23:27, Da Dang Ha sat at his desk. Before him lay not only the scene photos that had just arrived but also... the "killer's message." It was a navy blue dossier featuring a white smiley face, documenting every crime committed by Vuong Hoang.
In the file, the killer had explicitly listed Vuong Hoang's offenses. Before his imprisonment, Vuong Hoang was a serial thief, a domestic abuser who beat his wife and children, and a rapist. After his release, he continued with petty thefts and eventually struck and killed a child while driving drunk. Paralyzed by fear, he fled the scene and relocated to Gia Uyen, leaving the case cold.
It seemed that after prison, "the leopard could not change its spots." The new evidence and camera footage included in the file served as the killer's formal indictment against the executed man.
Aside from the carefully edited charges, printed statements, and evidence, there was a small, separate slip of white paper with the number "100" on it. This sparked a suspicion in Da Dang Ha: was this a clue for a new case, or had the killer simply left it behind by mistake?
Setting aside that complication, Da Dang Ha's mind remained fixated on the grueling case. To him, the killer's method seemed predictable—a rope rigged across the lower frame of the window. Taking advantage of the victim's chaotic state of mind, the killer ensured he would blunder into the trap like a fish in a net, triggering the mechanism that dropped the blade.
The blade itself was a decorative piece hanging in the living room. It was an executioner's sword belonging to the Kieu family from 19AC, measuring approximately 90 cm in length and weighing 4 kg. Its wide, heavy blade ensured a decisive, powerful stroke—sharp and formidable.
However, had Da Dang Ha looked closer at the photos, he would have seen that the decapitation wound on the victim's neck was perfectly clean, accompanied by a faint scratch on the floor. What appeared to be accidental marks were, in fact, meticulously orchestrated by the killer.
Through the staging of "The falling blade executes the prisoner," a vivid tableau of feudal-era executions was created. The killer viewed people as blank canvases, using blood to paint a sky of "justice." This cruel, delusional act of vigilante justice served as a direct challenge to the police.
Da Dang Ha gripped his head, wondering what clue he had missed, his mouth muttering in faint hope. He sighed, leaning back in his chair and staring at the ceiling.
After a moment of reflection, he picked up his phone and dialed an unfamiliar number. As he pressed each digit, even he was surprised that the day had come where, instead of merely upholding the law, he was using "Justice" to bring a criminal to light. He pressed the call button, and the phone vibrated with the sound of the dial tone.
He knew this case would not be simple; the killer clearly intended to challenge the authorities. In response to the killer's contempt for the law, true justice would eliminate him from the game he believed only darkness could rule.
The ringing lasted halfway through before someone answered from a book-filled room in a grand, classical villa. The estate was surrounded by a silent pine forest where birds drifted through the trees. The atmosphere was somber, with heavy clouds masking the moonlight. The man's fingers tapped lightly on the wooden desk. A psychology book lay open before him under the dim light of the room. With his other hand, he gently pressed the answer button. Leaning his chin on his hand, he asked in a voice as cold as frost:
"Is something the matter, Uncle?"
Da Dang Ha looked at the heavy stack of files on his desk. This case was more complex than he had anticipated. It had been years since Gia Uyen had faced such a shocking crime. The details had not yet been made public. Given the killer's meticulous planning, future incidents would surely be even more barbaric. He needed to end this before things escalated.
Da Dang Ha sighed and replied:
"An unusual case is unfolding in Gia Uyen. The killer is challenging the police, but the execution is extremely sophisticated and leaves no traces. The case hasn't been publicized yet."
It wasn't out of personal closeness that Da Dang Ha called for help, but because this man was the embodiment of "undying justice." No matter the scale—from petty crimes to the most convoluted mysteries—he always sought to decode them and bring the truth to light. To him, justice was absolute.
The other end went silent for a moment, as if the man were lost in thought. The rhythmic, light tapping of his fingers against the table echoed for about half a minute before he spoke:
"Details."
Da Dang Ha breathed a sigh of relief, leaned back, and began to recount the specifics of the case—from the challenge to the manner of death and his own deductions. It was a perfect plan, a vivid portrait of a savage killer painting with blood.
The man's fingers continued to tap rhythmically as a brief silence enveloped the room. Then, he spoke:
"First, regarding the method: it is highly improbable for the killer to take the victim's head so cleanly using such a complex mechanical setup.
The probability of success is too low; any failure would cause a reaction outside the plan.
Therefore, he used a different method—a transparent wire stretched across the window at a specific height was the actual killing blow.
As for that blade, if you look closely at the photos of the neck and the floor near the body, there is a very faint scratch. That scratch is sharp and deep, something a standard decorative blade couldn't cause.
In short, the killer garrotted Vuong Hoang with transparent wire and then used the blade to decapitate the corpse, finally staging the 'falling blade' scene we see now. That wire is likely either with the victim's head or has been destroyed."