The Victims' Game (2020) s01e03 Episode Script
Candle
The Victims' Game is a work of fiction
that includes scenes
of violence and suicide.
The scenes might cause
uneasiness or discomfort
and can be offensive to some people.
Viewer discretion and
professional assistance are advised.
A NETFLIX ORIGINAL SERIES
[man 1] Our second Yu Ping Apartments
have finally been sold today!
[people cheering]
[man 1] Let's put our hands together
for our supermen,
Hsiao-zhao and Tsung-chien!
Congratulations!
[woman 1] You're so handsome, Tsung-chien!
- [woman 2] You look good, Tsung-chien!
- [Mr. Chung] Congrats!
- Well done, Zhao!
- Thank you.
- [Mr. Chung] Chang Tsung-chien! Come here!
- Sir.
Let me introduce to you,
Chang Tsung-chien.
- This wall right here
- [thumping on wall]
- is Chang Tsung-chien's work alone.
- [all] Oh!
[Mr. Chung] We can't survive without him!
- That's not true.
- Come on.
- [applause]
- The first place, of course.
- [people singing]
- [chuckles]
Okay.
Miss, come and say a few words.
- Here, miss.
- Come on.
- Miss.
- Come here.
- Cheng.
- Congratulations.
- [phone chimes]
- [Ms. Lai] Thank you.
You've all worked hard.
From now on, the company is in your hands.
[employees cheering, applauding]
- [Mr. Chung] Yes!
- Miss, let's take a picture with everyone.
- [Mr. Chung] Congratulations.
- [Zhao] Thanks.
- [Me. Chung] Come on, everyone.
- [man 2] Here.
Thank you, guys.
- [man 3] Anyone else?
- [Mr. Chung] Quick
- Grab the chance.
- Okay.
HELLO, MR. CHANG TSUNG-CHIEN.
THIS IS NANLIN HOSPITAL.
YOUR REPORT IS OUT.
PLEASE CONTACT MS. ZHANG OF ONCOLOGY.
[Mr. Chung] One more picture.
- Okay.
- [woman 3] Smile.
- One more. One, two, three.
- [woman 4] One, two.
One more picture.
BEST SALES AGENT OF YU PING CONSTRUCTION
[knocks on door]
[Mr. Chung] Come in.
[door closes]
- Mr. Chung.
- [Mr. Chung] Yes.
The Human Resource Department asked me
to sign a resignation letter.
What does this mean?
Your sales credit
has been zero for months.
You took some time off this month,
which messes up the procedures.
I'm sure you know what I mean.
[Mr. Chung] I'd love to help you
VOLUNTARY RESIGNATION LETTER
but the company has rules.
Okay. I'm sorry.
I deserve to have cancer.
What about the sales bonus I deserve?
You still owe me a ton of it. Why?
The company is very big. Will it run away?
Would we owe you money?
It has been more than three months,
Mr. Chung.
[Tsung-chien] You said
it would be paid last month.
And now, you say it'll be next time.
Mr. Chung, I'm running out of time.
No one can take care of my dad
and he has dementia.
Mr. Chung
Please, just do me this favor. Okay?
[heavy sigh]
Tsung-chien.
To be honest, a sales bonus
is offered to the people
who can continue making profits
for the company.
With your illness,
how can you make us more profit?
I did my best to beg
for your half of the bonus.
You should feel grateful.
I sacrificed my life for it.
Who gives you the right to withhold it?
I can only say that the company
has been very kind to you.
I have a meeting to attend.
- [Mr. Chung] Excuse me.
- Come on
Mr. Chung
Tsung-chien.
Get well soon.
- Mr. Chung
- Take care.
[clicks tongue]
[sobs]
[grunts]
[thumping]
[sobbing]
[whimpering]
[foreboding music]
[low static]
[theme music]
[gun clicks]
CANDLE
[broadcaster] New Times News
has revealed online
that the victim in the charred corpse case
is someone else.
It was not the sales agent, Chang,
but the celebrity, Su, who was mistaken
for the victim in the acid bath murder.
- [coin clinks]
- The sales agent, Chang, is still missing.
- The coincidental elements in both cases
- [phone rings]
and the bizarre methods of the murderer
seem to be fulfilling
the victims' last wishes.
Third Investigation Corps of Pinglin City.
There's another corpse
in the south of the city.
[Hsiao-meng] Da'an Warehouses.
[gasps]
[Fatso] Wait. Who are you?
- Are you the one who found it?
- [phone clanks]
[foreboding music]
[siren blaring]
[suspenseful music]
[siren blaring]
[low static]
[cop 1] We've arrived
at the crime scene.
We have arrived at the crime scene.
[indistinct chatter]
[Yi-jen] Excuse me.
- [Liao] Kuan.
- [Cheng-kuan] What?
Is that man really Chang Tsung-chien?
Are you blind?
He's right there. Don't you have eyes?
[in soft voice]
[Liao] It's not that.
The first two were totally disfigured,
but this one has been left intact.
It's weird.
The body hasn't completely gone stiff.
And the livor mortis isn't obvious either.
[Yao-hui] The time of death
would have been around two hours ago.
But we won't know how he died
until we cut him open.
- I see.
- Okay.
- Kuan!
- Yes?
The security said this warehouse
belongs to a man named Chuang Ping-yao.
[Fatso] I think he's
a professional wood sculptor.
These are his artworks.
- [Cheng-kuan] Chuang Ping-yao?
- [Fatso] Yes.
- [Cheng-kuan] Liao.
- [Liao] Yes?
- [Cheng-kuan] Go see what's happening.
- [Liao] Sure.
[ominous music]
[camera shutter clicks]
[clanks]
[clicks]
[microscope creaking]
[foreboding music]
ANALYSIS RESUL
SPECIES: LARGE DOG
[woman 5] Mr. Chuang.
Sorry, we made you come here
right after landing.
- Thank you very much.
- No problem.
[man 4] Excuse me, Mr. Chuang.
We'd like to schedule some time
to acquire your artwork for our studio.
Is that okay with you?
I don't think so.
[clears throat]
Those pieces are newly done.
They can't be revealed yet.
[man 4] Then what if
we just film the outside?
I have been cooperating with a gallery.
I have an exhibition center there.
Why don't you film it there?
[man 4] Sure. Thank you.
- It's about time.
- Okay. Let's go.
[phone buzzing]
Hello?
[Liao] Hello, is this Mr. Chuang Ping-yao?
Yes.
[Liao] This is the
Third Investigation Corps.
[Cheng-kuan] Do you recognize this man?
I do not.
[door closes]
This man died in your warehouse.
His name is Chang Tsung-chien.
[Cheng-kuan] Do you not know him?
I really don't know him.
[Cheng-kuan] Look carefully.
No, sir. I don't know him.
Do you think I'm the suspect?
Let me ask you again.
Aside from you, who else
would go to that warehouse?
The security, I suppose.
He goes on patrols.
Where were you from 10:00 p.m. yesterday
until 6:00 a.m. today?
[chuckles]
Sir, I was on a plane.
[Ping-yao] I came here as soon
as I picked up the phone after landing.
You went abroad?
- [Liao] Where?
- Tokyo.
What for?
[Ping-yao] To carve wood.
- I've been
- I asked you why you went to Tokyo.
I was on a wood carving tour around Asia.
[Ping-yao] I even brought back an award.
[scoffs]
Were you the champion?
[Liao] Did you win some money?
Have you filed your tax?
Should I check it for you?
Have you, perhaps, offended somebody,
or had a feud with someone?
[Ping-yao] Not likely. I'm always abroad.
You'd better think it through.
A man died in your warehouse.
[foreboding music]
[Cheng-kuan] Think and look carefully.
Sir, I really don't know him.
Could someone be jealous of me?
[Ping-yao] But that's
not quite possible either.
Why don't you check again, sir?
- [Cheng-kuan] Think carefully.
- [door opens, closes]
[Yi-jen] I need to examine your vehicle.
- Who are you?
- The forensic investigator.
I need to check your vehicle.
Didn't I make myself clear in there?
- I have nothing to do with this.
- I need to check your vehicle.
[keys clink]
[tape rasping]
[car trunk closes]
Have you seen her?
Who is that?
- Have you seen her?
- [Ping-yao] I don't know her.
[Yao-hui] Similar to Yu Cheng-hao
and Su Ko-yun,
Chang Tsung-chien overdosed on fentanyl.
When we were dissecting him,
we found that the cancer cells
in his stomach had spread to his liver.
Other than that, there's nothing special.
Fang Yi-jen. What did you find?
There was no match for the fingerprints.
