01:48:55] understand why Ash Yang was hidden in
[01:48:56] the water tower while Warren Ju and Eli
[01:48:59] Wu were left in the trees. Iris suddenly
[01:49:01] understands. You're right. The direction
[01:49:03] stays the same. The locations where the
[01:49:05] three bodies were hidden. That has to be
[01:49:07] significant. To understand the
[01:49:08] difference between the three bodies, we
[01:49:10] need to examine them again. Dale, before
[01:49:12] the city bureau takes full control, we
[01:49:14] have to move fast. The moment I finish,
[01:49:16] all four of us head straight to the
[01:49:17] forensics lab, but at the door, we find
[01:49:19] officers already on guard. You four
[01:49:21] stop. What's your business? They block
[01:49:23] us. Dale looks exasperated. They got
[01:49:25] here first. It's fine. If it comes to
[01:49:27] it, we go straight through. I turn to
[01:49:29] the officers. We are students from the
[01:49:30] police academy, originally assigned to
[01:49:32] the Ash Yang case. We have critical
[01:49:34] information to share with you. The
[01:49:35] officers look skeptical. I pull out my
[01:49:37] student ID. They take one look and their
[01:49:39] expressions change completely. Young
[01:49:41] Master Leo, make way, everyone. Let
[01:49:43] Young Master Leo and his classmates
[01:49:44] through. Zach and Dale are caught off
[01:49:46] guard by my identity again. They watch
[01:49:47] the officers step aside. They can't hold
[01:49:49] back. Leo, what exactly does your dad
[01:49:51] do? He's in law enforcement. And your
[01:49:53] grandfather? I turn around, smiling
[01:49:55] strangely. He runs in military academy
[01:49:57] circles. No way. One in law enforcement,
[01:49:59] one in the military. Don't tell me your
[01:50:01] mom and grandma are just as impressive.
[01:50:02] Nothing worth hiding. My mom is one of
[01:50:04] the country's top forensic scientists.
[01:50:06] My grandma is nearly retired, but still
[01:50:07] holds the title of criminal
[01:50:09] investigation expert. After hearing all
[01:50:10] that, Zach and Dale both go completely
[01:50:12] blank. After a long pause, one thought
[01:50:14] finally surfaces. This entire family is
[01:50:17] just not human. I say nothing more. I
[01:50:19] push open the lab door and walk in. The
[01:50:20] moment I'm inside, I see a familiar
[01:50:22] figure bent over the three bodies. A
[01:50:24] smile pulls at my lips before I can stop
[01:50:25] it. Dale stares open-mouthed, then grabs
[01:50:28] Zach's arm. Oh my, I'm seeing my idol.
[01:50:30] Zack, pinch me. Am I dreaming? Zack
[01:50:32] smacks him on the back of the head. What
[01:50:33] is wrong with you? There's no celebrity
[01:50:35] here. It's just a woman doing an
[01:50:36] autopsy. You idiot. Look at who's doing
[01:50:38] the autopsy. She's a legend in
[01:50:40] forensics. One of the top forensic
[01:50:41] professors in the country. She's Before
[01:50:43] Dale can finish. I walk up beside the
[01:50:45] woman and call out with a grin. Mom,
[01:50:47] you're here and you didn't warn me. I
[01:50:48] genuinely didn't expect mom to be with
[01:50:50] the bureau's forensic team. She looks at
[01:50:52] me. Surprised? Unexpected? Very
[01:50:54] surprised. Very unexpected. But now that
[01:50:56] I think about it, I should have seen it
[01:50:57] coming. The academyy's founding honorary
[01:50:59] principal is Grandpa. Dad graduated from
[01:51:01] here and I'm the lead investigator on
[01:51:03] this case. Of course you'd show up. Mom
[01:51:05] laughs and walks over. Always the sharp
[01:51:07] one. I thought I'd have to wait until a
[01:51:08] holiday to see you. Never imagined
[01:51:10] something this big would happen. While
[01:51:12] we talk, Dale finally can't hold himself
[01:51:13] back. He steps forward, practically
[01:51:15] glowing with admiration. Professor Sue,
[01:51:17] I'm Dale, Leo's classmate, forensic
[01:51:19] student. I've admired you for so long. I
[01:51:21] can't believe I'm actually meeting you.
[01:51:23] Well, looks like I've got a fan. Then
[01:51:24] tell me, does Leo take after me? Mom
[01:51:26] asks with obvious delight. Dale nods
[01:51:28] without a second's hesitation.
[01:51:30] Absolutely. The resemblance is striking.
[01:51:32] All right, let's get to work. Mom,
[01:51:33] you've been at it a while. What have you
[01:51:35] found? I bring us back to the point. Mom
[01:51:36] picks up a file from the table. This is
[01:51:38] the autopsy report you submitted to
[01:51:40] principal Sue. The main examiner was
[01:51:42] this young man here, I take it. She
[01:51:43] looks at Dale. Go over it again
[01:51:45] carefully. Forensics demands precision.
[01:51:47] This report missed something important.
[01:51:49] Dale goes still. Zack reacts fast. He
[01:51:51] kicks Dale in the shin. Why are you just
[01:51:53] standing there? This is the best
[01:51:54] learning opportunity you'll ever get.
[01:51:56] Professor Sue is giving you a chance.
[01:51:57] Thank you, Professor Sue. Dale quickly
[01:51:59] changes into his lab coat and begins
[01:52:01] re-examining Ash Yang<unk>s body with
[01:52:03] full focus. Iris, Zach, and I stand to
[01:52:04] the side and wait. Before long, Iris
[01:52:06] says quietly, "Lo, I really envy you.
[01:52:09] What's there to envy? Not your family
[01:52:10] background. I envy you having a mom like
[01:52:12] her, the way she speaks, never harsh,
[01:52:14] and no matter what situation she's in,
[01:52:16] she puts you at the center of it. That's
[01:52:17] what I envy most." I understand. Iris's
[01:52:20] mother has probably always been hard on
[01:52:21] her. In your eyes, mom is wonderful. But
[01:52:23] in my dad's words, a soft mother raises
[01:52:25] a spoiled child. I tease. Iris smiles
[01:52:28] quietly and says nothing more. We wait.
