Danmei Recap Site

Seven Seas

Ballad of Sword and Wine: Qiang Jin Jiu

Peerless: Wushuang

You’ve Got Mail: The Perils of Pigeon Post - Fei Ge Jiao You Xu Jin Shen

Run Wild: Sa Ye

Legend of Exorcism: Tianbao Fuyao Lu

Riverbay Road Men's Dormitory

Dinghai Fusheng Records

Joyful Reunion

Astrolabe Rebirth

My Husband and I Sleep in a Coffin

The Earth is Online

Wine and Gun

A Break in the Clouds (Poyun)

Art Thou Ailing?

Beyond the Snowstorm: A Windborne Love

Gold Class Enforcers

Hunt for the Leviathan

Obsessed

The Killer of Killers

Title1

The Earth is Online, Vol. 1

PreludeSix months before the story begins, enormous illusory black spires appear above cities around the world.
These spires resemble behemoth towers and are completely silent, provoking widespread attention and confusion.
Scientific and religious communities fail to provide any satisfactory explanation for the phenomenon.
Over time, humanity becomes desensitized to the spires and stops paying attention to them.
Tang Mo personally witnesses a small but critical anomaly: an insect crashes into a spire instead of passing through it, suggesting the spires are no longer illusions.
The day after Tang Mo's discovery, a mysterious childlike voice broadcasts a message to all humans globally.
The announcement, cheerful yet ominous, declares: “Ding-dong! It is the 15th of November, 2017. The Earth is now online.”
The event signals a new reality governed by unknown forces connected to the spires.
Following the announcement, three absolute laws of the Dark Spire are revealed: 1. The Dark Spire is the final authority. 2. Game time is between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. 3. All players must strive to conquer the Spire.

Chapter 1
The Earth Is OnlineTang Mo, a librarian in Suzhou, is working a routine day at the public library, dealing with visitors and colleagues like Zhao Yan and Mr Wang.
A strange man referred to as the "charlatan" (later revealed as Chen Fangzhi) is caught muttering about “God” and the Mayan civilization. He points at a mysterious levitating Dark Spire outside the library, claiming "God is coming."
The Dark Spire is described as a black, pyramid-like structure hovering 100 meters above Suzhou. It appeared six months ago without explanation, alongside over 1,000 others worldwide.
Initially a source of panic, the Spires eventually become normalized by society. Tang Mo regularly sees the one near his workplace but is largely indifferent to it now.
Tang Mo enjoys playing online bridge with a skilled player named Victor. Victor suddenly warns Tang Mo to stay away from the Dark Spire in the coming days.
Three days later, while Tang Mo is preparing to leave home for work, the Dark Spire plays “Jingle Bells” and emits a high-pitched child’s voice announcing: “The Earth is now online.”
Blue text appears on the Spire stating: "All players must eliminate another player within three days through methods including but not limited to games."
Global panic reignites, though many people either joke about or disbelieve the announcement. Tang Mo experiences anxiety, a racing heart, and restlessness.
He finds solace in bridge games, using them to calm himself over the next couple of days.
On the third day after the Spire’s announcement, a large crowd gathers outside the Spire. Some believe it heralds the apocalypse, while others treat it as a hoax or government experiment.
Tang Mo returns to the library to retrieve personal belongings before it is repurposed for research.
He hears sounds in the southeastern section and finds the charlatan Chen Fangzhi hiding a book. Despite suspicious behavior, nothing appears stolen.
Suddenly, a game is triggered: "Who Stole My Book?" The library becomes eerily quiet, and a childlike voice sings a creepy nursery rhyme. The library is now isolated in a white void.
A pixelated little girl with twin ponytails and no facial features appears, claiming she lost her book and asking Tang Mo and Chen Fangzhi to find it. She casually threatens to kill them if they don’t help.
She refers to her mother, "Mama," as a terrifying figure who will kill her if the book isn’t found.
After the girl vanishes, a diary appears on the library computer, describing her fear of her mother discovering the lost book. It ends ominously on November 18th with “I’m really dead this time.”
The confrontation game formally begins with the rules: 1. Violence is prohibited. 2. The Angel (one of the players) can receive one hint during the daytime. 3. The Demon (the other player) can burn one bookshelf at night.
The narrative introduces roles of Angel and Demon in the game, but doesn't clarify who is which.
The game setting turns twisted as the girl, named Mosaic, is described as sweet but fearful of her mother’s punishment for losing a book.
A bizarre fairytale is revealed: a demon stole the book, an angel stopped him, and the book was hidden in the library.
The voice declares: “O Kind and Wise Angel, after three days, Mosaic will be killed by her furious mother. Surely you cannot watch such an adorable little girl die.”
The chapter ends with Tang Mo fully immersed in the surreal, ominous game scenario with real stakes — he and Chen Fangzhi are trapped, and the game is about to begin.

Chapter 2
Who Stole My BookTang Mo and Chen Fangzhi (referred to as “the charlatan”) find themselves in a game triggered by the Dark Spire, inside a replica of the Suzhou Library’s third floor.
They discover they are part of the “Angel” camp, marked by wing patterns on their right hands.
Tang Mo suspects Chen Fangzhi may be hiding something due to his nervous behavior.
They realize they are trapped on the third floor; elevators and stairs are inaccessible.
A pixelated girl named Mosaic appears, demanding help to find her stolen book or else she will “die.”
Mosaic gives them vague hints daily. On Day 1, she provides “The Demon’s Feather.”
At night, the library darkens, and the Demon can burn one bookshelf. Shelf I is burned the first night.
Tang Mo deduces that each day/night cycle lasts 2 hours, not 24, making the total game span 12 hours.
On Day 2, Mosaic delivers another cryptic hint, “Mosaic's Stink Eye,” implying the Angel should know the book.
They try to brute-force shelf H by removing books one-by-one but are stopped at nightfall.
Shelf H is burned during the second night, shocking both of them since they were working on it.
On Day 3, Mosaic appears again, complaining. She gives a third hint, suggesting both Angel and Demon know the book.
Tang Mo tests Mosaic by provoking her emotionally and retrieves a book: The Secret Behind the Lost Mayan Civilisation.
Mosaic confirms it is her book, ending the game.
Chen Fangzhi reveals he was the Demon and brought Tang Mo into the game by deliberately luring him in.
He explains he worships the Dark Spire and had been selected for a 1v1 confrontation game but needed another player.
Tang Mo reveals he suspected Chen Fangzhi all along, citing inconsistencies in language and logic.
Tang Mo also deduced Mosaic assisted in setting the fires (her hair ends were singed).
The three hints from Mosaic indicated: 1. The Demon was deceptive and close by. 2. The Angel already knew the book. 3. The Demon also knew the book—narrowing the candidate to one they had both previously discussed.
Tang Mo’s victory is announced; he wins “Mosaic’s Giant Match” and “Mosaic’s Stink Eye.”
Chen Fangzhi loses and doesn’t know what the penalty entails.
They are still trapped in the library after the game ends.
At 6:00 a.m., Tang Mo suffers a sudden, dangerous increase in heart rate (over 500 bpm) but miraculously survives.
Chen Fangzhi helps him recover with cold towels, deepening their bond briefly.
When the door finally opens, Tang Mo's colleague Zhao Yan enters.
Tang Mo notices her legs are disappearing due to an invisible force.
Zhao Yan begs for help but is completely erased from existence within a minute.
The same fate begins to happen to Chen Fangzhi, revealing this is the penalty for losing.
In a panic, Chen Fangzhi begs Tang Mo to find his daughter Chen Shanshan in Shanghai and ensure she’s safe.
As he disappears, he provides her school and grade: Shibei Junior High, Year Seven.
Tang Mo promises to find her, and Chen Fangzhi disappears tearfully.
Alone and traumatized, Tang Mo kneels as the clock strikes eight.
A childlike voice announces: 498.16 million players have loaded into the global game.
The Three Absolute Laws of the Dark Spire are declared: 1. The Dark Spire is the final authority. 2. Game time is between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. 3. All players must strive to conquer the Spire.
Tang Mo stares up at the looming Dark Spire, now truly understanding the horrifying new world he’s been forced into.

Chapter 3
I'm Not Paying For ThatTang Mo leaves the library after the charlatan and Zhao Yan vanish with many others at 8:00 AM.
At the Dark Spire, scientists and law enforcement are also gone; Tang Mo doesn't linger, recognizing the mystery is beyond him.
With no public transport or working systems, Tang Mo steals a yellow rental bike by smashing its lock and cycles home.
His apartment is empty; Tang Mo grabs clothes and plans to go to Shanghai—partly to search for the charlatan’s daughter and reconnect with a university friend.
Tang Mo breaks into his elderly landlords’ apartment to borrow their car. They’re gone, and gas is leaking.
He finds the car key and drives off but suffers a sudden intense fever and chest pain, losing consciousness for ten hours.
Upon waking, Tang Mo discovers he has a supernatural ability tied to a sarcastic book titled “I’m Not Paying For That”. The book records his ability to collect others' powers.
His first test comes at a petrol station. While refueling using a staff card, he leaves two hundred yuan under a rock in symbolic payment.
Tang Mo is mugged by Qian Sankun, a shady man with unkempt hair and a knife, who steals Tang Mo’s wallet and attempts to take his car.
Tang Mo deceives Qian Sankun into letting him retrieve clothes from the boot, using the opportunity to test his new toughness and strike with the Giant Match.
The Giant Match proves immensely powerful, breaking Qian Sankun’s knife and injuring him.
A surprise burst of banknotes softens Tang Mo's second strike. Qian Sankun reveals his ability: tattoos on his wrists allow him to store items like money and weapons.
When Qian Sankun tries a sneak attack with a hidden knife, Tang Mo kills him with the Giant Match.
Tang Mo uses the book to absorb Qian Sankun’s ability, revealed to be “What Does He Have That I Don’t”, which lets users store inanimate objects as tattoos.
He stores the Giant Match in his wrist, gaining access to it at will.
The book teases that murder isn’t the only way to acquire powers but won’t clarify further.
Tang Mo buries Qian Sankun using the cash he loved so much.
On the road to Shanghai, Tang Mo demonstrates his new strength by physically clearing wrecked cars blocking the highway.
He encounters Li Wen, a dazed survivor of a car crash, and lets him hitch a ride. Tang Mo remains cautious but sees little threat in him.
Tang Mo shares limited info about his goals, including searching for a seventh-grade girl at Shibei Junior High.
A strange broadcast from the Dark Spire plays a cheerful Thanksgiving song. Then a system announcement repeats three times: Irregular Fu Wenduo has unlocked the first floor, and all players in China must challenge the Spire.
Tang Mo and Li Wen are pulled into darkness and fall into an underground cave.
Five others soon arrive through similar falls: Peng Yuwen, Lei Bin, Lin Qiao, Zhao Xiang, and Luo Fengcheng.
The group introduces themselves. Luo Fengcheng, a game designer who studied hydrology, deduces they’re in a subterranean cave near a water source.
Lei Bin, the PR worker, proposes they cooperate and theorizes this scenario is part of “conquering the Spire” as per the Three Absolute Laws.
They discuss the announcement and the possible purpose of their current trial.
A new announcement is made: “Dark Spire 1F initiated on dummy mode… Loading seven-player survival game… Story quest released: O Chosen Seven, survive!”

Chapter 4
Happy ThanksgivingThe seven characters—Tang Mo, Luo Fengcheng, Lei Bin, Zhao Xiang, Li Wen, Lin Qiao, and Peng Yuwen—wake up trapped in a cave by the Dark Spire.
A survival game is triggered by the Dark Spire: a seven-player escape challenge.
Lin Qiao hears digging sounds approaching the cave wall.
A giant, humanoid mole bursts into the cave, declaring it wants to roast a turkey using the humans as fuel, celebrating Thanksgiving.
The mole drops a giant turkey and identifies the humans as cooking fuel.
Zhao Xiang tries to flee and is instantly swatted unconscious by the mole.
The mole selects Peng Yuwen as kindling for the fire, grabs her by the head.
Lei Bin, Tang Mo, Li Wen, and Lin Qiao rush to save Peng Yuwen, pulling her back while Luo Fengcheng stomps on the mole’s toe.
They temporarily rescue her, triggering a quest: “Roast a turkey for the adorable Mr Moley.”
Luo Fengcheng throws a turkey leg as a weapon; Lin Qiao picks it up, and together with Luo Fengcheng they try attacking the mole.
Tang Mo summons a giant match using his ability, surprising everyone, and attacks the mole.
The mole easily catches the match but recognizes it as “Mosaic’s Match,” a powerful item, and begins roasting the turkey instead of fighting.
The mole happily cooks and eats the turkey, explaining that turkey roasted with Mosaic’s Match is the best.
The mole reveals knowledge of the game system: players are divided into official players, reserve players, and irregulars.
Official players participate and win Dark Spire games.
Reserve players do not win Dark Spire games but may participate in other challenges.
Irregulars are those who kill another person during the three-day initiation period.
The mole reveals that irregulars are rare, hated by the Dark Spire, and highly desirable to be eaten due to their powers.
A second side quest is triggered: “Find that wretched irregular!”
The mole detects one irregular among the seven humans and gives them one hour to identify the irregular—or he will eat one person every hour.
Tang Mo pretends to cooperate and asks how to identify the irregular.
Luo Fengcheng explains three categories of killers: unintentional, sociopathic, and premeditated but not inherently murderous.
Lei Bin accuses Tang Mo of being the irregular due to his ability but is countered by Li Wen and Luo Fengcheng.
Tang Mo and Lei Bin both confirm they are official players.
Lei Bin demonstrates his minor ability—drawing perfect circles—to prove his official player status.
Each person recounts their whereabouts during the three-day initiation: 1. Luo Fengcheng claims to be a Dark Spire researcher with verified credentials. 2. Lin Qiao stayed in her dorm the entire time gaming. 3. Li Wen was clubbing in Nanjing and was rear-ended in a car crash. 4. Zhao Xiang was doing food deliveries, including to two upscale estates. 5. Peng Yuwen was at home with her mother studying until her mother disappeared.
Lei Bin shares his game experience inside the Dark Spire, confirming his status as an official player.
Luo Fengcheng explains that people who kill show behavioral anomalies when confronted, except sociopaths or naïve murderers.
Tang Mo and Luo Fengcheng accuse Peng Yuwen of being the irregular based on her earlier behavior and reactions.
Peng Yuwen denies the accusation, crying and panicking.
Tang Mo firmly declares her to be the irregular, ending the chapter.

Chapter 5
A Large Turkey EggTang Mo accuses Peng Yuwen of being the irregular based on her statement and too-perfect recollection.
Lei Bin and Zhao Xiang agree with Tang Mo; Luo Fengcheng confirms the deduction with further reasoning.
Peng Yuwen tries to deny it but eventually admits she is the irregular and also admits to killing someone.
She reveals she murdered her newborn child because she never wanted to be a mother and couldn’t handle the burden.
Lin Qiao accuses her of cruelty, and Tang Mo points out that the child had the right to live.
Zhao Xiang celebrates finding the irregular, assuming their side quest is now complete.
Tang Mo asks Peng Yuwen about her ability, suspecting it relates to the torch she used.
Peng Yuwen reveals her power and violently lashes out, summoning a massive match identical to Mosaic’s Match.
She attacks Zhao Xiang and smashes his head with the match, fatally injuring him.
The mole intercepts Peng Yuwen's next attack, breaks her match, then brutally kills and eats her.
Tang Mo checks Zhao Xiang’s condition and confirms he is dead.
The mole critiques Peng Yuwen’s ability: she could replicate objects seen within 24 hours, but only twice daily and at reduced strength.
Luo Fengcheng and Tang Mo discuss how Peng Yuwen’s use of a torch indicated her ability.
The Dark Spire announces side quest 2 is complete.
Tang Mo asks about the real Mosaic’s Match; the mole instead gives him a “Large Turkey Egg” as a reward.
The mole reveals the egg can’t be hatched by humans and shows off thousands of similar eggs.
Tang Mo notices the mole has grown stronger, likely due to consuming Peng Yuwen.
The mole refuses to reward the others and mocks them by farting.
Lin Qiao and Lei Bin cover the remains of the deceased with clothing in a somber moment.
Tang Mo receives Lei Bin’s ability, “Cranky Curse Circle,” after taking the torch without payment.
He discovers his ability book shows Lei Bin’s curse ability, now linked to himself.
The turkey egg doesn’t break despite attempts to crack it; instead, it damages everything else.
On the first floor of the Dark Spire, Fu Wenduo finishes a deadly fight against a giant turkey and steals its rare egg.
Fu Wenduo barely survives and escapes the Dark Spire, receiving the same egg-type item as Tang Mo.
His egg is undamaged and reveals it is called Momo, with the ability to “save game progress.”
Tang Mo’s egg is damaged, displaying corrupted text and incomplete info.
Tang Mo and Fu Wenduo unknowingly contact each other via the turkey eggs, discovering they function like magical phones.
Both are surprised at the egg's communication range: from Shanghai to Beijing.
They test how to initiate and end calls: three taps to connect, holding it with both hands to end.
Fu Wenduo refuses to share much information; Tang Mo mirrors this, leading to mutual suspicion.
The name Momo causes confusion and awkwardness as Fu Wenduo unknowingly calls Tang Mo by a pet name.
The two part on civil but cautious terms.
Tang Mo returns to Shanghai with the egg, trying to locate Shibei Junior High to find a specific student.
The streets of Shanghai are chaotic; people are looting, wounded, or dying.
Tang Mo navigates carefully and observes survivors scavenging in small groups.
He finally finds the school and hears an announcement that players in the USA are about to enter the Dark Spire.
Tang Mo grows disturbed by the news that 80 million players have died since the game began.
Approaching the school, he encounters strange attacks like invisible nails, clearly set up as traps.
A voice tells him to stay away; Tang Mo suspects a trap and confirms it by springing it intentionally.
Tang Mo evades a deadly pitfall and corners a boy who had tried to trick him.
Another man—Mr Qin—appears, thinking Tang Mo is dangerous.
Just as tensions rise, Li Wen appears and explains the misunderstanding, recognizing Tang Mo and confirming he is trustworthy.

Chapter 6
Shibei Junior HighLi Wen reunites with Tang Mo at Shibei Junior High, bringing four students and a teacher, Mr Qin.
Tang Mo meets Chen Shanshan, the cool and intelligent girl he's been searching for.
Tang Mo reveals he knew Chen Fangzhi, her father, and informs her of his death, which she accepts with visible sadness but composure.
Mr Qin explains that only two teachers and sixteen students remain at the school after the Dark Spire games began; the rest disappeared.
Tang Mo is shown five corpses, including three students killed by irregulars in a post-game assault.
Li Wen and Mr Qin recount how irregulars demanded a matchstick item from Wang Chao, one of the students, and killed him and Mr Wang when they resisted.
Tang Mo stores the large matchstick item on his body with his ability.
Mr Qin introduces two official players among the students: Zhao Ziang (offensive ability) and Qiao Feifei (can identify others' roles).
Qiao Feifei can't see Tang Mo's identity until touching him, confirming he's an official player.
Chen Shanshan deduces that people became reserve players by winning games where the loser said “I’ve been eliminated,” influenced by the Dark Spire terminology.
Chen Shanshan has a genetic ability—“Genius-Level Intellect”—that enhances her cognitive skills and judgment accuracy.
Tang Mo receives Chen Shanshan's ability when she offers him biscuits and asks him to kill the irregulars.
Tang Mo and the group prepare for a nighttime assault from the remaining three irregulars: a gunner (infinite bullets), a fire-breather (emits 961°C flames), and a one-armed man who can grow flowers that bloom into deadly poison.
That night, the irregulars attack. Tang Mo kills the fire-breather using the Mosaic’s Match after a fierce battle.
Zhao Ziang shoots and kills the gunner from a clock tower.
The final irregular, the flower man, ambushes and fatally wounds Mr Qin.
Chen Shanshan and Zhao Ziang coordinate to destroy the flowers before they bloom and release poison.
The irregular reveals he never left the school and had been watching them the whole time.
The group desperately tries to destroy the flowers. Tang Mo bashes them with the match while others use nails, kitchen tools, and a pistol.
Just as the flowers begin to bloom under a cloud-covered moon, the clouds clear, stopping the process.
Tang Mo destroys the remaining flowers. Zhao Ziang kills the last irregular with a nail to the head.
The children stomp on the irregulars’ corpses and place them in a toilet. They then mourn Mr Qin’s death.
Zhao Ziang vomits from the emotional toll. Tang Mo consoles him and tells him to grow stronger.
Tang Mo acquires Xu Qiang’s (the fire-breather’s) ability, but vows never to use it due to its humiliating activation phrase.
Chen Shanshan offers Tang Mo water and thanks him for fulfilling her father’s wish. She chooses to stay with her schoolmates.
Tang Mo admits he wanted to take her with him for her intellect, but respects her decision.
Chen Shanshan asks for a hug, but the moment is ruined when Tang Mo hears the voice of Fu Wenduo in his head via the turkey egg.
Fu Wenduo contacts Tang Mo telepathically to use the egg's true ability—Momo—the "save game" function.
Fu Wenduo explains the egg allows a save file that lasts one hour and can only be created jointly.
Tang Mo activates the save file, and for the next hour, hears Fu Wenduo engaged in a brutal, one-sided fight.
At the 59th minute, Fu Wenduo, unable to draw the "L" to load the save, kills himself so the file auto-loads.
Fu Wenduo revives thanks to the save file and apologizes for wasting Tang Mo’s time.
Tang Mo realizes Fu Wenduo now owes him a favor and contemplates leveraging it later.

Chapter 7
Parting of WaysTang Mo and the students recover from the recent battle, sleeping in late due to exhaustion.
Tang Mo and Li Wen gather supplies from the campus supermarket and prepare to leave.
Tang Mo advises the five students (Zhao Ziang, Chen Shanshan, Qiao Feifei, and two boys) to split into two groups to reduce danger and avoid attention.
Chen Shanshan agrees with the plan, understanding the risks of traveling in a large group.
Tang Mo informs Chen Shanshan he is heading to Pudong to find a friend and may return in ten days.
Li Wen decides to search for his parents and leaves with Tang Mo since his house is along the way.
On the way, Li Wen appears cheerful but is clearly anxious about the possibility of finding his home empty.
At his villa, Li Wen hesitates to enter until Tang Mo breaks the gate open, offering silent support.
Inside, Li Wen finds no one but discovers a note from his mother saying she is alive and waiting in Kunshan.
Tang Mo encourages Li Wen to find his mother, and the two part ways near the Huangpu River.
As a final gesture, Tang Mo warns Li Wen not to blindly trust people, showing care with a playful tone.
Tang Mo continues alone to Pudong, becoming more aware of the population loss and danger now that he’s traveling solo.
He secures himself inside an abandoned eatery for the night using makeshift alarm traps.
Reflecting on his actions and the people he’s killed (Qian Sankun, the fire-breather, and others), Tang Mo remains emotionally detached.
He thinks about Fu Wenduo and the mysterious turkey egg, wondering how Fu Wenduo became an irregular.
The next day, Tang Mo meets a friendly university student and briefly ponders whether he's too cynical, but this feeling vanishes after discovering two headless corpses.
He reaches his friend Haozi’s neighborhood and encounters a disturbing scene: six corpses in a garden, all seemingly having killed each other.
Tang Mo investigates the corpses cautiously and then heads to Haozi’s apartment.
The flat is abandoned, with leftover food and signs of sudden disappearance; no note is left.
Tang Mo reminisces over a photo of himself, Haozi, and another friend from graduation, showing bittersweet emotion before leaving.
As he exits the complex, a suspicious old man pretends to need help with a sprained ankle.
Tang Mo is wary and walks away, but is ambushed by a group of seven players trying to drag him into a game.
Despite his quick reaction and escape, Tang Mo accidentally touches a planter, triggering a multiplayer game dungeon called "Pipes and Ladders".
Eight players, including Tang Mo, are forcibly entered into the game at 5:02 p.m., November 22, 2017.
The setting morphs into a massive spiral board game hosted by a disturbingly cheerful cartoon giant named Mario.
The board has 150 squares, various types (blank, prize, penalty, warp, king, convict, and game-clear), and a glowing red “START” square.
Mario explains the rules: roll dice, move forward, win rewards or face punishments depending on the square landed on.
Rewards include items like abilities and game saves; punishments can be fatal.
Tang Mo cleverly proposes using the order of names called by the Dark Spire to determine the rolling order, protecting himself from being the first to go.
First player Li Zhen lands on a blank square and survives; others get Magic Mushrooms (healing items) or land safely.
Tang Mo rolls last, lands on a level 1 penalty square, and must confess a misdeed (he glued a bully to a chair in school).
He plays it cool and gains Mario’s approval.
The next few rounds proceed: Tang Mo advances to square 20 and receives an Invincibility Flower (5 minutes of immunity).
Tang Mo deduces that some squares are safe or dangerous based on their effects: blank, prize, penalty, warp.
A level 3 penalty square triggers a fight against a Goomba for one player, resulting in severe injury.
Tang Mo grows suspicious about the reward mechanics, realizing that some rewards like the flower may be traps due to timing limitations.
Just as Li Zhen is about to roll again, Mario ominously announces he "forgot something important," causing Tang Mo to feel dread about a twist yet to be revealed.

Chapter 8
Pipes and LaddersMario announces a new game rule called "We Are Not In This Together", triggered from round five onward: if multiple players land on the same square, it turns into a level 7 penalty square, remaining deadly until only one player is left on it.
Tang Mo realizes the Invincibility Flower is meant to bait players into deadly traps once others follow into the same square.
The LED board displays the total number of Mario’s victims: 6,463 dead players, with Tang Mo and his group becoming the 6,464th group.
Li Zhen is terrified but rolls a three, landing her on square 20, sharing it with Tang Mo—but the effect isn't triggered since it's her first round.
The balding man avoids landing on square 20 by rolling a three and moves to square 22.
The beer-bellied man narrowly avoids triggering the rule and lands on square 21.
The taciturn man Zhao Guo rolls one and moves to square 16.
The young man rolls and reaches square 18; the young woman rolls five and jumps to square 27.
The young woman lands on a level 4 penalty square and is attacked by a black Koopa Troopa; she is brutally wounded but survives by timing her attack and beheading it.
The old man lands on square 24, and it becomes Li Zhen's target in her next turn.
Li Zhen rolls four, landing on square 24, triggering the level 7 penalty as it now has two players.
Black Mario spawns and attacks both players. Li Zhen stabs the old man in desperation, but he shoots her instead, killing her.
The old man is revealed to be named Qi Feng, who had faked a limp to manipulate Tang Mo into joining the game.
Tang Mo suspects one among the players has an ability, most likely the beer-bellied man or the balding man.
The game progresses several rounds without triggering the effect. The balding man reaches square 59, Tang Mo at square 53.
Qi Feng chooses to retreat using a warp square to square 29 instead of advancing, to maintain distance and avoid the effect again.
Tang Mo rolls a six, landing on square 60, which is already occupied by the balding man, triggering the deadly rule.
The balding man attacks with a knife, but Tang Mo easily defeats him with superior physical power.
Black Mario appears again. Tang Mo fights using Mosaic’s Match, suffering severe injuries, including a broken arm, while barely surviving.
When it becomes clear that only one person can survive the square, Tang Mo kills the already-dying balding man to end the effect.
Tang Mo draws a circle in blood and sarcastically wishes Mario health and longevity.
The players now fear Tang Mo, and his presence dominates the board.
A middle-aged man later dies gruesomely to level 5 penalty Cheep Cheeps, eaten alive until nothing is left.
The young woman rolls a six, which would land her on her boyfriend’s square. They promise to die together.
At the last moment, both betray each other: she stabs his chest, he stabs her abdomen. They die together in agony and betrayal.
Only Tang Mo (square 80), the beer-bellied man (62), and Qi Feng (55) remain.
Tang Mo reaches square 83 and triggers a free jump square.
Tang Mo asks Mario four key questions: 1. All 6,456 past players died here—Mario says they chose to "stay." 2. If one player finishes the board alone, he is not last place. 3. Mario confirms the existence of king and convict squares, though none appeared yet. 4. He also confirms the presence of a game clear square.
Tang Mo activates the turkey egg communication device to contact Fu Wenduo thousands of kilometres away.
Fu Wenduo answers mid-shower. Tang Mo requests: “Could you activate the game save function?”

Chapter 9
The ChallengersTang Mo receives a telepathic message from Fu Wenduo via a turkey egg, giving him one hour to use the save file, usable only once.
In the Pipes and Ladders dungeon game, Tang Mo confronts Black Mario, questioning the absurd odds of no one winning out of 6,456 players.
Tang Mo deduces that the game has been rigged: six convict squares in a row near the end make it impossible to win via standard progression.
Tang Mo reasons that warp squares were the only possible way to reach otherwise unreachable squares like square 1.
Despite skepticism from Qi Feng and the beer-bellied man, Tang Mo boldly decides to warp back to square 1 instead of advancing.
Black Mario reacts furiously to Tang Mo’s choice, but is confined to the stage and unable to attack him.
Tang Mo reaches square 1, triggering the hidden game clear square and winning Mario's Treasure.
As gold and gems rain down, a ruby marks the true game reward. Tang Mo takes it, which ends the dungeon and returns them to the real world.
Black Mario, enraged, slips on his own tears and accidentally kills himself by smashing his head on a coin stuck in the stage.
Tang Mo, Qi Feng, and the beer-bellied man return to the Shanghai residential complex and verify that four players have died; one corpse is missing.
Tang Mo uses his match ability to break the beer-bellied man's leg as punishment for dragging them into the dungeon.
The beer-bellied man reveals his ability: controlling wind, which he uses in a failed counterattack.
Tang Mo strips the beer-bellied man of his jacket to claim ownership of his ability and walks off.
A stranger named Nie Fei appears, identifying them as survivors of “Dungeon 2.” He invites them to his organisation’s base.
Qi Feng confirms they survived the game; Nie Fei calls in Tang Qiao and Ye Yuanze for support and proposes an information exchange.
The trio of strangers identify themselves as part of a 17-member organisation of powerful ability users called The Challengers.
The Challengers had previously found 7 dungeons; Dungeon 2 (Pipes and Ladders) was thought to be unbeatable with no known survivors—until now.
Tang Mo is wary but follows them to their base inside a massive shopping complex.
There, they meet Ajax, a towering foreigner, and are led to a researcher named Luo Fengcheng.
Luo Fengcheng and Tang Mo recognise each other—they survived the first floor of the Dark Spire together on November 19.
Luo Fengcheng confirms Tang Mo's identity and dismisses the others to speak with him privately.
They discuss login methods for the Dark Spire and player categories (official vs. reserve).
Tang Mo agrees to an information trade: he’ll reveal the contents of Dungeon 2 in exchange for knowledge about dungeons and Spire mechanics.
Tang Mo recounts the mechanics of Pipes and Ladders, the “We Are Not In This Together” effect, and how players were doomed by design.
Luo Fengcheng provides classified documents detailing three known dungeons: Dungeon 1: High death toll, mysterious animal attacks, players lose their hearts. Dungeon 2: Multiplayer deathmatch (Pipes and Ladders), with most players killing each other. Dungeon 3: Asphyxiation deaths, possibly an extreme survival game.
Tang Mo also receives a marked map of dungeon entrances in Pudong.
The Challengers' goal is to proactively raid dungeons to grow stronger, despite the dangers.
Luo Fengcheng reveals that the group was originally named Exist, formed by players who realised they couldn’t speak about the games and posted cryptic messages online.
After players began dying in the Dark Spire challenges, the group changed to a more offensive strategy and became The Challengers.
Tang Mo realizes their radical approach: they trade for information to prepare for harder dungeons, risking everything to grow.
He acknowledges the risk of joining such a group and ends by saying, “I’ll give joining some thought.”

Chapter 10
Kill BillTang Mo hides in a mall shop after leaving Luo Fengcheng’s office, disabling the security camera and examining his ability book.
He reviews his abilities, now possessing six: a storage skill, a curse circle, identity check, Chen Shanshan’s passive buff, and two offensive powers—fire-breathing and “Roar of the Tiger”.
Tang Mo inspects a ruby found in the last dungeon; after some handling, it turns into Mario’s Cap—an item that lets him headbutt for a chance at magical items, but he finds it silly and disappointing.
At night, Tang Mo leaves the mall; a shadow reports his departure to Luo Fengcheng, who cryptically notes a change in Tang Mo's file: “391” becomes “6461”.
Tang Mo visits Shibei Junior High’s gym and finds a moldy piece of bread and a farewell message on the wall from Chen Shanshan and Zhao Ziang.
A broadcast announces someone in Europe cleared the Dark Spire’s 1st floor; shortly after, Tang Mo receives notice that he has qualified to challenge the Dark Spire in 10 days.
In Shanghai, Zhao Ziang and Liu Chen scavenge for food. They suspect “Matchman”—a mysterious attacker using a giant match—is Tang Mo but dismiss the thought.
The real Matchman (Tang Mo) observes a target with a periscope, attacks and humiliates a beer-bellied irregular, and steals his ability: “Hit Me Baby One More Time,” which lets the user displace nearby objects as shields.
Tang Mo reflects on his limitations; although he has six abilities, most are restricted or passive, making him weaker in sustained fights.
He starts using Qiao Feifei’s “Buddy-o-Radar” ability to identify irregulars (murderers who awakened abilities before the games), ambushing and stealing their abilities.
Tang Mo camps near Nanjing Road, hunting irregulars and gaining the nickname “Matchman”. As players become more cautious, he plans to shift to targeting safe dungeons.
Tang Mo tails Ajax, the strongest Challenger, who enters a factory and vanishes through a manhole. Tang Mo follows and triggers the dungeon “Kill Bill”.
In a dark tunnel, Tang Mo meets a red-haired man who thinks Tang Mo is his shift replacement. The man says “Bill has gone mad” and flees.
Tang Mo finds a dying blond named Carris, wearing the same uniform. Carris warns of a terrifying monster and offers Tang Mo a wooden club as a weapon.
The quest “Kill Bill” begins with three rules: abilities are prohibited, only a kerosene lamp may be used, and only the wooden club can hurt the monster.
Tang Mo encounters Bill, revealed to be a massive earthworm kept as a circus exhibit. The earthworm attacks violently and is nearly impervious to the club.
Tang Mo fights it but fails to defeat it within 20 minutes. He is ejected from the dungeon unharmed—the game resets, confirming it’s a safe dungeon.
On his second attempt, Tang Mo burns Carris’s uniform and his own clothes to use fire to trap and limit the earthworm, combining fire and melee strikes with the club.
He deals damage to the worm's bulging pink ring (a weak spot), but the flames extinguish and the worm regains mobility. Tang Mo barely survives, and the game resets again.
On the third run, Tang Mo proceeds more cautiously, questioning the purpose of the dungeon. He realizes: Carris is Bill.
Tang Mo meets the ginger man again, then confronts the injured Carris. Instead of going deeper into the tunnel, he bludgeons Carris to death with the wooden club.
The chapter ends with Tang Mo reflecting on the cryptic nature of the Dark Spire's game logic: Bill was not the earthworm but the dying man, and the real objective was to kill him.

Chapter 11
CountdownAjax appears at the factory entrance, meeting Tang Qiao.
Ajax excitedly tells Tang Qiao he defeated the earthworm in Dungeon S3 but still failed the quest.
Tang Qiao is shocked; she suspects the dungeon objective might not be to kill the earthworm.
Tang Mo clears the "Kill Bill" dungeon, obtaining the reward Earthworm Tear, but is not teleported out.
Tang Mo reenters the tunnel, discovering the earthworm is still caged and acting pitiful, speaking in a childish, emotional voice.
The earthworm, assuming Tang Mo is friendly, snuggles against him. Tang Mo tries comforting it to elicit a tear.
Tang Mo realizes he was misled by Ajax’s assumption that the earthworm was the dungeon boss.
He identifies hints suggesting Bill is the real "monster" of the story, not the earthworm.
Tang Mo analyses clues: 1. Ginger man’s wounds came from sharp objects, not the earthworm. 2. "Bill is a monster" could be literal or metaphorical. 3. Earthworm may be a misunderstood victim, not the objective.
Tang Mo deduces the story: Bill beat the earthworm while drunk, injuring the ginger man in the process.
Earthworm escaped the cage and injured Bill in self-defense.
Tang Mo comforts the crying earthworm but cannot get it to shed a real tear.
Eventually, the earthworm wakes up and searches for an exit, accidentally triggering a secret door.
As it tries to leave, Tang Mo begs for a tear and prepares to use Mosaic’s Match to stun it.
Just before being struck, the earthworm gives him a real tear and flees the dungeon.
Tang Mo is teleported back to the factory in Pudong and safely leaves the area.
Tang Mo stores the tear in a garage. The tear solidifies into a crystal with healing properties.
Item Description: Earthworm Tear heals wounds and traumatic injuries, usable three times.
Tang Mo reflects that it was worth the uncomfortable process to get such a useful item.
Meanwhile, Ajax reports his failure again to Luo Fengcheng.
Luo Fengcheng deduces the real target in S3 is the blond man, not the earthworm.
Ajax is shocked and resolves to try again the next day, but the dungeon entrance no longer works — it has been cleared by Tang Mo.
Ajax’s opportunity is lost; he decides to try Dungeon S1 instead.
Tang Mo, unaware he stole Ajax’s chance, continues hunting for safe dungeons.
Tang Mo clears another solo dungeon while tailing a player; it is long but not difficult.
He prepares for the floor challenge, ensuring weapons are ready and food is stocked.
Tang Mo eats and reflects on his reduced hunger due to physical changes after previous dungeons.
He contacts Fu Wenduo using the turkey egg to ask about the floor challenge.
Fu Wenduo describes his floor challenge: his quest was to steal the turkey egg, while his teammates had to protect it.
Fu Wenduo and his team entered a divided world: Underland and Monster World, separated by a pink river.
Players had to use a ferry with game constraints to cross to Monster World.
A fierce battle with a giant turkey ensued; three died, one escaped. Fu Wenduo succeeded and claimed the egg.
Tang Mo reflects on his chances: Fu Wenduo’s offensive ability helped him, but Tang Mo is not an irregular, which makes his situation slightly safer.
Tang Mo thanks Fu Wenduo, who wishes him luck and hopes the turkey egg retains its save feature.
Tang Mo prepares and walks to the Dark Spire in Jing'an, determined but calm.
Meanwhile, two injured men stumble into Shanghai, terrified and desperate, searching for irregulars.
They fear the Cannibals, a murderous irregular group, might be in Shanghai.
They break down upon hearing Shanghai also has irregulars.
The chapter ends with Tang Mo standing under the Dark Spire as it initiates: "Ding-dong! Dark Spire Floor 1 initiated on normal mode..." "Welcome to Monster World!"

