Lin Qiyue noticed You Wusi gazing at Jiang Shishi with such an adoring smile, and she thought she’d totally picked the right person to talk to! Someone who’s so deeply in love like that surely gets what Mrs. Yun’s mysterious feelings were all about!
With that in mind, she grinned and added, “Brother Si, you must think it’s totally wild, right?”
You Wusi smiled warmly, reached out to pat his wife’s head, and replied softly, “Miss Lin’s guess isn’t off base.”
As for whether Mrs. Yun’s words or actions implied that, he was truly unsure. Since many people entertain the possibility, let’s go with that assumption for now.
Satisfied with the response, Lin Qiyue proudly made her way back to the table, clutching the diary in her hand.
She lifted her head and addressed Zhou Qingxing, saying, “Brother Si agrees with my thoughts! Officer Zhou, this clue is crucial! You see, that big teddy bear has been flaunting his love for Mrs. Yun. But as they say, you know the person but not their heart. Mrs. Yun hinted about her pen pal several times in her diary, yet he never responded directly, and he managed to smoothly change the subject each time. I just don’t buy it!”
It does seem like an incredibly unlikely coincidence, doesn’t it? And then there’s the car accident, which adds another layer of mystery. Why did Mr. Wang ends up being involved and injuring his hand? It’s all very strange indeed.
Wen Qingxue’s tone turned cold as she said suddenly, “Mr. Wang doesn’t permit anyone, not even his daughter An’an, to enter this room. Yet, he himself comes in every week for about half an hour. Supposedly, it’s to honor his late wife.”
It wasn’t until everyone’s attention was fixed on her that she added calmly, “I came across this information on the nanny’s work schedule.”
Lin Haoguang carefully observed Wen Qingxue’s behavior, noting her eagerness to impress You Wusi and her trust in the new players.
He saw this as an opportunity to show his goodwill and support for the group. After considering for a moment, he decided to share a clue, contributing to the investigation.
“Mrs. Yun didn’t have a good relationship with Mr. Wang after they got married,” Lin Haoguang began, his tone serious. “And “Cousin” seemed to have stumbled upon some information about their relationship. He used it to blackmail Mr Wang for many years.”
“So, Mr. Wang would visit Mrs. Yun’s house every week to read this diary in the room?” Jiang Zuo expressed his confusion. He couldn’t comprehend Mr. Wang’s intentions, but the image of him sitting in a room surrounded by dust for many years, poring over his late wife’s old diary, was quite perplexing.
No matter how you look at it, it does seem rather twisted.
Based on the current clues, what Mr. Wang was thinking remains a mystery for now.
After photographing each page of Mrs. Yun’s diary with their mobile phones, they proceeded to the end room on the third floor, which was Mr. Wang’s bedroom.
In contrast to the other rooms that could be unlocked with keys, Mr. Wang’s bedroom door was equipped with a fingerprint password lock!
Before the illusion was dispelled, it was evident that You Wusi had used a wire to unlock the door. However, now that such a noticeable change had occurred, everyone, including You Wusi, felt that there must be something significant hidden inside.
The main problem was how can they open the door????
Everyone looked around, feeling uncertain about how to proceed. Eventually, their gaze settled on You Wusi. None of them knew how to handle this kind of technical challenge.
Since You Wusi had learned the art of unlocking things, they hoped he could figure it out. After all, fingerprint combination locks should be easy for him, right?
“I have experience with this type of lock, but it might not be as straightforward as you think,” You Wusi explained with a smile. He accessed his wife’s one-click outfit panel and retrieved a chainsaw from inside.
He couldn’t comprehend why the system’s one-click outfit program would include a chainsaw.
Perhaps the system thought that after the little zombie exhausted all its power. The system would throw the little zombie into a regular copy and become a chainsaw killer or something?
You Wusi flipped the switch, and a loud, harsh noise reverberated through the corridor.
In the blink of an eye, You Wusi skillfully destroyed the electronic lock. With a gentle push, the door swung open. He casually passed the chainsaw to Jiang Zuo, who had approached, and said nonchalantly, “Not bad, huh? If you’re curious, you can give it a go on the other side of the door.”
And Jiang Zuo really gave it a shot. Even though this unlocking method was undeniably hardcore, since he had the chance, he figured he might as well try it out, right?
However, he soon realized that it actually required a fair amount of skill…
He wasn’t sure if it was due to some specific reason within the dungeon, but it seemed that the door couldn’t be destroyed conventionally. Even the electronic door lock had to be sliced flat with a chainsaw before they could open it.
Ignoring Jiang Zuo’s struggle with the door lock, the other players entered the room and began searching for valuable information.
Mr. Wang’s bedroom was filled with various furnishings.
