Author: 木尺素 / Mu Chisu

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

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Chapter 77

“Click, click, click…”

…

The distinct sound of high heels echoed through the corridor. Because of the vastness of the villa and the length of the corridor, coupled with the silence of the night, the sound even produced an echo.

Thus, each step, each echo, seemed to transmit a clear and forceful intent to kill in the darkness.

Inside the room, on a small wooden bed, the childlike Zhou Qian lay on his side, facing the child Bai Zhou.

The surrounding silence was almost palpable. After listening intently for a moment, Zhou Qian said to Bai Zhou, “Her footsteps lag half a second behind your heartbeat. It seems she walks with a consistent pace.”

It seemed that even Bai Zhou hadn’t expected Zhou Qian to be paying attention to his heartbeat at this moment. In the dim light, Bai Zhou’s gaze deepened.

However, he quickly sat up—the footsteps outside in the corridor had stopped. Three seconds later, there came a knock on their door. The knocks were heavy and frequent, as if the person outside was both impatient and angry.

Turning his head back, Zhou Qian looked at Bai Zhou lying on the bed. The moonlight from the window highlighted the clarity of his eyes. Contrasting this was a mischievous smile playing at the corners of his mouth.

It was as if he wanted to give Bai Zhou a heads-up about his playful intent as he asked, “Should I go answer the door?”

Bai Zhou simply nodded. “Go ahead.”

Zhou Qian got out of bed and went to open the door.

What he didn’t know was that in the virtual game lounge, in booth A711, there were many gamblers betting on him. Having been upgraded to Rank S, he was no longer the subject of bets from only low-level gamblers; many high-level gamblers had placed their bets on him.

On screen, Zhou Qian was unaware that he was being watched by so many. He was deeply engrossed in the game and, unknowingly, seemed to have developed a certain understanding with Bai Zhou.

But the observing gamblers didn’t seem to get the gist of their conversation, sparking a fervent discussion among them.

“Wait, don’t talk! Did anyone close the booth’s door? Check it! We don’t want other players to see!”

“It’s closed, relax.”

“Good. The main hall is open to all players. Who knows if some player knows that greasy Ma Luoluo? We can’t afford any leaks.”

“I’ve checked many times. It’s fine. Everyone, discuss freely. The soundproofing here is excellent.”

“I’m still not at ease. I’ll stand guard at the door. You guys continue.”

“Why do you think Zhou Qian wants to open the door? Who’s outside?”

“Let me think… The young assistant Zhu Zhu left. It’s unlikely she’d come back in the middle of the night. This is a large villa, with a big courtyard and security at the door!”

“Right, Ruan Mei always wore flat shoes. Sister Ke Yun did wear high heels initially, but she changed later. Oh, that Wang Mei! She didn’t change her shoes after coming in!”

“No. Regardless if Ke Yun and Wang Mei changed shoes after coming in or not, I noticed when Ruan Mei took the kids to wash up before heading to their respective bedrooms; both Ke Yun and Wang Mei had indeed changed into slippers!”

“Haa… But come to think of it, isn’t it strange? Why would a murderer wear high heels?”

“Since all the women had changed out of their high heels before going to bed, it means that the person now walking in the corridor put them on afterward. Why?

“Why would the murderer purposely wear high heels? They need to be stealthy, right? This way, she’d disturb people!”

“Exactly! Not only the heels, but her knocking was also quite audacious and loud!”

“Wait—could it be that the person wearing high heels isn’t the murderer?”

“Possible! We all trust Qian Ge’s intelligence. He dares to open the door, probably because the person outside isn’t the murderer.”

“If the person outside isn’t the murderer, then who is she? Why is she knocking?”

“Let’s analyze each possibility. If she isn’t the murderer… Ke Yun is a traditional well-bred lady, educated and very capable. She genuinely likes these kids, bought many toys for them, and put in effort to assist Ruan Mei…”

“Did you notice that when she was eating at the dinner table, she always kept her mouth closed while chewing?

“Someone of her caliber wouldn’t disturb children’s sleep by clicking around in high heels in the middle of the night.”

“As for Ruan Mei, she’s always worn flat shoes, even when working outside. It’s conceivable that she’s not accustomed to wearing high heels. Regarding Wang Mei…”

“Hey… temporarily excluding the possibility of a creepy man in heels, among the women, Wang Mei is the most likely candidate!”

“But why would Wang Mei do this?”

…

Suddenly, a deep and magnetic voice interrupted the discussions—

“Wang Mei is doing it on purpose.”

The person who spoke was Priest. He gestured to his left wrist, where there was no watch.

This gesture indicated that he’s currently not a player but merely a gambler. Without a watch, he couldn’t communicate with other players via the system, like Ma Luoluo, who intended to kill Zhou Qian. That was why the gamblers dared to let him stay here.

Priest continued, “You’ve analyzed it well. Which murderer would draw attention to themselves by wearing noisy heels before committing the act? She’s not here to kill.”

A gambler immediately asked, “You think it’s Wang Mei too? Why do you say she’s doing it on purpose?”

“Start the analysis from the Ke siblings. Ke Yun, Ke Zheng, and Ke Di are siblings. The Ke family is probably in business, given that Ke Zheng’s young assistant addresses him as ‘Mr. Ke’.

“But Ruan Mei mentioned that Ke Yun is about to become a Bureau Director. So, Ke Yun is in politics. Her career is probably separate from the family business to avoid any potential conflicts of interest. Otherwise, blending politics with business can easily lead to accusations of impropriety.”

“Given the lack of evidence, Ke Yun’s character is leaning towards an independent, strong woman. She likely doesn’t get involved in the family business or care about the inheritance.”

“Thus, inheritance disputes mainly involve the brothers, Ke Zheng and Ke Di. Their long-standing rivalry means they’ve always had a strained relationship.”

He paused and looked at the other gamblers, then said, “This villa belongs to Ke Zheng, not Ke Di and Wang Mei. Although we don’t yet know why they’re staying here tonight, it’s clear they came reluctantly.”

“Wang Mei is haughty and domineering, but she has her reasons. Ke Yun referred to her as a ‘Young Madam’. Given her status and Ke Di’s, she looks down on Ruan Mei, viewing her as a nobody who rose above her station.”

