My Roommate Is a Detective Episode 5 Recap
> My Roommate Is a Detective Recap
After forensic analysis concluded the victim of a mysterious death had been burned after death, the forensic doctor provided further details: the deceased was emaciated with unusually long nails, purple spots, and wrinkles on his unburned skin, his body appearing sickly. The victim also had genuine fangs.
Lu Yao confirmed that the skin showed no signs of swelling, congestion, or inflammation, and there were no indications of internal heat effects or respiratory syndrome, which supported the conclusion that the victim was burned after death. Bai Youning, a reporter, immediately seized on this, declaring it a Pulitzer-worthy headline about a vampire. She adamantly warned Qiao Chusheng not to disclose any information about the case to other media outlets.
The forensic doctor noted a strong smell of alcohol on the body, confirming it aided combustion, but the high concentration of alcohol found in the stomach made it unclear whether this was intentional or accidental. Lu Yao returned to the crime scene, where Bai Youning pressed him for clues. Lu Yao, sniffing a used tissue, decided to leverage the situation. He openly asked for twenty silver dollars, claiming he wanted to treat Lin Jiang to a French dinner with wine.
Bai Youning initially resisted but Lu Yao argued a Pulitzer Prize was worth the cost. Lu Yao then launched into a rambling historical account of vampires, mentioning Bram Stoker and Vlad III, which Bai Youning diligently tried to jot down. Abruptly, Lu Yao concluded the story, stating Shanghai lacked good wine and she would have to make do. Later, during dinner, Lin Jiang claimed she no longer drank, citing that drinking hinders business.
She also stated she did not recall any alcohol smell on the person who had followed Lu Yao that day. When Lu Yao mentioned the autopsy report's findings of high alcohol concentration in the victim's stomach and blood, Lin Jiang grew defensive, dismissing his concerns as over-sensitivity and insisting her intention was merely to catch up.
She then recounted how Lu Yao, as a student representative at Cambridge, had once sternly informed her about make-up exams, criticizing her carefree attitude and reminding her of the significant cost of her tuition. Lin Jiang surprisingly thanked him, saying his words prompted her to take her studies seriously. Bai Youning's newspaper, "Shanghai News," sensationalized the story with the headline "Mysterious Spontaneous Combustion: European Medieval Vampire Reappears in Shanghai."
She defended her decision to publish quickly, asserting it was "strike first, and I won" and dismissed concerns about public panic. She then confronted Lu Yao about his "date" with Lin Jiang, sarcastically labeling him "brainless" for not pressing Lin Jiang about the alcohol and calling Lin Jiang "heartless" for forgetting their past interactions.
When Lu Yao accused her of following him, Bai Youning proudly declared that her "informants were all over Shanghai," from restaurant managers and parking valets to beggars, implying she had eyes and ears everywhere. Their bickering was interrupted when Qiao Chusheng summoned Lu Yao, announcing another vampire murder. The victim was identified as Lou Wu of the Axe Gang, a well-known figure who had even attended Qiao Chusheng's eighteenth birthday.
The crime scene showed clear teeth marks, confirmed by a witness who described a brief quarrel between the victim and a "vampire" at a noodle shop before the attack. Qiao Chusheng, frustrated by the widespread panic and potential political fallout, warned Bai Youning to be extremely cautious in her reporting, especially since Lou Wu was connected to her father, Bai Qili, and any misrepresentation could implicate him.
Bai Youning, however, insisted on her right as a journalist to report the truth. Qiao Chusheng tasked Lu Yao with investigating the sewers near the first victim's crime scene. Lu Yao, initially reluctant, agreed after Qiao Chusheng reported four more bodies found in the Concession, all displaying similar neck punctures and identified as gang members. Bai Youning's newspaper continued to publish sensational articles, now proclaiming the "Vampire Enforced Justice for God, Punishing Gangster Scums!"