Nothing? What do you mean "nothing"?
Could the murderer fly?
That's not possible.
[Liao clicks tongue]
The murderer was playing with us
with the first two dead bodies.
[Liao] And now, Chang Tsung-chien.
What's next?
[Fatso] Kuan.
Have you seen the cover story
of New Times News?
It was nothing but bullshit!
Damn, that reporter
can really tell stories.
Killing the victims
after fulfilling their last wishes.
Who'd believe that, huh?
I don't care what the reporter wrote.
The point is, if I find out
who leaked the information,
you'll see what I do!
[sighs]
- Liao, Fatso.
- Yes, sir.
Find out who the tattooed girl
in the camera footage is,
as well as the woman who made the report.
- [Liao] Okay.
- [Fatso] Sure.
[tense music]
[approaching footsteps]
Coffee?
[Hai-yin] What did you think of my story?
It lacked actual proof.
Everything is just theory.
- It's reasonable.
- Has your agency
ever interviewed a wood sculptor
named Chuang Ping-yao?
I hear that name a lot. Hasn't he been
the talk of the town recently?
Chang Tsung-chien died in his warehouse.
Is he the victim or the suspect?
Neither.
He seems to have had nothing to do with it
and he has a perfect alibi.
But I found something weird.
I found a strand of blonde hair
where the body was found.
After examination,
I found the fur content
to be more than two-thirds.
It could be the hair
of an adult golden retriever.
However, I found none of that
in Chuang Ping-yao's body or car.
- So I feel like it is
- Hi!
This is Hai-yin!
[giggles]
How are you?
One second, I have something to ask you.
Didn't the Art Articles Department
interview Chuang Ping-yao?
[chuckles]
[Hai-yin] Yes, would you
give me his number?
He's quite the celebrity lately.
So I also want to interview him.
Give me a second.
Let me get a piece of paper and a pen.
- [paper rustles]
- Now you can tell me.
[Hai-yin] Uh-huh.
Okay.
Roger that. Thanks.
[Hai-yin] Mm. Bye-bye.
[Ping-yao] To tell you the truth,
I couldn't come up with a name.
So I flipped through some books
and came up with a random name.
And then the critic wrote
that article for me.
After the article came out,
the prices of all my artworks doubled.
[chuckles]
The article succeeded only because
your artworks are good.
You're too kind.
[Hai-yin] I mean it.
Art article reporters like us love
to interview a unique artist like you.
Unique?
- [Hai-yin] Yes!
- Are you sure?
Your artworks are so delicate and refined.
They are a perfect mix
of concrete and abstract.
As a new artist, you're very eye-catching.
[snickers]
It's hard to find a reporter
as beautiful and eloquent as you.
- [Ping-yao] You're the first.
- Thank you.
Are you free tomorrow?
Why do you ask?
I would like to go through your draft
and invite you to dinner.
- May I use your restroom?
- Sure.
Walk straight to the end
and then turn right.
[Hai-yin] Thank you.
[classical music playing]
[foreboding music]
[foreboding music continues]
[drawer rasps]
CHAMPION
[picture frame clanks]
[suspenseful music]
[gasps, chuckles]
You scared me.
Would you like to see my study?
I have to work on the article.
Next time, though.
- I'll see you out.
- I'll see myself out. Thanks.
[foreboding music]
[sighs]
Goodness.
- [car door closes]
- How did it go?
I have goosebumps all over.
Are all artists that narcissistic?
- Does he have a dog?
- No.
Are you sure?
I'm positive. He lives alone
in that gigantic mansion,
with a bunch of selfies.
[car alarm beeps]
Hey.
[engine starts]
[seat belt clicks]
[engine revs]
[engine starts]
[engine revs]
[lighter clicks]
CHANG TSUNG-CHIEN
CRIME SCENE: YU PING APARTMENTS
DECEASED: SU KO-YUN, 43 YEARS OLD
[Liao] Kuan. I found something.
- [keyboard clacks]
- Right there.
[Fatso] This is
the Fengshen Industrial Area.
The police were filing parking tickets.
There were only workers around,
but a woman showed up,
so they paid extra attention.
[Liao] Kuan, look at the video.
The woman in the jacket
looks quite similar
to the one on the whiteboard.
She went in about ten days ago,
around 4:00 p.m.
She came out an hour later.
[Fatso] She reappeared
the next day, at 7:00 p.m.
This time, it only took her 20 minutes.
This is the last footage of her.
[Cheng-kuan] Zoom in.
[keyboard clacking]
[Liao] Hmm? What is she holding?
[clicking]
- What was the name of this place again?
- Fengshen Industrial Area.
- Industrial area?
- [Fatso] Uh-huh.
[car alarm beeps]
[door opens]
[dog barking]
[Ping-jung] What took you
so long to visit me?
[Ping-yao] I've been busy lately.
Hey.
Here are the pickles you wanted.
[Ping-jung] Thanks.
[foreboding music]
[dog barks]
Why has this place become this nasty?
Haven't you been cleaning?
[Ping-yao] You have so much free time.
You've got to get yourself moving.
- [Ping-yao] Where's my stuff?
- [Ping-jung] On the counter.
[paper rustling]
[paper crumples]
If there's nothing else, I'm leaving.
[Ping-jung] Hey.
Wait a second.
What's up?
[Ping-jung] Even though
we didn't sell it at a good price,
be honest, what do you think?
It's not that bad.
I'll see you.
[engine starts]
[engine revs]
[Yi-jen] Follow him.
[Hai-yin] Keep me updated.
[car door closes]
[car engine starts]
[engine revs]
[dog barking]
Who's there?
Who's there?
[dog barking]
[seat belt clicks]
[car door opens]
[eerie music]
[clatters]
[camera shutter clicking]
[clicking continues]
[woman 6] How long did it
take you this time?
[Ping-yao] About a month.
- [woman 6] You finished this in a month?
- [Ping-yao] Yes.
- [woman 6] It's really delicate.
- [Ping-yao] I know.
- [woman 6] You made it yourself?
- [Ping-yao] Yes.
- [woman 6] You are indeed a professional.
- [Ping-yao] I think so.
[woman 6] It's really good.
[metal clanking]
[Cheng-kuan] Liao!
[machinery whirring]
[Cheng-kuan] Where's your boss?
- Boss! Someone's here to see you.
- [Liao] Have you seen this man?
- [man 5] I haven't.
- [Liao] Really?
- Have you seen this man?
- No.
Look again.
- [Cheng-kuan] Sir!
- [man 5] No.
Excuse me.
I have something to ask you.
Did you see this girl 13 days ago?
- [man 6] I didn't.
- [Cheng-kuan] You didn't?
Thanks.
- [man 6] Feel free to look around.
- [Cheng-kuan] Okay. Thank you.
Kuan.
Hey!
[Liao] Stop right there!
Watch out!
[tense music]
[thuds]
- [Liao] Why don't you keep running?
- [thwacks]
Fuck you! Stand up!
- Stand up!
- [thwacks]
- [Liao] Cooperate!
- [man 7] Cooperate with what?
[thuds]
Hey!
- Chase him!
- Let's go!
[Liao] Stop!
Stop running!
[Liao] I'll catch you!
Fuck you.
- [tires screech]
- [thuds]
Keep running, why don't you?
- [handcuffs clinking]
- [sighs]
[handcuffs click]
[Cheng-kuan] You fucking use drugs, huh?
Speak. What was the girl doing here?
Are you mute? Can't you talk?
- [Liao] Son of a
- Hey! It's dangerous.
The first drawer.
The first drawer.
[clacks]
[drawer rasps]
- That one.
- [clanks]
- Which one?
- The round one.
- They're all round. Which one?
- Not that, the black one. Yes.
[man 7] She asked me to make this for her.
I made a mistake with this one.
Kuan. I think it's a bathtub plug.
Why did she want you to do this?
[Liao] Talk!
It's specialized.
It's made of acid-proof rubber.
[Liao] "Acid-proof"?
- Are you lying?
- [man 7] I'm not.
[Liao] You're a dead man if you lie.
GUIDU HOTEL ACID BATH MURDER
CASE NAME, MOTIVE, CONTEX
[Liao] Fatso! Fatso! Fatso!
Do you remember us finding
an acid-proof plug at Guidu Hotel?
Yes.
It's the same as the one
we took back from the factory.
[paper rustles]
[Liao] Aren't they the same?
LOCATION: GUIDU HOTEL
[Fatso] They do look alike.
If this is legit,
the tattooed girl ordered the plug,
and she showed up near the crime scene.
If she was the one who put in the plug,
it would definitely have her fingerprints.
