Checkmate Episode 8 Recap
> Checkmate Recap
Jin Qiming observed that while Situ Yan possessed great capability, making others believe in that ability was a separate challenge. He suggested that Situ Yan should wait until the police were completely stumped by the murderer before appearing like a "superhero," at which point they would have no choice but to follow his command. Luo Shaochuan agreed with this layered perspective, stating it was precisely the goal he wanted to achieve.
Luo Shaochuan then detailed the strange events surrounding Lin Jie's murder at the women's school, claiming that there was "no groundless rumor." He highlighted that the previous female student who had committed suicide years ago, dressed in red and wearing red heels, had done so directly above the spot where Lin Jie later died. On the night of her murder, Lin Jie, who "didn't believe in the supernatural," kept her students practicing piano late.
When a student complained of feeling unwell and requested leave, Lin Jie harshly refused, admonishing her not to "pretend to be sick like a weak princess" and calling the students "beautiful and stupid." Suddenly, a chandelier fell, and a mysterious figure appeared, causing one student to faint in terror. Lin Jie took the students back to the dormitories, where she argued with Auntie Lan, the dorm supervisor.
Auntie Lan criticized Lin Jie for bringing students back at midnight, especially with one unconscious, but Lin Jie dismissed her, telling her to "mind her own business" and that the student would be "fine after a sleep." Auntie Lan then sought Principal Fan Lihua's intervention, but Fan Lihua stated she couldn't control Lin Jie as she was hired by Vice Principal Luo Jinyan.
Later, Fan Lihua noticed a light on in the music classroom and, accompanied by Auntie Lan, found Lin Jie dead by the piano, prompting them to scream. Luo Shaochuan questioned the school staff. Vice Principal Luo Jinyan was uncooperative, expressing disbelief that she, a principal, would kill her own teacher. She dismissed the school's "haunting" rumors as student pranks "just for fun."
Li Pei, a Mandarin teacher of seven years, said she was preparing lessons at 2 AM, and while she heard Lin Jie and Auntie Lan arguing, it was a common occurrence. She acknowledged the haunting rumors but described them as "groundless," becoming more intense this semester due to student dislike for Lin Jie. Zhao Qiansun claimed an alibi at Huifangli.
Another female teacher, visibly agitated, insisted a "female ghost" killed Lin Jie, claiming it was "looking for someone to pay with her life" and would stand behind anyone in the music classroom after midnight. Secretary Xia Ru’an stated she was asleep early. Luo Shaochuan concluded that, excluding Principal Fan Lihua and Auntie Lan, all other teachers had an opportunity to commit the crime. Situ Yan decided to prioritize the kidnapping case, emphasizing that human life was more important.
He viewed the "female ghost" as mere "bluffing" and a "cover-up" or "tricks" that could be easily resolved. Luo Shaochuan, however, accused Situ Yan of prioritizing a "girl over his friend" and vowed to "dig out the ground" to find the female ghost himself, even planning to involve his subordinates after work. Zhou Mowan provided details about the kidnapping of Shen Huatang's five-year-old daughter.
The previous morning, while Shen Huatang was at Matsuura Firm in Daoli, her servant took the daughter to a park. The child vanished when the servant was distracted by a passerby. A ransom note demanded 500 yuan, consisting of fifty 10-yuan bills, to be sent by unregistered letter to a "Mr. Sato" at Songjiang Hotel. Zhou Mowan noted that 500 yuan was a substantial amount, suggesting the kidnapper aimed for a quiet resolution, likely by Yu Daren.
She clarified that Yu Daren, the Zhongji Bank owner, was Shen Huatang's stepfather and treated her as his own daughter. With Yu Daren out of town, Shen Huatang was desperate and offered the ransom as a reward. The ransom note was a collage from newspaper clippings, delivered directly to Shen Huatang's mailbox.
Zhou Mowan initially suspected an inside job but learned that Shen Huatang's visit to Matsuura Firm was spontaneous, as she had initially planned to go to Qiu Lin Firm, making pre-planning difficult. Zhou Mowan had checked Songjiang Hotel but found no suspicious "Mr. Sato" among the three existing residents (none of whom spoke good Chinese), and noted the hotel's discreet mail shelf, suggesting the kidnapper's familiarity with the hotel and Shen Huatang's movements.
