sirenjose

[sirenjose]

Thank you for answering my last question! I really love the idea that Phantom's antidote could be the one that helped cure White (or close to the antidote🫶) May I ask another question that's not too lore focused though? I was wondering what year the T&I timeline took place, what are your thoughts about it? Thank you once again ><

Well, if I had to make my best guess, T&I is has some inspiration from Sherlock Holmes, which takes place around the same time period as the main storyline. This being the late Victorian Era (end of the 19th century) and the early Edwardian Era (start of the 20th century).

Regarding the main storyline, we know the DeRoss couple was killed in 1887, while the final game took place around 1902 I believe (correct me if I'm wrong). The 1st Sherlock Holmes book, a Study in Scarlet, was published in 1887. Sherlock and Watson 1st met each other in 1881, which was the same year Alice was born. Watson used to be in the military just like Inference, who seems implied to be T&I's version of Sherlock, while Truth seems to be his assistant, aka Watson.

There's the Crystal Palace that was used for the Great Exhibition in 1851, then rebuilt from 1852-1854 to be used as a venue for various events, until it burned down in 1936.

There's also the Golden Rose Theater. This has some inspiration from the Moulin Rouge, which was co-founded in 1889, and destroyed by a fire in 1915.

Either way, I haven't seen anything to imply T&I takes place in took drastically different a time period. But these are just some quick thoughts of mine.

[sirenjose]

Truth & Inference - The Voyage of Oceanus, Noir, and The Proof of Azoth's Theorem

I got questions from @empireofvampires and @meyjhii involving Truth & Inference. Apologies it's taken me this long to get around to answering them! I posted some thoughts on the event when it first came out (the 1st were my "predictions", and the 2nd were my thoughts once we the 2nd trailer came out), but I'll work on the summary and any analyses that I can do for the Voyage of Oceanus, as well as my thoughts on Noir/White and whether he was experimented on, and a small summary and a couple of the major points of the Proof of Azoth's Theorem (sorry I didn't think there was enough to do much, but I can if someone's really desperate for it).

(I have not proofread this, sorry. I'll try to edit out any mistakes later.)

The Voyage of Oceanus - Summary

So we know Frederick's (Phantom Sail's) dad, Professor Schelling, was part of a research team on the research vessel "Isembard". Also on that voyage was Violetta's (Mercator Projection) dad, Professor Branley. Branley experimented with the mutated jellyfish's toxins on the rest of the vessel's passengers, causing hallucinations and eventually to the ship sinking. Professor Schelling as well as all his students died that day, 25 years before the present. Frederick was too young to inherit any of his father's knowledge or "academic achievements", but he discovers the truth of that voyage by the time he grew up. 25 years later, he recreates the voyage (with the help of DM) as closely as possible, even ensuring the passengers are similar to the original ones and play their assigned roles.

Mr. Inference is requested to solve the mystery of the Isembard by "Richard Worthington", the supposed last survivor of the sinking. Soon after, he is offered an identity (Theodore Banks) to allow Inference to partake in the voyage by an anonymous individual, who states their reason for doing so is because their "interests are aligned in this matter".

Professor Branley's daughter is also included in the voyage. She is to be the cartographer whose chart will retrace the route of the original Isembard. During the voyage, passengers start hallucinating due to poisoning from the jellyfish toxins. Inference discovers this as well as that the chart Violetta is using is incorrect, and that Frederick is the one behind everything. Frederick wanted to investigate the jellyfish at the "heart of Oceanus" and has been testing "refined" toxins (as part of a new drug) on the passengers. Even Inference was affected, who passed out after confronting Frederick about the truth, with Frederick also eventually finding out that he was Inference. Frederick later states that if Violetta charts them a route home and if the other passengers stay ignorant of the experiments, he won't do anything to them. Additionally, Frederick wants Inference to help "thwart a certain scheme" concocted by DM. To all this, Inference agrees, and after dropping off the other passengers, he then departs to fulfill the new request.

So, the few things that catch my eye is the anonymous individual who provided Inference his fake identity to board the Isembard, the drugs (made from "refined" jellyfish toxins) that Frederick is using to poison everyone, and whatever "scheme" of DM's that Frederick wants Inference to stop.

The Anonymous Individual

The anonymous individual is someone who was aware that Inference had gotten a request regarding the Isembard, and thus at least is someone who's heard of Inference's name and works as a detective. It's possible that whoever it is relates to wherever Inference is being sent next, and whatever this "scheme" is.

Initially, I wondered if the client that originally hired Inference to investigate the Isembard was Frederick and if the anonymous person was DM.

The former idea I now believe is incorrect as Frederick implies he wasn't originally aware: "Had I uncovered your identity, perhaps you truly would have met your end on the deck that day".

As for the latter, I'm not 100% certain it is based on how the person says: "I did conduct a little private investigation into you and your firm in advance, but considering how quickly our time is running out, please forgive me for forcing such a bold introduction". This makes it sound like someone who's not super familiar with Inference and his detective agency. Not to mention how the person talks about "our time is running out". That doesn't sound quite like DM, who I don't think is ever in any hurry to sound like that, unless he's acting since Inference has no idea who he's talking to. But still. At the moment, I'm leaning more towards this being someone we will be introduced to in the next event, when we get to find out where Inference was sent to.

However, an idea I’ll get more into later, I wonder if this person may be Gatto.

We already got a small reference to him in the Zinaida event (the doctor who gave the drug that helped Ada with the outbreak at the children’s hospital), so maybe we’ll finally be able to see him appear in an event. Gatto would be someone who isn’t super familiar with Mr. Inference, but we have seen him “[conducting] a little private investigation into you and your firm in advance” based on the article we see Gatto reading at the end of his comic. That and the cork board in front of Gatto’s desk at the end of his trailer that details many of the events tied to Mr. Inference and his detective agency.

We even see him communicating with Inference in Gatto’s trailer based on the paper Inference is holding with the image of Gatto’s cat on it.

To go along with this, there is even a mention in the comic that would fit with the idea Gatto would sound like he’s in a hurry like the anonymous person sounds in their message to Inference. In the comic, he has a message from the Ulliel family stating they’ve prepared the lab and everything he needs to do the experiments now that he’s joined the Ulliel family. At the end of that message though, it states “Please do not forget about the agreement between us. Time has a limit”. If Gatto is facing a time limit, that’d explain why he sounds rushed and has little time to talk with Inference.

That and Gatto, due to his connection to the Ulliel family, would be familiar with DM (we even see them in the same place in Gatto’s comic and trailer).

DM is connected to Frederick, with DM being the one to fund the whole recreation of the Isembard and the voyage itself. Therefore, that means there’s a chance Gatto would have heard about this upcoming voyage DM (and Frederick) have planned and he would have an interest in the matter due to the involvement of the drugs (and the anonymous individual implies they have a shared interest), which Gatto’s trailer and end of his comic imply he wants to stop (or at least investigate).

But I’ll get more into this idea a little later when we discuss the “scheme” Frederick wants Inference to stop.

Frederick's Drug

Regarding the drugs, it's possible it may be connected to 1 of the drugs we're already aware of. This includes "Eternal Beauty" and "Delphi".

Delphi was a product of 1 of the failures of the Eternal Beauty experiments. It is a hallucinogenic that smells like datura and can cause death in large quantities (it is corrosive).

Eternal Beauty is a drug we know Ulliel (and Gatto) was attempting to create, and the successful version of the Delphi drug DM referenced. We know Eternal Beauty helped Ada (Else Goodwin) treat an outbreak at the children's hospital and had the side effect of causing drowsiness.

Both drugs were created using the same "ferns" (which based on implications regarding the doctor Ada got the drugs from, Ulliel is closely connected to these "ferns").

Hallucinations and drowsiness link these 2 drugs to the paint Tuberose used on Bélóstáin. That paint was made using the "special plant specimens" on that island, which are created by Rosemary via a "secret formula". Rosemary had created these plants to allow her to "[take] control of the island". We know DM eventually gained her trust, thus resulting in Rosemary sharing her formula with DM, who we know is invested in the above drug experiments.

Regarding the drug/toxins Frederick used on the Isembard, we know it causes hallucinations (which Inference first witnesses via Alice aka Candid Portrait), unconsciousness (Violetta aka Mercator Projection), and Frederick essentially implied it can cause death too based on his threats. Due to the similarities, it's possible his drug is Delphi or is an improved version of it.

The other difference I wondered about is Frederick seems to possess both “a poison derived from the toxins” of the jellyfish as well as a “highly effective antidote”. When Delphi was 1st introduced to us, we never learned about an “antidote” (likely since Zinaida had already died due to the drug, so there was no point), though it did say death is only caused via “large quantities”. This makes me think, if less of the drug was used on Zinaida, maybe she would’ve been like the passengers of the Isembard after they were poisoned. I wonder, if this is indeed a difference, maybe this could be part of Frederick’s goal for this voyage. To investigate the jellyfish at the heart of Oceanus, test out his poison, but to also test out his antidote? Unless he already developed the antidote and knew it work, but again it’s just a thought since I can’t help wondering.

DM's Scheme

There is little we can say about whatever scheme Frederick is asking Inference to stop, as unfortunately he gave no details. But I did want to bring up 1 idea based on the theory the "anonymous individual" is Gatto.

In the comic with his package, Gatto wants to complete his experiments to create a successful Eternal Beauty. The 1 subject that showed some success is stolen by Noir. Paranormal Detective tries to dissuade Gatto from continuing to work with the Ulliel family, saying they may be conducting unlawful/illegal experiments (and even calls the origins of the experimental products "suspicious"). Gatto says they only want to "help the living attain eternal youth", though he is beginning to have some doubts in the back of his head. Paranormal Detective then warns Gatto to be cautious of the Ulliel family and pay attention to their actions. Sometime later, we see Gatto mention the research will continue once the new experimental equipment arrive. Gatto is looking at an article on the detective Mr. Inference. After which, he puts on a gas mask and thinks to himself that, if he really is mistaken, he'll "need the detectives' assistance".

Therefore, I wonder if the "scheme" Frederick wants Inference to stop involves DM's drug experiments with the Ulliel family. Frederick said he'd take him to the "requisite location", which could be the Ulliel facility we see in Gatto's trailer and comic. At the end, he adds Inference can leave once the task is complete, at which point he says "the decision will be entirely yours if you choose to make these events known to the world or seek to apprehend their designer and pursue legal action". This implies the "scheme" is potentially illegal/unlawful enough where Inference will have the option to "pursue legal action" if he wants, which would fit the situation with the Ulliel family implied by Paranormal Detective.

It's possible this "scheme" and the anonymous individual are completely different from any of my guesses here, but this is just the only one that I was able to develop enough to guess what the "scheme" was. Otherwise, it'll just be someone new and a scheme we'll have to wait until the next T&I event to see.

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Noir/White - Experiment?

Speaking of Eternal Beauty, someone had asked about the “001” marking on White/Noir’s collarbone and whether he was experimented on.

The “001” I believe lines up with the “M001” one 1 of the pages (the 1 labeled “Diagnostic Center”) from White’s package.

The file labeled “Diagnostic Center” mentions White’s “physical dysfunction and memory loss were probably caused by poisoning. This can match with how in White’s regular file (labeled Orpheus Detective Agency) Inference says “his body seems to have been affected by some kind of drug”. 

White was found unconscious outside their detective agency with amnesia and “instinctively resistant” to recall his past.

The diagnostic file in comparison refers to him being in a “coma” and unable to recall any memories from before it.

In addition, White’s report describes him possessing a fear of heat and sunlight.

The diagnostic file does not make any mention to this, though it does state he was extremely thirsty and had a dry throat upon awakening. Besides that, it also lists him having headaches and “visual and auditory hallucinations”.  

As for my thoughts, White was found “unconscious”/in a “coma” and experiences “hallucinations”, with his body affected by “some kind of drug” and his other symptoms caused by “poisoning”. This somewhat makes me think of the symptoms experienced by Violetta on the Isembard. Details are scant, but we know she was knocked out after being “poisoned” by Frederick’s drug made from “refined jellyfish toxins”. It doesn’t say she was in a “coma”, but it does say she had “entered a deep state of unconsciousness” and did not respond to noise while in this state. It also said her “breathing is weak”, which makes me think of White’s report mentioning hypopnea, which causes shallow breathing and reduced oxygen levels. She also only recovers once Frederick cures her, and it seems she might’ve stayed unconscious until that happened as it says later, once Frederick cures her, that was when she finally “[regained] her senses”. She doesn’t appear to have any loss of memory, though we don’t have all the details of the scene when she awakes. And even if she didn’t experience hallucinations, we know the other passengers who were poisoned did.

I do wonder if Frederick’s antidote is something new, and in which case if it’d help White at all? It’s possible it wouldn’t since Frederick’s poisoned is described to use “refined” toxins, and thus it might be different version than whatever was used on White, but still just a thought I had.

Continuing with my other thoughts, we know Noir stole some variant of Eternal Beauty. 1 that seemingly showed at least some success.

Based on Gatto’s comic, I wonder if the “experimental subjects” used for his Eternal Beauty experiments were derived from or used on the individuals from the missing persons cases referenced in Gatto’s trailer.

Later in that trailer, we see Gatto and Paranormal Detective looking shocked at some medical room with a number of bodies (likely dead) atop the tables there.

This is likely tied to why Gatto then says “All for that damn drug from that insane family”.

So Gatto and the Ulliel family were already using people as subjects for the Eternal Beauty experiments. It would follow then that DM, who’s shown tied to the Ulliel’s (and how he describes Delphi as a product of 1 of the failed experiments for Eternal Beauty, we can say he’s likely working with them to some degree), would also test sample he stole from the Ulliel’s on a person too. Noir is the 1 who took the drug, so I could see (with what we know of DM) that he’d test it out on Noir.

A thought I had in combination with this, we see in Gatto’s comic that an explosion occurs after he mentions “[adding] the wrong solvent” while working on creating Eternal Beauty. However, it is only after this that 1 of his subjects seems to show some signs of success. What if, once DM got his hands on the sample Noir stole for him (and once he did any further experiments on his own without Ulliel’s involvement, if he did do more experiments or tried to recreate what he had stolen), when he tried to either recreate the drug or test it on Noir, maybe a similar explosion occurred, or a fire started. If that solvent Gatto added is necessary for a successful version of Eternal Beauty, and it is at all capable of causing an explosion depending on the amount and what it’s combined with, maybe this could relate to Noir’s fear of heat?

Either way, Noir/White’s symptoms sound a lot like Orpheus’ after the final game when he was in a coma for a time and woke up without memories. We also see Orpheus hallucinating while at the manor, so he matches up quite a bit with Noir/White.

You could also say Orpheus is also resistant to an extent to recall his (true) memories, regarding the Final Game (which likely causes him to lose Alice) and the tragedy (the death of the DeRoss couple and his involvement in it, as his real parents helped cause it). Orpheus is creating Hydra that can be used to “reconstruct” memories, meaning create new ones that may be close to reality but aren’t the truth (like the Oracle drug from the 2nd anniversary package). It’s possible he’s doing this because he doesn’t want to remember, based on Alice’s letter to Orpheus in the 2nd anniversary package where she says “Please don’t blame yourself for father and mother’s death” and later “I could feel your pain”, while the original backstory for Oletus manor mentions (after their deaths) him being “in a trance for a long time due to the powerful mental shock, and protected himself by closing himself off”.

And speaking of similarities with Orpheus, we know there was a fire at the manor when Orpheus was found in a coma after the final game. In the original backstory, it actually mentions “the cause of the fire was the explosion of the incinerator in the absence of supervision”, so now we have an explosion to connect to the 1 we saw happening to Gatto as he attempted to create Eternal Beauty, while also relates to how these games were happening as part of Orpheus’ own drug experiments and creation of Hydra.

The issue with both “Eternal Beauty” and Orpheus’ experiments is we still aren’t 100% sure of the truth. We know that Gatto says eternal beauty will allow “eternal youth”, but we are also aware that Gatto doesn’t know everything about the Ulliel family and the truth of their unlawful experiments, so we don’t know for sure if that’s all this drug is being created for, or if that’s what it’ll really do. I mean, we know Ulliel has been kidnapping people based on the “missing persons” cases and see their likely bodies in Gatto’s trailer, the same bodies that Gatto may be using in his comic, including the 1 that showed some signs of success.

If these are dead bodies, it does make me question if their purpose is just “eternal youth”.

