Wendy Lynch quickly transferred all the videos to her phone via WhatsApp, then deleted their chat history. Once that was done, she tiptoed over to put the phone back in its original spot before sneaking back into bed with her own device.
Wendy muted her phone and hit play.
The camera shook violently in the first video. For most of the footage, it was zoomed in directly on the face of the male actor suspended on wires. Wendy fast-forwarded, her eyes glued to the extras acting as background pieces at the edge of the frame.
It was blurry—too blurry. The phone’s video quality was average to begin with. Combined with the focusing issues, the faces of the background actors were completely indiscernible.
Unwilling to give up, she played the second video. This one was slightly better. The camera was zoomed out a bit, capturing a large area beneath the city walls.
This was the spot!
Wendy held her breath and set the playback speed to its slowest setting: 0.25x. The figures on the screen moved sluggishly, as if in slow motion. She didn’t blink. The moment an extra’s face appeared even slightly clear, she immediately took a screenshot.
CLICK, CLICK...
Her phone’s gallery was soon filled with dozens of blurry screenshots. With that done, she reopened the page listing the A-level wanted criminals. A hellish game of Spot the Difference officially began.
Wendy opened a screenshot, switched to the wanted list, and carefully compared the two.
"This one... his face is too round. Incorrect!" she muttered.
"This one... seems somewhat similar..."
"This one’s hairline is way too high..."
She patiently compared the extras in her screenshots with the fifty-two photos on the wanted posters, one by one. Time ticked by.
Just as Wendy felt her vision blurring and the photos starting to double, her finger suddenly stopped on one of the screenshots. Because it was zoomed in, the image’s resolution was quite low, but she could still just barely make out a man’s side profile.
The man looked incredibly ordinary. He had a square-shaped face and an average build—neither tall nor short, neither fat nor thin. He was the exact type of person who would completely disappear into a crowd within three seconds. This remarkably plain face couldn’t be further from the vicious, menacing image of an A-level wanted criminal.
Wendy repeatedly compared the screenshot with the photo of wanted criminal No. 39. The longer she looked, the brighter her eyes became. The resemblance was uncanny!
[Keegan Lowell, Male, Han ethnicity, ID number...
Wanted on suspicion of robbery and murder. Killed a police officer while on the run. The circumstances of his crimes are extremely severe. Bounty: up to 230,000 yuan.]
The Jenson Lowell in the photo looked slightly younger than the man in the screenshot. His hair was thicker, but the contours of his facial features, the distance between his brows, the curve of his nose... There was a staggering ninety percent similarity!
Wendy’s heart began to pound uncontrollably. Forcing herself to calm down, she placed the wanted poster photo and her phone screenshot side by side, scrutinizing them back and forth. A person’s hairstyle and weight might change, but the fundamental shape of their facial features rarely ever did!
They were exactly the same!
She had found him! It was him!
This unremarkable man, blending seamlessly into the crowd, was the real A-level wanted criminal!
Having confirmed the culprit’s identity, Wendy’s tense nerves finally relaxed, only to be replaced by a wave of immense exhaustion. However, she didn’t rush to call the police immediately. It was the middle of the night. If she hastily reported it now, it would still take time for the police to dispatch officers. Besides, according to the future email, as long as he wasn’t tipped off, this Jenson Lowell would continue working as an extra at the film studios tomorrow.
The most dangerous place was also the safest. He probably never imagined that he would be recognized by a young tourist through a blurry video clip. She would call the police first thing tomorrow morning when they started their shift. Being fully prepared would guarantee absolute success.
As for her excuse for calling, Wendy had already thought it out. She could simply say that she had always enjoyed reading legal news and kept a close eye on the A-level wanted posters issued by the Ministry of Public Security. After all, providing valid clues for any A-level fugitive came with a massive reward ranging from 50,000 to 500,000 yuan!
She would claim that she found that extra somewhat familiar at the film studios this afternoon, but hadn’t been entirely sure. Then, upon returning to the hotel at night and idly scrolling through her phone’s videos, she found the resemblance too striking to ignore. She checked the wanted posters online and finally confirmed it.
This reasoning was logical, reasonable, and absolutely flawless! It would perfectly explain how she recognized the fugitive while allowing her to smoothly claim that hefty reward. It was simply perfect.
With these thoughts in mind, Wendy relaxed completely. In just a few moments, she drifted into a deep sleep.
The next day, Wendy woke up just as the sky began to lighten.
She had slept incredibly well. Now that she had a concrete plan, the lingering anxiety of uncertainty had vanished without a trace. Seeing that Charlotte Lynch was still sleeping soundly beside her, Wendy got out of bed quietly and freshened up.
Not long after, Charlotte also crawled out of bed, her eyes still clouded with sleep. Grumbling about not getting enough rest, she slipped into the bathroom. Taking advantage of the SPLASH, SPLASH of running water coming from inside, Wendy grabbed her phone, stepped out onto the room’s balcony, and gently pulled the glass door shut.
The early morning air in Aethel carried a hint of cool moisture, and the distant silhouette of Mount Aeridor gradually sharpened in the dawn light. She took a deep breath. The crisp, cold air filled her lungs, instantly waking her up.
The call connected quickly.
"Hello, this is the 110 Police Dispatch Center," a standard, professional female voice answered.
"Hello," Wendy said. Her tone was unbelievably steady, devoid of any emotional fluctuation. "My name is Wendy Lynch. My ID number is XXXX... I want to report an A-level wanted criminal."
Having called the police before, she was much more practiced this time.
The operator on the other end was clearly taken aback. They received all sorts of emergency calls every day, but this was the first time someone had been so blunt about reporting an A-level fugitive right off the bat. After a brief pause, the operator’s tone immediately turned serious.
"Ms. Lynch, this isn’t something to joke about."
"Don’t worry, I understand," Wendy replied. "The fugitive’s name is Keegan Lowell, No. 39 on the Ministry of Public Security’s A-level wanted list.
"I saw him yesterday afternoon at Legends Film Studios in Aethel. He’s currently working there as an extra."
"Keegan Lowell?!" The operator’s voice betrayed a hint of uncontrollable shock. "Are you sure?"
"I’m absolutely certain." Wendy’s answer carried not a shred of hesitation.
This was no trivial matter. Not daring to delay for even a second, the operator immediately informed her, "Ms. Lynch, please keep your phone line open. I’m transferring your call to the Municipal Criminal Investigation Detachment right now!"