In the middle of the night, under the dazzling city lights, the neon signs flickered brightly in a restless, sleepless metropolis. However, amidst the vibrancy of the city, a shocking case quietly unfolded. A popular celebrity assistant from a well-known entertainment company fell to her death from the rooftop of a luxury apartment building. The incident quickly attracted widespread media and public attention. Many speculated that it was a tragic accident, but for the police, nothing about this case was as simple as it seemed.
The next day, Su Wanqing and Lu Chenzhou arrived at the scene. The apartment building was located in the city's upscale residential area, a modern structure with glass curtain walls reflecting the morning sunlight. It was from the large windows at the top of the building that the celebrity assistant had fallen. Police had cordoned off the area, and several officers were already investigating. Su Wanqing's eyes scanned the site, sensing something was off.
"The victim fell near the glass window on the rooftop, and there were no protective measures in place," an officer reported to Su Wanqing.
"Glass window? Is it possible she was pushed from there?" Su Wanqing murmured, beginning to ponder the deeper causes behind the case.
Lu Chenzhou studied the scene and squatted down to inspect the victim's body. The victim was wearing a simple black T-shirt and jeans, her limbs already stiff with rigor mortis, her face contorted in a painful expression. Although it was a fall, Su Wanqing, with her years of experience, quickly noticed some oddities.
"There are noticeable abrasions on the victim's back and elbows," Su Wanqing observed. "These marks don't look like they're from a natural fall—they seem to suggest she was dragged."
"This suggests she may have been pushed, not fallen by accident," Lu Chenzhou added. "But the person who pushed her left no traces, indicating that this case could be quite special."
Su Wanqing nodded, her expression serious. A fall may seem simple, but if it was indeed a murder, then there must be hidden secrets behind it. She turned to the officer and said, "Further examine the victim's body. See if you can find any evidence related to the case."
"Got it." The officer nodded and walked away.
Soon, Su Wanqing and Lu Chenzhou discovered an unexpected clue in the victim's belongings—inside her pocket, there was a torn piece of paper with several lines of writing: "XX celebrity, drug evidence, must not be disclosed…" The paper had been folded multiple times, clearly tampered with. Su Wanqing's heart skipped a beat—this note seemed to reveal some secrets the victim knew while alive.
"The handwriting on the note seems hurried, clearly written in the last moments of her life," Su Wanqing analyzed carefully. "This note could very well be the direct cause of her death."
Lu Chenzhou nodded in agreement. They decided to further investigate the victim's background, especially her relationship with the celebrity in question.
"We need to find out the evidence the victim had, and figure out what exactly happened between her and the celebrity," Lu Chenzhou said.
Through their investigation, Su Wanqing and Lu Chenzhou learned that the victim, named Lin Ze, was an assistant to a popular celebrity. Lin Ze had a close relationship with this celebrity, a rising star beloved by fans. However, as their investigation deepened, Su Wanqing and Lu Chenzhou discovered that the celebrity's public image was far from perfect.
"The evidence Lin Ze had might be related to the celebrity's drug use," Su Wanqing reported to Lu Chenzhou, flipping through case files. "Lin Ze had several heated arguments with the celebrity's manager and had posted suggestive comments about the celebrity on social media."
"Could the manager be the murderer?" Lu Chenzhou pondered for a moment and raised a question.
"It seems likely," Su Wanqing confirmed. "The manager would have the most motive to eliminate a threat to the celebrity's image. According to our investigation, the relationship between the celebrity and the manager is quite complicated. The manager, in an effort to protect the celebrity's public persona, may have resorted to extreme measures."
After further investigation, they found sufficient evidence to suspect the celebrity's manager. It turned out that Lin Ze not only worked as the celebrity's assistant but had also discovered evidence of the celebrity's drug use by chance. Lin Ze had saved photos and videos of the incident and planned to use them to blackmail the celebrity. In an effort to protect their own position in the entertainment industry, the celebrity and manager had decided to eliminate this threat.
To cover their tracks, the manager orchestrated an "accident" at the celebrity's apartment. Knowing that Lin Ze often worked on the rooftop terrace, the manager chose that spot to push him to his death.
The manager knew that Lin Ze would never expose the evidence, as doing so would destroy his own career. Yet, the manager decided to act first. Lin Ze's death appeared to be an accident on the surface, but behind it lay a shocking truth.
After days of investigation, Su Wanqing and Lu Chenzhou finally found decisive evidence—the text message records between the celebrity and the manager. These messages clearly showed the manager and the celebrity colluding to protect the celebrity's image through threats and blackmail. When Lin Ze threatened to expose the truth, they decided to eliminate him.
The breakthrough came, and Su Wanqing and Lu Chenzhou arrested the manager. During the interrogation, the manager finally admitted to his crime. He explained that he killed Lin Ze because he feared the young assistant would reveal the celebrity's drug scandal, destroying the celebrity's career and reputation.
"He was just an assistant, why should he threaten me?" the manager sneered. "I've done so much for this celebrity. He can't let one assistant ruin everything!"
However, Su Wanqing felt no sympathy for him. The manager had lost all sense of morality and humanity for his own interests. He chose to solve the problem with violence, taking an innocent life.
"You thought you could protect the celebrity's image, but you've destroyed your own future," Su Wanqing said coldly.
The case was closed, and although the celebrity was investigated, there was insufficient evidence to press criminal charges. Nonetheless, the scandal and the damage to the celebrity's image had already made a significant impact. No matter how hard the celebrity tried to recover, the former glory was gone.
Su Wanqing stood at the scene of the crime, gazing at the flickering neon lights in the distance, her feelings mixed. Behind every celebrity is a little-known story, and sometimes, these stories are deeper than their shiny public persona. She quietly thought to herself, perhaps this is the harsh reality of the entertainment industry—fame, fortune, and humanity can never be balanced.
"Some people are destined to pay a price for their pursuits," Lu Chenzhou's voice interrupted her thoughts.
Su Wanqing nodded slightly, turning to leave.