---
Chapter 001
The Dead Are Not Suicide
University of California, San Francisco (UCSF)
Girls' Dormitory
It was late at night. The bright moon hung high in the sky, casting its soft glow over the campus. The lights in the dormitory building had all been turned off, and the white moonlight reflected on the ground, resembling frost.
A girl, holding her phone with the flashlight on, bravely walked to the bathroom to take a break. The bathroom was eerily quiet, save for the gentle drip of water from the tap. The moonlight filtering through the window made the room feel even more desolate. The girl quickly found an empty stall, pulled her pants up, and prepared to leave the bathroom.
Crash.
The faucet, seemingly on its own, turned on.
The girl glanced toward the sink. There was no one around, but one of the faucets was spewing water in jets.
Squeak.
A sound, like metal scraping, pierced the air. Even with the noise of the running water, she heard it clearly. Her body stiffened as a cold chill ran down her spine. She slowly turned around.
A woman stood in the doorway, wearing a white sleeveless shirt. Her face was as pale as wax under the moonlight. The woman was staring directly at her.
---
University of California, San Francisco (UCSF)
After his training session, Jake Stone went straight to his dorm to take a shower.
He lived in one of the newly constructed double dormitories. His roommate, Matt Thompson, had left early in the morning for his martial arts club's practice and hadn't returned yet.
After showering, Jake stood in front of the mirror and adjusted his collar.
In the reflection was a handsome young man in his early twenties. His features were sharp, masculine, and strikingly well-defined.
Jake had been in this parallel world for over six months now. He had adapted well to the changes, including the differences in geography, population, and societal rules. Originally from a different world, he had been a decorated international police officer, known for his expertise in solving major criminal cases. His reputation as a "criminal nemesis" was widespread, and he had cracked numerous high-profile cases in his previous life.
Now, he was a psychology major at UCSF. His studies here seemed trivial to him. With his background and experience, he felt he could easily teach at a university as a top professor.
Jake had also received a "God-level Crime-solving Fusion System" after his unexpected arrival in this world. According to the system's instructions, achieving a certain "fusion value" would unlock different capabilities.
The fusion value could be accumulated by solving cases or engaging in activities related to investigation. For instance, reading books about criminal psychology could also generate fusion value, though the reward would be relatively small.
In the months he had spent in this world, Jake had read many books on criminal investigations and accumulated 800 fusion points. However, the system's functions remained locked, awaiting further progression.
Jake glanced at the time on his alarm clock, grabbed the book titled Criminal Psychology from his desk, and left the dorm.
As soon as he stepped outside, a noise caught his attention.
A siren.
His frown deepened, recognizing the all-too-familiar sound.
He followed the noise toward the girls' dormitory, where several police cars were parked. A long blue cordon surrounded the building. Uniformed officers came and went, their faces grim. A crowd of students had gathered around, many of them girls still wearing their pajamas.
"What's going on? I was dragged out by the cops earlier. What happened in our dorm?"
"I heard a girl in Room 209 committed suicide by hanging herself in the bathroom. They say it was... horrifying."
"It's true... It's terrifying. I don't know if I'll be able to sleep in my dorm again."
"Stop freaking out. People die at universities all the time. Remember last year when two guys from the men's dorm committed suicide by jumping off the building? The boys still live there like nothing happened."
"They're guys... How could we have the courage to do that?"
Jake overheard the girls' chatter as he stood outside the cordon. After a brief moment, he recognized a familiar face among the officers. With a shrug, he turned and walked away.
Crime Scene
A police officer stood guard at the bathroom door while others carefully examined the area.
The sound of boots echoed in the hallway, and a man in a police uniform and sunglasses entered the bathroom. His epaulet marked him as a captain.
"Captain Harris," one of the officers saluted.
Captain Harris nodded in acknowledgment, then walked toward the body. He glanced at the scene for a moment before addressing the officer in charge.
"How's the investigation going?"
"Sir, the coroner is conducting a preliminary investigation. The body shows no signs of obvious wounds, and there's no evidence of a struggle. Initial judgment suggests suicide, though no valuable clues have been found."
The officer continued, "The girl has been identified as a sophomore in the arts department. Her name is Sarah Adams, 21 years old."
Captain Harris nodded. He took out a cigarette and was about to light it, but suddenly, something caught his eye. He stuffed the cigarette back into his pocket and approached the body. After examining it, he walked over to the stall where the girl had allegedly hung herself. He paused, studying the area for a moment.
Then, he spoke slowly.
"This wasn't a suicide."
---