Record

[Tianhai City Serial Suicide Cases]

Evidence: Interview Records, Body Camera Footage

Number of Jumpers: 7

Date of First Jump Incident: July 15th

Recently, multiple suicide cases by jumping have occurred across Tianhai City, with no two jump sites being the same.

According to the Public Security Bureau's investigation, all jumpers shared the following common characteristics:

1. Within seven days before their deaths, all jumpers received large sums of unexplained money.

2. Surveillance footage from the jump sites shows all victims fell feet-first, and all deaths occurred between 11 PM and 3 AM.

3. The faces of all victims were intact, but their apparent ages were severely inconsistent with their recent photos, showing significant signs of aging.

Jucai Street, Jucai District, Tianhai City.

A Public Security Bureau duty vehicle was parked within the district, and two Public Security Officers exited it.

They entered the building and approached door 703, knocking on it.

Shortly after, the door opened, revealing a pale, dazed young man.

After glancing at the uniforms of the two officers outside, he invited them in.

Seated on the sofa, one of the officers spoke.

"Mr. Chen, hello! We are from the Jucai Street Public Security Bureau. Regarding the suicide case of your friend, Duan Yitian, we have some questions and require your cooperation with the investigation."

"Oh! Okay, okay!" The man nodded, then gestured towards a flashing red light on their shoulders.

He asked, "What is that?"

"That's a body camera. All footage is solely for evidence and will not be used for any other purpose. Please don't worry, Mr. Chen."

"I see... I'm sorry, this is my first time dealing with something like this, I'm a bit nervous!"

"It's alright, Mr. Chen. May we continue?"

"Yes!"

"Good!"

"We found the deceased Duan Yitian's personal phone. From his contact list, we discovered that the last person Duan Yitian contacted before his death was you, Mr. Chen."

"Furthermore, upon reviewing Duan Yitian's chat logs, we found that on the night he jumped, he had gone out with you."

"We would like to inquire why Duan Yitian contacted you proactively after you parted ways, and what he told you on the phone?"

"Comrade Public Security Officer, I don't know if you would believe that there are... unclean things in this world..."

"Unclean things? Mr. Chen, are you suggesting that Duan Yitian mentioned someone was following him before he died?"

"Yes! No, wait... no!"

"Please relax, Mr. Chen. Take your time."

"Okay... okay."

"Gulp~"

"That day, Duan Yitian did mention in his phone that something was following him, but he said it wasn't a person... it wasn't human... it... it was... a ghost..."

"A ghost? Mr. Chen, please continue."

"Okay... okay! You are Public Security Officers, you should be able to check if Duan Yitian suddenly won the lottery a week before his death, right!"

"Won the lottery? Mr. Chen, are you saying that the large sum of money that suddenly appeared in Duan Yitian's account was from winning the lottery?"

"However, according to our investigation, there is no lottery in Jiuzhou with a prize amount matching this sum."

"You definitely won't find it, because that money wasn't given by a living person, but... huff... it was life-reaping money from a ghost... huff~"

"Life-reaping money? What exactly happened that day? Please tell us truthfully!"

"That day, Duan Yitian suddenly messaged us saying he had struck it rich and wanted to treat us out. We didn't refuse and went out.

I noticed Duan Yitian had aged significantly, but he didn't mention it to us, so we didn't pry.

Later, we first had dinner at a hotel, then went to a KTV to sing, and finally, we went to a foot massage parlor for a foot wash.

We didn't do anything... inappropriate, we went to a... legitimate foot massage parlor, the kind that just offers foot washes."

"Alright, we understand. Please continue."

"While getting our feet washed, we noticed Duan Yitian seemed off.

He kept hitting his head from time to time. He's usually a very good-tempered person, but that day, he scolded the newly hired foot massage girl to tears for no reason.

After the foot wash, we all went our separate ways from the parlor. Since Duan Yitian and I were heading in the same direction, he gave me a ride.

In the car, his demeanor was very abnormal. He kept emphasizing to me that there's no such thing as a free lunch, telling me to stay grounded and not to buy lottery tickets or anything..."

"What happened next? What happened?"

"Not long after I got home, Duan Yitian called me.

I remember very clearly, his tone was very panicked at the time, I could feel that he was very scared.

He seemed to be running away then. He must have been constantly climbing stairs; I could clearly hear his footsteps and his panting.

He kept muttering something...

'It's coming... it's been following me, it's right behind me. There's no such thing as a free lunch in this world. What I got wasn't a prize, it was life-reaping money...'

'Following? Life-reaping money? Mr. Chen, are you saying someone paid a killer to take Duan Yitian's life? But why would that person give Duan Yitian so much money?'

'No! You don't understand, that 'it'... 'it' isn't human... 'it' is a ghost...

That money was the ghost's offer to buy his life. When he started spending that money, he had already agreed to sell his life...

He sold his lifespan; he only has seven days left. When the time comes, 'it' will come to collect the goods 'it' purchased...

Hahaha... Duan Yitian is dead, and I'll die too... Hahaha...'

'Mr. Chen, please calm down! Please calm down!'

'Hahaha... Come on! Come and take my life, you don't have to wait three more days, I can deliver my life early... Hahaha...'

'Ah~ Ugh~'

'I apologize, Mr. Chen. Given your current mental state and for the safety of your life, we must take coercive measures.'

'Hahaha... It's useless... That thing isn't human at all... No matter what you do, I'll still die in three days... Hahaha...'

'Grandpa! Your grandson is calling!'

'Grandpa! Your grandson is calling!'

'...'

It was the middle of the day.

Lu Siye, who had just gotten out of bed after a night of cultivation and was washing his face, received a call.

He picked up his phone. The caller was Zheng Hai, whom he had met twice before. They had exchanged phone numbers when they were next door.

Quickly drying the water from his hands, Lu Siye picked up his phone and answered.

Before Lu Siye could even speak, Zheng Hai's grave voice rang out.

'Little Lu Comrade, something's happened. I need your help over here!'