It does remind me of another thing that has appeared in the main storyline with the manor games. Specifically, a line from Violetta’s 4th letter: “We will forget everything in the past and gain new life”. I forget if this has appeared elsewhere, but the idea that the participants will “forget” but “gain new life” seems to fit Orpheus, who has “forgotten” and has gained “new life” considering he’s not like how he used to be. I do wonder if it’s possible the same sort of thing might’ve happened to the other participants, that they “forgot” everything and thus had to start a “new life”. 

The same sort of thing has happened now to Noir/White. He’s forgotten everything and we know he’s different from before, since we’ve seen how he acts as Noir based on his trailer and Gatto’s comic (compared to White’s comic).

This is still an incomplete thought, as this is what I’ve been able to come up with so far. No way to know for certain what’s right or not. These are just theories at the moment until we get answers.

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The Proof of Azoth's Theorem - Important Points

I thought about whether to do something for The Proof of Azoth’s Theorem, but I felt there wasn’t much of note from that event that would be important for the main plot of the series.

Truth reunites with Clio (Arya Miller), who’s inheriting Azoth’s Library from her grandfather.

Helios is obsessed with making the Philosopher’s Stone, and kills the other directors, including his brother (Director Waning Crescent), as well as lures Arya to help with the creation of the stone. Eventually, Helios takes Arya captive, tries to use her blood to make the stone, but it fails. Officer Jose, who had come with Truth to the Library, swims across the “opposite bank” (because “some nuisance pulled up the drawbridge early”) to sneak to a window, break it, then shoot Helios before he can do anything else.

This was the one part I took note of, based on what Officer Jose says to Truth:

“Although I haven't exactly been active in the field for a long while, I haven't lost my touch! Back in the army, even Inference ranked below me!”

When Truth asks about Inference’s rank, Jose responds by saying: “Inference was third, I second...” in terms of rank.

This back-and-forth is the first time we’ve heard anything about Inference’s and Jose’s background. It’s not much, but it does tell us Inference’s position, his relation to Officer Jose, how the 2 met and likely got to know each other, and also the way it leaves open whoever was 1st in rank implies it’s likely something important to note. It could be DM, as we know he was in the military with Inference, or it could be someone else. I’d also like to add, as we know Ronald was also in the army with Inference, if Inference was 3rd and Jose 2nd, Ronald was likely at (if there was more than 1 at the third position) or below 3rd.

Jose’s “pinpoint precision” is another minor detail, and something I’d imagine is shared by the others from the military.

Otherwise, the only other bit from this event that may matter is it’s been 3 months since Inference left on the request regarding the Isembard, and we know he’s already accepted Frederick’s request. I’m unsure how long the Isembard’s voyage from start to finish took and thus how long since then Inference has been away, but noting the time is still good.

[sirenjose]

Jose's 5th Character Day Letter/Message

(Of course Jose’s 5th “letter”/message isn’t exactly straightforward or clear, and of course I have even more questions/thoughts now. I'm both happy and what to scream in frustration at the same time. Is it just me? I really do love his portrait either way.)

First, the mention of the “shipwreck”.

While we are fairly sure Jose’s father died, and it is highly likely Joaquin sank with everyone else on it, I don’t believe Netease (if they were referring to the day Joaquin vanished) would refer to it as “the ordeal known as the ‘shipwreck’”. His backstory and elsewhere only refers to Joaquin as having disappeared and never returned, with the last line of his backstory stating he was going to the manor to find his father. I think Netease would therefore continue to reference this incident in this way rather than reveal or confirm such a thing in this manner (that and 5th letters/messages are usually simply summaries of a character’s story, they aren’t really meant to tell us something new mostly). Anyways, due to Sam’s involvement in Joaquin’s disappearance and him being the likely cause behind Joaquin and the crew that day seeing hallucinations of things the cannons couldn’t kill, there’s still a fair bit we don’t know, so who knows if it was a simple shipwreck or not.

To get to the point, I think it’s more likely the mention of a “shipwreck” is referring to the incident referenced in Jose’s deduction 3 and 4 that resulted in most of the crew dying and them being unable to return home for 2 months. A shipwreck would very easily explain the large number of casualties, while the need to rebuild or acquire a new ship would explain such a length of time. It would also fit with how Jose spoke of “nightmarish waters” when talking about that day, and such a description would fit if there had been a shipwreck.

Speaking of which, deduction 4 is titled “Entangled” and includes the line “the devil’s tentacles are just out of sight”. I can’t help but think about this line more considering Hastur’s new accessory and all the tentacles with his special carry animation.

I’ve pointed out before how Hastur’s initial S-tier is called “Poseidon’s Crown”, with the accompanying A-tier being “Poseidon”.

That and Hastur is connected to Lakeside Village. Lakeside is where we can find Jose’s ship, implying Jose may have some link to the place, as well as an area in the back of the map that appears to be of a vessel/boat being constructed. To me, I can easily imagine their ship being wrecked during Jose’s deduction 3 and 4 at Lakeside Village (who knows if Hastur is involved or not), and them being stuck there while work on a new vessel is occurring.

We already know Lakeside is a place where all the villagers are said to have disappeared, with the only clues as to what happened being the empty boats in the center of the lake (based on Lakeside Village’s backstory). It’s not to hard to imagine something similar, but this time to Jose’s ship, could happen here.

The last thing I’ll bring up to back up this theory is a point I’ve referenced for quite a while, and that’s the trailers/backstories for Season 18 Essence 3 and Season 19 Essence 1. Both which depict a ship in a storm, the ship being wrecked, the survivors washing up at Alice’s home, and the same man (based on us seeing someone with the same appearance in both trailers) appearing in both that causes the destruction of Alice’s and Orpheus’s home along with the other shipwreck survivors Alice and Orpheus had helped previously in the trailer.

This leads me into another point about Jose’s message. This is the 2nd time now that we’ve seen the term “pirate” appearing in his story. The 1st time we saw this was in Departure Date’s design notes, which comment on his “painful memories of being a pirate”.

As we are seeing this term brought up once more, that likely means that this is being mentioned on purpose and for a reason. Meaning sometime in the past the Badens were involved in something akin to piracy. This would connect to Jose’s deduction 7 mentioning the nightmarish waters taking away his companions as well as their “conscience”, not to mention “awakening the demons” in the “Baden’s blood”. Not having a conscience and awakening “demons” implies Jose’s father and the crew did something that was morally wrong, something bad. Something that could include being involved in the tragedy that led to Alice’s parents’ (the DeRoss couple’s) deaths.

Netease has already stated that Season 18 Essence 3 and Season 19 Essence 1 are closely connected to the main story. If Jose’s father and crew are meant to be represented by the shipwreck survivors we see in those trailers/backstories, the actions we see, including destruction of property and/or burning everything to the ground, attacking and/or killing people aka innocents, and finally theft/looting/plundering, these are all actions that would fit with the idea of being a “pirate”.

In Jose’s 5th letter/message, I think the term here is linked to how it mentions correcting “the sea chart in his memory” that was “distorted long ago”. This implies Jose’s memory is “distorted”, and it’s possible “awakening the dormant pirate within” is a way of saying he needs to remember the truth of what happened in the past. The way he has to remember is phrased curiously. “Dormant pirate” could mean his personality, like his memory, has also been distorted and maybe he either needs to return to how he was, or is sort of saying Jose in a way is shackled/chained up and he needs to free himself (like a pirate against the rules I guess) if he wants to “reach his destination” and restore his memory.

Also, the way it says his memory was distorted “long ago” I think further backs up the idea the “shipwreck” ordeal is referencing the incident from deduction 3 and 4. I don’t think Jose’s father’s disappearance wouldn't have been so far in the past it’d be described as “long ago”. In Jose’s backstory trailer, he for the most part looks like he’s intended to be close in age if not the same age as when he entered the manor, which is how we see him in game. So a couple years at best, but that’s not “long ago”.

On the other hand, the incident in deduction 3 and 4 seems to have happened not too long after Jose and his father first came to Britain (from Spain) considering deduction 1 talks about them now having “new identities, new flags, new routes”. At this time, Jose was likely considerably younger. This is based on how deduction 3 mentions how he sees themselves as “the bravest sea knights”, the sort of ideal (or term) a youth would have (or use) vs an experienced sailor, like Jose after he’d been traumatized by whatever happened in deduction 3 and 4 to cause him panic attacks. And this was likely before the Badens are described as being well known to everyone from his backstory, before they worked for the actual Queen. Point being, this 1st incident is more likely to be something that could be described as having happened “long ago”.

We know after that incident, Jose began having panic attacks and night terrors that worsened to the point he might not be fit to sail anymore, and the only way he could fall asleep was by eventually turning to alcohol (deduction 6 implies he might’ve tried to escape from his trauma by sleeping, but when that no longer worked, he turned to drinking once he was older).  We know Joaquin, Jose’s father, was unhappy about his son potentially not being able to sail anymore due to Jose’s deduction 8. This deduction is titled “Drugs: To forget is the best cure”, with the description being “A torn letter: I don't need my son to remember how to be a good man. I just need him to get us out of every sandbank and reef”. Jose’s father really wanted Jose to continue doing his job and helping Joaquin look good for the Queen.

This deduction literally mentions “forgetting” and not needing to “remember how to be a good man”. Based on this, Jose’s 5th letter/message seems to confirm that Joaquin likely did do something to Jose to cause him to forget, likely specifically that incident from deduction 3 and 4 that is causing him to be potentially unfit to sail anymore. Distorting Jose’s memory was apparently the only way to ensure Jose’s trauma and panic attacks/night terrors didn’t prevent Jose from continuing to be able to sail. However, it seems Jose’s drinking habits continued, considering it still caused him to miss boarding the ship occasionally, notably the day Joaquin vanished. It’s possible his memory being distorted is connected to how the manor owner mentions Jose had “deep hypnosis” performed on him, with the only detail we get being it came with a “spiritual anchor” that gave Jose the mental fortitude to complete the (manor) game.

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(A bit of crack theorizing for a moment because I can't help thinking while working on this at the same time)

If Sam was involved with Joaquin and the ship disappearing (possibly using a drug like Siren’s Song on them, which causes people to see illusions based on Ashes of Memory part 1), I wonder if he also could’ve been behind Jose not boarding the ship that day…

We know Joaquin, based on the “torn letter” was asking someone to essentially “fix” Jose to ensure he did his job. Joaquin may have needed Jose, not just because of Jose’s navigation skills or because Joaquin could manipulate him due to Jose being his son (maybe to cover up a crime, or help him commit one, or ensure the crew did what he wanted, who knows), but maybe also because of Jose's “blessing” from “Poseidon” referenced in Jose’s backstory, which supposedly ensured they were always on time and never troubled by storms or waves. This at least connects to how Departure Date essentially implies if Jose had just been on board the ship that day, his father and the ship would never have disappeared. Unfortunately, it’s not explained why him simply being there would’ve ensured a better ending for them.

Though it seems like Jose got that blessing during or after the incident of deduction 3 and 4, since if Jose had the blessing before this incident, there never would’ve been that storm that made Joaquin take the alternate route that led to the shipwreck and everything else, and if they wrecked at Lakeside (or because of Hastur), that could be when Jose might’ve encountered Hastur and potentially got the “blessing”.

In any event, we do know Joaquin is connected to Sam, due to Sam’s signature on Joaquin’s ledger of goods the day Joaquin vanished. Maybe Sam was the one Joaquin was asking for help from.

I’m not sure if Sam could be behind the “deep hypnosis” performed on Jose, but it’s possible he could’ve been behind Jose’s memory being “distorted”.

Jose’s character relations page does say Jose and Sam were “drinking buddies”, but we have no other details about this.

We know Jose drank, and we know Sam had a bar, so maybe Jose, who needed to drink to deal with his trauma and panic attacks as well as ensure he could sleep (without fear of night terrors), went to Sam’s bar. We know from Jose’s backstory that, the day Joaquin disappeared, it says Jose was “delayed by matters in Liverpool” and thus didn’t “set out to sea with his father”. Maybe whatever he was doing in Liverpool was connected to Sam. I don’t know if Sam’s bar was in Liverpool (as Demi’s backstory said they came to a “small” European town while her 2nd letter mentions Southampton), but Liverpool was a crucial port of maritime trade and travel to/from America and the west in the 19th century (and the Bourbons came from America).

Or maybe it had to do with Vilhelm, who we know was in Australia and experimented with some of the same drugs Orpheus has been experimenting with, and both Joaquin and Sam are connected to Vilhelm. Sam is potentially working for Orpheus, who we know also appeared in a photo with Sam and Vilhelm in Alice’s flashback in Ashes of Memory, and Alice’s 1st letter implies Orpheus was trying to help Alice remember him, and that same letter even references Sam, who’s drawer had the key Alice was able to use to help her escape from Vilhelm.

Even if Vilhelm was working with Joaquin and wanted whatever items he sent Joaquin to fetch that day, and even though Vilhelm was Sam’s “sponsor”, it's possible Sam’s loyalties lay more with Orpheus than Vilhelm.

We know Orpheus didn’t like Vilhelm due to Vilhelm taking Alice and thus why Orpheus would work against Vilhelm.

If Joaquin was tied to the tragedy that led to the death of the DeRoss couple, that could be why he might’ve asked Sam to drug Joaquin and crew to ensure they died, but Sam, who was “drinking buddies” with Jose, might not have wanted Jose to get killed too, and thus why he might’ve ensured Jose was drinking that day or something so Jose wouldn’t be on the ship as well.

Sam might’ve already been in Australia with Vilhelm, Alice and Orpheus, or maybe he was already at Oletus Manor, as we know from Demi’s backstory he did eventually leave and not come back. So maybe rather than drinking with Sam, Sam had Jose drinking with Demi, who still took care of the bar in Sam’s absence, and we know Sam sent Demi the recipe for dovlin so he was still keeping track of her (and Demi’s letters potentially imply him and Demi were in correspondence with each other for some time at least).

---

Lastly, there’s that mention of “voyages through dreamland”. As we’ve mentioned, it likely ties in to Jose’s distorted memories. It may also tie in to Jose’s 1st and last deduction, which start and end with “3,2,1... Sweet dreams” and “3,2,1... Wake up”. Jose may be hypnotizing himself or it could be whoever Joaquin asked to fix Jose, but in any case it fits well with his 1st and last deduction. Considering we get these lines right at the start and end of his deductions, this fits in well with the idea that Jose’s memories are “distorted”.

I also find it curious considering Yidhra is a character and “dreamlands” could also connect to her “Dreamlands”, and she is also connected to Lakeside like Jose based on the settings of Yidhra’s letters (and I have wondered, as a crack theory, if Oletus manor is in the dreamlands and that could be how many of the previous participants could've vanished without a trace but not have obviously died, since only Orpheus' body was found after the Final Game).

[sirenjose]

Missing Player-ID: 157716441

Puzzle Solver Analysis

Main Story: Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6

Hidden Story: Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5

Plot Analysis: Part 1 Part 2

1 of the rewards from purchasing this game is the in-game B-Tier skin for Norton: Puzzle Solver.

Description: Every clue seemed to attract more danger, but in its midst, someone whispering can almost be heard. "Don't come any closer. Don't come any closer."

Based on the name and the fact at the start of the event the mother says she wanted to hire an expert “puzzle solver”, it’s possible Norton is meant to parallel the Detective in this story. Based on his outfit, we can see he has a similar detective-themed costume like Mr. Inference and Lady Truth, as he also has a deerstalker cap, pipe, and magnifying glass like the other 2 do, all of which are items popularly associated with Sherlock Holmes and other Detectives.

Another point that may tie Puzzle Solver to Mr. Inference and Lady Truth is how on an invitation letter that came with the physical package of the game, there was a seal for “Orpheus Private Detective Firm Stamper”

This is the same seal we see in the 4th anniversary package (for DM), on things like the character pages for Lady Truth and Mr. Inference. This ties to how Mr. Inferences is said to have started a private detective agency in his Truth and Inference poster description, and Lady Truth is said to have joined the “Orpheus Detective Agency” in her background description.

Actually, it’s possible that Puzzle Solver is tied to Patchwork, as he has a magnifying glass on the same spot on his hat as Puzzle Solver, except Patchwork’s magnifying glass has been pierced by a horn.

Puzzle Solver may also be tied to Ronald, as we know Mr. Inference and Ronald of Ness were comrades back when they were both in the army.

The fact he is a detective helps show that Norton is actually quite smart, which ties to his willingness to learn and how skilled he actually is.

Every clue “attracting more danger” while also hearing whispering about not getting any closer potentially is meant to connect to his involvement with Golden Cave. Norton getting more “clues” could relate to him as he gets closer to it. There was how he started out as a miner until he was dissatisfied at being unable to change his fate and escape poverty by simply working hard as he had been, before he acquired the list of 13 mines from Benny. Norton getting “closer” to the 13th mine, aka Golden Cave, could relate to him approaching “danger”. The warning not to get closer to it can relate to the accident that ends up occurring at the cave, as well as potentially the danger from the meteorite.