If there are fingerprints,
the Forensic Department
should have the data.
Look it up.
There's no need to look it up.
I've already checked.
I'm sure the first plug
is not in the case file.
Where are the fingerprints
when we don't even have the plug?
How is it possible?
Where's the evidence?
[rasping]
[rasping continues]
Do you know that someone died
in your warehouse?
Where were you from 10:00 p.m. yesterday
until this morning?
[Ping-jung] I was here.
[lighter clicking]
Chiang Hsiao-meng.
Have you heard that name?
What makes you think I've heard her name?
What is she to you?
[Ping-jung] You seem
to care a lot about her.
[sighs deeply]
[Ping-jung] Did you know
I made all of this?
My brother sold them.
And fed me with that money.
But he didn't give me a TV
[chuckles] or fix my radio.
Do you know why?
Because he was scared I would find out
he took my stuff to deceive people.
[Ping-jung chuckles]
But I fixed the radio.
Come.
[broadcaster]
Next is the weather forecast.
Tomorrow, it will be sunny in the morning
and cloudy in most areas.
The temperature
will be about 23 to 25 degrees Celsius
[Ping-jung] He thinks I have no idea.
But actually, I know everything.
It's a pleasure to meet you.
My name is Chuang Ping-jung.
Where is Chiang Hsiao-meng?
[Ping-jung] I don't know.
I hope you find her soon.
She has been waiting for you
for a long time.
[paper rustling]
[Liao] How long is it going to take?
Where is it?
Answer me!
I'm sorry. We really can't find the plug.
You can't find the evidence?
What the hell?
Aren't you responsible for this?
Perhaps
Perhaps we should ask Yi-jen.
He ran the fingerprint recognition
for the acid bath murder.
Where's Fang Yi-jen?
[foreboding music]
[phone buzzing]
[buzzing continues]
[Hai-yin] Hello? What did you find?
The one talking to Chuang Ping-yao
was his twin brother, Chuang Ping-jung.
He said he created everything.
[Yi-jen] I feel like he knew
I was going to see him
and he knows I'm looking for Hsiao-meng.
I think they have a plan.
I'm going to the warehouse
to see what I can find.
[engine stops]
[cop 1] Sir.
[Yi-jen] Fang Yi-jen, Forensic Department.
[foreboding music]
[foreboding music continues]
[foreboding music intensifies]
CRIME SCENE, NO ENTRY
[foreboding music]
[foreboding music continues]
[watch beeps]
EVIDENCE BAG
CHANG TSUNG-CHIEN
[foreboding music]
[cloth rips]
[beeping]
MATCH
CHANG TSUNG-CHIEN
- [Yao-hui] Hello?
- Fang Yi-jen, Forensic Department.
I'm looking for the chemical analysis
report of the plastic film
from the acid bath murder on March 17.
- [Yao-hui] March 17. Give me a minute.
- [keyboard clacking]
[Yao-hui]
The results we have so far indicate
that the film is actually
a type of polyethylene plastic.
The film might be the remains
after being eroded by piranha solution.
If the murderer was using this material
to contain the piranha solution,
he could be trying to delay
the dissolving process.
He intentionally designed this process.
[phone clanks]
- [door opens]
- [Cheng-kuan] Fang Yi-jen!
Fang Yi-jen!
Where's the plug from the acid bath case?
Hand it over!
[rasps]
Why didn't you put it
in the evidence cabinet?
I'm still checking it.
It wasn't dissolved
by the piranha solution.
So it must be made of something special.
- Did you find anything?
- [Yi-jen] Nothing.
Not even a fingerprint?
No.
Where are you going?
[footsteps retreating]
[gloomy music]
- [engine revving]
- [whooshes]
[gloomy music]
[sighs]
[door opens]
[Hsiao-meng sniffles]
[photos rustle]
[Yi-jen] I thought I told you
not to come inside this room
and not to touch my stuff.
Didn't I tell you that?
[sniffles]
[somber music]
[sniffles]
These people chose
to take their own lives.
[Yi-jen] No one forced them to do so.
Do you know how hard
a human body would have to be pushed
to look like that?
[sniffles]
Very hard.
- So basically it is
- [Jo-ying] Hsiao-meng.
Why did you come here?
I said you can't be in here.
Dad is working.
Why don't you come with me?
- [Hsiao-meng] Okay.
- Don't cry.
[Yi-jen panting]
[continues panting]
[Hsiao-meng] Mom, what does suicide mean?
[Jo-ying] Have you ever felt really sad?
Some people get sad
Too sad
So they hide somewhere else.
It is dark there.
[lighter clicks]
[Jo-ying] So we can light
a candle for them
and then tell them,
"Don't be scared.
It's okay now."
"Don't be scared. It's okay now."
[Jo-ying] Mm-hm. You did good.
[panting]
[clattering]
CRIME SCENE, NO ENTRY
[gloomy music]
[gloomy music continues]
NEW TIMES NEWS
SOCIAL NEWS REPORTER, HSU HAI-YIN
[phone buzzing]
- [Hai-yin] Hello?
- [Ta-tse] Hai-yin, is there any progress
on the Last Wish Murders?
There's not much evidence.
The police are still investigating.
[Ta-tse] Then why are you busy all
the time? Why aren't you in the office?
[Hai-yin] The body was found
in Chuang Ping-yao's warehouse.
I want to expose the fact
he took his brother's artwork
and pretended it belonged to him.
When the police confirm they have
something to do with the murders,
I will then write another story
and make it trending.
[Ta-tse] Sounds good. Keep me informed.
- I have a date.
- Okay.
CHUANG PING-YAO TOOK
HIS BROTHER'S ARTWORK AND LIED TO HIM
HE TOOK ADVANTAGE OF
CHUANG PING-JUNG'S BLINDNESS
[phone ringing]
[ringing continues]
[Yi-jen] Hello? Chuang Ping-jung,
this is Fang Yi-jen.
I know everything about you guys.
I'm not going to help you
achieve your last wish.
Just tell me where Hsiao-meng is.
Please.
Please tell me.
[panting]
[Yi-jen] Hello? Chuang Ping-jung
[phone clanks]
[foreboding music]
- [engine revving]
- [whooshes]
[static]
[broadcaster] There are new updates
on the Su Ko-yun acid bath murder
and Yu Ping Construction's
charred corpse case.
As reported by Hsu Hai-yin
from New Times News,
these two cases are serial murders.
The murderer deliberately played
the victims' game,
killing the victims after helping them
to fulfill their last wishes.
- [panting]
- [plastic rustling]
[clatters]
[Ping-jung] Fei-ta.
I'm sorry.
I can't be with you anymore.
But I found a new owner for you.
Be a good boy when you're there.
Obey them.
Don't let anyone hurt you.
[light music playing on radio]
[chuckles, sighs]
My mom told me a story when I was a kid.
A story about two puppies.
[sighs heavily]
One is Lucky, the other one is Black.
They both hate their shadows.
But when the sun comes up, shadows appear.
Lucky always closes his eyes.
Because once they're closed,
he won't see the shadows anymore.
Not seeing
means no worries,
no jealousy,
and no hatred.
In fact, Black has always been
hiding in Lucky's shadow.
Because that way, Black can't see
his own shadow anymore.
[light music playing on radio]
Who do you think I am? Lucky or Black?
[Ping-jung] Hmm?
At first, I thought I was Lucky.
Because I can't see.
But then, I realized
I'm actually Black.
[Ping-jung] I've been living
in Ping-yao's shadow.
I exist in his shadow.
We are inseparable.
But I really can't live
in his shadow any longer.
[light music playing]
- [door clanks]
- Chuang Ping-jung!
[foreboding music]
[foreboding music continues]
[operator] You have reached the voicemail.
You will be charged after the beep.
[Yi-jen] Hsu Hai-yin, don't publish
Chuang Ping-jung's story!
You hear me?
Don't publish Chuang Ping-jung's story!
JUNG
WOOD SCULPTOR CHUANG PING-YAO
EXPLOITS HIS GENIUS BLIND BROTHER!
SCAM EXPOSED
[Ta-tse] Not bad.
Chuang Ping-yao
won an international award.
Fraud is a big deal.
I've sent the proof and the photos
to your email.
Let's not decide what to write next
until Chuang Ping-yao responds.
Keep looking. I've got your back.
First thing tomorrow
is to request a bonus for you.
[sighs]
Don't let me down.
[phone chimes]
FANG YI-JEN
I NEED TO SEE YOU NOW
[car revs]
You can't publish
Chuang Ping-jung's story.
Why?
[Yi-jen] Take it down.