The Earth is Online, Vol. 2

Chapter 12
Monster ValleyTang Mo enters the Dark Spire’s first floor and finds himself in a surreal forest rather than the usual game environment.
He receives no immediate quest, only a brief “Welcome to Monster World” message, so he starts exploring cautiously.
Spotting a knife-shaped mountain peak in the distance, Tang Mo uses it as a landmark but fails to reach it even after walking for an hour.
While moving, he hears rhythmic thuds approaching and is soon chased by a giant three-meter-tall white rabbit with red eyes.
Tang Mo uses his powerful ability “I Am Fire, I Am Death” to burn the rabbit and the forest, triggering a massive wildfire.
The destruction forces Tang Mo to flee. A side quest is triggered: “Impersonate Little Red Riding Hood and infiltrate Monster Valley.”
As he tries to escape, he encounters a group of humanoid monsters heading to fight the fire, including a gorilla-headed man, pig-headed man, and monkey-headed creatures.
Tang Mo hides in a tree but is detected by a dog-headed monster who smells him out.
He is surrounded by the monsters who chant about eating Underlanders. Tang Mo is forced to think quickly.
He uses a ruby to summon Mario’s Cap and declares he is Little Red Riding Hood to fulfill the side quest.
The monsters are confused but a parrot recalls that Little Red Riding Hood is the hybrid granddaughter of Grandma Wolf.
Mr Gorilla believes the disguise and offers to escort “Little Red Riding Hood” to her grandma’s house.
They exit the forest and enter Monster Valley, a strange underground realm.
Tang Mo is led to Grandma Wolf’s pink cottage and meets her — a massive, muscular werewolf in a tutu with a bowler hat.
Grandma Wolf immediately suspects Tang Mo but believes his disguise because of the foul smell of the cap (which belonged to his “father”).
She drags him inside, reveals she eats Underlanders, and assigns Tang Mo seven days of labor in exchange for seven bronze coins.
The story quest is then triggered: “Monster Valley’s Jolly Whac-A-Gopher.”
Tang Mo must catch a golden gopher in the next seven days or be eaten by Grandma Wolf.
The golden gopher appears only at 6 p.m., once per day, in one of nine tunnels, attracted by yam made from Underland objects.
Black gophers may appear instead, which eat Underlanders.
Tang Mo tests the pink jar that converts Underland objects into yam, but it rejects decomposed Underlander hair as "bleurgh!"
He tries fresher hair, also rejected. Finally, he uses Mario’s Cap to knock out a set of filthy dentures, which the jar accepts, producing proper yam.
With three attempts per day using Mario’s Cap, Tang Mo obtains usable items but notes the drop rate is low and the items are mostly junk.
He scouts the nine tunnels and finds deep claw marks and mixed fur, deducing that the black and golden gophers are equally large and powerful.
On Day 1, Tang Mo places yam outside the fifth tunnel but hides ten meters away instead of standing with the food.
A black gopher appears, devours the yam, then stares directly at Tang Mo, radiating bloodlust before retreating.
Tang Mo confirms the golden gopher cannot appear unless he stands at the same tunnel as the food; otherwise, the black gopher may show up.
He decides to avoid placing the bait again until later days to gather more information and avoid unnecessary danger.
Tang Mo returns to the cottage, planning the rest of the seven-day challenge with the goal of catching the golden gopher and surviving.

Chapter 13
Whac-A-GopherTang Mo uses Mario’s Cap to obtain junk and exchanges one for a yam via the pink jar.
He prepares to bait a gopher by placing the yam at the fifth tunnel at 6 p.m., hoping to attract the golden gopher.
Instead, Tang Mo is ambushed by the black gopher, which is extremely intelligent and aggressive.
Tang Mo uses darts and the Giant Match to fight and manages to injure it by snapping one of its claws.
The black gopher traps Tang Mo in the tunnel, forcing him to confront it head-on before narrowly escaping with a torn back.
Tang Mo notices crushed porcelain powder in the third tunnel, deduces someone else placed a plate there during the time he was distracted by the black gopher.
He confirms that when food is placed in multiple tunnels, the golden gopher cannot appear, only the black gopher does.
Realizes the plate count in Grandma Wolf's kitchen is unchanged—meaning someone else placed a plate.
Attempts to leave the mountain but is blocked by force fields, confirming he’s trapped in the game space.
Reassesses the Dark Spire's rules, concluding they never stated he was the only player in the game.
Suspects the unknown player may also be trying to catch the golden gopher or possibly aiming for the black one.
Tries to use Cranky Curse Circle to target the other player but finds his active abilities are disabled in the dungeon.
Tests multiple abilities—all fail except storage abilities, such as summoning the Giant Match and using Mario’s Cap.
Attempts to use the Earthworm Tear (a healing item) and turkey egg (to contact Fu Wenduo) but both initially fail.
Uses Mario’s Cap again and successfully retrieves a Phantom’s Pocket Watch, which can grant five minutes of invisibility.
Later manages to contact Fu Wenduo using the turkey egg, and learns it's actually December 6th, not December 1st as he thought.
Fu Wenduo reveals Tang Mo contacted him on December 3rd, saying he needed to "save the game" because the challenge might end early.
Tang Mo deduces a time loop or memory manipulation is in play, and he's caught in a repeating cycle.
Figures out the Circus of Curiosities is involved, tying back to a prior dungeon called Kill Bill, where he released one of the circus’s treasures.
Suspects Grandma Wolf might return early, affecting the game timeline.
Tang Mo asks Fu Wenduo to ask “Tang Mo” tomorrow what his lucky number is, to verify continuity.
Tang Mo's lucky number is nine, tied to his crush’s birthday on September 9th.
Uses the ability I Am Your Father on himself, changing his name to Momo for three days, revealing his deepest secret: he has quietly crushed on Victor.
Under the ability's influence, Tang Mo (now Momo) believes his name is Momo, even though he knows it’s not.
Realizes his own ability changed his name universally, even altering the ability book and external references.
Contacts Fu Wenduo again, who now also calls him Momo, further confirming the ability's impact.
Tang Mo reflects that the Spire game’s simplicity is deceptive, and something is fundamentally wrong—especially regarding time.
Considers two theories: 1. The Dark Spire wipes or resets his memory, making him think it’s always Day 1. 2.There are multiple versions of Tang Mo in the same game, all unaware of each other, possibly acting at the same time.
Ends the chapter preparing for the final day, now fully aware that time has passed and that he may not be the only “him” in the game.
Fu Wenduo affirms his support and says he hopes to see Tang Mo/Momo in Shanghai.

Chapter 14
Devouring HeartsTang Mo collects items to prepare food for the golden gopher, ultimately offering a large yam at the ninth gopher tunnel at exactly 6:00 p.m.
At moonlight, a golden gopher appears and eats the yam enthusiastically; just as it finishes, the illusion around Tang Mo shatters.
The massive golden gopher vanishes, replaced by a tiny one with a swollen belly; Tang Mo traps it in a sack.
Tang Mo investigates the other tunnels and finds evidence of repeated timelines involving plate traces, indicating looping events.
Tang Mo realizes the golden gopher is manipulating time; each day since December 1st, a new version of himself appears.
Tang Mo names these versions TM-1 to TM-7; each version believes they are in the original timeline, causing desynchronization.
The timelines synchronize every day at 6 p.m., causing loss of ability precedence for earlier versions.
Tang Mo deduces that precedence determines who can use abilities or affect the timeline.
Tang Mo concludes that the game is single-player and the other "player" is always himself in another timeline iteration.
TM-3 tries to catch the golden gopher early due to a newspaper headline suggesting the game might end prematurely.
TM-6 uses Phantom's Pocket Watch to enter the tunnel unseen and "I Am Your Father" ability to synchronize names across timelines, revealing a hidden confession: Tang Mo has quietly crushed on Victor for the longest time.
On the seventh day, all seven Tang Mo variants converge on the ninth tunnel and catch the golden gopher, completing the quest.
Tang Mo earns five bronze coins and exchanges them with Grandma Wolf for a powerful magical parasol.
Grandma Wolf attempts to cook Tang Mo, but is interrupted by Mr Gorilla who comes to escort Tang Mo to safety.
Grandma Wolf reacts with shock upon seeing the golden gopher, calling it the Golden Spacetime Gopher.
Grandma Wolf demonstrates the gopher's ability to multiply through time loops using a hamster wheel.
Tang Mo refuses to follow Grandma Wolf to her bedroom and narrowly avoids another trap.
Mr Gorilla arrives and offers Tang Mo a way out; Tang Mo leaves the cottage.
Quest complete: Tang Mo receives 21 points, unlocking the hidden story quest and clearing the Dark Spire’s first floor on hard mode.
Global notification announces “Player Momo” (Tang Mo) has cleared the floor on hard mode; many players around the world take note of the name.
Tang Mo vents his anger by smashing a monument, then reflects on the misleading challenge and hidden difficulty escalation.
Tang Mo examines his rewards: Grandma Wolf's Parasol (excellent defense/offense) and King’s Gold Coin (lets player skip a Dark Spire game once).
Tang Mo falls asleep for the first time in a week but is awakened by screams and discovers a man with his heart ripped out.
Tang Mo finds another corpse in a car trunk with the same missing heart.
He drives through an increasingly deserted Shanghai, encountering more heartless corpses.
At a megamall, Tang Mo meets Luo Fengcheng and learns that "irregulars"—humans, not monsters—are behind the killings.
Luo Fengcheng reveals that these irregulars consume hearts within three minutes of death and have killed Nie Fei, a former ally of Tang Mo.
Tang Mo deduces that heart consumption may be linked to gaining strength.
Luo Fengcheng suggests two theories: societal collapse freeing cannibalistic urges, or that cannibalism directly increases power.
Tang Mo and Luo Fengcheng agree: the irregulars consume hearts to become stronger.

Chapter 15
30-Second ManQiao Feifei and Chen Shanshan discover a second corpse with its heart gouged out in Fengxian, Shanghai. Qiao Feifei vomits from shock, while Chen Shanshan examines the body methodically.
Chen Shanshan suspects that Zhao Ziang and Liu Chen may have headed west, toward the danger, and decides to search for them despite the cannibal threat.
In Pudong, Tang Mo tells Luo Fengcheng about a man who died quietly while Tang Mo was asleep just 100 meters away. This raises alarm about the cannibals' stealth.
Ajax, the strong blond man, brings back two boys — Zhao Ziang and an unconscious Liu Chen, who was critically injured by an irregular named Electroman.
Lizzie and Tang Qiao attempt to save Liu Chen with limited equipment. Tang Mo intervenes with a magical item, Earthworm Tear, healing Liu Chen temporarily.
Tang Mo talks privately with Zhao Ziang, learning that they had been isolated and unaware of the cannibals’ spread until it was too late.
Zhao Ziang reveals his growing telekinetic ability — he can now throw stones (and knives) with force within a short range, but it exhausts him.
Tang Mo reflects on Zhao Ziang’s evolving powers and suspects abilities may have “levels.” He checks his own ability book but finds his ability lacks clear restrictions or level designations.
To test ability collection, Tang Mo asks Zhao Ziang for his knife willingly, but the boy’s power doesn’t appear in the book — indicating deeper collection restrictions.
Luo Fengcheng shares intel on the seven known irregular cannibals from Suzhou, who have killed over 1,000 players. Notable ones: 1. Electroman: lightning powers, cooldown of 32 seconds. 2. Blindfold: ability unknown, always accompanied by another irregular, possibly vision-related. 3. Flash: superhuman speed, alias for a scarred man.
Zhao Ziang chooses to join the Challengers to grow stronger and protect friends. He shares Chen Shanshan’s message-drop system at their school using hidden notes.
Tang Mo agrees to leave a note for Chen Shanshan. Disguised as a casual jogger, he makes a stealthy journey to Shibei Junior High.
At the school, Tang Mo lays the note but is ambushed by the scarred man — Flash, one of the seven cannibals.
Tang Mo fights Flash using Grandma Wolf’s Parasol (a dual-mode weapon), Zhao Ziang’s defensive debris ability, and clever misdirection.
Tang Mo tricks Flash by lodging the parasol into the security door, blocking his escape. He then activates his ability “I Am Fire, I Am Death,” incinerating Flash with 800°C flame.
As Flash attempts a last strike, Tang Mo finishes him off using a summoned massive match from another ability.
Flash dies with the words: “Why... do you... have... three abilities…” confirming Tang Mo has multiple powers — unusual and dangerous.
Tang Mo rewrites and replaces the burned letter for Chen Shanshan and returns to base, concealing most of the battle details.
In a parallel scene, Fu Wenduo enters Suzhou. He survives an ambush by a bald man using bladed weapons, revealing Fu Wenduo's steel-like body and deadly combat skills.
Back in Pudong, Tang Mo confirms to Luo Fengcheng that he killed Flash. The Challengers suspect someone is leaking information to the cannibals.
Tang Mo learns Flash may have targeted him because he resembled another irregular named Gluttony, who Flash hated but couldn't attack.
Luo Fengcheng suspects Gluttony is either Blindfold or a refined man seen at the Bund.
Luo Fengcheng plans to go on the offensive. They track the cannibals to a cinema above Madame Tussauds in Puxi. A raid is scheduled in three days during a rainstorm.
Tang Mo gains a new ability: “30-Second Man” (from Flash), which allows movement at Mach 1 speed for 30 seconds — but shortens lifespan and causes daily side effects. It's a double-edged sword.
The chapter ends with Tang Mo being told he has visitors — revealed to be Chen Shanshan and Qiao Feifei, who have returned to the base safely.

Chapter 16
Brewing StormHere is a full spoiler-filled bullet-point summary of Chapter 16: Brewing Storm with every major plot point:
In Suzhou Industrial Park, Fu Wenduo kills a cannibalistic woman using a tetrahedral obsidian weapon. Her severed right hand and psychokinetic attacks fail to stop him.
He gets a minor cheek injury but defeats her with a final stab to the throat. Her death avenges a victim named Lulu.
Fu Wenduo departs the scene and his wound heals rapidly due to his abilities.
In Shanghai, Tang Mo reunites with Chen Shanshan and Qiao Feifei after they find his message at their school. They risk travel despite irregulars patrolling the city.
Luo Fengcheng questions how much Tang Mo told them; Tang Mo insists he only mentioned they joined an ability-user organisation.
Chen Shanshan deduces Tang Mo’s group opposes the Cannibals, inferring from subtle clues.
She reveals a schoolmate stayed behind due to reuniting with surviving family.
Tang Mo confirms to Chen Shanshan that they plan to eliminate the remaining irregulars (Cannibals). Six remain, but only one’s ability is known.
Chen Shanshan displays improved deduction and insight since they last met.
Tang Mo and Ajax prepare to clear dungeon S4 but expect it won’t aid the upcoming fight.
Zhao Ziang tells Feifei and Shanshan about his injuries and dramatic rescue. Chen Shanshan focuses on Liu Chen’s condition.
Luo Fengcheng confirms rain is forecast and the team will launch a surprise attack during the storm.
Tang Mo and Luo discuss "Gluttony"—a key Cannibal member. Two suspects: a bespectacled man and a blindfolded teenager.
Chen Shanshan is consulted; she picks the blindfolded teen based on intuition alone.
Tang Mo trusts her judgment due to her innate ability to guess unknowns with up to 50% accuracy.
The next evening, Tang Mo and 10 Challengers begin the raid. They split into teams and ascend to the cinema on the twelfth floor during the rainstorm.
Tang Mo enters a theatre alone and ambushes the bespectacled man using a parasol and wind-based ability “Roar of the Tiger.”
After a strategic aerial fight, Tang Mo impales the man’s chest, killing him.
He finds three Challenger corpses and four Cannibal corpses, confirming only two Cannibals remain.
He saves Ajax from a pyrokinetic woman, Dong Si, using the rubber rope ability he just gained.
Dong Si nearly kills Tang Mo in hand-to-hand combat. She is the most formidable foe he’s ever faced.
Tang Mo uses another ability—time-freeze—to fatally stab her from behind. It costs him four minutes of his life and weakens his body.
Before dying, Dong Si slaps the ground to warn Blindfold. He summons fire to block Tang Mo and escapes toward another building.
Tang Mo chases but finds Blindfold killed by Zhao Ziang using a nail through the skull. It’s Zhao Ziang’s second kill, motivated by revenge for Liu Chen.
All six Cannibals are now confirmed dead.
Tang Mo and Zhao Ziang return to find Ye Yuanze has died from injuries. Only Tang Qiao remains from Tang Mo’s original companions.
The team recovers at the building overnight. Four Challengers died in the operation, bringing total losses to five with Nie Fei.
Tang Mo burns down the Cannibals’ base the next day, symbolizing freedom for the locals.
Back at base, Luo Fengcheng and Tang Mo reflect on Blindfold likely being Gluttony due to his support role and possible link to the Cannibals’ heart-consuming powers.
Tang Mo decides to return to Suzhou, home of the Cannibals, where others may still be alive.
Luo reveals Chen Shanshan asked to become his student. He agrees, seeing her raw intelligence but limited knowledge.
Qiao Feifei also joins the Challengers due to her power to detect other abilities, making her valuable for security.
Tang Mo gains two new powers: 1. “I’m Gonna Be The Pirate King’s Man” from Liu Zhen: launches rubber ropes that can’t be removed for 30 seconds (Tang Mo edition). 2. “Raging Inferno” from Dong Si: creates fire up to 1535°C with rapid water loss as side effect (Tang Mo edition: max 3 uses/day).
Tang Mo prepares to leave. He tells Chen Shanshan she can decide whether to join him or not.
As he walks away on Christmas Eve, a Dark Spire announces a global event: the “Christmas Eve Surprise Dungeon.”
Despite the claim that all players in China will enter a dungeon in 3 minutes, Tang Mo remains untouched and unaffected.
Suddenly, Santa Claus appears in the sky with reindeer and starts dropping “Christmas Tree Twigs” (entry tokens for the dungeon).
Tang Mo fights other players for a twig and wins after fending off a boomerang-wielding woman.
He enters Christmas Eve Surprise Dungeon 419 in China Zone 2.
Inside, he finds himself on a white battlefield with 7 others—4 players per side, divided by a central golden star.
As plaques rise before each player, Tang Mo’s attention is caught by a man in black who returns his stare.
They exchange a silent but charged look, setting the stage for what comes next.

Chapter 17
Christmas SpecialTang Mo and seven other players encounter a singing puppet named Pinocchio in a white void, marking the start of a Christmas-themed dungeon game.
Pinocchio, clearly unstable and unpredictable, introduces “Pinocchio’s Honest Card Game” as part of Santa Claus’s Christmas Eve Surprise Dungeon.
He berates humans for being dishonest and reveals that multiple "irregulars" are present, meaning players with unusual status or abilities. Tang Mo suspects the man in black is one.
Pinocchio announces the prize: a King’s Gold Coin, which grants the ability to skip a Dark Spire game, enter and exit Underland cities, and has immense value.
The game setup involves two teams of four, each with a set of four cards: Slave, Knight, Chancellor, and King/Queen.
The card mechanics are cyclical: Slave defeats King/Queen, King/Queen defeats Chancellor and Knight, Chancellor defeats Knight and Slave, Knight defeats Slave.
The game is supposed to be peaceful if both teams play cards in a specific honest order: Slave → Knight → Chancellor → King/Queen. If both teams match cards, they are discarded. If they don’t match, a duel is triggered in the "Field of Honour."
Pinocchio bets Santa Claus that the players will cheat; if so, he gets to give out the Gold Coins to the winning team.
Tang Mo’s team (Tang Mo, Zhao Wenbin, Qiang, and high school girl Lulu) discusses strategy. Zhao Wenbin leads, proposing they start with Chancellor to play it safe. Tang Mo suggests Queen but doesn’t object when outvoted.
Tang Mo still stands on the Queen card’s position during the selection phase, potentially testing the mechanics.
The opposing team plays the King. Tang Mo’s team plays the Chancellor. Since King beats Chancellor, Lulu (the representative) is forced to duel.
Lulu panics, pulls a gun, and fires at the man in black but accidentally hits the middle-aged woman on his team.
She empties two pistols and attacks with a knife, all failing. The man in black is calm and precise; he ends the duel with a dagger at her throat and forces her to yield.
After tricking him with a last-ditch weapon, she is finally defeated and pulled into a black portal—sent to the next brutal game.
The first round ends, and Tang Mo’s team now has only three cards left.
Tang Mo announces loudly they will play the Queen next round, likely as a psychological tactic.
Zhao Wenbin and Qiang panic, accusing Tang Mo of sabotage. He remains calm.
Tang Mo deduces something critical: the opposing team didn’t reach a consensus to play the King—they were likely a single unit.
He realizes the three teammates of the man in black don’t think independently and only the man in black is real, controlling all decisions.
Tang Mo uses a magical pink parasol weapon and asserts dominance over his team, injuring Qiang and flooring Zhao Wenbin effortlessly.
He declares that he alone will lead the team and make all decisions. If they disobey, he will kill them after the game.

Chapter 18
Grovel to Your QueenFu Wenduo and Tang Mo's teams face each other in the next round of Pinocchio's Honest Card Game.
Tang Mo tricks Pinocchio into almost violating the rules, testing his boundaries and confirming some game mechanics.
Tang Mo aggressively takes control of his team’s card decision, forcing them to play the Queen card.
The opposing team’s card clashes with Tang Mo's team’s, triggering a “Field of Honour” duel.
Qiang, who is forced to play the Queen, is chosen as the representative and duels a young woman.
The young woman uses a strange bullet-bending ability to kill Qiang, becoming the first confirmed death of the game.
Tang Mo deduces Fu Wenduo played the Knight to avoid unnecessary bloodshed, despite having the chance to play a more aggressive card.
A deep conversation occurs between Tang Mo and Fu Wenduo. Tang Mo asks if the King's Gold Coin is more important than “Momo” (his turkey egg). Fu Wenduo answers “No” but clarifies he wouldn’t give up the Gold Coin for it.
Tang Mo realizes Fu Wenduo knows he possesses a King’s Gold Coin, despite his attempts to conceal it.
Tang Mo figures out Fu Wenduo's identity before the second round ends; Fu Wenduo had recognized Tang Mo’s voice before the first.
Tang Mo bets Fu Wenduo that they’ll end up standing in the same space again in the third round.
The bet's stakes: If Tang Mo wins, they end the game peacefully; if Fu Wenduo wins, their relationship with Momo won’t be affected.
Tang Mo and Fu Wenduo purposely stand on the border between spaces, skirting the game’s conditions and winning the bet.
Fu Wenduo keeps his word and agrees to end the game peacefully, frustrating Pinocchio.
Tang Mo defeats the bullet-wielding young woman in a duel, surviving her deadly power through skill and item use.
A middle-aged woman forfeits instantly upon seeing Tang Mo, mistaking him for a deadly irregular.
Only Tang Mo and Zhao Wenbin remain on one team; Fu Wenduo and an old man remain on the other.
Tang Mo and Fu Wenduo agree to follow the standard card sequence to end the game without further death.
Fu Wenduo plays the King card while Tang Mo plays the Slave card; Tang Mo wins the round.
Pinocchio, excited by the game, accidentally violates the rule by admitting he knows the card contents.
Pinocchio loses his Underland citizenship. The dungeon is renamed from “Pinocchio’s Honest Card Game” to “Santa’s Honest Card Game.”
Tang Mo and Fu Wenduo immediately attack Pinocchio for cheating.
A fast-paced battle erupts; Tang Mo and Fu Wenduo work in seamless coordination, gradually overpowering Pinocchio.
Both reveal a portion of their abilities during the fight—Fu Wenduo's body-weapon transformation, Tang Mo's item-based matchstick attack.
Fu Wenduo restrains Pinocchio with a magical binding rope, completely subduing him.
Tang Mo reminds Pinocchio he no longer represents Underland or the game, nullifying his threats.
A duel is still technically active between Tang Mo and Fu Wenduo because of the King-Slave matchup.
Just as Tang Mo prepares to use the turkey egg to escape the duel, a crack breaks the glowing ribbon of challenge.
A voice booms, “Hohoho, Merry Christmas!” ending the chapter.

Chapter 19
Dark Spire Version 2.0Santa Claus arrives dramatically in a sleigh pulled by reindeer, scaring everyone with his presence.
Santa Claus is furious at Pinocchio for stealing his golden star and starting the dungeon without permission.
Santa Claus captures Pinocchio by sucking him into a gift sack and declares Pinocchio will be exiled to Monster World.
Tang Mo and the others learn that the real reward of the game was always the Christmas Tree Twig, not the golden star.
Santa Claus announces a peaceful version of the Honest Card Game will now begin with less dangerous rules.
Tang Mo reflects on how Pinocchio was uniquely included in the game rules, unlike other dungeon bosses.
Tang Mo and Fu Wenduo secretly coordinate through the turkey egg's save file function to trap Pinocchio.
The trap involved manipulating Pinocchio into breaking the game rules by pretending to share card choices.
Fu Wenduo and Tang Mo work together silently using logic and subtle signals, exploiting Pinocchio’s fear of being punished by the Dark Spire.
The Honest Card Game ends peacefully with both teams playing their last cards simultaneously.
Santa Claus gives his farewell and flies off in his sleigh.
Tang Mo and Fu Wenduo exchange respectful parting words, acknowledging each other's strength and cooperation.
After exiting the dungeon, Tang Mo watches as his Christmas Tree Twig flies into the sky.
All across China, twigs turn into beams of light forming a giant glowing Christmas tree.
Santa Claus appears and throws gifts from the sky; Tang Mo catches a glowing star which enhances his physical strength slightly.
The Dark Spire announces the Version 2.0 update going live on January 1st, 2018.
Key additions include: real-world dungeons, monthly open dungeons, and mandatory Spire challenges every three months.
Tang Mo records known rules and regional structures of the Dark Spire, preparing for future strategy.
Tang Mo returns to the Challengers’ base and learns many failed to receive rewards or survive the Christmas dungeons.
Luo Fengcheng reveals that difficulty scales with player strength and only side-quest players received the star reward.
Tang Mo is shaken upon learning Chen Shanshan hasn’t returned from her dungeon and was likely forced into a floor challenge.
He decides to stay in Shanghai for ten days, waiting for Chen Shanshan.
Seven days pass. On New Year's Eve, Tang Mo, Ajax, and Luo Fengcheng stake out the Dark Spire for the version update.
At midnight, the Spire lights up and a childlike voice announces the 2.0 update officially begins.
Tang Mo notices a white dot blinking 62 times at the top of the Spire before the update starts.
He returns to his companions and reports what he saw. Luo Fengcheng agrees it's important and symbolic.
They confirm that over 300 million players have died since the start—over 75% of the total.
On January 1st, Tang Mo spots a suspicious player and eavesdrops to confirm real-world dungeons are active.
A Shoemaker entity dragged a player named Li Qiang into a real-world dungeon; the Spire’s monsters now roam Earth.
Tang Mo confronts the witnesses and threatens them to get the truth, confirming the start of a new, far more dangerous phase.

Chapter 20
Untimely EncountersTang Mo reports to Luo Fengcheng that a real-world dungeon has appeared.
A middle-aged man explains how he and Li Qiang encountered a dangerous Spire entity named the Shoemaker during what was supposed to be a safe dungeon attempt.
The team investigates the site; they confirm the Shoemaker's presence based on blood evidence and the Shoemaker’s verbal self-identification.
A real-world dungeon notification triggers for the side quest “Chance encounter with the Shoemaker.”
The group encounters a transparent force field that blocks physical entry but allows natural elements like wind and sunlight through.
Luo Fengcheng hypothesizes that natural phenomena can pass, but manipulated or artificial objects are repelled.
A public real-world open dungeon is announced by the Dark Spire, to occur at Banana Tavern.
Tang Mo chooses not to join, stating risks and past experience with Mario, a dangerous character linked to the location.
Tang Mo trades a Banana Tavern help-wanted poster to Luo Fengcheng in exchange for a report on the dungeon outcome.
Tang Mo uses Mario’s smelly cap to slam into a wall three times to acquire dungeon drops, getting random items.
After using the cap, Tang Mo is attacked in the darkness by a skilled fighter.
A tense, close-quarters fight ensues, ending in a deadlock where Tang Mo’s parasol is at the attacker’s neck, and a dagger is at Tang Mo’s stomach.
Tang Mo realizes the attacker is Fu Wenduo, whom he met during the Christmas dungeon.
Fu Wenduo reveals he’s looking for Luo Fengcheng.
Tang Mo takes Fu Wenduo to meet Luo Fengcheng, who recognizes Fu Wenduo as Major Fu, a national-level soldier.
They discuss the "Dark Spire Selection", a mysterious pre-game phenomenon involving increased heart rate and emotional instability.
Luo Fengcheng reveals some patients exhibited this phenomenon just before the Earth went online; he suspects it’s how the Dark Spire identifies powerful individuals.
Tang Mo and Fu Wenduo both confirm they experienced these symptoms.
Luo Fengcheng shares data from Nie Fei, a former Challenger whose rapid growth in ability hinted at this selection pattern.
Luo Fengcheng proposes two theories: 1. The Dark Spire bestows abilities. 2. The Spire unlocks latent abilities that some individuals already possess.
Fu Wenduo confirms his own irregular status originated from a military mission where he killed someone.
Tang Mo and Fu Wenduo discuss the state of China, especially Beijing.
Fu Wenduo reveals he killed three irregulars in Suzhou, essentially wiping out the Cannibals there.
He says Beijing is similarly chaotic but more stable than Suzhou; its most powerful organisation is the Chosen Ones, made up of irregulars.
Fu Wenduo sparred with a first-floor-cleared irregular in Beijing, suggesting many elite players exist whose names remain unknown.
Tang Mo is shocked to learn that only his name was broadcast globally after clearing the first floor, making him a visible target.
Fu Wenduo offers Tang Mo information freely, partly due to their shared past and Momo connection.
They discuss the implications of name anonymity, player tracking, and social breakdown post-Spire.
Lizzie arrives and informs Tang Mo that Chen Shanshan has returned alone, injured but alive.
Tang Mo and Fu Wenduo begin heading back to the mall together.
On their way, they hear the ominous sound of metal chains being dragged, signaling the Shoemaker’s return.

Chapter 21
The ShoemakerTang Mo and Fu Wenduo encounter the Shoemaker, a towering, grotesque man holding chains and a rusted spike.
The Shoemaker appears menacing but doesn’t immediately attack; instead, he smirks and speaks ominously.
Tang Mo remembers a previous warning that encountering the Shoemaker doesn’t guarantee being captured.
Tang Mo suddenly apologizes to Fu Wenduo and runs away, hoping the Shoemaker was after Fu Wenduo instead.
The Shoemaker captures Tang Mo with a chain that cannot be removed—he triggered the game.
The Shoemaker then binds Fu Wenduo as well, ignoring his resistance and confirming both have entered the “Shoemaker’s Game World.”
Fu Wenduo echoes Tang Mo’s earlier “Sorry,” mocking his failed betrayal.
A game announcement from the Dark Spire confirms a side quest: "Chance Encounter with the Shoemaker," and both players must follow him into the workshop.
The Shoemaker drags them to a factory and separates them. Tang Mo is forced inside first while Fu Wenduo is taken elsewhere.
Tang Mo explores the factory, realizing it is a food processing plant. He uses a glowing pebble as a makeshift light source.
In an office, he finds a young man, Xing Feng, severely injured and unable to walk. Xing Feng reveals he's been trapped for days and that previous teammates were killed.
A strange event occurs: a computer powers on with a video call from Fu Wenduo, despite having no electricity.
They confirm they share the same quest—to find the Shoemaker's missing shoe polish.
Both Tang Mo and Fu Wenduo realize they’ve lost the ability to use their powers or items after being separated.
They cautiously share their side quests and verify they're the same by writing the answer and revealing it together.
Fu Wenduo reveals he is locked in a storeroom containing three crucified, bloodless corpses—similar to what Xing Feng described.
Xing Feng becomes increasingly agitated, revealing that a “wolf” is coming, not the Shoemaker.
A system announcement from the Dark Spire warns of incoming “Shoeshine Wolves” and states that killing them will yield shoe polish.
Tang Mo hears banging and snarling from outside the office, indicating a Shoeshine Wolf is attacking.
He prepares for battle, while Fu Wenduo’s monitor goes dark, then plays a bizarre show hosted by a cartoonish Cinderella.
The strange TV show teases cryptic lore about the Underland, including “Underland’s Ten Unsolved Mysteries.”

Chapter 22
Missing Shoe PolishTang Mo hides in an office with Xing Feng as a Shoeshine Wolf lurks outside.
Tang Mo uses a glowing pebble to gain the visual advantage and ambushes the wolf, fighting it with a broken vase.
He kills the Shoeshine Wolf with a shard of porcelain, and the wolf drops a black liquid – a single drop of shoe polish.
Tang Mo interrogates Xing Feng, demanding answers about the Shoeshine Wolf, past deaths, and his injuries.
Xing Feng explains the wolves spawn every 3 hours, increasing in number (1, then 2, then 3…), and killing one gives a drop of shoe polish.
If not killed within 5 minutes, the wolves disappear, but 10 minutes later, the Shoemaker arrives asking for shoe polish.
The Shoemaker bursts into the room, threateningly demanding his shoe polish and leaves after taking the drop.
In a separate location, Fu Wenduo watches a bizarre game show called Happy Q&A hosted by Cinderella.
Cinderella introduces Fu Wenduo as the first irregular and famous player to clear the Dark Spire’s 1st floor.
Fu Wenduo correctly answers question 1, wrongly answers question 2, and gets "drowned for an hour" as penalty.
Tang Mo gives the shoe polish to the Shoemaker, who complains it's only one drop and not enough.
Tang Mo confirms with Xing Feng that substitute polish (from wolves) only works once and the Shoemaker will demand more every time.
If players don’t have polish, the Shoemaker takes blood—400cc per drop—painful but survivable.
Fu Wenduo calls Tang Mo, drenched from the drowning penalty. They share updates.
Fu Wenduo explains the quiz relates to shoe polish. Tang Mo agrees and decides to search the factory for clues.
Tang Mo hides a plastic bag of samples (e.g., water, soil) while preparing for the next wave of wolves.
Two Shoeshine Wolves spawn. Tang Mo hides, then ambushes them when Xing Feng makes noise.
After a brutal fight, Tang Mo kills both wolves, though he suffers a bite and torn flesh.
Xing Feng is shocked Tang Mo could do it alone. He admits past attempts with others failed horribly.
The Shoemaker took their blood when they couldn’t supply enough polish. The others died from over-extraction.
Tang Mo presses him further and learns Xing Feng lied to others to hoard polish and let them die.
Tang Mo reveals he plans to let the Shoemaker take Xing Feng’s blood next time instead of using his own.
Shoemaker returns, takes two drops, and demands three for next visit, or else he’ll take blood.
Tang Mo later discovers Xing Feng had two hidden drops of shoe polish in a coffee cup, disguised as liquid.
Tang Mo keeps Xing Feng alive for utility—as a blood bank—but trusts him very little.
Fu Wenduo later calls again. His penalties escalate—he fails question 5 and gets slashed by violent winds.
Cinderella reveals Grandma Wolf as punishment for another wrong answer, but Missy Turkey donates enough to skip it.
Fu Wenduo correctly answers a question about the source of the Shoemaker's polish—“humans”.
Tang Mo and Fu Wenduo theorize polish might be blood, since everyone’s seen it from birth.
But Tang Mo realizes if it were blood, Shoemaker wouldn’t search for it—so they remain uncertain.
Tang Mo fights three wolves in the next cycle and barely survives, suffering a deep wound across his stomach.
Fu Wenduo fails another question and avoids a duel with Grandma Wolf thanks to sponsorship again.
He’s asked: “Where does the Shoemaker get his polish?” and chooses “humans” — a confirmed correct answer.
Tang Mo and Fu Wenduo regroup via video. Tang Mo says blood isn’t the polish and he’s near his limit.
Fu Wenduo reveals his next quiz question gave no helpful clue.
Tang Mo, gravely wounded, says if a fourth wolf spawns next, he might not survive the battle.
The chapter ends with the two of them still searching for the real shoe polish’s identity, low on time and hope.

The Earth is Online, Vol. 3

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The Earth is Online, Vol. 4

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The Earth is Online, Vol. 5

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The Earth is Online, Vol. 6

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The Earth is Online, Vol. 7

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The Earth is Online, Vol. 8

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Wine and Gun, Vol. 1

Prologue
WPD Open Serial Killer Case FilesThe file is presented as internal case files from the Westland Police Department with margins annotated by a woman’s handwriting.
Case File T144-0736 introduces the serial killer called “The Sunday Gardener,” active since at least 2006, who decorates victims’ bodies with flowers and displays them publicly on Sundays.
The Sunday Gardener does not torture victims during the killing but arranges corpses afterward, often with symbolism tied to the victim’s past.
His signature is not extremely distinct, leading to confusion with possible copycats.
October 8, 2006: Benjamin Maurrin is found dead in his car, initially mistaken for CO poisoning until oleander petals are discovered in his mouth and nose. He had restraint injuries and died of asphyxiation. This is considered the first confirmed murder. His corpse was not publicly displayed, suggesting the killer’s early inexperience.
September 23, 2007: A woman known as “Ophelia” is found in Fernando Park lake dressed in white with a garland of flowers, resembling the Hamlet character’s drowning. She is suspected to have been a prostitute but remains unidentified.
February 14, 2016: Mischa Tamir and Thomas Monroe, called “The Mogel Street Lovers,” are found embracing on frozen river ice, each holding the other’s heart, chests filled with roses and snow. Authorities suspected a copycat, but the notes argue this was still the Sunday Gardener’s work.
June 26, 2016: “The Bridal Boat” case is discovered outside Christ Child Church, with a human skeleton in a wedding dress, ribcage filled with roses dyed red by blood, and more white roses scattered. The skeleton was bleached and unidentifiable.
Investigators profile the Sunday Gardener as a white male, age 28–38, height 5’11”–6’1”, with strong anatomical knowledge suggesting surgical training.
His murders escalate in complexity over time, and some bodies are never recovered.
Theories suggest water imagery and Sunday timing may reflect commemorative trauma, possibly tied to a loved one drowning rather than personal experience.
The annotations critique WPD for focusing too narrowly on suspects with personal water trauma instead of family-related tragedies.
Case File T209-1948 introduces “The Westland Pianist,” active since 2010, who strangles victims with piano wire.
The Westland Pianist targets men with criminal histories, mostly tall blond men, and tortures them severely before killing them.
February 18, 2010: Tom Green, acquitted of murdering his ex-wife and her children, is found with his face skinned, body stabbed 107 times, and lying in a blood-painted target.
July 10, 2010: Edward Tasmeer, linked to deadly bank robberies, is found at a construction site, joints smashed, gold coins in his throat, and body suspended by piano string in a pose matching an angel relief.
April 29, 2016: Trappe Callahan, suspected rapist and murderer, is found in his home mutilated—limbs severed, organs removed while alive, body stuffed with his own severed parts.
The Pianist demonstrates a consistent and mature method, suggesting prior experience in other states before arriving in Westland.
He may have access to a large vehicle, strong physique, and combat training, possibly from an affluent background.
He taunts police by sending anonymous letters with crime locations, but the commentary suggests this is not arrogance but a cautious way to distinguish his work from unrecognized earlier crimes.
His victim selection suggests personal trauma involving violence by an older blond man.
The annotations argue he is extremely cautious and effective at disguising himself, possibly misleading police with false clues.
Some consider the Westland Pianist more dangerous than the Sunday Gardener, though the notes argue the Sunday Gardener is more enigmatic and unfathomable.
The annotator speculates about what would happen if both killers crossed paths, imagining one might become prey to the other, and calls the idea a spectacle worth witnessing.

