My Roommate Is a Detective Episode 7 Recap
> My Roommate Is a Detective Recap
Lu Yao found himself in a financial bind, unable to pay his rent, and began reluctantly preparing to sell his prized possessions. While cleaning them, Raymond arrived to express gratitude, as Lu Yao's actions had cleared his name of a murder charge. Lu Yao seized the opportunity to propose Raymond buy his collectibles, but Raymond showed no interest in them.
Instead, he was captivated by a painting Lu Yao had casually created, offering thirty silver dollars for it on the spot, remarking on its Picasso-like style. Meanwhile, Qiao Chusheng remained fixated on Raymond's previous case, resentful that Raymond had escaped imprisonment. Bai Youning, curious about their conflict, learned from Qiao Chusheng that Raymond had brutally punished him by burning his arm with a cigar.
This happened years ago when Qiao Chusheng was a young porter at Shiliupu Pier and accidentally dirtied Raymond's shoes. Qiao Chusheng still bore the mark and the memory. Lu Yao, however, mused that Raymond's harshness had inadvertently propelled Qiao Chusheng to his current success. Bai Youning later lightheartedly demanded a "portrait usage fee" from Lu Yao for the painting Raymond bought, claiming it was her image, a claim Lu Yao dismissed as unrecognizable.
Later, at the Three-dollar Hall, Yaoqin, a resident courtesan, had just bid farewell to a guest and was preparing to go upstairs to receive her regular patron, Mr. Chen Guangzhi. Suddenly, a terrifying silhouette of a hanging person appeared on the window glass, causing the other women to scream in terror. Gathering her courage, Yaoqin entered the room, only to find Mr. Chen Guangzhi hanging from the ceiling beam, with the blood-red character "å½" (sin) carved into his forehead.
Qiao Chusheng, after trying to unwind at Paramount Hall, discovered his motorcycle was missing. He soon found Lu Yao precariously riding it before crashing into a roadside barrier. A furious Qiao Chusheng confronted him. Just then, Salim arrived to inform Qiao Chusheng of the murder at Three-dollar Hall.
Qiao Chusheng decided to bring Lu Yao along, but Lu Yao, citing injuries from the crash, leveraged the situation to extort money from Qiao Chusheng for medical expenses, lost wages, and "mental injury." Upon arriving at Three-dollar Hall, Yaoqin recounted the details of the discovery. They meticulously examined Yaoqin's room but found no signs of forced entry. Questioning Yaoqin about the victim, they learned that Chen Guangzhi was Shanghai's foremost porcelain carving master, though he had a significant gambling addiction.
The following morning, Bai Youning joined them, bringing the autopsy report confirming Chen Guangzhi died of asphyxia. She also revealed that yesterday was the first anniversary of Chen Guangzhi's respected teacher's passing. Due to his rampant gambling, Chen Guangzhi had accumulated substantial debts and neglected his carving. Lu Yao observed that the character carved on the victim's forehead was executed very professionally.
Lu Yao led Bai Youning to the Three-dollar Hall's backyard, where they noticed a deep indentation below Yaoqin's window. Yaoqin explained it was from a clothesline that often fell due to heavy items. Bai Youning theorized the killer used the rope to escape, thus leaving no footprints in the muddy ground. She attempted to demonstrate, almost falling herself, but Qiao Chusheng arrived just in time to catch her, admonishing their recklessness.
He then informed them that he had identified thirteen individuals who had close contact with Chen Guangzhi. Qiao Chusheng and Lu Yao began their investigation by visiting Li Mohan, who had previously had a public altercation with Chen Guangzhi at an auction. Li Mohan was initially uncooperative, verbally abusing Lu Yao and spitting on him. However, upon Qiao Chusheng's appearance, Li Mohan immediately became docile and agreed to cooperate.
Li Mohan claimed he had been in his studio carving all night. Lu Yao noticed porcelain powder on Li Mohan's sleeve and observed that a "å½" character carved on a porcelain piece by Li Mohan differed from the one on Chen Guangzhi's forehead. Lu Yao explained that porcelain carving had two distinct schools—gongbi and xieyi—each using different tools and techniques. The "å½" on Chen Guangzhi's forehead was carved with a gongbi-style tool, while Li Mohan belonged to the xieyi school.
This crucial distinction cleared Li Mohan of suspicion. Li Mohan then suggested that Xu Lin, Chen Guangzhi's junior fellow disciple, was the most likely suspect, though he was not in Shanghai yesterday. Lu Yao, intrigued, questioned Li Mohan about his fear of Qiao Chusheng, who Li Mohan vaguely referred to as one of the "Eight Martial Arts Masters." Qiao Chusheng, however, evaded Lu Yao's persistent inquiries. Salim soon picked up Xu Lin, who had returned to Shanghai by train.
Xu Lin immediately went to the police station to provide a statement, repeatedly insisting he had been in Nanjing at a symposium. After Qiao Chusheng verified his alibi with authorities in Nanjing, Xu Lin was allowed to leave. Lu Yao, however, noticed Xu Lin's remarkably clean Heming brand cloth shoes and suspected he was lying. Lu Yao then took Qiao Chusheng to the train station to illustrate his theory.
He explained that in winter, third-class train carriages were typically at the rear of the train, closer to the locomotive's boiler for warmth. In summer, they were moved to the front for cooler air and to avoid coal cinders from the locomotive. This year, spring arrived early, prompting the carriages to be switched to their summer configuration that very morning.
Therefore, anyone traveling in a third-class carriage that day would have arrived with wrinkled clothes, be sweating profusely, have a dirty face, and, crucially, have coal dust on their shoes. Xu Lin's clean shoes were a strong indicator he hadn't traveled by train as he claimed. Lu Yao also pointed out a discreet gap on the west side of the train station, further solidifying his suspicions and urging Qiao Chusheng to arrest Xu Lin.
Lu Yao, Qiao Chusheng, and the now-arrested Xu Lin returned to the Three-dollar Hall's backyard. Lu Yao began to unravel the mystery, starting with a demonstration using shadows to explain how the hanging body could have appeared in the window, likening it to a magic trick. He then exposed Xu Lin's fabricated alibi: Xu Lin had hired someone to impersonate him at the Nanjing symposium, while he himself had hidden inside the train station overnight.
In the morning, he emerged with the first arriving train from Nanjing, blending in with the other passengers to create a false alibi. Lu Yao further revealed that the "dent" in the muddy ground of the backyard was not from a clothesline, but from a bicycle tire.
He then dramatically re-enacted the killer's escape: after committing the murder, Xu Lin had ridden a bicycle out of the backyard, parked it against the wall, climbed onto the roof using the bicycle as a step, then returned the same way. This method ensured no footprints were left. Lu Yao concluded by noting that in that era, bicycles were rare, and tracking one by its serial number would inevitably lead back to Xu Lin, exposing his crime.