- The chief editor already has
- Take it back!
[pants]
Fine. I can do that.
I'll write about your daughter
being a suspect. I'll change the story now.
The three of them committed suicide!
[tense music]
Acid bath, charred body.
How can you do that yourself?
[Hai-yin] Where's the proof?
[Yi-jen] There are no signs of a murderer
entering the room in the acid bath murder.
Because Yu Cheng-hao was the only one
in the room from the beginning.
He wore gloves
and had Su Ko-yun's ID with him.
He entered the room pretending to be her.
Once he got in, he decorated the scene
exactly like her album cover.
Then he swapped
the rubber plug in the tub
to one that couldn't be dissolved
by acid.
Then he opened the faucet
and took piranha solution
from his suitcase.
He poured the solution into polyethylene
containers and put them in the tub.
[Hai-yin] Wait. How do you know that?
Fang Yi-jen, Forensic Department.
I'm looking for the chemical analysis
report of the plastic film
from the acid bath murder on March 17.
[Yi-jen] I found a small piece
of polyethylene plastic.
This material doesn't have
strong resistance to acids,
so it would be dissolved by
the piranha solution.
Yu Cheng-hao then injected
himself with fentanyl.
Based on the amount of fentanyl we found,
he probably died within three minutes.
That is way quicker
than the time the piranha solution needed
to dissolve the polyethylene plastic.
After he died, the piranha solution
flowed into the bathtub
and started to dissolve his body.
Lastly, it melted
the fentanyl syringe and the plug.
But the metal needle survived.
In the charred corpse case,
Su Ko-yun had Chang Tsung-chien's key
and went inside the Yu Ping Apartments.
She injected herself with fentanyl
beside the window.
Just like Yu Cheng-hao,
she died from an overdose
and then was burned.
Then what about the fire?
[sighs]
There was a plastic tube
inside her sleeve.
I found potassium nitrate.
Potassium nitrate
generates oxygen when hot.
The plastic tube kept out the spark.
And the wire?
Before fentanyl affected her,
she poured oil onto herself
and then ignited the wire.
[coughs]
[sobs]
- [lighter clicks]
- [gasps]
- [Ko-yun screams]
- [flame crackles]
[Yi-jen] Moments after her death,
the fire from the wire went
to her clothes and then reached the oil.
Eventually, the body started to burn.
Chang Tsung-chien died
in Chuang Ping-jung's warehouse.
I found an empty syringe
with some fentanyl nearby.
It only has Chang Tsung-chien's
fingerprints.
From the way the fingerprints spread,
I believe he injected it
into his own body.
[tense music]
[breathing heavily]
[Yi-jen] Yu Cheng-hao
wanted to be a woman.
Su Ko-yun wanted her album to be released.
Chang Tsung-chien
wanted his company ruined.
All those things were accomplished
following their death.
So Chuang Ping-jung's last wish
might be for his work to be acknowledged.
[panting]
I see it now.
Hello, Ta-tse?
The story of Chuang Ping-jung
[pants]
[tense music]
[closing theme music]
Afraid to reach out ♪
Pretending not to care ♪
It's okay
I'm persuading myself every day ♪
Still rooted in place ♪
Waiting for you and for myself ♪
If you can understand ♪
Stop hesitating now
And walk into my heart ♪
Who can find me? ♪
Wandering in the crowd
Waiting for love ♪
To outline my features ♪
Who wishes to find me? ♪
How I wish to have you ♪
To make my existence worthwhile ♪
Afraid to reach out ♪
Pretending not to care ♪
It's okay
I'm persuading myself every day ♪
Still rooted in place ♪
Waiting for you and for myself ♪
If you can understand ♪
Stop hesitating now
And walk into my heart ♪
Who can find me? ♪
Wandering in the crowd
Waiting for love ♪
To outline my features ♪
Who wishes to find me? ♪
How I wish to have you ♪
To make my existence worthwhile ♪
Do you truly ♪
Accept me for all that I am ♪
I'm willing to bet all my love on it ♪
Who can find me? ♪
Wandering in the crowd
Waiting for love ♪
To outline my features ♪
Who wishes to find me? ♪
How I wish to have you ♪
To make my existence worthwhile ♪
[broadcaster] A special program
about the top ten kidnapping murders,
which introduced Liu Kuang-yung,
who escaped death sentence.
You said the corpse
was totally decomposed.
How are they sure it's Liu Kuang-yung?
[reporter 1] Ms. Peng, please tell us.
- What's your view on Liu's suicide?
- [reporter 2] What do you think?
If that body is Chuang Ping-jung,
it is all my fault.
[Hai-yin] Mom, wake up! Help!
[Cheng-kuan] Do you know about
Liu Kuang-yung's criminal record?
I do.
I also know how much he regrets it.
[Mrs. Liu] As long as we're together,
there's nothing we can't overcome.
[Fatso] Get down! Don't move!
How are you related to Chiang Hsiao-meng?
Does she also want to kill herself?
What are you doing?
I'm going to the police.
[Yi-jen] Don't inform the police.
Don't inform the police.
I sacrificed my life for it.
Who gives you the right to withhold it?
I can only say that the company
has been very kind to you.
[thumping]
[phone ringing]
[Hsiao-meng] Da'an Warehouses
in the south of the city.
There's another corpse.
[foreboding music]
CRIME SCENE
CLUES
Every suspenseful crime novel
CHIEF EDITOR, TSENG HAN-HSIEN
focuses on finding who the murderer is.
But what we're trying to deliver
is who the victims are.
[Han-hsien] Through that concept,
we developed a new character
named Fang Yi-jen.
[indistinct chatter]
I remember quite clearly that one day,
we spent a fair amount of time
discussing various possibilities.
Afterwards, exhaustion took over us.
We just couldn't come up
with a good foundation.
Our development sort of stopped
for a while after that.
Until one day,
Jui-liang and Shu-ting came running
toward me with excitement.
They told me they read some books
and that they found
some strength from those books.
[Han-hsien] What is forensic science?
Whether it's the murderers or the victims,
their existence oftentimes
is neglected by the public.
But they
For example, because of a crime,
when people are seen
as the suspects or something,
authorities try so hard
to use forensic science,
or any other methods, including DNA,
to find whatever details
they can find about them,
and to further comprehend
or get to know them.
I think it's a sort of
comparison and contrast.
Your value becomes higher after you die
because people want to understand
everything regarding the case.
So they try even harder
to understand you at once.
When making a series with a certain theme,
I consider every character
to be very important.
They're important
to the development of the story
or the revelation of the clues.
Even though they only appear
in a few scenes,
they must give the audience
a strong sense of tension,
so that they can feel their emotions.
Every scene is very important.
We're so glad to have
so many excellent actors on board
to make this series come alive.
[wailing]
[indistinct chatter]
[flame crackling]
[indistinct chatter]
[Jen-shuo] I think, uh
Because the family
gave so much effort and money
to deal with the older brother's
lost eyesight,
they took away things from
the younger brother, Chuang Ping-yao,
things in the family
that should have been his.
I think from that point on,
their brotherhood changed.
Ping-yao feels like
he can take
CHENG JEN-SHUO
his brother's stuff and sell it
and then lie to people that he made it.
He thinks it's reasonable.
He thinks he doesn't need to make
more sacrifices for his blind brother.
He doesn't think it's okay
to sacrifice his own future.
[Cheng-kuan] This man died
in your warehouse.
His name was Chang Tsung-chien.
I really don't know him.
[Cheng-kuan] Look carefully.
When I'm interrogating the suspects
about each murder
WANG SHIH-HSIEN AS CHAO CHENG-KUAN
I feel like every suspect has
their own perspectives and thoughts.
Of course, it
It makes me, the police officer,
start reflecting.
In each of the processes,
we realize that no matter
what the victim's story is,
whether it's about family,
friendship, or even love,
there's a reason why things come to this.
[Shih-hsien] In fact,
I get a deep understanding
throughout the interrogation process.
[Sheng-jung] From the interrogations,
besides seeing stuff
like tension, excuses, or statements,
I want the audience
to feel that when we're alive,
each of us is trying
to hold onto something.
We also expect that through the show
people will be able
to not only see the drama,
but to also get some realizations
about life.
[operator] You have reached the voicemail.
You will be charged after the beep.
So Chuang Ping-jung's last wish
might be for his work to be acknowledged.
[phone ringing]
A TV series can better express
a certain aspect of society.
After seeing that aspect,
perhaps the audience can empathize
and then generate an energy
which can probably bring
improvement to society.
Every story looks for the murderer,
but The Victims' Game
actually searches for the victims.
