Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
“Before I unlock the next lock, Mr. Chen, I’d like to hear what you’re hiding,” said Helian Weiwei with the lock in hand. She no longer had that easygoing attitude and now looked like a strong and mighty queen whose aura made it impossible for anyone to disobey her.
Chen Feiyang stood there and his eyes began to wander. It was obvious that he was hiding something.
Xiao Jingtian came out to smooth things over. “It’s been so long since that incident happened, so there’s no need to bring it up again. Store Owner, let’s hurry up and get out of here. It’s too dark here, Tingting and I are really scared.”
“If you’re scared because you think that Dong Sichun’s ghost is here, then that’s not necessary.” Helian Weiwei turned her head to look at the other three. “And that’s because the one who murdered Zhang Heng wasn’t an evil spirit, and Dong Sichun isn’t back from the dead. From the moment I came in, I didn’t find any ghosts here. It’s just that the decor of this place is a little scary.”
Xiao Jingtian’s face was full of disbelief. “You’re saying that we’re overthinking everything and Zhang Heng’s death was simply an accident? Then…”
She obviously meant to say more after that.
However, Xiao Jingtian didn’t continue. She swallowed her words and shook her head again. “That’s impossible.”
“Of course Zhang Heng’s death was no accident.” Helian Weiwei’s voice was very indifferent. “Someone else took revenge for Dong Sichun. In other words, one of you is the murderer.”
“What?!” Xiao Jingtian’s eyes were wide open.
The others were also shocked. The expressions on their faces were exaggerated as if it was completely inconceivable that one of them was a murderer.
However, Helian Weiwei was very clear that one of them was lying and acting!
Her tone was as calm as usual. “According to what you said just now, I have basically eliminated two suspects. One of them is you, Miss Xiao, and the other is Miss Tingting. It’s very obvious that the two of you didn’t have a good relationship with Dong Sichun, and it can even be said that you hated her. Since that’s the case, you wouldn’t have thought of avenging her or anything…”
As she spoke, Helian Weiwei’s gaze fell on the two boys.
Chen Feiyang was stunned.
The other boy holding the walkie-talkie was also stunned.
“Only someone who liked Dong Sichun would take revenge for her, because the murderer feels that Dong Sichun’s death is directly or indirectly related to each of you.” Helian Weiwei continued, “So, between the two of you, who do you think it is?”
Xiao Jingtian and the timid girl, Guo Tingting, once again widened their eyes. “How is this possible?!”
“No, I don’t believe it.” Guo Tingting looked at Chen Feiyang as she said these words. “Just because one of our friends died doesn’t mean one of us is the murderer. There are so many traps in this room, so even if it’s a homicide, the murderer is probably the shopkeeper, no?”
Helian Weiwei didn’t tell them that she had already investigated the shopkeeper. Instead, she smiled and said, “You’re right. The shopkeeper could also be the murderer. ”
“I knew it.” Guo Tingting seemed to be relieved.
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Helian Weiwei asked another question, “But if the shopkeeper is the murderer, then what is his motive for killing?”
Guo Tingting was stunned because she could not answer that question at all.
Helian Weiwei looked back at Chen Feiyang. “So, Mr. Chen, if you don’t explain exactly what you’re hiding, I will very likely think that you are the murderer of Zhang Heng.”
Chen Feiyang’s face turned pale. “Do you think that we will believe you just because you said so? It’s so dark here, how can you kill someone? Isn’t your imagination a little too wild?”
“This isn’t my imagination.” Helian Weiwei smiled. “As for how Zhang Heng was killed, I believe that we will be able to find it in the next stage.”
Chen Feiyang did not back down. “Your analysis so far seems logical, but did you know that all of us were in a separate room from Zhang Heng at that time? We were in another room, so how could we kill him that way? Kill him through a wall?”
“Of course not.” Helian Weiwei used her flashlight to scan the surroundings. “In all murder cases involving escape rooms, the murderer has to rely on a lot of these trap mechanisms. There are so many traps here, so any modifications to it will turn it into a murder weapon. Mr. Chen, three of you are in scientific research, and you’ve all studied some modules in mechanical engineering, so I’m sure simple modifications to mechanisms wouldn’t prove too difficult to any of you, right?”
Chen Feiyang shook his head. “You’ve really read too many novels, so your imagination has really gone wild. Zhang Heng and I have always been on good terms, so why would I kill him? If you really want to know why I’m so sure that Sichun didn’t kill herself, I’ll tell you. After the police questioned us, I happened to hear that the police suspected that Sichun didn’t kill herself, because there are usually warning signs before someone commits suicide. She had found a good internship position and was going to report to work the next day. She even happily called all of us out for a meal the day before to say that she had gotten a position in a really good company. Jingtian knows this company very well – it’s one of the biggest local companies, Xiao Group.”
“Is this true? ” Helian Weiwei turned her head and asked Xiao Jingtian.
Xiao Jingtian’s face suddenly stiffened and a strange and extremely complicated look flashed in her eyes. The hands by her side were slowly clenched as well. “That’s right.”
Helian Weiwei noticed her unusual reaction and went into deep thought.
Everyone here seemed simple, but they were all hiding different thoughts inside.
And when these little thoughts were linked together, they would form an answer.
But none of them was willing to tell the truth.
“You all knew about this?” Helian Weiwei asked again.
Guo Tingting and the other boy also nodded.
“When we ate together that day, Dong Sichun even bragged to us about her salary,” Guo Tingting made a disdainful face. “She said that she was going to earn $100,000 a month just after graduation, and she got a position in the CEO’s office. She even said that her job would be very relaxing and told us not to be too envious of her. I suppose she was trying to show off to Jingtian, since Jingtian’s research was much better than hers, so she wanted to get a higher salary than Jingtian. I’d bet that woman never imagined that no matter how much money she earned, she was actually working for Jingtian’s family business.”
A graduate student who had just graduated was given a job in the CEO’s office?
Moreover, this graduate student’s studies wasn’t even considered outstanding.
Besides, didn’t a monthly salary of $100,000 sound a bit too high?
Helian Weiwei wasn’t familiar with this because she had always been self-employed and had never worked for others before. She could only turn around and ask Baili Jiajue, “Jue, how much salary do you give PA Long each month?”
Baili Jiajue raised his eyes to look at her and gently tilted his head. His black fingers pressed on his thin lips and rubbed them a few times before he curled the corners of his lips into a strange smile and gave Helian Weiwei an answer, “It seems he’s never asked for salary.”