Chapter 24: Red Shoes (9)

Chapter 24: Red Shoes (9)

◎[Two-in-one] "Qingqing, drink some water."◎

After a while, Liu Yu's body was moved outside by Duan Dong and lined up alongside the other remaining bodies.

Everyone dared not look in that direction.

The atmosphere remained heavy.

Apart from the trio of Shi Youqing, the remaining seven individuals were without companions. After the room was brightly lit, they all maintained distance from each other.

Only Hao Tianshuo seemed quite relaxed: "Don’t all look so gloomy. We are quite lucky, with just one murderer left. Can he really outdo nine of us?"

Chen Jian rolled his eyes: "Us? Who knows if you’re not the murderer?"

Hao Tianshuo: "Hey! Why the hostility in your words? Are you getting nervous?"

Chen Jian, slapping the wall, stood up: "I think you’re the murderer! You’ve been too relaxed the whole time! Yes! Only the murderer wouldn’t fear being targeted during a blackout!"

Hao Tianshuo, folding his arms, hummed: "I could say the same, only the murderer would be so quick to accuse others!"

"Say that one more time?"

"Um... everyone..." Qiao Mingcheng forced a smile, "Can we please talk this out calmly?"

Chen Jian: "I almost forgot about you! People like you, so spineless, are the easiest to become psychopaths! Speak up, did you kill Yu Jiatian?!"

"I... I didn’t!"

"Stuttering? Feeling guilty?"

"Enough!" Duan Dong intervened, pale-faced. His voice was hoarse, seemingly deeply affected by Liu Yu's death, "We've gathered a lot of clues. There's no need for verbal sparring here. If we're to deduce the murderer, let's do it properly. The murderer is the victim's ex-boyfriend, so all females are excluded, Shi Youqing is excluded, and his companions too..."

"Why?" Chang Fangxing stared at him and suddenly asked, "Why are his companions excluded?"

At these words, Shi Youqing looked up.

He knew that Chang Fangxing's remark was a probe directed at Duan Dong.

Duan Dong: "Is it strange to exclude them? Those two helped Shi Youqing with the red shoes and didn’t seem like bad people at all... Of course, that’s just my opinion. You’re free to disagree."

Chang Fangxing eyed him but didn't press further.

There was nothing wrong with Duan Dong's response.

Players couldn't possibly have NPCs as companions in the scenario - this was the basic logic behind deducing that Shi Youqing's companions were players. However, due to the rules, other players couldn’t openly discuss this unless they were seeking trouble.

Thus, Duan Dong's response could be seen as a player’s way to circumvent the rules or possibly as an NPC’s method to gain trust.

The difficulty lay in the fact that no one countered Duan Dong's statement.

It seemed like everyone tacitly agreed that the trio was unproblematic.

This wasn’t a good sign.

Shi Youqing found a corner to sit and drink a nutrient solution, quietly lifting his eyelids, his gaze shifting among Hao Tianshuo, Qiao Mingcheng, Chen Jian, and Duan Dong.

After a while, Feng Bin said, "I'm going to talk with Qiao Mingcheng."

"Okay."

After Feng Bin left, Shi Youqing glanced at Bo Huai and the bandage on his hand, "Do you need to change the dressing?"

Bo Huai: "I changed it during the blackout."

Shi Youqing with a surprised sound, "You changed it in the dark?"

"Yes, I know where the wound is."

"...Does it still hurt?"

"No."

With nothing more to say, Shi Youqing continued observing the others.

After some time, Xia Shitong and Gao Fei were taken aside by Chang Fangxing and others for private conversations.

Shi Youqing guessed they were being asked about noises heard during the blackout and their suspicions.

In this situation, with the murderer identified as male, the statements of the two surviving females could be trusted to be truthful.

Perhaps everyone realized this, as those who had been accusing each other earlier now focused on the two women. After interrogating each, and not knowing whether they found anything useful, they went to the restroom several times, supposedly to look for traces left by the murderer.

After five rounds of voting, everyone's electronic devices had run out of power.

A little while later.

This time, it seemed everyone had a premonition; before the lights changed, most had already returned to their cubicles.

Shi Youqing didn't immediately go back when the blackout started. He took something prepared in advance from Bo Huai, and the two, back-to-back, quietly and quickly walked past the rows of cubicle doors.

"Who's out there?" Chang Fangxing called out loudly.

"It's me! I came in late, looking for my cubicle... I'll go in right away!"

Perhaps due to years of illness and convalescence, his voice retained a youthful, soft clarity, making it easily recognizable.