The most eye-catching items were the various paintings adorning the walls and the numerous photos of Mrs. Yun and An An scattered across the table.
Other than that, there didn’t seem to be anything particularly noteworthy.
The bed looked like any other bed, and the cabinet appeared to be just a regular cabinet.
However, there were also numerous safes hidden extremely well and cleverly throughout the room. Judging by their size, they seemed to be just big enough to hold a certain black pearl along with its box.
It was evident that the safes were completely empty at the moment.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
“Has anyone else noticed how quickly time is flying by?” Lin Haoguang furrowed his brow, his gaze fixed on the sky outside the window, which was slowly darkening.
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Snfc ojmabglcu lc atf alwf rqfca rewwjglhlcu lc atf ilygjgs, rlz tbegr rtbeivc’a tjnf oibkc ys rb rkloais.
Coafg tfjglcu atlr, atf qijsfgr uijcmfv bea atf klcvbk jcv cbalmfv atja atf rxs, ktlmt tjv yffc bnfgmjra klat vglhhif jii vjs, kjr cbk delaf vjgx.
This reminder made them realize that time did indeed seem to be passing too quickly. Despite not achieving much, half a day had somehow slipped away!
You Wusi raised his eyes slightly and glanced at Lin Haoguang, then checked his wristwatch and said slowly, “It’s currently five twenty-six. The time displayed on the watch is correct, and your assumption is also accurate. The second hand is indeed moving at a speed of twenty frames per second.
Everyone’s expressions shifted as they realized that time was accelerating.
With this realization sinking in, they pushed aside other concerns and focused their attention on the little mermaid, whose tail swayed gently on Jiang Shishi’s arm.
Zhou Qingxing, who often spent time in the living room trying to gather information from the little mermaid, spoke up first.
He hurried over to Jiang Shishi, glanced at the puppet NPC, and asked politely, “Butler An An, could you please tell us why time is speeding up here all of a sudden?”
“Time is getting faster?” The Little Mermaid stopped swaying her tail, looked up at Zhou Qingxing, and continued in a puzzled tone: “How can time speed up? Little Butler An An doesn’t know! Are you not investigating carefully and just trying to pass the time? Otherwise, why would you pay attention to this…?” She paused for a moment, seemingly lost in thought.
She glanced at each player, including You Wusi and Jiang Shishi, with its beautiful, pure black pearl eyes.
Then she spoke again, “Little Butler An An doesn’t want guests to give half-hearted answers. Time doesn’t wait for anyone, and only Little Butler An An has been waiting for a very, very, very long time.”
“So, Butler An An is unhappy with our progress?” You Wusi inquired.
The Little Mermaid resumed wagging her tail and responded in a sweet voice: “Little Butler An An understands that you’ve been working hard, but I also want to see results quickly, Little Butler An An can’t control such thoughts!”
Since players can’t influence the NPC’s actions, even if they suspect that the time acceleration is somehow related to the Little Mermaid, they can only accept the frustrating situation without being able to do anything about it.
To make the most of their time, they searched Mr. Wang’s bedroom once more.
Upon confirming that there were no valuable clues, they promptly left and hurried to the living room. After all, identifying the murderer in the living room once night fell was the primary rule in this copy!
The timing was precise. Not long after they settled in, a familiar mechanical sound echoed through the room.
[Congratulations to the eight players for their successful survival]
[Current time, night seven]
Just like the day before, they used the white porcelain cup and the chopsticks with names engraved on them to draw lots.
The Little Mermaid first took out Lin Qiyue’s chopsticks. Following the same routine as before, she passed around the porcelain cups in everyone’s hands and then began to select them one by one.
Soon, only the last chopstick remained.
The Little Mermaid leaned back in her wheelchair and extended her chubby paws to reveal the chopsticks with her name engraved on it. In a cheerful mood, she read aloud the words inscribed on it.
“Jiang Zuo, who is this guest?”
Upon hearing his name called by the NPC, Jiang Zuo inwardly sighed and felt surprisingly calm. He wasn’t sure if it was because he was too nervous or if he had just lost all fear.
On the contrary, there was a feeling of “it’s finally happening.”
He looked at the puppet Little Mermaid and asked, “Butler An An, may I ask you a question first?”
The Little Mermaid always appreciated polite guests, and this group was her favorite. She even considered keeping them if they all failed.
Of course, she still hoped they would find the murderer soon.
With a gentle sway of her tail adorned with sparkling gemstone rings, she replied, “Of course.”
Before Jiang Zuo embarked on his journey to college and immersed himself in the world of the bald man’s career, he used to be an avid fan of horror stories, particularly those found in small magazine publishers. His favorite horror stories were the ones written in it.
There was one horror story in particular that used a time differential to commit murder.
Though the story didn’t involve ghosts in the end, it left a deep impression on him.
