"Did you come looking for me because of Old Huang and his wife?"
The wooden shack was somewhat dilapidated, seeming ready to collapse in the wind and snow at any moment.
Inside, a dim, yellowish electric bulb hung overhead, illuminating a square table with a broken corner, which was propped up by a small block of wood.
Wang San held a half-smoked cigarette between his weathered index fingers, watching Liang Fei and the others.
Liang Fei nodded, his gaze sweeping across the humble room. Living like this, he was surely strapped for cash. If he had killed for money, it would at least make some sense.
"According to our investigation, the killer who murdered the couple wasn't just familiar with the self-built house—they were also acquaintances."
Liang Fei had zero experience with this kind of questioning. He had no choice but to be blunt!
Fortunately, Wang San didn't get angry. He gave a bitter smile, took a drag from his cigarette, and asked, "You suspect us?"
"We just need your cooperation with the investigation."
"After we settled the wages last week..." Wang San nodded, a look of worry flashing across his knife-etched face. "...we've been busy working over at Hutou Village, and I only come back here occasionally."
What the hell... What was this supposed to mean?
Zhou Yue and Lu Ming both wore very grim expressions. The old man's demeanor was resolute; unless his psychological fortitude was superhuman, the probability of him being the killer was quite low!
Liang Fei stared at Wang San, furrowing his brow. They truly had no experience handling cases, nor did they know how to look for clues at a crime scene. Aside from the prompt, the Mission provided no further assistance whatsoever. From this point on, whether they lived or died depended entirely on their own luck. Therefore, they could only find answers through the people connected to the case.
"During the time you were building the house, did you see anyone else come by?"
Who on earth was the killer?
As this thought drifted through his mind, Liang Fei felt a wave of helplessness. Unlike the others who shrank back in fear, he was pressing forward... right through his terror. It was just that, so far, the results had not been what he hoped.
"Aside from the neighbors in the village, I haven't seen anyone else." Wang San shook his head.
"You've been over at the neighboring village for so long—didn't anyone from the decoration crew ever leave?"
"Can you guarantee that no one sneaked off?"
The distance between the two villages wasn't great. If someone had slipped away under the cover of night, it was entirely possible.
Wang San shook his head again, his gaze much firmer than before. He stubbed out his cigarette fiercely.
"We may be poor, but we don't steal or take what isn't ours. The men working under me are just like me—I can guarantee it wasn't them. Besides, when we settled the wages that day, I was the only one there. The others had no idea."
As soon as those words fell, Liang Fei fell completely silent.
Lu Ming, on the other hand, grew anxious. "What if they saw by accident?"
"I can't deny what you're saying, but I still trust my men. If you have evidence, we're willing to cooperate." Wang San glanced at Lu Ming and lit another cigarette.
This old man was a heavy smoker. And he was completely impervious to reason!
Could it be that he really wasn't the killer?
Leaving the foreman's home, they returned to the self-built house. Everyone huddled in one room, the silence suffocating.
Midnight was drawing closer by the minute. Fear... had engulfed them like a rising tide.
"Did he remember anything today?"
After more than ten minutes of this, Qin Kai finally couldn't bear the oppressive atmosphere any longer and looked at Han Cheng.
Han Cheng shook his head while nervously rubbing his hands together, his face etched with disappointment.
"No. He just ate a little food halfway through and then lay back down to rest. But judging by his expression, his condition should have improved quite a bit."
"With all his lies, he'd be better off dead," Zhou Yue said through clenched teeth, a vicious edge to his voice.
Liang Fei sighed. If Huang Xu really died, they wouldn't be able to complete the Mission. No one would survive past tomorrow.
"We have less than an hour until midnight. Let's analyze the clues first."
With a bitter taste in his mouth, Liang Fei looked at the others and said in a low voice, "Ever since Huang Xu woke up, I kept thinking the Mission was using him as bait to fish for something."
Who was the fish?
It was obvious.
As soon as Liang Fei said this, Lu Ming stiffened all over, staring at him in shock. "He really is an undercover agent sent by the Mission?"
But Liang Fei shook his head. "No."
"Then why did he lie to us?" Zhou Yue paused, his brain feeling a bit muddled.
"He didn't lie to us. Everything he said was true."
At this, everyone exchanged bewildered glances. Liang Fei explained: "I had a friend who experienced something similar once. I asked a doctor about it at the time—severe head trauma can cause hallucinations. Just like Huang Xu... everything he told us was very likely a hallucination of his own making."
"He confused the things he saw during the day with what he saw at night."
"Brother, do you mean the kid wasn't lying, he just had scrambled memories?" Zhou Yue looked at Liang Fei nervously. "So, Brother, you still suspect the decoration crew?"
"Looks like you're not as stupid as you act. You've got hidden depths!"
At Liang Fei's praise, Zhou Yue scratched his head, while Lu Ming let out a cold snort. "Shameless."
"If we suspect the decoration crew, can we directly provide the relevant clues tonight?" Qin Kai took a deep breath and asked cautiously.
Chen Lan's death meant he had to provide three clues today, and not a single one could be wrong. The pressure was immense!
Liang Fei shook his head. The risk was too high, and many questions were still unclear to him.
"Do you trust me?"
"To be honest..." Qin Kai gave a bitter smile. "If I had a choice, I'd rather trust myself, but my mind is complete mush right now."
Not to mention him, even Lu Ming, Zhou Yue, and the others were the same. They were following Liang Fei's lead entirely; if Liang Fei made a wrong judgment, they would all be dead.
"Since that's the case, we'll do it my way. But as for the outcome..." Liang Fei paused, his grip tightening instinctively on the beer bottle until the aluminum can deformed. "...I can't guarantee anything!"
"No one has any certainty." As soon as Qin Kai said this, Liang Fei actually felt a weight lift from his shoulders.
His expression was more solemn than ever before!
But just as he was about to speak, Lu Ming shivered violently and sprang up like a coiled spring.
"What is that?"
"Did you hear a sound?"
He cried out, diving straight behind Liang Fei and pointing a trembling finger under the bed.
The rest of the group reacted like startled birds, their hair standing on end in an instant.
At the same time, a dull thumping sound came from beneath the bed. Liang Fei raised his wrist to check his watch, his gaze sharpening.
"Wait... it's not time yet."