[01:52:30] After a while, when Dale finishes
[01:52:31] re-examining Ash Yangs body, his
[01:52:33] expression shifts. Zach moves to ask if
[01:52:35] he found something. I hold him back. We
[01:52:37] wait quietly as Dale moves on to Warren
[01:52:38] Ju and Eli Wu. After another long
[01:52:40] stretch, Dale sets everything down and
[01:52:42] walks to Mom first. He gives a slight
[01:52:44] bow. Professor Sue, thank you for
[01:52:45] guiding me. I won't make this kind of
[01:52:47] basic mistake again. The three of us
[01:52:48] come closer. Mom smiles. Then tell us
[01:52:50] what did you miss? I missed the
[01:52:52] condition of their internal organs. All
[01:52:54] three bodies show signs of poisoning,
[01:52:55] chronic poisoning. Even without the
[01:52:57] murders, the accumulated toxins would
[01:52:59] have killed them within a year or two.
[01:53:00] Dale's words bring a new lead into
[01:53:02] focus. Before they were murdered, all
[01:53:03] three had been slowly poisoned over an
[01:53:05] extended period. What kind of poison? I
[01:53:07] ask. All three had high levels of
[01:53:09] chlorenol. It's an antibiotic typically
[01:53:11] used to treat typhoid, but with
[01:53:13] prolonged exposure, it destroys the
[01:53:14] digestive system, nervous system, blood
[01:53:17] forming organs, and liver. In other
[01:53:18] words, if they kept being exposed, their
[01:53:20] bodies would have deteriorated until
[01:53:22] death. Iris's expression fills with
[01:53:24] shock. Students all eat at the
[01:53:25] cafeteria. There's no other common
[01:53:27] source. The water supply is also
[01:53:29] possible, Zach says. I shake my head.
[01:53:31] Not the water. Only the three men in
[01:53:33] room 314 were poisoned. If it's the
[01:53:35] cafeteria, why did no one else show any
[01:53:36] symptoms? Zach asks. That's exactly what
[01:53:39] we need to find out. Start with the
[01:53:40] cafeteria. Question everyone, especially
[01:53:42] anything unusual about how Ash Yangs
[01:53:44] group ate compared to other students.
[01:53:46] Then what are we waiting for? Let's get
[01:53:48] to the cafeteria before the officers do.
[01:53:50] Zach pushes, but I don't move. I think
[01:53:52] for a moment, if someone was already
[01:53:54] poisoning them, why bother with the
[01:53:55] killing? The person who poisoned them
[01:53:57] may not be the real killer. My words
[01:53:59] land like a bucket of cold water on
[01:54:00] everyone, right? Even if we find the
[01:54:02] poisoner, that doesn't prove they're the
[01:54:04] one who actually killed them. Mom stays
[01:54:05] behind in the lab. Dale is reluctant to
[01:54:07] leave. He wants to soak up everything he
[01:54:09] can. I let him stay. Mom's reputation is
[01:54:11] what it is. Every forensic student would
[01:54:13] jump at the chance to learn from her.
[01:54:14] Zack, for reasons unknown, sees Dale
[01:54:17] staying and suddenly decides he wants to
[01:54:18] stay, too. Mom is actually quite
[01:54:20] pleased. two extra sets of hands. She
[01:54:22] keeps them both. Iris and I leave the
[01:54:23] lab. The officers nod with a smile. We
[01:54:26] smile back and pick up the pace toward
[01:54:27] our next lead. Director Grant Wang looks
[01:54:29] surprised to see us, but when he sees
[01:54:31] who it is, he smiles. What can I do for
[01:54:33] you two? Director Wang, we have some
[01:54:35] questions about the cafeteria. That
[01:54:36] falls under your oversight, right? Grant
[01:54:38] Wang nods. The cafeteria is my
[01:54:40] responsibility. Go ahead. What do you
[01:54:42] need to know? Things have been
[01:54:43] absolutely chaotic around here. I want
[01:54:45] to ask, were there any special
[01:54:47] arrangements for certain students meals?
[01:54:49] Specifically, did Ash Yangs group eat
[01:54:51] anything different from the rest of the
[01:54:52] students? Grant Wang shakes his head
[01:54:54] immediately. The academy doesn't make
[01:54:55] special arrangements for individual
[01:54:57] students, and I've never noticed any
[01:54:58] student receiving better or worse food
[01:55:00] than anyone else. I try another angle.
[01:55:02] Is the cafeteria run by an outside
[01:55:04] contractor? It is. But even so, what
[01:55:06] you're describing couldn't happen there.
[01:55:07] I decide there's no point pressing
[01:55:09] further. Whether Grant Wang is telling
[01:55:10] the truth or not, there's no reason for
[01:55:12] him to cover anything up. He probably
[01:55:14] genuinely doesn't know. We don't push
[01:55:15] further. Iris and I say goodbye and walk
[01:55:17] out. She frowns. Are we really going
[01:55:19] straight to the cafeteria? Won't that
[01:55:21] tip them off? Did you forget we still
[01:55:22] have someone who can give us
[01:55:23] information? I smile. Iris catches on
[01:55:26] almost immediately. Right, Jesso? She
[01:55:28] was so close to Ash and the others.
[01:55:30] She's bound to know something. So, we
[01:55:31] leave the academy again and meet Jess at
[01:55:33] the same coffee shop. Even though we've
[01:55:34] lost direct investigative authority,
[01:55:36] Jess's attitude hasn't changed. The
[01:55:38] moment she sits down, she asks, "You
[01:55:39] have a new lead, don't you?" I get
[01:55:41] straight to it. You've probably heard
[01:55:42] that Warren Zhu and Eli Woos bodies have
[01:55:44] been found. Today, I'm here about the
[01:55:46] poisoning. Jess looks confused.
[01:55:47] Poisoning. The latest autopsy shows all
[01:55:49] three were being poisoned over an
[01:55:51] extended period. We believe it's food
[01:55:52] related. The cafeteria is the only
[01:55:54] common food source at the academy. You
[01:55:56] were closest to them. You must know
[01:55:57] something. The moment I finish, Jess's
[01:55:59] expression shifts sharply. It's gone
[01:56:01] almost immediately, but my eyes caught
[01:56:03] it. It leaves me unsettled. Then Jess
[01:56:05] speaks. Are you certain the cafeteria is
[01:56:07] the only possibility? Iris and I both
[01:56:09] nod. If that's the case, there's only
[01:56:11] one person who could have done it. A
[01:56:13] young cafeteria worker, Frank, early
[01:56:15] 20s. He's a cousin of the contractor who
[01:56:17] runs the cafeteria. Young as he is, he
[01:56:19] has a calculating streak. Every time he
[01:56:21] was on serving duty, the portions were
[01:56:23] noticeably small. Ash Yang got into an
[01:56:25] argument with him over it. Warren Ju and
[01:56:27] Eli Wu couldn't let it go either. They
[01:56:29] cornered him and beat him up. After
[01:56:30] that, every time Frank saw them, he was
[01:56:32] unusually friendly, always slipping them
[01:56:34] extra dishes he'd set aside. At first,
[01:56:35] Ash and the others didn't trust it, but
[01:56:37] gradually they got used to it. For a
[01:56:39] while, Frank was actually on quite good
[01:56:40] terms with them. Jess finishes. I smile.
