Dead in the Water/Transcript

Sichuan Province, China

Jack Archer: Alright, , we're finally here, ready to start digging into the background of the teenage killer from Yunnan!

Jack: We know that Zhao Mei is an orphan who grew up around here...

Jack: We have to learn more about this girl to find out why a child that young would have ties to SOMBRA. Here in Sichuan, we can—

Armand: You can enjoy the fascinating history! , did you know—

Jack: Dupont, can we talk about this later? SOMBRA's a bit more urgent than local history.

Dupont: At least start your search with the lotus bridge! You can't visit this spectacular area and not admire the landscapes!

Jack: Uh... alright, it's not like we know where else to start looking. Let's head to this bridge, !

Chapter 1
Investigate Lotus Bridge.

Jack Archer: , I don't think that body in the river is supposed to be part of the scenery!

Jack: Figures, we came here to investigate a link between a teenage orphan and SOMBRA, and the first thing we find is a corpse!

Jack: , we need to discover who this woman is and whether her death has anything to do with our investigation into SOMBRA. Let's send the body to Angela ASAP!

Jack: I see you've picked up a few clues. A wallet? Nice catch! There's a driver's license inside!

Jack: The photo looks just like the victim... and her name is apparently Li Jun.

Jack: I wonder what else the victim's wallet might contain. Let's search through it!

Jack: And hey, look at the photos in the scrapbook you picked up! This must belong to our victim, too.

Jack: This scrapbook looks like something a tourist might make. So maybe the victim wasn't from here? We should dust it to see what the text says.

Jack: Let's get cracking! , I don't know about you, but I won't rest easy until we're sure this murder has nothing to do with SOMBRA!

Examine Faded Scrapbook.

Jack: The text in the victim's scrapbook says, "Admired the lotuses with my daughter, Ying."

Jack: Wait, so the victim had a daughter! And this daughter must still be around! We need to find her immediately!

Inform Li Ying about her mother's death.

Ying: Achoo! I apologize, ... I hope nothing's wrong?

Jack: Ms Li, it's about your mother...

Ying: Yes, why? Is she alright?

Jack: No, she... We regret to inform you that   found her dead near here, and—

Ying: What?! Noooo! No, not Mama! That's not possible!

Jack: We're afraid she was murdered. Could you tell us anything that—

Ying (crying): We should never have come here! A lovely region, Mama said! It will be great, she said! And now she's dead!

Ying: I can't believe it... What will I do now that Mama's gone?

Examine Victim's Wallet.

Jack: What did you find in the victim's wallet, ? A... ticket to the panda reserve?

Jack: Aw, that's cool! We'll get to see pandas! Because, if the victim visited this reserve, we should check it out too!

Investigate Panda Reserve.

Jack: Wow, that sure is a lot of pandas. Unsurprising in a panda reserve, I guess... but I'm glad you've found useful stuff amid the panda droppings, !

Jack: It looks like there's blood on that stained handkerchief! But the blood seems mixed with something else... Let's collect a sample!

Jack: A good call grabbing that video camera, ! We can unlock it to see if there's anything important on—

Fan (wearing a panda suit): Excuse me, who are you and what are you doing here?

Jack: Aaargh! A talking panda!

Fan (taking off panda hoodie): I'm not a—

Jack: Wait, you're not a panda. Who are you?

Fan: I'm Wang Fan, and I take care of the pandas here. We wear these outfits to make the pandas comfortable. Why are you trampling all over this reserve?

Jack:   is investigating a murder. And our victim visited this place, so we'd like to talk you about her, Mr Wang!

Ask Wang Fan about the victim's visit to the panda reserve.

Fan: What did you want to talk about,  ? Let's make this quick. I've got to get back to my pandas.

Jack: The pandas can wait a bit! A woman has been murdered. Did you know one Li Jun?

Fan: Hm, that name sounds familiar. I think she came by the other day to admire the pandas. Lots of people do. Because pandas are adorable.

Jack: Did you notice anything unusual about the victim?

Fan: I wasn't paying attention to her. I was looking after the pandas! Did you know that over 30% of the world's pandas reserve in the Sichuan sanctuaries?

Fan: The giant panda is an endangered species! Less than 2000 of them are left in the wild! I'm doing important work here. I don't have time to gawk at tourists!

Fan (putting panda hoodie back on): And now I must go. My pandas need me!

Examine Video Camera.

Jack: Great, <Name>, you've cracked the code on the video camera! Let's send it to Elliot!

Analyze Video Camera.

Elliot: Well, <Name>, the video camera you found in the panda reserve was sure... interesting.

Jack: Is it just me or did that sound ominous?

Elliot: The camera belonged to your victim! But the last thing she filmed is a doozy. Take a look!

Start of recording...

