Chapter 22: Login

Chapter 22: Login

The flyer describes a new scenario that San Yao rushed to release according to official requirements some time ago.

The advertisement was heavily promoted, with San Yao offering a million-dollar reward. The plan is to start the challenge test uniformly on August 6th, which is tomorrow.

Compared to the reward earnings from fully unlocking the "Murder Case Analysis" scenario, a million-dollar reward is actually not that much. However, it represents the importance San Yao places on this scenario, as well as the significant attention from numerous media outlets. It’s a rare and excellent opportunity.

More than a hundred players have already signed up to participate.

"I'm saying, you don't have the permission," He Jueyun only looked at a corner of the folded flyer, without unfolding it, placing it on the table and sliding it back, "This is a scenario for veteran players, and you've just passed the newbie stages."

Qiong Cang grabbed a tissue to wipe her mouth and said naturally, "So, I'm treating you out to a meal, right?"

He Jueyun, feeling frustrated, slammed his hand on the table and said, "This is fucking my money! I paid for it! Is this your sincerity in asking me out for a meal?!"

The people eating nearby turned to look, their expressions filled with indescribable confusion.

Is this guy so stingy that he's turning red and agitated over a meal with a girl?

For just a dozen or so bucks, you can't even have a meal with a beautiful woman.

Poverty is really frightening.

He Jueyun sensed something was off and awkwardly coughed to clear his throat.

Qiong Cang fanned the flames with a sigh, "Ah..."

A layer of goosebumps appeared on He Jueyun's skin.

Qiong Cang slowly reached into her pocket for her credit card. He Jueyun couldn't bear it anymore and quickly stopped her hand, saying, "Enough, alright!"

Since it was lunch time, the store was quite busy, hardly an ideal place for a conversation. He Jueyun glanced around and, bearing the awkwardness, said, "Follow me outside first."

Qiong Cang took the flyer from the table and followed him out, all the way to the parking lot.

The light inside the car was dim, and the air was chilly.

He Jueyun turned on the overhead light and said, "I believe your abilities exceed those of most players. Based on strength alone, you are indeed qualified to participate in this scenario. Using experience as an excuse to dismiss you wouldn't be a good reason. However, you must be aware of the connection between this case and Fan Huai."

"Of course."

Qiong Cang lowered her head, unfolded the flyer, and folded it diagonally, her voice soft and steady, "Within three months of Fan Huai's release from prison, all five witnesses who testified against him back then died."

"These five people had different economic conditions and backgrounds. Apart from testifying against him for murder, there was no obvious connection. During the ten years Fan Huai was in prison, some of them hadn't even seen each other. They maintained a sufficient social distance."

"Because it's been so long and the connections are so convoluted, the police didn't recognize the connection between them and Fan Huai when the first three died. The media, however, reported on Fan Huai's past first, pointing out the connection between the victims, putting the police in a passive position and drawing heavy criticism."

He Jueyun said, "Yes."

Qiong Cang continued, "But later, Fan Huai was under tight police surveillance and had no opportunity to commit more crimes, yet the fourth and fifth victims still appeared. In the subsequent investigation, the police confirmed that the fourth case's murderer wasn't Fan Huai but a copycat who had seen the news."

He Jueyun added, "The media and the public suspected that the police were trying to cover up their incompetence, even doubting the credibility of the results. So, the officials joined with San Yao to create this analysis scenario, inviting players to participate in solving the case. To stabilize public sentiment."

Qiong Cang chuckled, "After all, human self-righteousness is almost ingrained in their genes. They only believe what they discover themselves."

Qiong Cang held up the paper crane she had folded and placed it in the middle slot. The blue and white paper looked quite cute.

Qiong Cang looked at him and said, "So, I'm very interested in this."

He Jueyun observed every subtle expression on her face, trying to discern whether she was telling the truth. He asked, "Do you believe your student, is innocent?"

