True and False

"My chat room is full of hidden talents. These fans, my supporters, are passionate about sharing the clues they find with me. I think this is a very healthy dynamic; we help and supervise each other," Liu Chen said eloquently. He felt he had regained his confidence. Facing the Profiler, he had his own bargaining chips. "I often get the latest updates on Supervisory Bureau cases from them."

"The Alliance encourages mutual supervision," Jiang Lian's swivel chair remained stationary as he spoke, "but you have no way of guaranteeing the information these people provide is true."

Jiang Lian was alluding to "Snow in May." That ID had leaked information about the Profiler to Liu Chen at the time but failed to mention that the Profiler was from Black Panther.

"Sometimes, it's necessary to abandon the authenticity of some information," Liu Chen looked Jiang Lian straight in the eye. "Your information is very real, but what's the result? You're constantly under attack by public opinion. Do you think the public really cares about the truth? No, not at all. The public doesn't care about the truth at all. All they want are sensational headlines, exciting content, and conspiracies that have nothing to do with them. Let me give you an example, and I hope you won't be offended. Jiang Lian, in those public opinions, you're described as Fu Chenghui's lackey. Many people claim with certainty that they saw you bribing Fu Chenghui."

"I know," Jiang Lian frowned, "but they have no evidence."

"Evidence? What kind of evidence do you want? This isn't a lawsuit," Liu Chen was amused by Jiang Lian's words. "This is just a pastime. Who cares about evidence? You do? I can forge it for you anytime. You're just an object of amusement for the public."

"What is he trying to say?" Jue asked Piao Lin in a low voice.

"I'm proving that authenticity is useless. What is information in this era? It's whatever the public needs, we create. Public opinion is always hanging over my head, but I don't care. I've found plenty of topics for them, those extreme and controversial topics. This is the reason my team and I were able to make a comeback." Liu Chen sounded like a successful person. "The Supervisory Bureau is also in this kind of crisis, which is why I'm saying we'd be better off cooperating. You give me the real case files, and I'll shape a beautiful public image for you. It would be good for all of us, and good for the Docking Area too."

"The Supervisory Bureau has no need for that," Jiang Lian said. "And you don't have to be so smug, let alone treat the public like fools. Just answer the questions about the 'Ferryman' truthfully."

Liu Chen felt it was a pity. He had proposed cooperation to the Supervisory Bureau more than once, but Jiang Lian had rejected him every time. He believed Jiang Lian was afraid of Fu Chenghui, so he could only answer the questions perfunctorily. "The 'Ferryman' left me a message about this case. At first, I didn't take it seriously, but he also left the time of the murder. Later, when the person really died, I found that the time of death was exactly the same as the time he had mentioned."

"Just the time?"

This was the first question Yan Junxun had asked today.

Liu Chen looked at Yan Junxun. He had truly only just noticed him.

Yan Junxun's overly youthful face was even less convincing than Piao Lin's. His somewhat messy hair covered his eyebrows, making him look much younger than his actual age. He had a very tired expression, as if he could fall asleep at any moment. But he was indeed very handsome, a kind of beauty that he seemed reluctant to show.

"And a few diary entries." Liu Chen regarded Yan Junxun as some kind of recorder.

Yan Junxun observed the look in Liu Chen's eyes and naturally slipped into the role of a recorder. He took out a pen and paper from the drawer, got up, reached across the table, and placed them in front of Liu Chen, saying, "Please recount the contents of the diary in detail."

"You guys still use pen and paper? I thought you were on the cutting edge, that you wouldn't use them anymore." Liu Chen picked up the pen and paused before writing. However, he didn't ask any questions. "May 6th, 2160, sunny..." Liu Chen spoke as he wrote. After a few lines, he ignored Yan Junxun and said to Jiang Lian, "I don't remember it that clearly. If you want, I can send you screenshots of those diary entries."

Yan Junxun returned to his seat without a word.

Jiang Lian nodded and said, "Thank you for your cooperation."

Liu Chen hesitated again before sending the screenshots. He mumbled, "Let me look... Can you guys really solve the case with this stuff?" He looked at Shi Shanyan again.

Before Shi Shanyan could answer, the Communicator in the drawer vibrated. He leaned back in his chair, looking at the message on the Communicator while replying to Liu Chen, "We can. I'm a mystic, you know."