The victim could be any one of us.
that includes scenes
of violence and suicide.
The scenes might cause
uneasiness or discomfort
and can be offensive to some people.
Viewer discretion and
professional assistance are advised.
A NETFLIX ORIGINAL SERIES
[man 1] Our second Yu Ping Apartments
have finally been sold today!
[people cheering]
[man 1] Let's put our hands together
for our supermen,
Hsiao-zhao and Tsung-chien!
Congratulations!
[woman 1] You're so handsome, Tsung-chien!
- [woman 2] You look good, Tsung-chien!
- [Mr. Chung] Congrats!
- Well done, Zhao!
- Thank you.
- [Mr. Chung] Chang Tsung-chien! Come here!
- Sir.
Let me introduce to you,
Chang Tsung-chien.
- This wall right here
- [thumping on wall]
- is Chang Tsung-chien's work alone.
- [all] Oh!
[Mr. Chung] We can't survive without him!
- That's not true.
- Come on.
- [applause]
- The first place, of course.
- [people singing]
- [chuckles]
Okay.
Miss, come and say a few words.
- Here, miss.
- Come on.
- Miss.
- Come here.
- Cheng.
- Congratulations.
- [phone chimes]
- [Ms. Lai] Thank you.
You've all worked hard.
From now on, the company is in your hands.
[employees cheering, applauding]
- [Mr. Chung] Yes!
- Miss, let's take a picture with everyone.
- [Mr. Chung] Congratulations.
- [Zhao] Thanks.
- [Me. Chung] Come on, everyone.
- [man 2] Here.
Thank you, guys.
- [man 3] Anyone else?
- [Mr. Chung] Quick
- Grab the chance.
- Okay.
HELLO, MR. CHANG TSUNG-CHIEN.
THIS IS NANLIN HOSPITAL.
YOUR REPORT IS OUT.
PLEASE CONTACT MS. ZHANG OF ONCOLOGY.
[Mr. Chung] One more picture.
- Okay.
- [woman 3] Smile.
- One more. One, two, three.
- [woman 4] One, two.
One more picture.
BEST SALES AGENT OF YU PING CONSTRUCTION
[knocks on door]
[Mr. Chung] Come in.
[door closes]
- Mr. Chung.
- [Mr. Chung] Yes.
The Human Resource Department asked me
to sign a resignation letter.
What does this mean?
Your sales credit
has been zero for months.
You took some time off this month,
which messes up the procedures.
I'm sure you know what I mean.
[Mr. Chung] I'd love to help you
VOLUNTARY RESIGNATION LETTER
but the company has rules.
Okay. I'm sorry.
I deserve to have cancer.
What about the sales bonus I deserve?
You still owe me a ton of it. Why?
The company is very big. Will it run away?
Would we owe you money?
It has been more than three months,
Mr. Chung.
[Tsung-chien] You said
it would be paid last month.
And now, you say it'll be next time.
Mr. Chung, I'm running out of time.
No one can take care of my dad
and he has dementia.
Mr. Chung
Please, just do me this favor. Okay?
[heavy sigh]
Tsung-chien.
To be honest, a sales bonus
is offered to the people
who can continue making profits
for the company.
With your illness,
how can you make us more profit?
I did my best to beg
for your half of the bonus.
You should feel grateful.
I sacrificed my life for it.
Who gives you the right to withhold it?
I can only say that the company
has been very kind to you.
I have a meeting to attend.
- [Mr. Chung] Excuse me.
- Come on
Mr. Chung
Tsung-chien.
Get well soon.
- Mr. Chung
- Take care.
[clicks tongue]
[sobs]
[grunts]
[thumping]
[sobbing]
[whimpering]
[foreboding music]
[low static]
[theme music]
[gun clicks]
CANDLE
[broadcaster] New Times News
has revealed online
that the victim in the charred corpse case
is someone else.
It was not the sales agent, Chang,
but the celebrity, Su, who was mistaken
for the victim in the acid bath murder.
- [coin clinks]
- The sales agent, Chang, is still missing.
- The coincidental elements in both cases
- [phone rings]
and the bizarre methods of the murderer
seem to be fulfilling
the victims' last wishes.
Third Investigation Corps of Pinglin City.
There's another corpse
in the south of the city.
[Hsiao-meng] Da'an Warehouses.
[gasps]
[Fatso] Wait. Who are you?
- Are you the one who found it?
- [phone clanks]
[foreboding music]
[siren blaring]
[suspenseful music]
[siren blaring]
[low static]
[cop 1] We've arrived
at the crime scene.
We have arrived at the crime scene.
[indistinct chatter]
[Yi-jen] Excuse me.
- [Liao] Kuan.
- [Cheng-kuan] What?
Is that man really Chang Tsung-chien?
Are you blind?
He's right there. Don't you have eyes?
[in soft voice]
[Liao] It's not that.
The first two were totally disfigured,
but this one has been left intact.
It's weird.
The body hasn't completely gone stiff.
And the livor mortis isn't obvious either.
[Yao-hui] The time of death
would have been around two hours ago.
But we won't know how he died
until we cut him open.
- I see.
- Okay.
- Kuan!
- Yes?
The security said this warehouse
belongs to a man named Chuang Ping-yao.
[Fatso] I think he's
a professional wood sculptor.
These are his artworks.
- [Cheng-kuan] Chuang Ping-yao?
- [Fatso] Yes.
- [Cheng-kuan] Liao.
- [Liao] Yes?
- [Cheng-kuan] Go see what's happening.
- [Liao] Sure.
[ominous music]
[camera shutter clicks]
[clanks]
[clicks]
[microscope creaking]
[foreboding music]
ANALYSIS RESUL
SPECIES: LARGE DOG
[woman 5] Mr. Chuang.
Sorry, we made you come here
right after landing.
- Thank you very much.
- No problem.
[man 4] Excuse me, Mr. Chuang.
We'd like to schedule some time
to acquire your artwork for our studio.
Is that okay with you?
I don't think so.
[clears throat]
Those pieces are newly done.
They can't be revealed yet.
[man 4] Then what if
we just film the outside?
I have been cooperating with a gallery.
I have an exhibition center there.
Why don't you film it there?
[man 4] Sure. Thank you.
- It's about time.
- Okay. Let's go.
[phone buzzing]
Hello?
[Liao] Hello, is this Mr. Chuang Ping-yao?
Yes.
[Liao] This is the
Third Investigation Corps.
[Cheng-kuan] Do you recognize this man?
I do not.
[door closes]
This man died in your warehouse.
His name is Chang Tsung-chien.
[Cheng-kuan] Do you not know him?
I really don't know him.
[Cheng-kuan] Look carefully.
No, sir. I don't know him.
Do you think I'm the suspect?
Let me ask you again.
Aside from you, who else
would go to that warehouse?
The security, I suppose.
He goes on patrols.
Where were you from 10:00 p.m. yesterday
until 6:00 a.m. today?
[chuckles]
Sir, I was on a plane.
[Ping-yao] I came here as soon
as I picked up the phone after landing.
You went abroad?
- [Liao] Where?
- Tokyo.
What for?
[Ping-yao] To carve wood.
- I've been
- I asked you why you went to Tokyo.
I was on a wood carving tour around Asia.
[Ping-yao] I even brought back an award.
[scoffs]
Were you the champion?
[Liao] Did you win some money?
Have you filed your tax?
Should I check it for you?
Have you, perhaps, offended somebody,
or had a feud with someone?
[Ping-yao] Not likely. I'm always abroad.
You'd better think it through.
A man died in your warehouse.
[foreboding music]
[Cheng-kuan] Think and look carefully.
Sir, I really don't know him.
Could someone be jealous of me?
[Ping-yao] But that's
not quite possible either.
Why don't you check again, sir?
- [Cheng-kuan] Think carefully.
- [door opens, closes]
[Yi-jen] I need to examine your vehicle.
- Who are you?
- The forensic investigator.
I need to check your vehicle.
Didn't I make myself clear in there?
- I have nothing to do with this.
- I need to check your vehicle.
[keys clink]
[tape rasping]
[car trunk closes]
Have you seen her?
Who is that?
- Have you seen her?
- [Ping-yao] I don't know her.
[Yao-hui] Similar to Yu Cheng-hao
and Su Ko-yun,
Chang Tsung-chien overdosed on fentanyl.
When we were dissecting him,
we found that the cancer cells
in his stomach had spread to his liver.
Other than that, there's nothing special.
Fang Yi-jen. What did you find?
There was no match for the fingerprints.
Nothing? What do you mean "nothing"?