With this in mind, he asked, “If…..I mean if time speeds up, will the duration of punishments also accelerate accordingly?”
“Time hasn’t sped up, so the guest’s assumption shouldn’t be true. However, if it were to happen, the duration of punishments would remain unchanged,” the Little Mermaid replied earnestly.
“Alright, I understand,” Jiang Zuo responded calmly, as he had anticipated this answer. He continued, “I identify “old friend.” He had been in love with Mrs. Yun for many years and continued to investigate the real reason behind her death. Eventually, he concluded that Mrs. Yun’s death was linked to Mr. Wang. That night, he shot and killed the severely injured Mr. Wang.”
As soon as these words left Jiang Zuo’s mouth, all the players turned their gaze towards him.
Wow, he kept that under wraps pretty well, everyone thought.
Jiang Zuo calmly met the gaze of the other players, shrugged, and added, “Actually, the events I have witnessed about that day were quite unclear. I only caught snippets of conversation and glimpsed Mr. Wang lying seriously injured on the ground, followed by a faint sound.”
He wasn’t sure if he would make it through the night.
In any case, it felt like the end was near. If he didn’t speak up now, he might not get another chance.
Then he proceeded, “Regarding the accusation I just made, it was deduced by piecing together the clues we discovered today. Also, there’s a rather thick notebook in the room I’m currently staying in. Not only is there a silenced pistol hidden inside, but there are also numerous clues. Make sure to check it out. Now, let’s make our identification.”
For a brief moment, Jiang Zuo’s selfless act halted the barrage of hostile comments.
The other players remained silent, unsure of what to say. At this moment, any words of comfort felt inadequate.
Jiang Zuo waved his hand, urging everyone to move on and stop wasting time.
Perhaps he still had a chance to survive if he fought, but continuing to struggle would make it even harder once night fell and fatigue set in.
Seeing Jiang Zuo’s urgency, everyone stopped wasting time and began identifying one by one.
As the final identification was made, the Little Mermaid turned to Jiang Zuo and stated, “Old friend is not the actual murderer, but one of the accomplices who contributed to Mr. Wang’s death. The evidence is valid, and the punishment time is four hours.”
Lin Qiyue swiftly retrieved the beautiful little gem she had prepared in advance and interjected, “Wait a moment, I’ll use this…”
“As I’ve mentioned before, Little Butler An An cannot accept bribes. If you try this again, I’ll be upset!” The Little Mermaid covered her eyes and turned her head away, with a cute little gesture, as if she was afraid that one more look would make her give in.
Lin Qiyue was about to say something more, but Wen Qingxue restrained her by holding her hand down.
“It’ll get upset,” Wen Qingxue said cautiously. She acknowledged that this NPC was indeed gentler compared to others in dungeons, but it was still just an NPC. No matter how gentle it appeared, underneath it all, it wasn’t human.
New players might not have encountered overly harsh scenes yet, so they might mistakenly believe that NPCs can be persuaded through bargaining.
Lin Qiyue glanced at Wen Qingxue and noticed the firmness in her eyes, so she reluctantly withdrew the gem.
It wasn’t that she didn’t understand; she simply wanted to give it her all and help others as long as she could do it.
Jiang Zuo swiftly left the dining table, skillfully dodging various obstacles around him. With a strained smile, he reassured everyone, “I’m still alive and well, so don’t worry too soon! Hey, brothers and sisters with flesh and bones, did you know? If anyone’s interested, join me in studying medicine! I have over 30 medical records to share that I haven’t handed in yet. It’s not too hard to do. You just need to write admission records, complete discharges, and get the director to sign off on the course of the disease…” He mumbled as he stumbled, narrowly avoiding bumping into a lamp.
He couldn’t shake the feeling that his skill was somewhat risky and time-consuming as an offense.
He could only be thankful for his passive skill that warned him, “Doctor is in danger behind you, run away.” Even with that, it was still challenging.
After all, Jiang Zuo wasn’t as fortunate and lucky as Lin Qiyue. Despite avoiding danger several times, he was caught off guard and injured by cabinets crashing in around him. While there was no blood, his body was obviously contorted unnaturally.
With a pale face, Jiang Zuo continued to struggle to avoid the danger.
The sight of him in distress was unbearable for the other players.
Zhou Qingxing couldn’t bear it any longer and stood up. He thrust his long stick directly into a human-like skin attempting to wrap around Jiang Zuo.
Yi Jiangnan cast a spell to move around the living room twice, while Lin Qiyue tossed weighted coins from her bag towards the bone claws on the ground.
Seeing this, Wen Qingxue used her hair to shield herself against random objects flying around them.
Even Lin Haoguang, who usually kept to himself, stared silently for a long time, his eyes empty, lost in thought. It was unclear what was going through his mind.
