Chapter 2: Strange Ancient Tales and Unexplained Changes

Chapter Two: Bizarre Ancient Tales and Unexplained Changes

As the hand-shaped pattern on the star map illuminated, a string of text appeared before Su Chen’s eyes.

“Once, among the folk, there was a thief...”

Written in classical Chinese, Su Chen was grateful his grasp of the language hadn’t lapsed and managed to glean the general meaning.

The story spoke of a legendary thief from olden times, a master of stealth who could snatch valuables from a person’s side in the blink of an eye without being noticed. Fellow criminals nicknamed him the Ghost Hand.

Eventually, this thief was caught by a man called the Iron-Faced Lord, who sentenced him to have both hands severed. The thief, unrepentant, wept bitterly in prison, lamenting, “What a pity the art is lost!”

He cried for three days straight before succumbing to death.

As the words appeared, they were imprinted onto the star map. At the same moment, Su Chen felt a warm current flowing into his hands, coursing through every sinew and bone.

Seconds later, the sensation faded, but Su Chen had never felt his ten fingers so agile, as if they could reach the heavens and probe the earth—limitless in capability.

“Why does this story suddenly surface in my mind? It feels both real and unreal, perplexing,” he murmured.

“Moreover, it feels as though the so-called lost Ghost Hand technique has been grafted onto me…”

Su Chen was stunned.

When he first saw the hand pattern, he had expected a reward fitting his police identity—a skill in capturing criminals.

After all, that would align better with his role.

Yet the skill bestowed was that of a thief’s craft, even though he was only temporarily playing the role of a murderer!

Now, not only was his identity that of a murderer, but his skill was also a criminal’s secret art. How had things gone so awry?

...

After some reflection, his situation was delicate.

Su Chen was unaware of the higher-ups’ tests; all he knew was that if he were caught, his role would end, and he would be relegated back to a clerical position, never again directly involved in cases.

And the star map could only be illuminated by participating in cases.

In other words, this show was his only chance.

Looking at the long term, it had taken him eight years to unlock the star map and only now was he beginning to reap rewards—there was no way he would give up now.

Looking further ahead, Su Chen was curious about the mysterious room that had appeared in his mind. As one dark corner of the room dissipated, the star map was revealed. Could there be other secrets hidden in the remaining darkness?

Until he unraveled these mysteries, he could not afford to be caught by the expert panel.

One man, facing the nation’s experts, escaping capture...

It sounded like a fantasy.

Conventional methods would surely fail.

Su Chen recalled that the previous season’s murderer was a reformed criminal mastermind selected from the police force, at the peak of his criminal experience.

Within a week, the police had dragged him out of the sewers, emaciated, filthy, and stinking, weeping helplessly about how times had changed.

So, he immediately dismissed the usual approach—just commit a random crime and then flee desperately.

“But from a basic game theory perspective, one must use one’s strengths to exploit the opponent’s weaknesses.”

He didn’t know if the expert panel had any weaknesses, but he was certain of one strength he possessed: his research into cold cases.

If he could draw the experts into this field, he was confident he could hold his own.

Having spent eight years studying near-perfect unsolved crimes, these cases were his domain.

“The biggest problem now is that neither the murderer nor the expert panel members are allowed to watch the live broadcast. I don’t even know who’s on the expert panel, let alone how to manipulate them.”

His mind raced.

A bold idea began to take shape.

To know oneself and one’s enemy, the plan had to be executed while everyone was unprepared. He would infiltrate the police force first, strike preemptively, and make contact with members of the expert panel to learn about them.

It was a risky gambit, but absolutely necessary.

Meanwhile, beside him...

“Su Chen, don’t you have any plans?”

A staff member from the production team, seeing Su Chen lost in thought, sighed helplessly and reached out to tap him.

“If you don’t do something soon, this car will take us straight to Jinling City Public Security Bureau.”

According to the show’s rules, once the murderer was confirmed, they could move about freely.

Normally, at this point, one would leave first and then make plans.

But Su Chen had yet to react, making the staff member increasingly anxious.

What the staff member didn’t notice was that in the moment his attention wavered, a hand, like a nimble serpent, slipped inside his clothes.

It slid into his jacket pocket and pulled out a verification card.

Then it moved to the staffer’s waist, attempting to unlock the holster of a police stun gun.

The pockets were tight, and the holster was hard to undo. Feeling the tactile feedback and the subtle movements of the man’s body, Su Chen’s pulse quickened slightly.

After all, this was the first time in many years as a law-abiding citizen that he had stolen something—stealing from a police officer, no less.

Yet, having lived two lives, he was able to stay composed. Su Chen began chatting casually to divert attention.