Qiong Cang said with a smile, "I only believe in evidence and facts. Aside from that, emotions have no meaning."

He Jueyun asked, "Who is Fan Huai?"

"I knew him when he was already in prison. After his release, he was put under police surveillance. Do you think I could know much more about him compared to you?" Qiong Cang's gaze lowered, her tone distant, "Besides, I'm also curious about what his world is like."

He Jueyun couldn't discern anything from her face and pondered for a moment before saying, "I can help you with your application, but you have to answer one question first."

Qiong Cang said straightforwardly, "Go on."

He Jueyun asked, "What did Fan Huai say to you in the 32-second phone call before he successfully escaped?"

A faint smile curved at the corner of Qiong Cang's lips as she said, "Actually, I've already told the police, but they didn't believe me about it."

He Jueyun asked again, "What did he say?"

Qiong Cang slightly opened her mouth. "He said to me, 'Teacher, I feel like the world won't get better. At least, my world won't get better.' I didn't know what to say to him."

He Jueyun asked suspiciously, "32 seconds?"

"Yes," Qiong Cang said, "with a bit of silence as embellishment."

He Jueyun found it hard to believe.

Even if he stretched it out, it would only take about ten or so seconds. In the critical moment of evading capture, Fan Huai took the most crucial time to make a phone call, just to say this?

"There wasn't much for us to exchange, or rather, for smart people, sometimes silence can convey a lot," Qiong Cang said, "At that time, the police hadn't issued a warrant for him yet, the pursuit hadn't officially begun, and the media hadn't reported on it. 32 seconds wasn't enough for him to explain who he had killed, what crimes he had committed, where he was, what dangers he was facing, and for me to give him clear instructions, or anything else. 32 seconds can't accomplish anything. Not even the smartest person is God."

He Jueyun thought, she's more formidable than God. He didn't believe in God, but he was inclined to trust this person.

Qiong Cang added, "He probably just wanted to find someone to talk to."

He Jueyun thought, unbelievable.

Qiong Cang patiently asked, "Is there anything else you'd like to ask?"

He Jueyun glanced at her, opened the small compartment in front of him, and took out an invitation card, handing it over. "Tomorrow morning at 8:30 sharp, same room as before."

Qiong Cang said, "Thank you."

·

August 6th, 9:30 AM.

The weather that morning was overcast, with a huge cloud covering the sky, but there was no sign of rain.

Many players had gathered at the San Yao headquarters to participate in the competition, and in the hall, a large screen that occupied the front wall was surrounded by rows of reporters.

When Qiong Cang appeared, a few cameras were pointed at her, but since she wasn't a well-known player in San Yao, they shifted away.

The game would officially start at 9:00 AM. After Qiong Cang entered the machine for a capability test, He Jueyun appeared.

He walked into the office, tapped his finger on a young man's desk, and instructed, "Find me a position close to Qiong Cang. Preferably one that she can't shake off."

Hearing this, the young man looked up from his computer, stood up, and solemnly saluted him, saying, "Don't worry, boss! I'll take care of it!"

He Jueyun had a vague sense of foreboding from the young man's manner, but there was no time to think further. He turned around and entered the simulation cabin to log in.

If he were late again, he really felt that Qiong Cang would eliminate him on humanitarian grounds.

·

9:00 AM.

Qiong Cang entered her scenario on time. A familiar font appeared before her eyes.

Welcome players to the full-sensory live-streamed game "Murder Case Analysis" (Million Dollar Bounty Event). Your assigned identity is "victim." Memories related to the case have been blocked. Please follow the character prompts, and strive to escape the death ending or assist the "perpetrator" and "investigators" to complete the scenario reconstruction.

Identity: Wu Ming (alias)

Gender: male

Cause of Death: Murder (recorded)

Player Rating: 93 (You have surpassed 99% of players nationwide.)

Character Compatibility: 42% (If we were to stretch to find some similarities, perhaps it's that both of you are of Asian descent.)