[01:56:43] You always have so much more to offer.
[01:56:45] Almost certainly the poisoner is Frank.
[01:56:47] All right, Jess, we won't keep you. We
[01:56:49] need to get back. Jess nods. She's about
[01:56:51] to leave, but she stops again. I called
[01:56:53] her back. Jess, did you often eat with
[01:56:55] Ash and the others? I ask without
[01:56:57] warning. She turns. Her face is calm.
[01:56:59] Often, but not every day. Don't worry.
[01:57:01] I'll go get myself checked tomorrow.
[01:57:03] Take care of yourself. I smile. Jess
[01:57:05] leaves. Iris watches her go and says
[01:57:07] again what she said the first time they
[01:57:08] met. Something about her is always off.
[01:57:10] I smile again and say nothing. I watch
[01:57:12] Jess walk away and quietly make a
[01:57:14] decision. After the brief meeting with
[01:57:16] Jess, Iris and I returned to the
[01:57:18] academy. The campus is now swarming with
[01:57:19] officers, all sent from the city bureau
[01:57:21] to handle the triple murder. The academy
[01:57:23] is a training ground for the entire law
[01:57:25] enforcement system. Three deaths here,
[01:57:27] not just the city bureau, but even my
[01:57:28] father Marcus. She had to take notice.
[01:57:30] Iris and I were heading straight for the
[01:57:31] cafeteria. When we run into a
[01:57:33] middle-aged couple in the corridor,
[01:57:35] their faces are heavy with grief. Iris
[01:57:36] and I exchange a look. One of the three
[01:57:38] victims parents. I step forward. Hello,
[01:57:40] my name is Leo Yi. I was the student
[01:57:42] investigator assigned to the Ash Yang,
[01:57:44] Warren Ju, and Eli Wu case. May I ask
[01:57:46] who you are? We're Ashy Yangs parents.
[01:57:48] Is there something you need? His father
[01:57:50] says, but his mother looks us over and
[01:57:52] says something that catches me off
[01:57:53] guard. Is this academy really this
[01:57:54] careless? How old are you two? How can
[01:57:56] children be investigating something like
[01:57:58] this? We are young, ma'am, but every
[01:57:59] lead the bureau is currently working on
[01:58:01] came from us. The reason we stopped you
[01:58:03] is simple. We need to know what was said
[01:58:04] in that phone call. Without question,
[01:58:06] the person who called all three families
[01:58:07] was the killer. Just the usual caring
[01:58:09] things. how tough the teaching was,
[01:58:11] telling us to take care of ourselves.
[01:58:12] That's mostly what we remember. I nod.
[01:58:14] Did you record it? What date was the
[01:58:16] call? How long did you talk? Only that
[01:58:18] it was the 21st of last month. The call
[01:58:20] lasted nearly an hour. We all believed
[01:58:22] it was really Ash. The voice had a heavy
[01:58:23] cold, thick, congested, but the way of
[01:58:26] speaking exactly like him. Understood.
[01:58:28] Please take care of yourselves. I don't
[01:58:29] press Ash's parents further. We leave
[01:58:31] quietly. Iris glances at me. Cafeteria
[01:58:34] now? Not yet. Let's talk to Warren Jews
[01:58:36] and Eli Wu<unk>s parents first. We track
[01:58:38] them down. All three families are
[01:58:39] temporarily staying in the school's
[01:58:41] guest rooms. In terms of background,
[01:58:42] Ashang's family is the wealthiest. His
[01:58:44] father is a successful businessman worth
[01:58:46] over a hundred million. The most humble
[01:58:48] background belongs to Warren Ju, a
[01:58:50] simple farming family, honest and plain.
[01:58:51] Iris and I asked the same questions of
[01:58:53] each family, any recordings, how long
[01:58:55] the call lasted, and the exact date.
[01:58:57] Every answer is the same. The call came
[01:58:59] on the 21st of last month. The voice was
[01:59:01] male, heavy with a cold, thick,
[01:59:03] congested. Minimum call length half an
[01:59:04] hour. Looks like we're getting close to
[01:59:06] the real killer, aren't we? As we step
[01:59:07] out of Eli Wu's parents' room, Iris
[01:59:09] finally lets herself smile. Should be
[01:59:11] soon. Now it's about finding the proof.
[01:59:13] I smile softly, too. Then Zach and Dale
[01:59:16] come sprinting toward us. Leo. Iris. The
[01:59:18] officers just arrested a cafeteria
[01:59:20] worker. Intentional homicide. They're
[01:59:22] about to take him to the bureau. They're
[01:59:23] both out of breath. My brow furrows
[01:59:25] immediately. Who leaked the information?
[01:59:26] Mom would never. From the moment we
[01:59:28] found out about the poisoning, she would
[01:59:29] have kept it contained. Apparently, it
[01:59:31] was Director Wang. After you two asked
[01:59:32] him about the cafeteria, he went
[01:59:34] straight to the officers. Apparently,
[01:59:35] when they heard it was you asking about
[01:59:37] the cafeteria, they launched an
[01:59:38] immediate investigation into cafeteria
[01:59:40] staff. I can't help a cold laugh.
[01:59:42] Raymond jou people, always quick to jump
[01:59:44] at any opportunity. I was interested in
[01:59:45] Frank, but if they've taken him, let
[01:59:47] them have him. Don't blame me when it
[01:59:48] blows up in their faces. I turn and walk
[01:59:50] back. Iris falls in right behind me and
[01:59:52] asks quietly, "You're not going to
[01:59:54] watch? What's there to see?" Frank is
[01:59:56] the poisoner. He's not getting away.