Situ Yan and Zhou Mowan visited Jasmine Restaurant. The chef served them a new fermented mung bean drink (douzhi'er). Situ Yan commented on its "weird taste," attributing it to the use of "smooth mung beans" instead of traditional "hairy mung beans," which he explained were better for douzhi'er, while smooth mung beans were for "making bean sprouts."
The chef, impressed by Situ Yan's insight, felt he had found a "kindred spirit" and noted his supplier, "Old He," who lived at No. 48, South 6th Street and was also his neighbor, was unreliable for beans, though reliable for pickled cabbage. Situ Yan remarked that Old He would be even more troublesome in spring. Situ Yan asked for two portions of food to be packed for him.
At the school, Principal Fan Lihua expressed worry to Vice Principal Luo Jinyan that the police investigation could expose a seven-year-old student suicide. Vice Principal Luo Jinyan dismissed her concerns, saying Lin Jie wasn't at the school back then, and if the police linked the current murder to a "ghost," it would only show their incompetence.
She chastised Fan Lihua for being "scared" and "weak," even asking if she had forced the student to die, advising her to focus on parents rather than "useless police." Vice Principal Luo Jinyan then sealed the music classroom, forbidding entry "not even the police." Luo Shaochuan arrived with men to perform an "exorcism ritual." Vice Principal Luo Jinyan was furious, confronting him and calling him and his men "useless police" for using a "rattle drum" to "solve a case."
She ordered them to "get lost," but Luo Shaochuan defiantly told his men to "keep dancing." Vice Principal Luo Jinyan physically forced them out, yelling "Get out of school!" Chief Bao arrived, immediately apologizing to Vice Principal Luo Jinyan and Principal Fan Lihua, and ordering Luo Shaochuan to retreat.
Chief Bao later scolded Luo Shaochuan, reminding him that many "officers' wives" were school alumni and Vice Principal Luo Jinyan was a "powerful" figure, warning that arresting her would cost him his job. Luo Shaochuan, frustrated by the political interference, declared he would prove he could solve cases "without Situ Yan." Zhou Mowan, having seen Luo Shaochuan's frustration, confronted Situ Yan, mistakenly accusing him of being "greedy."
Situ Yan clarified that he would handle the kidnapping case without charge if Zhou Mowan helped him with the female ghost case. When Zhou Mowan hesitated, claiming she didn't know how to solve cases, Situ Yan assured her it wasn't necessary. He explained his approach to solving cases was like a "jigsaw puzzle," where each person held a piece, and there was only "one way to put them together."
Mrs. Shen, Situ Yan's "Madam," offered a clue while they were discussing the case. She recounted how Mrs. Sun of Jingyang Restaurant recently had her Pekingese dog, "Beibei," stolen from the Daoli park while her servant, Amy, was walking it during Mrs. Sun's weekly visit to Saint Sophia Cathedral. The dog's leash was cut, and Mrs. Sun later recounted that she paid 200 yuan to get it back after receiving a blackmail letter threatening to "cook Beibei."
Amy apologized, offering to pay from her salary, but Mrs. Sun declined, sympathetic to Amy's "poor" family with a "sister with a bad leg." Mrs. Sun kept the cut leash as a reminder. Amy, a Chinese woman, had received her "fashionable" name while working for a Russian consul before coming to Mrs. Sun's employ. She usually had Wednesdays off to visit her sister. The next morning, Situ Yan and Zhou Mowan visited Mrs. Sun at Saint Sophia Cathedral.
Situ Yan asked how Mrs. Sun paid the ransom. She mailed 200 yuan to Star Hotel. The kidnappers were "trustworthy," returning Beibei that night. However, when Mrs. Sun later checked the hotel, she found the envelope on the shelf but the money had been replaced with "waste paper." Situ Yan correctly guessed this detail, explaining the kidnappers did it to conceal that the money had been taken. Both Zhou Mowan and Situ Yan noted Amy's "nervous" and "unnatural" demeanor when discussing the lost dog. Situ Yan then located Star Hotel near the North Market on the map.