"Hurry back then!"

After Chang Fangxing's words, they had already run back to their original cubicle doors.

However, this time the door wouldn’t open...

Someone was inside!

Surprised but quick to react, they swiftly left to find another cubicle.

...It wasn’t uncommon for others to mistakenly enter the wrong cubicle in the dark during the previous rounds.

They moved forward, entering the neighboring cubicle — the one where the couple had died.

As soon as Shi Youqing entered, Bo Huai turned to the cubicle on his right — the place where Xing Ruyue had died.

Outside the cubicles, silence returned.

This round was Feng Bin’s turn to go up the pipeline.

Everyone speculated that the murderer might start to make a move.

Chang Fangxing instructed everyone to count off.

Soon after, the count was completed without any anomalies.

Chen Jian suggested, "How about this? Everyone should speak up, even sing if you want. Just make some noise, so at least we can be sure of where everyone is, right?"

Chang Fangxing countered, "There are ten people here. Can you, within an hour, stay completely focused and remember the timing and distance of every person's speech? Not only can you not do that, but you also provide the murderer with an opportunity to disguise their movements with those sounds."

"Damn it! I didn’t think of that when I said it..."

"Then think more before speaking."

"You... I was just trying to help!"

Chang Fangxing ignored him, continuing, "Those in the cubicles, don't overthink. Just lock your doors and pay attention to the noises from your neighbors. If no one is next to you, listen carefully to the sounds outside and speak up immediately if you notice anything!"

Qiao Mingcheng quietly agreed, "Okay."

Silence engulfed the surroundings once again.

Shi Youqing pressed his ear to the door for a while, but still, there were no sounds from outside.

In the cubicle to his left — the one he had previously occupied — Shi Youqing learned during the counting that Hao Tianshuo had entered it.

It was unclear if it was due to fatigue, but Hao Tianshuo had been unusually quiet during this period.

As he was pondering, a hand suddenly slowly reached under the gap from the left cubicle.

Had it not been for his regular communication with Bo Huai in this manner, Shi Youqing would have been startled.

After the hand reached through, it tapped gently on the wooden panel above and whispered, "Qingqing Bro, is that you?"

"...Yes."

"This seems to be your old cubicle. There are some of your things here. Do you want me to pass them to you?" He sounded slightly embarrassed, "My leg's not feeling great. When I went to the restroom, it was already dark, so I just opened the nearest cubicle door..."

"Safety first," Shi Youqing said, "There are plenty of cubicles, just rest well inside. I don't need those things for now."

"...Alright then."

Shi Youqing continued to listen intently at the door for any sounds outside.

Shortly after, the hand under the left gap reached out again!

This time, there was a gold chain in the palm.

"Qingqing Bro, I... I think I might not make it out... This was a gift from my parents when I came of age... Please take it out for me, it could be like a memento of me."

"...Why?"

"Just a feeling. My hunches are usually accurate. Before exams, I dreamt of eating noodles and then I failed... Before my parents struck it rich, I dreamt of becoming a child deity of wealth... I’m not joking. After the first day's three rounds of voting, I fell asleep and dreamt that I was living here permanently, unable to leave."

"Hao Tianshuo, you..."

"I think I can't make it," he chuckled, his voice growing fainter, "I've never suffered much in my life and even had a stint as a nouveau riche. Dying here isn't a loss. My home phone number is 139********. You can contact my family through this number. If I become a ghost, I'll make sure my parents help cure your illness as a way to repay you..."

"Hao Tianshuo," Shi Youqing furrowed his brows, "What’s really going on with you?"

"Ah, I've just been scared since I had that dream... Qingqing Bro, can't you reach out and hold my hand for a while?"

Shi Youqing didn't move.

In the darkness, the hand seemed to edge closer to him.

In that moment, the air suddenly turned cold.

As cold as the moment they saw Liu Yu's body.

Shi Youqing stared at the hand shadowed in the darkness.

He remembered the state of Liu Yu's death.

The slim wrists, skin severed by the jagged edges of a broken mirror...

Because of the blood message about "players" on the wall, and because the game's mechanics didn't necessitate players killing each other, he had never doubted the cause of Liu Yu's death.

In this game, players breaking down mentally under prolonged fear and oppression, leading to their demise, wasn't unheard of.

—But... did Liu Yu really commit suicide?

Through the gap under the cubicle, if one reached out, the person on the other side... could they take the opportunity to strike?

Shi Youqing couldn't help but hold his breath.