[01:59:57] Getting arrested is exactly what he
[01:59:59] deserves. But Iris, why do you keep
[02:00:01] following me? Iris blinks. To
[02:00:02] investigate the case. What case? We've
[02:00:05] been running on empty for 2 days. We
[02:00:06] need to actually rest. Of course, Iris,
[02:00:08] if the girl's dorm isn't comfortable
[02:00:10] enough, you're more than welcome in
[02:00:11] mine. She takes one look at my grin and
[02:00:13] rolls her eyes and walks off. Dream on.
[02:00:15] I had been genuinely buried in this case
[02:00:16] for two solid days. Iris assumed I was
[02:00:19] just saying I'd rest. What she didn't
[02:00:20] expect, I actually sleep straight
[02:00:22] through until dark. Iris had stopped by
[02:00:24] at some point and already left the boy's
[02:00:26] dorm. I stretched lazily and noticed
[02:00:28] something on the desk. I look closer. A
[02:00:30] note. Saw you hadn't eaten. Got you
[02:00:32] something. Don't thank me. The
[02:00:33] handwriting is neat and delicate.
[02:00:35] Clearly a girl's. I smile. Open the box.
[02:00:37] Still warm. I eat happily. A full
[02:00:39] stomach for a full night's work. Outside
[02:00:41] it's completely dark. Zach and Dale are
[02:00:43] both out. I leave alone. I leave the
[02:00:45] academy and flag down a cab at the gate.
[02:00:47] I give the driver an address. Phoenix
[02:00:49] residence. When we arrive, I move as if
[02:00:50] I've been here before, straight to
[02:00:52] building 3, all the way up to the 12th
[02:00:54] floor. I knock at one of the doors. No
[02:00:56] answer. I pull something from my pocket.
[02:00:57] 2 or 3 seconds. The door opens. I step
[02:01:00] inside. The air carries a faint
[02:01:01] sweetness. Everything arranged the way a
[02:01:03] woman would. No one would expect me to
[02:01:05] be at Jesso's apartment on a night like
[02:01:06] this. The place looks unremarkable at
[02:01:08] first, but I'm not in a hurry. Something
[02:01:10] about meeting Jess during the day has
[02:01:12] left me unsettled in ways I can't quite
[02:01:14] name. In my original assessment, Jess
[02:01:16] was the least likely suspect, but least
[02:01:18] likely doesn't mean zero. I never fully
[02:01:20] remove anyone connected to a case from
[02:01:21] the suspect list. Coming here while
[02:01:23] she's out, I want to see if there's
[02:01:24] anything this apartment can tell me. I
[02:01:26] walk through the living room first, then
[02:01:27] into the bedroom. Same minimal style,
[02:01:29] but there's an oversized wardrobe. I
[02:01:31] stare at it genuinely curious. From
[02:01:33] everything I know about Jess, during her
[02:01:35] student years, she was easygoing, never
[02:01:36] particularly invested in clothes, shoes,
[02:01:38] or cosmetics. A wardrobe this size isn't
[02:01:40] something she needs. It makes the room
[02:01:42] feel cramped, and that doesn't fit her
[02:01:43] at all. I walk slowly toward it. I pull
[02:01:45] the door open gently. Her clothes hang
[02:01:47] inside, mostly black and white shirts,
[02:01:49] casual wear. I take it in and find
[02:01:50] nothing unusual. I'm about to close it
[02:01:52] when something stops me. There's a smell
[02:01:54] in the wardrobe. I push the clothes
[02:01:55] aside one by one. Sandalwood. As the
[02:01:58] clothes part, the scent grows stronger.
[02:01:59] I look carefully. Behind the row of
[02:02:01] clothes, there's a hidden compartment. I
[02:02:03] open it immediately. What's inside makes
[02:02:04] my chest heighten. Two electric candles
[02:02:06] glow faintly. The sandalwood scent comes
[02:02:08] from a small incense burner. The burner
[02:02:10] is filled with accumulated ash. At least
[02:02:12] a month or two's worth. I reach into the
[02:02:13] ash, but my eyes lock onto the two
[02:02:15] photographs hanging in the compartment.
[02:02:17] Two young men, early 20s, faces lit with
[02:02:19] the easy confidence of youth. These are
[02:02:21] the two men found hanging in the trees.
[02:02:22] Eli Wu and Warren Ju. But with their
[02:02:24] photos here, why is Ashang missing? This
[02:02:27] is Jess Guo's home. If she's mourning
[02:02:28] someone, Ash Yang should be the first
[02:02:30] one she'd mourn. So why are only Warren
[02:02:32] Ju and Eli Wu here? Do friends really
[02:02:34] light incense for each other every day
[02:02:36] like this? I'm not dismissing
[02:02:37] friendship, but this kind of daily
[02:02:38] ritual for friends is almost unheard of.
[02:02:40] I feel as though I've just lifted a
[02:02:42] second layer from this case. I've been
[02:02:43] treating Ash Yang, Warren Jew, and Eli
[02:02:45] Wu as one unit this entire time. And
[02:02:47] only when Warren and Eli's bodies were
[02:02:49] found did the idea of separating them
[02:02:50] first cross my mind. But that was just a
[02:02:52] thought. I hadn't acted on it. Now
[02:02:54] standing here looking at who just chose
[02:02:56] to mourn, I realize I finally met my
[02:02:58] match. The case of Ash Yang must be
[02:02:59] separated from the case of Warren Ju and
[02:03:01] Eli Wu. If I keep treating these three
[02:03:03] deaths as one case, I may never find the
[02:03:05] truth. I stare at the two photographs in
[02:03:07] the hidden compartment, thinking as
[02:03:08] Ashangs girlfriend, why hasn't Jess
[02:03:10] mourned him? Is Ashang not dead? That's
[02:03:12] impossible. The autopsy confirmed it was
[02:03:14] Ash. He's dead. The body was barely
[02:03:16] recognizable. Could it be that whoever
[02:03:18] killed Warren and Eli Wu and whoever
[02:03:20] killed Ash Yang are two different
[02:03:22] people? Jesso, congratulations. You're
[02:03:25] back at the top of the list. I close the
[02:03:26] hidden compartment gently and arrange
[02:03:28] the clothes exactly as they were. Once
[02:03:30] I'm certain nothing looks disturbed, I
[02:03:32] check the time. Almost 9:00. Jess is
[02:03:34] probably almost off work. I check the
[02:03:35] apartment carefully for any surveillance
[02:03:37] devices. Finding none, I open the door
[02:03:39] and leave. About 15 minutes later, Jess
[02:03:41] comes home. She turns on the lights,
[02:03:43] takes off her uniform, opens the
[02:03:44] wardrobe, and parts the clothes. She
[02:03:46] lights the sandalwood incense. Thin
[02:03:48] smoke curls upward. Jess stands
[02:03:50] perfectly still. No words, no movement.
