L
Although the veteran officer had told everyone to go back to their houses and not wander around, they still didn't go back and preferred to stay in the yard.
Judging from the veteran officer's tone, the murderer is among them. It's one thing for the three of them to live together, but the other two are on edge: what if they're unlucky enough to end up sharing a room with the killer?
The person living alone thought even more: I'm definitely not the murderer, and I'm definitely no match for the murderer.
The murderer hadn't even arrived yet, but the person was already kneeling, and in a remarkably standard kneeling posture.
Of course, they couldn't admit defeat verbally, so they all came up with other excuses: "Didn't you say that meals were an exception? I'm waiting to eat."
Ren Yifei didn't leave either; he followed the crowd.
He was sitting on the steps, his hands clasped together, chin in hand, watching the two guesthouse staff members. One of them had left, and the other was pouring them water: "She went to call the chef."
It's almost six o'clock now; even if we don't call him, the chef should be here by now.
"Oh, the chef is from this village, that's quite convenient. So how do you prepare the ingredients here?" The old police officer put on a kind and honest look, pretending not to notice anything unusual.
"Well, it depends on when everyone books rooms. If there are more people, we'll prepare more; if there are fewer people, we'll prepare less. If all else fails, we can just buy directly from the villagers, which is very convenient," the staff member explained meticulously.
The veteran officer only asked this one question, as if he were simply curious.
There were many people in the courtyard at this moment, huddled together in groups to keep warm, with only a few exceptions.
First, there are the players, including Saman; second, Ren Yifei, who is sitting on the steps scrolling through his phone; third, Teacher Wang, whose expression is somewhat numb, and her driver; fourth, the tourists; and fifth, the two police officers.
The players in this instance have been completely inactive for the past two days. Perhaps influenced by the recent 'purge of high-level players,' they seem to have no interest in any rare cards, their faces practically screaming 'self-preservation.'
Saman is the most active player, but he doesn't follow the main storyline; he follows the hidden storyline instead.
Well, the players in this dungeon seem to be a bit too laid-back.
Ren Yifei considers himself a player, someone who is playing the game very seriously. However, in the eyes of Saman and the ghost, he is an early boss in the main storyline, the kind of boss who can trigger subsequent story events.
In the eyes of the police officer, a special NPC, he is a suspect.
To other NPCs, he is merely part of the story's background, lacking a particularly strong presence.
Three tourists, one a hunting 'artist' and the other an undercover 'police officer', were all instructed by others to come with different purposes.
As for the tattooed man, although his arms were covered in tattoos, his overall demeanor was peaceful and serene, like a former gang member who had retired from the underworld. His mannerisms were indeed those of a retiree, relaxed and at home, which made Ren Yifei question his own sense of smell.
Finally, there was Teacher Wang and the driver. The two seemed to know each other. Although the driver didn't talk much and mostly just silently followed Teacher Wang, it became clear after observing for a while that Teacher Wang trusted the driver a lot.
This might explain why the driver was paying attention to Ren Yifei. It could be at Teacher Wang's behest, but whether the driver knew anything about 'Xia Chuan's' background is unclear.
Teacher Wang is a 'player' with a special identity. Some players have already confirmed her identity, but for some reason, none of them have come forward to identify her, causing the situation to develop in an unexpected direction.
For example, new characters have been unlocked in the dungeon: the veteran police officer and the junior police officer.
This situation, where police officers completely dominate a case, is something even Teacher Wang himself has probably never experienced before, which adds many possibilities to the story.
These few lone individuals are now sizing each other up through a mask.
The police officer stared at Ren Yifei and Teacher Wang, Teacher Wang stared at Ren Yifei, Ren Yifei stared at the illustrator, the illustrator stared at Saman (suspecting he was the 'gentleman' on the phone), Saman stared at the photographer, and the photographer stared at the police officer.
A perfect closed loop.
The cunning fox and the alert hound have a special connection; they have accurately identified those who need attention from within a crowd.
The problem is that the number of potential partners is a bit excessive, to the point that both sides are starting to question their own existence.
The chef arrived shortly after and began preparing breakfast for the students stranded there. Ren Yifei, as usual, ordered steamed buns and milk, while others asked for vermicelli or noodles, and the chef tried his best to accommodate them.
I must say, although they were all common ingredients, this chef cooked them very well, and they were just as good as the head chefs at well-regarded breakfast shops.
