Chapter 3: The Sixth Card

Detective Lin Zhe's flashlight beam cut through the darkness of the abandoned projection room, illuminating rows of decaying seats and dust-laden air. The silence was oppressive, broken only by the distant creaking of the building settling into its decay.

"Doesn't this feel more like a stage set than a crime scene?" Detective Li Chen's voice was hushed, as if speaking too loudly might disturb something lurking in the shadows.

Lin Zhe approached the playing card embedded in the wall—a black spade king, encased in resin, gleaming ominously under the flashlight. He reached out, fingers brushing the cool surface. With a firm tug, the card and a section of the wall panel came loose, revealing a hidden compartment.

Inside lay a photograph, a folded piece of paper, and a USB drive.

The photograph depicted a woman in her late twenties, dressed in a white dress, standing on a balcony with the city's skyline behind her. Her eyes held a gentle gaze, but her smile was unsettlingly familiar—the same eerie grin that had adorned the faces of the previous victims.

"Who is she?" Li Chen asked, peering over Lin Zhe's shoulder.

Lin Zhe unfolded the paper. Scrawled in neat handwriting were the words:

"She is the sixth card."

Their eyes met, the weight of the revelation settling between them.

"This isn't just about five victims," Lin Zhe murmured. "It's a full deck."

"Forty-seven more," Li Chen whispered.

Lin Zhe pocketed the USB drive. "Let's see what's on this."

Back at the precinct, they inserted the USB into a secure computer. A password prompt appeared.

"Try the date on the back of the photo," Li Chen suggested.

Lin Zhe entered "210707." The folder unlocked, revealing a single video file.

The screen flickered to life, displaying a stark white room. A woman—the same from the photograph—sat at a table, smiling directly at the camera.

"Hello, Lin Zhe," she began. "If you're watching this, the fifth card has been played. Now, it's your turn."

She held up a spade king. "Complete your script, and the sixth card will be revealed."

The video ended abruptly.

Li Chen exhaled slowly. "She knows you."

Lin Zhe nodded, a shadow crossing his face. "Her name is Jiang Wan Ning. She was my fiancée."

"Was?"

"She disappeared three years ago."

Before Lin Zhe could elaborate, an alarm blared through the precinct. A voice crackled over the intercom:

"Male body found at East Dock. Spade king in hand. Smiling."

Li Chen's eyes widened. "The sixth card?"

Lin Zhe shook his head, determination hardening his features. "No. This is just the beginning."