[02:03:52] No one knows she does this every single
[02:03:54] day. An hour later, she gives the
[02:03:55] photographs a small bow and says, "Good
[02:03:57] night." The night passes as if nothing
[02:03:59] happened. On my way back to the academy,
[02:04:01] Dale calls, "Lo, where are you? The room
[02:04:03] is empty. It was stuffy at school. I
[02:04:05] went for a walk. What's up, Professor
[02:04:07] Sue and I did a deeper examination of
[02:04:09] all three bodies. New findings. Get back
[02:04:11] here." I tell the driver to hurry and
[02:04:13] head straight to the lab. Dale is
[02:04:15] visibly excited. You were right.
[02:04:16] Ashang's time of death is different from
[02:04:18] Warren Jews and Eli Wu. Warren and Eli
[02:04:20] died first. Ashang was last, of course.
[02:04:22] Can you determine the gap? Exact figures
[02:04:24] are difficult, but the difference in
[02:04:26] death times is within 5 days. Mom adds
[02:04:28] to that. I nod and glance around the
[02:04:30] lab. Where's Iris? She hasn't come by. I
[02:04:32] just called her. She's apparently out
[02:04:33] somewhere, too. I don't ask further. I
[02:04:35] pull mom aside. Mom, you're a woman.
[02:04:37] Help me understand something about
[02:04:38] another woman. Her boyfriend dies and
[02:04:40] she doesn't mourn him, but she mourns
[02:04:42] his two close friends. Why? Mom's brow
[02:04:44] furrows. You're saying Jess hasn't been
[02:04:45] mourning Ash Yang, but she has been
[02:04:47] mourning Warren Jew and Eli Wu. Yes,
[02:04:49] Mom. You understand a woman's mind
[02:04:51] better than I do? Mom lowers her head
[02:04:53] and thinks. The longer she thinks, the
[02:04:54] more she shakes her head. It's only been
[02:04:56] 3 days since she found out Ash was dead.
[02:04:58] Shouldn't she still be in grief? Why
[02:04:59] would she be thinking about ritual
[02:05:01] mourning? She's been doing it for 1 to 2
[02:05:02] months. Mom's expression shifts
[02:05:04] completely. 1 to two months of mourning.
[02:05:06] If she's been doing that, doesn't that
[02:05:07] make her the prime suspect? Yes, but the
[02:05:09] caller was male. Jess was one of the top
[02:05:11] students from last year's graduating
[02:05:13] class. Outstanding criminal
[02:05:14] investigation instincts, strong combat
[02:05:16] ability, even some knowledge of
[02:05:17] forensics. A well-rounded student. I'm
[02:05:19] wondering, can she disguise her voice?
[02:05:21] Mom doesn't know how to answer. Part of
[02:05:23] her doesn't want to believe it because
[02:05:24] she met Jess today. Jess came to see the
[02:05:26] three victims. Mom had genuinely taken a
[02:05:28] liking to her, especially learning how
[02:05:30] accomplished she was. But everything now
[02:05:32] is pointing in the same direction.
[02:05:33] Jess's suspicion is growing. Aside from
[02:05:35] the voice mismatch, Jess has every other
[02:05:37] condition for this crime. She was almost
[02:05:39] certainly the person all three of them
[02:05:40] trusted most, and she has the ability to
[02:05:42] eliminate them without leaving a trace.
[02:05:44] Mom finally looks up. Ash Yang was never
[02:05:46] the one she truly loved. The person she
[02:05:48] really cared about was either Warren Ju
[02:05:50] or Eli Wu. I even suspect she may have
[02:05:52] hated Ash Yang. Otherwise, none of this
[02:05:54] makes sense. Women understand women in a
[02:05:56] way that goes beyond logic. I take mom's
[02:05:58] reading as one more data point. I didn't
[02:06:00] expect Iris, who had been absent this
[02:06:02] whole time, to burst in at exactly this
[02:06:04] moment. She doesn't knock. She runs
[02:06:06] straight in breathless. Leo, I found
[02:06:07] something major. Ash Yang was sent
[02:06:09] abroad for a month last semester for
[02:06:11] advanced studies. When he came back,
[02:06:12] Jess may have been pregnant. I walked
[02:06:14] straight over to her. Where did this
[02:06:15] come from? a girl from the previous year
[02:06:17] who couldn't stand Jess. We've been
[02:06:19] investigating their social circle, so I
[02:06:20] looked in the opposite direction. And it
[02:06:22] gets better. While Ash was abroad, Jess
[02:06:24] was absent from the academy one evening.
[02:06:25] It was Eli Wu's birthday, and both the
[02:06:27] other guys from room 314 were also gone
[02:06:29] that night. 2 weeks after Ash came back,
[02:06:31] Jess took a week of leave. 5 days after
[02:06:33] that leave ended, the academyy's break
[02:06:35] began. I start piecing together Iris's
[02:06:37] findings. Jess may have been pregnant.
[02:06:39] All three were absent on Eli's birthday.
[02:06:40] After Ash returned, Jess took leave. If
[02:06:42] the pregnancy was real, that week was
[02:06:44] likely to deal with it. If she dealt
[02:06:45] with it, it means Ash found out. Which
[02:06:47] raises the question, during the month
[02:06:49] Ash was away, did the relationship
[02:06:50] between Jess and either Warren or Eli
[02:06:52] shift from friendship into something
[02:06:53] more? When Ash found out, consumed by
[02:06:55] rage, he killed Warren and Eli. And when
[02:06:57] Jess discovered what he'd done, she
[02:06:59] killed Ash. If all of this holds, then
[02:07:01] Jess is terrifying because for the past
[02:07:03] 1 to two months, everything has been a
[02:07:05] performance. Her phone records are
[02:07:06] carefully managed, calling Warren, Eli,
[02:07:08] and Ash. Every call rings for at least
[02:07:10] 10 seconds. And the most baffling thing,
[02:07:12] Jess never reported Warren and Eli
[02:07:14] missing or tried to recover their
[02:07:15] bodies. Was she afraid that doing so
[02:07:17] would expose her role in Ash's death?