Hao Tianshuo's whisper continued: "Qingqing Bro, can't you even comfort me a little?"

Suppressing the turmoil within, Shi Youqing tried to sound casual: "...You're overthinking it. As long as you don't leave before the lights come on, you'll be safe."

"Really?" The other side gave a bitter laugh, "But what if I'm voted out?"

Shi Youqing remains silent.

"Qingqing Bro, I was almost voted out in the first round; you saved me. But I can’t always be that lucky..."

As Hao Tianshuo spoke, the hand under the gap was moving slightly, but the movements were rigid. In the dim light, if one looked closely, they could see the shadow of the index finger twitching back and forth.

At first, Shi Youqing hadn’t paid much attention to it, but as he noticed the finger moving more rapidly, as if in agitation, he carefully leaned down to look closer.

"...You're the friend of my last moments, let's shake hands."

Through the gap, Shi Youqing saw the shadow, clearly an index finger, seeming to be writing something...

Stroke, flick, vertical line...

—"Murderer"?!

Shi Youqing suddenly looked up.

There was something wrong with Hao Tianshuo's cubicle!

If he was being coerced by the murderer... how did they manage that?!

The rules stated that only one person could hide in a cubicle after a blackout!

If it was Hao Tianshuo staging this himself, there was no need for such a hint; if he was really about to shake hands, seeing that hint, he definitely wouldn’t reach out...

What was really happening?

"Qingqing Bro?"

If the other person was coerced, he couldn’t let on that he knew he shouldn’t reach out...

"...Actually, I’m gay," Shi Youqing started to bluff, "Men shouldn’t touch each other intimately."

"Huh? But what about your caregiver...?"

"Work is work, life is life, don’t mix them up."

“……”

As Shi Youqing thought of a plan, he continued, "But really, don’t worry. I don’t think everyone will vote for you this round. Even if they do, wearing the red shoes gives you a chance... Oh wait, I forgot, you’re in my old cubicle, the red shoes there are gone."

There was no response from the other side.

Shi Youqing quietly leaned in to listen.

After a very faint sound, the other side spoke again: "Then what should I do?"

He pondered, seemingly conflicted: "Well... I have a pair of intact red shoes here. Let's swap, since I won’t be voted out anyway."

"Huh? How do we swap?"

"Swap cubicles, right? Just time it right and switch over later."

After a few seconds of silence, Hao Tianshuo said, "…So it's agreed? You won't trick me."

"Of course not. When I think it's safe outside, I'll just whisper through the gap, and you need to respond. Then we'll quickly open our doors and get out… That way, what happened to Gao Fei, being knocked out and then attacked by the murderer, won’t happen to us. Even if we're unlucky enough to encounter that, if there's only one attacker, they can only incapacitate one of us at most. The other can catch them, right?"

"Yeah…"

Having bluffed Hao Tianshuo, Shi Youqing then moved to the right side and gestured under the gap.

Quickly, a distinctively knuckled hand reached over.

He wrote on Bo Huai’s palm, briefly explaining Hao Tianshuo's situation.

Separated by just a wall, they made no sound.

As he was about to withdraw his hand after writing the plan, it was suddenly grasped.

Shi Youqing paused.

Bo Huai wrote on his palm:

Don’t move, I’ll open the door.

That hand still wrapped in bandages seemed cautious not to graze him with the bandages and scabbed wound, writing with extra gentle pressure.

Shi Youqing pulled back his hand and sat in the corner in silence.

Meanwhile, Chang Fangxing started questioning Chen Jian about some details of the previous blackouts.

With the power restoration imminent, Chen Jian seemed tense, as if he thought he was Chang Fangxing's voting target, loudly protesting his innocence, his voice becoming shrill. But whether a player or an NPC, everyone had arrived here unclearly and suddenly, and players couldn’t reveal their identities, making their stories repetitive and inconclusive.

No evidence, just emotions.

As the other side calmed down, Shi Youqing crouched down. He took out a small stone that could be used as a weapon, which he had previously kept in his pocket just in case. Wrapping the stone, he leaned close to the left cubicle and whispered, "I'm starting now."

The other side seemed ready: "Okay."

Taking a deep breath, Shi Youqing coughed softly as he unlatched the door — signaling Bo Huai as planned.

The worst-case scenario was the murderer waiting right outside his door, ready to strike fatally as he opened it.

But without opening his door, any noise from Bo Huai's door opening would inevitably alert the adversary first. If the assailant acted quickly enough, they could easily hide in a nearby cubicle amidst the darkness...

And everything would be back to square one.