SILVERee (singing): There's PANDA-monium in my heart! My love for you tears me apart!

(A panda quietly chews on bamboo.)

SILVERee (singing): My sadness and euphoria blur, like black and white panda fur!

End of recording...

Jack: What... the heck was that?!

Elliot: That, <Name>, was the latest single of a Korean pop idol called SILVERee.

Jack: And I bet you just loved SILVERee's tunes.

Elliot: Yeah, it's exactly my type of music. Anyway, the important part is that your victim filmed this guy with her camera, so I guess you'll have some questions for him!

Jack: Let's hope SILVERee doesn't break into song when we talk to him!

Talk to SILVERee about the victim filming him.

Jack: Mr... ah, SILVERee, <Rank> <Name> is investigating—

SILVERee (pointing): You! You, in the blue shirt. You have interesting cheekbone structure.

Jack: I... what?

SILVERee: I came here from Korea to record the music video for "PANDA-monium", and I could use your exotic looks among my dancers, so—

Jack: I don't want a role in your music video! We're investigating the murder of one Li Jun.

Jack: She came here and even filmed you with her camera! And now she's dead! Did you know her?

SILVERee: No, but you shouldn't be surprised that people film me or take photos of me! I'm very famous! Your victim was obviously a fan.

SILVERee (pointing): You, the blue-shirted one with interesting cheekbone structure, you too could become famous if you accepted my offer to dance in "PANDA-monium"!

Jack: Argh! This conversation is over! <Name>, get me out of here!

Examine Stained Handkerchief.

Jack: Nice work picking up a sample from that stained handkerchief, <Name>!

Jack: Lars is pretty busy with the triplets... Trevor, let's put this sample under the microscope ourselves!

Examine Brown Substance.

Jack: Well, the good news is that now we know the blood you found on the handkerchief from the panda reserve matches our victim!

Jack: But then it gets more complicated... and weird. <Name>, how can there be traces of chicken, chili peppers and peanuts mixed in with the blood?

Armand: Mes amis, are you making dinner plans? I hear you discussing the recipe for gong bao chicken!

Armand: Gong bao chicken is a renowned dish from Sichuan. The local cuisine has the reputation of being both spicy and delicious, and it's one of the Four Great Traditions of Chinese cuisine!

Jack: So... the handkerchief was stained both with the victim's blood and this treasure of Chinese cuisine?

Jack: It sure wasn't the victim who dropped this bloodied handkerchief... So it must've been the killer who left gong bao chicken stains!

Jack: This means the killer eats gong bao chicken! Well, they bit off more than they could chew with this murder. I know you'll catch them soon!

Autopsy Victim's Body.

Jack: Hey, Angela! What can you tell us about the body <Name> found near the lotus bri—

April, May and June (in unison): Uncle Jack! Uncle Jack, you haven't played with us in forever! <Rank> <Name>, tell Uncle Jack he's been bad!

Jack (with the triplets on his back): <Name>... help?

Angela: Girls, leave him alone! It's time to go play outside!

April, May and June (on Jack's back, in unison): But Moooooom!

Angela: <Rank> <Name> is here to discuss grown-up things. Go on, girls!

Jack: Yeah, I'd say dead bodies are grown-up talk. I'm not even gonna ask what the kids were doing in your lab, Angela... So what can you tell us?

Angela: The body shows signs that the victim fought someone shortly before her death.

Angela: But what killed her was a blow to the head with a blunt object. Death was instantaneous.

Angela: The body was then dumped into the river. The killer probably hoped that the river would carry the body away.

Jack: Please tell us the water didn't wash away all the evidence!

Angela: It almost did, but not quite! On the front of the victim's collar, I managed to find traces of soot and animal glue. They're ingredients of calligraphy ink!

Angela: Someone with calligraphy ink on their hands had clearly grabbed the victim by her collar. If not for all the water, I'd probably get fingerprints, but as it is...

Jack: As it is, we know the victim practices calligraphy! The handwriting's on the wall for them, <Name> — you're sure to put them behind bars!

Later on...

Jack: <Name>, we came to Sichuan for answers about the teenage killer from Yunnan, but so far we've got nothing on her or SOMBRA!

Jack: Instead, we've got a dead woman named Li Jun and a whole lot of new questions!

Jack: And meanwhile, we're grappling with Korean pop idols and obsessed panda keepers.

Jack: We don't even know much about the victim except she was here with her daughter...

Elliot: <Name>, I've looked into your victim's background and I can tell you one thing... she worked for a Beijing adoption agency!

Jack: What? We came here to investigate an orphan girl, and the person who turns up dead is someone who worked with orphans?

Jack: <Name>, what if this isn't a coincidence? What if Li Jun was here because of Zhao Mei, too?

Jack: What if SOMBRA is behind this murder?!