Chapter 1
The Mark of Cain Part IAlbarino Bacchus, the chief forensic pathologist, is called to a late-night crime scene in Westland, a city overwhelmed by violence and serial killings.
Detective Bart Hardy is already at the scene and warns that this case is serious—it’s likely the work of the notorious serial killer known as the Westland Pianist.
The crime scene is an apple orchard where a scarecrow-like corpse has been displayed grotesquely: impaled on a stake, mouth stitched into a grin, buttons nailed into the eyes, dressed like a scarecrow.
Olga Moroz, a former FBI profiler now consulting for the WPD, arrives to profile the killer.
The victim is quickly suspected to be Richard Norman, a known gang leader.
Albarino examines the body at the scene and confirms the killer is left-handed, a known trait of the Pianist.
Victim was tortured while alive: face mutilated and sewn crudely, buttons nailed in eyes, impaled on a stake, strangled, arms manipulated using wires.
During autopsy, Albarino and Bates Schwandner discover the heart was removed and replaced with an apple.
In the abdominal cavity, they find wheat stuffed between the organs.
Albarino deduces the killer tortured Richard Norman alive, manipulated his limbs, then impaled him, mutilated his body, strangled him to death, and finally removed his heart and inserted symbolic items.
Olga notes the killer’s symbolic consistency: the use of strangulation in every killing.
Albarino theorizes the Pianist’s symbolic use of apples and wheat to reflect judgment or punishment of the victim's criminality.
They confirm the time of death to be around 11 PM to midnight the previous evening.
Detective Bart Hardy interviews potential witnesses, including gang members and Richard Norman’s younger brother, Thomas Norman.
Thomas Norman shows no remorse, claims he’s happy his brother is dead, but denies involvement.
Olga and Albarino agree Thomas is arrogant and self-centered but not the killer.
Attention shifts to Herstal Armalight, the Norman brothers’ mob lawyer.
Armalight is cold, calculating, and fits the mold of a stereotypical amoral defense attorney.
Albarino becomes captivated by Herstal Armalight’s face and personality, viewing him artistically as a potential future victim for his own homicidal urges.
Albarino is revealed to be the Sunday Gardener, another active serial killer in Westland, who plants flowers in his victims.
Albarino had been watching Richard Norman for three months, planning to kill him, but is furious that the Pianist got to him first—he considers it artistic theft.
Albarino now sees the Westland Pianist not only as a rival but someone who must be punished.
He mentally adds Herstal Armalight as a future victim, second on his hit list.
Albarino vows to go after the Pianist next—he has a plan in mind.

Chapter 2
The Mark of Cain Part IIHerstal Armalight, the Norman brothers’ lawyer, is interrogated by Detective Hardy about the brothers’ relationship and the murder of Richard Norman.
Herstal explains that Richard Norman and Thomas Norman had a long-standing, bitter rivalry due to Richard’s incompetence and jealousy toward the more capable Thomas Norman.
Herstal bluntly suggests that the murder method doesn't match Thomas Norman's personality and implies the Westland Pianist is responsible.
Hardy suspects Herstal is withholding information but can't push further due to lack of a warrant.
Richard Norman was last seen with Herstal, then with a lover, and disappeared until his body was found grotesquely displayed.
Herstal leaves the interrogation, clearly confident, only to be stopped by forensic pathologist Albarino Bacchus, who informs him he needs to sign documents as Thomas Norman’s representative.
They walk to the morgue together, passing a horde of media, and there Herstal views Richard Norman’s mutilated body without reaction and signs the documents.
Albarino becomes unusually intrusive and vividly describes how the Westland Pianist killed Richard Norman: drugged, sewn shut, impaled alive, disemboweled, and heart ripped out.
Albarino almost mimics the murder in demonstration, touching Herstal intimately while explaining. Herstal remains calm but wary.
Albarino appears obsessed with Herstal, subtly threatening him while hiding predatory tendencies.
The media fixates on the case due to the victim being a known criminal. Debate erupts on whether the Pianist is a vigilante.
Albarino receives a call from Detective Hardy about another suspected Pianist killing—Thomas Norman is dead.
Albarino visits the crime scene, a private estate with a stream, where Thomas Norman is found upside-down, nailed to a stake underwater.
Herstal had discovered the body after receiving a text from Thomas Norman asking to meet; Herstal claims his dashcam proves he didn’t kill him.
Albarino, clearly the actual killer of Thomas Norman, sent Herstal the text from the dead man’s phone as part of a twisted artistic expression.
Thomas Norman's corpse is staged: upside-down, nailed, flower-stuffed chest, sheep horns sewn to his head, and draped in symbolic flowers.
Forensics indicate the body was arranged post-mortem, with no signs of pain or vital reaction, unlike the Pianist’s usual style.
Albarino suspects that this murder was not the Pianist’s doing, but rather the work of the Sunday Gardener.
Olga Moroz excitedly deduces that the Sunday Gardener mimicked the Pianist’s previous motif to send a message of recognition and response.
The murder of Richard Norman was revealed to reference Cain: a jealous older brother.
The murder of Thomas Norman reflects Abel, complete with symbolism of sheep horns, blood, soil, and inverted staging to mirror Richard Norman.
Albarino realizes the Gardener understood the Pianist’s artistic message better than the police ever did and responded with his own artistic murder.
The forensic team confirms the symbolism: wheat and apple blossoms, soil in wounds, and mirrored compositions.
Dialogue quotes from Byron’s play “Cain” emphasize the biblical metaphor being enacted.
Olga states the two serial killers—Westland Pianist and Sunday Gardener—are now acknowledging each other through their kills.
The chapter ends with unsettling consensus: the city’s two most dangerous serial killers are no longer working in isolation, but communicating through murder.

Chapter 3
Confession to Persephone Part IHerstal Armalight is introduced as a composed, morally ambiguous mob lawyer working at Armalight & Holmes.
Reporters swarm the office following the latest murder by the Sunday Gardener.
Albarino Bacchus, chief forensic pathologist, unexpectedly visits Herstal at work under the pretense of lunch and concern from Detective Bart Hardy.
Albarino reveals the Sunday Gardener used the victim's phone to text Herstal, a major deviation from the killer’s usual behavior.
Herstal is disturbed that Albarino brings him lunch without prior notice and comments on his lack of interpersonal boundaries.
They eat together in Herstal’s pristine, impersonal office. Albarino’s food is surprisingly good, which Herstal admits.
Albarino hints he’s intrigued by Herstal for unknown, possibly sinister, reasons and continues to blur boundaries under the guise of "inspiration."
A gunman named Mark Jones storms into the law office and opens fire, targeting Davis, an employee who defended Jones’s daughter in court.
Jones blames Davis for his daughter’s three-year sentence. His daughter recently died in a prison riot, triggering the shooting.
Davis is critically injured. Albarino saves Herstal by tackling him to the ground just as Jones fires.
Herstal and Albarino assist the wounded before the police arrive. Herstal remains calm, unsettling Albarino.
Detective Bart Hardy identifies the shooter as Mark Jones. They discover Davis’s daughter has been kidnapped by Jones as well.
Herstal and Albarino give statements. Albarino observes Herstal may be left-handed, linking him to the Westland Pianist based on crime scene patterns.
Suspicion arises that Herstal may have known about a secret murder attempt by Richard Norman against his brother Thomas.
Albarino begins suspecting Herstal could be the Westland Pianist due to his age, profession, knowledge of crimes, and possible left-handedness.
Albarino invites Herstal for drinks with Olga Moroz. Surprisingly, Herstal agrees.
At the bar, Olga points out that the Sunday Gardener specifically choosing Herstal to discover the body is suspicious.
Albarino realizes he may have accidentally shown one of his murders (as the Sunday Gardener) to the Westland Pianist (possibly Herstal).
Olga asks Herstal if he knows anyone who could be the Sunday Gardener. Before answering, Herstal gets a call.
Detective Bart Hardy informs them that Mark Jones is demanding a ransom for Davis’s daughter and insists Herstal deliver it himself.
Herstal agrees to go, believing he has no choice. Albarino protests but eventually relents.
Olga privately asks Albarino if he has romantic or sexual interest in Herstal. Albarino deflects.
Albarino admits internally that he wants to confirm whether Herstal is the Pianist—he would prefer it to be true for artistic and personal reasons.
Herstal meets with Detective Bart Hardy, who gives him a tracker and a ransom bag, promising backup during the exchange.
Meanwhile, Albarino goes rogue and hunts down Richard Norman’s former subordinate in a dark alley.
Albarino tortures and interrogates the man, confirming that Richard Norman once tried to have Thomas Norman killed.
The subordinate confesses that only Richard Norman, Herstal Armalight, and himself knew about the assassination attempt.
To keep the secret buried, Albarino kills the subordinate, dismembers the body, and outlines how he will dispose of the remains using his usual gruesome methods.
He calls Detective Bart Hardy, pretending to be concerned and asks to join the police at the ransom location.
Albarino smiles coldly, fully aware he may have just uncovered the Pianist and that events are now spiraling into a deadly confrontation between two serial killers.

Chapter 4
Confession to Persephone Part IIHerstal Armalight follows Mark Jones’s instructions to a remote location for the ransom exchange, knowing Hardy’s team is tailing him.
Herstal drives into a narrow alley that traps the pursuing police cars, exits via sunroof, and proceeds into the darkness with the ransom money.
Albarino Bacchus arrives at the scene where police are stuck at the alley entrance; unknown to them, a murdered lieutenant's body is in his trunk.
Herstal enters an abandoned factory where Mark Jones is waiting with a gun and the kidnapped girl tied up nearby.
Mark Jones is agitated and irrational, believing his daughter is dead and demanding the ransom money.
Herstal tries to reason with Mark Jones, suggesting that escaping with the money without killing would reduce his charges.
Herstal kicks the backpack over; Mark Jones moves forward to inspect it, distracted.
Herstal lunges at Mark Jones in a panther-like attack; a gunshot goes off and grazes Herstal's leg.
The two struggle; Herstal disarms Mark Jones, subdues him, and nearly strangles him to death until police arrive.
Police rescue the girl and arrest Mark Jones; Herstal is injured but walks away with Albarino’s help.
Outside the factory, Albarino pushes Herstal against the wall and inspects his wound inappropriately, touching it with unnerving fascination.
Albarino asks if Herstal enjoyed the act of strangling Mark Jones; Herstal coldly denies it.
Albarino insinuates Herstal might have gotten aroused from imagining murder, which Herstal sternly rejects.
Albarino discovers Herstal’s hidden knife sheath strapped to his left leg.
In the following week, Herstal resumes life at the firm, constantly visited by Olga Moroz and Albarino Bacchus under the guise of protection.
Olga takes Herstal to an expensive restaurant; they discuss the psychological profiles of the Westland Pianist and the Sunday Gardener.
Olga theorizes the Sunday Gardener acts by choice rather than compulsion and could change his victim profile or methods at will.
Olga speculates the Sunday Gardener may shift from killer to torturer or artist, based on whims.
On Sunday, police cordon off Herstal's office; a skull adorned with flowers, gold leaf, and pomegranate seeds is found on his desk.
The skull is clean, bleached, partially decorated, and artfully filled with Persephone-themed symbols (wheat, narcissi, pomegranate).
The victim is revealed to be the body in Albarino’s trunk during the kidnapping case—killed the same night.
Albarino and Olga conclude the skull is a personalized message from the Sunday Gardener to Herstal.
The symbolism draws on Greek mythology: Herstal is likened to Persephone, abducted to the underworld by Hades.
Albarino provocatively suggests Herstal is being courted by the killer, albeit in a twisted, predatory way.
Olga clarifies it’s not love but a possessive, violent metaphor meant to claim Herstal as an object.
Bates Schwandner is disturbed; Olga flippantly describes it as a slap on the ass from the Sunday Gardener.
The chapter ends with the realization that the Sunday Gardener has focused on Herstal, possibly romantically, but more likely obsessively.

Chapter 5
Olga's Journal: September 25, 2016Olga received an email from Lavazza Mercader at the BAU rejecting her request to include two old cases in her upcoming book.
Lavazza Mercader also included a long sermon warning against publicizing the cases, citing societal panic and risk of copycats.
Lavazza Mercader expressed concern about Olga’s move to Westland and implied it was bad for her mental health.
Olga recalled how her relationship with Lavazza Mercader ended badly, including a physical altercation and deep ideological differences.
Lavazza Mercader believes in a strict moral binary between “good people” and “bad people,” which clashes with Olga’s analytical and nuanced view.
Olga reflected on why she writes about murderers—not to admire them but to study and understand them with objectivity.
Olga planned to get drunk with Albarino to forget Lavazza Mercader’s rejection but was interrupted by major news.
The Sunday Gardener struck again, this time placing a skull filled with fresh flowers on Herstal Armalight’s office desk.
Olga was excited by this development because it showed a new change in the Sunday Gardener's modus operandi.
Olga theorized that Herstal Armalight might have triggered the change and noted that the killer is still evolving.
Bart was distraught because the Sunday Gardener bypassed all surveillance systems, and the skull was cleaned to the point of seeming fake.
Bart informed Olga that Herstal Armalight had been at the WPD again to give another statement, continuing a recent pattern.
Olga learned from Bart that the skull belonged to Richard Norman’s lieutenant, known as Mr. Armalight.
Within two weeks, the Westland Pianist had killed once, and the Sunday Gardener had killed twice, all victims being connected to Herstal Armalight.
Bart was so worried he considered putting Herstal Armalight into the FBI’s witness protection program.
Olga made a comment regretting the loss of the lieutenant, as she wanted to ask him if Richard Norman had ever planned to kill his brother, tying into her theory about the "Cain" motif.
Bart regretted not following up on Olga’s theory earlier, but it had been low priority due to lack of evidence.
Herstal Armalight found Olga’s theory plausible but said he never heard Richard mention such a plan and doubted the lieutenant knew anything.
Olga speculated that the Sunday Gardener might be helping the Westland Pianist get rid of evidence, implying a connection between the two killers.
Herstal Armalight pushed back, arguing that even if the two killers knew each other, they’d probably want to kill each other, not help.
Olga countered that contradiction is a core human trait, citing the contradiction between love and death as embodied by the Sunday Gardener’s floral skull gift.
Herstal Armalight mocked her philosophical references and sarcastically called her “Miss Encyclopedia,” a nickname he likely learned from Albarino.
Olga reminded him of the dangers of underestimating evil, invoking Mephistopheles as a metaphor.
Herstal Armalight joked in return, implying classical music (and not demons) was the threat.
Olga warned him that unless the Sunday Gardener gets distracted, he would come back again.
Herstal Armalight only smiled in response, not indicating whether he took her seriously.

Chapter 6
The Mint MetaphorOlga greets Herstal Armalight at the bar, teasing him about being alive after the Sunday Gardener left flowers on his desk twelve days earlier.
Herstal is exhausted from a migraine-inducing case involving a client whose son dumped a prostitute’s body after an S&M incident.
Despite normally preferring silence at home, Herstal joins Olga and Albarino Bacchus at the bar, ordering a cocktail called “Glory Hole.”
Olga remarks that the Westland Pianist will inevitably retaliate against the Sunday Gardener, since their Bible-themed murder contest is all over the internet.
Olga leaves to take a call, and Herstal and Albarino continue the conversation about killers and “competition.”
Albarino suggests a “romantic” perspective on murder, quoting Nietzsche. Herstal challenges him but suddenly kisses him briefly.
Albarino exaggerates surprise, while Herstal claims it’s part of a “game.”
A woman in a red dress, Albarino’s lover Sarah, storms over and punches him in the face for kissing another man.
Olga returns to find Albarino bleeding and Herstal sipping his drink; Albarino calls his lovers “steady bed partners,” downplaying relationships.
The next morning, Detective Bart Hardy arrives at Albarino’s home with police officers, showing him a crime scene photo of Sarah brutally murdered in a red dress with mint leaves placed in her chest.
The murder weapon has Albarino’s fingerprint, and he mutters that he needs a lawyer.
Albarino calls Herstal from detention, demanding legal representation and invoking their “game.”
Police search Albarino’s house with Olga and Bates present; they find scorched fragments of burned bone in his shed.
In interrogation, Hardy lays out evidence: Sarah’s death, witnesses to their fight, Albarino’s fingerprint on the knife, and no alibi.
Herstal arrives as his lawyer, and when alone, Albarino accuses him of framing him with the fingerprint.
Flashback reveals Herstal had lifted Albarino’s print from a glass container and made a 3D-printed mold, later planting it on the murder weapon.
Albarino pins Herstal to the table, reenacting Sarah’s murder, nearly choking him before stopping and remarking that Herstal is aroused by asphyxiation.
They exchange taunts about Sarah’s killing; Herstal had tailed Sarah and witnessed her murder, then placed the fingerprint to frame Albarino.
Herstal outlines possible trial outcomes: second-degree murder charges, potential parole after fifteen years, unless evidence clears him.
Meanwhile, police find burned canine bones in Albarino’s shed—later confirmed to be coyote remains from his hunting.
A second victim in red is found dumped outside the police station, killed in a similar way to Sarah, undermining Albarino’s guilt.
In detention, Hardy, Olga, Bates, and Albarino profile the killer: a man in his 30s–40s, likely poor, with domestic violence history, fixated on women resembling an ex.
Investigation identifies Bob Langdon, recently bailed for domestic violence against his black-haired ex-wife who often wore red.
Hardy says officers are already after Langdon, but Albarino insists on calling Herstal again.
Over the phone, Albarino describes killing and dissecting a coyote, emphasizing blood and heat, unnerving Herstal.
Albarino warns that if Langdon dies before capture, Herstal’s frame will stick and he’ll remain the prime suspect.
Their conversation ends with Albarino laughing, leaving Herstal unsettled at a cocktail party as he plans his next move.

Chapter 7
The Pianist's Interlude: Serial Killer Bob LangdonBob Langdon was charged with domestic violence in April 2016 and, while out on bail, murdered four women who resembled his ex-wife.
His murders initially went unnoticed by the Westland Police Department because he stole from his victims, so the first two cases were classified as robbery-homicides.
During the same time, the Westland Pianist and the Sunday Gardener committed multiple high-profile murders, overshadowing Bob Langdon’s crimes.
One of the Sunday Gardener’s most infamous cases, the Bridal Boat murder, drew massive attention, further delaying investigation into Langdon’s victims.
On October 8, 2016, Sarah Aardman was found stabbed 41 times with a switchblade that had Albarino Bacchus’s fingerprint on it.
Albarino Bacchus, the WPD’s chief forensic pathologist, was arrested despite being a respected figure with an outstanding track record.
The night before Sarah Aardman’s murder, she had argued with Albarino Bacchus in front of Herstal Armalight and Olga Moroz.
Albarino Bacchus was arrested and oddly chose Herstal Armalight, a mob lawyer, to represent him.
Herstal Armalight barely defended Albarino Bacchus and did not argue strongly for bail, which was denied.
On October 9, a second woman’s corpse, similar in appearance and dressed like Sarah Aardman, was dumped in front of the police station while Albarino Bacchus was in jail.
The police reopened previous cases and linked the murders, finally focusing on Bob Langdon as a suspect.
Bob Langdon lived close to the crime scene and had a history of violence; his DNA was found on the van used to dump the second victim.
When police went to arrest Bob Langdon, he had vanished from his filthy apartment, indicating he had fled.
The WPD could not determine who killed Sarah Aardman, why the knife had Albarino Bacchus’s fingerprint, or what the bundle of mint on her body meant.
On October 17, the Westland Pianist sent a letter to Detective Bart Hardy that led police to Bob Langdon’s mutilated corpse.
Bob Langdon had been brutally killed by the Pianist, with piano strings suspending him, over 50 stab wounds, and his chest cut open with mint and lavender blossoms in place of his heart.
The mint ball echoed the mint bundle left on Sarah Aardman, suggesting the Pianist was mocking Langdon.
That same day, police found incriminating evidence in Langdon’s apartment: his murder diary and victims’ hair bundles, clearing Albarino Bacchus of all charges.
Albarino Bacchus was released just as Bob Langdon’s body was found, as if orchestrated by the Pianist to create poetic irony.
Questions remained about how Albarino Bacchus’s fingerprint got on the murder weapon and whether the Pianist framed him.
Speculation grew that the Westland Pianist’s real target had always been Albarino Bacchus and that Bob Langdon was just a pawn.
Albarino Bacchus had dissected the Pianist’s and Sunday Gardener’s victims in previous cases, possibly inciting the Pianist’s rage.
Psychologists speculated that the Pianist’s attack on Albarino Bacchus later that year was not about pleasure but symbolic revenge.
The Pianist tortured and sexually assaulted Albarino Bacchus but did not kill him, an anomaly meant to send a message to the authorities.
Olga Moroz explained that the Pianist used the assault as a metaphor, showing contempt for police who "destroy" his artistic crimes.
When Herstal Armalight was later arrested, blood found in his condo was confirmed to belong to Albarino Bacchus.
Albarino Bacchus’s body was never recovered, and in February, police officially declared him dead.
The mint-filled chest of Bob Langdon may have been a symbolic love letter from the Westland Pianist to the Sunday Gardener.
The chapter ends with the idea that Albarino Bacchus was the only victim of the Pianist who survived his attack—temporarily—and that all the events from 2016 to 2017 were possibly part of an elaborate personal vendetta or a twisted homage.

Chapter 8
Bounty Hunter Alan Todd's Work LogAlan Todd is woken by a late-night phone call from an unfamiliar number; the caller introduces himself as William Smith, a bail bondsman from Westland.
Smith asks Alan to capture Bob Langdon, who skipped bail before his trial for attempted second-degree murder.
Langdon’s bail is $150,000, and Smith offers Alan 15% ($22,500) if he brings him back.
Alan hates Westland for its crime and serial killers but accepts the job due to the payout.
He travels to Westland, staying in a moldy motel near Langdon’s old residence.
Smith explains that Langdon disappeared recently and can’t be contacted.
Alan investigates rental agencies and discovers Langdon used a fake name to rent a car cheaply, then vanished without returning it.
Alan suspects Langdon left Westland and starts searching routes out of the city.
Alan meets his injured old friend Hunter, who warns him about Westland gangs and offers secret exit routes from the city.
Hunter urges Alan to join him in chasing serial killers for bigger payouts, but Alan refuses.
Using Hunter’s advice, Alan searches smaller towns and gas stations off main roads.
At a gas station, Alan gets confirmation that Langdon was there recently, driving north.
In another town, a waitress recalls Langdon nervously watching TV while eating. She says he left quickly afterward.
Alan informs Smith of his progress; Smith seems dissatisfied but thanks him anyway.
Alan finally tracks Langdon to a rundown motel, where Langdon drunkenly attacks him with a knife, stabbing Alan in the shoulder.
Alan manages to knock Langdon unconscious with his gun and ties him up.
While waiting in the ER, Alan reads about the Westland Pianist, a serial killer who mutilates victims and has terrorized the city for years.
Alan delivers Langdon to a nearly empty apartment per Smith’s instructions, locks him inside, and leaves the key under the mat, never meeting Smith in person.
Soon after, Alan learns from the news that Langdon has been brutally murdered by the Westland Pianist, strung up with piano wire and disemboweled.
Realizing Smith must be the Pianist, Alan recalls Smith’s cold voice and suspicious instructions.
Horrified, Alan calls Smith’s number, expecting it to be disconnected, but Smith answers.
Smith coolly admits nothing directly, but warns Alan against reporting him, implying Alan should not antagonize forces beyond his control.
Alan realizes Smith used him to capture Langdon and deliver him straight to the Pianist’s hands.
Their conversation ends with Smith casually saying it is time for his breakfast, leaving Alan shaken, knowing they will likely never “meet” again.

Chapter 9
Golden RainHerstal Armalight returns home from a murder, blood still on his hands, when Albarino Bacchus unexpectedly arrives at his door, soaked in rain.
Albarino had recently been released from prison due to new evidence proving Bob Langdon was the true killer of Sarah Aardman; evidence includes Langdon’s trophy journal and victims’ hair.
Albarino shows Herstal a photo of Bob Langdon's mutilated corpse: hanged with a piano wire, chest opened, ribs exposed, and a mint flower sphere placed where the heart should be.
Albarino subtly accuses Herstal of being the killer, pointing out blood on his hands and mocking him about using gloves versus skin-to-skin contact.
The two engage in a disturbingly intimate confrontation where Albarino undoes Herstal’s bloody cufflink and examines old self-harm scars on Herstal’s wrist.
Albarino begins licking the blood off Herstal’s fingers while philosophizing about killing as artistic expression.
Herstal compares the experience to playing a theremin—touching flesh but controlling intangible music (soul).
The tension turns erotic as Albarino presses himself close, kisses Herstal’s knuckles, and licks his wounds.
Herstal puts a knife to Albarino’s throat as the mood oscillates between seduction and deadly threat.
They exchange literary and artistic metaphors (Titian's Danae, Klimt’s Danae) implying romanticized violence and obsession.
Albarino kneels in front of Herstal and disarms him by removing the knife strapped to Herstal's ankle, claiming he wants mutual honesty.
They engage in a power play where Herstal counters by discovering Albarino’s concealed gun and throwing it aside.
Albarino sexually provokes Herstal, undoing his belt while claiming Herstal is the one who can’t stop killing.
The encounter escalates into a graphic sexual act with Herstal eventually dropping his knife and forcing himself into Albarino’s mouth.
Albarino deepthroats him while reflecting on Herstal’s obsessive, compulsive tendencies and monstrous nature.
Herstal climaxes violently and then collapses to the floor, still tangled with Albarino.
They kiss, Herstal bites Albarino’s throat, and they both reflect on their deadly attraction.
The next morning, Herstal wakes up with a headache and regrets letting Albarino stay the night, even though nothing went further.
Albarino, now dry and in Herstal’s apron, has cooked breakfast, showing complete ease in Herstal’s condo.
Herstal receives a call from bounty hunter Alan Todd, who is terrified and unsure whether to report Herstal.
Herstal warns him off and then destroys the burner phone, dismissing Todd as too cowardly to pose a threat.
Over breakfast, Albarino casually discusses Herstal’s food habits and critiques his lifestyle, mocking his Southern accent.
They verbally spar about theatricality in murder, mocking each other’s artistic methods.
Albarino pries into Herstal’s past, noting his Southern roots and speculating about his childhood trauma based on his self-harm scars.
Albarino claims he had a normal childhood, reinforcing Olga Moroz’s theory that he is a born psychopath rather than made by trauma.
Herstal acknowledges the fundamental difference between them: Herstal may have been shaped by experience, but Albarino is inherently monstrous.
Albarino states openly he wants to kill Herstal, dismember him, devour him—but also savor him, understand him, and find the place he “suits” best.
The chapter ends with Albarino quoting Shakespeare, warning Herstal never to show weakness.

Chapter 10
Rain Rain Go Away Part IBart Hardy investigates a dumped corpse in the Westland wilderness, assuming it’s a gang-related case.
Albarino Bacchus, supposed to be on paid leave, unexpectedly arrives at the crime scene out of boredom.
The corpse is of a handsome blond man with his throat slit and signs of having been stuffed into a small space before being respectfully arranged postmortem.
Albarino deduces that the killer may have had emotional ties to the victim based on how the body was treated and the blood cleaned from the victim’s face.
Bart Hardy realizes the murder fits the M.O. of “Johnny the Killer,” a serial killer who targets handsome blond men, kidnaps, sexually assaults, and kills them after rainstorms.
Johnny’s victims are kept alive and cared for, then killed and dumped post-rain.
The FBI is contacted, and Lavazza Mercader from the BAU arrives.
Mercader and Olga Moroz have a hostile professional history involving disagreements about a prior case and a blocked book publication.
Albarino and Mercader meet, but tension lingers between Mercader and Olga.
Albarino is officially brought into the Johnny case due to his experience.
The victim from the current case is confirmed to have been restrained, sexually assaulted, and fed well before death—consistent with Johnny’s pattern.
Olga and Albarino profile Johnny as someone who believes he “loves” his victims, selecting them as ideal lovers, caring for them, and eventually killing them in a fit of rage or disappointment.
Herstal Armalight, a defense lawyer and acquaintance of Albarino, is stalked and later abducted after a staged tire incident.
Johnny the Killer, revealed to be a young man named Elliot, incapacitates and kidnaps Herstal.
Elliot shows obsessive affection toward Herstal, feeding him, tending to him, and expressing love, which Herstal quickly deduces is pathological.
Herstal pretends to reciprocate Elliot’s emotions to stay alive, using manipulation to gain Elliot’s trust.
Elliot masturbates on Herstal while proclaiming his love, reinforcing that his affection is rooted in control and dependency.
Herstal internally compares Elliot to a mentally ill man who equates captivity with love, realizing Elliot finds joy in complete dominance.
Albarino, Olga, and the team discover Herstal’s abandoned bloodied car, analyze the scene, and deduce there was a struggle.
Evidence suggests Herstal injured Elliot during the fight, and Elliot subdued Herstal with a stun gun.
Mercader provides Quantico’s case files to Albarino, hinting at deeper involvement.
Olga warns that Mercader’s extreme righteousness is dangerous, just like excessive wickedness.
Olga agrees to continue assisting the case despite her grudge.
Herstal, bound in Elliot’s hideout, pretends to be emotionally dependent to buy time and learn Elliot’s behavior.
Elliot feeds Herstal and acts like a devoted lover, but also sexually assaults him, reinforcing that his love is twisted and rooted in dominance.
Herstal deduces that Elliot loves victims only when they are utterly helpless and dependent on him.
Albarino had earlier quoted Plato’s Phaedrus about lovers preferring inferior partners, which Herstal now realizes foreshadowed Johnny’s obsession.
Elliot proclaims his love for Herstal, unaware of Herstal’s cold and calculating inner thoughts.
The chapter ends with Herstal brooding over Elliot’s twisted nature and the deeper implications of Albarino's cryptic warnings.

Chapter 11
Rain Rain Go Away Part IIHerstal Armalight dreams of a fatherly figure blessing him like Joseph, then wakes up bound and imprisoned by Elliot Evans, dehydrated and in pain.
Herstal reflects bitterly that his capture is Albarino Bacchus's revenge for an eight-day wrongful imprisonment during the Bob Langdon case.
Herstal is determined to escape and starts planning to use a broken ceramic shard to cut his restraints.
At WPD, Olga Moroz and Albarino Bacchus pull an all-nighter investigating Johnny the Killer with Detective Hardy and Lavazza Mercader.
DNA evidence confirms the blood at the crime scene isn’t Herstal Armalight’s, but Johnny the Killer’s DNA has no matches in the criminal database.
Olga believes the existing criminal profile is flawed and suspects the killer’s choice of when to kill is emotionally driven, not purely timed with rain.
Albarino analyzes the rainfall pattern between kidnappings and murders, concluding Johnny doesn’t kill after the first rainfall but when emotionally “bored.”
Olga proposes the killer responds differently to victim personality types—those who resist or show fear die sooner, those who feign compliance survive longer.
They profile Johnny as a socially awkward white male under 35, possibly short, not strong, doing temp work, and harboring deep control fantasies.
Victim interviews suggest survivors lasted longer due to submissive behavior rather than appearance; Olga and Albarino believe emotional reactions are key.
A new suspect list is created based on psychological and logistical profiling; Albarino recognizes Elliot Evans from a photo and reveals past interactions.
Elliot had a minor run-in with Albarino at a convenience store, which led to them eating together and forming a casual friendship.
Albarino and Mercader visit Elliot’s filthy apartment for questioning. Elliot appears anxious and bandaged. He claims he was home during the time of Herstal’s disappearance.
Albarino asks to use the bathroom and secretly searches the apartment, finding a locked basement door, which he picks open.
Herstal is discovered by Albarino, bound and gagged in the basement. He has been trying to escape using a ceramic shard.
Albarino mocks Herstal, kisses him forcibly, and steals the shard from his hand, thwarting Herstal’s escape attempt.
Albarino re-locks the door, returning to Elliot and Mercader without revealing what he found, planning to watch Herstal “burn.”
Herstal is left seething with fury, knowing Albarino will act innocent while he remains helpless.
Herstal vows inward revenge, murder in his eyes.

Wine and Gun, Vol. 2

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Wine and Gun, Vol. 3

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Wine and Gun, Vol. 4

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Wine and Gun, Vol. 5

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Wine and Gun, Vol. 6

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Wine and Gun, Vol. 7

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A Break in the Clouds (Poyun), Vol. 1

1Jiang Ting experiences recurring nightmares about a catastrophic explosion where he sees a mysterious figure taunting him in the flames.
The dream ends with Jiang Ting consumed by fire and darkness as sirens wail.
Three years later, Jiang Ting wakes from a coma in a Jianning hospital.
Nurses gossip about his miraculous recovery after being unconscious for so long.
Yang Mei, stylish and confident, arrives to take him home, revealing she pretended to be his fiancée on hospital forms.
Jiang Ting acknowledges he owes Yang Mei for looking after him, but warns her he is still in danger from old enemies.
Yang Mei pushes him in a wheelchair to her car and takes him to her karaoke bar, Nightless, where she lives upstairs.
They encounter a young man with a backpack in the alley who quickly flees when spotted by Jiang Ting.
Yang Mei insists they are safe in Jianning, but Jiang Ting insists he will return to Gongzhou to settle unfinished business.
He asks Yang Mei to obtain false IDs, phones, and unregistered SIM cards.
A commotion breaks out in the bar when a drunk, handsome man argues with the bartender about a non-alcoholic cocktail.
At the same time, the chef discovers a dead body in the freezer and panics.
Jiang Ting examines the body with gloves, concluding the man froze to death inside the freezer.
Jiang Ting insists Yang Mei call the police despite her reluctance.
Yan Xie, senior sergeant of Jianning CID, arrives with his men, including Ma Xiang and Wan Zhenguo.
Yan Xie inspects the body, noting signs of hypothermia and expensive clothing that suggest the victim was wealthy.
He suspects the victim entered the freezer while hallucinating, not after being killed.
Officers find the victim’s jumper but no wallet, phone, or backpack.
Yan Xie questions Jiang Ting, who identifies the jumper as belonging to the man he saw earlier in the alley.
Jiang Ting gives a fake name, “Lu Chengjiang,” when questioned by Yan Xie.
Yan Xie feels the man looks familiar but cannot place him.
Jiang Ting later confides to Yang Mei that he recognizes Yan Xie from a case years ago where Yan Xie fought a drug trafficker with a beer bottle.
Meanwhile, Yan Xie remains troubled by the feeling he has seen Jiang Ting before.
The next day, the forensic pathologist Gou Li discovers an unknown hallucinogen in the victim’s system, 1,600 times stronger than scopolamine, mixed with methamphetamine.
The drug caused hallucinations, loss of thermoregulation, and led the victim to strip and lock himself in the freezer.
CID officers, narcotics bureau officer Qin Chuan, and Deputy Commissioner Wei hold a meeting to review the case.
Surveillance footage shows the victim acting erratically before stumbling into the bar’s back door.
Yan Xie deduces the man had a backpack earlier and must have met a dealer before the drug took effect.
He theorizes the man was testing a new drug from a dealer in a nearby vehicle.
Traffic police identify twelve possible cars near the scene; Yan Xie narrows it to those with two or fewer occupants.
While investigating, Yan Xie saves Jiang Ting, who freezes in the middle of an intersection, reliving the trauma of his accident years ago.
Yan Xie carries him to safety and notices his face closely, struck by the sense of familiarity.
Jiang Ting thanks him but quickly regains composure, maintaining his guard.
The chapter closes with Yan Xie still troubled by the mystery of Jiang Ting’s true identity and the origins of the deadly new drug.

2Yan Xie finds Jiang Ting alone and frail near Nightless and offers to walk him back.
Jiang Ting says he's recovering and taking a walk alone, joking about PTSD after seeing a car crash.
Yan Xie teases Jiang Ting about his wealthy girlfriend, Yang Mei, and how lucky he is.
Jiang Ting explains he and Yang Mei met while working in Gongzhou, but he had an accident on the way to Jianning and now feels like a burden.
Inside Nightless, Yang Mei fusses over Jiang Ting and thanks Yan Xie profusely for his help.
Yan Xie inspects the kitchen where the body was found and finds Yang Mei unusually composed and polished.
He starts suspecting inconsistencies in Jiang Ting and Yang Mei’s relationship and backstory.
Yan Xie calls Ma Xiang to investigate Lu Chengjiang (Jiang Ting's fake identity).
They discover Lu Chengjiang and Yang Mei used to manage a nightclub in Gongzhou and were involved in shady activities like gambling and assaults.
Yan Xie finds a Fendi zipper pull near the crime scene and sends it for analysis, believing it could lead to a major break.
At the station, Yan Xie confirms the zipper pull belongs to a luxury Fendi men's backpack, recently released, priced at 18,000 yuan.
CCTV footage shows the deceased, Feng Yuguang, bought the backpack in April under the name Chu Ci.
Chu Ci is interrogated and claims Feng was his annoying, loud, and irresponsible roommate.
Chu Ci admits Feng tried to reconcile with him by gifting the bag, but he refused.
Chu Ci had tried multiple times to switch dorms due to Feng’s disruptive behavior.
Yan Xie deduces Feng’s sudden academic ambition and bag gift were efforts to win Chu Ci over and possibly get help with research.
Chu Ci recounts the last conversation: Feng wanted to bet on getting into a doctoral program. Chu Ci didn't take it seriously.
Surveillance for Chu Ci's lab alibi was faulty, and there's no footage confirming he was working during the murder timeframe.
Yan Xie warns Chu Ci he has motive, means, and no alibi, making him the only suspect unless he cooperates.
Chu Ci insists he didn't do it but says Feng read about an experiment and asked for help before the bet.
When asked why he denied knowing about the bag initially, Chu Ci says he didn’t want to be involved.
Yan Xie believes Chu Ci is hiding something but not necessarily guilty.
They receive a call about the discovery of the Fendi backpack in a second-hand shop called Jora Luxury.
Jiang Ting and Yang Mei are found at the shop; Jiang Ting claims they were there to sell a bag and happened to see the Fendi bag.
Jiang Ting points out chocolate wrapper-like tinfoil in the front pocket, which Yan Xie confirms is blister pack foil.
Yan Xie becomes increasingly suspicious of Jiang Ting’s calm demeanor and unusually high awareness for a former small-town labourer.
Forensics identify the bag's seller as a man driving a Toyota with fake plates, throwing the investigation off.
Yan Xie confronts Jiang Ting, subtly accusing him of knowing more, but Jiang Ting deflects coolly.
Jiang Ting is officially labelled a “person of interest” and banned from leaving Jianning.
Back at the station, Yan Xie tells Ma Xiang he doesn’t believe Jiang Ting is guilty but acknowledges something is off about him.
Yan Xie realises Jiang Ting is too composed, too aware, and not acting like a weak, dependent man he claims to be.
While pondering the tinfoil, Yan Xie suddenly recognises the material as not chocolate foil but blister packs.
He calls forensic expert Gou Li and asks if a study-enhancing drug exists that mimics motion sickness or ecstasy.
Gou Li confirms the drug Adderall, which contains amphetamine, is used by students and can cause hallucinations if overdosed.
Yan Xie theorizes Feng Yuguang might have thought he was taking Adderall but was sold scopolamine and MDMA instead, leading to an overdose.
The true cause of death is now suspected to be a deliberate substitution of a “study drug” with deadly narcotics.

