The Lie at Midnight

When criminal investigation expert Lin Jingming takes on the locked-room death of philanthropist Chen Shoushi, he faces a perfect “time crime.” Architect Zhao Yuan has carefully planned a revenge spanning twenty years, using light and shadow manipulation to alter people’s perception of time and create an airtight alibi. As the investigation deepens, Lin Jingming discovers that every piece of evidence is a carefully laid trap. The butler, Zhou Fusheng, keeps stopping short of speaking; business partner Wang Jianye is attacked before he can talk; and the police station itself seems to conceal a deadly threat. When his apprentice Su Xiao stands firmly by the suspended Lin Jingming, they uncover an even more terrifying truth: Zhao Yuan is not merely seeking revenge. He is using his “spatiotemporal architecture” to expose a vast criminal network. In this maze where truth and lies intertwine, time has become the most dangerous weapon. As the illusions of light and shadow are peeled away layer by layer, Lin Jingming must make a choice: revealing the truth could destroy the entire justice system, but staying silent means more people will fall victim to perfect crimes. A struggle over time, memory, and truth quietly begins, and the first price they may pay is everything they hold most dear.