[02:07:19] Theories keep surfacing in my mind one
[02:07:20] after another, but no one expected an
[02:07:22] officer to push open the lab door right
[02:07:24] at that moment. Voice buzzing with
[02:07:25] excitement. Professor Sue, Young Master
[02:07:27] Leo, the real killer has been found.
[02:07:29] It's the cafeteria worker, Frank. The
[02:07:31] city bureau just called. Frank has
[02:07:33] confessed. Frank confessed. Everyone in
[02:07:35] the lab exchanges looks of disbelief. In
[02:07:37] their minds, the actual killer cannot
[02:07:38] possibly be that cafeteria worker. his
[02:07:40] motive for poisoning. Unless he was
[02:07:42] afraid they'd graduate before the toxins
[02:07:43] could kill them. But did Frank have the
[02:07:45] capability to murder three highly
[02:07:46] trained students in one sweep? I don't
[02:07:48] believe it. From the moment I left
[02:07:49] Jess's apartment, I'd already concluded
[02:07:51] there are two killers. Why would Frank
[02:07:53] confess? The officer leaves. Iris
[02:07:55] immediately says, "This is impossible.
[02:07:56] Frank is not the killer. He's an
[02:07:58] indirect killer at most, but the real
[02:08:00] one isn't him. Looks like the city
[02:08:01] bureau is desperate to demonstrate
[02:08:02] results to the public. Unless something
[02:08:04] changes tomorrow morning, every paper in
[02:08:06] the city will be running Frank's arrest.
[02:08:07] They'll even call a press conference.
[02:08:09] This case has a lot of eyes on it, mom
[02:08:10] says. A cold smile pulls at my mouth.
[02:08:12] Let Raymond Jiao play his game. We have
[02:08:14] one night left. If he dares hold that
[02:08:15] press conference tomorrow and I find my
[02:08:17] opening, then Raymond Jiao can forget
[02:08:19] about ever moving up in his career. I'm
[02:08:20] with you on that, but we may not even
[02:08:22] have 12 hours left. I say nothing. I
[02:08:24] stare at the three bodies for a moment.
[02:08:25] Then I speak. Iris, take me to the girl
[02:08:27] you spoke to earlier. Iris doesn't know
[02:08:29] what I'm after, but she nods and we head
[02:08:31] out quickly, taking mom's car. We arrive
[02:08:32] at an apartment building in Eastern
[02:08:34] Kingdu. Iris makes a call. Before long,
[02:08:36] a girl comes down. She gets in and looks
[02:08:38] at us curiously. "What else do you
[02:08:39] need?" "I already told you everything I
[02:08:41] know. The one with questions is me." I
[02:08:43] say, "There are a few things I'd like
[02:08:44] you to help clarify." I smile. She looks
[02:08:46] me over. All right. Since you're cute
[02:08:48] enough to make it worth my while, I'll
[02:08:49] tell you everything. I don't let that
[02:08:51] land. What made you think Jess was
[02:08:52] pregnant at the time? I was in the same
[02:08:54] class as her. Before she took leave, she
[02:08:55] kept dry heaving and then she took 7
[02:08:57] days off all at once. That's what made
[02:08:58] me suspicious. I nod. Good. How did you
[02:09:01] establish Jess's relationship with
[02:09:02] Warren and Eli? It was never really a
[02:09:04] secret. A lot of people knew at the time
[02:09:06] because the next day Jess was arguing
[02:09:07] with Warren and Eli, asking over and
[02:09:09] over who it was. Something clicks
[02:09:11] further into place. I smile. Last
[02:09:13] question. What's your honest read on
[02:09:15] Jess? Jess, honestly, I can't stand her.
[02:09:17] She always seemed above everyone else.
[02:09:19] But I can't deny her ability. She's
[02:09:20] genuinely gifted, a natural in criminal
[02:09:23] investigation. Back in school, every
[02:09:24] time they ran a mock case, seven out of
[02:09:26] 10 times she was the one who found the
[02:09:28] killer. So, if it were up to you, if
[02:09:30] Jess decided to commit a crime, how well
[02:09:32] do you think she could pull it off? I
[02:09:33] smile. No one would ever suspect her,
[02:09:35] and even if they did, they dismiss it
[02:09:37] almost immediately. I stop there. Good.
[02:09:39] Thank you for your time. We'll take you
[02:09:40] to dinner sometime. She smiles and nods,
[02:09:42] but just before she gets out, she turns.
[02:09:44] Actually, forget the dinner. Can I go
[02:09:46] see Ashang? I can promise you may get to
[02:09:48] see him tomorrow. All right, I'll wait.
[02:09:50] She gets out for Iris. She doesn't feel
[02:09:52] like we got much out of that
[02:09:53] conversation, but reading my face, she
[02:09:55] sees something there. Confidence. You
[02:09:57] have a new idea, don't you? Iris asks.
[02:09:59] I'm completely certain. Jesso killed Ash
[02:10:01] Yang and Warren Ju and Eli Wu. Most
[02:10:03] likely Ash killed them. I say. Iris
[02:10:04] doesn't rush to ask why. She works
[02:10:06] through it herself. Jess was with Warren
[02:10:07] and Eli on the night of Eli's birthday.
[02:10:09] Then she became pregnant and Ash found
[02:10:11] out. The files show Ash was not only
[02:10:13] exceptional, but deeply proud. He would
[02:10:14] never have accepted that. So, he killed
[02:10:16] Warren and Eli. But by then, Jess's
[02:10:18] feelings for Warren or Eli may have
[02:10:19] already grown into something deeper. So,
[02:10:21] in her grief, she set a trap and killed
[02:10:23] Ash and fabricated everything. I don't
[02:10:25] answer her. Something nags at me.
[02:10:27] Something I've overlooked. My mind keeps
[02:10:29] turning. Then, a passage comes to me. a
[02:10:31] classical essay about a master of vocal
[02:10:32] mimicry performing for a banquet of
[02:10:34] guests. Many students would recognize
[02:10:36] it. It's called ventriloquism. And
[02:10:37] tonight when I was at Jess's apartment,
[02:10:39] there was a piece of calligraphy on the
[02:10:40] wall. It was that exact passage and the
[02:10:42] name signed at the bottom. Also, Guo,
[02:10:44] that piece of brush work has just become
[02:10:46] the most important thing I've seen. It
[02:10:47] can't be used as evidence, but it's what
[02:10:49] makes me absolutely certain Jess is the
[02:10:50] killer. Let's go back to the lab.