Shi Youqing first sidestepped into the dead angle behind the door, hand on the doorknob, and then he pushed forward forcefully—

The sounds of doors opening on both sides coincidentally happened at the same time!

Shi Youqing couldn’t see anything, only feeling a gust of wind rushing past. In the blink of an eye, the shadow lunging at him was precisely grappled by the neck by another figure behind him!

Next door, Hao Tianshuo, seemingly freed, yelled in time: "Quick, help! The murderer is outside!!!"

The restrained person began to thrash wildly, a glint of glass in their hand—

Swiftly raised to strike backwards...

"Careful!" Just as Shi Youqing was about to intervene, the previously violently resisting shadow suddenly froze.

Bo Huai’s movements were lightning-fast, almost imperceptible. The moment the karambit knife touched the assailant's neck, Shi Youqing even smelled a hint of blood.

He had reason to believe that had the attacker not stopped in time, the knife would have cut down without hesitation...

The others came out.

"What happened?"

"Who is it?!"

"...Is it the murderer?"

Doors around them opened in succession, and as Chang Fangxing arrived, the lights also turned on.

However, when everyone saw clearly who Bo Huai had apprehended, they were all rendered speechless.

Including Shi Youqing.

A few seconds later.

Chang Fangxing's eyes widened in rare astonishment: "...Gao Fei?! What’s going on? How could she be the murderer?!"

Under the harsh glare of the incandescent light, Gao Fei, her neck pressed against the blade, looked up defiantly, glaring intently at Shi Youqing just a step away.

The door to Hao Tianshuo's cubicle was ajar, and he hobbled out: "It was her! I entered the cubicle before the blackout. She said she had something private to discuss, so I let her in... But who knew she would threaten me by strangling my neck..."

Chen Jian frowned: "But two people can’t be in one cubicle after the blackout..."

Hao Tianshuo pointed at the red shoelace around his neck, visibly infuriated: "My cubicle door wasn’t bolted. Right after the blackout, she stepped outside, ensuring no one was around, and then caught my neck like this! If I disobeyed, she could strangle me to death—just like Xing Ruyue!"

Chang Fangxing looked gravely perplexed.

"I’m not the murderer!" Gao Fei gritted her teeth, "I didn’t kill Xing Ruyue, and I wasn’t planning to kill Hao Tianshuo. My only target was to eliminate Shi Youqing! During the blackout, he would be alone, and I just wanted to kill him!"

The hand grasping her suddenly tightened, causing Gao Fei's face to turn pale, appearing to choke.

Shi Youqing shook his head at Bo Huai, and once Gao Fei regained her breath, he looked at her: "I don’t understand, why do you want to kill me?"

Chen Jian: "Yeah, he’s been confirmed by the announcement not to be the murderer or a related person. If you're not the murderer, why kill him?"

"Xing Ruyue was killed by him!" Gao Fei spoke through clenched teeth, "That round, he was the only one who didn't speak. Like Rentian Yu said, after the vote, he was sweating profusely! He definitely went out during the blackout!"

Shi Youqing: "..."

That was his first time up the pipeline, and he was extremely exhausted.

Hao Tianshuo: "No matter what you say, even if those suspicions are valid, he has been confirmed as a good person! Do you think your explanation is credible?"

"Who cares?" Gao Fei articulated each word, "And who said only a murderer can kill? All I know is, he was the most likely to have attacked Xing Ruyue that round!"

Shi Youqing said, "You attacked me for revenge? Just based on those two points, you concluded I killed Xing Ruyue? That's insufficient reasoning. If you’re wrong, not only will you fail to avenge, but you'll also inadvertently help the real enemy... I don’t believe your accusation."

Gao Fei turned away: "Enough talk, vote for me if you want!"

By then, the voting time had already passed, and the announcement indicated a unanimous abstention.

Suddenly, with a loud bang, the door of the farthest cubicle was violently kicked open.

Everyone turned in shock to look.

—Two people emerged from inside!

Feng Bin, holding a trembling Qiao Mingcheng, threw him to the ground: "It's him!"

"What???"

Feng Bin: "He’s the murderer."

"What?"

"Wait! How the hell were you two in the same cubicle?"

"I’m so confused!"

“……”

"Quiet, let him speak first."

"I was watching him from the pipeline," Feng Bin said calmly, "Don't glare at me. Anyone who guides the vote correctly gets a chance to observe others from the pipeline." He looked at Gao Fei, "As for your suspicions just now, they're misplaced. Shi Youqing was in the pipeline that round, sweating from the exertion. Being in the pipeline naturally meant he couldn't make any noise. And even if he wanted to harm someone, it's impossible to open doors from inside the pipeline. Gao Fei, you accused the wrong person."