The part about someone saying “Don’t come any closer” can also relate to how everyone avoids Norton, like in his backstory after the accident when everyone gave him a “wide berth” (and didn’t comfort him as he recovered) due to being afraid of his scars, as well as Melly who warns Alice away from him. It also can relate to how, before he left to search the 13 mines, people were “intimidated” by how hard he worked. It can also connect to how Norton avoids interacting with other people and avoids forming relationships whenever possible. He doesn’t want to get attached, he keeps them at a distance, and keeps quiet as much as possible. We see this in some of his tweets, where if a person tries to get too close or acts too friendly, he starts to act a bit strange/differently. It also ties to how Norton doesn’t seem to understand what “love” is and believes that people always want something from him, that no one is ever actually simply nice, that everyone has their own ulterior motives. This also relates to how he grew up in a cruel environment where his employers were merciless and didn’t even care if their employees got hurt or were killed.

The large question mark (“?”) on his hat can also relate to Norton himself. This is especially because of how he has 2 different sides, as he hides his real self under a mask tries to keep everyone a distance away from him. His issues worsened after the accident (and after getting the meteorite).

[sirenjose]

Missing Player-ID: 157716441

Plot Analysis Part 2

Main Story: Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6

Hidden Story: Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5

Plot Analysis: Part 1

Puzzle Solver Analysis

The mother, Qin Yiying was another person affected by Liu Bingsen and his organization. She was likely “Patient X” from the BPRS document, the patient that remained “calm”. She was the author of a document dated September 9th 2005, where she talks about “good news” that there’s been no new “suspicious behavior”, as well as maintaining a “peaceful” appearance for the sake of their daughter, and forgetting the past and what she saw if it “doesn’t continue”. The “suspicious behavior” is in reference to the truth of Liu Bingsen’s actions.

“September 9th 2005 Today is the tenth anniversary. It should have been a very happy moment, but I couldn’t be happy. Looking back 10 years ago, in the church, we swore an oath in front of the pastor. Our friends, like us, have happiness and joy on their faces. When I say ‘I do’ I feel that the future is full of beauty. But I didn’t expect to become like this today. I really don’t want to believe it. I am very conflicted, but whenever I think of the situation at the time, I still hold up hope. The good news is that there have been no new suspicious behaviors in a year. For the sake of our daughter, I’ll maintain the appearance of peace and choose to forget what I saw before and to never reveal it, as long as it doesn’t continue. I am still willing to hold out hope.”

We know based on the December 9th 2009 document, as well as Research Fragment 6, that Qin Yiying eventually did learn the truth about what Liu Bingsen was actually doing. This ties with how, when the Detective asked the mother if she loved her husband, she avoided giving a straight answer and couldn’t say she actually did.

Going back to the December 9th 2009 document, Qin Yiying commented on not being a “helpless child” anymore and wanting “revenge”/“just punishment”. We also talked about her nightmare and Liu Bingsen seeing his father’s face mirrored in her eyes. To understand everything, it’s time now to talk about Qin Yiying’s past. ***** gave the most telling info on her in his “About Her” file and in the document dated September 9th 1992.

“About her: The daughter of a lost parent, many hardships, inescapable misfortune, life is ups and downs. Hatred and patience, struggle and submission, although there was little hope, she was fortunate to escape. I wanted to live in peace and heal my wounds, I want to leave my past behind. But then the shadows appear and crisis awaits, she escaped the wolf’s den, into the tiger’s mouth. Fortunately, a secret love was born, and the butcher’s knife was temporarily withdrawn. The knot is tied, and they are joined together. 15 years of different dreams in the same bed. There are many lies, disguises, and plans.  The world is easy to change, but it’s hard to change one’s nature: a great deal of trust, in exchange for 100% sorrow. When the truth is revealed, all hope is lost, only by killing the sinners can we be saved. The wheel of fortune spins relentlessly, the remaining treasures also turn into clouds of smoke. Now, a broken soul. I’ll leave it to you to interrupt her slumber.”

“September 9th 1992 The man I've never met always gives me a glimpse of fantasy when I'm vulnerable. What does he look like, do I look like him? My mother might have kept a picture of him, but it was so long ago that no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t dig into my memory to find out what he looked like. Was he a gentle man? I still remember my mother describing their story to me with great emotion, but I can’t remember exactly what she told me. Although I had never met him, I could feel the happiness in her words - if one had seen the story of the man and could not remember what was said, one could clearly perceive the happiness. Such a person must be gentle. If I could meet him, what should I tell him? I should tell him what happened to my mother ...... and tell him that she was wronged in his absence. I feel for her. As for me ...... I’d rather not let him have too many worries. He’s a hero to his country and a hero to my mother. He’s already too tired. And… I’ve found a way to reconcile with myself in the dark basement(?). They gave me companionship and encouragement in my most desperate moments, and allowed me to persevere without him. Do I hate the devil? Of course! After making him disappear completely, they all advised me to leave the hatred behind and just run away, as far away as possible. They all said that if I kept the hatred, the person I hated would not really leave me. But it's not easy! The excruciating pain, the festering wounds, the black bruises ...... they know too! They've been through it with me! No more, thankfully, no more: a new world, new friends, no more wounds, no more shouts, no more nightmares. If my mother had known, she would have been pleased that I had met a good man. He would have given my mother what she lost – a happy family. And my child would not have to see their father only in memories as they does now. When they think of their father, they must be filled with happiness and pride. I'm sure they are. But I'm really curious what their father was like.”

This information the Detective is given tells us that Qin Yiying never knew her father, seemingly dying in service to his country. In the September 9th 1992 document, which is written by Qin Yiying, she talks about wishing she could tell her father about how her mother was “wronged”(?) in his absence.

Combined with the “About Her” section, the mention of the “broken childhood” during the main section of the game should actually refer to Qin Yiying’s childhood, not her daughter’s (Liu Lingjing).

“April 3rd 1995 It’s so beautiful here, and it’s the perfect place to come with friends and loved ones when the cherry blossoms are in bloom. I feel better. In a few months, the lotus pond next to here will be full of lotus flowers and ducks will be playing in the water. We’ll have to come back then. In the future, when we have a child, we will bring them here often to play. I hope their childhood will be happy, unlike me… But the good news is, that’s all in the past, right?”

In the September 9th 1992 document, she talks about finding a way to “reconcile” with herself and talks about making the “devil” disappear completely. The meaning behind this could be related to the one phrase about a body being thrown into Iron Camel Mountain(?). When the name was mentioned, the mother talked about it being dangerous, hard to find, and very dark. Therefore, the true meaning behind this could be that Qin Yiying killed someone, this “devil”, and threw their body into the mountain to hide the evidence and her crime. Whoever this was could relate to the page from December 2009 which mentions a “name” the mother didn’t think she’d ever see again. It was this same document that referenced “new victims” and wanting “just punishment” now that she wasn’t a “helpless child” anymore.

Considering what we’ve said so far about Qin Yiying’s nightmare and Liu Bingsen’s father, as well as what we know the organization Liu Bingsen joined, it’s possible Qin Yiying witnessed her mother being abused (or even killed potentially) by Liu Bingsen’s father, who was likely part of the organization (In Research Fragment 3, Liu Bingsen mentioned the organization having a “strict selection and inheritance system”, which may imply Liu Bingsen was able to join because his father had been a part of it).

The reason Qin Yiying’s mother may have been abused or killed by this organization connects to the wrapping paper for the package the Detective received, which had the label “Vietnam Immigration” on it. This is important based on the information we received from ***** which talked about “witch hunts”, extremism, and discrimination. Qin Yiying’s mother likely suffered from this kind of inhuman treatment.

Based on the line about Iron Camel Mountain, it’s possible that Qin Yiying killed Liu Bingsen’s father in revenge. This would explain how she knew about the mountain being dark, dangerous, and hard to find, which was why she’d choose to hide the body of the “murderer” there: to hide any evidence of her crime.

From the “About Her” section, we see that Qin Yiying tried to forget the past and live in peace, but she ended up falling in love with the son of her enemy, the so-called “devil” potentially. Liu Bingsen knew the truth of who Qin Yiying was but didn’t get rid of her. Instead, they got married, and Liu Bingsen used deception to try to hide his secret from her. This is where the “About Her” note, specifically the part about it being hard to change a person’s nature, as well as how the truth was revealed, hope was lost, and salvation only coming from killing the sinner. This was to hint at Qin Yiying eventually learning the truth (that Liu Bingsen’s father killed her mother and the shady business Liu Bingsen was involved in, including trafficking human organs and/or body parts), with the part about “killing the sinner” referred to her killing Liu Bingsen in revenge by sabotaging his car.

“The safety standards for cars are so high that there is basically no possibility of direct spontaneous combustion, even if the fuel tank has been hit. Even spark plugs, because they only use an electric arc, ignite the (oil-contaminated) gas mixture, not the gasoline fluid itself. Since…”

Unfortunately for Qin Yiying, the day she caused her husband’s accident, he wasn’t leaving for shady business, but because he wanted to take his daughter to Happy Valley to play.

“September 8th 2010 The other day, Su Su (?) went to Happy Valley again (water stains). I always wanted to go there, but I didn’t make the trip. It would be nice if my parents came with me. But I can’t get my hopes up, or you’ll be even more upset if you get stood up. Mom has been uncharacteristically late in recent months, but instead (water stains) has started to leave work on time, and seems to be counting on Dad to be more reliable. Latest Information! I just learned that Dad is going to Happy Valley tomorrow, hehe~ He promised to take me there, and he said he will take me to the haunted house, even though I’m scared, I’m still super excited. Dad told me not to tell mom. (Water stains) Of course, you can’t (water stains) skip school, and I’ve said several times that (water stains) I’m not going to be able to sleep.”

This accidental death led to the creation of the daughter personality the mother has. This personality finds clues left by the mother (the real personality) and her father. The daughter’s social media account also has some entries where she talks about feeling out of control, being awake for shorter periods of time, before commenting she “remembered”, which may have been when the mother (real personality) took control again, forgetting everything, leading to the mother thinking he daughter had disappeared.

This was likely what happened to the mother after we told her about Iron Camel Mountain/Tie Tuoshan. She realized everything had been her own fantasy, and that her real daughter had died years ago.

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On a different note, I want to quickly discuss Xiao Dadong. His patient records mention him claiming to have heard “the voice of a dead friend” saying something about “he wanted to take him with him to death”(?).

This makes me think of the report that mentioned a boy dying, and his death leading to serial killings, with the police finding 35 bodies in the suspect’s yard.

“On December 11, 1978, the disappearance of a 15-year old boy let to a string of psychopathic killings by John Wayne Gacy. Although the boy’s last interview was with his construction company before he disappeared, he denied seeing the boy when questioned by police. A police search accidentally uncovered his hidden underground “vault” and eventually found 35 bodies hidden in his house and yard…”

Liu Bingsen mentioned the killer’s nickname was the Clown, and Xiao Dadong also played as a clown before becoming a ghost at the Haunted House.

This would tie to 1 of the hidden messages left by *****, who talked about the “real killer” still being on the loose and using his flaws as the rules of the puzzle.

“It is a colorful world, but in different people's eyes, it has different colors. Blood is a horrible bright red liquid in your eyes, but some people see it as nothing more than a dark, sullen juice that doesn't stir up a ripple inside. Similarly, this is a world of diverse values. Different people have different pursuits. Although those who dare to harm others at will are in the minority, good ordinary people like you still need to protect themselves. I would say this story is not over yet, because the real killer is still on the loose. But from the very beginning until now, I've been using his flaws as the rules of the puzzle. I'm making up the world as I see it and sharing it with you in the hope that you'll still love it even after you know how cruel it is, just like I do, although the parts we love should be completely different. Oh, by the way, for me you can be completely at ease, I promise not to hurt you. If necessary, I will even help you.”

The rules for this puzzle involved color confusion, which can relate to Xiao Dadong being colorblind, considering he saw blood as brownish-yellow. It could be that the 15-year old boy that was reported to have died was the “dead friend” Xiao Dadong claimed to have heard, and if Xiao Dadong was the killer, it could mean the “this person killed me” message the Detective found in Dadong’s notebook was either from 1 of Dadong’s victims, or it could’ve been the “voice” he claimed to have heard in his head that may have been the reason he was driven to murder.

[sirenjose]

Missing Player-ID: 157716441

Plot Analysis Part 1

Main Story: Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6

Hidden Story: Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5

Plot Analysis: Part 2

Puzzle Solver Analysis

Background Summary: Detective receives a request from a mother to help find her missing daughter. The mother sends you a package, with all of her daughter’s belongs that she found in her daughter’s room, which includes her diary. The daughter (the “missing player”) was looking for the truth of her father’s death after receiving an anonymous letter while playing Identity V that revealed her father’s death was an accident. She receives a bag with a burnt poker card at home, and works to find clues left by the mystery man, both in game and in the real world. She eventually disappears from her home, likely as she learns the truth of her father’s death. Her mother finds her notes and the clues her daughter had attempted to hide or dispose of, but she can’t solve the mystery on her own. As a result, she entrusts the package of information to a detective, a “puzzle solving” expert, to help her solve the mystery and find her daughter. This package includes the diary her daughter had written all her notes and everything she saw in during her investigation. At the same time, you slowly realize you are being watched by someone, someone who likely had also been watching the daughter. There seems to be a connection between reality and the game (Identity V).

Father: Liu Bingsen(?)

Mother: Anran/Qin Yiying(?)

Daughter: Liu Lingjing(?)

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To begin, let’s start with how one of the big reveals of the plot: the “daughter”, Liu Lingjing, wasn’t actually the one solving the truth of her father’s (Liu Bingsen’s) death. The daughter actually died during the car accident that killed her father. Instead, it was the mother (Anran/Qin Yiying) who’d written the diary and had been investigated the father’s death. After her daughter’s death, Qin Yiying created a personality for her daughter, which was the personality in control during the investigation.

This can be backed up by looking at the number of coincidences regarding the mother and daughter.

The mother repeatedly mentions a leg injury, while 80129 in game comments the daughter had a similar injury. The mother’s injury likely came from climbing the high fence with the barbed wire into Orson Villa, while the basement with the beam the daughter bumped into due to her injury was likely the basement of Orson Villa after the mother (with the daughter personality) climbed the fence into it. This basement was likely the same one with the secret room the Detective is shown by the mother and his friend, the one with that looked abandoned.

There are also other instances, including how the mother mentioned how she used to solve puzzles, while the daughter had to do exactly that during her investigation into the father’s death.

Beyond the coincidences, there’s also how the mother and daughter seem to rarely interact or see each other. Supposedly, their relationship worsened after the car accident. The mother only provides food and clothes for her daughter, but never goes into her room, which is where the daughter usually stays. The daughter is also said to often hide or refuse to see her mother. The daughter didn’t want her mother looking at her diary, and the mother didn’t go through it after her daughter disappeared. The mother didn’t even know if her daughter has stolen or used her (credit) card, which she bought a 10k yuan item with.

Something that always stood out strongly to me had to do with the tree with the hidden hole that the Detective’s friend talked as being too tall for a child, but not for an adult. Another similarly suspicious incident was at the Concert Hall. The guard did mention a little girl coming with a man, but in the diary the girl never mentioned going to the Concert Hall with anyone else. The Detective’s friend confirmed not seeing the girl (alone) via the surveillance cameras. The guard did mention a woman though, which was likely the mother.

If the mother were actually the one acting as the “daughter” to carry out this investigation, it could explain several times when the mother hinter at knowing things she shouldn’t. For example, when she found the empty file container, the Detective knew a music sheet had been in there due to the symbol inside the container being the same one on the sheet of music we received in the package. Before this, when they were first wondering what had been in the container, the mother suggested it was sheet music, and when the Detective asked how she knew, she said it was just a “guess”.

Based on her behavior, it’s possible the mother has something like Schizophrenia. If she did, it would relate to the existence of that Patient Support(?) group (the “Walking With You” one), to her husband being a “doctor” (who joined that very group), and even to the 1 event where her husband was listed as a volunteer and she was a participant, with the talk being about psychiatric rehabilitation. Her husband likely knew about her mental illness.

Regarding this “daughter” personality the mother created and the mother’s memories of her daughter, this would also fit with how the mother seems to still be thinking of her daughter from 9 years ago, before she died in the car accident. This is based on the fact the year she says her daughter was born and what her age was before she disappeared are incorrect.