3Yan Xie instructs the CID to compile lists of students from wealthy families with drug issues and individuals with records of illegal prescription drug dealings.
Qin Chuan presents a case file of Hu Weisheng, a recently released convict who once smuggled counterfeit ADHD medications.
Hu Weisheng's vehicle matches the one seen near the crime scene; Yan Xie sends a team to arrest him.
Yan Xie reviews Hu Weisheng’s criminal record and finds inconsistencies, especially the attempted rape conviction which seems suspiciously resolved.
Yan Xie accesses old digital case files using Deputy Wei Yao's credentials and finds the attempted rape case involved Liu Xue, a student who was drugged and left unconscious in an illegal clinic.
Yan Xie suspects Hu Weisheng used fake Adderall-like substances, not a date rape drug, and notes the case was handled unusually fast.
The supervising officer of that old case was Jiang Ting, a name that triggers intense memories for Yan Xie.
Jiang Ting was believed to have died in a failed drug raid three years ago, which also killed 13 officers; he was never awarded posthumously.
Yan Xie confronts Wei Yao about Jiang Ting’s case. Wei Yao shares details of the operation, explaining suspicions around Jiang Ting’s last-minute plan changes.
The raid was compromised; a mole named Rivet was also killed. An email Rivet sent prior showed the original raid plan—implying Jiang Ting ignored key intel.
Yan Xie remembers Jiang Ting once helped him earn a medal, despite having no obligation to, which makes Jiang Ting’s motives unclear.
Yan Xie insists Hu Weisheng’s background and Jiang Ting’s involvement are connected.
Meanwhile, Jiang Ting visits the nursing home for a medical checkup. He notices someone watching him—a man with a baseball cap.
The doctor mentions a “relative” visited asking about Jiang Ting and for Yang Mei’s contact. Jiang Ting identifies the visitor as the stalker from the café.
Jiang Ting dodges the stalker with a slick trick—spilling soup behind him to create a distraction.
Jiang Ting leads the stalker into chaos and escapes unnoticed. He spots Yan Xie at the nursing home but pretends it’s coincidence.
Jiang Ting later secretly texts Yang Mei instructions to set up an ambush at a restaurant backdoor where he will lure the stalker.
Yan Xie, however, has been tracking both Jiang Ting and the stalker, confirming Jiang Ting’s suspicious behavior.
Yan Xie confronts the stalker, fights him off, and survives an attempted shooting.
The stalker escapes with help from a mysterious man named Jie who drives a black SUV and extracts him from Jianning.
Jie, acting under mysterious orders, kills the stalker (Delta) during the escape, snapping his neck and disposing of the body.
Yan Xie and Jiang Ting continue their tense cat-and-mouse game; they both suspect each other but aren’t showing their full hand.
Yan Xie joins Jiang Ting for lunch, keeping close watch, while Jiang Ting pretends to be innocent.
Both Jiang Ting and Yan Xie play subtle mind games, suspecting more lies than truths in each other’s actions.
The chapter ends with major revelations: Jiang Ting is alive, possibly hiding from both criminals and police, and there’s a bigger conspiracy involving narcotics, old cases, and Jiang Ting’s fall from grace.

4Yan Xie communicates with officers during a manhunt while forensic pathologist Gou Li extracts DNA from under Yan Xie’s nails due to a fight with a suspect.
A bullet is found to be fired from a high-quality homemade gun, complicating the trace.
Gou Li and Yan Xie have a humorous exchange, showcasing their close (and combative) relationship.
Han Xiaomei returns with food, which Yan Xie steals, teasing Gou Li about his weight.
Yan Xie escapes Gou Li’s wrath and returns to his car, where Jiang Ting is waiting.
Yan Xie updates Jiang Ting on the failed attempt to catch the shooter; Jiang Ting remains calm and seemingly indifferent.
Yan Xie attempts to get insight from Jiang Ting about the suspect’s escape but is repeatedly stonewalled.
Jiang Ting deduces that the shooter was picked up by a driver in a dark SUV, who is likely his accomplice.
Jiang Ting points out the alley's one-way direction and its difficulty for large vehicles, highlighting the driver’s local knowledge and planning.
Jiang Ting suggests the SUV had fake plates, and the driver is a professional.
Police find the suspect’s mangled corpse on a highway, likely run over by multiple lorries.
Gou Li believes he was dumped or killed after betrayal; Jiang Ting determines he was strangled before being dumped.
Jiang Ting deduces the killer used a single hand, was trained, and likely a professional hitman.
Yan Xie orders the surveillance tracking of the SUV and initiates DNA analysis.
Jiang Ting implies the killer was sending a message with the corpse’s condition—an act of warning or dominance.
Jiang Ting references Hu Weisheng, shocking Gou Li and exposing Jiang Ting’s insider knowledge.
Yan Xie confronts Jiang Ting about knowing too much, but Jiang Ting deflects and warns of deeper secrets.
Jiang Ting suggests Hu Weisheng was hiding more than just drug possession—possibly tied to drug manufacturing.
Jiang Ting explains the killer’s brutality wasn’t to hide a gun’s origin, but a calculated psychological tactic.
Back at the Phaeton, Yan Xie corners Jiang Ting against the car and confronts him about being targeted.
Jiang Ting turns the tables by psychoanalyzing Yan Xie, suggesting unresolved feelings or rivalry.
Han Xiaomei walks in on the tense scene, hilariously misinterpreting it, flustering both men.
Yan Xie receives news that incriminating chemistry books and a wiped iPhone were found at Hu Weisheng’s home.
At Yan Xie’s upscale apartment, the two share awkward domesticity. Yan Xie showers while Jiang Ting explores the flat.
Yan Xie reveals his past: a delinquent saved from jail by being pushed into the police academy.
He tried to join the Narcotics team in Gongzhou but was stopped by Deputy Commissioner Wei due to internal dangers.
Jiang Ting hints at how corrupt and complex Gongzhou was, as Yan Xie realises Jiang Ting survived what would've killed him.
They clash over Hu Weisheng’s release and the appearance of a new drug right after Jiang Ting’s reappearance.
Yan Xie accuses Jiang Ting of being involved; Jiang Ting deflects with the metaphor of peeling an onion.
Jiang Ting agrees to stick close to Yan Xie for protection until the case is solved.
Jiang Ting is offered the guest room in Yan Xie’s flat for the night.
Yan Xie ponders Jiang Ting’s evasive behaviour, convinced he's both a source of truth and trauma.
In the morning, Qin Chuan calls and wakes Yan Xie, revealing a breakthrough in forensics.
Jiang Ting wakes up from a nightmare, visibly sick and soaked in sweat, alarming Yan Xie.
Yan Xie shares that the shooter, an ex-con named Fan Zhengyuan (nickname Delta), had narcotics on him—a match with the unknown drug found earlier.
Jiang Ting accompanies Yan Xie to HQ wearing a mask to avoid recognition.
Yan Xie hides Jiang Ting in his office and instructs him to act as a witness if discovered.
A case briefing reveals Delta was likely silenced by the hitman to prevent him from talking.
Qin Chuan suspects the killer used Delta's trust to get close and kill him after the job.
Yan Xie questions the plausibility of a heroin user switching to amphetamines, raising suspicion about the drug capsule in Delta’s pocket.
Jiang Ting, left alone in Yan Xie’s office, suffers a dizzy spell from low blood sugar.
While searching for food, Jiang Ting finds stale crackers but is interrupted by Han Xiaomei.
Jiang Ting bribes Han Xiaomei with 50 yuan to buy him buns and soy milk, falsely saying it was Yan Xie’s order.
Han Xiaomei leaves confused and flustered, further convinced there's a secret relationship between Jiang Ting and Yan Xie.

5Huang Xing explains the recovery of data from Feng Yuguang's phone, revealing a last call from an unregistered SIM and another call to Ding Dang, Feng Yuguang's internship supervisor's daughter.
Yan Xie argues with Huang Xing about the nature of Feng Yuguang and Ding Dang’s relationship, asserting they weren’t dating.
Han Xiaomei is scolded by Yan Xie for fetching breakfast, mistakenly believing Jiang Ting had sent her. Yan Xie orders Huang Xing to identify Feng Yuguang’s contacts and bring them in.
Yan Xie teases Jiang Ting with food but backs off when Jiang Ting shows signs of low blood sugar. Jiang Ting drinks and eats.
Jiang Ting challenges the assumption that Fan Zhengyuan used amphetamines, deducing the amount found was too small for recreational use and might’ve been planted.
Yan Xie receives a call that a second drug stash has been located; he brings Jiang Ting along.
They search Hu Weisheng’s dilapidated dorm, discovering shoeprints on a dusty windowsill indicating someone used the fire escape.
They find an illegal rooftop shack housing a meth lab and a fridge containing various chemicals and a suspicious packet labeled "Group C Box 9 #7704" with light blue powder.
Jiang Ting shows signs of recognition and distress over the packet, recalling a haunting memory of a massive drug operation.
Yan Xie catches Jiang Ting trying to keep the packet and demands an explanation. Jiang Ting refuses, prompting a standoff.
Jiang Ting sarcastically claims he might be using the drug, triggering Yan Xie to physically drag him out of the shack.
A professional killer named Jie ambushes them. Yan Xie fights him, gets temporarily blinded with sand, and is stabbed in the leg.
Jie tries to steal the packet from Yan Xie’s pocket; they fight viciously. Jie nearly throws Yan Xie off the roof.
Jiang Ting is held at gunpoint by a mysterious man who taunts him with whispers. Yan Xie dangles off the roof as Jie stomps on his fingers.
Jiang Ting dares the man to shoot him, then breaks free, tackles Jie, and they crash through a door down the stairs.
Yan Xie climbs back up as another man appears and shoots at him. Meanwhile, Jiang Ting and Jie tumble down the stairwell, Jiang Ting gravely injured.
Jiang Ting blacks out from injuries; a dream sequence reveals childhood memories, a mysterious friend, and a betrayal promise.
Jiang Ting wakes up in the hospital with Yang Mei and Yan Xie by his side. He asks about Jie, confirming the killer escaped.
Jiang Ting warns Yan Xie not to pursue the case due to the dangerous syndicate involved. Yan Xie refuses to back down.
Yan Xie confronts Jiang Ting over hiding the drug packet and accuses him of lying about drug use since his bloodwork shows two years clean.
Jiang Ting coldly deflects Yan Xie’s interrogation, hinting at having suffered but never tortured. Yan Xie finds this suspicious, implying possible connections with the drug syndicate.
Yan Xie challenges Jiang Ting’s integrity and threatens to investigate him further if he hinders the case.
A flashback to the police station shows Deputy Commissioner Wei exploding in rage over the rooftop incident and nearly suing situation.
Yan Xie is reprimanded for acting alone and not reporting the rooftop operation. He remains sarcastic.
Gao Panqing reports that Hu Weisheng's fingerprints were only on non-critical parts of the equipment, suggesting he wasn’t the manufacturer.
Yan Xie concludes Hu was only the caretaker of the lab; someone else did the cooking.
Deputy Commissioner Wei gives Yan Xie 72 hours to solve the case or lose his job.
Yan Xie confidently promises to crack it, challenging Hu Weisheng in an interrogation, vowing to get a confession in one hour or eat his own shoes.

6Hu Weisheng is being interrogated by the police for selling fake Adderall and his fingerprints were found on rooftop drug-manufacturing equipment.
He denies all charges and refuses to give information about the person in the backseat of his car on May 2nd, claiming it was a hitchhiker.
Ma Xiang wants to use torture methods but Yan Xie lectures him about the law and ethics.
Yan Xie uses psychological tactics instead, including showing Hu Weisheng a gruesome photo of a body claiming it’s his accomplice.
Hu Weisheng is visibly shaken but denies knowing the person.
Yan Xie presents copper hydroxide in an evidence bag pretending it's the mysterious blue drug.
Yan Xie manipulates Hu Weisheng using pressure and emotional leverage, suggesting his accomplice is already dead.
Yan Xie mentions the Liu Xue case and Hu Weisheng panics, referencing Jiang Ting who allegedly led that case.
Hu Weisheng reveals Jiang Ting had a “brother” who may have sought revenge.
Yan Xie claims Jiang Ting is dead and was crushed on a motorway, mirroring the body in the photo.
Hu Weisheng almost confesses but then realizes the body is not his accomplice, deducing the victim had short hair while his accomplice is a long-haired woman.
Yan Xie realizes the accomplice is female and likely someone Hu Weisheng cared for romantically.
Yan Xie instructs the team to dig into Hu Weisheng's romantic connections for leads.
Yan Xie goes undercover at Breezy Blossom nightclub, posing as a wealthy drug buyer.
He uses money and charm to gain access to drug dealers, guided by an informant nicknamed Chubbs.
Two enforcers named Wyvern and Astro escort Yan Xie to meet their boss, but demand to search him.
Jiang Ting appears in disguise as a drunken gay lover, causing a scene that allows Yan Xie to avoid suspicion and buy time.
Yan Xie and Jiang Ting are taken to a private VIP room with Chubbs and the two enforcers.
Yan Xie continues his undercover persona and offers a bribe to convince the dealers of his credibility.
Jiang Ting fakes drug withdrawal symptoms to help Yan Xie’s cover.
Wyvern searches Yan Xie thoroughly but finds nothing incriminating.
Jiang Ting is also searched and passes without issue.
The boss Mr Zong arrives and warms up to Yan Xie once he claims to be a friend of Hu Weisheng.
Mr Zong offers white capsules but Yan Xie stalls, saying he wants a new product Hu Weisheng mentioned—red capsules used to lure young women.
Mr Zong laughs and agrees, praising Yan Xie’s taste and confirming he has such drugs.
Mr Zong insists Yan Xie try the white capsules first to confirm quality.
Yan Xie is caught in a dilemma since taking drugs is forbidden and dangerous.
Jiang Ting intervenes by pretending to snort the drugs, but secretly hides the powder in his hand.
Yan Xie carries Jiang Ting to the restroom, playing along with the act, and hides from the dealers.
Inside, Yan Xie berates Jiang Ting who reveals he didn’t actually take the drugs.
Jiang Ting tries to reveal something about the new blue psychedelic drug but they are interrupted.
Police from Yihe Station burst in, shouting they received a report of sodomy and solicitation.
Yan Xie and Jiang Ting realize these are not their backup officers and panic.
The chapter ends with the police demanding IDs and threatening to break down the door.

7Jiang Ting and Yan Xie are interrupted during a covert operation when the local police raid the nightclub unexpectedly.
Yan Xie helps Jiang Ting escape through a window while he stays behind to confront the officers.
The local police mistakenly believe Yan Xie is a criminal and assault him, ignoring his protests.
Qin Chuan and the municipal police arrive too late to stop the chaos and are horrified to see Yan Xie get hit and arrested.
Qin Chuan tries to de-escalate by asserting jurisdiction, but the local officers accuse Yan Xie of assault, resisting arrest, and involvement in solicitation.
Yan Xie is forcefully restrained in front of his subordinates, damaging his reputation and morale.
Qin Chuan improvises by citing internal restructuring and jurisdiction, taking control of the case to protect Yan Xie’s identity and mission.
The local officers remain hostile, insisting Yan Xie beat up several of them and calling him dangerous.
The situation is further complicated when local officers accuse Yan Xie of helping a suspect escape through the window and imply a homosexual encounter occurred.
Qin Chuan is forced to pretend to agree to avoid further suspicion from the drug traffickers.
Yan Xie is reluctantly escorted out while everyone involved misunderstands the situation.
Qin Chuan and Gou Li tend to Yan Xie's injuries in a van outside the nightclub.
Yan Xie believes something is suspicious about the timing of the raid and insists on checking previous solicitation reports for matching records.
He suspects the report triggering the local raid was a setup meant to sabotage the municipal operation.
Qin Chuan confirms the report was oddly timed and agrees to help investigate.
Yan Xie orders surveillance footage analysis and interrogation of the suspects, especially the red-haired man.
Yan Xie worries why they haven’t heard from their superior yet.
Qin Chuan gets a call from Fang Zhenghong, who informs them that Hu Weisheng is dead.
Fang Zhenghong ominously says "Deputy Commissioner Wei" in relation to Hu Weisheng’s death.
Chu Ci infiltrates a chemical plant at night using a stolen access card and renders a guard unconscious.
Chu Ci searches for specific chemicals, indicating his involvement in something nefarious.
Jiang Ting calmly confirms with Yan Xie over the phone that Hu Weisheng’s death was intentional and expected.
Yan Xie realises that Hu Weisheng’s death was related to a small drug packet and not Breezy Blossom.
Jiang Ting tells Yan Xie the money found at the nightclub was Yang Mei’s and tells him to get reimbursed.
Yan Xie attends a meeting with Commissioner Lyu, provincial reps, and others.
Gou Li explains the use of heroin (diacetylmorphine) was approved by Deputy Commissioner Wei Yao to get Hu Weisheng to talk.
The provincial rep Mr Chen blames Jianning Police for Hu Weisheng’s death and demands Gou Li be taken off the case.
Commissioner Lyu calmly takes responsibility and launches into a long, deliberate speech to stall for time.
Yan Xie receives a text confirming the task they were waiting for is done.
Mr Chen is called by Director Liu, who sides with Jianning Police and gives them jurisdiction over Hu Weisheng’s case.
Mr Chen storms back in, realising he was played and scolds Yan Xie, warning him of consequences.
Yan Xie jokes that his family is no longer the wealthiest in Jianning.
Commissioner Lyu ends the meeting and instructs everyone to move fast on the investigation.
Commissioner Lyu privately warns Yan Xie that if Wei Yao is involved, they'll all be in trouble.
Yan Xie tries to unwind but is startled to see Jiang Ting waiting for him outside in Yang Mei’s Mercedes.
Jiang Ting returns Yan Xie's undercover earpiece, causing Yan Xie emotional turmoil wondering how it was retrieved from his body.
Yan Xie awkwardly takes the earpiece, fearing contamination.
Jiang Ting remains calm and unbothered, confusing Yan Xie.
They go out to eat at Ippinkyo, where Jiang Ting asks for an update on the case.
Yan Xie confirms that the raid report wasn't faked but was based on real calls from a payphone.
Jiang Ting finds it suspicious that a man in his 50s would report prostitution, implying it was staged.
Jiang Ting hints he knew about the raid because Yang Mei planted someone at the police station to watch Yan Xie’s car.
They discuss the issue of heroin handling within the department and the possibility of corruption or tampering.
Jiang Ting confirms Commissioner Lyu is trying to plug loopholes in evidence handling procedures.
Yan Xie mistakenly thinks Jiang Ting might be dating Yang Mei and gets jealous, leading to awkward banter.
Jiang Ting denies being with Yang Mei and suspects Yan Xie has feelings for her, or possibly something else.
Yan Xie dodges the topic and makes inappropriate jokes, confusing Jiang Ting further.
Yan Xie is interrupted by a call reporting a break-in at a chemical plant.
Yan Xie storms into the bathroom where Jiang Ting is, leading to more awkwardness.
They learn Chu Ci attacked guards and stole chemicals from the plant where he works.
Han Xiaomei briefs them on the crime scene; Chu Ci incapacitated two strong guards with surprising ease.
Ding Jiawang, Chu Ci’s supervisor, arrives and tells Yan Xie about Chu Ci’s behaviour.
Yan Xie and Jiang Ting suspect Chu Ci is not just a chemistry student but also potentially dangerous and trained.

8Han Xiaomei suspects Yan Xie is overly possessive of Jiang Ting and imagines melodramatic romance plots between them.
Yan Xie interrupts a conversation between Han Xiaomei and Jiang Ting, pulling Jiang Ting aside and asserting dominance.
Ding Jiawang reveals Chu Ci had a violent altercation with Feng Yuguang a week before Feng Yuguang’s death, which had not been previously disclosed.
Yan Xie scolds Ding Jiawang for withholding information that could have prevented the incident.
Jiang Ting deduces from Ding Jiawang’s account that Feng Yuguang had accused Chu Ci of theft, leading to the fight.
Yan Xie and Jiang Ting analyze the blood at the crime scene; Jiang Ting notes the lack of struggle and suspects the attack was swift.
Jiang Ting playfully questions the “Watson” nickname Yan Xie uses for him.
Jiang Ting identifies three key chemicals in the missing inventory list that can be used to produce amphetamines.
Jiang Ting recommends issuing a warrant for Chu Ci’s arrest.
Ding Dang, Ding Jiawang’s daughter and art student, appears and defends Chu Ci, saying he was supportive and hardworking.
Yan Xie questions Ding Dang and suspects the fight between Chu Ci and Feng Yuguang was related to her.
Jiang Ting notes that Chu Ci had begun erratic and varied experiments after the interrogation on May 5th, using stolen chemicals.
Jiang Ting deduces Chu Ci has OCD based on extremely precise notes and alignment of storage tank outlets.
Jiang Ting finds signs that the chemical outlets used for the theft were misaligned, indicating someone else staged the theft.
Jiang Ting deduces Chu Ci has been abducted and used chemical book titles during a phone call to secretly call for help.
Jiang Ting concludes that the security supervisor Diao Yong is involved and instructs to detain him.
Diao Yong is arrested; Jiang Ting exposes inconsistencies in Diao Yong’s story using a reenactment and measurements.
Jiang Ting proves that Chu Ci couldn’t have inflicted Diao Yong’s injuries due to height and angle inconsistencies.
Diao Yong is exposed for fabricating the encounter and is taken into custody, still denying wrongdoing.
Jiang Ting and Yan Xie confirm Diao Yong faked injuries and acted as part of the kidnappers.
Chu Ci is identified as a victim, not a perpetrator; he's been abducted by a drug syndicate.
Yan Xie and Jiang Ting determine that Chu Ci was investigating discrepancies in chemical storage post-Feng Yuguang’s death.
Jiang Ting explains that water had been added to chemical tanks to hide theft, and Chu Ci's OCD helped him detect it.
Chu Ci’s investigation into solution density after Feng Yuguang’s death suggests he suspected foul play.
They deduce Chu Ci was framed and went to investigate on his own, leading to his kidnapping.
The forensic evidence suggests the female suspect stabbed Diao Yong, as the wound angle fits a shorter person.
Han Xiaomei is starstruck by Jiang Ting and watches him work in awe.
The team confirms the presence of a red Camry with covered plates at the scene at 3:06 a.m.
Jiang Ting connects the book titles to known meth synthesis methods, confirming Chu Ci’s silent plea for help.
Professor Niu confirms Chu Ci called during the heist, speaking calmly, signaling his abduction.
Yan Xie issues an urgent warrant and orders citywide surveillance and tracking of the Camry.
A forensics report reveals the stab wounds were shallow, and Jiang Ting concludes Diao Yong's accomplice is female.
Back at the station, Jiang Ting and Yan Xie review the entire case, piecing together Chu Ci’s behavior.
Ma Xiang and Han Xiaomei speculate on the relationship between Jiang Ting and Yan Xie.
Jiang Ting confirms Chu Ci was investigating inconsistencies in chemical levels post-May 5th.
Jiang Ting explains how denser chemicals topped up with water could be visually undetectable except by someone extremely meticulous like Chu Ci.
Jiang Ting eats unagi donburi while the others have instant noodles, highlighting the difference in treatment.
Diao Yong has yet to confess, but Jiang Ting emphasizes his role as a key link to the drug producers.
The team realises they’re short on time to rescue Chu Ci, who may only be alive because of his chemical expertise.
Just as Yan Xie prepares to leave the room, Huang Xing bursts in and announces the red Camry has been located on surveillance footage.

9A burnt car is found on a rainy provincial highway with no bodies inside; police suspect it was set on fire to destroy evidence.
Yan Xie organizes a detailed forensic sweep of the area before dawn.
Jiang Ting is sent to rest but instead continues analyzing surveillance footage from the chemical company at Yan Xie's apartment.
A red Toyota Camry with a muddy license plate is seen exiting the chemical plant at 3:06 a.m.; driver’s face and features are obscured.
Jiang Ting deduces the plate might share digits with Hu Weisheng’s car’s fake plate: JAGU799.
Han Xiaomei confirms that plate, and Jiang Ting suspects a woman asked Hu Weisheng to match their fake plates.
Ma Xiang finds animal bones while searching the slope; no female footprints found.
Yan Xie discovers suspiciously shorter shrubs, suggesting a struggle occurred there.
Blood is found using luminol—indicating Chu Ci may still be alive.
Yan Xie receives a call from Jiang Ting theorizing the female accomplice had Hu Weisheng use her car plate to imply a relationship.
Yan Xie identifies Liu Wanqiu as the car’s registered owner—Ding Jiawang’s wife’s niece.
Chi Rui’s DNA is found at the scene; he has a history of illegal firearms manufacturing.
Jiang Ting accidentally brews tea from Yan Xie's most valuable antique tea cake, meant for his future wife.
Han Xiaomei is revealed as the culprit who brewed the tea, horrifying both Jiang Ting and Yan Xie.
Yan Xie receives news that Liu Wanqiu has an airtight alibi and denies owning the car; she celebrated her birthday at a karaoke bar.
Investigation into Chi Rui’s whereabouts reveals he might be hiding in an underground drug lab in Wuhai.
Jiang Ting suggests narrowing the search to unused factories in Wuhai.
Jiang Ting summarizes the syndicate’s members: Diao Yong (security), Chi Rui (weapons), Hu Weisheng (distribution), and an unidentified female possibly controlling Hu Weisheng.
Jiang Ting identifies a unique glove in the surveillance footage—insulating gloves used by electricians.
Yan Xie connects this to Wang Le, a missing electrician with gambling debt.
Ma Xiang reports that Ding Dang has escaped police surveillance by faking a wardrobe change.
Ding Dang is seen outside a police station and then forcibly pulled into a black car.
Yan Xie explodes in rage at the officers who failed to stop her and reassigns them.
Interrogation of Ding Jiawang yields no results; he denies knowledge of the car or daughter’s involvement.
Surveillance footage disproves his claims—he is seen with his wife in the red Camry.
Yan Xie receives texts from Jiang Ting suggesting they approach Ding Jiawang’s wife, Zhang Jiao, instead.
Zhang Jiao is shown surveillance of her daughter’s abduction and breaks down, revealing a lab in Wuhai disguised as a packaging factory.
She confirms Hu Weisheng and Ding Dang were in a relationship and says Hu Weisheng had a packet of extremely addictive blue powder stolen from a "big shot".
Zhang Jiao reveals the drug is highly addictive, even through skin contact.
Yan Xie rushes to act on her testimony and redirects the interrogation strategy toward Diao Yong.
Jiang Ting and Yang Mei are at a restaurant when Jiang Ting sends advice to Yan Xie about exploiting Zhang Jiao’s maternal fears.
Yan Xie uses this to successfully crack Zhang Jiao.
In the final interrogation, Yan Xie uses fake wanted posters and surveillance footage to manipulate Zhang Jiao into confessing everything.
She provides confirmation about the factory's location and the drug's origin but claims Ding Dang is innocent.
Yan Xie decides to bait Diao Yong instead of Ding Jiawang, believing the former is more likely to crack.
Yan Xie orders Han Xiaomei not to tell Jiang Ting about the existence of the blue drug or the big shot source.
The chapter ends with the police preparing to interrogate Diao Yong and a looming sense of urgency to save Ding Dang and stop the syndicate.

10Chi Ci wakes up in a small, dark room with a high fever, injured, and realizes he has been kidnapped.
He recalls trying to resist during the kidnapping by leaving blood traces in the bushes.
Chi Ci notices Ding Dang is in the same room, also kidnapped and injured.
Ding Dang confesses she tried to turn herself in but was abducted before she could.
Ding Dang reveals Feng Yuguang's death was indirectly her fault—he died after taking a fake drug sold by her father and boyfriend.
Hu Weisheng, Ding Dang's boyfriend, is revealed to be a drug dealer who possesses a dangerous, skin-absorbable drug.
Ding Dang’s father, Ding Jiawang, tried and failed to replicate the drug, resulting in toxic variants, one of which killed Feng Yuguang.
The original drug can be absorbed through skin and is dangerously addictive; its formula excludes regulated ingredients.
The drug's original developer is an unnamed "King of Spades," active in the region years ago.
Wang Le enters with a gun and takes Chi Ci away.
Simultaneously, Yan Xie interrogates Ding Jiawang, who denies involvement but is clearly hiding the truth.
Yan Xie deduces that Ding Jiawang, Wang Le, Diao Yong, and Chi Rui formed a group to create and sell drugs, later joined by Hu Weisheng.
Yan Xie reveals that the group tried to replicate Hu Weisheng's drug but failed, leading to accidental deaths.
They kidnapped Chi Ci to force him—being a top chemistry student—to help recreate the drug properly.
Police intelligence narrows down the hideout to three factories near Songxinqiao.
Yan Xie uses psychological tactics and the threat of losing leniency to manipulate Diao Yong into confessing.
Diao Yong confirms the location of the kidnappers’ lab at a factory on Dongyuan Road called Jiaxing.
He also reveals the drug is called “Sapphire” or “Tingkercloud,” and is potent, skin-absorbable, and possibly fentanyl-based.
Chu Ci is brought to the factory lab where he narrowly avoids execution by revealing the theoretical basis of how to recreate the drug.
He explains the drug is likely a modified fentanyl compound and offers to reverse engineer it if given a sample.
The kidnappers argue over whether to kill him or let him help; Chu Ci stalls them.
Yan Xie races to the location with SWAT and gets permission to direct the raid.
Jiang Ting covertly follows them, revealing his presence in a silver Mercedes and exchanging cryptic messages with Yan Xie.
Yan Xie is suspicious of a mole in the police, possibly Jiang Ting.
Yan Xie inserts a microchip into Jiang Ting’s pocket but keeps his suspicions masked under casual flirtation and banter.
Jiang Ting warns Yan Xie at the last moment that there are not three kidnappers, but four.

A Break in the Clouds (Poyun), Vol. 2

11Jiaxing Mould Processing and Packaging Factory is under police surveillance, with Commissioner Lyu directing a hostage rescue operation after snipers confirm three hostiles inside and the hostages somewhere on the first floor.In response, Commissioner Lyu assigns Kang Shuqiang’s Team One to enter through the roof while Yan Xie’s Team Two secures the stairwells and corridors, with the priority set on extracting the hostages and avoiding gunfire.Despite the careful plan, Chen Chu worries about the danger, but Commissioner Lyu sternly tells him to trust the police and not underestimate either the operation or the enemy.Meanwhile, Han Xiaomei watches Jiang Ting step out of Yan Xie’s Jeep Grand Cherokee and head toward the silver Mercedes, knowing she is supposed to monitor him but feeling too intimidated and emotional to stop him.This leads Han Xiaomei to block Jiang Ting’s path with sudden courage, but Jiang Ting simply offers her chocolates and invites her to sit in the car with him.At 7:45 p.m., Yan Xie waits near the factory entrance with his gun ready while Huang Xing contacts him through an earpiece and complains about being asked to track Yan Xie’s own chip.As Yan Xie advances with the team, Huang Xing teases Yan Xie about trying to catch a cheating girlfriend, only to report that the chip has moved about twenty metres.In response, Yan Xie tells Huang Xing not to bother him unless the chip moves more than five hundred metres, then switches channels and leads Team Two deeper into position.At 7:50 p.m., surveillance spots movement inside a first-floor room, but frosted glass prevents a clear view.This leads Commissioner Lyu to order Kang Shuqiang and Yan Xie to hold position, with Kang Shuqiang’s Team One ready to rappel in and Yan Xie’s Team Two already securing the main access routes.At 7:52 p.m., Chu Ci is forced to work inside the factory lab, exhausted, dehydrated, feverish, and threatened at gunpoint by Wang Le and the other kidnappers.In response to Wang Le’s demand, Chu Ci says the setup is barely functional and warns that the lab lacks the proper equipment to make fentanyl safely.Despite Chu Ci’s warning, the cook dismisses the danger and argues that they are only making drugs for money, claiming the police will not care as long as no one dies.This leads the cook to tempt Chu Ci with money, equipment, freedom, and even Ding Dang, telling Chu Ci that Ding Dang likes him and could belong to him if he cooperates.Before Chu Ci can respond, Chi Rui drags Ding Dang into the room with a gun to her head, making Ding Dang look terrified and helpless as she pleads with Chu Ci.Meanwhile, Jie buys all the fruit from a nearby vendor to avoid suspicion, waits for the vendor to leave, throws the fruit away, and goes upstairs to assemble a sniper rifle.At 8:00 p.m., surveillance reports that the kidnappers have moved several metres away from the hostages, but frosted glass prevents a clear view.In the Mercedes, Jiang Ting listens to the situation and calmly deduces that the kidnappers are not rushing because Chu Ci has made an agreement with them.This leads Jiang Ting to reveal to Han Xiaomei that the hostage can synthesize Sapphire, explaining why the kidnappers are keeping Chu Ci alive.Inside the lab, Chu Ci tries to protect Ding Dang and asks the kidnappers to let her go, but Wang Le and the cook only mock him and shove Ding Dang toward him.Despite Chu Ci’s fever and weakness, he notices a safety rope outside the window and realizes SWAT may be approaching.In response, Chu Ci secretly grabs a large test tube and prepares to use it as a weapon while Chi Rui orders Wang Le to get the lorry and prepare to move.Chi Rui suddenly notices movement near the window, making the command vehicle tense as Team One reports that a target is approaching the east-corner window. This leads Commissioner Lyu to give the order for Team One to move in.Kang Shuqiang rappels toward the factory window, but Jie fires from his sniper position and shoots Kang Shuqiang in the back before Kang Shuqiang crashes through the glass.In the chaos, Chu Ci breaks the test tube and grabs Ding Dang, pressing the sharpened glass against her carotid artery while shouting that he will kill her if anyone comes closer.This shocks Ding Dang, and Chu Ci reveals he knows Ding Dang is the orchestrator rather than an innocent hostage.As SWAT bursts into the room, the command vehicle panics over Kang Shuqiang’s injury and Commissioner Lyu orders Yan Xie to move in.Yan Xie charges into the factory, sees Chi Rui lunging at Chu Ci, and immediately shoots Chi Rui in the thigh.In response, officers flood both ends of the corridor, Wang Le drops his gun, and Yan Xie keeps Ding Dang in his sights while ordering his team to check on Kang Shuqiang.Despite being exposed, Ding Dang pretends to be innocent and begs Yan Xie not to believe Chu Ci’s accusation.Before Yan Xie can grab Ding Dang, Jie’s sniper shots shatter test tubes, blow apart the chemical cabinet, rupture reaction vessels, and ignite the lab.This leads to a massive explosion as crystal meth, chemicals, sparks, and spilled reagents erupt into fire and smoke.In the Mercedes, Jiang Ting hears the report of a sniper and chemical explosion, and the scene triggers a traumatic memory of a past drug bust, explosion, and teammates trapped in fire.Despite trembling from the memory, Jiang Ting calmly asks Han Xiaomei whether Kang Shuqiang was shot in the back and begins calculating the sniper’s location.In response, Jiang Ting realizes the sniper must be using a high building within six hundred metres, then slams the accelerator and drives away with Han Xiaomei.Back inside the burning lab, Chu Ci is overwhelmed by smoke and hydrogen sulphide, only for Ding Dang to pick up Wang Le’s discarded gun and press it against his forehead.Ding Dang drops her innocent act completely, screaming at Chu Ci for figuring her out and trying to kill him.Before Ding Dang can shoot Chu Ci, Yan Xie dives in, forces the gun upward, and the bullets tear into the ceiling instead.In response, SWAT restrains Ding Dang, gives Chu Ci a gas mask, and carries Chu Ci out through the smoke-filled wreckage.Even while barely conscious, Chu Ci warns Ma Xiang that hydrogen sulphide above a certain concentration kills the sense of smell and could make everyone think the gas has cleared when it has not.Meanwhile, Jie leaves behind a child-sized shirt marked with a sunrise-like design and dark bloodstains, suggesting a deliberate message connected to the old case.After leaving the rooftop, Jie reaches a black Range Rover, but Jiang Ting and Han Xiaomei spot him almost immediately.In response, Jie drives off, and Jiang Ting pursues him in the Mercedes with Han Xiaomei screaming beside him.Back at the factory, Yan Xie emerges from the smoke-covered scene exhausted but alive, and Chen Chu awkwardly praises his work.This leads Ma Xiang to tell Yan Xie that Kang Shuqiang is in surgery and survived partly because of his bulletproof vest.Soon after, Huang Xing calls Yan Xie and reports that Yan Xie’s tracking chip has moved far more than five hundred metres and is heading toward Gongzhou.Yan Xie freezes because he realizes Jiang Ting is involved, forcing him to choose between reporting Jiang Ting and exposing his secrets or chasing him alone.Despite knowing the proper answer, Yan Xie follows his instincts, gets into his Jeep Grand Cherokee, and demands Huang Xing send him the chip’s real-time coordinates.Meanwhile, Jiang Ting continues chasing Jie onto the motorway, cutting between lorries and staying close to the Range Rover despite Han Xiaomei’s terrified screams.Although Jiang Ting appears calm, the chase forces him back into the nightmare of the past crash, making the road and traffic twist around him like a repeating trauma.In response to Jie’s attempt to escape, Jiang Ting accelerates beside the Range Rover and rams it into the guardrail, trying to force it off the motorway.Jie sneers that Jiang Ting has a death wish and steers toward a fork where one road leads to Gongzhou and the other dead-ends.This leads both vehicles off the motorway and onto an abandoned road, where the chase ends in a violent crash against a guardrail.After the crash, Han Xiaomei regains consciousness inside the wrecked Mercedes and is relieved to realize she is alive.However, Han Xiaomei panics when Jiang Ting does not answer her and Jie gets out of the warped Range Rover to approach them.In response, Jiang Ting wakes, tells Han Xiaomei not to move, gives her a Jianning Police GPS tracking chip, and tells her to stay inside until Yan Xie arrives.Despite Han Xiaomei’s pounding on the doors, Jiang Ting locks her inside the Mercedes, throws the keys into the darkness, and walks toward Jie alone.Jie mocks Jiang Ting by asking whether he is waiting for Jianning Police, Gongzhou Police, or Yan Xie.Jiang Ting dodges Jie’s attacks with difficulty and asks why Jie’s side created such a spectacle at the factory.In response, Jie reveals two reasons: Hu Weisheng took something he should not have taken and Chu Ci’s group was using it for research, while the boss also enjoys reenacting old police operations with unexpected explosions.This reveal enrages Jiang Ting because Jie confirms the factory disaster was staged as a cruel reenactment of Jiang Ting’s past trauma.Jie then reveals he recorded a video on the boss’s orders and asks whether Jiang Ting wants to greet an old friend.In response, Jiang Ting lunges for the phone, but Jie twists his wrist and quickly overpowers him.Despite Jiang Ting’s weakened condition, he suddenly pulls a concealed folding knife and slashes Jie across the chest, revealing a ruthless combat skill Han Xiaomei never expected from the refined “Mr Lu.”This leads Han Xiaomei to realize Jiang Ting is not stalling for backup and is actually trying to kill Jie.Jiang Ting continues attacking Jie with lethal precision, nearly cutting Jie’s eye and repeatedly aiming for Jie’s throat.Despite this, Jie regains control, disarms Jiang Ting, and chokes him against the Range Rover door.Jie mocks Jiang Ting as weakened and “declawed,” then asks why Jiang Ting insists on getting himself killed when he could have had a good life.Even while being strangled, Jiang Ting refuses to let Jie take him back and forces out the words “Dream on.”In response, Han Xiaomei escapes the Mercedes through the shattered rear window, grabs a gun, presses it to Jie’s forehead, and orders him to let Jiang Ting go.Jie is surprised by Han Xiaomei’s courage and releases Jiang Ting while turning toward her with his hands raised.As Jiang Ting struggles to recover, Han Xiaomei shakily asks him to cuff Jie for her. However, Jiang Ting notices the shattered window and freezes, realizing too late that Han Xiaomei has injured herself escaping and is in danger.This leads both Jiang Ting and Jie to lunge at the same time, but Jie reaches Han Xiaomei first.Jie dislocates Han Xiaomei’s elbow, snatches the gun from her, presses the muzzle against her pale forehead, and pulls the trigger.