"…" Gao Fei stiffened abruptly.

Feng Bin continued: "This round, it was my turn in the pipeline. I always felt something off about Qiao Mingcheng. Even after Shi Youqing was cleared of suspicion, he still paid excessive attention to him. So, I kept an eye on him once I was in the pipeline."

"After the power came back on recently, only Qiao Mingcheng hadn't left his cubicle."

"Before I brought him out, he was about to vote on the electronic screen, aiming to select Shi Youqing."

“……”

"Damn it!"

"Looks can be deceiving..."

"Is this... finally the end?"

"Never thought it'd actually be him..."

"I’m not!" Qiao Mingcheng shook his head frantically, "I really am not the murderer! I voted for him, I voted for him just because... just because..."

He stuttered over his "because" for a long while, unable to articulate the reason, his lips trembling violently as he continued to shake his head.

"So, what's your reason? Speak up!"

"Can't make up a story, huh?"

"I always said it, people like him are likely psychopaths in private!"

"Tie him up quick! We'll vote him out in the next round!"

"Phew! Finally saved..."

"So, the one who scared Yu Xiyong half to death was Shi Youqing in the pipeline?"

"Why didn’t you say so earlier..."

"If he had said it, how would we observe? Let the murderer perform for us?"

“……”

Chen Jian was already eagerly leading the way to tie up Qiao Mingcheng.

Gao Fei was still under Bo Huai's control.

Apart from Chang Fangxing and a stern-faced Feng Bin, Chen Jian and the others appeared as if they had already cleared their names.

Shi Youqing, with a furrowed brow, watched from a distance as Qiao Mingcheng, now weeping bitterly and imploringly looking at him, pleaded not to be tied up.

...Something was off.

...Qiao Mingcheng was very off.

The way he looked at him, as if he had something to say but couldn’t speak.

What could he possibly be unable to say?

Even if threatened or warned, could it be worse than being voted out...?

With this thought, Shi Youqing's expression slowly changed.

—There was something!

Revealing any information that could expose a player's identity is strictly forbidden.

A player who reveals their identity will face a fate more gruesome than elimination.

But this leads to many contradictions—

If Qiao Mingcheng is a player, why would he secretly vote for him?

In the eyes of the players, hasn't he already revealed his identity?

And then there’s Gao Fei, why was she so adamant about killing him? Even if his actions during the pipeline round were suspicious, there was no definitive evidence...

Besides, there were several other suspects...

Why target him specifically?

Why... why...

"Qingqing, have some water."

Hearing this, he looked up blankly, turning towards Bo Huai who had unexpectedly called him affectionately.

In the moment their eyes met, he, besieged by countless questions, suddenly remembered something crucial!

Shadows of the people around him fluttered back and forth.

His amber eyes rolled around, scrutinizing each person.

Chang Fangxing was deep in thought with closed eyes; Xia Shitong was looking around, as if waiting for something to happen; Hao Tianshuo continued to interrogate Gao Fei; Gao Fei seemed caught in a dilemma, looking towards him with confusion and skepticism; Chen Jian laughed mockingly at Qiao Mingcheng's tears; Duan Dong crouched in front of Qiao Mingcheng, questioning his cruelty towards someone he liked; Qiao Mingcheng, sobbing and shaking, gazed at him with eyes seemingly full of unsaid words...

Finally, Shi Youqing’s gaze stopped, fixed on someone.

This series of observations lasted only three seconds.

...So it was him.

Gao Fei, still restrained, jerked suddenly, and was then released.

Startled, she turned to look back.

Both of them almost simultaneously walked toward Qiao Mingcheng.

Their movement close together was swift and light, a natural harmony.

"Everyone," a soft yet husky voice began to resonate through the room, "now begins the time for reckoning."

[The author has something to say]

This chapter will be completed tomorrow~

Thanks to the angels who launched rockets: --Waiting for the Aurora--, Cabbage 1;

"Thank you to the angel who planted a mine: Still Want to Bethe^O^ 1 mine."

Thanks to the angels who provided nutrient solutions: Feng Jingnan Nan 20 bottles; Men Who Don't Care About Themselves are Like Rotten Cabbage 11 bottles; Speed Racing Little Prince 10 bottles; Salty Fish Waste 5 bottles;

Thank you all very much for your support, I will keep working hard!