Chapter 1: Pursuing the Killer Live—And I Am the Real Culprit

Chapter One: Live Hunt for the Killer—And I Am the Real Culprit

Dawn broke over Jinling City.

A black sedan slowly made its way toward the Municipal Public Security Bureau, its sides emblazoned with bold lettering:

[Live Hunt for the Killer—Program Vehicle!]

Today marked the debut of the show.

As the most heavily invested, officially endorsed live broadcast variety program in the country, its pre-launch reservations had already reached twelve million, creating a sensation.

"This format is unheard of—they're secretly appointing a killer to commit crimes at will. Though the cases are simulated, it's incredibly thrilling!"

"Did you see the new trailer? The entire process is unscripted! The killer acts as he pleases, escapes on his own terms, and the production team brings in professional criminal investigation experts to crack the case and apprehend the culprit, recreating the most authentic crime-solving scenes. The officials really know how to play!"

"The people in that car must be the criminal investigation big shots, right? I heard they've invited experts from all over the country—the real deal!"

"I'm more curious about the killer chosen in secret by the production team; he's the most mysterious of all. Not a single detail has leaked!"

"To outwit all these experts, this person can't be ordinary! Committing and escaping crimes in the vast city—law-abiding citizens like us may never have such an exhilarating experience..."

"Don't be so sure—maybe he'll get caught right away. With national experts personally involved, who could slip through the net? Even the legendary thief would end up in jail!"

"True, after all, it's an official program—its educational value comes first."

As the black sedan passed, young people lined the road, pointing and chattering. Many held up their phones, snapping frantically at the program vehicle. Unfortunately, the car's one-way tinted windows made it impossible to see inside.

Inside the car, the atmosphere was extremely quiet, a stark contrast to the commotion outside.

A young man with a square-set brow sat in the back seat, exuding a calm, steady air.

Beside him, an officer in uniform—also a program staff member—slowly withdrew a silver card from an envelope.

"Su Chen, on behalf of the production team, I am here to inform you in secret: your identity is... the killer."

...

"In the next three days, you may commit any form of crime. The production team will handle communication and coordination... But remember, these are simulated crimes. You must not cause real harm or disrupt society."

"Also, once you begin, we will activate the micro ‘Sky Eye’ beside you, streaming your every action live to the entire network."

"Of course, the expert team will be prohibited from watching anything related to the live broadcast."

As the staff explained the basic rules to Su Chen, his gaze mingled curiosity with a hint of regret.

He had seen Su Chen's resume when the team finalized their choice for the killer.

Don't be fooled by his tender age—just twenty-two—he had already graduated from the criminal investigation academy eight years prior.

He was a prodigy in the field, once hailed as the future standard bearer.

But after graduation, Su Chen ignored his teachers' advice to seek glory on the front lines. Instead, he buried himself in cold cases—ancient files with missing evidence, witnesses and victims' families long gone, sometimes deceased. Cracking such cases was as difficult as reaching the heavens.

Cases remained unresolved; justice, too, was indefinitely absent.

Perhaps wishing to restore absent justice to the victims, Su Chen spent eight years in these incomplete cases.

Ultimately, he achieved nothing, exhausted his energy, and faded into obscurity.

This time, the production team chose him as the killer because of his vast case knowledge.

It was also the last opportunity given to him by the top brass of Public Security. If he failed to demonstrate his ability, his career would end here.

Seated in silence, Su Chen received the news of his identity as the killer without much surprise.

He spoke calmly: "You give me three days to commit crimes—so the expert team will begin after three days?"

The staff nodded.

"That's one option. But if your crime scene or evidence is discovered earlier, the expert team will immediately start their investigation."

These words served both as an explanation and a reminder, advising Su Chen to plan carefully; three days was ample time to arrange a tightly woven case.

Otherwise, rushing would inevitably leave loopholes for the expert team to exploit.

"I understand," Su Chen nodded, letting out a barely perceptible sigh.

No matter how he thought about it, the rules of this program were bizarre.

In his previous world, such a show would never pass review.

It had been eight years since he crossed into this parallel world.

The reasons for his participation in this strange variety program were, frankly, rather complicated.

At first, everything went smoothly. Su Chen, once a police investigator in his former life, had crossed into the body of an eight-year-old child in this world. With his expertise, he quickly rose three grades, becoming a renowned prodigy at the criminal investigation academy, graduating with top honors.

His ascent created a stir in the field.

Professors at the academy and experts in public security were watching to see what achievements Su Chen would attain.

Even the senior officials took notice.

Yet, just when the veterans had high hopes and Su Chen was ready to shine, fate intervened. One night, after fainting, something peculiar appeared in his mind.

It was a room that existed only within his consciousness—ancient, most of it swallowed by darkness, save for a table stacked high with case files.

On the paperweight glinted golden characters: [To solve a strange case, one must analyze its traces.]

Examining the files, he found they were all unsolved mysteries, ancient and modern, from around the world.

But these case files were damaged, incomplete.

That night, in his dream, a huge beast with a lantern-like eye and a single horn emerged from the darkness, holding a decree in its mouth. On the decree were nine words: [Follow the order, complete the files, and open the star map.]

As Su Chen reached for the decree, the beast suddenly bit his arm. He woke with a start, thinking it was just a dream. But when he rolled up his sleeve, he found several coin-sized bite marks clearly visible on his forearm.

Su Chen admitted he was intimidated, but also quite curious—what was this star map?

Ordinary frontline officers couldn't access cold case files, so Su Chen chose to retreat to the back, immersing himself in cold cases.

In reality, he was frantically copying answers—studying police files by day, and patching up the incomplete ones by night.

He lived the 007 lifestyle for eight years; finally, he completed the files. Tears welled up.

Su Chen plunged his consciousness into the mental room. The darkness receded somewhat, revealing a wall of jade, carved with countless stars—though all were dim.

"The files are complete. According to the new hint on the decree, as long as I participate in a case, I can light up the star map," Su Chen mused.

But because he spent eight years reading files with no results, even a treasured sword will rust after long neglect. The Public Security believed he'd forgotten most of his investigative knowledge.

Thus, when he applied for frontline work, his request was denied. Instead, he was assigned a desk job.

But this meant Su Chen could no longer directly participate in cases, so, helpless, he registered for the [Live Hunt for the Killer] show.

Only this way could he be involved in cases—even simulated ones.

And then...

You tell me I'm the killer?!

Su Chen was stunned by the news. He was the killer—how was he supposed to solve the case? Was he to catch himself?

Just as he was about to complain, a sudden flash of light appeared in his mind.

He saw that on the mental star map, one of the carved stars suddenly lit up, and the light moved with his consciousness. The leftmost row of stars clearly showed they were ready to light!

Su Chen paused. Could it be that by participating in a case, even as the killer, he could light the star map?

In his mind, he moved his finger and tapped the glowing point onto one of the stars.

Instantly, the star lit up!

Only then did Su Chen notice a strange pattern on this star—it resembled a hand.