Resumen del episodio 12 (final) de Detective Chinatown
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With the "sinner" still unidentified, the virtual "Ghost Invitational" continued as a desperate race against time between Noda Koji and the mysterious Ghost. The game had shifted to a dark, stormy night mode, mirroring the growing tension, with thunder and lightning. Ghost declared that he had brought them to the site of his past defeat not to win, but to expose the true culprit behind the match-fixing.
When Noda Koji, frustrated by the cryptic messages, challenged Ghost to a one-on-one fight for their lives, Ghost accepted, extending the same offer to all remaining players: kill him and be set free, or everyone would perish. During the intense gameplay, Ghost moved like a phantom, eliminating the Tyrant team. Ghost eventually cornered Noda Koji, but in a dramatic turn, Lao K appeared and defeated Ghost. Noda Koji was declared the sole winner, proudly proclaiming his role in saving everyone.
Just as the game concluded, international police arrived. Due to the victims being Taiwanese, officers from the Linyuan Precinct of Kaohsiung Bureau requested Noda Koji and his team's cooperation in the investigation in Taiwan. Enticed by the promise of local delicacies like spicy hotpot, beef noodles, and braised pork rice, the team eagerly agreed, only to find themselves in cold interrogation rooms, undergoing tedious questioning.
Noda Koji reassured his teammates that they wouldn't be held for long, indicating the true suspects were in an adjacent room. During their interrogations, Big Goose confessed to hitting Ajie but vehemently denied murder, accusing Diao instead. The officer noted that both Big Goose and Diao remained primary suspects. As Big Goose signed his statement, his coach ominously warned him that Ajie would seek revenge upon his release.
Big Goose, admitting his involvement in match-fixing but maintaining innocence regarding the murder, was then taken away. Late that night, a power outage plunged the police station into darkness. Panic ensued as news spread that Big Goose and Diao had been found dead in their cells, their deaths eerily mirroring the game. On television, Master Hongjue attributed the deaths to vengeful spirits, suggesting the only way to appease them was to cremate the ghost's physical remains.
Shaken, Lao K returned home and found his front door ajar. Sensing an unseen presence, he was then startled by Ghost appearing behind him with a dagger, only to wake up from a nightmare. Following Master Hongjue's advice, Lao K drove to a secluded forest, unearthed Ajie's long-buried skeleton, and attempted to cremate it. His lighter failed, and a spectral voice, revealed to be Noda Koji imitating Ajie's voice, asked why Lao K hadn't spared him.
Overcome with guilt, Lao K tearfully confessed his past wrongs, begging for forgiveness and promising to pray for Ajie, noting that Ajie had already taken their other teammates. Suddenly, Noda Koji's voice cut through the silence, telling Lao K that begging Ajie was futile and he should beg him instead. Noda Koji revealed his long-standing suspicion of Lao K.
He pointed out that Lao K had known the final safe zone in the game, an impossibility given that the actual match five years ago never reached that point, indicating Lao K had used a map hack and was involved in the match-fixing. Noda Koji also recalled Lao K's words during the game, "watch your back," uttered when he "killed" Ghost, which reminded him of Ajie's death.
Further investigation by a hacker friend revealed Lao K had placed a hefty 1. 2 million USD bet on the Tyrant team through an underground bookie, much of it borrowed from loan sharks at exorbitant rates, a debt he could never repay. The odds of 1:2. 5 for the underdog Tyrant team provided a powerful motive. Confronted with the evidence, Lao K confessed. He admitted to planning to fix the match for H5, as the team was struggling.
He overheard Boss and Diao discussing fixing the game to secure five years' worth of earnings. After the match, Lao K, wanting to ensure everything was settled, secretly followed Diao and Big Goose to an abandoned internet cafe where they brutally attacked Ajie, searching for something before fleeing. Lao K found Ajie injured and bleeding. He asked Ajie about a recording, pleading with him not to report the match-fixing and to spare their careers.
Ajie, however, accused Lao K of being equally complicit, if not the mastermind, realizing Lao K had also bet on the Tyrant team. Feeling betrayed, Ajie decided to report them. In a fit of rage, Lao K, feeling unappreciated despite having trained Ajie to "become a god," shoved Ajie and fatally stabbed him from behind.