12Han Xiaomei freezes in terror when Jie pulls the trigger at her forehead, but the gun only clicks empty, revealing that Han Xiaomei had been bluffing with an unloaded weapon.In response, Jie mocks Han Xiaomei for failing to bluff convincingly and warns Jiang Ting not to move, using Han Xiaomei’s life to keep Jiang Ting from reaching for the knife.Despite his pain from the crash, Jiang Ting forces himself to stand without showing weakness and asks Jie what he wants.Jie drives his knee into Han Xiaomei’s abdomen, leaving her on the ground in agony with her injured arm twisted, then reveals that Hu Weisheng is dead and the packet of Sapphire is gone.This leads Jie to admit that his boss will be even happier if Jie brings back something the boss truly wants, clearly referring to Jiang Ting.In response, Jiang Ting agrees too quickly and tries to bargain for Han Xiaomei’s release, warning Jie that killing a cop will make Jie’s future miserable.Despite Jie’s indifference, Jiang Ting threatens to take Jie down with him if Jie insists on dragging him away, making Jie reconsider the situation.Jie finally releases Han Xiaomei, and Jiang Ting immediately crouches beside her to ask if she is all right.Meanwhile, Jie retrieves a metal briefcase from the Range Rover and takes a pistol from the glove box, making Han Xiaomei panic and warn Jiang Ting.In response, Jiang Ting orders Han Xiaomei to stay down because she may have a concussion, while secretly drawing her attention to the handcuffs in her pocket.This leads Jiang Ting to whisper that backup will arrive soon and promise that he will return, giving Han Xiaomei a chance to survive.When Jie closes in and grabs Jiang Ting, Jiang Ting suddenly spins around and smashes the handcuffs into Jie’s temple, shouting for Han Xiaomei to run.Han Xiaomei obeys at once and bolts into the darkness while Jie reels from the blow and throws the handcuffs away.Despite Jiang Ting’s attempt to create distance, Jie slams the butt of the pistol into Jiang Ting’s skull and drags him into a chokehold.At that moment, Yan Xie arrives in the Jeep Grand Cherokee, headlights blazing as he charges into the scene.In response, Jie throws Jiang Ting aside and rolls away while Yan Xie fires at him, forcing Jie to scramble for cover behind the Range Rover.Jiang Ting warns Yan Xie that Jie has a gun, and Yan Xie rushes in while telling Jiang Ting to get into the car.Despite being under fire from Jie’s Beretta 92, Yan Xie advances steadily, shooting whenever Jie peeks out from behind the Range Rover door.This leads Yan Xie to empty his magazine, throw his handgun onto the roof, leap onto the Range Rover, and grapple directly with Jie.During the struggle, Jie fires the M92, making Han Xiaomei scream for Yan Xie, but Yan Xie knocks the weapon away before it can decide the fight.In response, Yan Xie taunts Jie for bringing a gun to a proper fight, and Jie accepts the challenge with a vicious grin.The fight becomes brutal and evenly matched, with Jie’s professional precision clashing against Yan Xie’s mix of street-brawling instincts, boxing experience, and police training.Despite Jie’s clean technique, Yan Xie uses ruthless, practical methods to counter him, pinning him with his legs and driving him through glass.Jie keeps fighting back, kicking away the M92 before Yan Xie can recover it and slamming Yan Xie onto the car roof hard enough to shatter more glass.In response, Yan Xie locks his legs around Jie from above and smashes him through a window, declaring that criminals are not worth having fun with.The two continue exchanging devastating blows, crashing into the Range Rover, the guardrail, the shattered windows, and the twisted wreckage around them.Despite Yan Xie’s injuries, Yan Xie catches a metal briefcase swung at his face, throws it aside, and kicks Jie hard enough to send him flying into the guardrail.Jie rises bloodied and furious, growling that he should have killed Yan Xie back then. In response, Yan Xie tastes blood, smiles coldly, and taunts Jie forward.Before Jie can attack again, a gunshot stops everyone, and Jiang Ting appears beyond the guardrail holding the M92.Jiang Ting aims at Jie and warns him not to move, even though the slight tremor in Jiang Ting’s hand reveals how badly he is struggling.Jie notices Jiang Ting’s torment and deliberately provokes him by telling Jiang Ting to shoot him the same way Jiang Ting killed Rivet.This name freezes Jiang Ting, dragging him into a traumatic memory of being forced to choose between himself and an undercover cop named Rivet with only one bullet.In the memory, Jiang Ting tries to survive because his comrades are dead and he must find the truth, but guilt and horror blur his mind as he pulls the trigger.In reality, Jiang Ting has not fired, and Yan Xie gently tells him that whatever happened back then is over and that he should put the gun down.Despite Yan Xie’s attempt to steady him, Jiang Ting trembles and turns the gun toward himself as if possessed by the memory.Before the situation can collapse, two motorcycles roar over the hill, and Yan Xie shouts for Han Xiaomei to watch out.Han Xiaomei barely avoids the motorcycles, while Yan Xie vaults over the guardrail and snatches the M92 from Jiang Ting.This leads Jie to grab onto one motorcycle while the other rider retrieves the briefcase, allowing both enemies to escape into the wilderness.Yan Xie fires after them until the last bullets vanish into exhaust smoke, but he stops when he sees countless taillights across the ridge and realizes an ambush is waiting.Frustrated, Yan Xie smashes the empty gun against a rock, then turns back when police sirens finally reach the scene.Instead of focusing on the escaped enemies, Yan Xie notices Jiang Ting shaking uncontrollably with his face buried in his palm.In response, Yan Xie pulls Jiang Ting’s hand away, sees his bloodless face and trembling lips, and softly tells Jiang Ting to breathe and stay with him.Jiang Ting apologizes and tries to hide his face, but Yan Xie holds him firmly and draws him into his arms, telling him that he has him and that Jiang Ting is fine.This leads Jiang Ting to confess that he wanted to help but cannot pull the trigger again, revealing the depth of his trauma over Rivet.Before Yan Xie can answer, Han Xiaomei reports that police found the sniper’s nest on a residential demolition site roof along with a suspicious child-sized white T-shirt stained with old blood.The discovery shatters Jiang Ting’s remaining composure, and Jiang Ting pushes Yan Xie away, repeats the report in shock, and finally passes out.In response, Yan Xie catches Jiang Ting, lifts him in a princess carry, orders Han Xiaomei into the car, and demands a private hospital instead of waiting with the others.Ma Xiang arrives with police cars just in time to see Yan Xie speed away with Jiang Ting, leaving Ma Xiang confused and yelling after him.As Yan Xie drives through red lights, Yan Xie watches Jiang Ting unconscious in the rearview mirror and worries over Jiang Ting’s words about being unable to pull the trigger again and Rivet’s death.Meanwhile, Jiang Ting sinks into a feverish dream where he sees a laughing boy by a river, a white T-shirt, and a gloomy friend who invites him to hear a violin.This dream shifts into a beautiful, abandoned theatre where the friend performs only for the boy, preserving a carefree childhood memory untouched by time.Despite the warmth of that memory, the dream darkens into Jiang Ting’s past captivity after an explosion, where Jiang Ting is wounded, blindfolded, handcuffed, and approached by someone whose presence he recognizes.The violin memory and the prison memory overlap, mixing childhood affection, coercion, guilt, and the voice of someone insisting Jiang Ting once loved him.In the hospital, doctors warn that Jiang Ting has blood clots in his brain, barely active brain function, and a risk of becoming vegetative.In response, Yang Mei nearly collapses in despair, while Yan Xie demands that the doctors find a way to save Jiang Ting no matter the cost.When the doctor says the newest equipment and pharmaceuticals are only available in Germany, Yan Xie immediately asks who has them and declares that the supplies will arrive on the next flight from Germany.As Jiang Ting drifts deeper into unconsciousness, his dream becomes a sequence of police lights, rain, office footsteps, the promise of seeing comrades tomorrow, and the explosion that destroys that tomorrow.This leads Jiang Ting’s soul to imagine letting go, embracing a laughing demon, and falling with him toward hell as the theatre burns and the violin keeps playing.Suddenly, everything in the dream goes silent, and Jiang Ting feels a firm hand take hold of him from the light.Jiang Ting wakes to doctors, nurses, and people crying and laughing with joy, but he is confused by why they are so happy.Eventually, Jiang Ting opens his eyes again and sees that Yan Xie is the one who stayed at his bedside. In response, Yan Xie tells Jiang Ting that he was unconscious for six days and jokes that they used money to manipulate fate, pointing at the German-labeled IV bags and equipment.Despite his weakness, Jiang Ting shows a faint smile, and Yan Xie teases that their fates are now intertwined. Jiang Ting quietly agrees, giving Yan Xie a small but meaningful emotional victory.After the freezer case’s preliminary investigation wraps up, the police begin the exhausting work of interrogations, sorting contradictions, and building a solid case.Later, Yan Xie prepares to visit Jiang Ting and dresses far more extravagantly than usual, treating the hospital visit almost like a blind date.However, Yan Xie’s mood plummets when he arrives and finds Yang Mei feeding Jiang Ting chicken soup in the ward.In response, Yan Xie politely but haughtily tells Yang Mei that he and Jiang Ting need to discuss something, then uses the news that Ding Dang confessed to make Jiang Ting send Yang Mei away.Outside the ward, Yang Mei encounters Han Xiaomei, who is recovering in the same private hospital because Yan Xie is paying the bill due to Jiang Ting’s condition.Yang Mei recognizes Han Xiaomei as the intern who was in the car with Jiang Ting, circles her critically, and makes Han Xiaomei panic by mentioning that the wrecked car belonged to Yang Mei.Han Xiaomei immediately apologizes, but Yang Mei becomes even more curious and asks why Han Xiaomei was following Jiang Ting instead of doing normal intern work.In response, Han Xiaomei truthfully explains that Yan Xie ordered her to monitor “Mr Lu” and report anything unusual, then suggests that Yan Xie may be infatuated with Jiang Ting.This shocks Yang Mei at first, but Yang Mei quickly recovers and changes tactics, warmly taking Han Xiaomei’s hand and offering to treat her to a nice meal.Meanwhile, inside the ward, Jiang Ting confirms with Yan Xie that Ding Dang confessed. Yan Xie proudly says he handled the interrogation, and Jiang Ting mildly remarks that he believes Ding Dang would not have lasted five minutes in front of Yan Xie.Yan Xie then asks how Jiang Ting knew Ding Dang was the fourth kidnapper, connecting back to Jiang Ting’s earlier warning that there were not three kidnappers but four.Jiang Ting explains that he doubted Ding Dang’s intent, not her behavior, because Ding Dang went to the police station to report the others rather than to truly turn herself in.This leads Jiang Ting to deduce that Ding Dang planned to blame Ding Jiawang, Chi Rui, Wang Le, and the others while shifting responsibility for drug trafficking and her relationship with Hu Weisheng onto her father.Jiang Ting further explains that after Diao Yong’s arrest, Ding Dang noticed police surveillance, tried to act first by telling a story at the station, and was kidnapped by Chi Rui’s group when they sensed her betrayal. In response, Yan Xie agrees but notes that Ding Dang had no choice and chose to work with the kidnappers again.Jiang Ting then confirms that the woman in Hu Weisheng’s car on the night of the freezer incident was Ding Dang and adds that Feng Yuguang’s murder was likely premeditated.Yan Xie asks Jiang Ting to explain, clearly enjoying their private exchange while still watching Jiang Ting closely.Jiang Ting reasons that Feng Yuguang had relied on psychoactive substances to pass exams, accepted Ding Dang as a supplier for convenience, and had no idea Ding Dang meant to kill him.This leads Jiang Ting to suspect that Ding Dang gave Feng Yuguang a burner number to mislead police and then lured him into Hu Weisheng’s car as part of her plan.Jiang Ting adds that Feng Yuguang took one of Ding Jiawang’s failed products, a drug supposedly destroyed long ago, making it unlikely Ding Dang grabbed the wrong substance by accident.Despite this theory, Jiang Ting admits it is speculation and doubts Ding Dang would confess to premeditated murder because the penalty would be harsher. In response, Yan Xie surprises Jiang Ting by revealing that Ding Dang did confess after Yan Xie’s team searched the Ding home.Yan Xie explains that the police found over a dozen poisoned stray cats and dogs around the same time period, with Ding Dang’s DNA on several claws. Jiang Ting immediately understands that Ding Dang was testing for a lethal dosage.This gives the police solid evidence of deliberate poisoning, and Yan Xie says Ding Dang broke down under the weight of the evidence.With testimonies, physical evidence, and confessions fitting together, the case against the group becomes airtight for gun possession, drug production, and murder.Jiang Ting then asks whether Ding Jiawang truly introduced Ding Dang to Hu Weisheng, and Yan Xie dismisses that story as false.Yan Xie explains that the boss at the Breezy Blossom revealed Ding Dang was already known at the bar and likely connected with Hu Weisheng because Hu Weisheng kept buying her drinks.This makes Jiang Ting reflect that Ding Dang was the key link between Hu Weisheng’s distribution network and Ding Jiawang’s operation, while also being dangerously alluring and addictive to the men around her.Yan Xie notices Jiang Ting’s discomfort with that observation but bluntly says no one needs to feel comfortable about a criminal.Yan Xie then reveals Hu Weisheng’s autopsy results, explaining that Hu Weisheng died from a peanut allergy.This leads Yan Xie to explain that the batch of diacetylmorphine that killed Hu Weisheng had been requested for training dogs, returned, and later found to contain glucose and peanut powder.Jiang Ting and Yan Xie both find the coincidence suspicious because Hu Weisheng happened to receive peanut-contaminated heroin despite having a peanut allergy.Yan Xie admits they will not know for a while whether Hu Weisheng’s death was fate or a deliberate setup, then playfully says it is a good thing he kept Jiang Ting alive because they have plenty of time.Jiang Ting thanks Yan Xie and asks whether Yan Xie can see him off when he returns to Gongzhou.Instead of agreeing directly, Yan Xie tells Jiang Ting they will discuss it later and says Jiang Ting should stay at Yan Xie’s place after discharge because Yang Mei’s bar has too many prying eyes.In response, Yan Xie tosses Jiang Ting a key, leaving Jiang Ting frozen as Yan Xie waves goodbye and walks out.After Yan Xie leaves, Jiang Ting tosses the key onto the bedside table and releases a quiet breath in the sunlit hospital room.

13Yan Xie returns to the CID building after his hospital visit with Jiang Ting, and his colleagues immediately tease him about coming back from a blind date.In response, Yan Xie snaps at the gawking officers and orders them back to work on documents, evidence lists, and case files.Huang Xing then approaches Yan Xie with a burdened expression and says the DNA results have returned for the bloodstained child’s T-shirt found on the roof.This leads Huang Xing to reveal that Commissioner Lyu wants to see Yan Xie, making Yan Xie immediately solemn.Yan Xie goes to Commissioner Lyu’s office, where he sees Jiang Ting’s police intranet profile displayed on the monitor.In response, Commissioner Lyu explains that the old blood on the child’s T-shirt matches samples from a police rescue operation three years ago and belongs to Jiang Ting, the former inspector of Gongzhou Police Department’s Narcotics Bureau.Despite the shock, Yan Xie pretends to be casual and asks whether Jiang Ting supposedly died during that operation and who the police had been trying to rescue.Commissioner Lyu explains that most high-ranking officials believed Jiang Ting died in the explosion, but a few exceptions suspected otherwise.This leads Commissioner Lyu to name Yue Guangping, the former vice mayor of Gongzhou and commissioner of Gongzhou’s police, as one of the people who believed Jiang Ting might still be alive.Commissioner Lyu explains that after the operation failed, Gongzhou Police formed a special investigation unit to examine what went wrong and rescue the missing undercover agent Rivet.According to Commissioner Lyu, Rivet was believed to be held in an abandoned house on the border of Gongzhou and Jianning, so Gongzhou and Jianning police launched a joint raid.However, by the time the police arrived, the house was already burning, and after the fire was put out, they found Jiang Ting’s gun in the debris alongside Rivet’s body.This leads Commissioner Lyu to reveal that Rivet had been shot between the eyebrows, ballistic analysis matched the bullet to Jiang Ting’s gun, and fresh fingerprints on the grip belonged to Jiang Ting.Yan Xie carefully says that those facts alone make it look like Jiang Ting killed Rivet, but his tone leaves room for doubt.Commissioner Lyu does not press the point and says that was the last time anyone heard from Jiang Ting before Jiang Ting vanished completely.Commissioner Lyu adds that Jiang Ting was officially marked as having died in the line of duty, but if Jiang Ting resurfaces, the police may face serious trouble.After hearing all this, Yan Xie asks what kind of person Jiang Ting was.Commissioner Lyu describes Jiang Ting as young, decisive, highly intelligent, frighteningly so, and “uncomfortable,” which catches Yan Xie’s attention because Jiang Ting used the same word earlier.Commissioner Lyu then dismisses Yan Xie, saying everyone at the CID is exhausted and can take a holiday once the case is handed over for trial.Before leaving, Yan Xie asks whether Commissioner Lyu wants to ask him anything, but Commissioner Lyu says he trusts Yan Xie because Yan Xie represents Jianning Municipal Police.Outside the office, Huang Xing anxiously waits by the lift and apologizes for not telling anyone earlier about tracking Yan Xie’s chip.Huang Xing explains that Commissioner Lyu already seemed to know about the chip and even went to Digital Forensics to retrieve the tracking history.This leads Huang Xing to suspect that Yan Xie’s chip request was connected to the bloodstained shirt and that Yan Xie had wandered into something sensitive.Yan Xie punishes Huang Xing lightly by canceling the five-star rooftop barbecue buffet he had planned to treat him to, leaving Huang Xing devastated.When Yan Xie returns to the CID office floor, he finds his colleagues enjoying a spread of cake, chocolate, pizza, beef jerky, milk tea, and large cherries.In response, Yan Xie jokes about filing the snacks under informant expenses, only for Ma Xiang to say the victim came to thank them personally.Yan Xie sees Chu Ci standing nearby, watching as officers escort Ding Dang toward the detention center.Ding Dang no longer looks innocent or frantic, but stares at Chu Ci with deep hatred and something more complicated beneath it.As Ding Dang passes Chu Ci, she stops and asks how Chu Ci knew she was the orchestrator before police stormed the lab.Chu Ci calmly replies that Ding Dang lied about Feng Yuguang inviting her to karaoke on the night of the 2nd.This shocks Ding Dang and Yan Xie, and Chu Ci gently explains that Feng Yuguang packed study guides before leaving, proving he had not been going on a date.Ding Dang breaks down screaming in the corridor and is dragged away, leaving Chu Ci staring after her with quiet sorrow.Yan Xie tries to ease the awkward moment by telling Chu Ci there was no need to spend so much on gifts.In response, Chu Ci gives Yan Xie a plastic bag containing food and two packs of premium Yunyan cigarettes, saying the police saved his life.Yan Xie accepts the gift after refusing several times and jokes that Chu Ci saved the station from paperwork, performance reviews, and career disaster.This leads Yan Xie to ask whether Chu Ci will continue the internship, return to Shangdu, or go back to his hometown.Chu Ci explains that his mother and brother were visiting Shangdu, and he is leaving that afternoon because the doctor delayed his discharge after the explosion.Yan Xie asks whether Chu Ci plans to pursue a PhD, but Chu Ci unexpectedly says he wants to leave academia and find work.Chu Ci reveals that his family’s finances are difficult, and he regrets spending more years in school when working earlier could have helped his younger brother.Yan Xie listens seriously as Chu Ci explains that there is nothing truly fair in the world, but he wants to work hard, support his family, and live honestly.Despite Yan Xie joking that Chu Ci could make a lot of money using his chemistry knowledge, Chu Ci rejects ill-gotten gains and says he is content with a modest, honest life.Watching Chu Ci leave, Yan Xie thinks about how Jiang Ting had advised him not to tell Chu Ci about Ding Dang’s motive, deciding there is no point now because Chu Ci already has enough burdens.Yan Xie then calls Jiang Ting, checks whether Jiang Ting finished his soup, and says Chu Ci stopped by with food before Yan Xie returns to work.The timeline then shifts to the morning after the office party, when Yan Xie wakes up hungover after celebrating the freezer case’s transfer to the prosecutor’s office, Kang Shuqiang’s stabilized condition, and the team’s coming holiday.Yan Xie remembers that his mother called him about something that day and jolts awake when he reads her message about a noon blind date with a real estate tycoon’s daughter.In response, Yan Xie grumbles that it is time to sell himself again and transforms from a stubbled mess into a polished, expensive-looking young master.Before getting dressed, Yan Xie goes to the kitchen for tea and finds Jiang Ting calmly opening a box of tea.Yan Xie is startled because Jiang Ting actually came to his home, then realizes Jiang Ting is drinking the tea meant for Yan Xie’s future wife.Jiang Ting tries to deny it, but Yan Xie finds a ruined tea cake and demands to know whether Jiang Ting or Han Xiaomei drank it. As Yan Xie leans closer, Jiang Ting points out that Yan Xie should put on trousers first.Yan Xie realizes he is still naked and visibly aroused after his shower, then tries to cover his embarrassment with bravado before fleeing to dress.An hour later, Yan Xie reappears fully dressed in luxury clothes and drives Jiang Ting in the Mercedes S450.In the car, Yan Xie seeks praise for his appearance, but Jiang Ting ignores him while reading The Red Book.Annoyed, Yan Xie snatches the book away, and Jiang Ting admits he does not understand it but says abstract philosophy helps wash away certain images.Yan Xie realizes Jiang Ting is referring to seeing him naked and becomes uncharacteristically quiet.This leads Yan Xie to ask whether Jiang Ting is really that bothered by seeing him naked.Jiang Ting vaguely says Yan Xie’s physique is unusual, which makes Yan Xie insecure and defensive.Jiang Ting then lightly asks whether Yan Xie brought him along to the blind date so Jiang Ting could casually mention Yan Xie’s physical adequacy.Yan Xie angrily insists he can woo anyone with his looks alone, while Jiang Ting dryly encourages him to do it.Eventually, Jiang Ting asks why Yan Xie’s blind dates never work out, since Yan Xie is wealthy even if his profession is a drawback.Yan Xie explains that dates arranged by his parents either want him to quit police work and inherit the family business or are spoiled and domineering.He also explains that dates introduced by colleagues either do not interest him, think he is not gentle enough, or demand half his assets before marriage.During this conversation, Yan Xie becomes distracted by Jiang Ting drinking milk and is flustered by Jiang Ting’s lips, though he pretends to be irritated.After Jiang Ting gets out at the restaurant, Yan Xie calms himself by reading The Red Book for three minutes and feels spiritually purified.However, Yan Xie immediately loses composure again when he sees Yang Mei dressed beautifully at the restaurant.Yang Mei says she came to eat, and Jiang Ting reveals he invited her. In response, Yan Xie realizes Jiang Ting arranged lunch with Yang Mei to compensate her for her totaled car and settle debts between them.Yan Xie reluctantly agrees because Jiang Ting points out that Yang Mei’s car was destroyed while helping him.Jiang Ting and Yang Mei take one observation lift while Yan Xie and his blind date take another, leaving Yan Xie incredulous and annoyed.In the lift, Yang Mei awkwardly asks Jiang Ting what he has against Yan Xie. Jiang Ting answers that Yan Xie is not that bad and advises Yang Mei not to waste time dancing around Yan Xie if they are both getting older.This shocks Yang Mei, but Jiang Ting adds that if he leaves, Yang Mei could be dragged into revenge against him, while Yan Xie is dependable and can protect Yang Mei.Yang Mei is left stunned as Jiang Ting steps out of the lift, nearly dropping her expensive handbag.At the rooftop restaurant, Yan Xie hides behind the bar and asks the manager to watch Jiang Ting and Yang Mei, especially to report if they get too close or if anyone tries to pay.The manager misunderstands the situation and assumes a melodramatic romantic conflict is unfolding between Yan Xie, Yang Mei, and Jiang Ting.Yan Xie reluctantly joins his blind date, but keeps looking at Jiang Ting and Yang Mei instead of paying attention to the young woman across from him.The blind date tries to make conversation about spare time, hobbies, reading, travel, and concerts, but Yan Xie gives blunt and unappealing answers.When she asks about interesting cases, Yan Xie launches into gruesome details about bodies on a motorway and drug smuggling, horrifying her.In response, the young woman decides she should have known better but still tries to exit gracefully.Yan Xie becomes alarmed when he sees Jiang Ting and Yang Mei heading to the observation deck and looks as if he has caught a partner cheating.The blind date calmly says it was lovely meeting him but that they should not exchange numbers.Yan Xie belatedly asks why not, and she says they were not having fun.The young woman then asks whether the couple Yan Xie keeps watching is dating or married.Yan Xie internally rejects the idea that Jiang Ting and Yang Mei are married and insists they are not in a relationship.In response, the young woman encourages Yan Xie to pursue what he wants, use force if needed, and leaves without looking back.The manager gravely tells Yan Xie that this failed date is Yan Xie’s own fault. Yan Xie hurries to the observation deck with his cigarette case and interrupts Jiang Ting and Yang Mei by claiming he got a call from the station.Jiang Ting immediately turns to him, and Yan Xie lies that there is an emergency alert about the new fentanyl variant.As expected, Jiang Ting tells Yang Mei to go first because he needs to discuss the issue with Senior Sergeant Yan.Yang Mei is furious but composes herself and leaves, clearly imagining Yan Xie’s corpse under her heels.Once alone, Jiang Ting asks for the latest on the drug, but Yan Xie dodges the question and lights them both cigarettes despite the No Smoking sign.Jiang Ting comments that Yang Mei may not know what she wants in her other half yet, surprising Yan Xie with his insight.Their conversation turns to Jiang Ting’s own dating history, and Jiang Ting says colleagues tried to set him up before, but he was the one doing the rejecting.Jiang Ting explains that frontline police officers with emotional ties hesitate, overthink, and end up hurting themselves and their loved ones, so he was never interested to begin with.This realization shocks Yan Xie, who starts wondering if Jiang Ting is not interested in women and whether Jiang Ting might be interested in men instead.Yan Xie spirals into internal panic, connecting Jiang Ting accepting his key, agreeing to move in, coming to the blind date, calling Yang Mei over, and drinking milk in the car into a ridiculous theory that Jiang Ting has a crush on him.Jiang Ting notices Yan Xie acting strange and tries to check on him. Before Yan Xie can recover, his phone rings with a call from the municipal station.Yan Xie answers privately behind the bar, and Gou Li tells him a new case has come in: a couple received a ransom call demanding two hundred million yuan for their son.Yan Xie immediately questions the amount because only a few families in Jianning could pay that much, and he suspects it may be a prank.Gou Li explains that the supposed kidnapper sent a photo of a blood-soaked T-shirt, and judging from the blood volume, the victim is unlikely to still be alive.In response, Yan Xie rushes back toward the station in his Mercedes S450 with traffic police motorcycles clearing the way, running red lights and drawing public attention.Jiang Ting warns Yan Xie to slow down because such a high ransom does not sound like a real kidnapping.Yan Xie argues that they cannot slow down if someone really wants two hundred million yuan, while Jiang Ting shouts that using animal blood as a scare tactic means it is probably not a real kidnapping.The Mercedes bursts through the station gate and stops in front of the CID building, with Yan Xie’s arm preventing Jiang Ting from being strangled by the seatbelt.When Yan Xie asks how Jiang Ting knows the blood is animal blood from the photo alone, Jiang Ting says it is a logical deduction based on behavior patterns and not proof.Yan Xie hides Jiang Ting in his office by putting a baseball cap and anti-smog mask on him, then tells him not to wander around and to eat snacks from the drawer.Ma Xiang runs up and briefs Yan Xie on the supposed kidnapping of fifteen-year-old Shen Xiaoqi, the only child of Shen De and Yin Jindie.Ma Xiang explains that Shen Xiaoqi went on a mountain trip with classmates after exams, his parents received an anonymous internet phone call at noon demanding two hundred million yuan, and his phone had been off.Yan Xie asks whether the call was recorded, and Ma Xiang says the parents first thought it was a scam, so recording it was the last thing on their minds.Yan Xie grows suspicious because the kidnapper called when Shen Xiaoqi’s phone happened to be off.Suddenly, Digital Forensics reports that Shen Xiaoqi’s phone has been located and is on, and that Shen Xiaoqi is speaking with his parents at that very moment.In the conference room, Shen De angrily scolds Shen Xiaoqi over the phone for letting his phone die and not bringing a power bank.Shen Xiaoqi protests that he was with his classmates the whole time and asks why anyone would target him when his family could never pay a fraction of the ransom.

Yin Jindie cries with relief while Wei Yao comforts her and turns the false alarm into a positive reflection on public trust in police.After the parents leave to give statements, the CID team relaxes, joking that they almost had a major case and first-class merit.Despite everyone else easing up, Yan Xie remains troubled because the two hundred million ransom and timing still feel strange.Wei Yao dismisses Yan Xie’s concerns, saying overwork makes police see criminals everywhere.Wei Yao then reveals that Fang Zhenghong told him Yan Xie acted alone during the previous operation, driving far and fighting the suspect.Yan Xie complains that Fang Zhenghong is always snitching on him, while Wei Yao teases him for his pretentious blind-date outfit.Yan Xie blames the station for ruining his date with the real estate tycoon’s daughter, but Wei Yao shows that Yan Xie’s own mother approved calling him back for urgent work after hearing the date failed.Off-duty officers scatter, and Yan Xie returns to his office still angry and looking for someone to vent to.Inside the office, Yan Xie finds Jiang Ting lounging in his swivel chair with snacks piled across the desk, though Jiang Ting has only eaten half of one strawberry cream Oreo.Yan Xie eats the half-eaten Oreo and teases Jiang Ting for being picky, but Jiang Ting simply asks about the kidnapping case.Yan Xie summarizes the case as an idiot messing around and says it has been sent back to the neighborhood station while Digital Forensics traces the IP and the source of the bloody-shirt photo.Jiang Ting pauses and says the case is strange, explaining that the ransom was absurdly high and Shen Xiaoqi was contacted too quickly for it to feel like a normal scam or prank.This leads Jiang Ting to reason that someone like Shen Xiaoqi’s family could plausibly pay two million if guaranteed safety, but two hundred million would only make them call the police.Jiang Ting concludes that the real goal may have been to attract the police’s attention.Yan Xie had already reached the same conclusion but pretends to be surprised and asks what the police’s attention would be for.Jiang Ting calls it only an inference, but Yan Xie notices Jiang Ting looking at trending topics on Weibo.Jiang Ting shows Yan Xie that the luxury car escorted by traffic police while running multiple red lights has gone viral online.Yan Xie is stunned by the comments accusing Jianning’s elites of abusing privilege and jokes that Jiang Ting can have a Bugatti as a dowry if he wants one.In response, Jiang Ting tells Yan Xie it would be better to spend that money getting the trending topic taken down.Yan Xie’s mother, Zeng Cuicui, scolds Yan Xie by phone for being reckless and says he is as useless as barbecue pork.After the call, Zeng Cuicui pulls strings to suppress the trending topic and then complains at the family dining table about Yan Xie.Yan Xie’s father brings up Yang Mei’s questionable background as a karaoke bar owner, but Zeng Cuicui fiercely defends Yang Mei as a successful businesswoman and genetic upgrade.When Yan Xie’s father says Yang Mei may already be with someone, Zeng Cuicui insists Yan Xie can make it work if he chooses her.Zeng Cuicui reflects that her standards for Yan Xie’s partner have fallen from princess-level to “female, alive, and younger than me,” and that she has even started reading about legal issues in same-sex marriage.Although Zeng Cuicui initially plans to throw the same-sex marriage book away, she remembers Yan Xie’s past failures and carefully returns it to the study shelf in case it becomes useful.

14Yan Xie buys sweet porridge and custard buns from the bun shop by the station, awkwardly admitting to the owner that the food is for someone else.In response, the owner tries to gossip about whether Yan Xie is buying food for a pretty lady, and Yan Xie evasively calls the person “an exceptionally charming officer” before leaving.As Yan Xie walks toward the CID building, Yan Xie privately wonders why he is buying food for Jiang Ting when Jiang Ting is supposedly the one with a crush on him.Before Yan Xie can return upstairs, Shen De and Yin Jindie stop him near the mail room with a small cardboard box, looking terrified.This leads Shen De to explain that the box was left at their company doorstep and that they do not know what to do except bring it to the police.Yan Xie opens the box and immediately smells a strong metallic stench, then sees a neatly folded T-shirt soaked in blood. In response, Yan Xie orders everyone not to touch the shirt, box, or tape, tells officers to bag everything for prints and analysis, and has Digital Forensics get Shen Xiaoqi’s number to triangulate his phone.Yan Xie also orders officers to contact Shen Xiaoqi’s teacher and obtain the full list of students and guardians from the mountain trip.When Gao Panqing asks whether to inform Deputy Wei, Yan Xie delays because Shen De is repeatedly calling Shen Xiaoqi and the boy’s number is out of service.Yan Xie asks where Shen Xiaoqi went, and Yin Jindie says he is at Mount Tianzong, a newly developed tourist spot with terrible signal.This leads Yan Xie to question when and where the box was found, while Yin Jindie struggles to explain through panic that they discovered it after returning to their company that evening.Seeing how frightened Shen De and Yin Jindie are, Yan Xie brings them into a small conference room and closes the door.Despite protocol, Yan Xie tries to ease their fear by saying the blood on the shirt does not smell like human blood and that Shen Xiaoqi is unlikely to be hurt.Yin Jindie is overcome with relief and asks if Yan Xie can really smell the difference, while Yan Xie privately thinks he has smelled human blood in every state but Jiang Ting still beat him by recognizing it from a photo. In response, Yan Xie keeps his certainty restrained and says they will know for sure after lab results come in.Yin Jindie calms herself enough to explain that the Shen family owns a small clothing company, and Jiang Ting had been right that they would probably never have called the police over a two-million ransom.This leads Yin Jindie to recount that after the false alarm that afternoon, Shen Xiaoqi told his parents he could not return early because his classmates had an evening activity and that his signal might be bad later.Shen De and Yin Jindie made Shen Xiaoqi promise to stay at the guesthouse and only go out with the group, then returned to work still worried.That evening, Shen De and Yin Jindie left early for a business dinner and found the blood-soaked T-shirt outside their office, making the situation feel far more targeted than the earlier prank-like call.As Shen De continues redialing Shen Xiaoqi, the out-of-service notification suddenly cuts off and Shen Xiaoqi answers.Yin Jindie nearly collapses from relief, and Yan Xie catches her just as Jiang Ting strolls into the conference room.While Shen De roars at Shen Xiaoqi on the phone, Yan Xie quietly asks Jiang Ting what he is doing there.Jiang Ting casually says Commissioner Lyu and Deputy Wei are not around, then asks where the buns are.Yan Xie realizes he left the food somewhere and starts to offer to order more, but Jiang Ting’s attention shifts to Shen De’s frantic call. In response, Jiang Ting tells Shen De to switch to a video call.Shen Xiaoqi reluctantly appears on video, looking like a spirited young man rather than an injured hostage.Shen De tells Shen Xiaoqi they are coming to pick him up immediately, but Shen Xiaoqi insists it is just a prank and says his father has already called the police twice.When Shen De asks why Shen Xiaoqi is not at the guesthouse, Shen Xiaoqi says there is a bonfire that night and that he is collecting wood before leaving early tomorrow.Yan Xie asks Jiang Ting for thoughts, and Jiang Ting says Shen Xiaoqi looks like a normal post-exam teenager excited to be out with friends.However, Jiang Ting then leans close and whispers that Yan Xie should look at Shen Xiaoqi’s eyes.This closeness distracts Yan Xie, making his mind go blank while Jiang Ting’s breath hits his ear.Huang Xing interrupts before Yan Xie can fully react, reporting Shen Xiaoqi’s phone coordinates and bringing a map of Mount Tianzong.Huang Xing explains that Mount Tianzong is in Jianning’s southeastern outskirts, recently developed into a tourist destination, and full of registered guesthouses and inns.Yan Xie says the situation still does not add up because a group of teenagers would not normally choose an obscure place no one has heard of.Huang Xing suggests adolescents avoid obvious choices because they want to seem different, but Yan Xie remains unconvinced.Jiang Ting agrees that it does not make sense, then calmly explains that teenagers usually choose trendy, well-known destinations and show them off online.This leads Jiang Ting to conclude that someone in the group strongly wanted to go to Mount Tianzong, likely the group leader.Shen De and Yin Jindie hesitate to accept this because Shen Xiaoqi is popular, sociable, and good-natured, but their defense of him makes the officers skeptical.Jiang Ting further explains to Yan Xie that Shen Xiaoqi’s video behavior was strange because his eyes kept blinking, avoiding his father, and turning away as if checking something.This finally activates Yan Xie’s detective instincts, and he realizes Jiang Ting suspects Shen Xiaoqi is hiding something.Huang Xing then reports that the forensic results show the blood on the T-shirt is not human blood but avian blood.The Shen parents are relieved, but Yan Xie notices Huang Xing’s hesitation and guesses it is not from a common bird like a chicken or duck.Huang Xing confirms the blood likely came from a white-tailed eagle, a Class I protected species, and says Chen Chu helped send samples to the provincial lab for specific identification.In response, Yan Xie tells Huang Xing to contact the Forestry Department because collecting that much white-tailed eagle blood would require killing many protected birds.Just then, Shen De’s phone rings with the same ransom number from earlier, and Yan Xie orders Shen De to answer, stall, negotiate, and keep the line open while Huang Xing tracks it.Shen De answers the call, and the synthetic voice asks whether he called the police. In response, Shen De looks to Yan Xie for permission, then admits he did because he cannot possibly raise two hundred million yuan.The caller repeats the demand for two hundred million and refuses to lower it. Shen De tries to negotiate using his business instincts, saying he wants his son and the caller wants money, but neither side will get anything if the ransom remains impossible.Yin Jindie slaps Shen De for saying he could pretend he never had a son, even though Shen De mouths back that it was only for show.The emotionless caller repeats the ransom demand like a broken record, making the room suffocatingly tense.Shen De loses his temper and yells that the caller does not even have his son, that Shen Xiaoqi is perfectly fine, and that the bloody shirt is only soaked in bird blood.In response, the caller suddenly says Shen Xiaoqi has forty-eight hours and twenty-four minutes until execution, then hangs up.The abrupt countdown leaves everyone confused, and Yan Xie immediately asks Huang Xing whether the call was traced.Huang Xing explains that the call came through an overseas internet service with a disposable number, making it crude but difficult to trace, although the caller is still in the country.Remembering Jiang Ting’s earlier warning that the setup was too elaborate for a prank, Yan Xie realizes the kidnapping may be genuine.Jiang Ting appears beside Yan Xie with folded arms, and Yan Xie quickly summarizes Huang Xing’s findings while asking for Jiang Ting’s thoughts.Jiang Ting says the kidnapping may be real or may be a prank by someone the Shens offended, but either way they should stay vigilant.Before Jiang Ting can finish, an intern announces that Mr Wang from the bun shop has brought food for “a pretty officer,” making Jiang Ting raise an eyebrow at Yan Xie.Embarrassed, Yan Xie angrily calls for Gao Panqing and scolds the intern for turning “pretty officer” into gossip.Yan Xie goes to collect the food and finds Mr Wang craning his neck down the corridor instead of looking for him.Mr Wang points to Shen De and Yin Jindie and reveals that his son Wang Ke is classmates with Shen Xiaoqi and also went on the Mount Tianzong trip.Yan Xie realizes the connection is important and asks whether Wang Ke also went to Mount Tianzong, making Mr Wang panic.Yan Xie reassures Mr Wang and brings him to the Shen parents, where Yin Jindie explains the extortion call and bloody shirt.Mr Wang tries to comfort the Shens by saying the municipal police are skilled and once rescued a rich child, although his example only horrifies them more.In response, Yan Xie cuts him off and tells Mr Wang to call Wang Ke to confirm that Shen Xiaoqi is with the group. Wang Ke answers quickly, unlike Shen Xiaoqi, and says Shen Xiaoqi is not with them.The Shens tense again, but Wang Ke adds that Shen Xiaoqi went to gather firewood and will return soon because everyone is preparing for a bonfire.Hearing Wang Ke corroborate Shen Xiaoqi’s story, Shen De and Yin Jindie finally relax a little.Yan Xie advises the parents to lock their doors and windows when they get home and says he will update them if there is news about the shirt.After escorting the parents out, Yan Xie realizes it is past 8 p.m., most of the CID team has left, and he feels unusually tired from the day. Yan Xie calls for Watson so they can go home, but Jiang Ting does not answer.When Yan Xie turns, he nearly bumps into Jiang Ting leaning against his office doorframe, calmly asking where the buns meant for the pretty officer are.Yan Xie realizes he has misplaced the food for a second time, and Jiang Ting smirks while taking out his phone to order delivery.In response, Yan Xie grabs Jiang Ting’s arm and insists they go home so he can make it up to Jiang Ting with a proper feast.Jiang Ting follows Yan Xie into the S450, assuming they are going to buy groceries, but Yan Xie instead drives straight home after sending a few texts.At Yan Xie’s apartment, Jiang Ting discovers that Yan Xie has arranged a candlelit five-course meal with wine, silverware, violin music, and dishes under silver cloches.Jiang Ting lifts one cloche cautiously and finds lobster linguine on hand-painted Hermès porcelain.In response, Jiang Ting politely asks Yan Xie to turn off the music because he does not really like it.Yan Xie turns it off and admits that listening to Ave Maria over dinner at home would probably cause indigestion, blaming the chefs for trying too hard.The food is excellent, but the atmosphere is painfully tense because Yan Xie begins overthinking whether a candlelit dinner between two men seems romantic.This leads Yan Xie to worry that Jiang Ting might think Yan Xie is trying to woo him, while also spiraling into thoughts about long-distance relationships between Jianning and Gongzhou.Yan Xie finally asks whether Jiang Ting would consider moving to Jianning for work if he had the chance. Jiang Ting is caught off guard but says he supposes he would.Yan Xie privately concludes that Jiang Ting really is willing and interprets this as proof that Jiang Ting is taking the initiative. After finishing dessert, Jiang Ting unexpectedly thanks Yan Xie.Yan Xie asks what the thanks are for, and Jiang Ting says he does not know exactly, only that Yan Xie makes the people around him feel safe. This sincere compliment leaves Yan Xie stunned.Jiang Ting then gets up to wash dishes, saying movement will do him good, and Yan Xie silently joins him by drying the plates.As they work side by side in domestic quiet, Yan Xie notices Jiang Ting’s scarred fingers and remembers Jiang Ting saying he cannot pull the trigger anymore.Despite the painful thought, Yan Xie privately thinks Jiang Ting’s hand would have looked beautiful pulling the trigger.Jiang Ting says good night with a smile, and Yan Xie is too overwhelmed to say anything meaningful in return.That night, Yan Xie tosses and turns with restless desire and eventually falls into hazy dreams.Hours later, Ma Xiang calls Yan Xie and reports that the Shen parents drove to Mount Tianzong in the middle of the night, only to find Shen Xiaoqi truly missing from the guesthouse.Ma Xiang adds that the Shens received another anonymous call with Shen Xiaoqi screaming for help, and the kidnapper gave a new countdown of thirty-eight hours and fifty-two minutes until execution.In response, Yan Xie realizes it is 5:35 a.m. and quickly heads out with Jiang Ting in the Phaeton.While driving toward Mount Tianzong, Yan Xie learns from Ma Xiang that the parents went to the guesthouse around 3 a.m., found Shen Xiaoqi missing, and got inconsistent answers from the other students.Jiang Ting asks whether the students were uncooperative, and Yan Xie says the students claimed not to know when Shen Xiaoqi disappeared.Jiang Ting raises the possibility that the students themselves could be the perpetrators, briefly making Yan Xie and Jiang Ting look at each other before both look away.Yan Xie explains that the second call played ten seconds of Shen Xiaoqi screaming before the kidnapper gave the countdown.Jiang Ting calculates that the execution time is about 8:09 p.m. the next day and says the precise timing must matter unless it is only meant to taunt the police or parents.Yan Xie asks what could be special about 8:09 p.m., but Jiang Ting snaps that he is not the kidnapper and goes back to clutching his thermos.It becomes clear that Yan Xie had dragged a weak, half-asleep Jiang Ting out of bed and dressed him like a doll because Jiang Ting was in no condition to get ready himself.Jiang Ting calls this passive defiance in response to violent treatment, leaving Yan Xie without a comeback.By 8:30 a.m., Yan Xie, Jiang Ting, and Ma Xiang arrive at the Mount Tianzong guesthouse, where local officers have already cordoned off the area.Ma Xiang reports that there were four other students on the trip, two boys and two girls, and that their statements are full of contradictions.Ma Xiang says one student claims Shen Xiaoqi never returned after gathering firewood, another says they went back to the guesthouse after the bonfire and knew nothing, and another girl says she might have seen him at the bonfire but could not be sure.Yan Xie asks what Wang Ke said because he expects the bun shop owner’s son to be the most cooperative.Ma Xiang says Wang Ke claimed Shen Xiaoqi never came back from gathering wood, which currently seems the most believable version.Yan Xie then asks who claimed to have seen Shen Xiaoqi at the bonfire, and Ma Xiang identifies the girl as Tan Shuang.Inside the guesthouse, Yin Jindie is distraught while Tan Shuang tries to comfort her. Yan Xie studies Tan Shuang, reads the students’ statements with Jiang Ting, and calls Tan Shuang over for questioning.Tan Shuang cautiously approaches, clearly assessing Yan Xie’s authority and danger. Yan Xie asks Tan Shuang how she knows Shen Xiaoqi will be fine, and Tan Shuang replies that with so many police officers present, how could he not be fine.Jiang Ting then leaves to look around, and Yan Xie sends Ma Xiang with him to make sure Jiang Ting has what he needs.Yan Xie questions Tan Shuang about whether Shen Xiaoqi has enemies, whether he fought with anyone, and what her relationship with him is. Tan Shuang says Shen Xiaoqi is like a brother to her and that they are close.

