In the height of summer in Jiangcheng, 2019, a stench of decay shattered the peace of the Hepingli neighborhood. An unusual smell from Apartment 301 led to a mystery involving a hidden corpse. Behind the pretense of renovations lay a trap carefully laid by the killer. Wang Hao, forced to do someone’s bidding; Zhang Min, who had disappeared; and the mysterious Lin Xinzhe: everyone wore a mask, plotting against one another in a game of desire and hatred.
Expired plastic wrap accelerated the spread of the stench. A body hidden in hollow bricks, an anonymous USB drive, a jade pendant marked with the character “Li”: the clues intertwined one after another. An undercover police operation, a bastard child’s revenge, and coercion involving a rare disease led to a succession of twists. When the false identities were exposed and family ties collided with betrayal, a seemingly perfect crime fell apart because of the cracks in human nature.
This dark game, in which everyone is caught up in the plot, conceals a steadfast commitment to justice and a longing for redemption. As the stench fades and the old building finds new life, the questions about human nature, crime, and punishment continue to ring out loud and clear even after the truth is revealed.