According to Anran: her daughter was born in 2005, her father disappeared in 2010, she was 14 in 2019 and disappeared around the end of October. Based on a note in October of 1998, where Anran talks about a concert and having a family with a child, we know Anran had a child by 1998. She married her husband in 1995 but didn’t have any children that year. So, if her daughter was born in 1996, she would’ve been 14 in 2010, the year of the accident. That’s likely why the mother thinks she was 14 the year she disappeared.

Even if this wasn’t an intentional lie, there are a number of ties when the mother has lied or tried to hide things from the Detective. 1 notable example is with the paper the Detective’s friend found in the coat pocket in the room at Orson Villa. While talking with the mother, the Detective did notice her acting oddly after he asked her to check for anything in the coat pockets in that room. She became afraid, seemed to have an idea of what she’d found or would find, and then quickly sought to leave the room. She was likely trying to keep the Detective from investigating and learning about her secret.

“They won’t let me go. Something will happen sooner or later.”

This paper the Detective’s friend found in that coat pocket is tied to another file we receive, dated August 14th 2010. This other file talked about destroying or hiding evidence, someone potentially seeking revenge for something they did, and the thought that something might happen to them. The author was likely Liu Bingsen (an idea the Detective agrees with based on the dialogue of the main section of the game).

“August 14th 2010 I have to deal with it by myself, and I know they have countless ways to destroy evidence. But before that, all of this must be hidden, because I am not sure whether I will incur retaliation after I do it, and I am not in a position to confront them now. If something happens to me, I can only hope that these things will be seen again one day. It’s been a long time since I came out to Orson Villa. I think this should be a suitable place to bury it, with all the memories and hopes of the past.”

“Revenge” is a word that appeared elsewhere. This time, the date of the file is December 9th 2009. The author talks about nightmares, the chance of “new victims”, not being a “helpless child” anymore, and wanting “revenge”, which they call “just punishment”.

“December 9th 2009 There was another dream, and awakening from nightmares has become a regular occurrence again... I thought I’d never have to see that name again in my life, and never have to think about it again. Nothing new has happened yet, but who knows? Maybe even if I noticed, I wouldn’t know, and he wouldn’t even care. And what’s worse, every day that goes by, there could be a new victim. Now that I am not that helpless child I was then, I want revenge. No, this isn’t revenge, this is sanctioned, this is just punishment. And this must be done by my hand.”

The author of this document, based on the mention of nightmares, is likely the same one from a page dated March 1st 2009. The nightmare described here involved a scarred little girl tied to a chair, a man with blood on his hands next to her, who gets grabbed by a little boy who looks just like the man.

“March 1st 2009 It was that nightmare again, it came back, and it became even more terrifying. The little girl in the dream was tied to a chair, scars all over her body, and she shouted hysterically. Next to her stood a man with blood flowing from his hands. A little boy went over and grabbed the man by the scruff of his shirt, and to my surprise, the child looked exactly like the man, accompanied by limbs crawling all over the floor. He must have come to kill me… I wanted to run, but I couldn’t move my feet… my head hurt and I woke up. My heart beat violently…  I can’t stop thinking about it… not again…”

This little boy is likely Liu Bingsen, while the older man was likely is father. This is because of one of the “Research Fragments” files where the author mentions a woman waking from nightmares, with “my father’s face mirrored in her eyes”. He mentions “coincidence” brought them back together, that the “relationship was a mistake” but he’d have to live with it now, not thinking the woman “caught anything crucial”, and even hoping she might join him one day.

“Research Fragments (6) Her eyes don't lie, she must have sensed something. I never doubted the value of what I was doing, but she couldn’t know about it. When she woke up from her nightmares, I could almost see my father's face mirrored in her eyes, something that I had once deeply feared as well. Coincidence had brought us back together, and maybe I should have been a little more ruthless. The relationship was a mistake, but now I have to live with it. But I don't think she's caught anything crucial, and I'm confident that I've gotten rid of it. It wouldn't hurt to let her know about some of the side stuff, and maybe she could even join me one day. Then I wouldn't have to put up with that guy and that stupid codename.”

The one “relationship” we are keenly aware of in this story is the one between Liu Bingsen and Qin Yiying, as the main section of the story even calls out on the church they were married at, plus the Detective says all the locations they’ve been to are related to her (the mother).

A file from January 5th 1995 also talks about a “family”, and family being important to a “patient’s treatment and rehabilitation”.

“January 5th 1995 I was relieved to hear that they were together. Family members are crucial to the patient's treatment and rehabilitation. The patient’s (dirty) condition is unique, and it is important to avoid triggering memories of their life, which may lead to personality reconstruction. The good news is that hallucinations and delusions are almost non-existent, so a peaceful life is enough to maintain stability. There are times when I wonder about the reliability of this method, as there are unconscious negative factors at work beyond the mutual motivation. Some necessary isolation may be required.”

The mention of “rehabilitation” also came up during the “activity record” of the event where Qin Yiying was listed as a participant and Ling Bingsen was a volunteer. During this event, it mentioned a “professional lecture” that was to discuss “psychiatric rehabilitation”.

“Activity Record: Date: 1994.7.15 Location: Library Conference Room Participants: (unsure of translation here?): Li Weidong, Zhang Hong, Yu Qiuying, Qin Yiying, Zhou Hao, Wang Quangen, Sun Yan, Zhang Wei Volunteers: Zhao Tongshu, Liu Bingsen - Professional lecture "Talking about the key points of psychiatric rehabilitation training" - Self-introduction and psychological development of new members. - Patient and family experience exchange.”

Therefore, we can deduce that Qi Yiying is the one seeking “revenge” on Liu Bingsen, who she’s monitoring for “suspicious behavior”.

The mention of a “professional lecture” makes me think of a note we found while searching the bookcase in the old man with the cap’s home. This letter was addressed to a “professor” about someone’s “wife” being abnormal, going to meet the “professor” after some event, and asking he not tell anyone of their meeting. Considering where we found this note, the “professor” is likely the old man with the cap (the 1 we saw a photo of), and based on his title, he could’ve been the one giving the “professional lecture”. The author of this note with the “wife” should be Liu Bingsen. This old man may also be the author of the January 1st 1995 note (which mentioned “rehabilitation”). Liu Bingsen saying his wife was “abnormal” may have been when he realized his wife suffered from mental illness.

“Professor, I think my wife is a little abnormal, I will go to you after the event today to talk about it, please don’t tell anyone.”

The mother mentioned this old man frequently looking out from his window. This may be important as there were pages (maybe from the notebook with the torn-out pages Dadong had) that talked about a man with a cap handing the author a ticket from a window, and comments on music being a good way to relax and potentially able to help the illness(?).

Another of these pages from the torn notebook talked about a trip to Hong Kong, people with problems in their genes, and integrating them into normal society.

The ticket referenced should be for the Concert Hall (the same one we found torn in half in the notebook the Detective and mother found in the safe in the old man with the cap’s home). This would tie to how the mother says she’s been to the theater before, as well as to a page dated October 16th 1998, which mentions coming back from a concert, and her husband earning a lot of money, but always being busy. It also talked about him always going on business trips to Hong Kong and some kind of research.

“October 16th 1998 I just came back from the concert in the evening. My family has been doing well lately. Although my spouse is busy, he’s earning a lot of money, which seems to be much better that before. But there are always regrets in life. For example, today, the phone called him away so I had to stay and watching it all by myself. Even so, careers and children are all part of life, and I can understand that. But I still find it strange, overtime work is fine, but why is it always a business trip to Hong Kong when it’s so expensive. What kind of research is it?”

The reason for these trips to Hong Kong and the “research” he’s doing should relate to how that 1 page we brought up which also mentioned trips to Hong Kong. Based on what we know, it seems his trips to Hong Kong involved his membership in the “Patient Support Group”(?) group, which we know he got an invitation to.

“Invitation card: Dr. Liu, We are pleased to inform you that your application has been approved and you are welcome to join us. I also like to invite you to a meeting in (blacked out) in 3 days. We look forward to working with you soon. Best regards (signature illegible)”

This group was mentioned in a poster the Detective found, where they describe themselves as:

“Poster for the Patient Support Group(?) We are a voluntary, academic, non-profit social organization formed and registered by medical professionals and caring citizens in the city. As the city's first mutual aid society for patients with mental illness, ‘We Walk’ and its predecessors have a history of more than 27 years, and through the continuous exchange of information and the sharing of an excellent mutual aid platform... ‘We Walk’ has grown to become a platform for patients to exchange information and share their experiences.”

They are likely also the ones behind 1 of the flyers the Detective’s friend found, which talked about “defective” people and ensuring the world’s “limited resources” are “put to good use”:

“The world is already overburdened because we have rejected the cruel laws of nature. If we do not make up our minds to remove those burdens, one day we will lose everything. People should unite to cleanse the world of unqualified remnants (?), just like removing the demons hidden in the crowd. Only then will the limited precious resources be put to good use. The value of those defective products (or remnants?) only exists in sacrifice. Come and join us in our fight for a better world.”

The Detective’s friend found another flyer at the same time as this one:

“No one should know… no no no no no! Did he come back again? It’s impossible, I saw it with my own eyes… with my own eyes… I hate that, I don’t want … I don’t want to go back but no one can help me, help me, help me…”

That note is written similarly to another document we find when searching the torn notebook the mom found in Dadong’s belongings:

“She’s gone…finally…finally… Out the door turn to the left, turn left… turn left It’s the direction of the subway station… The car… car… should be gone. There’s blood all over, blood all over, blood all over! It’s hard, hard, hard to remove… It’s not as bad as his clothes… and hat. All of them are brownish yellow brownish yellow Even if you rub it, you can’t see it. It must’ve been intentional, intentional, intentional Don’t come back, don’t come back, don’t come back Disappear forever, She should have disappeared with him long ago.”

Considering the mention of a car and blood (and he mentions a male and female), this should be referring to the car accident that killed Qin Yiying’s husband and daughter, Liu Bingsen and Liu Lingjing. As we found this in Dadong’s notebook, and based on how the message is written combined with knowledge that Xiao Dadong also suffered from mental illness (he was who the patient record was talking about back when the Detective was trying to find what hospital Dadong was from), these 2 documents should’ve been written by Xiao Dadong, as it also fits with how the daughter talks about him in her diary. This implies Xiao Dadong saw the car accident. It also tells us he’s colorblind considering he describes blood instead as brownish-yellow.

Considering we know Liu Bingsen was a doctor based on the information the Detective’s friend found about the mother, as well as how the Detective says all the locations (including the hospital) that he visited with the mother are tied to her, combined with what Dadong says, the hospital Dadong was from may have been where Liu Bingsen used to work before he died. So it’s possible 1 of the people Dadong was afraid of was Liu Bingsen, though we know from the diary that Dadong was also very afraid of the old man with the cap. It’s possible the old man with the cap tortured Xiao Dadong.

“There is very little information that can be found about her. Out of touch with the times. Doesn’t exist on any social media platforms. Ordinary middle-aged woman. I haven't been able to find where she lives with her daughter. I found her name on the old Catholic Church website, which she seems to have joined in the early years. In addition, she had her wedding at the church in 1995 through friends in the church. But the parishioners won’t reveal more information. But I found most curious is that her husband (Liu Bingsen) is said to have been a doctor before he died, but no information about his profession has been found in the public domain. Even if he had left his job before he died, this is very abnormal. I’ll let you know if I find anything new”

Liu Bingsen was likely the author of Research Fragment (5), which talked about the “organization” being new, but the work being surprisingly easy. In that note, he continued by saying “no one in the hospital suspected me”, how the “abandoned ones” trusted him easily, and it being easy to package samples and adjust dosages to bypass inspections.

“Research Fragment (5) The organization's network in China is still new, but to my surprise, the initial work was very easy. First of all, no one in the hospital suspected me, and all my actions did not go beyond the normal treatment. The subjects trusted me, especially the abandoned ones who had no relatives, and they had more potential. Secondly, because of the technical limitations, it was easy to package the samples properly, adjust the dosage of the drugs, and bypass the limited inspection. But I think I'm going to need a helping hand.”

We know from the information we received from ***** (as well as that 1 flyer the Detective’s friend found) that this group is related to discrimination, extremism, and wants to get rid of “defective people”.

“Extremism and hate crimes Extremist ideologies exist in all stages of human history. Equal and peaceful societies are not the historical norm; rather, this precarious balance is easily disrupted in my opinion. With the exception of the occasional extremist group that has exerted great political influence throughout history based on specific historical circumstances (ex: the Nazi Party), more extremist groups are hidden, small, and localized, although this miniaturization does not affect their dangerousness. In English, there is the term ‘hate group’, and similar groups are tracked in the United States by the FBI and even the post-9/11 Department of Homeland Security because of their rightist extremist ideology. Discrimination based on race, gender, or health status, whether religious or not, is condemned and stigmatized in civilized societies, but that does not mean the world works the way good people expect it to. Organized crime against vulnerable groups is one of the main vices of extremist groups. A case in point is the infamous Ku Klux Klan in the United States, which was born in the southern United States in the second half of the 19th century, committed many crimes against people of color and civil rights advocates. It was not until the passage of the Civil Rights Act in the 1960s that racial equality became the mainstream of public consciousness and white supremacists lost their mainstream existence and went underground for sporadic activity. After studying some of the alarming cases of organized crime perpetrated by hate groups, my fear grew of the darker parts of human history. This fear is not because humanity ‘have’ a sinful history, but because extremism and discrimination and hatred seem to be written into the DNA of some people, and this still seems to be happening today.”

Then there was the notes that talked about trafficking goods. Based on the mention of corruption of the soul, abnormal state of mind, going through a process, donors/donations, food requirements, storage and refrigeration, not to mention Liu Bingsen being a doctor, he may have been trafficking things like human body parts or organs or something, with the “donors” being from the so-called “inferior” or “defective” people.

“Older Files (3) The goods are in excellent condition. There are many requirements that need to be fulfilled. First is a good physical examination, although they have been corrupted in the soul and do not have a normal state of mind, but as long as they have …gone through the process, many goods still have a high value. Second is to ensure the health and survival of the donation(?). For this reason, in the preparation stage… food is required, which is not difficult for most subjects. Third is storage. There must be qualified refrigeration equipment, which… nowadays, requires not only space, but a lot of electricity, which must be financially supported in order to continue and… because the developer is closing down, it will soon become unusable, and the electricity consumption will be very abrupt. Fourth is…”

This likely relates to the reason why he makes so many “business trips” to Hong Kong, which would fit with the one document that talked about an increase of criminal activity there.

“Hong Kong has a well-developed financial system and shipping industry, and this has not fundamentally changed even after the reunification. On the contrary, due to the increasingly close ties with the mainland, many mainland criminals have taken advantage of this to commit crimes such as money laundering and smuggling. Although these crimes are punishable by law wherever they are committed, the high degree of ‘freedom’ there clearly helps many criminals. It is even possible to evade prosecution if you can pay for expensive legal services, even if you are caught. What a beautiful word ‘freedom’ is, but how many crimes are committed in your name.”

Going back to the daughter’ s diary, it seems like an organization or someone may have wanted her to find the truth, as her impression of her father seemed to have changed after she found something, which likely included info about that group and the invitation her father received. The daughter comments on the truth of her father in her diary when makes a comparison to Leo Beck and talks about good and bad guys, and why they do the bad things they do.

Based on the “Research Fragments” we received (which Liu Bingsen is likely the author of), it seems like he agreed with the organization’s ideas, way of thinking, purpose, and goal. Research Fragments 2-4 make this evident.

“Research Fragments (2) There are many views that attribute the prevalence of witch hunting to clerifcal control and cultural obscurantism, but I find it difficult to get to the root of the problem. In my view, the ‘witch hunt’ essentially reflects a struggle for living space with limited resources, and the ‘witch’ is considered to be the face of evil, which is extremely dangerous for normal human beings, and the need for normal human beings to fight back in order to secure their rights is the underlying consensus in this movement. Therefore, I believe that when the witch-hunting movement ‘waned’ and shifted to a few elites, the movement really took the right path, that is, normal people needed to be held to the right standards, to weed out the deviants who were crowding society’s resources and to ensure the purity of society.”

“Research Fragments (3) And those individuals who do not qualify as normal people are better off giving up their precious resources. I couldn't agree more. After carefully reading the information on their website, I was impressed by their patience and professionalism. In the long run, they have not only formed an effective and secure organization, but also ensured the consistency of their activities through a strict selection and inheritance system. It is also remarkable that they have developed their own theoretical system in response to the modern wave of technological development, which has made it possible to identify the condemned in a more detailed and effective way. The criteria and process of identification are fully in line with my professional knowledge and have even inspired me.”