“Nevertheless, Wang Mei dares not cross Ke Yun. When Ke Yun reprimanded her, she didn’t dare talk back.”

“Now, with her high heels and knocking on Ke Yi’s door, it further corroborates my guess—she needs something from Ke Yun or is in some way under Ke Yun’s thumb. In any case, her appearance now is due to Ke Yun.”

He looked at the screen and concluded, “Wang Mei chastised Ke Yi at the dining table. Now she’s come to apologize. But it’s not voluntary. Ke Yun ordered her, so she had no choice.”

“She’s showing her displeasure by intentionally wearing heels. On one hand, she’s throwing a tantrum, wanting to wake everyone up; on the other hand, she’s subtly showing her anger towards Ke Yun—”

“You wanted me to apologize, right? Well, I did. What? Did I accidentally disturb everyone’s sleep? Sorry about that. I’m just doing what Miss Ke asked.”

Gambler A: “Damn, such a simple reason! Why didn’t I think of that?”

Gambler B: “It’s a mindset problem. Those exaggerated movies with femme fatales in heels have misled us!”

Gambler C: “That being said… who would kill multiple children? What’s the motive?”

Priest gave a mysterious smile, opting not to answer.

Another gambler chimed in, “What’s the deal with Ma Luoluo? Does anyone know his background?”

Priest’s eyes narrowed as he said, “Is there a need to delve into the background of a dead man?”

Gambler D: “Wait, what do you mean by…”

Priest said with a tone of disdain, “The current Rank S is too diluted. As the game matured, all sorts of people were elevated to Rank S. Such an idiot… daring to accept a bounty from the Peach Blossom Legion.”

……

Inside the game:

When Zhou Qian opened the door, he indeed saw Wang Mei outside, awkwardly wearing high heels along with her pajamas. Glancing at the other closed doors in the corridor, Zhou Qian intentionally raised his voice in a child-like tone. “Auntie, why are you here?!”

After this shout, the door to one of the rooms slightly opened.

That was Ma Luoluo’s room; he was probably watching what was happening outside Zhou Qian’s room.

Zhou Qian discreetly turned his attention back, tiptoed, and grabbed Wang Mei’s wrist with a very innocent smile. Wang Mei cleared her throat, reluctantly saying, “Is it Ke Qi? Is your brother Ke Yi asleep?”

“Not yet. I’ll call him.”

Zhou Qian smiled and turned his head to Bai Zhou, who had just sat up from the bed, sweetly calling out, “Brother, auntie is looking for you!”

Hearing this, Bai Zhou gave Zhou Qian a deep look before approaching Wang Mei. His gaze was cold, and he remained silent.

Only when Wang Mei saw him did she say, “Ke Yi, you scored well on your test, and I should congratulate you. I was wrong at dinner today, and I’ve come to apologize.”

Bai Zhou simply nodded, not uttering a word.

Zhou Qian, on the other hand, tightened his grip on Wang Mei’s wrist and exchanged a glance with Bai Zhou. In perfect coordination, the two pulled Wang Mei into the room and swiftly closed the door behind her. Their actions were so seamless that anyone in the corridor would have assumed Wang Mei had entered on her own accord.

Once inside, Wang Mei seemed a bit surprised.

“What are you guys up to?”

Zhou Qian questioned her, “Did Auntie send you?”

Wang Mei became uneasy and coldly replied, “I don’t know if she’s awake… anyway. Tomorrow morning, if she asks, remember to tell her I’ve apologized.”

Zhou Qian immediately retorted, “No. We won’t.”

“You—?!” Wang Mei frowned. “What’s wrong with you, kid?”

Zhou Qian replied, “We are a little scared and wanted you to tell us a story to put us to sleep.”

“I’ve never even told my own son a story; why would I tell you?” Wang Mei complained, turning to leave.

Zhou Qian quickly responded, “Then I’ll go complain to Auntie right now and tell her you bullied us!”

“You…!” Wang Mei glared at Zhou Qian.

Zhou Qian continued, “You clearly don’t like my dad, yet you come here for dinner and stay over… Why? Did Auntie ask you to?”

Wang Mei coldly retorted, “I think Ke Yun, used to being a leader at her workplace, loves controlling everyone. She’s got issues!

“After years of disputes with your dad, there’s finally a resolution. Now he manages the factory here, and we take over the one in the neighboring city. Everyone should go their separate ways! But what does Ke Yun want? She insists on us visiting every six months for three days, hoping to reconcile their brotherly bond. Isn’t she crazy? Damn it—”

“If it weren’t for my family’s company being under her jurisdiction… I wouldn’t… never mind.”

“Ugh, why am I telling all this to a kid like you? You wouldn’t understand,” Wang Mei grumbled, looking at Zhou Qian. “Don’t dare tell your aunt what I just said, or I’ll tear your mouth apart!”

Zhou Qian simply responded, “Stay and tell me a story, and I won’t tell Auntie!”

……

One hour later.

Wang Mei, who had been having a petty quarrel with the two kids, had fallen asleep. Forced into submission, she had no choice but to stay. She half-heartedly told a story to Zhou Qian and Bai Zhou, as they had asked.

Later, feeling sleepy, she took a small blanket to cover her knees and drifted off to sleep, leaning against a cushion by the wooden bed.

Suddenly, there was a noise outside.

The doorknob was turning.

They’re here.

Zhou Qian and Bai Zhou exchanged a glance, went to the wooden bed, and picked up two pillows. They hid them in the nearby children’s wardrobe.

Bai Zhou did the same with two quilts. After doing this, they sat side by side on the bed, waiting to see if the person arriving was who they suspected.

While Wang Mei was half-heartedly telling her story, the two listening were also distracted as they were communicating through the private chat.

Zhou Qian said, “From the motive of murder, only Wang Mei and Ke Di have a slight intent to kill. But if I were them, I wouldn’t choose to kill a child from a relative’s house with whom I have disputes during a visit. This would only draw suspicion. Also, this seems to be a serial murder case with a long time interval.”

Bai Zhou nodded. “If many children died at once, their cause of death would likely be similar, but that’s not the case here.”

In Exhibition Hall A, there were seven bodies.

Considering a single killer, there were two possibilities: First, the killer murdered all the children at once; second, this was a serial murder case with a significant interval between each death.