“I have no clue. What do you think I should do?”

The staff member, frustrated, felt as if Su Chen was giving up.

If the car drove into the police station, wouldn’t he be walking into a trap?

Before the show even started, the murderer’s role would be over, and the live broadcast would be pointless.

As a member of the production team, he couldn’t just watch the show collapse.

“Su Chen, if you really have no ideas, listen to me. Let’s find a quiet spot and change cars first.”

“Just get away from the police station, then you can think about stealing a wallet or something. Petty theft is harder to catch... Why are you looking at me like that?”

Su Chen smiled.

“Brother, you’re from the local Jinling City Public Security Bureau, right? Your uniform looks similar to ours.”

The staff member blinked in surprise.

“Yes, but I’m from the Changgu District branch. All Jinling police uniforms look the same. Didn’t you know?”

He then gave Su Chen a puzzled look, wondering why he was making small talk when there was serious business to discuss.

“Oh, you were sent here from outside.”

Su Chen pondered.

“Do you have anyone at headquarters who knows you’re coming? Any acquaintances who can recognize you?”

“No... I don’t.”

The police staff’s voice grew more confused.

“Su Chen, if there’s anything you don’t understand or any difficulties, just say so. As staff, I’ll definitely help.”

He just hoped Su Chen would start moving soon, even if it was just to cause some minor trouble.

Although the murderer wasn’t supposed to receive help, since this was the early stage of the show, a little assistance to put him “on track” was acceptable.

Hearing this, Su Chen smiled.

“I’m in plain clothes right now, which isn’t convenient. How about you give me your police uniform?”

The staff member nodded urgently.

“Okay, I’ll give you my uniform…”

Mid-sentence, he suddenly froze.

“Wait, what did you say?!”

He thought he’d misheard and stared wide-eyed at Su Chen.

Was this request too outrageous?

Suddenly, he noticed something flicker before his eyes.

Looking carefully, he saw Su Chen playing with a familiar card.

It felt like a lightning strike to his head, and he hurriedly reached into his inner pocket to check.

Sure enough, the pocket that should have held his verification card was now empty.

A bad feeling rose in the staff member’s mind.

This card was issued after joining the show, serving as proof of participation.

Every expert panel member’s card was registered under their real name and unique, while the police volunteers carried general-purpose cards.

Crucially, the murderer’s identity was special and no card was issued.

“It’s time I start acting. According to the rules, it’s time to begin the murderer’s live broadcast.”

Ignoring the staff member’s strange gaze, Su Chen slapped the card onto the chair.

“I’ve taken the card myself, but I still need your uniform. I plan to get closer to the expert panel for convenience.”

The staff member suddenly realized the gravity of the situation.

He had imagined many possible moves by Su Chen but never that the first victim would be himself.

Su Chen was playing by his own rules, but the show’s rules didn’t forbid it.

Still, he sat there, wary.

The show aimed for authenticity, and victims were not silent lambs. Just stealing a card wasn’t enough to make him comply.

Pointing at the card, the staff member forced a strained smile.

“Su Chen, maybe you’re not familiar with the rules yet. Victims aren’t helpless; this alone isn’t enough to make me listen to you.”

Before he finished, Su Chen casually placed the stun gun on the seat.

This was a common non-lethal police weapon, capable of knocking down an adult with one shot.

“Add this to it, and will you take off your uniform?”

Su Chen asked calmly.

The staff member felt his empty holster and stared at Su Chen as if seeing a ghost, unable to speak for a long time.

“...I’ll take it off.”

...

Elsewhere, at the headquarters of the Murder Chase live broadcast program.

At the show’s launch, every department bustled with activity. The corridors were packed with staff clutching files and instruments, weaving through the crowd.

In the backstage studio, Chief Director Chen Qiming leaned on the table, eyes fixed tensely on the large screen.

As a seasoned veteran, he was feeling unprecedented pressure and challenge.

The reason was simple: this variety show gave participants too much freedom!

There was no script, and participants were not professional actors.

He feared someone might do something outrageous, causing the situation to spiral out of control.

Especially the most free agent—the murderer.

Unrestrained, they could easily cause chaos.

Therefore, in casting the murderer, Chen Qiming had a selfish motive: he chose the most conventional and seemingly honest candidate based on background.

This man, Su Chen, had spent eight years stubbornly arguing over case files, and everyone around him said he was rigid and not very clever.

Not clever, huh?

Such a person might not shine on the show, but he was steady and unlikely to do anything outlandish.

Now that he was a bit older and preferred stability, Chen Qiming just hoped for a safe landing this time.