Qiao Chusheng angrily confronted Bai Youning, accusing her of exacerbating the situation. Bai Youning, using the pen name "Lian Xin," denied authorship and then criticized Qiao Chusheng for defending figures like Uncle Liang, whom she exposed as a crude opium dealer despite his public image as a philanthropist. She declared her hatred for "hypocrites who earn dirty money in the disguise of law."
Lu Yao, meanwhile, revealed his new findings to Qiao Chusheng: the manhole cover near the first victim's body had been moved, and a sewer map confirmed that all five crime scenes' drainage systems connected to Hongren Hospital, where Lin Jiang worked. He had sent Salim down the sewers, confirming the connection.
Lu Yao presented further evidence from the autopsy reports: all five bodies had needle marks on their veins, indicating their blood was drained by "large-bore puncture needles," commonly found only in hospitals. Lu Yao then disclosed his suspicion of Lin Jiang, recalling her casual demeanor and willingness to walk alone at night after their dinner, suggesting she knew the danger was gone or never existed. Bai Youning interjected, accusing Lu Yao of letting personal feelings cloud his judgment.
As Lu Yao tried to explain his deduction, Qiao Chusheng, baffled by Salim's obedience to Lu Yao, found his Rolex on Salim, realizing Lu Yao had used it to bribe him. Lu Yao quickly fled. Later, Lu Yao visited Hongren Hospital, carrying a bouquet of flowers, where he observed Lin Jiang in a heated argument with her former boss from Huaxing Pharmaceutical Factory.
A nurse explained that Lin Jiang had previously led a drug development project at the factory, which was abruptly halted, leaving her unpaid. The nurse, unaware of the specific drug, spoke highly of Lin Jiang's good intentions and lamented her busy schedule preventing her from dating. Simultaneously, Qiao Chusheng received a phone call from Bai Qili, who was furious about Bai Youning's articles. Bai Qili confirmed his long-standing estrangement from his daughter.
Lu Yao then approached Qiao Chusheng, requesting a search warrant for Huaxing Pharmaceutical Factory, believing the vampire murders were linked to a research project there. Qiao Chusheng refused, citing a lack of evidence and the factory's foreign shareholders, warning of potential international complications. That evening, Bai Qili personally confronted Bai Youning, urging her to stop publishing. Bai Youning remained defiant, accusing him of threatening her just as he had treated her mother.
She dared him to physically retaliate or shut down her newspaper, threatening to report him for trespassing and property damage, and even write a damning story if the police ignored her. Bai Qili retorted that he had locked up her mother and could do the same to her, but also warned that while he couldn't bring himself to harm her, he could easily deal with her editor or burn down the newspaper office if she didn't cease.
Later that night, Lu Yao found Bai Youning crying. He turned off the lights to give her privacy and comforted her, admitting that his own father had never shown him affection or encouragement, expressing that they both felt unloved. Lu Yao then led Bai Youning to Huaxing Pharmaceutical Factory, emphasizing the urgency of finding clues before they disappeared. Inside, after a brief exchange where Bai Youning playfully accused them of dating, they split up to search.
A guard dog lunged at them, prompting Bai Youning to cling to Lu Yao in fear, just as Qiao Chusheng arrived, presumably having followed them. Together, they located an archive revealing "Research Results of Potent Medicine for Porphyria." The trio confronted Lin Jiang that same night, laying out their deductions.
Lu Yao revealed that Lin Jiang, in collaboration with the factory boss, had been developing a potent medicine for porphyria, a condition where light-sensitive pigment in the skin, bones, and teeth, normally benign in darkness, becomes harmful when exposed to sunlight, causing patients to fear the sun, suffer severe anemia, and develop pale complexions and sharp teeth. Though initially effective, the project was halted due to severe lesions appearing in later-stage patients.
