"Why are we hiding?" Jing Minghe asked. "Why don't we confront Dr. Youmi together? I want to know why she killed Lin Ling."
"No," Yan Xiaoqian said, spreading her arms to block Jing Minghe. "You can't go out. We have to protect your safety. You absolutely cannot afford to make any mistakes."
Jing Minghe raised an eyebrow and asked, "Why can't I afford to make any mistakes? I can protect myself."
Yan Xiaoqian looked troubled. "No, you can't just leave. He will kill you. We're doing this for your own good. Don't be willful, just stay here obediently."
Jing Minghe held his forehead. These lines were too difficult for the young girl.
"Alright," Jing Minghe shrugged. "I'll stay in the room. What about you? Will you stand guard here all the time?"
Yan Xiaoqian nodded, then immediately shook her head. "Don't run around. I'll watch outside."
"Okay."
Jing Minghe walked to the bedside and sat down.
Yan Xiaoqian stared at Jing Minghe for a moment, as if thinking about something. Suddenly, she lowered her head and ran out of the room, not forgetting to close the door behind Jing Minghe.
After Yan Xiaoqian left, Jing Minghe lay on the bed and muttered to himself, "This plot performance is both complex and simple. What is this instance trying to do? Is it really playing games with me? This is outrageous."
Jing Minghe carefully reviewed the content of the three plot performances. His previously relaxed expression turned solemn, and he suddenly sat up, sighing softly.
"If Tong Zheng doesn't show up, then Chi Hao will be in trouble. No matter what conclusion I need to reach in the end, my success rate will decrease."
But now, all he could do was wait patiently.
"Tsk, so troublesome."
Jing Minghe got up and paced restlessly around the room. He glanced at his watch. There were still two hours until 9 PM. All the names spun in Jing Minghe's mind.
Not enough, still one short.
Why were there two people?
The sky gradually darkened, and the tower lights flickered on.
As Jing Minghe paced and thought, his peripheral vision caught sight of the door.
Someone was there!
Jing Minghe walked over and abruptly opened the door. Seeing the person at the entrance, he couldn't help but laugh.
Tong Zheng was stunned by Jing Minghe's laughter. He hesitated for a moment before realizing he was there to perform his part in the plot.
"Ahem," Tong Zheng coughed dryly, composing himself. "Minghe, Guan Wei is dead. Before he died, he told us that Assistant Yue wanted to kill you, and that you should hide immediately. You, come with me now. Lin Ling and Chen Mu will hold him off and buy us time."
"What about Chi Hao?" Jing Minghe asked directly.
Tong Zheng glanced at the void and dryly recited, "Chi Hao? There is no such person in our team."
After reciting, Tong Zheng gave Jing Minghe an embarrassed smile, then put on a troubled expression.
Jing Minghe secretly breathed a sigh of relief and leaned against the doorframe. "Dr. Youmi and Yan Xiaoqian, weren't they already dead?"
Tong Zheng's eyes widened. The instance's script for him was: Dr. Youmi and Yan Xiaoqian died on the road before we fled here.
But Jing Minghe's question was a multiple-choice one, requiring only a yes or no answer.
"..." Who was the one not playing by the rules!
Jing Minghe got the answer he wanted from Tong Zheng's expression. He waved his hand and said, "Alright, there shouldn't be any more plot points to trigger."
Tong Zheng sighed, looking helpless. "I really don't know what's going on with this instance. I waited in the room all day, and this is the strange plot performance. Why are there so many deceased this time? Was it Guan Wei, or Youmi and Yan Xiaoqian?"
"You were also a deceased person in someone else's plot."
"Huh?" Tong Zheng was startled by Jing Minghe's words. "No way! But I'm not dead." Soudan Novel Network
Jing Minghe looked at the time on his pocket watch. "There probably won't be any more."
Tong Zheng asked doubtfully, "What won't be any more?"
"Plot performances," Jing Minghe said, shaking the pocket watch in his hand. "Less than a minute until 9 PM."
"It's strange to say, weren't we supposed to rest until 9 PM? But my performance started before 9 PM, and it was so simple, just to say a few words to you," Tong Zheng said inexplicably. "And you say there won't be any more plot performances. What do you mean?"
Before Tong Zheng could finish speaking, the waiter's voice came from downstairs.
"All esteemed guests, please proceed to the first-floor hall to gather."
"Let's go."
Jing Minghe walked out of the room and headed downstairs, but Tong Zheng was full of questions at this moment. However, Jing Minghe didn't seem to want to answer his questions.
Tong Zheng had questions, and so did Jing Minghe, but his questions were different from Tong Zheng's.
This case was too simple for him, unless he had a goldfish memory.
As they reached the stairs, they saw the others coming out of their rooms. Jing Minghe heard Lin Ling, who was descending the stairs, ask Guan Wei.
"Why is everyone coming out? Are we still having the banquet first?"
Guan Wei replied to Lin Ling, "Let's go down first."
Everyone gathered in the first-floor hall. The sofas they had pushed over earlier were still in place, and the waiter stood in his original position.
Seeing everyone, the waiter smiled slightly. "Please take your seats, esteemed guests."
Jing Minghe sat down next to Chi Hao and heard Chi Hao softly ask him, "How is it?"
"It's alright," Jing Minghe sneered. "Too easy. I'm starting to wonder if I'm cheating in this instance."
"Be cautious," Chi Hao reminded Jing Minghe.
"Yes, I know."
With everyone seated, Jing Minghe glanced around at the group. Apart from him, Chi Hao, and Guan Wei, the faces of the others were all bewildered.
Youmi nudged Jing Minghe and asked in a low voice, "Aren't we supposed to attend a banquet? Why are they asking us to sit down?"
Jing Minghe didn't know how to answer Youmi's question for the moment, only saying, "Let's follow the arrangements."
With Jing Minghe's reply, Youmi asked no further questions.
The others were also whispering to each other, the rustling sounds never ceasing.
"Quiet," the waiter said. Once all other sounds ceased, he continued, "Mr. Chi, Mr. Guan, Ms. Yan, and Mr. Tong, please tell everyone who you believe is the murderer, the deceased, and the remaining survivors."
As soon as this was said, the four people, excluding Jing Minghe who had participated in their plot performances, simultaneously asked, "What does that mean? Has the plot performance already ended?"
The waiter did not answer their questions but repeated what he had said before.
Chi Hao spoke first, concisely stating, "The murderer is Chen Mu, the deceased is Yue Yang, and the survivors are Jing Minghe, Youmi, and Lin Ling."
Hearing that he was the murderer, Chen Mu suddenly stood up. "Mr. Chi, what are you talking about?"
Yue Yang, who was identified as the deceased, also looked displeased.
But Chi Hao ignored Chen Mu completely.