Visiting the exhibition hall revealed that the deaths of the seven children were varied. One child seemed to have suffocated, while a girl had foam in her mouth as if she had died from an epileptic seizure. The other five had various injuries, from head wounds to gaping holes…

If there was only one murderer, killing seven children at once wouldn’t be easy. They would most likely use poison. Hence, the children’s cause of death would be consistent, not varied like this.

Therefore, the possibility of the murderer killing a child after some intervals is quite high.

Their only target appears to be the children of the Ke family. There was no other ritualistic indication, no marks on the corpses, and they didn’t seem to be fixated on a particular method of killing.

It seemed more like the killer, upon wanting to commit a murder, simply used whatever was handy at the moment.

Bai Zhou then said to Zhou Qian, “Now, we are in a VR game where the Ke family has ten children because ten players have arrived. However, the number of players arriving is random. So, compared to the real story, the game must have made many modifications.

“We have to survive here for three days to clear the game. So, during these three days, the murderer will kill. But in reality, there should be a longer interval between each child’s death.”

“Additionally, did you notice that the corpses in the exhibition hall are much younger than us?”

“Mm. In Exhibition Hall A, out of the seven children, most were infants, with only a few who could walk. Considering that after designing it into a mini-game, it’s difficult for babies to pass the level, compared to the real case, the average age of our miniaturized characters in the game has been raised.”

Zhou Qian said, “Mm… For more accurate information on the murder case, we must look at the situation in Hall A.”

“First, the children who were killed are very young—many of them are infants who can’t even walk.”

“Second, there should be a significant time gap between their deaths, which means the real murderer has never been caught, because… no one ever suspected her as the culprit.”

Narrowing his eyes, Zhou Qian continued, “Why wasn’t she considered the prime suspect? Because most of these children’s deaths could be attributed to accidents. The child with a head injury died from accidentally falling from upstairs; the children with a hole in their foreheads fell and hit a stone while playing in the backyard… And now, looking at…”

He glanced at the wooden bed, which was now empty after the pillow and blanket were removed, and said, “A fragile infant turning over and not being able to turn back, accidentally suffocating themselves, is also a very likely scenario.”

“So, if there’s a murder tonight, based on the state in which the corpses are found in the hall, it would most likely be asphyxiation.”

Bai Zhou nodded. “By hiding the pillow and blanket, we should be safe. Moreover…”

Smiling slightly, Bai Zhou added, “You’ve kept an adult here. Seeing someone present, she’s less likely to take action.”

“Mm. Wang Mei can’t be the true culprit behind these serial murders. While she could suffocate a child with a pillow while they’re sleeping, creating other ‘accidents’ would be difficult for her. Especially considering her poor relationship with the children, her approach would make them wary. The same goes for her husband.”

“In fact, from this perspective, both Ke Yun and Ke Zheng can be ruled out. They aren’t directly involved in taking care of the children and wouldn’t know the potential accidents that could occur, let alone exploit these ‘accidents’.”

“So, the real culprit… is indeed only one person.”

Zhou Qian continued, “When I initially ruled out suspects based on motives, I dismissed her.”

“I thought, due to her lack of education, she believed that after marriage, a woman should take care of her husband. This deeply rooted conservative idea made her believe that there’s nothing wrong with her and Ke Zheng’s relationship. If Ke Zheng openly had an affair, she might treat the mistress like a family member.”

“So, I still believe she wouldn’t kill her children, especially not her own.”

Bai Zhou nodded. “Mm. It seems that she enjoys taking care of others. She wouldn’t kill out of fatigue.”

“Exactly,” Zhou Qian said. “Ke Yun suggested hiring a nanny, and they could afford it. Yet, she insisted on personally taking care of the children and cooking. She’s not killing children because she can’t afford them or feels too exhausted to care for them. It’s interesting…”

“I can’t even figure out her motive for murder.”

Hearing this, Bai Zhou looked at Zhou Qian, only to hear Zhou Qian say confidently, “This proves she’s even more disturbed than I am.”

……

Thus, Zhou Qian and Bai Zhou unanimously determined that the murderer was these children’s biological mother, Ruan Mei.

Now was the moment to verify their speculations.

At this moment, the two of them were a few years older than the actual victims in the real case.

Judging by the real circumstances of the victims’ deaths, it would be too far-fetched to attribute a child’s death in a bedroom to something like “falling to death”. Therefore, the accidental suffocation of an infant or toddler seems most likely—for instance, accidentally suffocating oneself with a pillow due to failing to turn over properly.

This was why Zhou Qian had quickly hidden all the pillows and blankets.

Accompanied by the sound of the doorknob turning, Zhou Qian gave Bai Zhou a glance, and the two lay side by side on the bed, pretending to be sound asleep.

After a while, there was a creak as the door opened, and a silhouette entered.

Wind blew in from the window gap, rustling her long hair.

Moonlight illuminated her eyes, but it wasn’t bright enough to clearly reveal her features.

With another creak, the door closed.

The figure approached the middle of the room and then walked towards the bed.

“Ke Yi, Ke Qi, are you asleep?” she whispered softly.

As expected, it was Ruan Mei’s voice.

Hearing no response, she confidently approached them.

Reaching the side of the bed, she stretched out her hands, first placing them on Ke Yi, who was on the outer side, turning him over. Then she did the same to Ke Qi.

Finally, her hands searched around the head areas of the two for a while. Not finding what she was looking for, she exclaimed in surprise. Just then, Ke Qi suddenly sprang up and sweetly called out to her—

“Mom, why are you here? What are you looking for?”

Ruan Mei was taken aback, retreating several steps and falling to the ground.

To her horror, she saw another person lying on the other side of the bed!

That person was Wang Mei. She was awakened by Ruan Mei’s actions.

After yawning and standing up, she blinked in confusion, then approached Ruan Mei. Recognizing her, Wang Mei scoffed, “What are you here for? Worried I’d kill your son? Hah, so suspicious!”

Ruan Mei, trembling, struggled to her feet and, without saying a word, dashed out of the room.

Rolling her eyes, Wang Mei shouted at Zhou Qian and Bai Zhou, “I get it! I scolded you at dinner, so you want to get back at me, huh? I’ve told my side of the story and apologized. You better remember what to say and what not in front of Ke Yun, or you’ll regret it!”