As Yan Xie walks with Tan Shuang, he notices Wang Ke peeking anxiously from a corner and pretends not to see him.Yan Xie changes the subject and asks who suggested Mount Tianzong, and Tan Shuang says without hesitation that Shen Xiaoqi did.Tan Shuang explains that Shen Xiaoqi said it was quiet and secluded, confirming Jiang Ting’s earlier suspicion that Shen Xiaoqi wanted this specific location.Yan Xie asks if Shen Xiaoqi acted unusually before disappearing, but Tan Shuang grows frustrated because she has been asked the same questions repeatedly.Yan Xie asks how many boys and girls came on the trip, and Tan Shuang says there were two girls, Tongtong and Tan Shuang, and three boys, Shen Xiaoqi, Wang Ke, and Wu Zixiang.Tan Shuang adds sharply that the officers should have checked the guesthouse register already.Yan Xie says he noticed five students booked three rooms and asks whether anyone ended up alone.Tan Shuang says Wu Zixiang snores, so no one wanted to share with him, leaving him in a room by himself.Yan Xie calmly smiles and says he is just wondering why Tan Shuang is acting so hostile.This hits Tan Shuang hard, and she protests that the police are treating them like criminals when they do not know anything and are only being detained.Yan Xie notices the two parallel cuts on Tan Shuang’s palm and asks about them.Tan Shuang tries to claim she was feeding a cat, but Yan Xie immediately orders her to give him her phone.Meanwhile, Jiang Ting searches through the guesthouse with Ma Xiang, checking wardrobes, cabinets, bathrooms, and every room except locked suitcases.Ma Xiang is increasingly uneasy because Jiang Ting spends so much time searching the girls’ room and appears to be acting like a peeping Tom, but Ma Xiang senses Jiang Ting is too sharp to be dismissed.Jiang Ting finds a pink ceramic rod with a short handle, rubber grip, and buttons in the girls’ bathroom drawer.Ma Xiang does not recognize the object, and Jiang Ting casually says Yan Xie would know.Ma Xiang misunderstands the object and blushes violently, leaving Jiang Ting baffled but not curious enough to ask.Gao Panqing then reports to Yan Xie that none of the students called their parents, which supports Yan Xie’s suspicion.Yan Xie explains that the four students are not afraid of the kidnapper or worried about Shen Xiaoqi, but afraid of the police.This leads Yan Xie to conclude that the students are waiting for Shen Xiaoqi to return so the police will leave and no parents or teachers will learn what happened.Gao Panqing asks if the students are involved in Shen Xiaoqi’s disappearance, and Yan Xie says Shen Xiaoqi is likely the mastermind, with Tan Shuang helping and the others backing him up.Yan Xie rejects the idea that Shen Xiaoqi staged it only to test whether his parents care, because the Shens drove to Mount Tianzong in the middle of the night to save him.Yan Xie also rejects Gao Panqing’s theory that the eagle blood means someone kidnapped Shen Xiaoqi for harming protected eagles, noting white-tailed eagles are not native to the area and are too dangerous for teenagers to handle.Yan Xie returns to Jiang Ting with food and asks whether Jiang Ting has found any clues.Jiang Ting, now wearing gloves, picks hair strands from the floor with tweezers and studies them under the light.Yan Xie is confused and asks whether he should be wearing shoe covers, but Jiang Ting stays focused and asks what Yan Xie brought.Yan Xie gives Jiang Ting warm soy milk and red bean buns, presenting them as thanks for Jiang Ting’s unpaid service.Jiang Ting takes a sip while still staring at the hair and warns Yan Xie that if he prioritizes buying food over a kidnapping case with a thirty-hour deadline, he will not remain senior sergeant for long.Yan Xie clarifies that he made Gao Panqing’s intern fetch the food and tells Jiang Ting to shut up and drink it.Jiang Ting explains that the hair and the pink rod are not necessarily evidence but are worth examining. Yan Xie picks up the pink device, examines it, and realizes the hair does not match it.This leads Yan Xie to understand what the situation is really about, muttering about the nerve of kids these days.Jiang Ting says there is also something in the boys’ room and suggests Yan Xie look because he may have insights.Yan Xie leaves the bathroom and hands the pink device to Ma Xiang, who turns flaming red and holds it like a ticking bomb.Yan Xie and Jiang Ting are confused by Ma Xiang’s reaction, and Yan Xie asks whether something is wrong with the “curling iron.”Ma Xiang, who has never held a girl’s hand despite being single, straight, and of marriageable age, falls silent under everyone’s puzzled stares.

15The guesthouse dining hall is tense as the owners, Tan Shuang, Wang Ke, Wu Zixiang, and Zhen Tongtong sit under police watch, with Tan Shuang silently reassuring Zhen Tongtong by typing that everything will be all right and that Shen Xiaoqi owes them for this.Meanwhile, Zhen Tongtong anxiously looks toward the boys, and Wu Zixiang gives her a comforting nod, showing that the four teenagers are hiding a shared secret.Soon after, Yan Xie enters with Jiang Ting, his left hand in his pocket, a plastic bag in his right hand, and one arm slung around Jiang Ting’s shoulder. In response, the guesthouse owners immediately beg Yan Xie to believe they know nothing about the kidnapping, but Yan Xie shuts them down by listing their incomplete registration, poor fire safety, and missing surveillance cameras.This leads the flustered owners to offer excuses and even try to bribe Yan Xie with cigarettes before officers drag them away.Once silence returns, Yan Xie notices the four teenagers exchanging uneasy looks and begins calling them out by name.Yan Xie calmly says someone is missing, and when Tan Shuang insists Shen Xiaoqi will return, Yan Xie reveals that another girl is also missing.This shocks the teenagers because Yan Xie has discovered Bu Wei’s disappearance as well.Yan Xie tosses the plastic bag onto the girls’ table and pulls out the pink curling iron, then asks whether Tan Shuang and Zhen Tongtong really stayed in the same room the previous night.Zhen Tongtong’s face drains of color and she instinctively looks at Wu Zixiang, making the hidden relationship obvious.Yan Xie then turns to Wang Ke and Tan Shuang and suggests that there are not just one but two couples involved. In response, Tan Shuang angrily denies being with Wang Ke, while Wang Ke pleads for Yan Xie not to tell his father.Yan Xie and Jiang Ting silently exchange the same resigned thought about teenagers, leaving Yan Xie embarrassed by how well they understand each other.Yan Xie explains that Tan Shuang and Zhen Tongtong can deny their room situation, but Zhen Tongtong and Wu Zixiang cannot. This leads Wu Zixiang to accidentally admit the truth by asking how Yan Xie knew.Yan Xie explains that the curling iron contained long wavy hair, while Tan Shuang has a bob and Zhen Tongtong’s straight ponytail would not leave that type of strand.Yan Xie further reveals that three hair types were found in the girls’ room, proving a third girl stayed in the room booked for two.Yan Xie also found faint lipstick stains and straight black hair with an elastic-band crease on Wu Zixiang’s pillow, confirming Zhen Tongtong stayed with him.When the teenagers grow emotional, Yan Xie tells them the police do not care who slept in which bed because the real issue is the kidnapping. In response, Yan Xie presses them to tell the truth about what actually happened.Zhen Tongtong starts to say Bu Wei’s name, but Tan Shuang cuts in and claims Bu Wei went missing while gathering firewood and Shen Xiaoqi went looking for her.Jiang Ting calmly points out that the scratches on Tan Shuang’s palm may contain Bu Wei’s DNA and asks whether Tan Shuang is willing to have them tested. Tan Shuang immediately covers the wound, proving the scratches matter.Yan Xie then reconstructs the likely plan, saying two couples arranged a trip with one single boy and one single girl so they could help Shen Xiaoqi pursue Bu Wei.Yan Xie suggests Shen Xiaoqi liked Bu Wei, or the feeling was mutual, and the group agreed to give them chances to be alone.Yan Xie then accuses Tan Shuang of luring Bu Wei into a secluded forest spot during the bonfire, knocking her out, and letting Shen Xiaoqi have his way with her. Tan Shuang becomes hysterical and insists that did not happen.Yan Xie warns Tan Shuang that being a minor does not protect her from criminal responsibility if something happens to Bu Wei.Tan Shuang tries to throw water at Yan Xie, but Jiang Ting catches her hand before the water can hit him.Jiang Ting gently but firmly tells Tan Shuang that whether Shen Xiaoqi acted impulsively or both parties were willing, Tan Shuang may still be charged if her actions helped create the crime.Jiang Ting explains that if Bu Wei returns and feels exposed before police, classmates, teachers, parents, and relatives, she may say Shen Xiaoqi forced her, which would implicate both Shen Xiaoqi and Tan Shuang.This breaks Tan Shuang’s defenses, and Wang Ke stands up to urge her to cooperate.Tan Shuang finally breaks down and says she did not hurt Bu Wei and was only trying to save her.After Tan Shuang’s confession, Yan Xie orders a task force to retrieve Shen Xiaoqi’s messaging app logs, browser history, payment records, call logs, and hired-car information.In the police car, Jiang Ting silently asks Yan Xie whether he trusts Tan Shuang’s confession, and Yan Xie decides he does because the other teenagers corroborated it.The true sequence emerges: Shen Xiaoqi organized the Mount Tianzong trip to confess to Bu Wei, choosing the secluded place and lax guesthouse oversight to create privacy.The plan was for the students to split up during bonfire preparations, with Tan Shuang leading Bu Wei into the forest while Shen Xiaoqi secretly followed.Tan Shuang was supposed to leave Bu Wei lost and frightened so Shen Xiaoqi could appear with a torch and rescue her like a hero.Shen Xiaoqi had prepared flowers, gifts, and transportation, planning to take Bu Wei elsewhere overnight if the confession succeeded.However, the plan went wrong when Bu Wei fell into a ditch before Tan Shuang could slip away. Tan Shuang tried to pull Bu Wei out and scratched her own hand in the process.In response, Tan Shuang told Bu Wei to stay calm while she went to get help, then found Shen Xiaoqi and told him what happened.Shen Xiaoqi thought the accident was lucky for his heroic rescue plan, so he took a torch and rushed to help Bu Wei.Tan Shuang followed from a distance until she saw Shen Xiaoqi pull Bu Wei out, then returned to the guesthouse using Shen Xiaoqi’s markings.The four teenagers later assumed Shen Xiaoqi and Bu Wei were together somewhere and that the kidnapping was only a scam or adult overreaction.Yan Xie is stunned by their recklessness because two teenagers could have died from snakes, poisonous insects, wild animals, or simple exposure in the remote forest.Despite Yan Xie and Jiang Ting’s earlier suspicions, the teenagers insist Bu Wei liked Shen Xiaoqi too and that they were only trying to play matchmaker.While driving, Yan Xie offers Jiang Ting water, and Jiang Ting opens it only to hand it back to Yan Xie first.In the back seat, Wang Ke consoles the dehydrated, crying Tan Shuang and asks Yan Xie for water for her. Wang Ke then nervously asks whether Yan Xie will tell his father about Tan Shuang.Yan Xie teases Wang Ke about whether his father should start saving for the wedding, then scolds the teenagers for being too young and reckless.The car reaches the command area, where Ma Xiang reports that officers have found the ditch Bu Wei fell into and that the school and other parents have been notified.Ma Xiang also says Bu Wei’s parents are dead and police are trying to reach her legal guardian, her uncle.Yan Xie reviews Bu Wei’s records and is struck by how beautiful she is, though her photo also feels strangely lifeless.Yan Xie compares Bu Wei’s beauty to Jiang Ting’s and privately thinks Jiang Ting is still more beautiful, then notices something unsettling in Bu Wei’s eyes.As the group walks deeper into the forest, Jiang Ting is bitten or stung by ants after touching a tree trunk for support.In response, Yan Xie fusses over Jiang Ting, supports his weight, and complains that this is why Jiang Ting should have stayed behind.Jiang Ting insists he is not helpless, but Yan Xie says Jiang Ting is even more delicate than a helpless little girl.Soon, a local officer reports that the police dogs can only track Shen Xiaoqi and Bu Wei’s scent to that point.Yan Xie surveys the isolated wilderness and realizes there is no signal and that the pair did not stay long enough for the dogs to follow the trail further.Ma Xiang explains that the location is several kilometers from the planned route and that Shen Xiaoqi and Bu Wei went deeper into the forest in a straight line rather than wandering in circles.This leads Jiang Ting to say both possibilities remain open: they may have been kidnapped, or they may have become lost before being led deeper.Jiang Ting asks whether Bu Wei’s uncle is wealthy, and Ma Xiang says he is an art agent who is usually out of town but not rich enough to pay two hundred million.Jiang Ting concludes that if the kidnapper wanted money, the ransom would be ten or twenty million, but two hundred million with no room for negotiation means the target was always the children.Yan Xie repeats the word “execution” and realizes that an execution implies punishment for a crime.Ma Xiang wonders if the white-tailed eagle blood is connected, but Jiang Ting dismisses the idea that the Shens are the true target.Jiang Ting explains that if the kidnapper wanted to punish the Shens, he would demand an amount they could barely raise, give false hope, then increase the price while sending body parts. Yan Xie summarizes this as psychological torture.Jiang Ting agrees and says the current case is something else entirely because the ransom is not designed to squeeze the family emotionally or financially.Yan Xie and Jiang Ting then consider whether the kidnapper intends to punish Shen Xiaoqi and Bu Wei, but the question becomes what crime two teenagers could have committed to deserve “execution.”The dog trainer suggests the case may involve Bu Wei because her parents are dead and she was adopted by her uncle.Jiang Ting says they cannot rule that out, especially given Bu Wei’s striking appearance, and that they will learn more after speaking with her guardian.Gao Panqing reports that Bu Wei’s guardian has been found and is being brought in, while Huang Xing has sent over Shen Xiaoqi’s computer data.In response, Yan Xie says search and rescue is not their strength and orders everyone back to the command vehicle to analyze the new information.At 2:30 p.m., the command vehicle moves through the forest while Gao Panqing presents a compressed digest of Shen Xiaoqi’s call logs, transaction history, social media chats, and browser searches.Ma Xiang worries about the idea of police examining everyone’s intimate online secrets and asks Gao Panqing to protect his own computer drives if he dies in the line of duty.Gao Panqing jokes about burning Ma Xiang’s data for him, and Ma Xiang dramatically insists on preserving his gaming legacy.Yan Xie suddenly notices that Shen Xiaoqi first searched for “Mount Tianzong guide” on May 9th and had no prior travel-related searches before that.This leads Yan Xie to realize Shen Xiaoqi did not compare destinations, follow local travel accounts, or show any earlier interest in Mount Tianzong.Jiang Ting agrees that in a famous tourist city like Jianning, Shen Xiaoqi ignoring all other scenic spots suggests a fixation on Mount Tianzong.Gao Panqing asks what could create that fixation, and Jiang Ting suggests a rumor, someone close to Shen Xiaoqi visiting the place, or another trigger.Before Jiang Ting can finish, he leans out the window and vomits from motion sickness.Back at the guesthouse dining hall, police question Bu Wei’s uncle, Wang Xingye, who insists he knows nothing and says he is only Bu Wei’s legal guardian, not her father.Yan Xie brings the sick Jiang Ting back inside, and Ma Xiang fusses over him with ice water while telling others that Jiang Ting is Yan Xie’s personal consultant and the brains behind the case.When Yan Xie introduces Wang Xingye, Wang Xingye freezes as if seeing a ghost and stares past Yan Xie at Jiang Ting.Yan Xie immediately notices Wang Xingye’s reaction and gently but firmly asks who he thought he saw.Wang Xingye tries to deny it, but Yan Xie guides him to the kitchen for a private conversation.In response to Yan Xie’s questioning, Wang Xingye admits that he once got caught soliciting prostitutes in Xinyue and saw someone there who looked exactly like Jiang Ting.This unsettles Yan Xie because Jiang Ting’s photo should not have been widely available, and Jiang Ting’s appearance changed after three years in a coma.Yan Xie wonders whether Wang Xingye’s recognition is truly coincidence or evidence of something deeper.Yan Xie shifts the questioning to Bu Wei, and Wang Xingye admits Bu Wei is not his biological niece, only a girl he supports on paper for school.Wang Xingye explains that Bu Wei’s father was an old friend who once helped him financially, and after Bu Wei’s parents died in an accident four years ago, he paid for her schooling out of gratitude.However, Wang Xingye also reveals he does not keep in close contact with Bu Wei, calling only every week or two because she lives at school and he is often away.Yan Xie asks whether Wang Xingye knew Bu Wei disappeared with Shen Xiaoqi, and Wang Xingye admits he only heard about Shen Xiaoqi from the parents outside.Wang Xingye then becomes agitated, saying the target must be Shen Xiaoqi because the ransom went to the Shens, and Bu Wei is only an unintended victim.Wang Xingye complains that he is not even related to Bu Wei, has cared for her for four years, and should not be asked to help pay the ransom.Before Yan Xie can push further, Jiang Ting comes to the kitchen and says the kidnapper is on the line and wants to speak to police. Yan Xie rushes to the command vehicle, where the Shens are wailing, the students are crying outside, and Digital Forensics is routing the connected call through Huang Xing’s team.The negotiator tells Yan Xie to stall for time, but Yan Xie boldly identifies himself as Senior Sergeant Yan Xie of Jianning Police.Gao Panqing silently curses Yan Xie for risking direct confrontation, but Yan Xie continues calmly.The electronic voice asks whether preparations for the two hundred million ransom are complete.Yan Xie says money is not the problem but he needs proof of life because the police will not pay if the hostages are already dead. Yin Jindie becomes hysterical and is dragged away by officers.The kidnapper mocks Yan Xie and says he is right there, inviting the police to catch him if they can.Yan Xie asks how the kidnapper will get the money if the police catch him, and the kidnapper says Shen Xiaoqi dies if he does not get the money.Yan Xie then asks about Bu Wei and suggests returning the girl because the Shens are the target.After a silence, the kidnapper says Bu Wei is unlucky and that the police cannot get another hostage back without paying.The negotiator signals Yan Xie to extend the deadline, and Yan Xie tries to argue that they cannot prepare random-sequence banknotes and transportation before 8:09 p.m. the next day.The kidnapper only says they have twenty-nine hours until execution, then hangs up.The room falls into a chilling silence when the computer shows it is exactly 3:09 p.m., confirming the execution is set for 8:09 p.m. the following day.Yan Xie nearly smashes the phone but stops himself and steadies his anger.In response, Yan Xie orders the team to prioritize Shen Xiaoqi’s hired car, follow the white-tailed eagle lead with Forestry Department help, and search everyone’s browsing histories for “Mount Tianzong”. Jiang Ting then asks to hear the call recording again because he has a theory.The recording plays, and Jiang Ting compares the kidnapper’s phrases and tone from different parts of the call.Jiang Ting notices something strange in the audio and says it sounds like there are two kidnappers.Jiang Ting adds that if there are not two kidnappers, then one kidnapper is deliberately presenting two different personas to the police.Yan Xie is troubled and asks what Jiang Ting means.Jiang Ting suddenly asks whether Yan Xie trusts him.

After a tense pause, Yan Xie says he does not keep Jiang Ting around because he trusts Jiang Ting, but because he wants to trust himself.In response, Jiang Ting holds Yan Xie’s gaze and says what he is about to say may change the entire direction of the investigation.

16With twenty-nine hours remaining before the execution deadline, Yan Xie and Jiang Ting face the possibility that the case is not a simple kidnapping but something far more deliberate.In response to Yan Xie’s willingness to listen, Jiang Ting clips earpieces onto both of them and replays the kidnapper’s call from the beginning.Jiang Ting points out that when the kidnapper asks whether the two hundred million is ready, the voice is flat, mechanical, and emotionless.This leads Jiang Ting to replay the part where the kidnapper mocks Yan Xie, revealing that the same voice suddenly carries feeling, sneering, and upward inflection.Yan Xie realizes the shift suggests emotion, and Jiang Ting confirms that the kidnapper’s voice changes depending on what role he is playing.Jiang Ting then separates the kidnapper’s behavior into two personas: a greedy, ruthless kidnapper demanding money and a cold executioner focused on punishment.In response, Yan Xie understands that the ransom persona uses threats like “he dies,” while the executioner persona focuses on the precise countdown and the word “execution.”Jiang Ting argues that the executioner persona is likely the real self because the two hundred million is nearly impossible to move, and the kidnapper never asks for transport or unsequenced bills.This leads Jiang Ting to conclude that the kidnapping is part of a larger ritual shaped by symbolic meaning, emotional displacement, and a need to carry out punishment.Yan Xie suddenly realizes the repeated 8:09 p.m. execution time may mean the culprit is reenacting something that happened before.In response, Yan Xie calls Deputy Wei and asks to review similar kidnapping cases from the past three years, especially cases involving two young hostages taken together.Back at the CID office, Yan Xie orders officers to search province-wide for unsolved cases involving kidnapped or missing youths, prioritizing cases with two victims, extreme ransom demands, one family receiving the call, and the victims knowing each other.When a technician asks whether the victims must be one boy and one girl, Yan Xie tells them to pull every possible case because nothing about teenagers surprises him anymore.Soon after, Fang Zhenghong confronts Yan Xie and criticizes him for redirecting manpower to old files when less than twenty hours remain.Yan Xie uses Deputy Wei as cover and says the review may reveal that this is not the culprit’s first crime.Fang Zhenghong then shows Yan Xie a viral post about Jianning traffic police clearing the way for Yan Xie’s luxury car, accusing Yan Xie of worsening public suspicion by suppressing the topic instead of clarifying it.Despite Fang Zhenghong’s anger, Yan Xie dismisses the outrage as internet hype and says police cannot jump every time public opinion flares.Fang Zhenghong escalates the argument by accusing Yan Xie of secretly acting alone during cases and possibly hiding something in his office.This alarms Yan Xie because Jiang Ting is likely watching from behind the one-way mirror in Yan Xie’s office.Before the confrontation worsens, Yu Zhu arrives and interrupts, reminding everyone that the deadline matters more than internal conflict.Yu Zhu mildly criticizes Yan Xie for recklessness but firmly redirects Fang Zhenghong, making it clear that the younger officers should be allowed to focus on the investigation.Fang Zhenghong leaves after warning Yu Zhu that they should focus on the right things.Once Fang Zhenghong is gone, Yan Xie immediately orders everyone back to work on the old-case search.Yan Xie brings Yu Zhu into his office, where Jiang Ting hides behind the filing cabinet while Yan Xie briefs Yu Zhu on the case and Jiang Ting’s analysis.Yu Zhu listens carefully and agrees that treating the case as a possible serial pattern is logical.However, Yu Zhu notices that Yan Xie’s behavioral analysis sounds unusually specialized and asks whether someone at the station is feeding him ideas.In response, Yan Xie lies smoothly that he consulted psychologists through his family’s private hospital.Yu Zhu accepts the explanation but warns Yan Xie not to let outside influence, even from within the force, cloud his judgment.After Yu Zhu leaves, Jiang Ting emerges from behind the curtains, pretending he did not hear the conversation.Meanwhile, Yu Zhu visits Commissioner Lyu, who is watching surveillance footage from the night Hu Weisheng died after taking heroin.Commissioner Lyu asks Yu Zhu for her opinion of Jiang Ting, and Yu Zhu says Jiang Ting was exceptional at case analysis but highly unreliable beyond that.Yu Zhu adds that Jiang Ting had a dangerous talent for gaining people’s trust and says she is certain Jiang Ting was involved in the deaths of Yue Guangping and Rivet.As evening turns to night, Ma Xiang reports that the province has had 2,864 missing teenager cases in three years, with 216 still unresolved and nineteen confirmed kidnappings.This initially looks like a dead end because none involved two simultaneous hostages or ransom demands above two million.In response, Jiang Ting says the approach is correct but the screening method is wrong.Jiang Ting points out that the kidnapper ignored Bu Wei when speaking as a kidnapper, meaning Bu Wei may be useless to the kidnapper but necessary to the executioner.Yan Xie realizes Bu Wei may have been taken as a witness rather than as a ransom hostage.This leads Jiang Ting and Yan Xie to decide they should search for a missing person case that occurred around the same time and region as another kidnapping, even if the second case was not treated as a kidnapping.Half an hour later, Ma Xiang rushes back with a case from Longchang, Jiangyang County, where sixteen-year-old Heng Liang was kidnapped the previous year.Ma Xiang explains that Heng Liang’s kidnapper demanded one million yuan with a seventy-two-hour deadline, the family delivered the money, but no one collected it, and Heng Liang’s body was never found.Ma Xiang points out two similarities: Heng Liang’s parents received a bloodied shirt, later confirmed to be chicken blood, and the possibility of an execution motive cannot be ruled out.In response, Yan Xie immediately orders officers to contact Longchang Police for the full file.Ma Xiang then reveals a second case from the same day and region: sixteen-year-old Li Yuxin was reported missing, then the report was withdrawn after her family claimed she returned on her own.Yan Xie and Jiang Ting exchange meaningful looks at the phrase “on her own.”Ma Xiang adds that Li Yuxin later ended up in a detention center for repeated theft, despite attending Jiangyang First, a top school across from Heng Liang’s school.Jiang Ting suggests Li Yuxin’s theft may be kleptomania triggered by trauma if she was the witness in the earlier execution case.At 1:20 a.m., Yan Xie, Jiang Ting, Ma Xiang, and Zhang Guanyao drive back to the station to interrogate Li Yuxin.Ma Xiang praises Jiang Ting for correctly identifying the case as a repeat pattern, but Jiang Ting warns that their conclusions are still behavioral deductions rather than hard evidence.Jiang Ting explains that even strong profiling can be wrong and asks Ma Xiang to consider whether the similarities could be coincidence, imitation, or unrelated events.Ma Xiang asks what happens if they are wrong, and Jiang Ting says Shen Xiaoqi and Bu Wei are finished.In response, Yan Xie says uncertainty is a normal part of solving cases because police are not gods, and all investigators can do is recover, learn, and keep trying.Yan Xie then stops at a convenience store and buys Red Bull, coffee, snacks, and hot red bean buns for Jiang Ting.Jiang Ting is surprised by the gesture, while Yan Xie tells him to eat and sleep because they will interrogate Li Yuxin first thing.As the car drives through the night, Ma Xiang falls asleep, and Jiang Ting quietly eats the buns in the back seat.Soon after, Jiang Ting falls asleep with a half-eaten bun in hand, his head dropping onto Yan Xie’s shoulder.In response, Yan Xie hesitates but wraps an arm around Jiang Ting’s shoulders so he can rest more comfortably.As Jiang Ting sleeps against him, Yan Xie notices how soft, light, and fragile Jiang Ting feels compared to the lean toughness Yan Xie always associated with him.Yan Xie gently touches Jiang Ting’s hair and temple, then lets his thumb drift toward the corner of Jiang Ting’s mouth.This leads Yan Xie to realize that his feelings for Jiang Ting have already taken root and can no longer be ignored.When Yan Xie notices a tiny speck of red bean paste on Jiang Ting’s mouth, he impulsively wipes it away and brings it to his own lips.Yan Xie suddenly senses Jiang Ting’s breathing halt for a moment, making the car feel frozen with tension.Yan Xie quietly asks whether Jiang Ting is awake, but Jiang Ting gives no response and continues breathing peacefully.After calming himself, Yan Xie decides that even if Jiang Ting was awake, pretending nothing happened is the most mature way to let both of them choose whether to acknowledge it.As Yan Xie leans back and closes his eyes, Yan Xie finally accepts that the feelings growing inside him have already sprouted and that it is far too late to deny them.

17Yan Xie, Jiang Ting, Ma Xiang, and Zhang Guanyao arrive at Jiangyang Detention Centre near 5 a.m. to question Li Yuxin about the Heng Liang case.After registration, Yan Xie and Jiang Ting enter the interrogation room while Ma Xiang and Zhang Guanyao wait outside the barred gate.Soon after, officers bring in Li Yuxin, and Yan Xie is startled because Li Yuxin is far more beautiful and fragile-looking than her photograph suggested.Despite the detention centre officers saying Li Yuxin has not been beaten, Yan Xie doubts them because Li Yuxin is shaking with obvious terror.In response, Yan Xie checks Li Yuxin’s arms, hair, and neck for injuries, but he finds no bruises or signs of abuse.This leads Yan Xie to realize Li Yuxin is not afraid of the guards, but of him.Yan Xie clears the room so only Yan Xie, Jiang Ting, and Li Yuxin remain.Yan Xie introduces himself and says he wants to ask about Heng Liang, who was kidnapped the previous July.The moment Li Yuxin hears Heng Liang’s name, she trembles violently and insists she knows nothing.In response, Yan Xie points out that Li Yuxin disappeared the same day Heng Liang was abducted and that her timeline matches the kidnapping too closely to be coincidence.Li Yuxin screams that she does not know Heng Liang and starts hitting herself in panic.Yan Xie restrains Li Yuxin before she can hurt herself further, while Jiang Ting orders the officers not to cuff her because she will not talk if restrained.When Li Yuxin tries to slam her forehead into the table edge, Jiang Ting shields her with his hand and injures himself.Yan Xie becomes furious but forces himself to focus after checking that Jiang Ting is all right.This leads Yan Xie to notice that Li Yuxin’s denial sounds rehearsed, especially because she keeps saying she does not know Heng Liang “at all.”Yan Xie softens his approach and tells Li Yuxin that another boy and girl have now been kidnapped, making it clear that Shen Xiaoqi and Bu Wei may suffer the same fate.Li Yuxin finally reacts and says there is no point because Shen Xiaoqi will die and Bu Wei will end up like her.Yan Xie and Jiang Ting realize their theory is correct: Li Yuxin was kidnapped alongside Heng Liang and survived the earlier execution case.Yan Xie presses Li Yuxin about the kidnapper, but Li Yuxin gives a strange smile and asks what the kidnapper looked like, why he did it, and how he killed Heng Liang.Jiang Ting asks the doctor to leave so he and Yan Xie can talk privately, then explains that he has a theory about the ransom amounts that contradicts Yan Xie’s first assumption.Jiang Ting suggests the ransom may not be based on the boy’s family status but on the girl, possibly because Li Yuxin and Bu Wei share some feature beyond beauty.This unsettles Jiang Ting because the case forces him to keep entering the perpetrator’s inner world, making him feel as if he is being dragged into a vortex.Meanwhile, deep in the mountains, Bu Wei wakes injured, dehydrated, and bleeding, then finds Shen Xiaoqi feverish with a badly broken arm.Despite her own weakness, Bu Wei helps Shen Xiaoqi stand and promises they will survive and escape.At Jiangyang County Hospital, Yan Xie uses a letter from Liu Ting of the Provincial Public Security Department to gain access to Li Yuxin after her breakdown.Jiang Ting follows Yan Xie into the ward in glasses and a baseball cap, despite the detention centre director’s objection.Yan Xie tells Li Yuxin a true case about a kidnapped businessman forced to mutilate a corpse, explaining that evidence can clear someone who acted under coercion.This leads Yan Xie to promise that if Li Yuxin cooperates, the police can help clear her name and expose the real criminals.Li Yuxin whispers about “the guilty,” but then shuts down again and only begs to be left alone.Seeing the deadline approaching and Yan Xie growing desperate, Jiang Ting asks Yan Xie to let him speak with Li Yuxin alone.Yan Xie agrees, hugs Jiang Ting tightly, tells him to be careful, and secretly plants a listening device on Jiang Ting.Once alone, Jiang Ting calmly tells Li Yuxin that the person the executioner wants to punish is not Heng Liang or Shen Xiaoqi, but the person who betrayed him.Jiang Ting then whispers that the one who betrayed him is Li Yuxin herself, shocking Li Yuxin into reacting.After hearing enough through the listening device, Yan Xie returns when Jiang Ting says Li Yuxin will talk.Li Yuxin asks whether she can really go back to school if she cooperates, and Yan Xie promises she can.Li Yuxin reveals that she and Heng Liang were dating the previous July and ran away after arguing with her parents.This leads Li Yuxin to admit that she and Heng Liang accepted a ride from a stranger in a silver Hyundai and then fell asleep, likely after being drugged.When Li Yuxin and Heng Liang woke up, they were abandoned in the mountains with no food, water, or way to call for help.For two days, Li Yuxin and Heng Liang wandered through the forest while growing feverish, injured, and desperate.On the third day, Li Yuxin passed out and woke to find masked people in black surrounding a clearing, with Heng Liang bound and kneeling.The kidnapper’s voice told Li Yuxin that Heng Liang was a coward who betrayed her and that Li Yuxin had to kill him.When Li Yuxin refused, the kidnapper threatened that she and Heng Liang would be executed together.Li Yuxin then reveals a pit nearby contained two decomposing bodies, a boy and a girl holding hands, proving Heng Liang’s case was not the first kidnapping.This reveal horrifies Yan Xie and Jiang Ting because it means the executioner group had already killed at least one earlier pair of victims.Li Yuxin says she does not remember killing Heng Liang, only that she passed out and woke to find him dead.She explains that the kidnappers later drove them to another mountain, buried Heng Liang in a pit, and forced her to watch.Yan Xie concludes that the executioner is not one person but an organized group that kidnaps young couples, stages ransom calls, uses blood-soaked clothing, and coerces the girl to kill the boy.Jiang Ting asks why Heng Liang was buried far from the execution site, and Yan Xie realizes the group may have moved Heng Liang’s body to scare the next pair of hostages.This leads Yan Xie to connect the previous burial site to Mount Tianzong and order Ma Xiang to retrieve road surveillance around Mount Tianzong from the same date last year.Li Yuxin remembers that the burial site had a grove of fiery-red royal poinciana trees, a detail the kidnapper cruelly mocked her with.Yan Xie immediately orders the police to conduct aerial and satellite searches for a royal poinciana grove on Mount Tianzong.At 3:30 p.m., Yan Xie, Jiang Ting, Li Yuxin, Ma Xiang, and Zhang Guanyao head back toward Jianning while the police race to locate the grove.Ma Xiang says the investigation has been fruitful, but Yan Xie snaps that reopening old cases means nothing unless Shen Xiaoqi and Bu Wei are saved.Ma Xiang asks whether Bu Wei might kill Shen Xiaoqi if the police fail to arrive in time.Yan Xie thinks of Jiang Ting’s earlier words about betrayal and asks Jiang Ting for his view.Jiang Ting answers wearily that he is not Bu Wei and does not know enough about her to analyze her character.As the car jolts along, Jiang Ting receives a text from Yan Xie, even though Yan Xie is sitting in the same car.Yan Xie asks whether the “betrayal” is symbolic or specific, and Jiang Ting texts back that it is specific.In response, Yan Xie texts his theory that Heng Liang may have done something while Li Yuxin was unconscious or that Heng Liang was only a symbolic substitute for someone else.Jiang Ting realizes Yan Xie planted a bug on him when leaving the ward and calls him out by text.Yan Xie laughs because Jiang Ting has seen through him again.Before Yan Xie can continue, Zhang Guanyao warns that a lorry seems to be following them.Yan Xie tells Zhang Guanyao to slow down and see whether the lorry overtakes, but the lorry accelerates instead.Yan Xie realizes the lorry is aiming for them and shouts for Zhang Guanyao to floor it.The lorry rams the Cherokee, throwing everyone forward and smashing the car against the guardrail.After a second impact, the Cherokee flips over the guardrail, rolls down the embankment, and plunges into the river.Water floods the car, and Yan Xie wakes underwater, injured but conscious.In response, Yan Xie releases his own seatbelt, frees Li Yuxin’s seatbelt, and immediately searches for Jiang Ting.Yan Xie finds Jiang Ting motionless and trapped, but Ma Xiang and Zhang Guanyao pull Yan Xie out before he can free him.Driven by panic, Yan Xie breaks free from Ma Xiang and dives back into the sinking car for Jiang Ting.Yan Xie reaches Jiang Ting, releases the seatbelt, untangles him, and drags him upward while silently begging him not to die.Yan Xie surfaces with Jiang Ting and forces water from Jiang Ting’s lungs until Jiang Ting chokes back to life.Before they can reach shore, gunfire erupts from figures beside the lorry, proving the crash was an assassination attempt.Yan Xie pulls Jiang Ting underwater again, while Ma Xiang and Zhang Guanyao dive too.Li Yuxin is shot while Zhang Guanyao carries her, and Zhang Guanyao is also engulfed in blood.Caught in the river current, Yan Xie struggles to keep Jiang Ting alive while Jiang Ting starts drowning again.In response, Yan Xie gives Jiang Ting air mouth-to-mouth underwater and shields him with his own body as the current slams them against rocks.The current finally sweeps Yan Xie and Jiang Ting ashore, but Jiang Ting’s pulse is dangerously faint.Yan Xie performs chest compressions and mouth-to-mouth resuscitation on Jiang Ting while bleeding heavily without realizing it.Jiang Ting finally coughs up water and regains consciousness, making Yan Xie collapse from relief and exhaustion.Jiang Ting then discovers Yan Xie has been shot and presses cloth hard against Yan Xie’s abdomen to slow the bleeding.Yan Xie, dazed and frightened, asks what is wrong and tells Jiang Ting not to cry.Jiang Ting cradles Yan Xie in his lap, keeps pressure on the wound, and tells Yan Xie help is coming.As Yan Xie fades in and out of consciousness, Yan Xie asks whether Jiang Ting was awake in the car the previous day.Jiang Ting admits he was awake.In response, Jiang Ting tells Yan Xie to stay awake and says that he once had many people like brothers, but they all left him three years ago.Jiang Ting then tells Yan Xie that Yan Xie is different and that if Jiang Ting dies, he will watch over Yan Xie from heaven so Yan Xie can live a good life.

