Volume 17: World’s Biggest Lie

On April 12th, Chen Shi was handcuffed. Lin Dongxue and Xu Xiaodong had been lowering their heads as they escorted him to the interrogation room. Many police officers ran out in surprise to watch and whispered to ask their companions, “What's wrong? Why is he getting arrested?”

Chen Shi's expression was not calm, but rather, it looked ice-cold, as if not to let others see through the feelings in his heart. He restrained every muscle on his face.

Peng Sijue rushed out with a large coffee stain on his body and his eyes widened, “Old Chen...”

Chen Shi smiled bitterly and shook his head slightly at him.

There was a movement in the crowd and Lin Qiupu went over. He walked to Chen Shi with a cold face and poked his chest with a finger. “You are not Chen Shi. Who exactly are you?”

Three days ago, Zhou Xiao's case was already set up with a task force. The chief paid special attention to Lin Qiupu’s case and asked for the “advisor with the surname Chen” to participate as well. “Good steel should be used on the blade[1].”

Chen Shi was invited again. He flipped through the case file, looked at the corpse, and said with confidence, “It was done by the same person! This guy would actually kill other serial killers. Perhaps he felt like a single mountain could not hold two tigers?”

Lin Qiupu said, “We have been inquiring in the gay-circle for the past two days and found that all the people who had seen Zhou Xiao's true face were killed. Now, they are all lying in the morgue. The scenes were clean and there’s no clues left for us at all.“

“What about a wanted warrant?”

“The rewards have been added over and over again, but nothing has progressed.”

“How difficult! I’ll be leaving now.”

“Hey, you’re not going to investigate the case?”

“I need to go back and think about it. Your great senior didn't figure it out either. What magical power would I have to find him all of a sudden?”

It was the first time Lin Qiupu saw Chen Shi admit defeat. This particular serial killer was tricky as well. Zhou Xiao was a serial killer without a fixed target. Even if they were the FBI, it would usually take years or even decades to hunt down a serial killer.

Chen Shi still had some private matters to deal with. A few days ago, Peng Sijue sent an inexplicable text message to him. “Dongxue seems to have seen you playing around with a prostitute. Go to the Longjiang police station and look for the evidence yourself!”

Chen Shi scowled. Of course he didn’t do that. He had already guessed what was going on.

The photo sent by Zhou Xiao was not him at all, but another Chen Shi, which could be said to be the real Chen Shi. The intention was very clear. He intended to expose Chen Shi's fake face.

He went to cosmetic surgeon Dr. Yang and asked him why the owner of this face appeared in Long’an again. He also went to find prostitutes trying to get arrested as well. Dr. Yang said he was innocent. Chen Shi was indeed missing back then. He was pronounced deceased by law, and Song Lang was the one who chose this face himself.

Chen Shi had a headache. This is the price of a lie. He had to find this gap and plug it.

In the afternoon, Chen Shi drove to the Longjiang police station and said to the police on duty with a smile on his face, “Well, I was arrested two days ago for having fun with a protitute... I seem to have left down the wrong contact information.”

“What’s your name?”

“Chen Shi!”

“You’re quite honest. Okay, I'll look for it.”

The policeman took a document and asked, “What's your mobile phone number?”

“Let me have a look. I drank too much that day. I'm afraid I left my wife's number. I’m finished if she finds out.”

“If you’re so afraid, why did you go to that kind of place in the first place?”

“I’m a changed man, really!”

Chen Shi took the case file, glanced at the number, remembered it, and left down his own phone number.

When he left the police station, he dialed the number but found that he couldn't get through. He angrily cursed, “Bastard, it’s fake!”

The confession had an address, so Chen Shi had to drive there to try his luck.

After walking around that street for an afternoon, he couldn’t find anything. Chen Shi was unable to ask people around the area. He couldn't very well point to his own face and ask, “Do you know where I live?”

He thought that maybe he could meet acquaintances and sound out some information, but he came up empty-handed.

With his eyes squinting in the evening light, Chen Shi sat depressed in the car with a cigarette. The presence of this guy was undoubtedly a time bomb. The man was a bloody underworld triad member. If he committed a crime and was caught in Long’an or killed by Zhou Xiao, then he’d be in the worst luck.

Chen Shi rubbed his forehead slightly and looked into the rear-view mirror. This rough face reflected the Song Lang of the past.

Song Lang had a symmetrical and handsome face. The last time he stared at it was in the underground operating room where Dr. Yang was covered with blood and the smell of disinfectant. Dr. Yang sighed. “Unfortunate. Officer Song, I don’t want to get rid of such a beautiful face! “

“If I abandon this face and have a chance for a comeback, then I don't care,” Song Lang said with a sting in his heart. At that time, his brain was full of Qin Luoxi's death and his heart was dead.

“Come and pick. These are all blank identities that can be used!” Dr. Yang opened a stack of photos with their resumes written behind them.

Song Lang frowned. Who were these people? They were either rapists or traffickers. Dr. Yang said, “How can honest people disappear into thin air? It's impossible for you to find a celebrity face here.”

“Are you sure it will be exactly the same?”

“My skill is absolutely worth the price. You can rest assured that even your mother won’t see the difference. But I have to remind you that you can only change it once. The surgery on the face bones and muscles is irreversible. If you want to change it again, the risk is too high. I won't do that kind of work. If I don't do a good job, I would leave your face paralyzed! “

Song Lang saw Chen Shi's photo and said, “We’ll go with him!”

“This one is okay. A bit manly I guess.”

“Let's get started!” Song Lang closed his eyes and said goodbye to the past. That day was October 10th.

Chen Shi opened his eyes. A man was knocking on the window. He wanted to roll down the window and say no passengers. However, when he saw the other person's face, he froze.

They looked at each other's faces as if looking in a mirror and the man sneered. “I really don't know when my mother gave me a twin brother! I saw you walking up and down this street in the afternoon and I couldn’t help but notice you.”

“Come in!”

The man sat in the front passenger seat and said, “My name is Chen Shi. How can I address you?”

“My name is Chen Shi as well.”

The other laughed and drew away. Suddenly, the smile appeared and a small knife was placed next to Chen Shi's neck. “You really know how to play! Want to kill me and make someone else replace me? This face must have cost a lot right?”

He reached out and pinched Chen Shi's face. Chen Shi said, “I'm the police!”

“I'm also the fucking governor!”

“I know you might not believe it. I was framed four[2] years ago with a murder charge on my back and I changed my face. I thought you were dead at the time.”

“So, you’re Song Lang then?”

“You know about me?”

The other person laughed. “Who doesn't know the legendary name of the police world when they walk this path? You’d have to make a detour whenever you saw him... Buddy, your lie is getting too big. If you are Song Lang, I’ll treat you to a good time tonight!”

“I'm really Song Lang! I used to be...”

“Who the hell do you think you are? Who was the suspect in case 413 then?”

“Li Bo!”

“What about the poisonous pupa murder case?”

“Xu Hai!”

These were all undisclosed cases. Of course, the people on the dark path might know though.

The other person widened his eyes and slowly withdrew the knife. “Let's go to the Prosperity Club.”

1. You should utilize your best assets.

2. Editor’s note: I changed this from three to four. Towards the beginning of the series, I think he says four years ago