With that, Wang Mei also left.

The door opened and closed again.

Only Zhou Qian and Bai Zhou remained in the room.

Zhou Qian glanced at Bai Zhou, went to the door, and listened for a while.

After a moment, he said, “Wang Mei went straight back to her room. But Ruan Mei went downstairs and is now coming up again.”

“If what happened in this room had occurred in reality, Ruan Mei, having been caught in the act of murder, wouldn’t make another move so soon. But this is a game.”

“Unmasking her method and avoiding it is just our survival strategy this time. She failed in this room, and she might move on to the next.”

While Zhou Qian monitored the situation outside, Bai Zhou simply opened the closet and retrieved the pillows and blankets, neatly making the beds for both of them.

He then looked at Zhou Qian. “Mm, we should be safe tonight. Come to bed.”

Zhou Qian took a silent glance at the pillow and blanket on the upper bunk, then looked at Bai Zhou.

But in the end, he didn’t say anything, walked over quietly, climbed the ladder to the upper bunk, and laid down.

Ten minutes later.

Zhou Qian turned over, leaned out from the upper bunk, and looked down.

In the middle of the lower bunk, Bai Zhou lay with his eyes closed, appearing to be soundly asleep.

Feeling slightly irritated, Zhou Qian squinted and grabbed his pillow, reaching down to smack Bai Zhou on the head.

Bai Zhou, awakened by the pillow, looked up at Zhou Qian and asked, “What’s wrong?”

Zhou Qian: “……….”

Bai Zhou: “Hm?”

“Nothing.” Zhou Qian said, “I just suddenly recalled a doubt.”

Bai Zhou asked again, “What doubt?”

Opening his mouth, Zhou Qian actually answered, “Among the children who died in the exhibition hall, some did not have the surname ‘Ke’. Ma Luoluo and his underling chose to be adopted, probably naively believing that the killer would only target those with the surname ‘Ke’. They thought the killer must have a grudge against the Ke family.”

“Ma Luoluo’s assumption was terribly wrong. But does the information about the adopted children having different surnames have another purpose?”

……

Elsewhere.

With the sound of high heels fading, Ma Luoluo closed the door, gave Meng Pingping a look, and smirked. “The murderer is indeed Wang Mei. She stayed in Zhou Qian’s room for a whole hour and has only left now. What could she have done? Only handling a corpse and destroying evidence!”

Meng Pingping was also pleased. “Even though her primary target is Ke Yi, if Ke Qi is also there, he would definitely be killed too! In this kind of scenario, who lives and who dies is usually revealed the next day. It’s a pity we can’t immediately know the result—”

“But anyway… Zhou Qian is probably gone! We can claim the reward!”

“Even so, don’t get too excited too early!” Ma Luoluo warned. “Everyone says this scenario is sinister. So, it’s definitely not simple. Since the murderer was easy to find, there must be a bigger problem elsewhere! We need to be vigilant!”

“But we’ve managed to get through tonight, right? Wang Mei has returned to her room?” Meng Pingping asked.

“Yes,” Ma Luoluo replied. “The murderer is Wang Mei for sure. So, we can use the others to extract clues!”

Just as they were talking, the door opened.

Someone walked in—it was Ruan Mei.

Their room lights were still on, so Ruan Mei immediately saw the pillows on the beds.

She smiled at the two children. “Were you disturbed by Wang Mei? I was worried she might bully you, so I came to check on you. Come on, go to bed, and I’ll soothe you to sleep.”

Ma Luoluo laughed. “Haha, let’s stop pretending. I know you, as an NPC, are here to give us clues! You’re not the murderer!”

Ruan Mei just gazed at him mysteriously, then grabbed his arm and pulled him towards the bed. “Come on, let mom put you to sleep.”

“Ah, you really want to get into character, huh? Fine, fine, I’ll call you ‘mom’, okay?”

Ma Luoluo then looked at Meng Pingping, and they exchanged an amused glance.

Meng Pingping also called out “mom”, attempting to extract information. “So, mom, why did Wang Mei come to our house? She seems quite reluctant. Does she have a backstory?”

But just at that moment, Ruan Mei had already reached the side of the wooden bed. Suddenly, she picked up a pillow and approached Ma Luoluo.

“What… What are you doing?”

Realizing something was amiss, Ma Luo Luo’s face turned pale.

Suddenly, the watches on their wrists vibrated, and both Ma Luoluo and Meng Pingping received a message from the system.

[The key item determining NPC behavior this time: Pillow]

[The pillow is identified as a murder weapon. When stored in the room and seen by NPC Ruan Mei, it is determined that it can trigger a murder action.]

[Ruan Mei is about to kill “Liu Wu” and “Jiang Liu”]

[Warning: Players Ma Luoluo and Meng Pingping are in a specific game scenario where they cannot use any skills or items to escape.]

[The judgment will take effect immediately.]

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<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Author: 木尺素 / Mu Chisu

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

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Chapter 76

[Welcome to the ‘Murder Case Exhibition Hall’, Hall A.]

[The intention of the exhibition’s curator is for visitors to confront the terrifying side of human nature, thereby heightening their vigilance and self-awareness.]

[Especially for those who have traveled from afar, ‘foreign visitors’, after such a long journey, perhaps you won’t come here a second time. So, in this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, the exhibition has specially prepared a unique experiential mini-game for these ‘foreign visitors’.]

[This is a special AR scenario, but your minds have been loaded into this mini-game. Death within the game means death in reality, so please take it seriously.]

[You have three days for this experience, and your goal is to survive until the end.]

……

These statements resonated directly within the players’ minds.

After hearing them, Zhou Qian felt like he was experiencing a recursive layer of reality. He and Bai Zhou logged into the major instance of ‘Blue Harbor City’ as players, and now they seem to be inside an instance within an instance.

In analyzing the storyline, the outermost layer of the “matryoshka doll” needed to be discarded.

That meant they should treat ‘Blue Harbor City’ as their real world, genuinely seeing themselves as tourists who have come from afar to visit the exhibition.

From this perspective, something seemed amiss.

The younger versions of themselves, the ‘mother’, and the furniture all appeared to be part of a virtual reality mini-game created by the exhibition.