[02:10:52] Lindsay looks at me. Don't tell me
[02:10:53] you're looking for more on the bodies.
[02:10:55] Besides the bodies, we don't have time
[02:10:56] to find anything else. Someone as gifted
[02:10:58] as Jess wouldn't leave us evidence. But
[02:11:00] Jess is smart and so was Ash. Unless he
[02:11:02] died instantly from that first blow, he
[02:11:04] would have left something behind. One
[02:11:05] blow can kill. But what if Ash didn't
[02:11:07] die immediately? He may have struggled.
[02:11:08] In the primary crime scene, we've never
[02:11:10] found it. Where is it? Maybe it's
[02:11:12] exactly where no one would think to
[02:11:13] look. The location that's already been
[02:11:15] ruled out. Where is it? The rooftop. The
[02:11:17] place Zach ruled out. Iris and I move
[02:11:19] back to the academy as fast as we can
[02:11:21] and go straight to the lab. Mom sees us
[02:11:23] walk in. Find anything? I shake my head.
[02:11:25] Nothing yet, but Jesso is confirmed
[02:11:27] involved. Mom, what are you working on?
[02:11:29] Running a more thorough examination,
[02:11:30] especially the fingernails and mouth.
[02:11:32] Zack, go prepare the lumininal solution.
[02:11:34] Zach's eyes light up. You found the
[02:11:35] primary crime scene? Not confirmed, but
[02:11:37] I want to use Luminol on the rooftop and
[02:11:39] see if we can reconstruct what happened
[02:11:40] there. See if the rooftop really is the
[02:11:42] primary scene. Luminol isn't hard to
[02:11:43] prepare, but the glow it produces when
[02:11:45] it reacts with blood is extremely faint.
[02:11:47] It needs darkness or complete blackout
[02:11:48] conditions. It's already deep into the
[02:11:50] night. Zack and Dale get to work
[02:11:52] preparing the solution immediately. When
[02:11:53] it's ready, Dale stays behind to assist
[02:11:55] mom. I take Zach and Iris to the rooftop
[02:11:57] of block B. The prepared solution is
[02:11:59] limited. There's no way to make a large
[02:12:00] amount this fast. The three of us reach
[02:12:02] the roof. Zach and Iris look at me,
[02:12:03] waiting to be told where to start. I
[02:12:05] scan the space. Jess has combat ability,
[02:12:07] but physically carrying a body into the
[02:12:09] water tower seems unlikely. If she
[02:12:10] wanted Ash to die without any chance to
[02:12:12] react, right past this iron door is the
[02:12:14] best place to do it. Zack, spray the
[02:12:16] luminol in a straight line from the iron
[02:12:17] door to the water tower. Zack nods and
[02:12:19] begins spraying slowly along the line I
[02:12:21] indicated. As long as blood was ever on
[02:12:23] this surface, no matter how thoroughly
[02:12:25] cleaned, no matter how long ago, it will
[02:12:27] show. The solution creeps toward the
[02:12:29] water tower. Zach hasn't even reached it
[02:12:31] yet. When the ground begins to glow with
[02:12:32] faint blue white light, a patch of
[02:12:34] luminescent spreads and grows. I pull
[02:12:36] out my phone and start documenting.
[02:12:38] Then, a pair of footprints appears in
[02:12:39] silver light. Iris, what size shoes did
[02:12:42] Ash Yang wear? Around a size 43, and
[02:12:44] these can't be more than 37. As Iris
[02:12:46] says it, her face floods with pure joy.
[02:12:48] A size 37 footprint. An extraordinary
[02:12:51] piece of evidence. Feet that small
[02:12:52] rarely belong to a man. I observed
[02:12:54] Jess's feet earlier, large for a woman.
[02:12:56] 37 is a large women's size. I crouch
[02:12:58] close and photograph every detail. Then
[02:13:00] more footprints emerge, fading as they
[02:13:02] move further away because the blood on
[02:13:03] the soles was gradually wiping off. As
[02:13:05] Zach sprays the base of the water tower,
[02:13:07] I call out, "Go around the tower. I want
[02:13:09] to see if we can bring out the shape of
[02:13:10] the weapon." Zach nods. Before he's even
[02:13:12] finished, the outline of half a hammer
[02:13:14] materializes. I step back from the
[02:13:15] camera with a smile and call mom. Mom,
[02:13:17] stop the examination. Is the city bureau
[02:13:19] definitely holding the press conference?
[02:13:21] Confirmed. Tomorrow morning at 9:00
[02:13:23] Academy grounds, mom answers, "Good.
[02:13:25] We're done for tonight." First thing
[02:13:26] tomorrow morning, I'll personally invite
[02:13:28] Jesso to attend. The night passes
[02:13:29] quickly. Morning comes bright and clear.
[02:13:31] The academy, the center of everyone's
[02:13:33] attention these days, is buzzing from
[02:13:35] first light. Students gather on the
[02:13:36] field waiting for the conference to
[02:13:38] begin. The first thing I do at 7:00 in
[02:13:39] the morning is call Jess. She picks up
[02:13:41] quickly. Jess, the real killer has been
[02:13:43] found. Today, the city bureau is holding
[02:13:45] a press conference here at the academy.
[02:13:46] The case will be made public. your wish
[02:13:48] to see this resolved. Today is the day.
[02:13:50] Two or three seconds of silence on the
[02:13:52] other end. Then in a heavy voice, Leo,
[02:13:54] thank you all of you. It's what needed
[02:13:56] to be done. I hang up, get dressed, and
[02:13:58] call Zach and Dale to come down. The
[02:13:59] field is packed. Looks like the entire
[02:14:01] academy is here, Zach says. I think I
[02:14:03] see Principal Sue. He's in the crowd.