Lu Yao explained that Lin Jiang, unwilling to abandon her research, gathered the dismissed patients to stage a "cheap horror movie." She faked being chased by a vampire to guide public opinion. He revealed that the person chasing her was not the same one who combusted. The spontaneously igniting body was a deceased porphyria patient, hidden in the alley's shade and covered with white phosphorus-coated paper, which ignites with heat and leaves no ash.
This setup ensured witnesses believed the "vampire" had spontaneously combusted in sunlight. Bai Youning noted this explained why the autopsy showed the victim was burned after death. Lu Yao then detailed how Lin Jiang orchestrated four more "vampire" murders, draining blood with large-bore needles and creating bite marks with dental braces, then publicly disposing of the bodies.
The goal was to manipulate public opinion into believing a "vampire enforced justice" against "wicked people," thereby pressuring the "black-hearted pharmaceutical factory owner" to restart the porphyria project. Lin Jiang, however, adamantly denied the accusations, calling Lu Yao's deductions imaginative but illogical, emphasizing her identity as a scientist, not a criminal or someone who would rely on folklore. Admitting a misstep in his deduction, Lu Yao requested Lin Jiang's address book to speak with her patients.
Qiao Chusheng then gathered all her patients at the factory. Impatient, the patients demanded to see Lin Jiang. Qiao Chusheng informed them that he had uncovered their crimes and that they were terminally ill with limited lives remaining, urging them to confess any accomplices for lighter sentences. The patients unanimously denied having any accomplices, asserting they had planned and carried out everything themselves. Lin Jiang then arrived, and the patients tearfully begged her to restart the project and save them.
Lin Jiang, however, apologized, explaining that current scientific knowledge simply did not support continuing the research. As the patients were taken away, Lin Jiang expressed profound guilt, wishing she had been more capable or persistent. Lu Yao comforted her, insisting she had done nothing wrong. The local newspaper celebrated the "vampire" case's resolution, attributing a new success to Inspector Qiao.
Lu Yao later met with a powerful Cambridge alumnus, who revealed his financial stake in Huaxing Pharmaceutical Factory and his interest in the porphyria case. The alumnus explained that he had halted the project due to low profitability in Asia, preferring investment in more common medications like those for malaria or stomachaches. He acknowledged Lin Jiang as a good doctor but critiqued her lack of understanding of profit.
The alumnus then offered Lu Yao a partnership, subtly hinting at needing "a little information" for cases that might affect his interests. Lu Yao, expressing a desire to avoid illegal activities and live safely, cautiously agreed to "try his best." Returning home, Lu Yao found Bai Youning waiting with takeout food.
She pressed him about Lin Jiang's innocence, suggesting Lin Jiang was at least an accomplice for concealing information and urged him to continue the investigation, even offering to pay him directly since Qiao Chusheng's funds had run out. Lu Yao refused, stating he only accepted legal commissions from the police. He confessed his fear, describing the mastermind's "risk control ability" as far exceeding any known political party or organization, given that the terminally ill patients revealed nothing under interrogation.
He stated he simply wanted to live and did not wish to delve deeper. Bai Youning, in turn, called him despicable and selfish, praising her own bravery and sense of justice. Lu Yao defended his stance, arguing that an ideal world is based on the rule of law, not morality, and that while he chooses not to do bad things due to his bottom line, choosing not to do good things is his right.
Bai Youning retorted that she now understood why he was single, leading to a continuation of their playful bickering. Meanwhile, Bai Qili, still unconvinced that a few hospital patients could orchestrate such a large-scale, intricate operation, especially one that bypassed Shao Liang's bodyguards, instructed Qiao Chusheng to continue investigating. He warned that such a powerful, hidden force posed a threat to them all. Qiao Chusheng confirmed he would proceed with the investigation.
Simultaneously, in an artist's studio, a painting depicting a woman dancing in flames suddenly ignited, rapidly setting the studio ablaze. Outside, citizens gathered, watching as a woman, the artist Ye Gerui, appeared to dance amidst the roaring flames.