If Zhou Qian were to identify a murderer in this space, the murderer would only exist within this mini-game, not correlating with the murders in the real ‘Blue Harbor City’.

So, what was the deal with the freshly dead bodies in the exhibition?

While Zhou Qian was pondering, a system prompt appeared.

[Please choose the name you’d like to be addressed by in this instance.]

Following the prompt, ten names appeared on the system panel, with eight surnamed “Ke”, one “Liu”, and one “Jiang”.

Zhou Qian didn’t immediately make a selection, but soon after, the name “Liu Wu” was grayed out. Subsequently, the ‘child version’ of the greasy-haired man had these two golden characters, “Liu Wu”, floating above his head.

This long-haired man’s real name was Ma Luoluo, who specialized in ranged attacks, primarily poison-based.

The insects and reptiles on the beach were his doing.

He looked gloomy, with dark circles under his eyes, probably because of his sinister skills.

Even as a child, he still had long hair, tied in a greasy loop at his waist, possibly hiding some concealed weapon.

However, upon entering the mini-game, all players’ MPs were set to zero. This was the system’s way of preventing players from fighting amongst themselves or challenging NPCs.

After Ma Luoluo chose his name, the next one to get a name was one of his underlings, a healer named Meng Pingping. The name above his head read “Jiang Liu”.

These two obviously chose their names for a purpose.

During this time, using a private chat item, the two were having a separate conversation.

Underling Meng PingPing asked, “Second Brother, why did you ask me to pick this name?”

Long-haired poisonous Ma Luoluo said, “Didn’t you notice? Six of the seven bodies in the exhibition hall had the surname ‘Ke’. It’s evident that this is a serial murder case! The murderer probably has a grudge against those with the surname ‘Ke’, aiming to wipe out their lineage. As for the child without the ‘Ke’ surname, that’s probably collateral damage.”

“I get it!” Meng Pingping laughed. “To survive three days here, the killer will only target those named ‘Ke’. By choosing other surnames, we’re not saying we’re 100% safe, but the risk significantly reduces!”

“Exactly,” Ma Luoluo smirked, glancing at Zhou Qian from a distance.

At that moment, Meng Pingping said, “Thank you for the heads-up, Second Brother! I owe you one! You’re always so reliable!”

“Heh, our legion has just been established. Those who came here, of course, are all my brothers. But under these circumstances… we have to prioritize. You just need to remember that I treated you well. Speaking of which—”

Staring at Zhou Qian, Ma Luoluo asked Meng Pingping, “Do you know about the virtual gaming hall?”

“Of course. High-level gamblers can’t come to Blue Harbor City, but they can go there. Many Rank S players also love going there to research videos of new players. Why?” Meng Pingping asked in confusion.

“When we took the bounty, we saw that the target was a newbie who just got promoted to Rank S, so we accepted it. But on the way to this exhibition hall, I asked someone who frequents the virtual gaming hall. My buddy saw a lot of Zhou Qian’s videos in that hall—”

Ma Luoluo said, “Heh, my buddy praised Zhou Qian a lot. He said that anyone who has seen Zhou Qian play in the virtual gaming hall has followed him. Of course, they also see him as a potential opponent. But now it seems…”

Meng Pingping, understanding his point, looked over at Zhou Qian and gave a cold smile. “This Zhou Qian couldn’t even see the surname trap. He’s clearly a noob. In my opinion, those Rank S players who mix in the virtual hall are all worthless. Why don’t they dare come to places like Blue Harbor City? They’re probably scared!”

“Exactly… The virtual gaming hall prohibits violent killing, but Blue Harbor City is different!

“My brother got into some trouble. In the game, he either enters instances to grind experience or hides in the virtual hall, never coming to semi-open places like Blue Harbor City. Why? Because he’s afraid of getting killed! Tsk, tsk…”

“Yes, you’re right. Those who hide in the gaming hall watching live feeds and don’t dare come to Blue Harbor City are all weaklings. They see Zhou Qian as a boss? Heh, it’s only because they’re too weak.”

Yawning and looking at Bai Zhou next to Zhou Qian, Ma Luoluo said, “As for the Rank God player, we’re even less afraid. I’ve heard their training system is just killing monsters and leveling up, over and over. They don’t understand the essence of this kind of puzzle-solving dungeon!”

Nearby, Zhou Qian stood quietly beside the sofa.

Seeing Meng Pingping and Ma Luoluo smiling at him, Zhou Qian also responded with a naive and bewildered smile, seemingly oblivious to their discussions.

Later, Zhou Qian noticed that Bai Zhou had chosen the name “Ke Yi”.

Looking at Bai Zhou, then at the system, watching the names become grayed out and unselectable, he casually took a name. Above his head, the characters “Ke Qi” appeared.

“Why did you choose ‘Ke Yi’?” Zhou Qian asked Bai Zhou. “Out of the ten players who turned into children, the names are numbered ‘1’ to ’10’, which probably corresponds to our birth order. I wanted to be the eldest*.”

*Clarity: [Wu] (五) = five, [Liu] (六) = six, [Yi] (一) = one, [Qi] (七) = seven

Bai Zhou looked at Zhou Qian and remained silent. Just as Zhou Qian was about to speak again, the system’s notifications disappeared, and the mini-game’s story continued.

At this moment, the mother of the ten children finally entered the room.

Her name was Ruan Mei. She was only in her forties, but she looked quite old, probably because of the hardships of life. She had many bags of groceries, showing her tireless effort in taking care of the family. Yet her face always bore a smile, appearing genuinely happy.

First, Ruan Mei made a trip to the kitchen and put down a bunch of things. She then came to the living room and greeted each child one by one.

She first approached Liu Wu and Jiang Liu, patting their heads. “Did you two argue with your brothers last night?”

With those two names above them, Ma Luoluo and Meng Pingping both looked at Ruan Mei with puzzled expressions.

Ruan Mei continued, “Although you two are adopted, I treat you both the same as my own children. I’m absolutely impartial! Don’t overthink. If any of your brothers bully you, come to me immediately. I’ll set them straight!”

Hearing this, Zhou Qian understood why there were two children without the surname ‘Ke’. They were adopted.

So, out of the ten children in this family, eight were Ruan Mei’s biological children, and the other two were not.