[02:14:04] Dale suddenly points in another
[02:14:06] direction. Iris immediately runs over. I
[02:14:08] smile. Let's go say hello. Principal
[02:14:10] Sullivan Sue isn't sitting in the
[02:14:11] principal seat. He's standing among the
[02:14:13] students. under his watch, something
[02:14:15] this serious happened, even if it wasn't
[02:14:16] his direct fault. But I know that in the
[02:14:18] position of academy principal, the first
[02:14:20] responsibility is preventing students
[02:14:21] from committing crimes. The academy
[02:14:23] produces exceptional talent, but it can
[02:14:25] also produce criminals of extraordinary
[02:14:26] ability. That rule isn't written
[02:14:28] anywhere, but it's iron law all the
[02:14:29] same. The three of us greet Sullivan
[02:14:31] Sue. He looks tired, but sharp. You
[02:14:33] three have good eyes. Now, watch
[02:14:35] carefully. Do you think today's press
[02:14:36] conference is going to become a joke?
[02:14:38] Sullivan Sue didn't become principal
[02:14:39] because of seniority. My grandfather was
[02:14:41] the founding honorary principal.
[02:14:43] Sullivan Sue only took the role because
[02:14:45] qualified candidates were scarce at the
[02:14:46] time. Now the field is full of talent.
[02:14:48] And Sullivan Sue, though no longer
[02:14:50] young, remains undeniably the finest in
[02:14:52] his field. Iris and I watch the city
[02:14:54] bureau officials take their seats on the
[02:14:55] platform. No need to wait for the
[02:14:57] future. I say today everything becomes
[02:14:59] clear. Sullivan Sue looks at me
[02:15:01] surprised. Then genuine excitement fills
[02:15:03] his eyes. You found it? All of us nod at
[02:15:05] once, but my eyes are scanning the
[02:15:06] crowd. When I spot that familiar
[02:15:08] silhouette, I walk over. Jess, you made
[02:15:10] it. Want me to find you somewhere to
[02:15:12] sit? She smiles and shakes her head.
[02:15:14] I'll stand here with you and wait for
[02:15:15] the verdict. Okay. Though I never
[02:15:17] imagined a cafeteria worker could do
[02:15:19] something like this. I sigh. Who could?
[02:15:21] Maybe this place brings out what's in
[02:15:22] people. Spend everyday surrounded by law
[02:15:24] enforcement geniuses. Eventually, some
[02:15:26] of it rubs off. The truly skilled
[02:15:28] criminal. The thing about them is that
[02:15:30] even when they're the killer, people
[02:15:31] find it almost impossible to accept.
[02:15:33] Jess seems to be sighing to herself. I
[02:15:35] look at her. Well said. I've always
[02:15:37] believed the killer is usually hiding in
[02:15:38] exactly the place no one would think to
[02:15:40] look. just turns and looks at me as if
[02:15:42] she wants to say something, but an
[02:15:43] official on the platform has already
[02:15:45] stepped up to the microphone. Members of
[02:15:46] the press, faculty, students, good
[02:15:48] morning. I am Louie from the city
[02:15:50] bureau. Today's press conference covers
[02:15:52] one matter, the official case summary of
[02:15:53] the rooftop body concealment and the
[02:15:55] treeine concealment. After Louis's
[02:15:57] opening remarks, a reporter immediately
[02:15:59] calls out, "Deputy director Lee, the two
[02:16:01] cases at this academy have generated
[02:16:03] enormous attention online. Has the
[02:16:05] killer been apprehended before today's
[02:16:06] conference? And if so, will their
[02:16:08] identity be revealed today?" To the
[02:16:10] school administration, we understand two
[02:16:11] cases have occurred here. Is it true the
[02:16:13] former principal has resigned, deputy
[02:16:15] director Lee? And to the school's
[02:16:16] leadership, three people have died. The
[02:16:18] public impact has been severe. What
[02:16:20] steps will the academy take to prevent
[02:16:22] this from happening again? The reporters
[02:16:23] practically fight to get their questions
[02:16:25] in. On the platform, Deputy Director Lee
[02:16:27] raises a hand. Please, one at a time,
[02:16:29] I'll answer everything. Since this case
[02:16:31] first came to light, Secretary Louu of
[02:16:33] the city committee and bureau chief
[02:16:34] Raymond Jiao have both taken this
[02:16:36] extremely seriously. Chief Jao in
[02:16:38] particular has barely slept in three
[02:16:40] days over this case. But the effort has
[02:16:41] paid off. The real killer was indeed
[02:16:43] hiding within the academy just as many
[02:16:45] suspected. Conclusive evidence of
[02:16:46] prolonged chlorenol poisoning was found
[02:16:49] in all three victims. Ash Yang, Warrenu,
[02:16:51] and Eli Wu. Last semester, cafeteria
[02:16:53] worker Frank systematically laced the
[02:16:55] food of all three victims over an
[02:16:57] extended period. After this lead was
[02:16:58] uncovered, our bureau conducted a
[02:17:00] careful and thorough operation and
[02:17:02] successfully apprehended Frank. Deputy
[02:17:04] Director Lee delivers all of this with
[02:17:06] polished authority and conviction, but
[02:17:07] the reporters aren't easily satisfied.
[02:17:09] Someone asks if he was already poisoning
[02:17:11] them, why did he also commit brutal
[02:17:13] murders just before the break ended?
[02:17:14] Because all three had already graduated.
[02:17:16] The accumulated toxin in their systems
[02:17:17] wasn't yet lethal. And before the
[02:17:19] poisoning began, Frank had been
[02:17:20] assaulted by the three of them over a
[02:17:22] trivial dispute. He harbored a grudge.
[02:17:24] He ran out of patience. And so, in the
[02:17:26] final days before the break, he killed
[02:17:28] them one by one. The motive checks out.
[02:17:30] The timeline works. The reason is laid
[02:17:32] out plainly. The reporters go quiet.
[02:17:34] Unease ripples through the student body.
[02:17:36] They all eat at the same cafeteria. Who
[02:17:38] knows if any of them had unknowingly
[02:17:39] crossed Frank. A murmur spreads through
[02:17:41] the crowd. The parents of the three
[02:17:42] victims break down completely, but no
[02:17:44] one notices me reaching out and taking
[02:17:45] Jesso by the wrist, pulling her forward.
[02:17:48] Jess's eyes are red. Her face is full of
[02:17:50] grief. But the moment she feels my hand
[02:17:51] on her wrist, she startles. Before she
[02:17:53] can ask what I'm doing, she hears me
[02:17:55] call out toward the platform. Deputy
[02:17:56] Director Lee Frank only poisoned them.
[02:17:59] Who told you he was the one who actually
[02:18:00] killed Ash Yang? Warren J and Eli Woo.