You Wusi glanced at the players, then picked up a spoon to feed his wife, who was already waiting with her mouth open. With a soft sigh, he remarked, “This is the passion and fervor of youth.”
After feeding his wife, he continued on.
After a long internal struggle, Lin Haoguang, who had been sitting beside him all along silently, finally joined the battle.
Seeing that the living room was already crowded enough, adding a few more people would make it extremely cramped. So, You Wusi asked the Little Mermaid for a bucket of chopsticks.
With a smile, he began to teach his wife how to throw darts.
As he threw each dart, each one hit the human skin monster accurately.
When he turned to see Jiang Shishi, whose paws were itching from time to time, he reached out his own paws, eager to play with the chopsticks just like his bad brother.
But before he could touch the long chopsticks, his bad brother swiftly stuffed a big red tomato into his hand.
Between the game and the tomato, it wasn’t a difficult choice, and Jiang Shishi chose the tomato.
After all, tomatoes were more important to him.
….
They lost track of time.
Everyone felt extremely hungry and tired for what seemed like a long time. Finally, the living room quieted down, and the Little Mermaid congratulated the guests on making it through safely.
After working tirelessly for most of the night, everyone could finally relax.
The food on the table had long gone cold.
The considerate Little Mermaid noticed the cold food and swiftly removed it from the table. In its place, she served another batch of hot porridge, ensuring it was at just the right temperature for everyone to enjoy.
Jiang Zuo, visibly exhausted and in pain with his lips turning white, struggled to speak. Despite his discomfort, he managed to maintain a smile, silently acknowledging the efforts of the other players.
Drawing from his experience during his orthopedic rotation in the past year, he quickly improvised a splint for his arm using a wooden board. After drinking a few mouthfuls of porridge, he succumbed to exhaustion and fell asleep in the chair.
In the end, he didn’t even realize who had helped him back to his room.
The next day, as the sky brightened, Jiang Zuo, looking much better, held a heavy notebook in one hand. With a smile, he followed everyone to the studio on the fourth floor.
It was clear that he intended to reveal all the clues.
But before Jiang Zuo could speak, something strange happened to several players.
First was Lin Qiyue, whose neck was covered in dense scales. Despite still smiling and conversing with Yi Jiangnan, she began to scratch her body incessantly, complaining about the itchiness.
Next was Wen Qingxue.
However, she handled it better than Lin Qiyue when snake-like marks appeared on her cheeks. Besides the itchiness, she endured unbearable pain coursing through her body constantly. Despite her experience with numerous dungeons and mentally preparing herself, she was still shocked.
And then… When Jiang Shishi turned,
He suddenly jumped up and began hopping around the room!
This sight momentarily distracted Lin Qiyue and Wen Qingxue from their discomfort. Watching Jiang Shishi’s legs springing extremely high, he resembled less a little mermaid unable to walk and more a rabbit whose tail had been bitten.
That pretty little face was filled with surprise and confusion.
Even so, she still clutched a tomato pot that was obviously wilting in her hand, while tightly gripping onto the Little Mermaid NPC, unwilling to let go.
“Si… Brother Si, oh my God, Sister Shi Shi jumped up! Little Taoist priest, little Taoist priest, look quickly! It’s a medical miracle!” Lin Qiyue, who had forgotten about the itching, tugged at Yi Jiangnan’s clothes beside her and stared intently.
Jumping and hopping.
Unknowingly, Jiang Shishi headed towards the balcony.
The wind, carrying the scent of the sea, billowed the curtains.
Everyone took a closer look and suddenly discovered that on the balcony at this time, a big snake with a thick waist had been silently observing them for an unknown period. Its long tail covered half of the balcony, and yet it still couldn’t fit entirely within. The length of its tail extended beyond the railing!
You Wusi had actually noticed when Jiang Shishi began jumping. His expression darkened as he made several attempts to catch his jumping wife, chasing after him across the room. Despite his efforts, Jiang Shishi’s erratic movements made it challenging for him to reach her.
Jiang Shishi’s reactions were faster! Every time it seemed like the bad brother was about to catch him, he would lightly leap away!
He felt terrible and uncomfortable!!!
Something seemed to be attacking him incessantly, and both of his legs were extremely uncomfortable! Even his paws were itchy!
He could only rely on jumping to alleviate it…
Author wants to say something:
Lin Qiyue：It’s a medical miracle!
Jiang Shish：(Whimpering in distress)
Medical miracle 🤣🤣
Did they got penalties because they help other player’s punishment ??
Thank you for the chapter 💕
It was mentioned that mutations would appear, I guess it was just time for it…
The barrage was apparently suspiciously quiet during that time 🤣
I feel so bad
Thank you for your translation 💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