After speaking to the two children without the surname ‘Ke’, the mother went to each of the other children, gently patting their heads, her eyes filled with affection.

Probably the first thing she did every time she came home was to greet each child.

“We all need to get along well in this family. Ah, having such a big group of children, I am truly blessed.”

After expressing her feelings, the emotional mother went to the kitchen. Before leaving, she left a message, “Play for a bit longer, then tidy up the house! In about twenty minutes, your father will be back. He doesn’t like disorder; if he sees the house in a mess, he’ll get angry! Always remember that!”

Soon, the sound of clanging dishes echoed from the kitchen, accompanied by a bustling silhouette.

It was Ruan Mei, preparing meals for the whole family by herself.

Ruan Mei would be busy in the kitchen, while her husband was due to come back in twenty minutes.

Undoubtedly, this time could be used by the players for exploration.

Picking up on this, Ma Luoluo quickly signaled his group of underlings.

Zhou Qian noticed that their group of eight split into two teams: four went upstairs, and four stayed downstairs.

He nudged Bai Zhou with his elbow. “Shall we go upstairs and take a look?”

“Okay. Let’s go.” Bai Zhou nodded and went upstairs with him.

The ten players searched high and low in the vast villa.

Predictably, by the end of the twenty minutes, the house wasn’t tidier, but even more chaotic.

The male head of the household, named Ke Zheng, as Ruan Mei had mentioned, didn’t like a messy room. The moment he returned home and saw the state of the house, his expression clearly changed. Coincidentally, Ruan Mei emerged from the kitchen with a pot of meatballs and placed them on the dining table.

Ke Zheng immediately reprimanded her. “Why is the house in such a mess? How do you manage it?”

“I’m sorry, I apologize.” Ruan Mei quickly responded, bowing her head. She first took her husband’s coat and briefcase, hung them on the coat rack, and then brought him a cup of tea, bustling back to the kitchen.

Ke Zheng wasn’t alone. A glamorous woman in a red dress and high heels, with meticulously applied makeup, was with him—contrasting starkly with Ruan Mei’s housewife appearance. Just as everyone was starting to think that Ke Zheng had brought his mistress home, he told Ruan Mei, “My sister had an argument with her boyfriend and is upset. I asked her to come over for dinner and spend time with the kids. She’ll stay with us tonight. Please prepare a room for her.”

“Oh, okay,” Ruan Mei responded, unconsciously wiping her apron before continuing her way to the kitchen. The so-called “sister” shot Ke Zheng a disapproving look. Zhou Qian checked her information and learned her name was Ke Yun.

“How many times have I said that it’s not easy to marry such a wife? If your soon-to-be brother-in-law treated me the way you do, shouting and ordering me around, I would have broken up with him a long time ago.”

Ke Yun scolded her younger brother with these words, then headed to the kitchen, holding Ruan Mei’s hand along the way. “Let’s go, A’Mei. Are there any dishes left to cook? I’ll help you. I also bought gifts for the kids. They are in the car. I’ll ask A’Zheng to get them later.”

Soon after, Ruan Mei and Ke Yun quickly entered the kitchen to get busy. Throughout their time, snippets of their conversation floated out, reaching the ears of Zhou Qian, who was pretending to drink water in the dining room.

First, Ke Yun complained about her younger brother a bit.

Ruan Mei hurriedly defended him. “No, no. He might have a bit of a temper, but he’s perfect to me.”

Ke Yun joked, “Yes, yes, he’s perfect to you. He really loves you. Otherwise, how could you two have so many children?”

“Shh. Lower your voice. The children are outside!” Ruan Mei said, probably a bit embarrassed and her voice slightly shaky.

Ke Yun laughed heartily and said, “You really don’t need to be like this. You too grew up as the apple of your parents’ eye. Why do you serve him so much?”

Ruan Mei replied, “He’s the young master of the Ke family. He’s used to being served. I was born in a poor family. Being married here and not having to worry about food and clothes, I’m already very satisfied. In a marriage, someone has to compromise. He loves me, so I accommodate him. It’s no big deal.”

Ke Yun shook her head. “Even though he’s my brother, as a woman, I have to tell you, don’t put everything on a man. You should have your own career. Look at me—”

Ruan Mei: “I can’t compare to you. I heard you’re getting promoted to Bureau Director? You’re so successful! I really can’t compare.”

Ke Yun: “Didn’t you always want to be an actress? You can still try.”

Ruan Mei: “That was a young girl’s dream when I was twenty. Now I’m much older. Stop teasing me!”

“How am I teasing you? In my opinion, it’s never too late to pursue your dreams,” Ke Yun said. “I have a producer friend. I’ll ask him. Hey, we’re not asking you to play a leading role. A minor character is fine too.”

“Forget it. Taking care of this family is enough for me,” Ruan Mei replied.

“I really don’t know what to say to you.” Ke Yun shook her head, a hint of disdain in her voice. Then, probably tired of washing the vegetables, she added, “You do work, even though you don’t earn much, and it’s not easy. The Ke family isn’t short of money, why don’t you hire a maid?”

Ruan Mei responded, “I prefer to take care of my husband and children myself. I don’t trust others to do it.”

Ke Yun didn’t say anything for a while, probably feeling that she and Ruan Mei were worlds apart. After about ten minutes, she whispered, “Having seen you struggle over the years, I have to warn you. My brother A’Zheng… There’s a young girl at his workplace who’s been getting close to him. A’Zheng is honest, I know. But he might not be able to resist a temptress. Be prepared.”

At that moment, the doorbell rang.

Ke Zheng, the master of the house, was sitting in the living room reading a newspaper, not moving an inch, not intending to answer the door.

Ruan Mei, who had just finished cooking a dish, quickly washed her hands and hurried to the door.

Outside stood a young woman in a professional suit, her short skirt revealing a pair of slender legs. Looking at Ruan Mei, she said timidly, “I-I came to deliver documents to Mr. Ke. These are materials for tomorrow’s meeting. He needs to familiarize himself with them in advance for the meeting.”

“Oh… okay,” Ruan Mei let her in, then politely said, “It’s a long way here. Come in and have a meal with us.”

“Thank you, thank you, sister-in-law.” The girl didn’t refuse and entered.