Could the murderer fly?
That's not possible.
[Liao clicks tongue]
The murderer was playing with us
with the first two dead bodies.
[Liao] And now, Chang Tsung-chien.
What's next?
[Fatso] Kuan.
Have you seen the cover story
of New Times News?
It was nothing but bullshit!
Damn, that reporter
can really tell stories.
Killing the victims
after fulfilling their last wishes.
Who'd believe that, huh?
I don't care what the reporter wrote.
The point is, if I find out
who leaked the information,
you'll see what I do!
[sighs]
- Liao, Fatso.
- Yes, sir.
Find out who the tattooed girl
in the camera footage is,
as well as the woman who made the report.
- [Liao] Okay.
- [Fatso] Sure.
[tense music]
[approaching footsteps]
Coffee?
[Hai-yin] What did you think of my story?
It lacked actual proof.
Everything is just theory.
- It's reasonable.
- Has your agency
ever interviewed a wood sculptor
named Chuang Ping-yao?
I hear that name a lot. Hasn't he been
the talk of the town recently?
Chang Tsung-chien died in his warehouse.
Is he the victim or the suspect?
Neither.
He seems to have had nothing to do with it
and he has a perfect alibi.
But I found something weird.
I found a strand of blonde hair
where the body was found.
After examination,
I found the fur content
to be more than two-thirds.
It could be the hair
of an adult golden retriever.
However, I found none of that
in Chuang Ping-yao's body or car.
- So I feel like it is
- Hi!
This is Hai-yin!
[giggles]
How are you?
One second, I have something to ask you.
Didn't the Art Articles Department
interview Chuang Ping-yao?
[chuckles]
[Hai-yin] Yes, would you
give me his number?
He's quite the celebrity lately.
So I also want to interview him.
Give me a second.
Let me get a piece of paper and a pen.
- [paper rustles]
- Now you can tell me.
[Hai-yin] Uh-huh.
Okay.
Roger that. Thanks.
[Hai-yin] Mm. Bye-bye.
[Ping-yao] To tell you the truth,
I couldn't come up with a name.
So I flipped through some books
and came up with a random name.
And then the critic wrote
that article for me.
After the article came out,
the prices of all my artworks doubled.
[chuckles]
The article succeeded only because
your artworks are good.
You're too kind.
[Hai-yin] I mean it.
Art article reporters like us love
to interview a unique artist like you.
Unique?
- [Hai-yin] Yes!
- Are you sure?
Your artworks are so delicate and refined.
They are a perfect mix
of concrete and abstract.
As a new artist, you're very eye-catching.
[snickers]
It's hard to find a reporter
as beautiful and eloquent as you.
- [Ping-yao] You're the first.
- Thank you.
Are you free tomorrow?
Why do you ask?
I would like to go through your draft
and invite you to dinner.
- May I use your restroom?
- Sure.
Walk straight to the end
and then turn right.
[Hai-yin] Thank you.
[classical music playing]
[foreboding music]
[foreboding music continues]
[drawer rasps]
CHAMPION
[picture frame clanks]
[suspenseful music]
[gasps, chuckles]
You scared me.
Would you like to see my study?
I have to work on the article.
Next time, though.
- I'll see you out.
- I'll see myself out. Thanks.
[foreboding music]
[sighs]
Goodness.
- [car door closes]
- How did it go?
I have goosebumps all over.
Are all artists that narcissistic?
- Does he have a dog?
- No.
Are you sure?
I'm positive. He lives alone
in that gigantic mansion,
with a bunch of selfies.
[car alarm beeps]
Hey.
[engine starts]
[seat belt clicks]
[engine revs]
[engine starts]
[engine revs]
[lighter clicks]
CHANG TSUNG-CHIEN
CRIME SCENE: YU PING APARTMENTS
DECEASED: SU KO-YUN, 43 YEARS OLD
[Liao] Kuan. I found something.
- [keyboard clacks]
- Right there.
[Fatso] This is
the Fengshen Industrial Area.
The police were filing parking tickets.
There were only workers around,
but a woman showed up,
so they paid extra attention.
[Liao] Kuan, look at the video.
The woman in the jacket
looks quite similar
to the one on the whiteboard.
She went in about ten days ago,
around 4:00 p.m.
She came out an hour later.
[Fatso] She reappeared
the next day, at 7:00 p.m.
This time, it only took her 20 minutes.
This is the last footage of her.
[Cheng-kuan] Zoom in.
[keyboard clacking]
[Liao] Hmm? What is she holding?
[clicking]
- What was the name of this place again?
- Fengshen Industrial Area.
- Industrial area?
- [Fatso] Uh-huh.
[car alarm beeps]
[door opens]
[dog barking]
[Ping-jung] What took you
so long to visit me?
[Ping-yao] I've been busy lately.
Hey.
Here are the pickles you wanted.
[Ping-jung] Thanks.
[foreboding music]
[dog barks]
Why has this place become this nasty?
Haven't you been cleaning?
[Ping-yao] You have so much free time.
You've got to get yourself moving.
- [Ping-yao] Where's my stuff?
- [Ping-jung] On the counter.
[paper rustling]
[paper crumples]
If there's nothing else, I'm leaving.
[Ping-jung] Hey.
Wait a second.
What's up?
[Ping-jung] Even though
we didn't sell it at a good price,
be honest, what do you think?
It's not that bad.
I'll see you.
[engine starts]
[engine revs]
[Yi-jen] Follow him.
[Hai-yin] Keep me updated.
[car door closes]
[car engine starts]
[engine revs]
[dog barking]
Who's there?
Who's there?
[dog barking]
[seat belt clicks]
[car door opens]
[eerie music]
[clatters]
[camera shutter clicking]
[clicking continues]
[woman 6] How long did it
take you this time?
[Ping-yao] About a month.
- [woman 6] You finished this in a month?
- [Ping-yao] Yes.
- [woman 6] It's really delicate.
- [Ping-yao] I know.
- [woman 6] You made it yourself?
- [Ping-yao] Yes.
- [woman 6] You are indeed a professional.
- [Ping-yao] I think so.
[woman 6] It's really good.
[metal clanking]
[Cheng-kuan] Liao!
[machinery whirring]
[Cheng-kuan] Where's your boss?
- Boss! Someone's here to see you.
- [Liao] Have you seen this man?
- [man 5] I haven't.
- [Liao] Really?
- Have you seen this man?
- No.
Look again.
- [Cheng-kuan] Sir!
- [man 5] No.
Excuse me.
I have something to ask you.
Did you see this girl 13 days ago?
- [man 6] I didn't.
- [Cheng-kuan] You didn't?
Thanks.
- [man 6] Feel free to look around.
- [Cheng-kuan] Okay. Thank you.
Kuan.
Hey!
[Liao] Stop right there!
Watch out!
[tense music]
[thuds]
- [Liao] Why don't you keep running?
- [thwacks]
Fuck you! Stand up!
- Stand up!
- [thwacks]
- [Liao] Cooperate!
- [man 7] Cooperate with what?
[thuds]
Hey!
- Chase him!
- Let's go!
[Liao] Stop!
Stop running!
[Liao] I'll catch you!
Fuck you.
- [tires screech]
- [thuds]
Keep running, why don't you?
- [handcuffs clinking]
- [sighs]
[handcuffs click]
[Cheng-kuan] You fucking use drugs, huh?
Speak. What was the girl doing here?
Are you mute? Can't you talk?
- [Liao] Son of a
- Hey! It's dangerous.
The first drawer.
The first drawer.
[clacks]
[drawer rasps]
- That one.
- [clanks]
- Which one?
- The round one.
- They're all round. Which one?
- Not that, the black one. Yes.
[man 7] She asked me to make this for her.
I made a mistake with this one.
Kuan. I think it's a bathtub plug.
Why did she want you to do this?
[Liao] Talk!
It's specialized.
It's made of acid-proof rubber.
[Liao] "Acid-proof"?
- Are you lying?
- [man 7] I'm not.
[Liao] You're a dead man if you lie.
GUIDU HOTEL ACID BATH MURDER
CASE NAME, MOTIVE, CONTEX
[Liao] Fatso! Fatso! Fatso!
Do you remember us finding
an acid-proof plug at Guidu Hotel?
Yes.
It's the same as the one
we took back from the factory.
[paper rustles]
[Liao] Aren't they the same?
LOCATION: GUIDU HOTEL
[Fatso] They do look alike.
If this is legit,
the tattooed girl ordered the plug,
and she showed up near the crime scene.
If she was the one who put in the plug,
it would definitely have her fingerprints.