“Research Fragments (4) After detailed research and reflection, I decided to go in person and meet with the person who signed the letter. I believe that this process will be very interesting. On the one hand, I will finally be able to find the value of my own existence in this broken world and to use what I have learned, and on the other hand, they will be able to open up new horizons for themselves in the East of the world. I can't wait to serve the betterment of humanity and embrace a new future.”

It was after he joined them that he began to get involved in shady dealings and criminal acts (as we saw in Research Fragment 5). It’s why he commented on no one at his hospital suspecting him. Xiao Dadong was likely one of the people the (and potentially the “professor” as well) affected, which would explain what Dadong said in his messages (as well as maybe why he’d want to escape from the hospital).

[sirenjose]

Missing Player-ID: 157716441

Hidden Story/Epilogue - Part 5

Main Story: Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6

Hidden Story: Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4

Plot Analysis: Part 1 Part 2

Puzzle Solver Analysis

“Look, a little clue for you. https://dwz.cn/4rsRs5hm

Listen, a voice murmurs: ‘Maple trees and willows, bright lights, external forces, variables, discrete fate, nearby documents, approaching down, crows, black umbrellas, abuse, and collapse’ On the page in the red box, You keep falling, falling, falling I’ve left something for you at the bottom. Flip all the greys first, Then  turn the yellow to the left Finally flip blue the blue and its surroundings You and I have to hold back our curiosity. It’s close, it’s close.”

“It’s not over until you see the end, right? https://dwz.cn/p6RoQruJ

Yours sincerely, Observer”

“It is a colorful world, but in different people's eyes, it has different colors. Blood is a horrible bright red liquid in your eyes, but some people see it as nothing more than a dark, sullen juice that doesn't stir up a ripple inside. Similarly, this is a world of diverse values. Different people have different pursuits. Although those who dare to harm others at will are in the minority, good ordinary people like you still need to protect themselves. I would say this story is not over yet, because the real killer is still on the loose. But from the very beginning until now, I've been using his flaws as the rules of the puzzle. I'm making up the world as I see it and sharing it with you in the hope that you'll still love it even after you know how cruel it is, just like I do, although the parts we love should be completely different. Oh, by the way, for me you can be completely at ease, I promise not to hurt you. If necessary, I will even help you.”

“Smart player: You finally found your way here. As I said before, in return, I’d be happy to share my next observation with you. The information about him is hidden in the pentagon below. I know you’ll be curious too. When you know the answer, fill in the box.”

(Should be your in-game ID?) “You finally came! I always thought you were special. I’ve been watching you : )

[sirenjose]

Missing Player-ID: 157716441

Hidden Story/Epilogue - Part 4

Main Story: Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6

Hidden Story: Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 5

Plot Analysis: Part 1 Part 2

Puzzle Solver Analysis

“I know you’re waiting for me. The previous post was still too flashy, so I came in here. Your friend the old geezer remembers the rules from my test years ago, and he’s right, but that’s obviously not the whole story. We also played the game on the official Identity V Weibo, right after the project was announced. You can also think back. Take the shortest route that the rules allow, and I’ll be waiting for you at the next lotation.”

Doctor (Emily)

Exploration (Norton)

Red Butterfly (Michiko)

Gardener (Emma)

"pec8"

“Righteousness”. Although I have never been a fan of the so-called positive values(?), I do not intend to reject the so-called negatives. I know that in today’s society, I can still be a quiet observer, thanks to those positive things(?). So when the whole of society was asked to stay at home, I did it, even though this cost me a lot of money, directly delayed my finding you, and left me with a lot of regrets in my work. But who knows, the world is full of “chances” that can stimulate my interest(?). I am happy to tell you that I have found a new object of observation. Before I share this joy with you, I leave you with this little test, and if you can crack it as well as before and penetrate my domain, I will share with you the news of this new object of observation. I am waiting for you.”

"mysterious"

[sirenjose]

Missing Player-ID: 157716441

Hidden Story/Epilogue - Part 3

Main Story: Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6

Hidden Story: Part 1 Part 2 Part 4 Part 5

Plot Analysis: Part 1 Part 2

Puzzle Solver Analysis

It’s like an old group photo, but I can’t see who it is

“Activity Record: Date: 1994.7.15 Location: Library Conference Room Participants: (unsure of translation here?): Li Weidong, Zhang Hong, Yu Qiuying, Qin Yiying, Zhou Hao, Wang Quangen, Sun Yan, Zhang Wei Volunteers: Zhao Tongshu, Liu Bingsen - Professional lecture "Talking about the key points of psychiatric rehabilitation training" - Self-introduction and psychological development of new members. - Patient and family experience exchange.”

“Professor, I think my wife is a little abnormal, I will go to you after the event today to talk about it. Please don’t tell anyone.”

“October 16th 1998 I just came back from the concert in the evening. My family has been doing well lately. Although my spouse is busy, he’s earning a lot of money, which seems to be much better that before. But there are always regrets in life. For example, today, the phone called him away so I had to stay and watching it all by myself. Even so, careers and children are all part of life, and I can understand that. But I still find it strange, overtime work is fine, but why is it always a business trip to Hong Kong when it’s so expensive. What kind of research is it?”

“September 9th, 2005 Today is the tenth anniversary. It should have been a very happy moment, but I couldn’t be happy. Looking back 10 years ago, in the church, we swore an oath in front of the pastor. Our friends, like us, have happiness and joy on their faces. When I say ‘I do’ I feel that the future is full of beauty. But I didn’t expect to become like this today. I really don’t want to believe it. I am very conflicted, but whenever I think of the situation at the time, I still hold up hope. The good news is that there have been no new suspicious behaviors in a year. For the sake of our daughter, I’ll maintain the appearance of peace and choose to forget what I saw before and to never reveal it, as long as it doesn’t continue. I am still willing to hold out hope.”

“August 14th 2010 I have to deal with it by myself, and I know they have countless ways to destroy evidence. But before that, all of this must be hidden, because I am not sure whether I will incur retaliation after I do it, and I am not in a position to confront them now. If something happens to me, I can only hope that these things will be seen again one day. It’s been a long time since I came out to Orson Villa. I think this should be a suitable place to bury it, with all the memories and hopes of the past.”

“September 8th 2010 The other day, Su Su (?) went to Happy Valley again (water stains). I always wanted to go there, but I didn’t make the trip. It would be nice if my parents came with me. But I can’t get my hopes up, or you’ll be even more upset if you get stood up. Mom has been uncharacteristically late in recent months, but instead (water stains) has started to leave work on time, and seems to be counting on Dad to be more reliable. Latest Information! I just learned that Dad is going to Happy Valley tomorrow, hehe~ He promised to take me there, and he said he will take me to the haunted house, even though I’m scared, I’m still super excited. Dad told me not to tell mom. (Water stains) Of course, you can’t (water stains) skip school, and I’ve said several times that (water stains) I’m not going to be able to sleep.”

This was the wrapping paper used for the package the Detective received that contained all of the daughter’s belongings. The mother said it was old paper she found at home.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The dots around the coin are Morse code. Read it counterclockwise. (There are 3 gaps, so there are 3 messages).

First: long and short, short and short, short and short, long and short, short, long, short, long, long, long, long, long (decimal point is sunken). Translation: N54.6 W1.0. The corresponding spot on the map is shown.

Second: long short short short short short short long long long long and short, short long short short short short short short short short long. N51.7 W5.3

Third: long short short short short short long long long long long. Long long long long short, short long long long long long. Long long long long short. N50.9 E0.9

Find the center point of the three, which is: N52.4 W1.8. (may be the coordinates of the manor?)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The girl’s weibo has a string of numbers. Use Baidu telegram code translation and enter the numbers. Says: “I’m so sorry”(?)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(this is the part where friend tells about the server hacking incident)

(At the bottom of this page is where mysterious man makes a comment)

“I know you’re waiting for me. The previous post was still too flashy, so I came in here. Your friend the old geezer remembers the rules from my test years ago, and he’s right, but that’s obviously not the whole story. We also played the game on the official Identity V Weibo, right after the project was announced. You can also think back. Take the shortest route that the rules allow, and I’ll be waiting for you at the next lotation.”

[sirenjose]

Missing Player-ID: 157716441

Hidden Story/Epilogue - Part 2

Main Story: Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6

Hidden Story: Part 1 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5

Plot Analysis: Part 1 Part 2

Puzzle Solver Analysis

Look again at the board. Touching different parts of the board gives you clues.

With the board, you poke/circle all the places the girl has been to.

Then look at the back of the map for the correspond letter. Which spells out “email me”.

Say this to ***** for more dialogue.

Detective mentions he looked at the places he’s visited before on the map and found the message left by the girl, and asks if he’s supposed to message her. *****: “Interesting, so why not try it?” Detective: “I don’t know her email address.” ***** suggets he check for a mailbox on other platforms.

You can find girl’s Weibo watermark on Taobao (the place that sold the dice).

“Cat’s claw”. You can find her email here: aoki_liu@163.com. @163 is the suffix for the netease mailbox.

You get this message after sending that email a message.

“Strangers, thank you for your help. At the end of the game, she escaped with them. I guess they gave her a sense of security. After they all disapepared, I found her. She had lost everything, but she could still talk. It was a relief for her to talk about it. Try to recover the last game at midnight, and I’ll judge whether you’re worthy.”

Go back to the game now.

To restore the last game at midnight, you need to find the girl’s account.

There’s only 1 game in the record.

Just play from 11-12 in the evening.

You get a letter after. Align question marks on different pages. Align the 16 squares of the key with the 16 squares on the page. The word it’s pointing to is “broken”

There are question marks on pages 12, 32, 36, and 48. Putting the words together spells out: “Broken childhood”.

Detective asks ***** if the girl left these words on purpose. *****: “It’s my little surprise for you.  But more important is the story behind it.” Detective: “What does ‘broken childhoon’ mean?” *****: “It’s literal. It’s the inner world beneath the exterior, the past that you don’t want to look back on. I’ve got some old stories about her here.” Detective: “Can you share it with me?” *****: “Souls wandering on the edge of different personalities, even unconsciously, will send out distress signals. Find the plea left by her. If you want to understand her, start by reading the message from the girl.” ***** then mentions using something to change Xs to Ys on the back of a map. Use on thing to change the X at the back of the map to Y.”

Get the PTSD/CAPS paper, and line up the straight lines on the papers with the X looking marks of the other page to form Ys. Reading the words next to the dots on the paper gives: “Hollow Out Frame Number >= 30”.

So knock out numbers greater or equal to 30.

There will be corresponding letters on the page behind the PTSD table after doing this. Spells out: “don’t beat me”.

Detective: “Did she stay?” *****: “It seems you are suitable for listening to this story.”

“September 9th 1992 The man I've never met always gives me a glimpse of fantasy when I'm vulnerable. What does he look like, do I look like him? My mother might have kept a picture of him, but it was so long ago that no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t dig into my memory to find out what he looked like. Was he a gentle man? I still remember my mother describing their story to me with great emotion, but I can’t remember exactly what she told me. Although I had never met him, I could feel the happiness in her words - if one had seen the story of the man and could not remember what was said, one could clearly perceive the happiness. Such a person must be gentle. If I could meet him, what should I tell him? I should tell him what happened to my mother ...... and tell him that she was wronged in his absence. I feel for her. As for me ...... I’d rather not let him have too many worries. He’s a hero to his country and a hero to my mother. He’s already too tired. And… I’ve found a way to reconcile with myself in the dark basement(?). They gave me companionship and encouragement in my most desperate moments, and allowed me to persevere without him. Do I hate the devil? Of course! After making him disappear completely, they all advised me to leave the hatred behind and just run away, as far away as possible. They all said that if I kept the hatred, the person I hated would not really leave me. But it's not easy! The excruciating pain, the festering wounds, the black bruises ...... they know too! They've been through it with me! No more, thankfully, no more: a new world, new friends, no more wounds, no more shouts, no more nightmares. If my mother had known, she would have been pleased that I had met a good man. He would have given my mother what she lost – a happy family. And my child would not have to see their father only in memories as they does now. When they think of their father, they must be filled with happiness and pride. I'm sure they are. But I'm really curious what their father was like.”

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

There seems to be a photo, but the face is obliterated.

“Poster for the Patient Support Group(?): We are a voluntary, academic, non-profit social organization formed and registered by medical professionals and caring citizens in the city. As the city's first mutual aid society for patients with mental illness, ‘We Walk’ and its predecessors have a history of more than 27 years, and through the continuous exchange of information and the sharing of an excellent mutual aid platform... ‘We Walk’ has grown to become a platform for patients to exchange information and share their experiences.”

(*Unsure of translation here?) She’s gone…finally…finally… Out the door to the turn left, turn left… turn left It’s the direction of the subway station… The car… car… should be gone. There’s blood all over, blood all over, blood all over! It’s hard, hard, hard to remove… It’s not as bad as his clothes… and hat. All of them are brownish yellow brownish yellow Even if you rub it, you can’t see it. It must’ve been intentional, intentional, intentional Don’t come back, don’t come back, don’t come back Disappear forever, She should have disappeared with him long ago.

It doesn’t look very complete. Is a word missing here?

[sirenjose]

Missing Player-ID: 157716441

Hidden Story/Epilogue - Part 1

Main Story: Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6

Hidden Story: Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5

Plot Analysis: Part 1 Part 2

Puzzle Solver Analysis

New mysterious man (*****) appears and sends Detective a message.

(There are a lot of different options for the player to pick during all this, so the conversation won’t necessarily be the exact same. This is just based on 1 set of options that were picked)

***** greets the Detective. *****: “The poor lady seems to have found her child. Thanks for your help.” Detective: “Who are you?” *****: “It doesn’t matter who I am. The important thing is that you think the event is over yet, do you?” Detective: “I really can’t accept this situation.” *****: “You must have a lot of questions. Where did her daughter go? Why did she suddenly say she found her daughter? Did she really find her?” Detective: “How do you know this? Could it be that you are the one who’s been watching us? What is your relationship with Identity V?”

*****: “Take it easy. Before you, she also commissioned me to help her investigate the mystery of her daughter’s disappearance. There was also contact afterwards. I know the ins and outs of the whole thing. Also, I found some secrets. If you want to know, just answer a few of my questions in exchange. How about that?” Detective: “I am a little confused… And I don’t know anything about you.” *****: “Of course, you can choose not to believe me, but there is no harm in having another source of information. What do you think?” Detective: “Ok, let’s get started.”

*****: “Let’s start with the issues you’re most concerned with. How do you think the client found the girl?” Detective doesn’t think the mom actually found her. Thinks she was faking it or lying to him. *****: “But why would she do this?” Detective comments she’s lied more than once to him.” ***** wonders if the Detective is annoyed by her dishonesty. Detective says no, lying is human and a necessary skill, and you need to accept others will lie. *****: “Your mentality requires a very strong heart” then asks if the dark side of the word needs to accept or adapt like this(?) Detective: “Don’t misunderstand what I mean. I am not on the dark side.” *****: “So that’s it. Actually, I won’t interfere with what you are inclined to do. After all, this is your understanding. I’m just instinctively interested in everyone’s attitudes. Do you still want to know why she stonewalled you?” Detective comments he’s more interested in ***** now. *****: “Haha, let me give you some introduction.”

(You get sent stuff at this point)

*****: “Hope you are interested.”

“About me: Blood, frenzy, lamentation, fear, salvation, hope, take a look, the bright windows and eyes, and dark caves and rooms of the hearts. Do not doubt, there are countless joys and sorrows in this world, and everyone has a past in their heart. Sit quietly in the middle of the world. Let go of the good and evil in your heart, think of everything as a game, I am the king of this game. Your arsenic, my honey, all the world is for sustenance. Come on, enjoy this treasure together.”

“About her: The daughter of a lost parent, many hardships, inescapable misfortune, life is ups and downs. Hatred and patience, struggle and submission, although there was little hope, she was fortunate to escape. I wanted to live in peace and heal my wounds, I want to leave my past behind. But then the shadows appear and crisis awaits, she escaped the wolf’s den, into the tiger’s mouth. Fortunately, a secret love was born, and the butcher’s knife was temporarily withdrawn. The knot is tied, and they are joined together. 15 years of different dreams in the same bed. There are many lies, disguises, and plans.  The world is easy to change, but it’s hard to change one’s nature: a great deal of trust, in exchange for 100% sorrow. When the truth is revealed, all hope is lost, only by killing the sinners can we be saved. The wheel of fortune spins relentlessly, the remaining treasures also turn into clouds of smoke. Now, a broken soul. I’ll leave it to you to interrupt her slumber.”

