Chapter 1
Chapter 1
I was the youngest polygraph examiner in the police department. I was invited to give a livestreamed lecture, and thanks to my looks, I unexpectedly went viral online.
A famous dating show invited me to join.
They said I’d get to share the screen with an award-winning Best Actor, a veteran singer, and a trending young idol.
My boss egged me on. “Show off the department’s image. The heavy task of educating the public on the law is in your hands!”
On the surface, I looked reluctant. In reality, my gaze had already fixed itself on the wall.
On the white wall in my home, photos of those male celebrities were pinned up. Every detail of my investigation over the years was marked on them, connected by a spiderweb of relationships, all waiting for me to haul them in together.
A cold smile crossed my face.
The murderer who killed my little sister was among them.
Among this group of lofty, glamorous stars.
Three years ago, my sister died a horrible death.
She had been playing the guzheng at a private club as a side job. One day, a group of celebrities came in. She was called in to perform for them, and after work, she disappeared. She wasn’t found until three days later.
A homeless man found her body. Early that morning, he’d picked up an old discarded refrigerator on a street corner. Inside were several bags of chopped meat. Delighted at the thought of finally having something to eat, he opened it.
Countless chunks of human flesh came tumbling out and scattered everywhere.
No drug residue was found in my sister’s body, but there were clear signs that her hands and feet had been bound. Which meant…
She had been dismembered piece by piece while fully conscious.
When the medical examiner regretfully told me that the remains had been cut up too thoroughly for him to reconstruct the body,
I dropped to my knees and sobbed in utter helplessness.
That day was supposed to be the day I officially became a police officer.
Instead, it became the day I was forced to face irreversible loss.
The case caused a massive uproar.
All the celebrities at that gathering were investigated, but the police found nothing. The club had installed no surveillance cameras in order to protect celebrity privacy, and the companies behind those people were experts at manipulating public opinion. They guided the narrative until people were saying my sister had been a crazed stalker fan to begin with.
How laughable. My sister had been an excellent student, yet just because she had a celebrity she liked, everyone painted her as some brainless girl who deserved what happened.
Now all of the suspects would be present on this dating show.
How could I possibly stay away?
The first day of filming took place at a countryside guesthouse.
I put on light makeup, arrived first, and sat in a quiet corner to observe.
The livestream comments started flooding in:
[You can figure out the truth by analyzing a person’s face, body, voice, and words? Seriously?]
[Sounds like total BS. This policewoman looks way too young, all style and no substance.]
One of the elite male guests arranged by the show kept loudly proclaiming that he was single.
I laughed. “Sir, you’re seeing two women at once. Isn’t it a little inappropriate to come on this show pretending to be single?”
His expression froze, and he immediately raised his voice in protest.
“What are you talking about? Of course I’m single, or I wouldn’t be here!”
Anyway, the production team’s assignment for me was to say whatever needed saying.
I replied, “When you said you were single, you deliberately raised your volume, your eyes dropped downward, and your fingers tried to touch your nose before you stopped yourself. Those are all classic signs of lying. There’s a strong rose perfume on your collar. You have a phone in both your left and right pockets. When you reply to messages on one of them, your face turns irritated. When you reply on the other, your eyes soften and you smile. My guess is that you’re in the middle of a divorce while juggling two relationships.”
Not just him-even the producers, directors, and viewers watching the livestream were stunned.
[What kind of nonsense is this? You can tell all that? They’ve known each other for less than three minutes!]
I delivered the finishing blow.
“You only took off your wedding ring recently. The pale mark on your finger hasn’t even faded all the way yet.”
It was soon confirmed that the so-called elite guest was indeed married, and he was immediately removed from the show.
After that, I silently counted the time in my head.
When I reached one, a man took the initiative to sit beside me.
“Officer Zhou, your reputation is well deserved. It’s a pleasure to meet you. Would you be willing to be my partner from here on out?”
He held out his hand with a bright smile. His handsome face looked as though Nuwa herself had sculpted it with painstaking care, and every camera on set seemed desperate to press right up against him.
Fang Ningsheng, the award-winning Best Actor who had won the Golden Image Award three times.
He had debuted young, starred in many outstanding works, and earned countless awards both at home and abroad.
There were no apparent flaws in his personal conduct, either. Every year, he went to impoverished mountain regions to provide aid and volunteer teaching, and he had even established a foundation to help fans in need.
I made sure to show just the right amount of surprise, as if I were flattered beyond words.
That’s right.
I’d been showing my sharp edge on purpose, all to attract his attention.
Fang Ningsheng was the star my sister had loved.