Detective Chinatown Episode 10 Recap
> Detective Chinatown Recap
Following the dramatic appearance of Ghost at the "Ghost Invitational"—the final tournament before the "Rise Again" game server closed—the screens in the arena continued to display his image, a masked figure emanating an ominous aura, reminiscent of a specter from hell. The audience, once fervent fans, were now gripped by fear, amplified by the sudden death of Lord C.
On screen, Lord C was shown tied to a wooden chair in an empty room, struggling and crying for help as he was slowly poisoned to death by gas, a demise eerily similar to an in-game death. Chaos erupted in the venue. Players reacted differently, while some audience members attempted to flee, only to be electrocuted by high-voltage door handles.
Ghost's voice announced that everyone was surrounded and no one could leave until the true sinner was found; any attempt to break the rules would result in the death of everyone present. He then instructed them to look under their seats, revealing that bombs were strapped beneath each one, confirming the deadly seriousness of the situation.
For the players, he offered a reward of fifteen minutes for each "sinner" killed, which could be used for a pointless escape or to find the next sinner. If the final sinner was not found by the end of the game, players and audience alike would perish. With fourteen minutes remaining before the game officially started, the audience expressed their panic and confusion, demanding the "sinner" to step forward. The Spirit Child team quickly transformed into a detective squad.
Noda Koji took charge, assigning tasks: Yamamoto Yuta was to restore cell signals and contact the police, Cheng Tianshun was to attend to the electrocuted audience member and confirm the authenticity of the bombs, Liu Feng was dispatched to find alternative exits, and Lu Qingqing was tasked with calming down the agitated men in the crowd.
As they began their coordinated efforts, the leader of the Tyrant team provocatively accused H5, sparking an argument among the teams about who was responsible for Sniper Ji's disappearance and who the real sinner was. The Tyrant leader claimed H5 was responsible for the mess, while an H5 member retorted that Ji was no longer with their team and blamed Boss for a critical tactical error five years prior that cost them a championship.
Noda Koji intervened, emphasizing that they were all in the same perilous situation and needed to work together. Cheng Tianshun confirmed the bombs were indeed real, and Liu Feng reported that all other exits were blocked by a wall of TNT, enough to destroy the entire stadium. As the first reward period ended, the second round of the game commenced. The Boss of H5 immediately entered the game, eliminating two Tyrant team members.
Noda Koji, identifying himself as a detective and referencing his brother, Noda Hao, a top-ranked detective, urged everyone to stop fighting. He suggested they gather to discuss and analyze the situation to identify the sinner and uncover Sniper Ji's whereabouts, arguing that mutual slaughter was unnecessary. However, his proposal was met with derision, and the other players largely ignored him, returning to the game. H5 soon found themselves cornered by the Tyrant team.
Noda Koji dramatically drove into the scene, rescuing H5 and even sharing his blood pack with a wounded Big Goose. Questioned about his motives for helping them, Noda Koji stated he wanted to win, then pressed them for details about Ji’s disappearance, implying they were hiding something. The Boss recounted the "vital fight" five years prior, where Sniper Ji, playing as Ghost, almost single-handedly reversed the game's outcome with a single bullet.
He noted that the current game map and even the airdrop locations were identical to that infamous match, suggesting it was no coincidence but a deliberate recreation. Noda Koji agreed, suspecting someone within H5 was intentionally recreating the past events, possibly concealing the truth. The Boss went to retrieve an airdrop but found it empty, realizing someone had already taken the weapons. He was then ambushed by a sniper. Xiao Fei attempted to provide cover but was wounded.
In a critical moment, Big Goose mistook a napalm bomb, which Noda Koji had given him, for a smoke bomb and threw it toward the Boss, causing his in-game elimination. The screen then displayed "The sinner has been shot." Enraged by his in-game death and the accident, the Boss ignored Noda Koji's warnings about the dangers outside the game and stormed off to the restroom. Moments later, the main screen showed live footage of a raging fire in the restroom.
Panicked, the remaining players rushed to the scene, finding only carbonized remains on the floor. While some believed it was the Boss's body, others noted the lack of definitive evidence and the mysterious disappearance of the body itself. Noda Koji explained that while there were ways to achieve such rapid, high-purity carbonization, the concept of spontaneous human combustion was unheard of, and the vanished body only heightened the mystery.
With two "sinners"—Lord C and the Boss—having died in real life in ways that mirrored the game, despair began to set in. Noda Koji urged everyone to set aside their differences and cooperate, reiterating that Ghost's objective was to find the true sinner, not merely to exact revenge. He hypothesized that Ghost, likely Sniper Ji, was alive and monitoring them through the arena's cameras and recording devices, providing clues to uncover the truth behind his five-year disappearance.
He asked for just ten minutes to solve the case, believing that if they exposed the real criminal, Ghost would release them. He then began questioning the players about Sniper Ji's personality and any unusual events leading up to his disappearance. They described Ji as quiet and focused on winning, but mentioned he had fallen ill the day before the pivotal five-year-old match.
He was hospitalized, and doctors found traces of a "nitrate" commonly used in "photographic studios" in his stomach. Noda Koji quickly identified the substance as silver nitrate, a colorless, odorless, water-soluble, and highly toxic chemical. He pointed out that Ji’s survival implied he had ingested an insufficient amount to be lethal. Noda Koji then requested a detailed diagram of their old training base.
After careful consideration of the layout, including the placement of surveillance cameras, he deduced that the kitchen was the only unmonitored area. He concluded that Ji was poisoned by consuming water from his cup, as Ji had no habit of eating breakfast, and only he among the H5 team had fallen ill. He reasoned that Ji, a self-absorbed and unkempt genius, would never clean his own cup, delegating such tasks to someone familiar enough to bypass his guard.
This person would also need knowledge of photography to be aware of silver nitrate as a potential poison. Most crucially, Ji’s poisoning would have benefited only one person: Xiao Fei, his nominal substitute and actual "life assistant," who stood to gain Ji’s position as a main player. Noda Koji dramatically declared Xiao Fei as the sinner Ji was seeking.