18Jiang Ting sits blankly outside the operating theatre after Yan Xie is rushed into surgery, and when a nurse asks whether Jiang Ting is Yan Xie’s family, Jiang Ting can only answer that he is Yan Xie’s friend.In response, Ma Xiang arrives soaked and breathless, identifies Yan Xie as the CID senior sergeant, and urges the hospital to proceed with surgery.Ma Xiang then tells Jiang Ting that Zhang Guanyao is being treated next door after being shot in the arm, while provincial, municipal, and local police are sealing the area and pursuing the attackers.When Jiang Ting remembers Li Yuxin, Ma Xiang reveals that Li Yuxin was shot in the chest and died in the ambulance.This leads Jiang Ting to conclude that the attackers were after Li Yuxin.In response, Ma Xiang angrily wonders how the attackers knew Li Yuxin had been taken out of the detention centre and suspects an insider.Jiang Ting calmly says everyone is suspect until the perpetrators are caught, including Ma Xiang, Jiang Ting, Yan Xie, Zhang Guanyao, Li Yuxin herself, and anyone at the municipal station with access to the case files.Despite Ma Xiang’s anger, Jiang Ting admits he is the most suspicious because he is an outsider with an unclear background known only as Yan Xie’s friend.Ma Xiang counters that Yan Xie saved Jiang Ting from the sinking car, proving Yan Xie trusted him enough to risk dying for him.Before Ma Xiang leaves for a station call, Ma Xiang asks whether Jiang Ting is Yan Xie’s friend or an undercover spy.In response, Jiang Ting says he is whoever Yan Xie thinks he is.Left alone, Jiang Ting looks at the clock and realizes it is already 6 p.m., less than two hours before the execution deadline.This leads Jiang Ting to wonder why the attackers would silence Li Yuxin after she had already confessed everything, unless someone feared she had more to reveal.Jiang Ting also thinks about the symbolic contrast between Li Yuxin’s chicken blood and Bu Wei’s eagle blood, questioning what Bu Wei will choose or what the mastermind intends her to do.At 7 p.m., Commissioner Lyu directs the Mount Tianzong command vehicle while search teams report no findings in the red zone and begin spreading to the orange zone.In response to the chaos, Yu Zhu arrives and immediately organizes the search, ordering teams to sweep every royal poinciana site, sync traffic surveillance feeds, guide ambulances, and report one at a time.Commissioner Lyu quietly tells Yu Zhu that Yan Xie is injured, and Yu Zhu regrets having brought up retirement in front of so many people earlier.Meanwhile, deep in the forest, Shen Xiaoqi struggles forward with Bu Wei while injured, dehydrated, and nearly at his limit.Shen Xiaoqi spots a distant cluster of royal poinciana trees and calls Bu Wei’s attention to them.However, Bu Wei loses her balance while supporting Shen Xiaoqi, causing both of them to tumble down the hill and crash into a rock.In response, Shen Xiaoqi crawls to Bu Wei in panic, shaking her and blaming himself for everything.Despite her weakness, Bu Wei reassures Shen Xiaoqi that they will survive and says she will protect him.Shen Xiaoqi breaks down and promises that if they survive, he will repay Bu Wei and protect her for the rest of his life.This promise makes Bu Wei smile genuinely, as if she had been waiting a long time to hear those words.As evening falls, Shen Xiaoqi’s cries fade, and something described as Death silently emerges from the forest atop a nearby hill.Back at the hospital, Jiang Ting sees nurses rush from the operating theatre for amiodarone, blood, and medicine, making Jiang Ting panic about Yan Xie’s condition.The medical emergency throws Jiang Ting back into the sensation of drowning in the river, and he nearly collapses before Ma Xiang helps steady him.Ma Xiang reports that Zhang Guanyao’s surgery succeeded and that the bullet was removed from Zhang Guanyao’s left arm as evidence.Despite his own terrible condition, Jiang Ting refuses a full check-up, and Ma Xiang brings him a hot drink and dry clothes instead.After Ma Xiang leaves, Jiang Ting turns on his damaged phone and finds the unread text Yan Xie sent just before the lorry hit them.Yan Xie’s text confirms he planted a bug on Jiang Ting, then asks Jiang Ting to be direct if he needs help and whether Jiang Ting does not trust that Yan Xie would help him.In response, Jiang Ting silently thinks that he really does trust Yan Xie and begs Yan Xie to wake up and live.On Mount Tianzong, Shen Xiaoqi wakes in a clearing surrounded by royal poinciana and sees a bottle of water placed nearby.Despite suspecting the water may be poisoned, Shen Xiaoqi’s survival instincts overwhelm him, and he drinks the entire bottle.This leads Shen Xiaoqi to remember Bu Wei, but before he can check on her, the ground collapses and he falls into a pit.In the pit, Shen Xiaoqi touches something strange and comes face to face with the half-decomposed corpse of Heng Liang.Terrified, Shen Xiaoqi screams and hallucinates that the corpse is grinning and reaching to bind his hands.Shen Xiaoqi hits his head against a stone and loses consciousness while still clutching the empty water bottle.At the same time, Qin Chuan’s search team follows police dogs through the mountain but initially finds no trace of Shen Xiaoqi or Bu Wei.Qin Chuan discovers clothing fibres that may have come from Shen Xiaoqi’s camo trousers, proving they are close.Then a muffled scream echoes in the distance, sending the dogs charging toward a large grove of royal poinciana.With less than a minute before the 8:09 p.m. deadline, Qin Chuan fires two shots into the air to scare off any kidnappers nearby.At exactly 8:09 p.m., the dogs erupt in furious barking, and the search team finally finds Bu Wei and Shen Xiaoqi lying at the foot of a grassy hill with no signs of breathing.Outside Yan Xie’s operating theatre, the red light goes off, and the doctor tells Jiang Ting that Yan Xie’s surgery succeeded, the bullet was removed, and Yan Xie’s condition is stable.The relief overwhelms Jiang Ting, and he nearly faints as the world spins around him.Soon after, Ma Xiang calls to report that Bu Wei and Shen Xiaoqi were found alive among the royal poinciana trees.Jiang Ting responds hoarsely but hides his weakness and emotion.In response to Jiang Ting’s pallor, the head nurse orders him checked for acute hypotension and given glucose.Jiang Ting politely asks to be placed in the same ward as Yan Xie.At 9 p.m., Jiang Ting lies in a white hospital ward with an IV while Yan Xie is wheeled in beside him after surgery.Once the medical staff leaves, Jiang Ting removes his IV needle and moves to Yan Xie’s bedside.Jiang Ting holds Yan Xie’s scarred hand and reassures himself through Yan Xie’s warmth and pulse that Yan Xie is truly alive.This leads Jiang Ting to smooth Yan Xie’s furrowed brows and mutter that Yan Xie may be smart but is still an idiot.Meanwhile, at Mount Tianzong, Qin Chuan reports that Bu Wei and Shen Xiaoqi likely fell down the hill, that Heng Liang’s body has been found in a pit, and that Gou Li is preparing to transport it.Gao Panqing then brings Qin Chuan an evidence bag containing the empty water bottle found in the pit with Heng Liang’s body.Qin Chuan notices the bottle’s manufacture date is from three months ago, even though Heng Liang was buried the previous July.This reveal shocks Qin Chuan, Gou Li, and Gao Panqing because it proves someone recently placed the bottle in the old burial pit.In the early dawn, Yan Xie wakes from anesthesia in pain, and Jiang Ting immediately calls the doctor.The doctor says Yan Xie’s vitals are stable and that post-surgery pain is normal, but warns Jiang Ting to watch him so Yan Xie does not aggravate his injury.When a nurse says pain is nothing for a police officer, Jiang Ting coldly reminds her that police officers are human too and asks for painkillers.After Yan Xie becomes more alert, Jiang Ting wipes Yan Xie’s sweat with a hot towel.Yan Xie catches Jiang Ting’s hand and asks why Jiang Ting is there.Jiang Ting tells Yan Xie to sleep, but Yan Xie asks whether Jiang Ting is there to take care of him.Yan Xie then complains that it hurts too much to sleep and asks Jiang Ting for his hand.Despite his irritation, Jiang Ting gives Yan Xie his hand, and Yan Xie presses it to his chest.Yan Xie asks whether Jiang Ting can feel his heartbeat and says it is beating very fast.Jiang Ting says nothing, but he remains seated beside Yan Xie until Yan Xie falls asleep again.A week later, Jiang Ting calls Yang Mei from a public phone booth and tells her he has already been discharged and is staying at a guesthouse.In response, Yang Mei explodes with worry, demanding to know why Jiang Ting did not tell her sooner, where he is staying, who is cooking for him, and whether the attackers have been caught.Jiang Ting hangs up after failing to get a word in.That morning, Jiang Ting buys medicinal herbs and orders a live fish to be made into plain nourishing soup for Yan Xie, even though hospital staff agree Jiang Ting is the one who needs rest.As Jiang Ting approaches the hospital with fish soup and soy milk, Ma Xiang runs into him and comments that Yan Xie is strong while Jiang Ting nearly drowned and should be taking better care of himself.Jiang Ting ignores the comment and asks why Ma Xiang is there.Ma Xiang explains that Jiangyang police finished screening suspicious vehicles from the ambush, and Deputy Wei has ordered them back to Jianning that afternoon.Jiang Ting does not ask about the sensitive results because he knows Ma Xiang would not reveal them without Yan Xie’s permission.Instead, Jiang Ting asks about Bu Wei and Shen Xiaoqi.Ma Xiang says Bu Wei woke up that morning but passed out again and may be too psychologically stressed to question yet, while Shen Xiaoqi remains in the ICU with uncertain prospects.Ma Xiang also says all exits from Mount Tianzong were sealed, but there has been no trace of the kidnappers after two days, causing an uproar at the station.Jiang Ting concludes that Shen Xiaoqi is the key because Bu Wei likely does not know who the kidnappers are or how they made contact.Ma Xiang then mentions that the water bottle from the scene was analyzed and only Shen Xiaoqi’s fingerprints and DNA were found on the bottle and cap.This detail makes Jiang Ting freeze with suspicion and realization.Before Jiang Ting can return upstairs, Wei Yao arrives carrying a fruit basket and calls out to Ma Xiang.In response, Jiang Ting quietly slips into the crowd to avoid being seen.Ma Xiang covers for Jiang Ting by telling Wei Yao he came alone and brought “chicken soup” for Yan Xie.Jiang Ting mouths a silent thank-you to Ma Xiang before Ma Xiang follows Wei Yao upstairs.In Yan Xie’s ward, Yan Xie has been watching the clock impatiently because Jiang Ting has been visiting briefly every noon with lunch and is now ten minutes late.When the door opens, Yan Xie starts complaining, only to realize the visitor is Wei Yao instead of Jiang Ting.Wei Yao awkwardly tries to act caring and calls Yan Xie “kiddo,” stunning both Yan Xie and Ma Xiang.Yan Xie then jokes about Wei Yao bringing expensive fruit for his parents, while Wei Yao nearly hits him and asks why Yan Xie has not told his family about being shot.Yan Xie snatches Wei Yao’s phone to stop him from calling Zeng Cuicui, explaining that his mother would either force him to resign or send celebrities to trap him into marriage.Wei Yao reluctantly promises not to tell Zeng Cuicui, and Yan Xie returns the phone.Wei Yao asks who has been taking care of Yan Xie, and Yan Xie lies that a police academy classmate in Jiangyang helped him.Wei Yao then notices the soup is fish soup, contradicting Ma Xiang’s claim that it was chicken soup.Ma Xiang hurriedly says he mixed it up, but Yan Xie understands the soup came from Jiang Ting and cannot stop smiling.Yan Xie takes a mouthful and happily declares fish soup is the best.When Yan Xie asks about the investigation, Wei Yao says Jiangyang investigators found a suspicious vehicle near a national motorway entrance, got an image of the driver, and are using the Skynet system to track the lorry’s escape route.Yan Xie reasons that the ambushers are likely working with the kidnappers because they tried to silence Li Yuxin.However, Wei Yao reveals another disturbing lead involving Fan Zhengyuan, also known as Delta.Wei Yao explains that the homemade bullet from Zhang Guanyao’s arm chemically matches the bullet Fan Zhengyuan fired at Yan Xie near Sanmao Street.This means the illegal ammunition is almost certainly from the same batch.The revelation connects the river ambushers to Fan Zhengyuan and possibly to the older drug case network.Wei Yao then delivers the most alarming possibility: the attackers may not have been targeting Li Yuxin at all, but Yan Xie.

19Yan Xie realizes with a chill that if the ambushers were not targeting Li Yuxin, their true target was likely Jiang Ting, because Fan Zhengyuan had also gone after Jiang Ting before.In response, Wei Yao mistakes Yan Xie’s silence for fear and tells Yan Xie not to overthink the homemade ammunition link until the attackers are caught.Despite Wei Yao’s concern, Yan Xie forces himself to act calm and shifts the topic back to Bu Wei, Shen Xiaoqi, and the unidentified bodies Li Yuxin mentioned.Wei Yao updates Yan Xie that Bu Wei and Shen Xiaoqi’s conditions remain uncertain, the kidnappers have not been found, and the Mount Tianzong search has produced footprints and fibres but no useful breakthrough.This leads Yan Xie to recall Jiang Ting’s cryptic words about “summer dusk,” 8:09 p.m., execution, betrayal, and someone recreating Jiang Ting’s hidden past through the kidnappings.Yan Xie begins connecting the symbolic kidnappings, Hu Weisheng’s gang, Delta’s killer, and the King of Spades, but he still cannot determine the exact connection.When Wei Yao tells Yan Xie to rest, Yan Xie asks why Qin Chuan is helping CID, and Wei Yao explains that Yu Zhu’s heart condition limits her overtime while Qin Chuan lacks decision-making authority.In response, Yan Xie worries about Fang Zhenghong planting someone near him once Yan Xie returns to work, but Wei Yao hints that Yan Xie should think bigger because Yu Zhu and Deputy Commissioner Wang are both nearing retirement.After Wei Yao leaves, Yan Xie thinks through the personnel situation and realizes Fang Zhenghong may be the most suitable candidate to replace Deputy Commissioner Wang.This leads Yan Xie to remember that Fang Zhenghong’s grudge may have started years ago when Yan Xie, as a foolish young officer, misunderstood Fang Zhenghong’s interest in his expensive watch and offered it to him.Yan Xie pushes the office politics aside and returns to the case, wondering whether Jiang Ting’s confession about being pulled into the perpetrator’s inner world was actually a hidden cry for help.When Jiang Ting does not arrive on time, Yan Xie becomes restless and leaves his ward despite his wound.In response, the head nurse catches Yan Xie in the corridor, scolds him for wandering alone, and helps him reach the reception phone.Yan Xie calls Jiang Ting and asks where his lunch is, but Jiang Ting says he is buying a new phone and will no longer come to the hospital because plainclothes officers are watching the building.Before Jiang Ting can hang up, Yan Xie deliberately knocks over a flowerpot and pretends to collapse, using Jiang Ting’s worry to lure him back.Half an hour later, Jiang Ting arrives with a new phone and angrily asks why Yan Xie dragged him over when at least five plainclothes officers are nearby.Yan Xie acts pleased that Jiang Ting came quickly and teases him for caring, while Jiang Ting insists he is not a doctor and could not have helped anyway.In response, Yan Xie shares Wei Yao’s update that the attackers may be connected to Delta because the bullets match Fan Zhengyuan’s earlier ammunition.Jiang Ting argues that the same bullet composition only proves a shared supplier or region, not that Jiang Ting was the target.Despite Jiang Ting’s denial, Yan Xie presses him and says Jiang Ting keeps seeing himself in Heng Liang, Li Yuxin, Bu Wei, and Shen Xiaoqi.Yan Xie accuses Jiang Ting of hiding the truth about the betrayal at the center of the kidnappings and suggests the mastermind may be the gunman from Hu Weisheng’s rooftop.This leads Yan Xie to name the King of Spades, the drug lord behind Tingercloud, and Jiang Ting’s reaction confirms the name matters.Yan Xie tells Jiang Ting that he wants to trust him, but he will be deeply disappointed if Jiang Ting is protecting the King of Spades.In response, Jiang Ting mocks the idea that naming a drug after a narcotics officer proves a relationship and suggests Yan Xie may be projecting his own feelings onto the case.Yan Xie freezes when Jiang Ting exposes his hidden desire so bluntly.When Jiang Ting turns to leave, Yan Xie grabs him, pins him against the door, and kisses him.Jiang Ting is shocked at first and tries to push Yan Xie away, but he realizes the kiss is not only forceful, but also soft, intense, and disorienting.After Jiang Ting finally pushes Yan Xie back, Yan Xie asks what Jiang Ting thinks.Jiang Ting struggles to sound composed and asks whether Yan Xie wants praise for his technique.Yan Xie, hurt beneath his calm, asks whether he is not worthy of Jiang Ting’s approval after their trust, partnership, and life-risking help.In response, Jiang Ting coldly says everything he told Li Yuxin was a lie, that the King of Spades is a drug lord, and that Jiang Ting is a police officer who has not betrayed anyone.Jiang Ting warns Yan Xie not to think like the kidnappers or he will start seeing everyone as a traitor and get himself killed.After Jiang Ting leaves, Yan Xie decides to stop waiting helplessly and calls his father to send someone to pick him up.Meanwhile, Jiang Ting gets into Yang Mei’s car, and Yang Mei panics over the danger surrounding Jiang Ting.Jiang Ting reassures Yang Mei that the King of Spades was not directly behind the attack, but says the King of Spades made a mistake and Jiang Ting intends to get to the bottom of it.After returning to Nightless, Jiang Ting goes upstairs alone, showers, and reflects on how Yan Xie dragged him back from what he had accepted as death in the sinking car.This memory unsettles Jiang Ting because Yan Xie’s rescue has forced him back toward life in a way he did not expect.Jiang Ting then opens his hidden safe, retrieves old notes, photographs, newspapers, and a yellowed King of Spades card, and builds a case map on a whiteboard.He connects the King of Spades to Gongzhou Narcotics Bureau, Hu Weisheng, Fan Zhengyuan, Jiangyang County, kidnapping, and execution.Jiang Ting focuses on the water bottle found with Heng Liang and realizes the King of Spades is reenacting the past because he is dissatisfied with the original outcome.This leads Jiang Ting to understand that the King of Spades’ obsession with bloody execution exposes an emotional weakness, giving Jiang Ting a new angle against him.Before Jiang Ting can continue, someone knocks on his window, and Jiang Ting is stunned to find Yan Xie clinging to the drainpipe outside.Jiang Ting opens the window and pulls Yan Xie inside, furious that Yan Xie escaped the hospital and climbed up in his condition.Yan Xie jokes that the wound was handled cleanly, but Jiang Ting tells him this is not the place to recover and orders him to go home.In response, Yan Xie refuses because he wants to keep looking at Jiang Ting and then directly asks Jiang Ting to date him.Jiang Ting tries to explain Yan Xie’s feelings as blind trust, crisis bonding, and misattributed arousal from danger, but Yan Xie cheerfully ignores the psychological analysis.Before the conversation can continue, Yang Mei knocks, forcing Jiang Ting to hide Yan Xie behind the bed.Yang Mei brings Jiang Ting congee, and Yan Xie becomes jealous over how freely Yang Mei enters Jiang Ting’s room.After Yang Mei leaves, Yan Xie complains that he skipped dinner rushing to see Jiang Ting, so Jiang Ting tells him to eat the congee.Yan Xie refuses because Yang Mei made it, calling Yang Mei his rival.This leads Jiang Ting to leave the room and head downstairs, while Yan Xie climbs back down the drainpipe and waits outside.Jiang Ting and Yan Xie end up at a lively night market, eating cold noodles, crayfish, spicy crab, and drinking beer and soy milk.Yan Xie happily eats heavy food despite Jiang Ting warning that spice and oil may inflame his injury.In response, Yan Xie jokes that after nearly dying, having food, drink, and a beauty beside him makes life complete.Jiang Ting dryly says Yan Xie’s logic is terrifying and tells him not to go to the station tomorrow because Jiang Ting plans to take him to an ophthalmologist.The mood then turns serious when Yan Xie apologizes for earlier and admits he did not truly believe the accusations about Jiang Ting and Tingercloud.Jiang Ting explains that Tingercloud is Sapphire, a new fentanyl variant that was mostly smuggled abroad but could draw major attention if distributed domestically.Yan Xie realizes Jiang Ting has known about Sapphire all along.In response, Jiang Ting reveals that he investigated Sapphire secretly after an armed robbery case involving a drug addict, because the report was altered and the chemist was transferred.Jiang Ting says the secret investigation led him to an underground drug lab outside Gongzhou, where some informants were sacrificed along the way.This leads Jiang Ting to reveal that he was caught at the lab and that the King of Spades was there that day.Yan Xie is shocked when Jiang Ting admits he has never seen the King of Spades’ face and only came close when the King of Spades held a gun to the back of his head.Jiang Ting recalls the King of Spades showing him fentanyl worth six hundred million yuan and calling it the price of worldly happiness.Jiang Ting also remembers the King of Spades speaking close to his ear, saying Jiang Ting was more useful alive than dead.Jiang Ting explains that the King of Spades spared him because Jiang Ting’s investigation had already exposed the lab district and killing him would have caused more trouble.When Yan Xie asks about Jiang Ting’s disappearance after the plastics warehouse explosion, Jiang Ting says he was in a coma for three years and remembers mostly darkness.Jiang Ting adds that he was likely blindfolded and cannot form a mental image of the King of Spades’ face.Yan Xie asks whether the King of Spades thinks Jiang Ting betrayed their alliance, but Jiang Ting says the King of Spades believes Jiang Ting betrayed his very being.Jiang Ting explains that the kidnappings are deeply personal because they force young couples with pure feelings into desperate situations.He concludes that the King of Spades is not punishing betrayal of money or power, but a betrayal of belief, emotion, and identity.This leads Jiang Ting to say the King of Spades is recreating scenes of betrayal to punish Jiang Ting through other people.After revealing this, Jiang Ting finishes his beer, stands, and says they should go.

A Break in the Clouds (Poyun), Vol. 3

(Chapter)

A Break in the Clouds (Poyun), Vol. 4

(Chapter)

A Break in the Clouds (Poyun), Vol. 5

(Chapter)

Art Thou Ailing?, Vol. 1

Chapter 1In the eighth year of Emperor Yonghe’s reign, Qin Zhao receives a secret message delivered by a black bird and reports to Chu Mingyun that Chen Xuanwen has been found dead.Chu Mingyun learns that Chen Xuanwen, a respected former Minister of War who had recently retired, supposedly committed suicide by slitting his own throat after being heard drunkenly singing, and a rumored blood-written message on the wall read that his death would prove his innocence because he could no longer endure torment.Chu Mingyun suspects foul play, reasoning that Chen Xuanwen’s words suggest coercion rather than despair, likely involving threats against Chen Xuanwen’s family, and notes that Chen Xuanwen’s kin are mysteriously absent.Qin Zhao reports that another group had been following Chen Xuanwen and that this group is connected to the Su family, leading Chu Mingyun to focus on Su Shiyu, the Grand Censor and his political rival.Chu Mingyun reflects that Great Xia’s power is split between himself as Grand Commandant and Su Shiyu as Grand Censor, forming two opposing factions in court, and begins to suspect that Su Shiyu may have hidden forces beyond official authority.Chu Mingyun orders Qin Zhao to secretly investigate Su Shiyu thoroughly while being cautious not to alert him.A courtesan named Ruji attempts to seduce Chu Mingyun with soup, but Chu Mingyun coldly chokes her to warn her before dismissing her, revealing that many women in his household are planted spies and that he intends to eliminate them eventually.To destabilize Su Shiyu and make him unable to counter surveillance, Chu Mingyun instructs Qin Zhao to spread rumors throughout Chang’an that he prefers men and ensure Su Shiyu hears of it.After court, Chu Mingyun publicly confesses exaggerated romantic feelings to Su Shiyu, claiming he has long been in love with Su Shiyu, but Su Shiyu calmly rejects him and treats it as nonsense.Chu Mingyun’s dramatic confession successfully spreads scandalous rumors, while Su Shiyu privately dismisses them as baseless and refuses to clarify matters to avoid fueling gossip.Du Yue, a healer and former fellow disciple of Chu Mingyun and Qin Zhao from Mount Cangwu, arrives in Chang’an after his teacher’s death, and Qin Zhao is visibly anxious because he harbors unspoken romantic feelings for Du Yue.Du Yue reveals that Su Shiyu is his cousin, shocking both Chu Mingyun and Qin Zhao when Su Shiyu unexpectedly appears at the tavern where they reunite.Su Shiyu politely thanks Chu Mingyun for caring for Du Yue, and subtle tension fills the room as Chu Mingyun continues to tease with flirtatious remarks while Su Shiyu calmly parries them.Qin Zhao attempts to gauge Du Yue’s understanding of the political rivalry but discovers Du Yue naively sees both Chu Mingyun and Su Shiyu simply as officials without grasping their power struggle.In private conversation, Su Shiyu warns Chu Mingyun to take proper care of Du Yue and subtly confronts him about his false courtship act, while Chu Mingyun refuses to drop the pretense and continues to toy with ambiguity.Su Shiyu offers Du Yue a position under him instead, but Du Yue insists on honoring his promise to Chu Mingyun, choosing to stay with Chu Mingyun and Qin Zhao.Back at the grand commandant’s residence, Du Yue reveals that Master Baili has also died on the day of Master Ye’s burial and that Master Baili left a message for Chu Mingyun saying that the road ahead is long and lonely.Chu Mingyun reacts with quiet laughter and introspection to Master Baili’s final words, showing hidden grief beneath his composed exterior.Du Yue expresses his distress at being unable to choose between Chu Mingyun, Qin Zhao, and Su Shiyu if conflict arises, promising he would save all of them if they were hurt.Chu Mingyun confirms to Qin Zhao that despite Du Yue being Su Shiyu’s cousin, they will still move against Su Shiyu if necessary, though they will avoid killing him to prevent hurting Du Yue.Chu Mingyun confronts Qin Zhao about his feelings for Du Yue, pointing out that Du Yue only sees Qin Zhao as a best friend, while Qin Zhao admits he will not force Du Yue to reciprocate and is willing to wait indefinitely.Alone under the night sky, Chu Mingyun reflects on Master Baili’s words about the long and lonely road ahead, acknowledging that he has always known the isolation that awaits him.

Chapter 2Chu Mingyun attends the lavish banquet hosted by Song Heng, noting that four of the six ministers and both the Chu and Su factions are present, and suspects that Song Heng is boldly trying to position himself between the two political camps.Chu Mingyun is led to a secluded pavilion above a pond where Su Shiyu is already seated, and Song Heng deliberately leaves them alone, creating an awkward and suspicious private setting.Su Shiyu discreetly pours Chu Mingyun’s wine into an incense burner after realizing the mixture of liquor and incense is drugged, and both men recognize that they are being targeted.Chu Mingyun deliberately smashes his cup to trigger a hidden mechanism, causing the floor beneath them to collapse and drop them into an underground prison, choosing to confront the trap directly rather than avoid it.In the dark cell beneath the pond, Chu Mingyun uses the metal ribs of his fan to slice through iron bars, revealing his concealed weapon and freeing them from confinement.Chu Mingyun considers abandoning Su Shiyu but decides to cooperate temporarily, while Su Shiyu calmly destroys the fan in a subtle show of strength, revealing that he is far from the harmless scholar he appears to be.As they navigate the labyrinthine prison corridors, they encounter armed guards, and Chu Mingyun displays brutal martial prowess while Su Shiyu quietly and efficiently kills as well, exposing his hidden combat ability.Su Shiyu uses poison smoke to repel pursuers and cleverly locates a hidden switch in the wall, demonstrating his intelligence and preparedness.They trigger an arrow trap near what appears to be the exit, and Chu Mingyun instinctively pulls Su Shiyu into his arms and takes an arrow in his shoulder to protect him, sustaining a deep wound that nearly reaches bone.Su Shiyu calmly disarms the trap by rotating a concealed oil lamp mechanism and then later negotiates with a surviving poisoned guard, offering him what appears to be an antidote in exchange for guidance.After the guard betrays them and seals them inside a stone chamber, Su Shiyu reveals that he never gave an antidote but only more poison, predicting the guard would die within thirty minutes and showing his ruthless pragmatism.Chu Mingyun’s shoulder wound worsens, and Su Shiyu personally bandages him with torn fabric from his own inner garment, their physical closeness deepening the charged tension between them as Chu Mingyun continues to tease about his supposed love.During their escape through a hidden passage, they question each other, and Su Shiyu reveals he followed his father Su Jue into war at fifteen and learned to conceal his martial skills after being forbidden from violence, though no official records confirm his battlefield involvement.Chu Mingyun admits he is an orphan whose entire family was massacred in Liangzhou by the Huns and was later taken in by Grand Swordsman Baili, explaining the source of his ambition and coldness.They finally escape through a concealed stone door into Song Heng’s study, discovering the banquet has ended and Song Heng has disappeared under suspicious circumstances.Tan Jing claims Song Heng left abruptly after receiving urgent news, but Chu Mingyun and Su Shiyu suspect the situation is far more complex.Outside, Su Shiyu thanks Chu Mingyun for saving him and promises a personal favor unrelated to politics, while Chu Mingyun jokingly demands a kiss and instead requests to see a genuine smile, which Su Shiyu reluctantly gives, leaving Chu Mingyun momentarily mesmerized.The next morning, Song Heng’s mutilated corpse is found, and a failed examinee confesses to the murder out of jealousy, closing the case publicly while masking the deeper conspiracy.Chu Mingyun and Su Shiyu silently understand that the banquet host had likely been an impostor using Song Heng’s identity and that the real Song Heng was killed to cover up the failed assassination attempt.Chu Mingyun investigates the hidden prison’s possible location in the western mountains after shadow guards track suspicious cargo wagons but lose them in dense terrain.Frustrated by the difficulty of locating the prison, Chu Mingyun decides to trigger flash floods by destroying the mountain area with gunpowder, caring little if any hidden prisoners die, and plans to leverage Tan Jing’s corrupt dealings to obtain explosives discreetly.Qin Zhao reports that there are no official records of Su Shiyu ever serving in battle despite his claims, raising suspicion about what truly happened twelve years earlier during the Huns invasion.Chu Mingyun believes Su Shiyu was not lying about his past but intentionally provided an unverifiable truth to keep him guessing, recognizing that their rivalry and entanglement have only just begun.

Chapter 3Li Yanzhen, now ruling in a time of peace, grows bored with state affairs and decides to expand his harem to find refined, intelligent women who can appreciate his poetry, reigniting political maneuvering in Chang’an.Su Shiyu responds neutrally when Li Yanzhen hints at wanting sharper companions, while Chu Mingyun privately mocks Su Shiyu for previously discouraging the emperor from indulging in personal pleasures.Noble families scramble to send eligible daughters to the capital for the harem selection, understanding that influence in the inner palace translates to power in court.Qin Zhao worries that other factions will use the harem selection to gain leverage over Li Yanzhen and urges Chu Mingyun to participate politically, but Chu Mingyun disdainfully rejects such tactics and instead jokes about sending Du Yue into the harem.Du Yue interrupts their discussion, remaining oblivious to the political implications, while Qin Zhao struggles with his feelings and awkwardly offers Du Yue grapes instead of confessing anything.During a monthly report at the palace, Li Yanzhen ignores state documents to sculpt a rare block of wood and asks Chu Mingyun and Su Shiyu to recommend a beauty worthy of being immortalized.Li Yanzhen openly praises Su Shiyu’s beauty and dismisses Chu Mingyun’s “sultry” appearance as not to his taste, while Su Shiyu subtly redirects attention back to Chu Mingyun, maintaining their charged banter.At the Scarlet Sleeve brothel, a nobleman visits Jingnyu, and news arrives that operations in the western mountains have gone wrong just as a storm breaks, implying that Chu Mingyun’s planned avalanche has destroyed the hidden prison and those within.Yan Ye informs Chu Mingyun that Chen Xuanwen’s family supposedly died in a suspicious fire in Lin’an, though rumors suggest Chen Xuanwen’s grandson may have escaped by carriage in the night.Yan Ye also reveals that Su Shiyu is investigating Tan Jing for trafficking large quantities of gunpowder and may personally retrieve a ledger hidden in a warehouse in Market West.Alarmed because he previously used Tan Jing’s gunpowder for the mountain explosion, Chu Mingyun rushes to the warehouse to intercept Su Shiyu.Chu Mingyun discovers Su Shiyu has already secured the ledger and playfully confronts him, continuing his flirtatious act while probing for information.Inside the gunpowder storehouse, patrol guards approach, and Chu Mingyun pulls Su Shiyu behind a door, pressing him close under the pretense of hiding while secretly slipping his hand into Su Shiyu’s robes to steal the ledger.Chu Mingyun tears out two pages from the ledger before returning it to Su Shiyu, using shameless teasing to distract him and conceal his interference.Outside, Tan Jing confronts Chu Mingyun about their prior dealings, fearing betrayal, but Chu Mingyun burns the torn pages to prevent blackmail and then deliberately directs Tan Jing toward Su Shiyu instead.Tan Jing ambushes Su Shiyu, believing he is acting on Chu Mingyun’s orders, but Su Shiyu swiftly defeats and captures Tan Jing.In prison, Tan Jing confesses that he trafficked gunpowder to afford expensive medicine for his wife Ah-Xiu, who suffers from mental deterioration after an accident, and claims he acted out of love.Su Shiyu coldly counters that love does not absolve crime and reveals that Tan Jing’s wife would be punished alongside him under the law, pressuring Tan Jing to reveal who ordered the stockpiling of gunpowder.Tan Jing finally names the Duke of Huainan as the mastermind behind the gunpowder operation.Su Shiyu later visits Chu Mingyun to test whether he removed the missing pages that implicated the Duke of Huainan, but Chu Mingyun brazenly denies it while teasing him by pretending to strip in front of him.Su Shiyu realizes the missing pages likely contained the Duke of Huainan’s name but chooses not to accuse Chu Mingyun or expose the duke without solid proof, deciding instead to bide his time.In court, Li Yanzhen suggests leniency for Tan Jing out of sympathy for his wife, but Su Shiyu insists on strict adherence to the law, and surprisingly Chu Mingyun sides with Su Shiyu, ensuring Tan Jing’s execution.Tan Jing is publicly executed, believing he acted for Ah-Xiu’s sake, while Ah-Xiu is manipulated into drinking poisoned broth under the promise of seeing him again.Su Shiyu brings Du Yue to examine Ah-Xiu’s body, and Du Yue discovers that her supposed medicine was actually opium, causing addiction and withdrawal episodes rather than treating illness.Su Shiyu deduces that Ah-Xiu was never incurably ill but was deliberately addicted to opium to control Tan Jing, likely by forces connected to the Duke of Huainan, meaning Tan Jing was exploited into committing crimes.Realizing Tan Jing was manipulated and died for a false belief, Su Shiyu reflects bitterly on the tragedy, understanding that a larger conspiracy involving the Duke of Huainan is unfolding beneath the surface of court politics.