Noda Koji rebuked Lao K, stating that Ajie was surrounded by selfish individuals: Diao, a gambler; Big Goose, greedy for money; Xiao Fei, who resented being a substitute; and Lao K, who feigned benevolence. They all collectively drove Ajie to his death. Lao K, defensive, accused Noda Koji of being a murderer too, for "killing" Lord C, Boss, Xiao Fei, Diao, and Big Goose. Noda Koji simply stated, "He's not like you!"
When Lao K incredulously pointed out that he saw them all die, Noda Koji calmly replied, "Don't believe everything you see." Noda Koji then revealed the truth: the entire "Ghost Invitational" was an elaborate charade. A month prior, Kiko had approached him on behalf of Ajie's terminally ill mother, whose last wish was to know her son's fate. Inspired by Sun Tzu's stratagems, Noda Koji orchestrated the elaborate "Ghost Invitational" as a trap.
His friends, concerned for Ajie, willingly joined the "performance." The "bombs," "deaths," and ghostly encounters were all special effects and carefully planned theatrics. Kiko, an elite hacker, was instrumental in creating the illusion of "Ghost Ajie." The team systematically eliminated suspects: Xiao Fei, who didn't participate in the original match-fixing and was willing to "die" in the game, was ruled out. The continued denials of Big Goose and Diao in the police station solidified Lao K as the prime suspect.
Even the TV reports featuring Master Hongjue's advice on vengeful spirits were fabricated to guide Lao K to Ajie's burial site. Lao K, shocked by the revelation, accused Noda Koji of making a movie, to which Noda Koji responded with Sun Tzu's "All warfare is based on deception." He concluded that it was Lao K's guilt, the "ghost in his heart," that led to his confession.
Lao K and the other H5 members, who were all alive and acting, expressed their profound apologies to Ajie, acknowledging that their greed five years ago had led to the tragedy. Noda Koji reflected on Ajie's earlier sentiment that "life is just a game," interpreting the "Esports spirit" as a commitment to being serious and fully engaged in every moment of one's life.
After the case was closed, Noda Koji and his friends visited Ajie's mother in the hospital, whom Noda Koji affectionately called "Happy Girl," his card-playing friend. Qin Feng was also present. Noda Koji, introducing himself as Liu Feng to Ajie's mother and stating that he was Noda Hiroshi's younger brother, declared that any enemy of his older brother was his friend.
He showed Ajie's mother photos, claiming Ajie sent them from his extensive travels to places like Antarctica, Africa, and the Sahara. Qin Feng, noticing the obvious Photoshop manipulations in the photos, discreetly let Noda Koji's compassionate lie stand. Noda Koji then played a fabricated voice message, supposedly from Ajie, apologizing for his long absence, expressing his love, and describing his adventurous travels.
The message concluded with a poignant reflection: "The life and death of a mortal seem so insignificant against the immensity of the universe. Take every moment of your life as eternity." As Ajie's mother wept, Qin Feng observed Noda Koji, acknowledging a shared sentiment regarding their mothers. With only two minutes left before the server permanently shut down, Noda Koji and his friends re-entered the game "Rise Again," Noda Koji's former favorite.
They gathered, erected a tombstone for Ajie with the inscription "Here awaken, here rest in peace. Dedicated to God of War Ajie," and shared an emotional farewell embrace by the virtual seaside as the countdown and dazzling fireworks filled the sky. Days later, at an awards ceremony for the "Ghost Cup Performance Award," Lu Jingjing won Best Actress for her brilliant performance. In her acceptance speech, she mused about leaving her family's mafia business to pursue acting.
Noda Koji, expected to win Best Actor for masterminding the entire elaborate scheme, was surprisingly beaten by "Spectator A," an extra who delivered a remarkably convincing performance of being electrocuted. Outraged, Noda Koji accused the committee of a "backroom deal," but his friends and even Lu Jingjing agreed his acting was "stiff," "unemotional," and "a little bit greasy." Vowing to perform better next time, Noda Koji promised to show them all his true acting prowess.