If there are fingerprints,
the Forensic Department
should have the data.
Look it up.
There's no need to look it up.
I've already checked.
I'm sure the first plug
is not in the case file.
Where are the fingerprints
when we don't even have the plug?
How is it possible?
Where's the evidence?
[rasping]
[rasping continues]
Do you know that someone died
in your warehouse?
Where were you from 10:00 p.m. yesterday
until this morning?
[Ping-jung] I was here.
[lighter clicking]
Chiang Hsiao-meng.
Have you heard that name?
What makes you think I've heard her name?
What is she to you?
[Ping-jung] You seem
to care a lot about her.
[sighs deeply]
[Ping-jung] Did you know
I made all of this?
My brother sold them.
And fed me with that money.
But he didn't give me a TV
[chuckles] or fix my radio.
Do you know why?
Because he was scared I would find out
he took my stuff to deceive people.
[Ping-jung chuckles]
But I fixed the radio.
Come.
[broadcaster]
Next is the weather forecast.
Tomorrow, it will be sunny in the morning
and cloudy in most areas.
The temperature
will be about 23 to 25 degrees Celsius
[Ping-jung] He thinks I have no idea.
But actually, I know everything.
It's a pleasure to meet you.
My name is Chuang Ping-jung.
Where is Chiang Hsiao-meng?
[Ping-jung] I don't know.
I hope you find her soon.
She has been waiting for you
for a long time.
[paper rustling]
[Liao] How long is it going to take?
Where is it?
Answer me!
I'm sorry. We really can't find the plug.
You can't find the evidence?
What the hell?
Aren't you responsible for this?
Perhaps
Perhaps we should ask Yi-jen.
He ran the fingerprint recognition
for the acid bath murder.
Where's Fang Yi-jen?
[foreboding music]
[phone buzzing]
[buzzing continues]
[Hai-yin] Hello? What did you find?
The one talking to Chuang Ping-yao
was his twin brother, Chuang Ping-jung.
He said he created everything.
[Yi-jen] I feel like he knew
I was going to see him
and he knows I'm looking for Hsiao-meng.
I think they have a plan.
I'm going to the warehouse
to see what I can find.
[engine stops]
[cop 1] Sir.
[Yi-jen] Fang Yi-jen, Forensic Department.
[foreboding music]
[foreboding music continues]
[foreboding music intensifies]
CRIME SCENE, NO ENTRY
[foreboding music]
[foreboding music continues]
[watch beeps]
EVIDENCE BAG
CHANG TSUNG-CHIEN
[foreboding music]
[cloth rips]
[beeping]
MATCH
CHANG TSUNG-CHIEN
- [Yao-hui] Hello?
- Fang Yi-jen, Forensic Department.
I'm looking for the chemical analysis
report of the plastic film
from the acid bath murder on March 17.
- [Yao-hui] March 17. Give me a minute.
- [keyboard clacking]
[Yao-hui]
The results we have so far indicate
that the film is actually
a type of polyethylene plastic.
The film might be the remains
after being eroded by piranha solution.
If the murderer was using this material
to contain the piranha solution,
he could be trying to delay
the dissolving process.
He intentionally designed this process.
[phone clanks]
- [door opens]
- [Cheng-kuan] Fang Yi-jen!
Fang Yi-jen!
Where's the plug from the acid bath case?
Hand it over!
[rasps]
Why didn't you put it
in the evidence cabinet?
I'm still checking it.
It wasn't dissolved
by the piranha solution.
So it must be made of something special.
- Did you find anything?
- [Yi-jen] Nothing.
Not even a fingerprint?
No.
Where are you going?
[footsteps retreating]
[gloomy music]
- [engine revving]
- [whooshes]
[gloomy music]
[sighs]
[door opens]
[Hsiao-meng sniffles]
[photos rustle]
[Yi-jen] I thought I told you
not to come inside this room
and not to touch my stuff.
Didn't I tell you that?
[sniffles]
[somber music]
[sniffles]
These people chose
to take their own lives.
[Yi-jen] No one forced them to do so.
Do you know how hard
a human body would have to be pushed
to look like that?
[sniffles]
Very hard.
- So basically it is
- [Jo-ying] Hsiao-meng.
Why did you come here?
I said you can't be in here.
Dad is working.
Why don't you come with me?
- [Hsiao-meng] Okay.
- Don't cry.
[Yi-jen panting]
[continues panting]
[Hsiao-meng] Mom, what does suicide mean?
[Jo-ying] Have you ever felt really sad?
Some people get sad
Too sad
So they hide somewhere else.
It is dark there.
[lighter clicks]
[Jo-ying] So we can light
a candle for them
and then tell them,
"Don't be scared.
It's okay now."
"Don't be scared. It's okay now."
[Jo-ying] Mm-hm. You did good.
[panting]
[clattering]
CRIME SCENE, NO ENTRY
[gloomy music]
[gloomy music continues]
NEW TIMES NEWS
SOCIAL NEWS REPORTER, HSU HAI-YIN
[phone buzzing]
- [Hai-yin] Hello?
- [Ta-tse] Hai-yin, is there any progress
on the Last Wish Murders?
There's not much evidence.
The police are still investigating.
[Ta-tse] Then why are you busy all
the time? Why aren't you in the office?
[Hai-yin] The body was found
in Chuang Ping-yao's warehouse.
I want to expose the fact
he took his brother's artwork
and pretended it belonged to him.
When the police confirm they have
something to do with the murders,
I will then write another story
and make it trending.
[Ta-tse] Sounds good. Keep me informed.
- I have a date.
- Okay.
CHUANG PING-YAO TOOK
HIS BROTHER'S ARTWORK AND LIED TO HIM
HE TOOK ADVANTAGE OF
CHUANG PING-JUNG'S BLINDNESS
[phone ringing]
[ringing continues]
[Yi-jen] Hello? Chuang Ping-jung,
this is Fang Yi-jen.
I know everything about you guys.
I'm not going to help you
achieve your last wish.
Just tell me where Hsiao-meng is.
Please.
Please tell me.
[panting]
[Yi-jen] Hello? Chuang Ping-jung
[phone clanks]
[foreboding music]
- [engine revving]
- [whooshes]
[static]
[broadcaster] There are new updates
on the Su Ko-yun acid bath murder
and Yu Ping Construction's
charred corpse case.
As reported by Hsu Hai-yin
from New Times News,
these two cases are serial murders.
The murderer deliberately played
the victims' game,
killing the victims after helping them
to fulfill their last wishes.
- [panting]
- [plastic rustling]
[clatters]
[Ping-jung] Fei-ta.
I'm sorry.
I can't be with you anymore.
But I found a new owner for you.
Be a good boy when you're there.
Obey them.
Don't let anyone hurt you.
[light music playing on radio]
[chuckles, sighs]
My mom told me a story when I was a kid.
A story about two puppies.
[sighs heavily]
One is Lucky, the other one is Black.
They both hate their shadows.
But when the sun comes up, shadows appear.
Lucky always closes his eyes.
Because once they're closed,
he won't see the shadows anymore.
Not seeing
means no worries,
no jealousy,
and no hatred.
In fact, Black has always been
hiding in Lucky's shadow.
Because that way, Black can't see
his own shadow anymore.
[light music playing on radio]
Who do you think I am? Lucky or Black?
[Ping-jung] Hmm?
At first, I thought I was Lucky.
Because I can't see.
But then, I realized
I'm actually Black.
[Ping-jung] I've been living
in Ping-yao's shadow.
I exist in his shadow.
We are inseparable.
But I really can't live
in his shadow any longer.
[light music playing]
- [door clanks]
- Chuang Ping-jung!
[foreboding music]
[foreboding music continues]
[operator] You have reached the voicemail.
You will be charged after the beep.
[Yi-jen] Hsu Hai-yin, don't publish
Chuang Ping-jung's story!
You hear me?
Don't publish Chuang Ping-jung's story!
JUNG
WOOD SCULPTOR CHUANG PING-YAO
EXPLOITS HIS GENIUS BLIND BROTHER!
SCAM EXPOSED
[Ta-tse] Not bad.
Chuang Ping-yao
won an international award.
Fraud is a big deal.
I've sent the proof and the photos
to your email.
Let's not decide what to write next
until Chuang Ping-yao responds.
Keep looking. I've got your back.
First thing tomorrow
is to request a bonus for you.
[sighs]
Don't let me down.
[phone chimes]
FANG YI-JEN
I NEED TO SEE YOU NOW
[car revs]
You can't publish
Chuang Ping-jung's story.
Why?
[Yi-jen] Take it down.
- The chief editor already has
- Take it back!