Chapter 4Chu Mingyun receives news that Chen Xuanwen’s grandson Chen Siheng is alive and currently staying at the Scarlet Sleeve in Chang’an, prompting him to personally investigate while leaving Qin Zhao behind.At the Scarlet Sleeve, Su Shiyu is already meeting Chen Siheng and Jingnyu, politely questioning the boy about the fire that killed Chen Xuanwen’s family and learning that Jingnyu supposedly rescued Chen Siheng after he ran from the burning estate.Chen Siheng begins recalling that his father had spoken to a man addressed as “Grand—” before being interrupted, suggesting a high-ranking figure’s involvement in the tragedy.Chu Mingyun barges into the room under the pretense of jealousy, openly teasing Su Shiyu and creating tension, while carefully observing Chen Siheng and Jingnyu’s reactions.Chen Siheng becomes visibly frightened after Chu Mingyun’s entrance and clings to Jingnyu, reinforcing the suspicion that Jingnyu exerts strong influence over him.After Jingnyu escorts Chen Siheng away, Chu Mingyun and Su Shiyu exchange guarded remarks, both aware the other had been secretly investigating Chen Xuanwen’s family.Chen Siheng later recalls that his father addressed the mysterious man as “Your Grace,” confirming the involvement of a duke-level noble in the conspiracy.Chen Siheng refuses to leave the brothel with Chu Mingyun and Su Shiyu, insisting on staying with Jingnyu, and Su Shiyu allows it to avoid alarming their suspect while planning further surveillance.Outside, Su Shiyu invites Chu Mingyun for tea and proposes cooperation, revealing that he suspects the Scarlet Sleeve is connected to a hidden underground gambling den that the Capital Police failed to uncover.Chu Mingyun agrees to collaborate, and together they travel to a bamboo grove west of Chang’an where Su Shiyu uncovers a hidden metal ring that reveals a secret underground staircase.The two descend through a pitch-black tunnel, with Su Shiyu unexpectedly holding Chu Mingyun’s wrist to guide him, until they emerge into a lavish hidden valley housing the Joykeeper’s Hall, a massive secret gambling establishment.Inside Joykeeper’s Hall, masked patrons gamble extravagantly, and attendants explain that whoever wins the most can challenge the housemaster, who promises to fulfill any wish.Chu Mingyun and Su Shiyu realize this is no ordinary gambling den but likely a front for manipulating powerful nobles through debt and influence.They notice Xu Tong, son of Deputy Minister of War Xu Yin and a member of the Chu faction, arrogantly boasting after a winning streak, revealing that young elites frequent the establishment.Chu Mingyun, using the alias Lin, provokes Xu Tong publicly and pretends to be an arrogant noble accompanied by Su Shiyu acting as his lover, deliberately drawing attention and baiting the house.Su Shiyu plays along despite discomfort, even offering a valuable jade pendant as gambling collateral to strengthen their cover.Chu Mingyun boldly declares that his wish, if he wins, would be to lie with Su Shiyu the Grand Censor, shocking the room and testing the house’s reaction.Xu Tong mocks Chu Mingyun and crudely suggests that Grand Commandant Chu would be a better bedmate, unknowingly insulting Chu Mingyun directly while both officials remain masked.Though Chu Mingyun initially appears to hold a losing hand, the overseer manipulates the outcome in his favor, granting him the highest possible winning combination, proving that the gambling den rigs games for selected players.Recognizing the deliberate cheating as a means to cultivate influence over nobles, Su Shiyu confirms their suspicion that Joykeeper’s Hall serves a political purpose rather than simple profit.They are escorted upstairs to meet the housemaster, and while waiting, Su Shiyu identifies their location as a former mass grave west of Chang’an, explaining why the den remained undiscovered.Alone, Chu Mingyun sends a secret message via a trained black bird to coordinate with Minister Lu and Qin Zhao, preparing for official intervention.Housemaster Mu arrives and attempts to maintain composure, but visibly reacts when Chu Mingyun and Su Shiyu remove their masks, revealing their true identities.Su Shiyu hints that Housemaster Mu resembles a younger acquaintance who calls him “brother,” implying he recognizes Mu’s true identity and background.After leaving the room, Housemaster Mu angrily scolds the overseer for admitting them without proper vetting and admits that Su Shiyu likely knows who he is.Housemaster Mu orders preparations to evacuate and commands that Jingnyu be sent out of Chang’an immediately, revealing her connection to the larger conspiracy and confirming that the Scarlet Sleeve and Joykeeper’s Hall are part of the same network.

Chapter 5Housemaster Mu returns with dancers and proposes a blindfold guessing game to distract Chu Mingyun and Su Shiyu, clearly stalling for time while preparing an ambush.Su Shiyu personally blindfolds Chu Mingyun to ensure there are no tricks, and the dancers swirl around him in a coordinated formation meant to conceal a hidden assassin.One dancer attempts to stab Chu Mingyun during the performance, but Chu Mingyun detects the killing intent through the movement of air and fatally strikes her with his sandalwood fan before she can land the blow.Housemaster Mu orders his men to attack, and black-clad assassins rush in as the dancers draw hidden blades, turning the performance into a coordinated assassination attempt.Chu Mingyun and Su Shiyu fight side by side, with Chu Mingyun displaying ruthless battlefield prowess and Su Shiyu revealing his own lethal skill, efficiently neutralizing attackers without losing composure.Chu Mingyun corners Housemaster Mu after cutting down multiple enemies, wounds him severely, and nearly kills him, but Housemaster Mu escapes by leaping out of the window, leaving behind a bronze token torn from his robes.The Ministry of Justice troops arrive in time to capture the remaining assassins and shut down Joykeeper’s Hall, though Housemaster Mu’s body is not found in the forest despite blood traces.A black messenger bird delivers word that Jingnyu is fleeing Chang’an with Chen Siheng, prompting Chu Mingyun and Su Shiyu to intercept them outside the city at dawn.Jingnyu attempts to maintain her gentle facade but panics when Chu Mingyun shows her the bronze token and falsely claims Housemaster Mu is dead, revealing her deep attachment to him.Overcome by hatred and despair, Jingnyu attacks Chu Mingyun but is swiftly subdued, then commits suicide by swallowing poison before she can be interrogated.Before dying, Jingnyu mutters lines from the poem Jingnyu and recalls being renamed by a master who treated her as a numbered subordinate, revealing she was once called Shiqi and served someone powerful from a young age.Chen Siheng, overwhelmed by grief and rage, attacks Chu Mingyun with a dagger given to him by Jingnyu, but Chu Mingyun disarms and pins him easily.Su Shiyu exposes the contradictions in Jingnyu’s story about the fire, forcing Chen Siheng to confront that Jingnyu likely participated in the massacre of his family and manipulated him to maintain control.Chu Mingyun bluntly tells Chen Siheng that since losing his family he is no longer a child and must rely only on himself for vengeance, refusing to promise justice but offering shelter out of respect for Chen Xuanwen.Su Shiyu subtly encourages Chen Siheng to follow Chu Mingyun and learn from him, implying that proximity to General Chu will benefit Chen Siheng more than blind hatred.After court resumes, the Joykeeper’s Hall investigation reveals no treasury on site, raising suspicion about where the gambling wealth has been stored.Deputy Minister Xu Yin begs Chu Mingyun to secure Xu Tong’s early release from prison, but Chu Mingyun coldly warns Xu Yin to discipline his son and mind his words, asserting dominance over his own faction.Chu Mingyun visits Su Shiyu at night under the pretense of romance but secretly searches Su Shiyu’s residence for hidden mechanisms, finding nothing suspicious.Chu Mingyun requests jurisdiction over Song Heng’s mansion to investigate the bronze token and possible hidden contraptions, and Su Shiyu grants it while agreeing to share findings.In Song Heng’s study, Chu Mingyun discovers that the bronze token fits a hidden mechanism, revealing a secret chamber filled with massive quantities of gold and detailed dossiers on officials across the capital and prefectures.The records document personal details and vulnerabilities of numerous officials, proving a long-term conspiracy aimed at manipulating and destabilizing the court.Chu Mingyun orders the books moved to his residence and allows his men to take some gold before intending to report the treasury to Li Yanzhen through Su Shiyu.Soon after, multiple officials including Zheng Wan are assassinated in coordinated fashion, each killed similarly, indicating an organized syndicate silencing those connected to the conspiracy.Evidence is planted to implicate Chu Mingyun in the murders, and the case is transferred to the Censorate with Li Yanzhen ordering Su Shiyu to investigate personally.Su Shiyu deliberately delays the investigation despite pressure, recognizing that the evidence against Chu Mingyun is too obvious and likely fabricated to frame him.Su Shiyu reasons that eliminating Chu Mingyun now would destabilize the military and benefit hostile forces at the borderlands, suggesting a broader external threat behind the conspiracy.Su Shiyu privately informs Li Yanzhen that although Chu Mingyun is dangerous and ambitious, removing him prematurely would create greater chaos, and that his arrogance will eventually become his downfall.Su Shiyu visits Chu Mingyun with the forged letters as evidence, and Chu Mingyun calmly dismisses the accusations, pointing out flaws in the imitation handwriting and trusting Su Shiyu not to move against him.Chu Mingyun concludes that the masterminds silenced the listed officials to prevent the secret dossiers from being used against them and attempted to reverse the situation by framing him for their deaths.Despite mutual suspicion and political rivalry, Chu Mingyun acknowledges that having Su Shiyu on his side for this crisis shifts the balance in his favor, marking a fragile but strategic alliance between the two.

Chapter 6Chu Mingyun and Su Shiyu leave Chang’an in plain clothes to investigate Zheng Wan’s murder in Fufeng, sharing a single inn room on the way due to lack of space and engaging in sharp banter over propriety, suspicion, and their uneasy alliance.Su Shiyu insists on sharing the bed equally despite Chu Mingyun’s teasing, and that night Chu Mingyun briefly considers killing Su Shiyu in his sleep but instead brushes his hair aside and falls asleep, while Su Shiyu later opens his eyes, aware of the movement.They arrive in Fufeng and are welcomed by Su Xing, the newly reinstated Prefect of Fufeng and Su Shiyu’s uncle, who expresses concern over Su Shiyu’s unmarried status and shows thinly veiled disdain toward Chu Mingyun.Chu Mingyun deliberately insinuates impropriety between himself and Su Shiyu to unsettle Su Xing, forcing Su Shiyu to smooth things over and maintain appearances.At Zheng Wan’s residence, they examine the altered crime scene and deduce from Madam Zheng’s testimony that the murderer must have known Zheng Wan’s habits, the layout of the residence, and the presence of urgent reports that night, indicating an insider or close acquaintance.Su Xing’s chief registrar presents a supposed suspect who confesses to murdering Zheng Wan and claims to have acted under Chu Mingyun’s orders, attempting to frame Chu Mingyun directly.Chu Mingyun mocks the prisoner’s claim of loyalty and questions inconsistencies in his story, while Su Shiyu remains calm and unconvinced, refusing to accept the confession at face value.Su Shiyu later interrogates the prisoner privately and compares him to Tan Jing, warning that blind loyalty will not protect his family, gradually unsettling the man and exposing that he is acting under coercion.Su Shiyu deduces that the mastermind is likely based in Fufeng due to the timing and pattern of the murders and deliberately announces their departure to lure the real culprit into acting that night.That night, they hear movement on the roof and pursue it, discovering Su Xing under attack in the long-unused torture chamber, where the chief registrar lies dead with his throat slit.Su Shiyu prevents Chu Mingyun from immediately intervening and instead confronts Su Xing with contradictions in his timeline, exposing that Su Xing had secretly returned to the capital region before his official appointment and orchestrated the murders.Su Shiyu reconstructs Su Xing’s entire scheme, revealing that Su Xing committed the serial murders, staged the suspect’s confession to frame Chu Mingyun, spread rumors among witnesses, killed the chief registrar to silence him, and planned to kill both Chu Mingyun and Su Shiyu in the torture chamber to fabricate a final narrative.Su Xing admits his resentment toward Su Jue for banishing him and declares Li Yanzhen an incompetent ruler, revealing that he pledged loyalty to another master and acted out of political ambition rather than justice.When Su Shiyu urges him to surrender, Su Xing instead triggers a hidden mechanism in the torture chamber, causing a stone wall to crash down and kill himself before he can be arrested.Su Shiyu orders cleanup and arrests of remaining accomplices without visible emotional turmoil, while Chu Mingyun awkwardly attempts to console him and invites him out for drinks.At a tavern, they discuss Housemaster Mu’s identity and Su Xing’s possible connections, while Su Shiyu acknowledges that by law his entire clan could be implicated in treason, including himself, yet he insists he will report everything truthfully.Chu Mingyun admits he would be upset if Su Shiyu died, revealing rare sincerity, and smooths the crease from Su Shiyu’s brow in a quiet, intimate moment before an autumn rain begins outside.The released prisoner leads constables to rescue his hostage family and arrest remaining accomplices, and under interrogation they confess, producing letters, bronze tokens, and seals that directly implicate the Duke of Huainan as Su Xing’s true master.Su Shiyu verifies the letters and seals as authentic and realizes that the serial murders, like Tan Jing’s case, trace back to the Duke of Huainan, confirming a broader conspiracy.Su Xing’s wife confronts Su Shiyu publicly, attempts to strike him, and calls him a heartless monster who killed his own uncle, while her daughter Ying’er still calls Su Shiyu “brother” and tries to shield him.Su Shiyu accepts the accusations in silence and walks away, while Chu Mingyun blocks the assault and later questions why Su Shiyu did not simply frame him to protect his clan and eliminate a rival.Su Shiyu calmly replies that wrongdoing must be punished regardless of who committed it, reaffirming his unwavering adherence to law and principle even at the cost of family, reputation, and personal suffering.

Chapter 7Chu Mingyun and Su Shiyu return to Chang’an after closing the Fufeng case, and despite gossip condemning Su Shiyu as heartless for exposing Su Xing, Su Shiyu submits a formal report proposing punishment for himself under clan liability laws.Li Yanzhen refuses to execute Su Shiyu or punish Su Xing’s innocent family, citing loyalty of the Su clan and the need to avoid more bloodshed, and publicly affirms trust in Su Shiyu.Su Shiyu questions Li Yanzhen about the Duke of Huainan and presents the Feoffment Decree proposal to weaken the dukes by dividing their lands among heirs while preserving titles in name.Su Shiyu explains that he deliberately omitted the Duke of Huainan’s involvement in Su Xing’s case to avoid alerting him and proposes arresting the Duke of Huainan during a future inspection, using the exposure to justify curtailing ducal power.Li Yanzhen hesitantly agrees to Su Shiyu’s long-term plan to seize the Duke of Huainan after the new year.Su Shiyu encounters Jiang Yuan, the favored consort, who observes him with a cryptic expression before entering the study.Du Yue visits Su Shiyu to comfort him about Su Xing’s death and reveals he quarreled with Qin Zhao and ran away from Chu Mingyun’s residence in anger.Qin Zhao broods silently over Du Yue’s absence at Chu Mingyun’s estate, and Chu Mingyun coldly reminds Qin Zhao that forcing Du Yue to choose will only drive him further away.After more than a month, Du Yue returns awkwardly, and Qin Zhao stiffly welcomes him home, revealing unresolved tension and suppressed feelings.During the Winter Solstice ceremony, Li Yanzhen performs rituals to heaven, and Chu Mingyun privately reflects on Su Xing’s doubts about the empire’s fragile peace.At the banquet, Jiang Yuan lures Chu Mingyun to Lake Taiye, feigns romantic confession, and secretly passes him a sachet containing a bronze key connected to Tianlu Keep.Chu Mingyun discovers the key hidden in the sachet and immediately throws both into the lake, refusing to participate in the scheme.The captain of the Yulin Guards interrupts the banquet to report that Tianlu Keep was robbed and keys stolen, and Jiang Yuan produces a key claiming she found it near one of the top officials.Lu Shi insinuates Chu Mingyun as suspect since he left his seat, but Su Shiyu calmly lies that he was with Chu Mingyun, protecting him and undermining Jiang Yuan’s accusation.Jiang Yuan retracts her accusation under pressure, and Li Yanzhen suppresses further investigation to preserve the festive mood.Later, Jiang Yuan reflects that she was prepared to die to implicate Chu Mingyun and weaken him through Su Shiyu, but Su Shiyu refused to exploit the opportunity, and Li Yanzhen’s naïve trust further disrupts her plan.Near year’s end, Li Yanzhen invites Su Shiyu to spend New Year’s Eve together as in the past, but Su Shiyu refuses on grounds of propriety and reminds him of the confinement incident in the Eastern Palace.Chu Mingyun provocatively offers to host Su Shiyu instead, subtly challenging Li Yanzhen, and Su Shiyu later accepts the invitation privately.On New Year’s Eve, Su Shiyu arrives alone at Chu Mingyun’s snow-covered residence, confirming he came of his own will.Chu Mingyun secretly orders guards to stand down after confirming Su Shiyu brought no hidden entourage.Du Yue drinks recklessly to prove his tolerance and collapses, and Qin Zhao carries him away, recalling how Chu Mingyun once saved him in winter and silently confessing his love while Du Yue drunkenly apologizes.Alone, Chu Mingyun questions why Su Shiyu truly came, and Su Shiyu states he came because Chu Mingyun invited him before Li Yanzhen, then reveals the plan to arrest the Duke of Huainan and promises to publicly clear Chu Mingyun’s name afterward.Chu Mingyun dismisses public opinion as meaningless, but Su Shiyu insists it is his duty to restore Chu Mingyun’s reputation once the truth is exposed.At midnight, they set off Du Yue’s hidden fireworks together, laughing as explosions light up the sky and children’s songs drift through Chang’an.They build snow figures under the plum tree, and Su Shiyu retaliates playfully after Chu Mingyun ruins his rabbit sculpture, escalating into a snow fight that ends with both tumbling into the snow.Beneath falling snow and fireworks, Chu Mingyun nearly kisses Su Shiyu in an impulsive moment but abruptly pulls back in shock at his own desire.Back inside, soaked and warming themselves, Chu Mingyun reflects uneasily on his lapse while Su Shiyu calmly removes his outer robe, and their charged conversation lingers unresolved as the new year begins.

Chapter 8A Krorainian delegation led by Princess Ayasi arrives in Chang’an at the start of spring, receiving honors equivalent to a duke, and Chu Mingyun recalls how he once mischievously nominated Su Shiyu as her marriage candidate.Chu Mingyun remembers that Princess Ayasi had previously nearly been matched with Su Shiyu, and Su Shiyu had coolly responded to Chu Mingyun’s teasing nomination with a single “Impressive.”Princess Ayasi rushes to Su Shiyu, calls him bhaika, meaning brother, and insists on spending the day with him, dragging Chu Mingyun along.At a noodle stall in Dongshi, Princess Ayasi eats ravenously after starving herself to look pretty for Su Shiyu, bluntly explaining her logic while Chu Mingyun watches in disbelief.Su Shiyu recalls his first meeting with Princess Ayasi, when she tested him with a whip, confided her three failed marriages, and explained that she targeted corrupt officials to protect her father.Princess Ayasi tells Su Shiyu that she likes him but cannot marry him because she feels mist between them and senses he does not love anyone, instead asking him to be her bhaika.Back in the present, Princess Ayasi privately asks why Su Shiyu is kind to Chu Mingyun if he is his rival and even offers to marry and kill Chu Mingyun for him, forcing Su Shiyu to suppress laughter and defend Chu Mingyun’s importance.The trio wander through street performances, and each time Princess Ayasi wants to challenge a performer, Su Shiyu redirects her by claiming Chu Mingyun can do the same feats, until Chu Mingyun admits defeat at sword swallowing and buys her jewelry instead.At an inn, commoners gossip that Su Shiyu and Chu Mingyun colluded to frame Su Xing and cover up crimes for mutual benefit, accusing Su Shiyu of using the murders to eliminate his uncle.Chu Mingyun laughs off the rumors as proof that the masses prefer gossip over truth, while Su Shiyu maintains that facts must still be upheld so truth does not vanish entirely.Before departing Chang’an, Princess Ayasi gives Su Shiyu a sealed letter to be opened only after she returns home and gifts Chu Mingyun candied pine nuts, making them promise to attend her wedding.Shortly after her departure, news arrives that Princess Ayasi was ambushed at a border town within Great Xia’s territory, her entire entourage slaughtered, and her body found reaching outward as if for help.Kroraina’s king sends an envoy demanding accountability, and tensions rise in Xuanshi Hall as the envoy accuses Great Xia of responsibility.Chu Mingyun counters the accusations, suggesting multiple possibilities and refusing to accept unilateral blame, while Su Shiyu mediates and urges cooperation to find the killer.Su Shiyu deduces that Ji Heng, the Great Xia merchant whom Princess Ayasi planned to marry, is missing and likely involved, prompting an arrest warrant.Li Yanzhen impulsively offers three cities as recompense in a posthumous union, but Chu Mingyun and Su Shiyu jointly stop him and insist such matters require court deliberation.In private negotiations, Su Shiyu secures an agreement to compensate Kroraina with gold instead of land, prioritizing national interest over personal grief for Princess Ayasi.Alone at home, Su Shiyu finally opens Princess Ayasi’s letter and reads her clumsy but heartfelt words defending him from slander, calling him the kindest person in the world and hinting she knows whom he loves.Ji Heng is captured and confesses to murdering Princess Ayasi.Chu Mingyun visits Chen Sheng to clarify past suspicions, confirming that Chen Sheng was manipulated by Miss Jingnyu to sow discord between Chu Mingyun and Su Shiyu by invoking the title Grand Commandant.Chu Mingyun realizes the enemy intended to incite factional conflict and retrieves a bronze token linked to Miss Jingnyu’s authority, while Chen Sheng expresses desire to become Chu Mingyun’s shadow guard.Later, Chu Mingyun follows the sound of a zither at night and finds Su Shiyu alone by a riverside pavilion, playing a mournful piece in memory of Princess Ayasi.They speak of music and ambition, and Chu Mingyun bluntly states he desires a domain stretching to the horizon and allegiance from all lords, revealing his grand political ambition.As Su Shiyu plays, Chu Mingyun leans close and rests against him, unaware that Su Shiyu’s heart is racing painfully with realization of his own feelings.Su Shiyu internally confronts the question of whether he loves Chu Mingyun, recalling Princess Ayasi’s words about scorpions and butterflies and recognizing the ache and joy in his chest.Overcome by emotion, Su Shiyu almost reaches out to touch Chu Mingyun’s eyes but withdraws at the last second, plucking a stray hair instead and masking his feelings with composure while Chu Mingyun remains oblivious.

Chapter 9Ji Heng is secretly brought before Su Shiyu in a private room rather than the Censorate, where Su Shiyu questions him about Princess Ayasi’s murder and confirms that the riot where Ji Heng met her was staged and that Ji Heng never loved her, viewing her only as a pawn.Ji Heng admits he seduced Princess Ayasi under coercion and killed her without hesitation, mocking Su Shiyu’s perceived naïveté about love and manipulation.Su Shiyu coldly forces Ji Heng to swallow a pill that will keep him alive but subjects him to private torture in his own residence as personal retribution for harming his spasu Ayasi, separating his actions from his official duties.Meanwhile, Qin Zhao informs Chu Mingyun that Ji Heng’s testimony is tightly controlled by Su Shiyu and inaccessible even to most of the Censorate, prompting Chu Mingyun to suspect deeper conspiracies and order an investigation into Jiang Yuan.Qin Zhao urges Chu Mingyun to kill Su Shiyu to eliminate uncertainty, but Chu Mingyun refuses, claiming Su Shiyu is more useful alive and insisting he has not fallen in love, though he struggles to justify why he spares him.A maidservant loyal to Su Shiyu overhears Chu Mingyun calling Su Shiyu heartless and reports it, and Su Shiyu responds calmly that Chu Mingyun is not wrong and reiterates that only a fool would fall in love.Public resentment grows in Chang’an over the gold compensation given to Kroraina for Princess Ayasi’s death, and commoners begin criticizing Su Shiyu as corrupt and spineless, even believing rumors that he colluded with Chu Mingyun to kill Su Xing.A self-righteous swordsman attempts to assassinate Su Shiyu at night in his study over the compensation issue, but Chu Mingyun intervenes and kills the attacker before Su Shiyu can defend himself.In gratitude, Su Shiyu gives Chu Mingyun his personal jade pendant, granting him unrestricted access to the Su residence, and Chu Mingyun recognizes it as the pendant Su Shiyu once attempted to pawn.Su Shiyu confirms that Ji Heng’s written confession implicates the Duke of Huainan as mastermind but expresses doubt due to increasingly obvious planted evidence.Chu Mingyun reveals that Jiang Yuan is from Huainan and suggests that someone wants to provoke Su Shiyu into targeting the Duke of Huainan, deliberately escalating incidents to force action.Despite the risk, Su Shiyu decides to proceed with his inspection tour of the dukedoms, believing confronting the Duke of Huainan is necessary.Chu Mingyun proposes stationing Zhou Yi at the western borders to deter both Kroraina and the Huns, and Su Shiyu agrees to discuss it with Li Yanzhen, recognizing Zhou Yi’s loyalty and competence.Reviewing the Tianlu Keep robbery, Su Shiyu lists stolen items including records of dukes and bestial motifs, leading Chu Mingyun to realize that the theft erased proof linking a bronze token’s motif to its true owner.Chu Mingyun later shows the jade pendant to Du Yue, who is shocked and reveals it was the only keepsake left by Su Shiyu’s mother and a symbol of authority within the Su clan.Chu Mingyun deliberately drops the pendant to test its value and his own feelings, then secretly retrieves it upon noticing fine cracks, unable to truly discard it.Du Yue confronts Su Shiyu about the pendant being thrown away, and Su Shiyu calmly states that since he gave it willingly, Chu Mingyun has every right to keep or discard it.Su Shiyu reveals that his mother left him only that one jade pendant to give away, confirming its emotional significance and implying Chu Mingyun is its intended recipient.Preparing for his inspection tour, Su Shiyu requests temporary command of the Southern Border Command from Li Yanzhen, anticipating potential resistance from the Duke of Huainan and possible hidden forces.Li Yanzhen agrees but notes that the military token is held by Chu Mingyun, forcing Su Shiyu to negotiate directly with him.Chu Mingyun refuses to hand over the military token, instead providing a personal letter to command the troops, maintaining ultimate control while feigning compliance.Su Shiyu subtly tests Chu Mingyun by asking whether commanders would obey the token or the letter if orders conflicted, but Chu Mingyun avoids giving a direct answer.After leaving, Su Shiyu reflects that the Southern Border Command’s allegiance effectively lies with Chu Mingyun, underscoring the imbalance of military power.On the appointed day, Su Shiyu officially departs Chang’an under imperial ceremony to inspect the dukedoms, receiving the emperor’s token and public blessings.As Su Shiyu prepares to leave, Chu Mingyun grips his wrist and quietly tells him not to die and to return soon, adding that he might fall ill from longing.For once, Su Shiyu does not retreat from the intimacy, meeting Chu Mingyun’s gaze and promising to return, silently acknowledging the feelings he had long denied.

Chapter 10A month passes after Su Shiyu departs for Huainan, and Chu Mingyun behaves impeccably at court without making any suspicious moves, though he grows increasingly irritable and repeatedly asks Qin Zhao for news of Su Shiyu’s return.Reports confirm that the Duke of Huainan refused entry at first and mobilized troops, creating a tense standoff with the Southern Border Command summoned by Su Shiyu, but overnight the duke’s advisor assassinated the Duke of Huainan and surrendered with the duke’s severed head.The advisor publicly confesses to orchestrating major conspiracies, including manipulating Tan Jing with opium, establishing Joykeeper’s Hall, ordering Su Xing’s murders, and coercing Ji Heng to kill Princess Ayasi, then begs that innocent people be spared.Su Shiyu responds that he never asked for the duke’s head and supervises the temporary takeover of Huainan, orders investigations, discovers vast poppy fields, and commands their complete destruction.After the poppy fields are burned, the advisor throws himself into the flames, dying before he can be interrogated, leaving the case conveniently closed but riddled with unanswered questions.Chu Mingyun understands that the deaths of both the Duke of Huainan and the advisor conveniently eliminate all living testimony, leaving only surface evidence and deepening suspicion that the truth remains hidden.Alone, Chu Mingyun rereads the shadow guards’ report confirming Su Shiyu’s safe departure from Huainan and denies missing him, though he obsessively dwells on his absence.The Hunnic ninth prince Ertugrul arrives in Chang’an and boldly demands that Great Xia relinquish five northwestern cities in exchange for peace, exploiting tensions with Kroraina.Ertugrul argues that the Huns seek survival and cites Great Xia’s compensation to Kroraina as precedent, while Chu Mingyun rejects the demand and warns against trusting the Huns.Minister Wei Song supports ceding the disaster-stricken lands to ease financial burdens, arguing that relinquishing troublesome territory could reduce strain on the treasury.Chu Mingyun fiercely opposes surrendering land reclaimed with soldiers’ blood and questions the Huns’ trustworthiness, but Li Yanzhen delays the decision until Su Shiyu returns.Yue Yuxuan privately tells Wei Song that Chu Mingyun opposes the cession because he is from Liangzhou and seeks to preserve personal influence, casting doubt on Chu Mingyun’s motives.Anticipating possible Hunnic treachery during the imperial hunt, Chu Mingyun personally drafts new security measures for Mount Qi, including guarding the usually unprotected southern slope due to low river levels.Chu Mingyun finally sees Su Shiyu returning to the palace gardens and openly asks if he was missed, attempting to embrace him before being stopped due to public decorum.Luo Xin excitedly approaches Su Shiyu to thank him again and expresses admiration for General Chu, not realizing he is speaking to Chu Mingyun himself.When Su Shiyu introduces Chu Mingyun, Luo Xin is stunned that the legendary general looks delicate rather than fearsome, praising him naively and embarrassing himself.Lu Qinghe returns home at her father Lu Shi’s summons and is ordered to attend the imperial hunt to choose a husband among the noblemen present.At Jianzang Palace after the ceremonial rites for the hunt, Luo Xin confides to Su Shiyu that he faces suspicion in Chang’an due to his prior service under the Duke of Huainan and worries that people think Su Shiyu intends to use him to weaken Chu Mingyun.Su Shiyu advises Luo Xin to ignore gossip and remain steadfast in his goals, internally wrestling with his own uncertainty about Chu Mingyun’s ambitions and loyalties.Prince Ertugrul and Ugur mock Great Xia in Hunnic, recalling the brutal conquest of Liangzhou thirteen years earlier and insulting the fallen defenders, unaware that Chu Mingyun understands their language.Ertugrul recounts how a lone woman defended Liangzhou before her corpse was hung on the walls, triggering Chu Mingyun’s traumatic memories of his sister Zhiqing’s death during the Hunnic invasion.Overcome by rage and grief, Chu Mingyun draws his sword and charges toward the Huns with murderous intent, abandoning restraint.Su Shiyu chases him into the grove, restrains him from behind, and deliberately allows Chu Mingyun’s blade to cut his own shoulder to stop him from killing the envoys and provoking war.Su Shiyu covers Chu Mingyun’s eyes and speaks gently, reminding him that he has already avenged the past and reclaimed lost lands, calming him with steady reassurance.Chu Mingyun, shaken, asks Su Shiyu to keep speaking and to tell him he is alive and present, seeking grounding in Su Shiyu’s voice.After regaining control, Chu Mingyun pulls Su Shiyu into a fierce embrace and, in a surge of possessive desire and blood-scented instinct, licks and kisses the wound at Su Shiyu’s neck and collarbone.Su Shiyu breaks away in alarm, regains composure, and insists they return to the others, concealing the emotional impact of the moment behind polite detachment.Su Shiyu fabricates a story that a falling tree caused his injury to prevent suspicion, though Luo Xin notices his flushed face and ears.Rumors of the incident spread rapidly, and Du Yue and Qin Zhao tease Chu Mingyun about nearly killing Su Shiyu, but Chu Mingyun retreats alone, bewildered and shaken.In private, Chu Mingyun slaps his own forehead and questions in confusion why he ended up hugging and licking Su Shiyu, revealing his growing inability to deny his feelings.

Chapter 11The vernal hunt procession arrives at Mount Qi, and after settling in, Su Shiyu approaches Chu Mingyun, who openly says he has been thinking about him and asks Su Shiyu to walk him back to his quarters.Lu Qinghe arrives at the retreat, immediately falls for Chu Mingyun’s beauty under the peach blossoms, and declares to Lu Shi that she wants to marry him.Lu Shi angrily refuses because of Chu Mingyun’s dangerous reputation and his rumored shameless courtship of Su Shiyu, forbidding Lu Qinghe from pursuing him.Determined, Lu Qinghe schemes to meet Chu Mingyun secretly at the Glass Pavilion at night, lying to Lu Shi that she intends to meet Su Shiyu instead.Lu Shi later visits Wei Song and discovers Su Shiyu is with Wei Song all evening discussing the Hunnic envoys, realizing Lu Qinghe’s plan must have failed.Lu Shi informs Su Shiyu of Lu Qinghe’s supposed infatuation and request to meet him at the pavilion, and Su Shiyu agrees to go clarify matters despite having no romantic interest.At the Glass Pavilion, Su Shiyu finds not Lu Qinghe but Chu Mingyun asleep with a jug of liquor, drapes his white robe over him, and almost touches his face before being caught.Chu Mingyun wakes, removes Su Shiyu’s jade hairpin, lets his hair fall loose, then suddenly kisses him deeply and forcefully, tasting of alcohol and biting his lip.Su Shiyu regains composure, breaks away, and asks if Chu Mingyun is sober, to which Chu Mingyun replies he was never drunk.After Su Shiyu leaves in haste, Chu Mingyun realizes he can no longer deny his feelings and admits to himself that he is in love with Su Shiyu.Lu Qinghe encounters Chu Mingyun afterward, and from his words and Su Shiyu’s earlier disheveled state deduces they share a secret romance, deciding to help them unite instead of pursuing Chu Mingyun.The next day at the banquet, Ertugrul mocks Great Xia’s lack of martial prowess and challenges them indirectly, provoking national pride.Chu Mingyun offers to compete, but Ertugrul declines, claiming defeat is certain, so Su Shiyu volunteers instead to defend Great Xia’s honor in archery.Before shooting, Su Shiyu asks Chu Mingyun to teach him how to hold the bow, and Chu Mingyun embraces him from behind in public under the pretense of instruction, teasing him about kisses while adjusting his grip.Ertugrul hits the bullseye first, drawing cheers, but Su Shiyu’s arrow strikes precisely beside it and splits Ertugrul’s arrow, winning the contest and humiliating the Huns.Lu Qinghe arranges another meeting between Su Shiyu and Chu Mingyun at the peach grove, hoping to create an opportunity for romance.In the grove, Chu Mingyun confesses directly that he is in love with Su Shiyu and asks whether Su Shiyu feels the same.Su Shiyu deflects the confession by steering the conversation to political matters regarding the Hunnic demands, refusing to acknowledge the romantic declaration.That night, an assassin disguised with a lifelike mask as Su Shiyu infiltrates Chu Mingyun’s quarters, but Chu Mingyun instantly detects the deception and crushes the impostor’s throat.After killing the assassin and burning the mask, Chu Mingyun decides to check on the real Su Shiyu and encounters Ertugrul alone in the corridor.Ertugrul boasts of his brother Atkiray’s past victories over Great Xia, provoking Chu Mingyun.Chu Mingyun reveals that he personally captured and tortured Atkiray at a salt lake until Atkiray betrayed Hunnic positions, leading to his death, shattering Ertugrul’s pride.Chu Mingyun threatens that if Great Xia’s court agrees to surrender cities, he will kill Ertugrul and welcomes war, asserting that the khan would not wage war over an expendable son.Ertugrul is left shaken and humiliated, while Chu Mingyun walks away having reasserted dominance and revealed the ruthless depth behind his beauty and ambition.

Chapter 12Qin Zhao receives a secret letter from Chu Mingyun instructing him to gauge how the officials remaining in Chang’an feel about the Huns’ demand for five cities, clearly intending to ensure opposition to the peace treaty.Du Yue complains about Chu Mingyun’s coldness, especially about throwing away a jade pendant from Du Yue’s cousin, and questions what kind of person Chu Mingyun truly is.Qin Zhao explains that Chu Mingyun has always been cautious and discards any gift whose intent he cannot discern, revealing that even they never truly knew his background.Qin Zhao recounts Master Baili’s ominous words that if Chu Mingyun attempts to overturn the order of the world by his own power and fails, he will meet a horrific end.Chu Mingyun visits Su Shiyu at night and subtly confirms that Su Shiyu was not the one who approached him earlier in disguise, asking whether anyone had been staring at his face in Huainan.Su Shiyu reveals that he has invited the Duke of Xiling to support the Feoffment Decree, needing another duke to help legitimize curtailing the regional lords’ power.Chu Mingyun again tries to press his confession of love, teasing Su Shiyu, and the two nearly kiss before being interrupted by urgent summons to the main hall.At the main assembly hall, Wei Song is accused of treason for allegedly writing a letter to Ertugrul promising assistance in ceding the five cities to the Huns.Wei Song’s attendant testifies that Wei Song ordered him to deliver the letter personally to Ertugrul, and the handwriting on the letter matches Wei Song’s.Wei Song desperately claims he did not know the letter’s contents and accuses Su Shiyu of asking him to deliver it discreetly.Lu Shi testifies that Su Shiyu was in his quarters at the time Wei Song claimed to have met him, providing an alibi and deepening Wei Song’s isolation.Li Yanzhen publicly declares he believes Su Shiyu innocent, leaving Wei Song abandoned and devastated.Wei Song, proclaiming decades of loyal service and denying treason, commits suicide by smashing his head against the jade steps before the throne.Chu Mingyun reveals to Commander Tong that an assassin disguised with a mask of Su Shiyu’s face infiltrated his quarters, and the assassin’s boots carried white roses from the southern slope of Mount Qi.Chu Mingyun makes it clear that lax security allowed the assassin to enter, forcing Commander Tong into fearful submission and pledging the Imperial Guards’ loyalty to Chu Mingyun.Back in Chang’an, the court’s stance shifts completely against the peace treaty, as Wei Song’s death silences all advocates for peace and no official dares support ceding land to the Huns.Su Shiyu reasons to Su Bai that Wei Song was framed not to kill him personally but to destroy all support for peace, and that someone likely used a lifelike mask of Su Shiyu to deceive Wei Song.Su Shiyu forbids Su Bai from speculating that Chu Mingyun orchestrated the plot, refusing to voice suspicion despite the obvious political benefit to Chu Mingyun.Lu Qinghe visits Li Yanzhen and poses for him while he carves and paints, learning about his tragic childhood, his birth mother’s death, and his first meeting with Su Shiyu when Su Shiyu was a beautiful youth summoned as his attendant.Li Yanzhen admits fondly that he once mistook young Su Shiyu for a girl because of his beauty and recalls Su Shiyu’s dislike of being called pretty.Li Yanzhen declines Jiang Yuan’s suggestion to take Lu Qinghe as a consort, saying a wandering swordswoman belongs to the world rather than the palace.Chu Mingyun meets Su Shiyu on the way to the imperial study and flirts openly, but their conversation is interrupted by the Duke of Xiling Li Chenghua.Li Chenghua reminisces about Chu Mingyun’s ruthless battlefield prowess and praises him, while also complimenting Su Shiyu’s appearance and recalling Su Shiyu’s late father.In the imperial study, Li Yanzhen reveals he has promised the Dukedom of Huainan to the Duke of Xiling in exchange for support of the Feoffment Decree.Chu Mingyun sharply criticizes the decision, pointing out that granting Huainan expands rather than curtails the Duke of Xiling’s power, contradicting the decree’s purpose.Su Shiyu smooths over the tension, accepting the emperor’s promise as irreversible and framing the duke’s support as strategically necessary.After Su Shiyu leaves, Li Yanzhen softly sighs that if Su Shiyu were a woman, things would be simpler, revealing lingering affection.Chu Mingyun realizes the unfinished wooden sculpture in the study resembles Su Shiyu, deepening his awareness of Li Yanzhen’s feelings.In a distant scene, a scarred young man speaks to his father, who reads a parchment in Hunnic script and instructs him to depart soon, hinting at future conflict involving the Huns and an unresolved injury.

Art Thou Ailing?, Vol. 2

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Gold Class Enforcers, Vol. 1

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Hunt for the Leviathan, Vol. 1

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The Disabled Tyrant’s Beloved Pet Fish: Canji Baojun De Zhangxin Yu Chong

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