The Dead Man's Last Words: My Code for Solving Cases

I’m Li Qianduo, a criminal investigator. Over the course of my career, I’ve handled many thrilling and dangerous cases. Just three months after joining the city’s criminal investigation squad, I took part in solving the “Midnight Bell Murders.” Lin Xiao, a single woman who worked in an office, was killed at home. The crime scene was full of suspicious details: the time of death didn’t match when a neighbor heard the bell, the spare phone was acting strangely, and every suspect seemed questionable. In the end, a photograph I found in the victim’s drawer led me to the crucial clue. I uncovered the truth: Uncle Wang had killed for revenge on behalf of his son, and earned Captain Zhang’s approval. After that came one case after another: the “Art Studio Locked-Room Murder,” the “Library Poisoning,” the “Hospital Serial Assaults,” and the “Old Town Bridal Shop Murder.” Each was full of mystery and challenges. As I investigated, I grew from relying on veteran detectives’ experience to connecting clues on my own, then leading investigations and developing my own style. In the later cases of Who Is the Killer?, Zhao Lei’s death led us to a clue involving Tianshu Technology. Then Liu Yun was found dead in a locked office, with glaring flaws at the scene. My colleagues and I conducted a series of investigations that proved Zhou Ming was responsible. We successfully dismantled the “Beidou Project” and brought the corporate spy to justice. In the Guardian series, cases like “Starcore Fission,” “Curse of the Ink Soul,” and “Murder Among the Ancient Books” kept us on edge. As Zhen Meili and I fought to protect justice, our relationship grew stronger, too. Finally, in “Three Crimes,” part of the Ultimate Conspiracy series, the “Art Studio Crime of Passion” and the “Jewelry Store Robbery-Murder” turned out to be the work of the same criminal gang. Working with Zhen Meili and Su Xiaolin, I helped bring their conspiracy to nothing. I grew with every case, from finding my way forward to standing on my own. Each one was a stepping stone in my journey.