“About you: We will see you again :)”

Detective: “I still have many questions for you.” ***** says Detective answers his questions, and he answers the Detective’s, and that he already responded. D: “But…”  *****: “Think carefully. By the way, if you find any other information from her belongings, you can send it to me to see. If I know anything, I will share it with you. Also, if you want to answer my question again, just tell me ‘answer again’.”

(Detective thinks: “This guy has a problem. Let the old ghost (aka, friend) investigate it”.)

Detective goes to see his friend. Friend asks if the girl was found. Detective says the mom said she had found her, but he thinks she wasn’t telling the truth, but she’s offline now so he can’t ask again. Friend tells him to forget about it. She said she found her, so let it be over. Detective says strange things don’t end there. Tells him about the weird person who contacted him and knew the missing girl’s case well, and that he also gave a lot of documents and asked a bunch of strange questions, “With all the weird connections between this disappearance and the ‘Identity V’ game, I feel like this person must know something else. I want to look this person up. Can you help me?” Friend is willing.

When friend asks about the man’s name, Detective reveals it’s just a bunch of asterisks. Friend seems to think of something. Friend says some time ago, the server was hacked before the Chinese New Year holiday. During that time, the game couldn’t be opened for several hours, then it quietly returned to normal. Old Ghost asked a friend and confirms it was hacked. Old Ghost also found an additional post in the info. The content was an incomprehensible picture and it was written in gray words or something. The author’s nickname was a row of asterisks.

Detective asks if this a coincidence. Friend says posting requires a background review. Friend asked insiders and no one had reviewed the post. Even stranger was that they couldn’t find the person’s ID number, and he soon deleted the post himself. Detective thinks it’ll be hard to find the guy. Friend thinks he’ll come again. When asked why, he says the attack on the server was like a rehearsal. The purpose was to leave a message.

Friend reminds him that the Detective still owes him.

Detective says “answer again” (to *****). (You can get 3 sets of info)

*****: “Well good, I like curious people. Let’s start with the first question. How do you think the mom found the girl?” Detective doesn’t think the mom actually found her.” XXXX: “But why is she doing this?” Detective: “She probably sensed that something bad happened to her daughter, felt that there is no need to continue, and didn’t want to bother me anymore.” *****: “It sounds very hopeless.” Detective: “Yes.”

This time the Detective says he thinks the mom sensed something bad happened to her daughter, felt there was no need to continue, and didn’t want to bother him (the Detective) anymore. Detective also comments on the daughter having bad luck, as she’s been missing for half a year and the last place she pointed to was in the wilderness. ***** comments Detective must be sad about that, and he agrees as he hasn’t seen the end results yet. ***** comments on “goodness” before asking what the Detective thinks is a “kind” person. He says something about just being kind and not caring whether it helps or not.

***** comments he thinks he understands and hopes the Detective is still interested. Detective says he’ll read it carefully.

“March 1st 2009 It was that nightmare again, it came back, and it became even more terrifying. The little girl in the dream was tied to a chair, scars all over her body, and she shouted hysterically. Next to her stood a man with blood flowing from his hands. A little boy went over and grabbed the man by the scruff of his shirt, and to my surprise, the child looked exactly like the man, accompanied by limbs crawling all over the floor. He must have come to kill me… I wanted to run, but I couldn’t move my feet… my head hurt and I woke up. My heart beat violently… I can’t stop thinking about it… not again…”

“The Onion Network is an anonymous communications technology that emerged at the end of the last century. The need for such anonymous communications as initially limited to the military and espionage sectors, but as the technology became open-sourced to the general public, the vast underground demand for anonymous communications led to an exponential increase in the use of its anonymity for a variety of illegal activities. I don't understand the technology itself, but in fact, the technology is simply a means to an end, and long before the creation of this anonymous communication technology, there was no shortage of alternatives for those (mostly criminal) activities that required anonymous means of communication. In fact, "crime" in the broadest sense of the word has been around almost as long as the history of mankind. It is only the development of modern radio and even network technologies that has made it possible for the perpetrators of crimes to form some kind of a broad and even global association. I have reason to believe that, after the reunification(?), some foreign criminal organizations will likely set up servers on our territory to conduct anonymous online transactions, and that in addition to traditional drugs and arms, human organs, human beings, and even perverted performances will become popular and hard-to-trace commodities.”

“December 9th 2009 There was another dream, and awakening from nightmares has become a regular occurrence again.. I thought I’d never have to see that name again in my life, and never have to think about it again. Nothing new has happened yet, but who knows? Maybe even if I noticed, I wouldn’t know, and he wouldn’t even care. And what’s worse, every day that goes by, there could be a new victim. Now that I am not that helpless child I was then, I want revenge. No, this isn’t revenge, this is sanctioned, this is just punishment. And this must be done by my hand.”

“Hong Kong has a well-developed financial system and shipping industry, and this has not fundamentally changed even after the reunification. On the contrary, due to the increasingly close ties with the mainland, many mainland criminals have taken advantage of this to commit crimes such as money laundering and smuggling. Although these crimes are punishable by law wherever they are committed, the high degree of ‘freedom’ there clearly helps many criminals. It is even possible to evade prosecution if you can pay for expensive legal services, even if you are caught. What a beautiful word ‘freedom’ is, but how many crimes are committed in your name.”

“Hexenhammer The book was a flagship event in the massive witch-hunting movement that began around the same time, and played a role in fueling the witch-hunting movement. But I prefer to think of it as a result, not a cause, of the "mass hysteria" that had deep economic and social motivations behind it, and that a book should be a concentrated manifestation of those motivations, rather than the opposite of a huge social movement arising out of a book. Indeed, long before this book was written, Joan of Arc, who was captured and executed by the English during the Hundred Years' War, was stigmatized as a witch and tortured at the stake. Until the early 18th century, this book was used by witch hunters as a tool to identify and deal with witches. The large-scale witch-hunting movement in the West did not die out completely after the end of the seventeenth century, but rather it was a folklore movement. Contrary to my subjective impressions before reviewing the data, the massive witch hunts occurred after the Renaissance, and the Reformation period that followed the Renaissance coincided with the height of the witch-hunts. Some extremist groups have continued their spiritual fervor in secret. Ironically, the fanatic groups that grew out of the witch hunts were still rampant in Europe when the Renaissance was named in the nineteenth century.”

“Extremism and hate crimes Extremist ideologies exist in all stages of human history. Equal and peaceful societies are not the historical norm; rather, this precarious balance is easily disrupted in my opinion. With the exception of the occasional extremist group that has exerted great political influence throughout history based on specific historical circumstances (ex: the Nazi Party), more extremist groups are hidden, small, and localized, although this miniaturization does not affect their dangerousness. In English, there is the term ‘hate group’, and similar groups are tracked in the United States by the FBI and even the post-9/11 Department of Homeland Security because of their rightist extremist ideology. Discrimination based on race, gender, or health status, whether religious or not, is condemned and stigmatized in civilized societies, but that does not mean the world works the way good people expect it to. Organized crime against vulnerable groups is one of the main vices of extremist groups. A case in point is the infamous Ku Klux Klan in the United States, which was born in the southern United States in the second half of the 19th century, committed many crimes against people of color and civil rights advocates. It was not until the passage of the Civil Rights Act in the 1960s that racial equality became the mainstream of public consciousness and white supremacists lost their mainstream existence and went underground for sporadic activity. After studying some of the alarming cases of organized crime perpetrated by hate groups, my fear grew of the darker parts of human history. This fear is not because humanity “have” a sinful history, but because extremism and discrimination and hatred seem to be written into the DNA of some people, and this still seems to be happening today.”

“Pure Humans (?) The pursuit of absolute purity has always been the preference of some paranoid maniacs. A famous example is Nazi Germany in the last century. During the Nazi regime, the Nazi Party embarked on a series of criminal ‘social improvement’ programs out of confidence in the ‘superior Germanic race’ with the goal of constructing a ‘dominant nation’. This included the sterilization and even massacre of disabled Germans (both physically and mentally) and homosexuals. In the Nazi Party's view, the inferior were unworthy to live in this world. The 1933 ‘Sterilization Law’ (Law on the Prevention of Offspring with Hereditary Diseases) required sterilization for certain ‘hereditary diseases’, including severe physical deformities, hereditary blindness and deafness, congenital mental retardation, hereditary epilepsy, and schizophrenia. In 1939, when Germany invaded Poland, Hitler sent the ‘socially useless’ to their deaths through the ‘euthanasia’ program. By the time it was stopped on a large scale in 1941, more than 70,000 physically or mentally handicapped people had died in Germany and Austria as a result of the ‘euthanasia’ massacre. After that, there were still sporadic murders. I find it ironic that the obsessive pursuit of human ‘purity’ is itself a manifestation of paranoia, which is now considered a mental illness in our society. The initiators of this pathetic fratricide are themselves a group of people with mental illnesses that need to be treated. No one, no matter what, is qualified to judge the ‘integrity’ of others, much less to deprive them of their lives and health. Sadly, such ideas are like unquenchable sparks that burn in the garbage heap of history, and human weaknesses becomes the sustenance for demons to survive, their shadows surrounding us all the time.”

“The Modern Witch Hunt Although large-scale witch hunts in Europe largely died out in the eighteenth century, sporadic attacks and even murders of ‘witches’ continued to occur. In nineteenth-century England, there were still documented ‘witch attacks’ in central and southern England, even though similar acts were already considered illegal at the time. There were probably many more cases that went undetected and undocumented, or even simply dismissed as unfortunate and accidental. The widespread suspension of witch-hunting persecution in Western colonies did not spread, and in Africa, witchcraft eradication campaigns continued even into the 20th century. To be sure, the ‘witch hunt’ as a social movement of organized human persecution did not start with an order, nor did it ever disappear. Once the right doctrine is found, it will reproduce more monstrous descendants.”

(Detective says “Answer again”. Still says didn’t think the mom found the girl and that the mom thought something bad happened to her daughter and didn’t want to trouble him anymore, but changes answer from the girl having bad luck to a different option)

Detective comments on it being necessary to work harder and there’s still no final conclusion yet, and wonders if there will be a miracle. ***** calls him a good person, but Detective says he (Detective) doesn’t think so. ***** asks what kind of person he thinks the mom is. Detective says she has a lot of secrets, and this isn’t just about her daughter’s disappearance. ***** asks him what he thinks about the daughter. Detective describes her as brave enough to go anywhere alone. ***** comments on the Detective needing to think about things carefully again, before once again hoping the Detective is still curious.

(You receive more info)

“Invitation card: Dr. Liu, We are pleased to inform you that your application has been approved and you are welcome to join us. I also like to invite you to a meeting in (blacked out) in 3 days. We look forward to working with you soon. Best regards (signature illegible)”

“Research Fragments (1) In the Vatican's understanding, witches were messengers of evil who traded their souls to the devil for the power of evil. For three centuries, countless people, led by the Papacy and the nobility, joined the witch-hunting movement, and for three hundred years, countless people carried the Hammer of the Witch(?), openly accusing and judging others, and over a hundred thousand ‘witches’ died by divine judgement. The movement was, without a doubt, a concentrated outburst of the darkness of human nature, and therefore not destined to last or be evaluated positively. But the rest of this history is fascinating. After the mass movement fell silent, some of the elite witch hunters formed small groups that did not abandon their core philosophy of ‘defending humanity and eradicating evil’, but it is clear that the specific criteria for identifying witches and wizards gradually changed.

“Research Fragments (2) There are many views that attribute the prevalence of witch hunting to clerical control and cultural obscurantism, but I find it difficult to get to the root of the problem. In my view, the ‘witch hunt’ essentially reflects a struggle for living space with limited resources, and the ‘witch’ is considered to be the face of evil, which is extremely dangerous for normal human beings, and the need for normal human beings to fight back in order to secure their rights is the underlying consensus in this movement. Therefore, I believe that when the witch-hunting movement ‘waned’ and shifted to a few elites, the movement really took the right path, that is, normal people needed to be held to the right standards, to weed out the deviants who were crowding society’s resources and to ensure the purity of society.”

“Research Fragments (3) And those individuals who do not qualify as normal people are better off giving up their precious resources. I couldn't agree more. After carefully reading the information on their website, I was impressed by their patience and professionalism. In the long run, they have not only formed an effective and secure organization, but also ensured the consistency of their activities through a strict selection and inheritance system. It is also remarkable that they have developed their own theoretical system in response to the modern wave of technological development, which has made it possible to identify the condemned in a more detailed and effective way. The criteria and process of identification are fully in line with my professional knowledge and have even inspired me.”

“Research Fragments (4) After detailed research and reflection, I decided to go in person and meet with the person who signed the letter. I believe that this process will be very interesting. On the one hand, I will finally be able to find the value of my own existence in this broken world and to use what I have learned, and on the other hand, they will be able to open up new horizons for themselves in the East of the world. I can't wait to serve the betterment of humanity and embrace a new future.”

“Old files (5) New channels are needed. Direct domestic shipping is risky. Sample time limit 72H, Temperature 2-6, Iowu delivery, contingency plan 2. I need to pay attention this time. He’s simply crazy.

“Research Fragments (5) The organization's network in China is still new, but to my surprise, the initial work was very easy. First of all, no one in the hospital suspected me, and all my actions did not go beyond the normal treatment. The subjects trusted me, especially the abandoned ones who had no relatives, and they had more potential. Secondly, because of the technical limitations, it was easy to package the samples properly, adjust the dosage of the drugs, and bypass the limited inspection. But I think I'm going to need a helping hand.”

“Research Fragments (6) Her eyes don't lie, she must have sensed something. I never doubted the value of what I was doing, but she couldn’t know about it. When she woke up from her nightmares, I could almost see my father's face mirrored in her eyes, something that I had once deeply feared as well. Coincidence had brought us back together, and maybe I should have been a little more ruthless. The relationship was a mistake, but now I have to live with it. But I don't think she's caught anything crucial, and I'm confident that I've gotten rid of it. It wouldn't hurt to let her know about some of the side stuff, and maybe she could even join me one day. Then I wouldn't have to put up with that guy and that stupid codename.”

[sirenjose]

Missing Player-ID: 157716441

Main Story - Part 6

Main Story: Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5

Hidden Story: Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5

Plot Analysis: Part 1 Part 2

Puzzle Solver Analysis

Unzip the Page and Use the Photos

Find places like this and put the photo between the diagonals. They should stick out of the diary.

There will be a line on one of their edges. They should connect once you place all the photos.

Reading the words along the line tells us: Fold the skull and cut the page along the red line.

Then turn it to the back to overlap the 2 moons along the yellow line.

This tells us the knives overlap with the doll.

One on the front and one on the back. Fold the front set. Then fold the back set.

The words in the circle mention opposites attracting.

Flip it over to see the North and South poles. Fold the two poles so they are together (along purple line). Next fold the green line in half.

“Stab the heart” (with the pin). Do this, then take it apart and see which words were pierced.

Putting the words together gives: “the body of the murderer was thrown inside the cave of Iron Camel Mountain(?). The answer is "Tie Tuoshan"(?).

Detective asks if she can think of anything based on those words/place? Mom: “She couldn’t have been there… why, I don’t understand…”. Detective: “What do you mean?”. Mom: “How did she know about Tie Tuoshan? It’s dangerous… there… My head hurts…” (something’s wrong here).

(If Detective tells the mom to calm down)

Detective tells her to calm down. Says the place is extensive, the notes are broken, and there are no further clues. He suggests he could go to the game and ask (80129?). Mom says no need, she hasn’t been there. Detective insists the mom must know something as every location and every element so far has been connected to her. Detective: “This is no coincidence. Your daughter’s disappearance, and even your husband’s death, is all linked to you.” Mom: “Of course it’s about me! This is my daughter!” then says something about her (the girl?) being miserable(?) and that it’s her fault. Detective says its time to tell him the truth. They still need to find her daughter. Otherwise, no one can continue to help you. Mom: “No need to…” Detective asks what she means. Mom: “I know where my daughter is… I’ve found her…” Detective tries to say something, but mom goes offline.

