My Roommate Is a Detective Episode 8 Recap
> My Roommate Is a Detective Recap
Lu Yao's team located Xu Lin's bicycle, presenting irrefutable evidence that led Xu Lin to confess. Lu Yao questioned why Xu Lin had chosen to carve words on Chen Guangzhi's head, which seemed to intentionally expose his identity. Xu Lin explained that he wished to warn future generations against abandoning their original principles. He detailed how Chen Guangzhi, his senior apprentice, had succumbed to gambling debts and secretly colluded with a porcelain factory.
Chen Guangzhi arranged for inferior porcelain to be supplied to Shanghai's porcelain carvers while charging premium prices. Xu Lin had urged him to establish his own business, but Chen Guangzhi's greed prevented him from stepping down. Xu Lin feared that this would lead to new apprentices practicing with shoddy porcelain and loyal customers being disappointed, ultimately ruining the art of porcelain carving. He felt compelled to punish Chen Guangzhi on behalf of their Master.
Qiao Chusheng pointed out that Xu Lin's arrest would deprive the industry of another master, but Xu Lin maintained that the prosperity of a trade relies on the self-discipline and upward mobility of all its practitioners, not just one individual, and that removing a "black sheep" like Chen Guangzhi was necessary, with others like Li Mohan still supporting the trade.
Before being taken away, Xu Lin made a special request to Qiao Chusheng, asking him to retrieve a pair of sculpting knives from a drawer in his workshop and give them to Lu Yao. Xu Lin believed that Lu Yao, being a simple-minded man, might find solace in porcelain carving when troubled, as the sound of the knife on porcelain could bring a clear mind.
He also admitted to using Chen Guangzhi's sculpting knife for the murder, as his own "graver" was exclusively for porcelain. Meanwhile, Bai Youning had published a newspaper article about the case, sensationalizing it with a misleading headline about a ghost story. Qiao Chusheng later gifted Bai Qili a watch, claiming it was bought by Bai Youning with her contribution fee, which delighted Bai Qili.
Bai Qili expressed his appreciation for Lu Yao's intelligence and assistance in solving major cases, seeing him as a potential son-in-law. Qiao Chusheng advised him to observe further, but Bai Qili was eager to meet Lu Yao. The growing fame of Lu Yao and Qiao Chusheng, who had solved numerous major cases in a short time, alarmed Norman. He feared that Bai Qili would seize this opportunity to expand his influence in the concession and suggested eliminating Lu Yao.
However, Andre strongly cautioned against this, revealing Lu Yao's distinguished family background in Haining, his scholar father who had represented China in the Paris Peace Conference, his two elder brothers who were high-ranking officials in the Beiyang Government, and his sister who served as a confidential secretary to a powerful figure. Andre warned that any harm to Lu Yao would bring endless trouble. Norman, realizing the implications, understood and backed down.
Lu Yao observed that cotton yarn prices were about to skyrocket and attempted to convince Bai Youning to invest in the stock market, promising her substantial profits. However, Bai Youning was penniless. Lu Yao, desperate not to miss this opportunity, suggested a sham marriage between them so he could secure a "bride price" from Bai Qili to invest. Bai Youning found this idea dull, advocating for a real marriage instead.
She then suggested Lu Yao marry their landlady, who was infatuated with him, claiming she would get him the entire stock exchange, not just the capital for investment. Lu Yao dismissed this, stating he would regret missing the stock opportunity for life. Just then, Qiao Chusheng arrived with a new case: a man's body found in the street garden near Jing'an Temple Road. Qiao Chusheng recounted the informant's report of blood flowing from the belfry, leading directly to the body.
Lu Yao, preoccupied with his financial woes, demanded an advance of 100 silver dollars as a consultant fee, threatening not to take the case otherwise. He feigned a "mental disorder" to emphasize his urgency for funds. Qiao Chusheng, recognizing the victim as Li Hengli, a returned student previously funded and highly regarded by Bai Qili, agreed to Lu Yao's demand.
Lu Yao insisted on meeting Bai Qili first, which Bai Youning immediately saw through as a ploy to extort money from her father. Despite her warnings, Qiao Chusheng called Bai Qili to arrange the meeting. At Bai Qili's residence, Lu Yao directly informed him about the murder of Li Hengli, a student Bai Qili had previously funded. Bai Qili, however, had funded hundreds of students and couldn't recall Li Hengli, despite being reminded that he had personally seen him off.
Bai Qili then steered the conversation towards Lu Yao's relationship with Bai Youning, mentioning he heard they shared an apartment. Lu Yao affirmed their amicable friendship, describing Bai Youning as a "warm-hearted and righteous" girl, but Bai Qili insisted Lu Yao take full responsibility for her, implying marriage. This deeply unsettled Lu Yao, who stammered denials and offered to move out immediately, fearing he was being accused of abandoning her.
Bai Qili reassured him and then presented him with an invitation to the prestigious Zhejiang Guildhall, an exclusive club for the big shots of the Jiangzhe Chamber of Commerce. Later, Lu Yao learned from Qiao Chusheng that the annual membership fee was 200 silver dollars, a sum he deemed extravagant for "drinking and chatting with a bunch of old men," and he defiantly discarded the invitation.
Bai Youning, upon hearing of Lu Yao's failed attempt to "swindle" her father and his near-panic, declared that Lu Yao was too naive to deal with experienced figures like her father and insisted Qiao Chusheng prevent any further contact between them, despite Qiao Chusheng's belief that her father meant well. Qiao Chusheng, Lu Yao, and Bai Youning arrived at the street garden to investigate the Bell Tower case.