This is quite interesting. Doesn't a chef with such superb skills seem out of place in this scenic area that is almost forgotten?
"With your skills, you must earn a good salary. Where I'm from, someone with your skills would easily make five figures a month," Saman said with a smile, trying to get closer to the chef.
The chef didn't speak, he just smiled.
"When he heard it was a five-figure sum, the chef didn't show any dissatisfaction or longing on his face. He was quite satisfied with his current salary." Ren Yifei silently took advantage of Saman's probing results.
There's absolutely no entertainment in this place, yet this chef willingly stays. Either he genuinely loves his hometown, or the benefits here are exceptionally good.
"Officer, shall we go take a look at the bridge? We promise we won't run around." Having eaten and drunk their fill, the students perked up and wanted to see the bridge.
Only a few students actually saw the bridge explode yesterday. Everyone was very curious about how the bridge was destroyed and how the repair crew would try to fix it.
Anyway, it's definitely better than sitting in a pigeonhole-like room doing nothing.
"Hey!" the junior officer said with a dark face. "What's so interesting? Stay here! Have you all finished eating? If you're done, go back to your rooms. Don't leave without orders."
The other students sheepishly withdrew their tentative feet, muttering a complaint in their hearts.
Ren Yifei and the others understood what the other party meant. The veteran police officer had already sensed that something was wrong with the village, but there were too many students, who were ready-made hostages. He wanted to protect the students and get them across the bridge first, and then they could investigate the village more thoroughly.
To put it bluntly, the veteran officer didn't want to alert the enemy, and even less did he want to risk his life and make things more difficult.
After breakfast, everyone was asked to return to their rooms and not leave unless absolutely necessary. Two police officers were also to begin searching the guesthouse.
"We cannot be certain that the danger has passed, so please be patient for another half day."
"We can't find the murderer who killed Chi Bo, and we can't find the murderer who took He Xiangxue away either. It's all useless. I really don't know what we've been supporting with our money." Some students, feeling frustrated, muttered to themselves. They probably forgot that they hadn't paid taxes to the country.
"Stop arguing, go back and wait."
While waiting, time seemed to pass particularly slowly. Ren Yifei and the others scrolled through their phones in the room or paced back and forth in the small space.
He took the opportunity to check his identity card, which displayed the information updated from the previous night:
[A bystander.]
No one died.
The ghosts in this instance are no longer the focus; he's more curious about the clues in the village. Teacher Wang wouldn't dare touch them, so the artist uses them to divert attention, and they even attract the attention of the photographer, an undercover policeman.
"Bang, bang, bang." The knocking sounded, along with the voice of a young police officer.
The inspectors have arrived.
They immediately opened the door and let the two officers waiting outside in. They were holding something unusual; upon closer inspection, it turned out to be a thermal detector, capable of detecting anything with heat even from over ten meters away.
These instruments are present at some disaster relief sites and are very suitable for locating people.
The young officer scanned the room, while the older officer, without any instruments, relied solely on his naked eyes. Frankly, the latter was far more intimidating.
It's no wonder the veteran police officer exuded such a strong sense of pressure. More than two hours passed, and the two men had found nothing. Their ominous premonition grew stronger and stronger—He Xiangxue might have already been murdered.
At the same time, they could also sense that the entire guesthouse, and even the entire village, was watching them, and both sides were carefully maintaining a facade.
The staff appeared several times under various pretexts, and there was always a tight cord on the other side. If the veteran officer had proposed searching not the guesthouse, but the entire village, it's likely none of them would have been able to leave.
Victory will certainly be on the side of justice, but recklessness will lead to more 'victims'. Veteran officers cannot be reckless, and dare not be reckless.
"Sizzle—" That was the sound of a suitcase zipper being pulled open. Ren Yifei opened his backpack and suitcase, revealing all the items he was carrying.
A black bag filled with dirty clothes. The laptop, charger, and other items were secured with elastic bands. A frosted plastic bag contained small bottles of toiletries. A small first-aid kit held cold medicine, mosquito repellent, and other medications. A small notebook held a pen. And there were the house keys…
Compared to the black suitcase next to it, the owner of this suitcase was practically a combination of obsessive-compulsive disorder and germaphobia. Even a picky and perceptive veteran officer couldn't find anything wrong with it.