(if the Detective asks where Iron Camel Mountain is)

Detective asks where Iron Camel Mountain is. She says on the outskirts of Beijing, far away to the west, “It’s hard to find, very hidden, very dark…”. Detective asks if she’s ok. Mom: “I followed… and found… there’s a lot of… She couldn’t have been there. She was at home…”. Detective asks if she’s referring to her daughter. Mom: “She shouldn’t go…” Detective asks if she means Iron Camel Mountain. Mom: “No no… It’s Happy Valley. Just stay at home…”. Detective says she wouldn’t have gone without the card, “but this has already happened”(?). Mom: “No… it’s not about that… it’s his fault…”. Detective asks who she means (who is “he”?). Mom: “No… it’s my fault… I know where my daughter is… I’ve found her…”. Detective tries to say something, but mom goes offline.

Main game finished at this point.

New mysterious man (*****) appears and sends Detective a message.

[sirenjose]

Missing Player-ID: 157716441

Main Story - Part 5

Main Story: Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 6

Hidden Story: Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5

Plot Analysis: Part 1 Part 2

Puzzle Solver Analysis

Detective later tells the mom to go find the safe. Don’t know the password and clues left by girl seem incomplete. Mom says there’s a note on the back of the same. The safe is the old kind you have to turn a knob to open.

Align the (red) flower in the card’s hand with the flower mark in the center of the circle. The Queen’s looking at the Gardener, who has pliers and a wrench on her page. Rotate counterclockwise to cover the 2 items at the same time.

Next person is the Clown. Cover the 2 items. Rotate as shown.

Next is doctor. Cover items. Rotate as shown.

Rotate the knob of the safe in the same way.

Counterclockwise 11. Counterclockwise 35. Clockwise 15. Safe opens. Folder with a bunch of files is in it. There’s a lot. Mom will send him some. Detective will also go to game for clues. Some of them are crumpled.

“On December 11, 1978, the disappearance of a 15-year old boy let to a string of psychopathic killings by John Wayne Gacy. Although the boy’s last interview was with his construction company before he disappeared, he denied seeing the boy when questioned by police. A police search accidentally uncovered his hidden underground “vault” and eventually found 35 bodies hidden in his house and yard…”

“As far as I know, there is no specific provision in criminal law for trafficking in goods (?), because this industry is still very limited in China. But this does not mean that criminal law cannot touch this area. On the contrary, although the period of strict crackdown has passed, once the incident occurs, the punishment they will face will be very severe. In contrast to…”

“The safety standards for cars are so high that there is basically no possibility of direct spontaneous combustion, even if the fuel tank has been hit. Even spark plugs, because they only use an electric arc, ignite the (oil-contaminated) gas mixture, not the gasoline fluid itself. Since…”

(Seems this may be related to the dad’s car accident?)

In the game, Detective asks 80129 how she knows things others don’t. He asks if the girl ran into 80129 by accident or if 80129 took the initiative. 80129 asks if he’s suspicious. He says he just finds it strange. 80129: “If I were you… I’d just talk about clues instead of just being skeptical without evidence.” Detective: “…” 80129: “Did I say something wrong?” Detective points out she didn’t know the girl for very long and asks why she’s willing to help her. 80129 says she met the girl by chance, and after the game she (the daughter) took the initiative to add her (80129).

80129 describes the girl as lovely but lonely, a bit eccentric, and has been through a very sad experience, but after talking for a long time, she realized she’s a very cute person. They’ve only ever chatted online. The girl said she likes cats and likes to roll on the ground like a cat. Detective comments they (the girl and mom) don’t have cats. 80129 mentions that 2 days ago the girl told her she went down to the basement, and because of a knee injury, she can’t walk well, and her head knocked into the basement beam.

Detective mentions he believes the girl opened a safe at home and took the info inside, but she encrypted the info and hid it again. 80129 says the girl rarely went online after that and stopped sharing news with 80129, and comments its like she changed. 80129 comments how at first they thought it was just a game but doesn’t think so anymore. Detective agrees. 80129 mentions a corresponding relationship between what’s in the game and reality.

80129 comments something new appeared in game. In the arsenal (Arms Factory) map, there are 5 clickable barrels. 80129 tells him she has a strange feeling. That someone is watching them. In all places. Clicking the barrels gives a letter.

Letter says “When her favorite character’s candle is lit, the box(?) will continue to give you guidance”. Combine this with what’s in the diary. (Her favorite character is the Prospector).

Place the flame from the transparent sheet over the candle. In the circles are the words: clown, hand, hold, baseball. Position the transparent baseball in the correct spot.

These circles include words like Doctor, blue, and medicine. Position the transparent page correctly. Next words include blind woman and her cane glowing. Position the transparent page. 

The words now include Red Butterfly, blood, dye, and mask. The circle now mentions Gardener, protect, and toolbox.

The last circle on Gardener’s page has “FIND” and a picture of a pin mark.

“FIND” the pin mark. It’s on this map. Turn it to the back. The words are: “Read the Big Blue Letters”.

Starting from there, read only the big blue letters. Answer: Unzip the Page and Use the Photos

[sirenjose]

Missing Player-ID: 157716441

Main Story - Part 4

Main Story: Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 5 Part 6

Hidden Story: Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5

Plot Analysis: Part 1 Part 2

Puzzle Solver Analysis

(If decide to go to the next location first) Page 46 doesn’t give the specific location, but it does have a detailed route, mentioning places like Meditation Pond(?) and Qinglian Pavilion(?). Mom confirms they are still places in the park according to the map.

Detective comments on the map looking like a hand drawing from the diary. There’s a QR code but it’s incomplete. There are more clues on pages 47, 48, and 49. Finishing the QR code will give the next location.

Fold it first, cover it with the map, then follow the suggested route through the map step by step.

It will look like pictures above (with the blue line on the map). It passes through the letters HE and LP.

Blacken the corresponding letters HELP to scan it. You get the answer after scanning it to get the picture: Orson Villa(?). Detective tells the mom she should find an abandoned villa at the location. Mom says she’s never heard of it. Detective says her daughter climbed the walls on the northside.

The place is really well hidden, and the large fence keeps the mom from entering. The barbed wire on the fence causes the mom to comment just seeing it makes her feel pain in her legs. Detective states they need the key before they can enter, which are in the girl’s room.

The mom heads home to her daughter’s room. The Detective says the keys should be in a safe. The mom can’t open it. Detective suggests she picks the lock. Mom says she should have tools to open it, but her toolbox is nowhere to be found. (Detective’s thoughts: “She knows a lot…” referring to the mom having tools and knowing how to picklock a safe). Detective makes a note that she actually knows how to use picklocking tools(?).

Object on top of the safe looks like a dice from in the game. The girl had to have bought it online, but mom says she doesn’t give her pocket money. Detective says not to underestimate the girl, she may be more mature than her peers. The mom doesn’t comment. Detective suggests looking for the package it came in. They find it. It has a shop name on it. Detective looks it up.

Find a 10k yuan dice. Below that are pictures. The number on the back of each dice is the password. Answer is 312414.

Detective comments the girl must’ve had money. When mom asks how much, he says she doesn’t want to know. Mom wonders if the girl stole her card. Detective makes a note wondering if it got stolen.

Detective wonders how she could not know if her card was stolen. Mom says she doesn’t know how it happened. Detective comments that, not only does she not know her own daughter, but she also doesn’t even know herself well. The key is inside the safe, which they can use to go inside Orson Villa. Detective tells her to look for where the key will be useful.

It’s dark inside and smells really bad. Detective asks if she’s been there before. She says she’s not sure, and that it’s too messy. Says it’s all disgusting and comments on having a headache. Detective goes to game for more clues. She goes outside to breath better in the meantime.

80129 mentions the girl had a photo of a coat rack. There’s one in the lobby. Clicking it gives another letter.

“A place where you live every day and sleep peacefully every night.” Detective says if the girl followed the instructions, she should’ve gone back “home”.

Mom comments isn’t it normal for her to come home and then asks what she was doing here. Detective comments the clue says she was to go home and find something, something deliberately hidden. Detective says diary mentions a safe at home (and to go look).

Detective asks if they have a safe, who put it there? Mom can’t remember. Detective her husband must have hid it, “Who else could it be?”. He also says “Your daughter looked for secrets related to her father and found the safe hidden by her father”. Mom tells him to stop guessing and hopes girl hasn’t been to this place.

Before she goes home, Detective asks if there’s a coat rack/hanger there and to see what’s in the coats. Mom: “this is…”. Detective asks if she found anything, but she says it’s dirty and doesn’t want to touch it. Mom: “I’m a little sick, can I go now?” and he says alright, can go home now.

Back at home, mom asks what her girl found in the house. Before he answers that, he asks if her husband’s name was Liu Bingsen (?). Mom: “…”. Detective tells her to answer. She says yes before he died in a car accident (mom seems reluctant to answer).

He asks how the relationship was between you two. Mom says she doesn’t want to answer (suspicious). Detective says the end result must be related to her husband, “I hope you aren’t hiding anything from me”. Mom: “I don’t believe it… he died in a car accident 10 years ago.” (yet her daughter has been searching for the truth of the car accident).

Detective gets friend to go to Orson Villa (with his “master key”). Directs him to the dark room the mom had been in.

Friend manages to get in. Looks like it’s been mostly abandoned for a long time. Detective asks if the girl actually came in here. Friend says there are some new traces, obvious due to the dust. Detective asks what she did here. Friend says someone came in shortly after it was abandoned. Not a recent thing. Friend asks who else knows. Detective says Identity V, saying the game must be hiding something. They were guided to this place by the game, as was the girl.

Detective asks his friend to look for clothes behind the door of the secret room, and asks if there’s anything in it. Friend finds a paper in a pocket, which says: “They won’t let me go. Something will happen sooner or later.”

(Received some other notes around the same time)

“Older Files (3) The goods are in excellent condition. There are many requirements that need to be fulfilled. First is a good physical examination, although they have been corrupted in the soul and do not have a normal state of mind, but as long as they have …gone through the process, many goods still have a high value. Second is to ensure the health and survival of the donation(?). For this reason, in the preparation stage… food is required, which is not difficult for most subjects. Third is storage. There must be qualified refrigeration equipment, which… nowadays, requires not only space, but a lot of electricity, which must be financially supported in order to continue and… because the developer is closing down, it will soon become unusuable, and the electricity consumption will be very abrupt. Fourth is…”

“Old Files (4) Base diameter 8cm, height 15cm, plus compartment padding, 3 pipe position, external treatment. Sufficient as a substitute. Adjust biuret dosage to avoid overcooling paying attention to the copper wire density. Duration of the experiment, not less than 36H. New pre-test reagents are needed”

Detective shows the mom the note his friend found after commenting about the car accident and it seeming a bit strange. Says the note may have been left by her husband. He may have had a hunch something would happen to him. Mom: “This is… No no… it’s not…” (When the mom was in that room, she did see the coat and the note, but didn’t take it. To hide it from the Detective maybe?). Detective says her husband was probably killed for investigating something. Mom: “Killed? …That’s impossible.” She says he doesn’t remember him being afraid or anything. Detective: “Is that really true? Or are you psychologically protecting yourself via selective forgetting? The mom continues to deny it, saying he was calm, composed, as he usually is. Detective: “Doubtful. If what you say is true, then this diary… Unless you are still hiding it from me”. The mom doesn’t want him to say anymore. Detective asks if she loves her husband. She says he was nice to her and she’s grateful to him. Detective repeats his question. Mom says she’d love to repay him. Detective: “Answer me. Do you love him?” Mom: “I love our daughter so much.” Detective: “…”. Mom says she’ll talk about him after finding her daughter.

Detective knows she’s conflicted and asks for more info on the car accident. Mom says he can read it in the newspaper of that year. Mom says she doesn’t know anything about the car accident. He says what’s more bizarre is the person behind the scenes who’s been helping the girl and giving them hints, “Someone’s trying to reveal something”. Mom asks if it’s the truth of her husband’s death.

(Picture of newspaper. Seems the key point here is it wasn’t accidental. It was man-made.)

Detective says it doesn’t make sense for a game to be sending someone letters of interest, then thinks it’s not just the girl or them. This person is watching everyone. Mom only cares about finding the girl.

[sirenjose]

Missing Player-ID: 157716441

Main Story - Part 3

Main Story: Part 1 Part 2 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6

Hidden Story: Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5

Plot Analysis: Part 1 Part 2

Puzzle Solver Analysis

The tree they need is an elm tree (based on this leaf).

Detective comments the clues were hidden like someone is playing a treasure hunt with the girl and them (detective and mom). Mom doesn’t see anything special about the tree. Detective says only hint is that what she found was sealed in water bottles. They’re stuck at the moment, not sure what to do. Detective says they need to change their thinking. Decides to go back to the game (talk to 80129).

She mentions a key, and something similar in game at the Asylum. Getting it gets another letter.

(Mentions a hidden box at a church. Talks about happy couples used to roam there, a tragedy, sadness, a body perishing, secrets lying ahead if you want the truth.)

Detective says the girl took keys from the park, then suggests her husband may have hid the key at the park. The girl mentions sunshine and solar terms on page 38, but she felt the someone whose name was removed would not use natural light for encryption (not sure of translation here?). Detective comments again on her husband being the one to hide something and make these puzzles. The mom doesn’t understand (seems like she’s getting a bit agitated/getting defensive?). The Detective suggests her husband was hiding something from her.

Detective asks his friend again for help to look around the park. Found something hidden at the top of the tree(?) (found it because he’s tall). Inside was a water bottle with a paper inside. The friend sends him what was on the paper.

“April 3rd 1995 It’s so beautiful here, and it’s the perfect place to come with friends and loved ones when the cherry blossoms are in bloom. I feel better. In a few months, the lotus pond next to here will be full of lotus flowers and ducks will be playing in the water. We’ll have to come back then. In the future, when we have a child, we will bring them here often to play. I hope their childhood will be happy, unlike me… But the good news is, that’s all in the past, right?”

Detective finds this strange. When friends asks why, detective asks how did a kid find such a high tree hole? Friend agrees an adult could, but not sure about a kid. Detective promises to invite him to dinner

Detective makes a note about the girl being able to climb trees and has good physical fitness, but puts a question mark next to it (because an adult can get up there, but not a child).

Going back to the talk of solar terms (which was mentioned in the letter from in game), the detective talks about the position of the sun, using the ground as reference, angle of sunlight, and her daughter understanding needing to take advantage of the change in the angle of the light, but not relying on natural sunlight. Need to combine this with the info on page 37 (something about shadows passing from bottom to top).

Hold the key on the star, then see which shape can match the shadow of the key. After matching, look at the word correspond the key head points to.

“八面槽” = Eight-sided slot?

Detective comments he’s never heard of this place. Search on Baidu. Finds its the name of Wangfujing Street (from the Qing Dynasty?).

Combine the in-game letter with page 40 to get the name of the specific building: Wangfujing Catholic Church.

Detective mentions the girl found the key from the tree, where the big branches forked above. If you are short, you shouldn’t see it. Mom comments that she isn’t short, but that she is having trouble with her legs right now.

Detective comments the mom should know this place because this was where her wedding was. Mom asks how he knows. He says he did extra research. Mom doesn’t like that he did this. “I would advise you not to concern yourself with my personal affairs. It’s very rude to investigate someone in private.”

Detective tells her to go in and ask if anyone’s seen the key or her girl. Page 40 mentions an east office and a keyhole. Detective comments the kid can really get around, and it’s not like sneaking in. After asking staff, they open a drawer in a warehouse. Inside is a cassette that sounds like wedding vows.

Detective goes to 80129 for more info. Tells 80129 that the girl used the key to open a drawer, but he doesn’t know what the girl took out. 80129 mentions after that was a strange coin. She also mentioned a radio. There’s a radio in the game lobby. Gives another letter.

Tells the mom the girl got a coin out of the drawer, which he has. Mom says there’s writing on the drawer and red dots. Detective mentions there are red dots in the diary. Mom mentions the number 3121423 is also written on drawer. Letter suggested 3 points. Coin has 3 gaps. 5 dots corresponds to a third of the coin. Multiply each of the numbers the mom said (also at the bottom of the page) by 5.

From red dot roll 3*5=15 dots. Get CH EN. Roll 1*5=5 dots. Get SH. 2*5 = 10 dots. Get UI. 1*5=5 dots. Get L. 4*5 = 20. Get ANG. 2*5 = 10. Get D. 3*5 = 15. Get AO.

CHEN SHUI LANG DAO = Submerged Corridor(?)

Mom says, before he can ask, that she really doesn’t know this place. He asks why use “really”. She’s afraid he’s going to ask if she’s familiar with this place again. He tells her he’s just trying to get more info. Mom says “All right, I’ll accept that” (suspicious). Detective says the place is in Olympic Forest Park (?) and for her to go there.

Detective comments the girl mentioned a new clue was dug up here, but they need to narrow the location down.