[pants]
Fine. I can do that.
I'll write about your daughter
being a suspect. I'll change the story now.
The three of them committed suicide!
[tense music]
Acid bath, charred body.
How can you do that yourself?
[Hai-yin] Where's the proof?
[Yi-jen] There are no signs of a murderer
entering the room in the acid bath murder.
Because Yu Cheng-hao was the only one
in the room from the beginning.
He wore gloves
and had Su Ko-yun's ID with him.
He entered the room pretending to be her.
Once he got in, he decorated the scene
exactly like her album cover.
Then he swapped
the rubber plug in the tub
to one that couldn't be dissolved
by acid.
Then he opened the faucet
and took piranha solution
from his suitcase.
He poured the solution into polyethylene
containers and put them in the tub.
[Hai-yin] Wait. How do you know that?
Fang Yi-jen, Forensic Department.
I'm looking for the chemical analysis
report of the plastic film
from the acid bath murder on March 17.
[Yi-jen] I found a small piece
of polyethylene plastic.
This material doesn't have
strong resistance to acids,
so it would be dissolved by
the piranha solution.
Yu Cheng-hao then injected
himself with fentanyl.
Based on the amount of fentanyl we found,
he probably died within three minutes.
That is way quicker
than the time the piranha solution needed
to dissolve the polyethylene plastic.
After he died, the piranha solution
flowed into the bathtub
and started to dissolve his body.
Lastly, it melted
the fentanyl syringe and the plug.
But the metal needle survived.
In the charred corpse case,
Su Ko-yun had Chang Tsung-chien's key
and went inside the Yu Ping Apartments.
She injected herself with fentanyl
beside the window.
Just like Yu Cheng-hao,
she died from an overdose
and then was burned.
Then what about the fire?
[sighs]
There was a plastic tube
inside her sleeve.
I found potassium nitrate.
Potassium nitrate
generates oxygen when hot.
The plastic tube kept out the spark.
And the wire?
Before fentanyl affected her,
she poured oil onto herself
and then ignited the wire.
[coughs]
[sobs]
- [lighter clicks]
- [gasps]
- [Ko-yun screams]
- [flame crackles]
[Yi-jen] Moments after her death,
the fire from the wire went
to her clothes and then reached the oil.
Eventually, the body started to burn.
Chang Tsung-chien died
in Chuang Ping-jung's warehouse.
I found an empty syringe
with some fentanyl nearby.
It only has Chang Tsung-chien's
fingerprints.
From the way the fingerprints spread,
I believe he injected it
into his own body.
[tense music]
[breathing heavily]
[Yi-jen] Yu Cheng-hao
wanted to be a woman.
Su Ko-yun wanted her album to be released.
Chang Tsung-chien
wanted his company ruined.
All those things were accomplished
following their death.
So Chuang Ping-jung's last wish
might be for his work to be acknowledged.
[panting]
I see it now.
Hello, Ta-tse?
The story of Chuang Ping-jung
[pants]
[tense music]
[closing theme music]
Afraid to reach out ♪
Pretending not to care ♪
It's okay
I'm persuading myself every day ♪
Still rooted in place ♪
Waiting for you and for myself ♪
If you can understand ♪
Stop hesitating now
And walk into my heart ♪
Who can find me? ♪
Wandering in the crowd
Waiting for love ♪
To outline my features ♪
Who wishes to find me? ♪
How I wish to have you ♪
To make my existence worthwhile ♪
Afraid to reach out ♪
Pretending not to care ♪
It's okay
I'm persuading myself every day ♪
Still rooted in place ♪
Waiting for you and for myself ♪
If you can understand ♪
Stop hesitating now
And walk into my heart ♪
Who can find me? ♪
Wandering in the crowd
Waiting for love ♪
To outline my features ♪
Who wishes to find me? ♪
How I wish to have you ♪
To make my existence worthwhile ♪
Do you truly ♪
Accept me for all that I am ♪
I'm willing to bet all my love on it ♪
Who can find me? ♪
Wandering in the crowd
Waiting for love ♪
To outline my features ♪
Who wishes to find me? ♪
How I wish to have you ♪
To make my existence worthwhile ♪
[broadcaster] A special program
about the top ten kidnapping murders,
which introduced Liu Kuang-yung,
who escaped death sentence.
You said the corpse
was totally decomposed.
How are they sure it's Liu Kuang-yung?
[reporter 1] Ms. Peng, please tell us.
- What's your view on Liu's suicide?
- [reporter 2] What do you think?
If that body is Chuang Ping-jung,
it is all my fault.
[Hai-yin] Mom, wake up! Help!
[Cheng-kuan] Do you know about
Liu Kuang-yung's criminal record?
I do.
I also know how much he regrets it.
[Mrs. Liu] As long as we're together,
there's nothing we can't overcome.
[Fatso] Get down! Don't move!
How are you related to Chiang Hsiao-meng?
Does she also want to kill herself?
What are you doing?
I'm going to the police.
[Yi-jen] Don't inform the police.
Don't inform the police.
I sacrificed my life for it.
Who gives you the right to withhold it?
I can only say that the company
has been very kind to you.
[thumping]
[phone ringing]
[Hsiao-meng] Da'an Warehouses
in the south of the city.
There's another corpse.
[foreboding music]
CRIME SCENE
CLUES
Every suspenseful crime novel
CHIEF EDITOR, TSENG HAN-HSIEN
focuses on finding who the murderer is.
But what we're trying to deliver
is who the victims are.
[Han-hsien] Through that concept,
we developed a new character
named Fang Yi-jen.
[indistinct chatter]
I remember quite clearly that one day,
we spent a fair amount of time
discussing various possibilities.
Afterwards, exhaustion took over us.
We just couldn't come up
with a good foundation.
Our development sort of stopped
for a while after that.
Until one day,
Jui-liang and Shu-ting came running
toward me with excitement.
They told me they read some books
and that they found
some strength from those books.
[Han-hsien] What is forensic science?
Whether it's the murderers or the victims,
their existence oftentimes
is neglected by the public.
But they
For example, because of a crime,
when people are seen
as the suspects or something,
authorities try so hard
to use forensic science,
or any other methods, including DNA,
to find whatever details
they can find about them,
and to further comprehend
or get to know them.
I think it's a sort of
comparison and contrast.
Your value becomes higher after you die
because people want to understand
everything regarding the case.
So they try even harder
to understand you at once.
When making a series with a certain theme,
I consider every character
to be very important.
They're important
to the development of the story
or the revelation of the clues.
Even though they only appear
in a few scenes,
they must give the audience
a strong sense of tension,
so that they can feel their emotions.
Every scene is very important.
We're so glad to have
so many excellent actors on board
to make this series come alive.
[wailing]
[indistinct chatter]
[flame crackling]
[indistinct chatter]
[Jen-shuo] I think, uh
Because the family
gave so much effort and money
to deal with the older brother's
lost eyesight,
they took away things from
the younger brother, Chuang Ping-yao,
things in the family
that should have been his.
I think from that point on,
their brotherhood changed.
Ping-yao feels like
he can take
CHENG JEN-SHUO
his brother's stuff and sell it
and then lie to people that he made it.
He thinks it's reasonable.
He thinks he doesn't need to make
more sacrifices for his blind brother.
He doesn't think it's okay
to sacrifice his own future.
[Cheng-kuan] This man died
in your warehouse.
His name was Chang Tsung-chien.
I really don't know him.
[Cheng-kuan] Look carefully.
When I'm interrogating the suspects
about each murder
WANG SHIH-HSIEN AS CHAO CHENG-KUAN
I feel like every suspect has
their own perspectives and thoughts.
Of course, it
It makes me, the police officer,
start reflecting.
In each of the processes,
we realize that no matter
what the victim's story is,
whether it's about family,
friendship, or even love,
there's a reason why things come to this.
[Shih-hsien] In fact,
I get a deep understanding
throughout the interrogation process.
[Sheng-jung] From the interrogations,
besides seeing stuff
like tension, excuses, or statements,
I want the audience
to feel that when we're alive,
each of us is trying
to hold onto something.
We also expect that through the show
people will be able
to not only see the drama,
but to also get some realizations
about life.
[operator] You have reached the voicemail.
You will be charged after the beep.
So Chuang Ping-jung's last wish
might be for his work to be acknowledged.
[phone ringing]
A TV series can better express
a certain aspect of society.
After seeing that aspect,
perhaps the audience can empathize
and then generate an energy
which can probably bring
improvement to society.
Every story looks for the murderer,
but The Victims' Game
actually searches for the victims.
The victim could be any one of us.