Well, only the rusty utility knife seems out of place. But... it's so rusty.
Suddenly remembering what Teacher Wang had said, the student who jumped off the building last year was an art student, studying fine arts, the veteran police officer seemed to understand.
This is not just a rusty utility knife, but a vessel for hatred.
The veteran officer said meaningfully, "You can put away the rusty knife. Your hands are clean, and it's not good to get them dirty. Besides, if you get cut, you might get tetanus."
The young man in front of me had maintained a calm expression, but upon hearing those words, he clenched his fists and said, "Thank you, I'll be careful."
The veteran officer was advising him to let go of his hatred and not seek revenge in private, because hatred would also harm him. Ren Yifei replied that he couldn't forget and couldn't do it, but thanked him for his concern.
The veteran police officer's eyes were full of expectation, but Ren Yifei avoided them.
The room was quickly scanned, and no abnormalities were found.
"You pack your bags; perhaps we can leave before the afternoon."
This was good news. Ren Yifei slung his bag over his shoulder, gripped the suitcase handle with one hand, and sat in the room waiting for the signal.
The instance absolutely forbids them from leaving, so something unexpected is bound to happen. However, despite putting on a convincing act, Ren Yifei still appeared eager to leave.
"Students, please pack your luggage. Let's go."
Not long after, they heard Teacher Wang calling for people in the yard; it turned out it was time to leave.
The students immediately poured out of the rooms.
Everything was packed long ago, just waiting for this call.
Not only them, but the other three tourists also had to walk with them. After crossing the bridge, they had to go to the police station to give a statement, and only after everything was cleared could they go back.
"Let's go home, let's go home." Led by their teacher, the students walked towards the front yard, eager to return home. They had never missed their homes and parents so much.
As they passed the front yard, they deliberately avoided the direction of Chibo's room.
There was no need for it. The door to Chi Bo's room was open, and anyone with a bit of courage could peek inside and find that his body was no longer there.
The group of over thirty people moved like ants, quickly arriving at the entrance of the guesthouse. Ren Yifei walked at the very back, watching the students excitedly say goodbye to the staff at the door, who in turn smiled and saw them off.
"Come again next time," the staff member said.
"We'll see when we have the chance," the student said with a laugh.
Ren Yifei walked past the staff member, and after four or five steps, he suddenly sensed something was wrong. He turned around and saw that the staff member who had been smiling earlier had no expression on his face, and his dark eyes were staring at them intently.
However, they quickly noticed Ren Yifei's gaze, and the next second a professional smile appeared on their faces: "Welcome to visit again next time."
There was a distance between the guesthouse and the intersection, and no one was on either side. Even though it was a village nearby, there was no sound of human activity, not even the barking of chickens or dogs.
Even the most oblivious person felt this silent terror at this moment, and they quickened their pace, wanting to leave this place that brought back so many terrible memories as soon as possible.
The officer's senses were heightened; he could even feel the gaze falling on him from the shadows, as if some man-eating beast was lurking in the grass, its voice low, its back bent, concealing its body... all for the final kill.
"I shouldn't have alerted them yet," the veteran officer said coldly, keeping his head down as he hurried along. He and his apprentice were controlling the entire group, ensuring everyone could get through safely.
Soon they arrived at the chastity archway. The four chastity archways were like four gates to the village, one gate upon another.
From here, you can already see the bridge and the people on the other side. It's a large, dark mass; besides the approaching police, there seem to be students' parents as well.
The students were moved to tears; if it weren't for the instructions from Teacher Wang and others, they would have already run over.
They passed the first chastity archway, its stone shadow falling on them, while subtle rustling came from the bushes on either side. The old police officer leading the group felt a slight unease and quickened his pace.
Accompanied by the sound of the wind, they passed the second chastity archway. The ancient, lime-colored archway had the words "chastity" painted in black. He looked up at it and felt breathless.
Then came the third one. The old policeman's eyes were scanning his surroundings warily, and his feet were almost stepping over the fourth chastity archway.
"Bang!"
It was the sound of gunfire, and a group of menacing-looking people.
"Ah—" The bullets hit right at their feet. The students had never seen anything like it before. They screamed in fright and fell to the ground with a thud.
"No one is allowed to leave!"
A homemade gun was pointed at the old policeman. He looked at the bridge that was so close, and then at the villagers. His heart sank: he couldn't leave.