Death Progress: 4 days before the "Murder Night" scenario begins.

"Note: Your life is already under threat. Please actively explore the storyline, find relevant clues, and unlock the "Murder Night" scenario.

"Click here to view scenario details"

·

Unsurprisingly, the case information in Qiong Cang's mind was concealed. She pressed her temples to alleviate the discomfort.

The case introduction was as simple as ever.

Wu Ming was the boss of an online operations company specializing in new media content. The company had contracts with over a dozen well-known internet celebrities, including professional players of "Murder Case Analysis."

He was young and successful, 33 years old this year, with a net worth exceeding ten billion. Married, no children. He was a representative of successful individuals and had a good external reputation.

On February 26th, Wu Ming noticed someone was following him and reported it to the police. After being placed under police protection, no suspects were found.

On the night of February 28th, Wu Ming was found dead in his home. Discovered the next morning. The scene was extremely brutal. The murderer was preliminarily determined to have had a strong grudge against the victim.

At the time of death, he had multiple injuries. Some parts of the body were dissected post-mortem. Several messages regarding the crime's punishment were left at the scene.

The cause of death and the specific content of the messages were not explained in the introduction. This information should be revealed after the "Murder Night" scenario begins and the scene reconstruction is completed.

The current time in the scenario is 8:00 AM, February 25th.

·

Qiong Cang closed the storyline description and tentatively took a step forward.

The picture gradually became clearer, and Qiong Cang silently observed her surroundings, gathering information.

This was a villa, extravagantly decorated... resplendent.

Although Qiong Cang was quite impoverished, she didn't particularly like such an obvious display of wealth. There was a feeling of being overwhelmed by gold.

Qiong Cang looked down.

She was wearing a loose gray pajama set and a diamond-encrusted watch. The skin on her palm was a bit rough, and there was a noticeable scar on her finger. Based on its position and angle, it was highly likely to be from a childhood accident where she was cut by a kitchen knife.

It seems that Wu Ming's living conditions were probably not very good before he rose to prominence.

Qiong Cang bent down and glanced at the items on the coffee table, just about to continue her observation when suddenly, the sound of a porcelain bowl shattering came from the direction of the kitchen.

Qiong Cang quickly went over and saw a woman standing with her back to her at the dining table.

Her shoulders were shaking violently, as if she had been deeply shaken. Next to the woman's character portrait, there was a green character introduction.

"Li Yujia, wife, housewife, overseer."

Qiong Cang coughed and used her throat to produce a deep male voice, "Hello?"

The woman turned around, her face flickering between anger and restraint, along with various indescribable expressions, all of which combined could be summarized as a twitching grimace.

That expression... looked somewhat familiar.

Qiong Cang exclaimed in surprise, "Q* Bro?" Is the situation this extreme?

He Jueyun gritted his teeth and said, "No!"

Qiong Cang: "..."

She wondered how to tell this man that everyone's control over their expressions was different, and in her eyes, his face was virtually written with the words "He Jueyun."

However, Qiong Cang soon felt a sense of schadenfreude.

Initially, she had been a little unwilling to play another character whose life was about to end. But compared to He Jueyun's situation, it paled in comparison.

He Jueyun was still trying to accept this cruel reality when Qiong Cang silently stepped forward and used her slippers to press down on a piece of broken porcelain, kicking it towards him.

Qiong Cang sternly accused, "Aren't you going to clean up quickly? What are you standing there for?"

He Jueyun looked up, surprised.

Qiong Cang said with a cold smile, "As a woman, you can't even hold a plate steady, what use are you? Do you have any idea how much this plate is worth?"

The grimace on He Jueyun's face faded, but the muscles around his lips were still trembling, still in shock.

With a wrinkled brow, Qiong Cang spoke every word with humiliation and disdain, gestured, "Make a new breakfast and bring it to my study. You have ten minutes. Hurry!"