When she came in, Zhou Qian noticed her message and found out her name was Zhu Zhu.

Upon seeing Zhu Zhu, Ke Zheng, who seldom smiled at the children, surprisingly stood up all of a sudden, waving at her with a smile. “Come sit down. What would you like to drink? Thank you for making the trip.”

“I’m your assistant! It’s my duty!” Zhu Zhu said, giving him a timid smile and then sitting down.

Seeing her husband’s reactions, Ruan Mei inevitably felt a bit down.

Ke Yun came out of the kitchen, grabbed her hand, and led her back in, raising her voice intentionally. “Goodness, there are so many butterflies these days, always sticking to people. Don’t they know they’re annoying?”

After this, due to the proximity of the kitchen, Zhou Qian overheard Ruan Mei complaining to Ke Yun, “Please, don’t speak like that. It’ll upset him!”

“You always indulge him too much, always bending over backward for him!” Ke Yun responded gravely, “Look, she even dares to come to your house!”

“I trust A’Zheng; he’s not that kind of person!”

“Yes, maybe there’s nothing between them now, but who knows about the future!”

At this point in the dining room, Zhou Qian’s expression darkened, and he said to Bai Zhou, “It’s like I’m seeing another version of my parents.”

Bai Zhou gently squeezed his shoulder. “It’s all in the past.”

“Yes. It’s all in the past. They aren’t worth getting angry over,” Zhou Qian remarked.

At this moment, the voice of the male host, Ke Zheng, echoed from the living room.

He beckoned to his sons, scolding, “Have you no manners? Why aren’t you greeting this sister?”

“This shameful dad,” Zhou Qian commented coldly. “When our real aunt comes, he doesn’t ask us to greet her, but a mere assistant, and he’s all energetic?”

Bai Zhou squeezed his shoulder again, trying to divert the topic. “From your perspective, who seems like the killer here?”

“At first glance, no one seems likely. It’s pretty strange,” Zhou Qian replied, scanning the room again.

The living room looked crowded because of the many people and the vast amount of stuff.

But it was actually a large mansion, luxuriously decorated. The dining room could easily seat twenty people.

In such circumstances, Ruan Mei, the mother, appeared like Cinderella, who married a prince, feeling inferior and constantly careful, thinking she married into wealth and needed to be cautious to maintain it all.

On another note, although the mansion was luxurious, the furniture was outdated. Take, for example, the TV Ke Zheng just turned on. It wasn’t a flat screen but an old bulky one, occupying a lot of space with unclear images.

Zhou Qian also noticed a pager on Ke Zheng’s waist, implying that cell phones hadn’t become popular yet. The setting of this story seemed to be in the late ’80s or early ’90s.

Turning his attention back, Zhou Qian said to Bai Zhou, “In this time setting, many naive girls like Ruan Mei might feel that way. Limited by her own knowledge and understanding, she doesn’t realize the imbalance in her relationship with Ke Zheng, and she wouldn’t think of murder due to this. For now, she seems to love her husband and children a lot, not appearing to be a suspect.”

“As for Ke Zheng, he might be a bit indifferent to his wife and children, but he too doesn’t have an obvious motive to kill.”

“As for Ke Yun, she and her brother Ke Zheng come from such a wealthy family… and judging by the way she speaks, she must have received a higher education. Thus, Ke Yun’s worldview is much broader than the average girl of this era. Her exasperation comes from the fact that iron cannot become steel*. Her feelings are simply born out of frustration because of unmet expectations, and for now, I don’t believe such emotions would culminate in murderous intent.”

*Metaphoric expression describing someone’s feelings of frustration or impatience towards another for not living up to expectations and not making any progress, eagerly hoping they will do better.

At this moment, Zhou Qian’s doubts were undoubtedly shared by Ma Luoluo and the others.

If someone was going to kill the infant of the Ke family tonight, the current suspects were only the mother Ruan Mei, the father Ke Zheng, the children’s aunt Ke Yun, and finally, Ke Zheng’s young assistant, Zhu Zhu. However, among these four people, none seem to have an obvious motive to kill.

After a while, Zhou Qian noticed Ma Luoluo and Meng Pingping staring at Zhu Zhu, probably thinking she, a potential mistress, might have a higher motive for murder.

Zhou Qian said to Bai Zhou using private chat, “I don’t think the killer would be Zhu Zhu. Look at how admiringly she looks at her boss, ‘Mr. Ke’. Her blushing, shy demeanor suggests…”

“Just as the aunt mentioned, she truly admires Mr. Ke. And he probably has some interest in her. But the two haven’t taken their relationship further. If they had been intimate, she wouldn’t be too nervous to meet his gaze, and even her hands would be restless.”

Pausing, Zhou Qian continued, “If she truly had intentions to be the mistress, she should be trying to win over the kids now, acting like a good mother. At this stage, she’s acting innocent, not at the point where the wife and mistress have open confrontations,  life-and-death struggles, or even thinking of killing the child in spite.”

Bai Zhou stood quietly for a while, looking at Zhou Qian. “So, what kind of novels do you usually read?”

Zhou Qian: “………”

A quarter of an hour later, dinner was served. At this time, two more suspects arrived.

They were a couple named Ke Di and Wang Mei.

Ke Di was undoubtedly Ke Zheng’s younger brother. Thus, among the Ke family adults, three siblings appeared: the eldest sister Ke Yun, the elder brother Ke Zheng, and the younger brother Ke Di.

Ke Di and Wang Mei seemed to be the most suspicious so far. Wang Mei’s glances towards the children were unfriendly, and her words were sharp during dinner, as if she bore a major grudge against Ke Zheng’s family.

During the meal, while everyone was chatting, Wang Mei suddenly became angry, standing up and slamming down her chopsticks.

Afterward, she glared at Bai Zhou and shouted at Ruan Mei, “Just because your child Ke Yi is top of his class, you think you’re so great? With your background, do you even compare to me?!”

Having said that, Wang Mei stormed out of the dining room.

“What kind of wife have you married? What kind of lady has such a foul temper? She has no manners.” Ke Yun directly criticized her younger brother.

Ke Di hung his head, seemingly not paying any attention. Seeing this, Ke Zheng seemed angered and left the dining room for the study, with his young assistant Zhu Zhu following him.