Detective asks if this is scary, as this is just a game, yet it provides clues to her daughter. When her daughter needs it, it shows her the way, and when they need it, it leads them after her daughter. Mom tells him to stop talking, but the Detective refuses, saying this is important. The girl said she felt like she was being watched, and he thinks they’re being watched too. Mom says she just wants to find her daughter. Detective doesn’t know where this will take them or what is waiting from.

Detective goes to the game for more info.

80129 and Detective both comment on how much of a coincidence it is that there’s always something in the game corresponding to reality.

80129 mentions there’s a pier at Lakeside with a small mound that can be clicked next to the bridge. 80129 didn’t get anything when she clicked, but the girl did. She got a key (80129 doesn’t know where it is now). Detective gets another letter after doing this. A set of directions and mentions a “corridor”.

Left looking north by east, right looking west by south, go straight through the corridor until there is no way. Look down to see a box.

(Follow these instructions to find the location. Follow the path shown by the orange arrow until you run out of road)

They find a small box that was dug up there, but nothing inside. The girl mentioned a key on page 45 that she kept at home. It took awhile for the mom to talk here, and it will take a while to walk back home. Unfortunately, the next location seems to still be in this park. Given a choice to go home first or go to the next location first.

[sirenjose]

Missing Player-ID: 157716441

Main Story - Part 2

Main Story: Part 1 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6

Hidden Story: Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5

Plot Analysis: Part 1 Part 2

Puzzle Solver Analysis

Back to Detective’s friend, he comments that he didn’t see any little girls on any of the surveillance cameras. Detective wonders if the girl wrote the wrong date. Friend asks if he wants him to check other dates, but Detective tells him not to look for a needle in a haystack.

Page 18 of girl’s diary mentions someone with the name Xiao Dadong who used to be a clown and is now acting as a ghost(?) for the Haunted House.

Detective says on page 18 of the girl’s diary that Dadong mentioned a person (blacked out). Detective also mentions there are photos of this person: an old man with a black cap.

Mom seems to have seen someone like that before. Detective says page 19 of the diary says the man was seen in the courtyard (near their house). Mom says it should be their neighbor who lives on the first floor, and comments she hasn’t seen him in a while. Mom calls him eccentric. Wears a black cap every day. Mom: “…he was always alone in front of the window looking out, which was scary. Sometimes when I passed his window, he would call out to me and I wouldn’t dare turn my head to look”.

Detective asks if she knows him (the old man) and she says no. Detective says old man isn’t a bad guy, or else the girl would’ve disappeared sooner. Detective’s thoughts: old man makes mom uncomfortable but he looks ordinary “Is Dadong implying he committed a murder? Hiding?”

Mom goes to neighbor’s door, but it’s unlocked, and the room is full of dust and looks like no one lived there. Detective calls this strange. “Could it be he was not at home when your daughter arrived?” Mom: “looks like”. Detective tells her a bookcase seems to be in the room and to find it.

Detective says it looks familiar (like the one in game). Also says to look for a safe, but mom cant find one.

(Going to bookcase in game gives another note/riddle/clue)

“A dying old man, a forgotten companion, who has been so helpful and so unobtrusive; whose troubles at home, whose dangers outside the home, have been confided in, have been recorded; my child, your secrets are many, your wounds are many, and you are fortunate to have good people who look after you selflessly; open your ears and open your eyes, you must distinguish between the two sides of a person; face the truth, the grief, and the danger, and one day it will be over.”

(Can also be found when searching the picture of the bookcase the Detective mentions)

“Patient Support Group Letter of Appointment (Dirty) Comrade: You are hereby invited as a special guest for the “Walking With You” Patient Support Group Family. The term of employment is 5 years. May 1994.”

Detective locates where to look to find the safe. She finds the it. But they need a password.

Mom also found a paper. (Top of the page mentions a Psychiatric scale. BPRS is a rating scale used to measure psychiatric symptoms like anxiety, depression, hallucinations, psychosis, and unusual behavior. Helps them study people with issues like schizophrenia. The upper left corner prompts for a hidden password in conjunction with the questioning log(?)).

Black out the corresponding lines (based on the page given by the mom).

No. 1: cares about physical health No. 16: emotional communication disorder/monotonous facial expression No. 7: looks and gestures/daily speech/words reveals some self-confidence No. 11: Suspicion/feeling distrust of someone No. 14 Does not cooperate/shows a slight unwillingness to cooperate.

Detective says according to the BPRS scale, the password to the safe is 473.

Detective notes the girl is “Careful and sensitive. Good at solving puzzles”. Mom calls him great.  He says “The best is still your daughter. She seemed to have opened the box quickly.” Mom says “I didn’t realize she was as good at puzzle solving as you are.” Detective says “attentive, perceptive, meticulous. Is she more like you or her father?” Mom says she doesn’t know, haven’t done these in a while.

There is a notebook in the safe.  A page is torn out, which the detective has, though they don’t know why (yet) it was torn out.

The torn-out page is like a diary? Seems to be about one of his (Dadong’s?) forgotten(?) friends. Because the page (and the rest of the diary) have been soaked in water, it’s not clear who exactly the friend is. No specific locations were mentioned either.

Diary mentions a torn ticket. Mom says there’s half a ticket in front of the torn page.

There’s adhesion on the page the Detective has. Can use it to find a phone number (regarding the ticket).

(Reverse the 2 pictures and combine them to get the number)

The number is 66057006. It’s for the Beijing Concert Hall.

When asked if it rings any bells, mom says she’s been to the National Theater several times and to the Poly Theater. Detective notes she has a “certain artistic quality” and comments that she’s a music lover. She says not really “just a little self-taught. I prefer to draw”.

They found some other stuff too.

“January 5th 1995 I was relieved to hear that they were together. Family members are crucial to the patient's treatment and rehabilitation. The patient’s (dirty) condition is unique, and it is important to avoid triggering memories of their life, which may lead to personality reconstruction. The good news is that hallucinations and delusions are almost non-existent, so a peaceful life is enough to maintain stability. There are times when I wonder about the reliability of this method, as there are unconscious negative factors at work beyond the mutual motivation. Some necessary isolation may be required.”

“August 14th 2001 The situation is very complex, and caution must be exercised. Unnecessary suspicion may lead to tragedy. But I still want to believe that it was not a delusion, because there were no such signs throughout the course of the illness, and the (dirty) mind remained clear. The (contamination)(?) is not going to stop, so I decided to acquiesce to the (contamination). Of course this also implies a potential danger - if that suspicion is true.”

Girl came here July 4, 2019. Mom says they (people at concert hall) keep a record of visitors when there’s no performance. There was no performance that day. A man came in the morning, and a woman and an old aunt in the afternoon. A little girl did come in the evening, but she came with a man (aka, not alone). They (or just the man?) looked unhappy, so that’s why the guard paid more attention. Only those 2 came after the shift change.

Detective wonders if the man was Dadong or the old man. Mom asked, but it doesn’t seem like it. She then says “I must find him” (suspicious).

Mom asks if anything else was mentioned. Diary mentions a locker. Asking the guard, the mom says they do have lockers, but the girl with the man didn’t touch them. Diary mentions a warehouse. The theater does have a warehouse. Detective says to check for lockers there.

Detective remembers a drawing in the diary something similar to this on page 29. They need a password to get into the locker. Detective said the code was hidden by the girl. Also comments he remembers the IDV Weibo releasing the event Mystery Palace (?) and them mentioning starting from the muse mark and ending with the key, then follow the rules (on the page) to fill in the walls of the palace.

Password: 367429359. They find an empty file container. Page 28 says the girl took what was in it, which was a sheet of music.

Friend of the Detective sends the Detective the little info he found on the mom.

“There is very little information that can be found about her. Out of touch with the times. Doesn’t exist on any social media platforms. Ordinary middle-aged woman. I haven't been able to find where she lives with the her daughter. I found her name on the old Catholic Church website, which she seems to have joined in the early years. In addition, she had her wedding at the church in 1995 through friends in the church. But the parishioners won’t reveal more information. But I found most curious is that her husband (Liu Bingsen) is said to have been a doctor before he died, but no information about his profession has been found in the public domain. Even if he had left his job before he died, this is very abnormal. I’ll let you know if I find anything new”

Detective says on page 30 the girl went to the game to look for clues and for the next location.

Detective asks 80129 in game about the girl and the sheet of music that was in the file. She gets Detective to think of the piano in the lobby. Going to it gets another note.

Detective says the clue is in the first 4 sentences. Searching the keywords on Baidu, the answer is “Yi’yuan’tan”(?) Park. When detective asks if she knows the place, mom says she brought the girl there when she was young to see the cherry blossoms. Maybe in March and April.

Detective comments that all the places the girl has gone to are related to the mom. Mom doesn’t say anything for a bit. Detective tells her not to hide anything from him. She says she’s not hiding anything. He says he’ll keep her secret. She insists she knows nothing. Detective notes mom “denies seeing the keys, denies connection to husband’s accident”.

Mom wonders where they should look in the park. Diary mentions a “treasure map” on page 32.

Mom goes to the park (map of park shown above). Detective comments on it looking familiar before stating diary pages 32 and 33 mention that the destination is somehow related to the map. Mentions finding a willow tree (since it’s one of the words from the note above, which says next to the willow branches, the arrow points to the hidden location). Detective comments the willows should be numbered.

Page 34 and 35 give clues to which number is the correct willow tree (the girl encrypted it). They need number 0195.

More info is needed to find the specific tree. The notes mention leaves are important Leaves mentioned to be important (which he has) as well as an arrow from the concert hall (from the music sheet). The place on the map corresponding to the arrow is where to go. Go to willow tree 0195, and Detective has a leaf which should come from a tree next to this willow tree.

As she goes to the location, the mom comments she’s allergic to hairy(?) things, whether it’s a plant or animal, so there are no animals at home. Comments she doesn’t have time to walk a dog, and hasn’t even raised her own child well.

[sirenjose]

Missing Player-ID: 157716441

Main Story - Part 1

Main Story: Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6

Hidden Story: Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5

Plot Analysis: Part 1 Part 2

Puzzle Solver Analysis

A message signed to a “Detective”

A mother is saying her daughter went missing. When she went into her daughter’s room, she found a large cork board with a lot of pictures and papers stuck to it. She’s asking for an expert in puzzle solving for help from “Puzzle Museum” (the name of the app used to communicate in this game).

The girl has been missing for several months. She’s 14 years old. They live in Beijing. She was acting weird during the 2nd half of last year and disappeared at the end of October. The mother called the police, but they told her there’s been no new info yet and to wait.

The mother doesn’t usually enter the girl’s room.

Below is a picture of the cork board the mother found in her daughter’s room.

The mother prepares her daughter’s food and clothing, but the girl usually shuts herself in her room when at home. Detective comments they don’t sound very close. Mom says the girl often hides from her/refuses to see her, but she’s never been missing for this long before.

She started to become strange in May or June last year. Sometimes she didn’t eat her meals, but she did come home every day. Detective comments mom doesn’t talk to her daughter often, “she feels like a lonely child”. Mom says things have been like this since her dad died in a car accident. (Mom is content as long as daughter is healthy).

Daughter never let her mom see her diary. Mom finds it’s hard to know what her daughter is thinking. When the Detective prompts the mother, she comments that yes, her relationship with her daughter has been tense.

In the middle of the year, they were sent an unsigned letter with a burnt card missing a corner. Detective comments he has this in the bag the mom sent. 

Mom comments that card should’ve been thrown away by now. Found it originally after her husband’s car accident (was 9 years ago). Seeing the card brought back memories. She says she doesn’t want to see it again (doesn’t want to remember).

Mom doesn’t want to remember the car accident, makes her feel uncomfortable, “everything has changed since then”.

Mom used to solve puzzles.

Detective will have to go into the game (Identity V) for more info. Diary mentions a person that may be helpful, but diary was deliberately messed with (a lot of the info erased). Will have to use clues to figure out the name. Finds out the person’s game ID (in IDV) is 80129. 

Talks to the person with ID 80129, who mentions seeing 4 similar marks (poker cards) in game at the amusement park. After clicking all 4, she got an anonymous letter.

(It’s basically another clue for what to do next/where to go, though written more like a riddle/not direct. This time seems to be like a series of directions and places, including passing through the Island of Atlas/Atlantis, a jungle, a theater, and other things, then going behind Shambhala, and then mentions something about a clown.)

(The locations mentioned in the letter are from an amusement park called Happy Valley. A map of Happy Valley is shown below.)

Mom says she’s never taken the girl to Happy Valley, though remembers the girl asked to go there. Detective comments “it seems she went there without you”.

Detective mentions the girl had a hand-drawn map (below), with the skull being her destintaion. The 2 maps are connected to each other. The skull leads to an area called Shangri-La on the Happy Valley map.

Look at #13 in Shangri-La.

Behind #13 is #2, a Haunted House.

Mom goes there herself, though comments on having to walk slow due to a leg injury. Detective comments the diary says the girl went there on June 18th. The mom asks the guards, but they said they didn’t see anyone. Detective comments the girl seemed to know exactly where she was going, and that she seems thoughtful, at which the mom says she still doesn’t know her very well.

Page 17 of diary mentions strange info: “weakened volitional behavior and uncoordinated mental response”. Seems to be a symptom. Mom mentions staff at park said there is an employee with mental problems in the haunted house. Detective says he has a page of medical records related to the mysterious man (in the package). Man was a clown (in the haunted house). Name: Xiao Dadong?

Girl sneaked into their staff lounge and stole this page of medical records from Xiao Dadong’s cabinet. Detective tells mom to find the cabinet. Mom was found when sneaking around, resulting in her getting kicked out. Detective decides to get an old friend to help.

Friend’s name/nickname is “old ghost”(?).

Friend wants him to get to the point. Detective offers to buy him dinner, but friend tells him not to and that he’s willing to help for free. Detective is looking for a missing child who went to Happy Valley and took the medical records of 1 of the staff members. The Detective thinks there may be a clue in their personal belongings. Friend apparently good at sneaking around/being stealthy (talks like he’s done this sort of thing before).

Detective wants to know what hospital the person (Dadong?) is from. Friend says hospital name won’t be written on it (because it’s been “standardized”?), while the rest of the name seems to have been smeared in other places. Strange. Detective asks him to let him know if he finds anything valuable. Detective goes to the game for more info.

When asked about the medical record, player with ID 80129 says the girl had a paper but the name of hospital had been erased. She tells detective to go to Sacred Heart Hospital with 4 Lucky Guys. Will get a letter after that.

(Another clue written like a riddle/puzzle. Mentions focusing on a blue-green triangle.)

Friend found some mysterious flyers (above).

“The world is already overburdened because we have rejected the cruel laws of nature. If we do not make up our minds to remove those burdens, one day we will lose everything. People should unite to cleanse the world of unqualified remnants (?), just like removing the demons hidden in the crowd. Only then will the limited precious resources be put to good use. The value of those defective products (or remnants?) only exists in sacrifice. Come and join us in our fight for a better world.”

“No one should know… no no no no no! Did he come back again? It’s impossible, I saw it with my own eyes… with my own eyes… I hate that, I don’t want … I don’t want to go back but no one can help me, help me, help me…”

Detective asks friend to look up info on his client (the mom). Adds that he’s in a hurry and doing this without telling the mom.

Detective asks again if mom knows Dadong. She says no. (Detective seems suspicious? Mom may be lying?). Detective says on page 18 of diary it mentions something about a public account, which should be a public service platform in Beijing. Combined with the letter from in game (which says to focus on a blue-green triangle) tells us what the hospital was. 

Hospital name is the Beijing Anding Hospital (?). It treats mental illness. After hearing the name of the hospital, the mom says “Actually…” yet when detective asks if it rings a bell, she denies it (suspicious), and just comments on it being well-known but has no idea why the girl wants to go alone.

Girl likely asked people for directions. Daughter came here June 26, 2019. Guards don’t remember a teenager coming to the hospital alone. She found some of Dadong’s stuff from the nurse on duty. Problem is that Dadong was discharged without authorization and there’s no contact info. Mom goes looking for it. 

Detective decides to ask friend for help, says guards don’t remember the girl coming to the hospital. Friend says it’s normal not to remember, but Detective is still suspicious, something wrong. Friend asks if he wants him to check surveillance. Detective comments his friend knows him too well (seems the Detective and his friend may be fairly close?).

When Detective asks what thing of Dadong’s the mom found, says the nurse showed her a notebook with a number of torn pages. Detective notices there seems to be an imprint (from erased writing). Says to use a pencil to try to see what it said. Words are: “This person… killed me… killed me”? Mom asks “what does this mean? Who’s going to kill him?"