Chapter 7

After the script meeting began, as a junior member, I sat in the back row, doing my best to listen to the big shots speak.

Although the story was adapted from a real case, many details had been changed for the director’s vision and the cinematic experience, such as the newlywed female lead in the film.

In the actual case, she was the second victim and had been married for many years, but her relationship with her husband was very good. That’s why she left her nine-year-old child at home alone and went out to bring her husband an umbrella.

The discussion was getting heated.

“Juexia, what do you think?” Bai Dao suddenly asked.

It was as abrupt as being called on by a teacher in class.

“I, uh…” Years of on-the-spot experience, plus the information I’d just reviewed in my head, helped me quickly organize my thoughts.

“I’m mainly looking at the scene where the female lead leaves the house. I think there’s something a bit unnatural about it. According to the background, at this point, no one knows it’s a serial murder case yet, so people wouldn’t be that cautious about going out in the rain.”

“So, in other words, on the way out, the female lead wasn’t the only woman outside. Then why did the killer target her specifically?”

After I finished, I felt a bit uneasy.

“Go on.”

Bai Yu looked at me encouragingly.

“Because the film is based on a real story, and given the killer’s cruel methods, from a criminal psychology perspective, a sadist like him would choose a stranger as his target.”

For a moment, I felt as if I were walking down that street myself.

In the bustling crowd, choosing a target.

“He must sever any connection with the victim, so he can treat her as an object and commit violence against someone he sees as lifeless…”

“So he doesn’t live nearby; he avoids targeting acquaintances.”

“Why did he choose the female lead? What made her different from the others? She went out to bring an umbrella, which means she had two umbrellas. No, wait – the others only encountered the rain after they were already outside, but she left home prepared. She was wearing rain boots…”

My words came faster and faster.

“He didn’t choose the others because their shoes were too dirty. The female lead’s rain boots, on the other hand, were relatively clean, so she was chosen by the killer.”

“…It’s an obsession with cleanliness.”

I looked up abruptly.

The room was silent.

The Gold Medal Screenwriter spoke first: “That’s an interesting perspective. You know a lot about this case?”

I had to reply, “I grew up locally. This case has always been unsolved and has drawn a lot of attention.”

The way the others looked at me changed. The Theater Veteran smiled and came over to ask about my understanding of the character.

They even discussed with me how to better incorporate the local dialect and accent into the film.

Soon, I was fully engaged in the group’s discussion.

After the meeting, we exchanged contact information.

Instead, it was Zheng Nan Zhou who stopped me privately, his expression dark: “How come I didn’t know you understood criminal psychology?”

I was puzzled too.

“Are you just pretending to be something you’re not? Do I need to report everything I know to you?”

Weren’t you the one calling me a “resource-hog” and saying I had “no acting skills” on the show?

He frowned. “I’m trying to talk to you properly. Maybe I misunderstood you before. Maybe we should go to a café and have a good talk…”

Why was he suddenly so persistent?

“Juexia,” Bai Yu waved at me from not far away, “I have something else I’d like to discuss with you.”

He came just in time, and I happily slipped away.