The victim, 30-year-old Li Hengli, was the supervisor hired by Lidun Soap Factory. Qiao Chusheng's team had already sent the body for autopsy due to concerns about rats and cleaned up the bloodstains, which had been trampled by morning passersby. The informant, a gardener named Zhang Gong, reported that blood trickled out of the belfry gate last night, leading all the way to the flower bed, and also seeped from the belfry walls and stairs.
At the scene, a fortuneteller warned them of "disasters" due to the destruction of flowers for the belfry's construction, stating that the belfry was located in an inauspicious "reverse bow" area. Lu Yao, after examining the belfry, determined that the "blood" oozing from the walls was not real blood, but a mixture of water and rust.
He explained that during Shanghai's rainy season, a thin layer of oil applied to the wall could create a waterproof film, causing water to seep out in drops. Someone had then applied rust to the surface, mixing with the water to create the illusion of blood. This suggested an attempt to create a frightening illusion. Lu Yao also speculated that the blood leading from the belfry to the body could be explained by the pavement's slope.
However, Bai Youning refuted this, stating that Jing'an Temple Road, being one of the first roads built in the concession, was paved with cement boards and could not have uneven surfaces. Qiao Chusheng brought Zhang Gong in for interrogation. Zhang Gong initially denied involvement but eventually confessed that he went to the belfry to demand payment from Li Hengli for his destroyed pink roses. Li Hengli had initially offered only five silver dollars, promising a gold bar the next day.
Zhang Gong also mentioned that Li Hengli had been checking his watch constantly, suggesting he was waiting for someone. The autopsy report confirmed Li Hengli had died at least eight hours prior, sometime between 9 PM the night before last and 6 PM last night. Lu Yao and Qiao Chusheng returned to the belfry for further investigation.
Bai Youning reported that according to the street vendors (a violinist and a fortuneteller), Li Hengli was consistently the first to arrive at the construction site in the morning and the last to leave at night. Lu Yao noticed cracks in the belfry's bricks, concluding they were of inferior quality. Qiao Chusheng suspected collusion, suggesting Li Hengli and an accomplice were cutting corners and pocketing money.
They decided to review the construction approval documents, believing someone in the government might be involved. Bai Youning noted that Section Chief Zhou, who was responsible for the approval documents, conveniently took leave just as they began their search, raising suspicions. Despite Lu Yao's feigned "reading disorder," they began the tedious task of sifting through unclassified old documents.
While Qiao Chusheng and Bai Youning spent the entire afternoon reviewing approval documents, Lu Yao leisurely watched street performers near the bell tower. Their efforts uncovered evidence confirming that Section Chief Zhou of the Industry Section had secretly colluded with Li Hengli. They had inflated the belfry's construction costs and used inferior materials, embezzling the difference. However, Section Chief Zhou had vanished, leaving the trail cold. Later, Salim reported another body found in the street garden near Jing'an Temple Road.
Qiao Chusheng, Lu Yao, and Bai Youning rushed to the scene. The factory cleaner, who usually hosed down the belfry with soap water around 11 PM after the workers left, was the one who discovered the new victim. This time, the blood flowed out of the belfry and northward, a different direction from Li Hengli's body, which was found to the west. Lu Yao immediately identified the deceased as Section Chief Zhou, the same official who had gone on leave.
Bai Youning insisted on dragging Lu Yao to Section Chief Zhou's house for investigation. Lu Yao was immediately captivated by the house's opulent collection of Tang tri-colored pottery and other authentic artifacts, noting that just one set of pottery could buy an apartment on Avenue Joffre. Mrs. Zhou informed them that her husband had left at around 7 PM the previous evening, telling her not to wait up, and had planned a trip to Tianjin.
Pressed by Qiao Chusheng regarding the origin of their wealth given Section Chief Zhou's modest 60-silver-dollar salary, Mrs. Zhou revealed that her husband had regularly brought home gold bars over the past month. She showed them a chest full of gold bars, along with numerous antiques.
Bai Youning was appalled by the scale of the corruption, expressing that it was a cheap death for someone who embezzled so much from the public, but Lu Yao remained focused on the murder case, not the corruption. Qiao Chusheng, Lu Yao, and Bai Youning visited the chairman of Lidun Soap Factory. The chairman, constantly on the phone, appeared too busy to engage.
Lu Yao observed his yellowed fingers, overflowing ashtrays, and a trash can full of cigarette butts, indicating he had been chain-smoking and hadn't left his office for at least a day and a night. He also noted the chairman's bloodshot eyes, hoarse voice, unshaven chin, and wrinkled shirt, all consistent with someone who hadn't been out or groomed himself.
More critically, Lu Yao found a commemorative matchbox from Paramount Hall's anniversary celebration, which was only given to attendees between 9 PM and midnight two nights prior. Lu Yao reasoned that if the chairman were trying to fabricate an alibi, he wouldn't carelessly discard such a crucial piece of evidence, thus clearing him of suspicion. With the lead gone, Qiao Chusheng was at a loss.
Lu Yao then suggested that the key was to identify who benefited most from the deaths of Section Chief Zhou and Li Hengli, as their demise had directly led to the belfry construction being halted. He urged Qiao Chusheng to treat them to noodles at a newly opened shop downstairs. While at the noodle shop, Qiao Chusheng noticed water leaking from the ceiling, leading to the shop owner's complaints about a "leaking ceiling" from upstairs.