The message was from Yan Junxun. He said: [Scare him.]

Shi Shanyan replied with [=w=] and said, "...Did you send it?"

Liu Chen sent the screenshots over. Shi Shanyan glanced at them. There was some garbled text, written like coded erotic literature from some hidden website, and a lot of exclamation points.

[May 4th, 2160, sunny&*! Successful hunt! Prey-0%￥ sluggish!!! Stupid&**# vile!!! Kept! Screaming! While I was eating! So noisy! I proceeded to ()&...!]

"This is what the 'Ferryman' sent you?" Shi Shanyan's gaze bore down on Liu Chen. "Is it?"

Liu Chen glanced at the content and said, "This is it."

"Very good," Shi Shanyan smiled and asked an irrelevant question, "Did you come from home?"

"Yes," Liu Chen felt a little uneasy under Shi Shanyan's gaze. He shifted in his seat and crossed his other leg. "My home is quite far from here. The good residential areas are all pretty far from here, so I was a bit late."

"Your wife is so virtuous," Shi Shanyan said. "Did she polish your shoes for you too?"

"Yes," Liu Chen subconsciously glanced at his own shoes, then added, "Is there a problem? She takes care of all my clothes."

"What about your shirt?" Shi Shanyan raised his hand and made a gesture of pulling at his own empty chest area. "And your tie."

"Yes, all of them," Liu Chen said. "Is this also part of the investigation?"

"No," Shi Shanyan gestured for him not to be impatient. "Did you come from home?"

"Yes, I said so," Liu Chen put his foot down. "I came from home."

"You didn't drive."

"Someone gave me a ride," Liu Chen said quickly. "A friend."

"What friend?" Shi Shanyan stared at him. "The friend who irons your clothes for you instead of your wife?"

"What are you talking about..." Liu Chen laughed out loud, pulling at his suit jacket again.

"You two shared a lingering kiss goodbye in the car. She pulled your tie, you hugged her, and then your jacket got caught in a gap. You yanked it out and found a button had come off," Shi Shanyan was still leaning back in his chair, typing to Yan Junxun. "But you didn't think much of it. It's not like the Supervisory Bureau was going to interview you, so you just came upstairs."

"Nonsense!" Liu Chen clutched his suit. A button was indeed missing, which was why he had to keep pulling at it. His expression changed, and he made to stand up. "Is the investigation over? I have to go."

"Is she still waiting for you?" Shi Shanyan clicked his tongue lightly. "Where are you two going?"

"Psycho!" Liu Chen actually stood up.

"You wiped off the lipstick in the car using the rearview mirror. But I'd advise you not to embrace after putting on perfume; the smell is truly indescribable." Shi Shanyan sent the message and looked at Liu Chen again.

Liu Chen's chest heaved under his gaze.

"Is she a friend of your wife's?" Shi Shanyan guessed idly. "Your social circle seems complicated, but it's actually just a few people. She's younger than your wife, and the perfume she chose... the scent is really obvious. Do you think this will get exposed? You don't care, but she's not your only mistress, is she?"

"Stop talking," Liu Chen clutched his clothes as if they were a fig leaf. He shouted, "You can't prove any of it... It's completely illogical!"

"Who cares," Shi Shanyan bared his canines, making it impossible to tell if what he had just said was true or false. He repeated Liu Chen's words, "Whatever the public needs, we create."

Liu Chen was sick to death of profilers. He even felt like his mistress's lipstick stain was still on his face, that he was covered in flaws. How the fuck did he guess all that?

"Hurry up," Shi Shanyan lowered his index finger, drawing attention to the Panda-themed band-aid on it. He said, "I'll confirm one more time. Is this what the 'Ferryman' sent you?"

Liu Chen stiffened his neck and said rigidly, "...No."

Yan Junxun's Communicator kept vibrating as messages popped up frantically.

[Are you still angry?]

[Because of the kiss?]

[Send me an emoji.]

[Why did you stop looking at me?]

[Does "peeping" really make you feel ashamed? There's no need.]

[Please look at me, quick.]

Yan Junxun ignored these messages, staring at the blank paper in front of him until a new message popped up on the screen.

[Did I forget to tell you that I masturbated in the bathtub last night?]

Yan Junxun gripped his Communicator and suddenly looked at Shi Shanyan in disbelief.