Seeing that her expression was not fake, He Jueyun, filled with an eerie mood, couldn't help but curse, "Qiong Cang, are you sick?"

"Who is Qiong Cang?" The cold man pinched two fingers together, exhaling a puff of illusory white smoke, and said, "From today onwards, remember, I am your man."

He Jueyun finally couldn't bear it and broke his rule by cursing, "...Damn it all!"

Qiong Cang warned him with a glare.

He Jueyun shouted, "Don't add any weird character settings on your own! This has nothing to do with the setting! You're just increasing the game difficulty!"

"To be honest, I haven't," Qiong Cang walked over, grabbed He Jueyun's hand, and made him examine it.

"Rough fingers, pale skin, sallow complexion, dry hair. Clearly, you've been neglecting your maintenance and are likely to have been sick for a long time. You don't look like a well-kept wealthy lady."

He Jueyun said, "Are you telling fortunes? Maybe she just appears haggard after being sick."

Qiong Cang raised her wrist, "It's 8 o'clock in the morning, and no housekeeper has come to help. You're in the kitchen holding a dish; it's obvious you're preparing breakfast for me."

He Jueyun: "Maybe the nanny had something urgent to deal with and didn't come. It's also possible that Wu Ming is overly suspicious and dislikes having outsiders in the house. Li Yujia is a housewife; it's no big deal for her to help make breakfast."

Qiong Cang stared at him for a moment and smiled. "Typical family relationships can reveal themselves in various ways, and sometimes they can be seen at a glance."

Qiong Cang pointed to the dining table, where two chairs were purposely placed far apart. She held up one finger. "One."

Then she led He Jueyun back a few steps into the living room, pointing to a photo on the cabinet and waving her hand in front of him. "Two."

He Jueyun looked over and realized that the people in the photo weren't the male and female hosts of the house, but rather Wu Ming and his parents.

Looking around, he didn't see a single photograph of the couple in the entire living room.

Qiong Cang walked to the entrance, in front of the half-wall-sized shoe cabinet, flipped down the door, and gestured to He Jueyun. "Three."

Wu Ming's shoes were all placed in the most conspicuous spot, taking up the majority of the space. Li Yujia's shoes were jammed into a corner.

"I admit, their marital relationship might not be harmonious. But the next deduction needs further verification," He Jueyun insisted, "There might be a dedicated wardrobe room upstairs. Maybe Li Yujia's things are up there."

Qiong Cang found his desperate struggle amusing and led him to the coffee table, gesturing for him to look.

On the table was a medical report of Li Yujia's, impatiently pushed to the corner. He Jueyun couldn't make sense of the scans, but the conclusion at the bottom appeared to show no significant problems. Yet, two large bags of medication were still lying on the floor.

He Jueyun flipped through them casually, finding injections, hormone medications, and health supplements.

Qiong Cang took out a sticky note from the table, which listed different dates for various hospital appointments.

He Jueyun felt a chill run down his spine, an overwhelming discomfort washing over him.

Qiong Cang said, "Li Yujia's health examination results clearly indicate nothing seriously wrong, yet she's undergoing intense treatment. They've been married for almost seven years now and still have no children. Excluding their personal wishes, the only reason, as a man, you should understand."

"I don't understand!" He Jueyun exclaimed, "Don't try to set me up! Why should I understand him?!"

Qiong Cang said flatly, "Oh."

Qiong Cang crouched down, picked up all the bags of medication, and threw them into the trash bin next to her.

"At first glance, the only thing in this entire living room that clearly belongs to the female host of the house is this medical record. Li Yujia putting it in such a noticeable place is likely a form of silent protest. The fact that even her protest is so low-key, what does that indicate?"

His expression darkened.

Qiong Cang returned to her cold and ruthless demeanor, commanding, "Breakfast, study, ten minutes, I am in charge. For the sake of solving the case, thank you for your cooperation."

With those words, she left with an air of arrogance.