"But what about Li Fan and Zhao Xiong's voices?" I muttered. He Xin, however, said, "This could also be imitated. But how did this killer know we had such colleagues? Unless, he knew us very well long ago. Meaning, he was targeting us?"
"No, we have no connection to the events of thirteen years ago. The problem now is that the retired soldier and Watanabe Yumi are definitely related to the past events!" As I spoke, Xia Hou nodded, "There's no surveillance here, but even if there were, it's probably been destroyed..."
I nodded, "Relying on surveillance is impossible, and we can't contact the outside world. The killer will definitely continue to kill. Although we have no connection to the events of thirteen years ago, others..." I looked towards Zhou Zijuan and the others.
Now all the cooks were here. They pointed fingers at each other, trying to see who had contact with whom before Watanabe Yumi's incident.
Also, did anyone see Watanabe Yumi in the morning?
At this, a cook named Zong Pengtao said, "When I got up to make breakfast this morning, I saw Miss Watanabe!"
"Really? What was she doing then?" I asked.
"She was coming out of Shi Xuebo's room!" As soon as the cook finished speaking, everyone looked towards another cook. Shi Xuebo was a thin cook.
Shi Xuebo became angry and said, "Don't talk nonsense, Zong Pengtao. When did I go to Miss Watanabe's room?"
"You didn't! Are you lying? You scoundrel! Back at the hot spring resort, I knew you were a lecher. Madam, don't you agree?"
"That's right, Shi Xuebo, don't hide it. I also saw you coming out of the west corridor. Only Miss Watanabe lived in that area." Zhou Zijuan chimed in at this moment.
Shi Xuebo retorted, "I just went in for a moment. Watanabe Yumi had something to ask of me!"
"Heh, really just for a moment? If I'm not mistaken, you were inside all night yesterday!" At this moment, Dao Zhiyong suddenly said this, and Shi Xuebo became nervous, his breathing growing rapid.
Everyone present immediately knew his reaction was wrong. Even if they weren't detectives, they could tell he had something to hide!
Under our relentless questioning, the guy finally revealed the situation: "Yes, that's right! I was resting last night when Watanabe Yumi knocked on my room door, saying she was scared and wanted someone to keep her company. I was curious and a little nervous, so I opened the door and found her wearing pajamas, and they were quite revealing..."
"So your lust immediately kicked in, and you took her to your room?" Xia Xiaoling guessed.
"Yes, if it were another man, encountering a beauty like Watanabe Yumi, they probably wouldn't be able to resist. You can't blame me for this. I admit she was with me, but I really have nothing to do with her death!" Shi Xuebo retorted in panic, his facial muscles tensed.
The female painter sneered, "How can we believe you? You were the last person to have contact with Watanabe Yumi!"
"I really didn't!" Shi Xuebo was still arguing, but no one here believed him. I remained silent, constantly observing Shi Xuebo's reaction, but I could tell he seemed to be lying.
I lifted my foot and walked up to him, "You said she came to your room? How is it that you later went to her room?"
"Well, actually, we were intimate in her room. After she came to my room and we chatted for a while, I suggested that... then she said it wasn't convenient in my room, that there were no condoms, so she took me to her room."
"So after you went there, you didn't leave all night, and then waited until the next day..." I continued.
"Yes, but when I left, Watanabe Yumi was fine, and seemed to be enjoying herself. But I never imagined that after a while, she would meet such a terrible fate. Think about it, we were intimate, how could I possibly do it? I cherish women the most!"
Shi Xuebo spoke righteously, then looked at Zhou Zijuan and the others. At that time, those people didn't speak, as if tacitly agreeing that Shi Xuebo was the playboy of the hot spring resort.
Combined with his seemingly normal reaction, I felt he had merely come into contact with the deceased by chance. Of course, it was too early to say for sure. The body had been stored, and now both bodies were in the cold storage room, with Xiao Yuande still guarding them.
We were exhausted again that day. Everyone knew now that our only way out was to find the killer. The mysterious guest still hadn't been found.
But we were now certain he hadn't left, just that we didn't know which corner of the hot spring resort he was hiding in. At least half the people believed that even if the killer wasn't that guest, he was undeniably involved.
We had no explanation for why Watanabe Yumi could still maintain that posture after death. Time passed, and it was evening again. Although everyone was worried, after eating something, they could only return to their rooms. Previously, they had all warned each other to lock their doors no matter what happened. If they had partners, it was best to stay together. But here, only Liu Yuning and I were a couple, so only the two of us were staying together.
No one would come over tonight. We knew that the deceased was no longer among us. Xiao Yuande was still watching her body. After a shower, we were eating betel nuts given by Dao Zhiyong, and we started talking about what happened during the day.
"Among the people here now, who do you think is still suspicious?" Liu Yuning was the first to break the silence.
"Before Yumi's incident, the male cook named Shi Xuebo was the last to leave. Although he kept distancing himself from the matter, no one could prove that Yumi had come out during the day."
Speaking of this, Liu Yuning suddenly remembered something: "Didn't the female painter ask each of us for our signatures earlier? I didn't pay attention to Yumi's whereabouts then. If she had come out in the morning, she should have left a signature, right? If she had come out in the morning, it would prove that the cook didn't kill her."
"That's right. Do you know the female painter's phone number?"
"No need. There's a landline, isn't there? I remember she's in 307. Let's try calling."
Sometimes I really felt Liu Yuning was a bit smarter than me, or perhaps it was just that our areas of expertise were different. She quickly picked up the landline and dialed. After a moment, the female painter's slightly anxious voice came through: "Who?"
"Don't worry, it's not a prank call, it's us!" Liu Yuning pretended to make a joke, and then a slightly agitated voice came from the other end: "Is that Officer Liu and Officer He? It's so late, why are you calling me? Ah! I suddenly remembered something. Didn't I give everyone my artwork this morning?"