Ruan Mei looked a bit lost, but as the hostess, she had to clean up and appease the guests. She even made a cup of coffee for Wang Mei, trying to appease her. “Sister, I didn’t mean that. Why compare children’s grades? Our son Ke Yi’s grades are not as good as yours. Please, don’t take it to heart!”

Hearing this, Ke Yun, the eldest daughter of the Ke family, looked speechless, probably not wanting to bother anymore. She sighed heavily and left for the upstairs.

While the adults were in chaos, Ma Luoluo, one of the players, seemed relieved.

He communicated privately to his closest underling, “I told you. The killer is most likely Wang Mei. She’s jealous because her child isn’t doing as well as Ruan Mei’s son, so she takes it out on the Ke family’s children. That’s why she’s targeting those with the surname Ke!”

Meng Pingping added, “I suspect these two brothers have held grudges against each other for a long time. In their era, the winds of reform and opening up hadn’t blown for very long, so their thinking is still quite outdated.”

“Ke Zheng is from the main branch of the family and is set to inherit the family’s assets. His eldest son, Ke Yi, being the firstborn grandson of the main branch, is bound to be envied, isn’t he?”

“Ke Yun is the eldest sister. Women probably can’t inherit family properties, and besides, she’s already on her way to becoming a bureau chief, so she doesn’t lack money. She wouldn’t contend with Ke Zheng over inheritance. So, those who would want to cut off Ke Zheng’s lineage are indeed only left with Wang Mei and Ke Di.”

“Isn’t that right?” Ma Luoluo said, “The Ke family is rich, and Wang Mei probably comes from an equally prestigious family. They just like bullying someone of a humble background like Ruan Mei!”

Meng Pingping sighed. “It’s not easy being the daughter-in-law of a wealthy family.”

Ma Luoluo patted him on the shoulder. “Why the sigh? We’ve made a profit… Hahaha.”

He cast a sinister glance at Zhou Qian and Bai Zhou, continuing, “Once we entered this mini-game, all our MP was depleted. Even a Rank God player is of no use now! Mark my words, Wang Mei’s target tonight will surely be Ke Yi! That Rank God player won’t escape!”

“Hahaha, once he can’t escape and we exit the mini-game, we can easily kill Zhou Qian and claim the reward!”

“Exactly as you said, Second Brother!” Meng Pingping quickly echoed. “We should be rejoicing. Haha.”

……

At night, the young assistant Zhu Zhu returned home. But the other five NPCs, who were also suspects, all stayed here and unanimously slept on the second floor.

After Ruan Mei painstakingly cleared away all the utensils and personally helped the ten children with their evening routines, Zhou Qian noticed that she was so tired she couldn’t even straighten her back. Watching Ruan Mei return to the master bedroom, Zhou Qian’s gaze slowly swept over the long, quiet corridor before returning to his own room.

The ten children stayed in five rooms. When choosing rooms, players were free to pick whichever they wanted without any interference from the system.

During this, Zhou Qian noticed Ma Luoluo took Meng Pingping to a room at the farthest corner. Wang Mei and Ke Di were staying near the staircase. Ma Luoluo probably considered them the prime suspects, which was why he chose a room as far away from them as possible.

Zhou Qian didn’t pay much attention and casually chose a room with Bai Zhou. Once inside and having closed the door, Zhou Qian turned to see Bai Zhou already lying down.

They were sleeping in a two-layered wooden bunk bed, with Bai Zhou on the bottom and the top bunk left for Zhou Qian. After lying down for a short while, Zhou Qian climbed down the ladder.

The young Zhou Qian had slightly chubby hands and feet. Holding onto the ladder, he stretched out his leg and nudged Bai Zhou’s leg. “You’re not seriously going to sleep, are you? Let’s chat?”

“Mm.” Bai Zhou looked at him and shifted a bit to make room.

Zhou Qian then lay down beside him, his eyes wide and curious. “Who do you think the murderer is, and when will they act?”

“Actually, the answer seems quite obvious now. But I have another question for you.”

Bai Zhou turned to look at Zhou Qian’s face, which was still boyishly round, just as it was the first time he met him. In that moment, the memories flooded back.

Zhou Qian currently still wore that flashy and colorful outfit, only a few sizes smaller, and his hair was vibrant and eye-catching. Bai Zhou recalled the first time he met Zhou Qian, who seemed spirited and full of life.

Zhou Qian had been dropped off by a driver in front of the school building. Even though he entered the classroom alongside a group of students, Bai Zhou noticed him immediately.

Now, he looked just as he did back then. Perhaps he wore such clothes and even wore a mask to blend into the city’s style, playfully concealing his identity so he wouldn’t be recognized immediately.

However, Bai Zhou knew Zhou Qian was always the easiest to spot among a crowd.

Zhou Qian always gave off a lively aura.

No matter how he dressed, walking in a crowd, he always stood out. But he was also elusive, slipping through fingers.

Because liveliness never stayed in one place, it moved with the crowd. And maybe by the time he managed to get close, the liveliness would already have moved on, leaving just a faint warmth that was hard to grasp.

“What do you want to ask me?” Zhou Qian questioned.

“I still don’t know,” Bai Zhou replied softly. “Which university did you end up attending?”

Though Bai Zhou’s tone was somewhat serious, his current voice was that of a child. Hearing this voice and seeing his face resembling a seven-year-old’s, Zhou Qian couldn’t help but chuckle, saying, “Jinhua University.”

Jinhua University was the institution both Zhou Qian and Bai Zhou had agreed to attend together. In the past, whenever Zhou Qian tried to skip evening self-study sessions, Bai Zhou would often chide him, “Do you still want to attend Jinhua or not?”

Recalling these memories, Zhou Qian’s smile gradually faded, and he looked at Bai Zhou with a serious expression. Despite the childlike tone, Zhou Qian’s voice held a deeper meaning.

“Why ask that? Are you reminding me that you’re the one who broke our promise?”

As Bai Zhou opened his mouth, about to speak, noises echoed from the hallway.

“Click, click, click…”

It was the sound of high heels.

After giving Bai Zhou a profound look, Zhou Qian’s serious expression faded, and he changed his tone. “Actually, since the murderer is easy to identify, our mission in this game isn’t just limited to finding the culprit.”

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