chapter 11

The moment Xia Zeqin’s voice fell, Jian Fan opened his eyes.

“Baseless speculation?” Qin Nan’s expression didn’t change.

Xia Zeqin let out a laugh. “No. I’m asking you. This is a Murder Mystery Game. In case there are Players here who’ve never played one, I’ll say a few extra words and explain the basic idea. In a Script, multiple Players can have grudges and tangled history with the deceased. They might even be-lined up to kill them. One stabs, another throws a punch. Several people inflict damage on the victim. Qin Nan, your identity gives you a motive. Even if you’re not the killer, you probably won’t come out completely clean. On that basis, we only found a single letter in your room-a suicide note about your grudge with the deceased, something you’ve already revealed. I have reasonable grounds to suspect you hid other clues.”

Qin Nan looked a little helpless. “If I wanted to hide clues, why wouldn’t I hide the suicide note too? If there was no note, and I just kept quiet, wouldn’t that be safer? Sure, it’s possible I didn’t notice the note and hid other clues I found. But if I didn’t know about the note, how could I just so happen to say exactly what was written on it?”

“Everything written in the note, I admit it,” Qin Nan sighed. “As for what you said about anything else… I can’t answer.”

Xia Zeqin wasn’t in a rush. If anything, he smiled. “So your answer is-yes?”

Qin Nan nodded.

“Okay. No more questions for you.” As he spoke, Xia Zeqin turned to the boy in that two-person team. “And you are?”

He was the youngest of the twelve Players, looking like a teenager-probably not even an adult yet. For him to be an Old Player, he couldn’t be underestimated.

Jian Fan also shifted his gaze over. Seeing that serious look in his eyes, Qin Nan knew Jian Fan was probably scouting for a new teammate again.

The boy raised his head to meet Xia Zeqin’s eyes, his tone calm. “Qin Weiyi.”

“Qin Weiyi. We found some pawn tickets in your room.” Xia Zeqin placed several sheets of paper on the table for everyone to pass around, then continued. “You pawned off some items at a pawnshop, and they were all quite valuable. The amounts range from five hundred taels to a thousand taels. Besides that, there were also a few letters your parents sent you. From the contents, your family isn’t well-off, which is why you came here to rely on your uncle. So where did the items you pawned come from? Where did that money go? Did you clash with your uncle over money, and kill him for it?”

Qin Nan also looked at what Xia Zeqin had passed over.

He had to admit Xia Zeqin had a reason for earning so many Points. It hadn’t been obvious in the last world, but now that he had room to show it, Xia Zeqin didn’t hold back. Qin Nan had to acknowledge it-Xia Zeqin’s mind worked fast. In such a short time, he’d found clues, linked them together, and inferred additional details. He was rational-and just as calm.

Qin Weiyi tilted his head. “I think you’re really strange.”

Qin Nan’s thoughts paused. He turned to look, suddenly looking forward to what Qin Weiyi would do next.

Xia Zeqin was a little surprised. He lifted a brow. “Oh?”

“I came to rely on my uncle because of money,” Qin Weiyi said. “Then of course I’d rack my brains to squeeze some out of him. It’s not like I came here to talk about family bonds with your household. I’m greedy. But precisely because I’m greedy, I need to keep my relationship with my uncle good. If my uncle dies, no matter who takes over the household, I won’t be able to get money anymore. Why would I do something so exhausting with nothing to gain? What you’ve brought out here proves I’m the least likely person to have killed my uncle.

“As for your questions-those things I pawned came from sucking up to my uncle and getting them from him. And where did the pawn money go? Part of it I sent back home. The rest, naturally, I spent. Once your standard of living changes too much, it’s hard to go back to frugality. If I don’t have enough, then I can only pawn these things to make up the difference.”

Qin Weiyi’s reasoning was clear and orderly.
Xia Zeqin nodded. “What you’re saying is reasonable.”

“Since we’ve made it to this world, there’s no point playing dumb anymore. The moment you showed up, you took control of the whole situation-like you were trying to seize the right to speak and lead. I’ll admit it, you’re impressive. But the more impressive you are, the stranger it gets.

“You can spot what’s suspicious, so naturally you can also think of possibilities that make sense. Yet you deliberately ignore the parts that benefit us. Or is it that you’re intentionally pushing everyone to assume the worst about each other?

“Qin Nan did it. I did it too.

“So let me make a bold guess: you want everyone to suspect every single person, so they’ll echo and go along with what you say. That way, when it’s time to vote for the killer, your opinion can sway most people and get the result you want.

“Maybe you’re just trying to protect yourself, to avoid being voted out. But there’s another possibility-only the killer would be this desperate to create a relatively safe environment for himself.”

Qin Weiyi’s face stayed calm. His tone was flat, but the content was sharp and confrontational.

Qin Nan almost wanted to shout “666” for Qin Weiyi. Kids these days really weren’t to be underestimated.

Xia Zeqin smiled. “It’s not just you and Qin Nan. I’m going to ask everyone the same way. I need as many clues as possible. This isn’t only for my own safety-it’s for everyone’s lives.

“If we pick the wrong killer, we’re all finished. Let me be clear: this is a game tied to our lives. Since I have the ability, then fighting for the right to speak and the right to lead is being responsible-to myself and to all of you.

“I ask, you answer. And with everyone’s answers, it’s not just the content. Their tone, their expressions-I can read a lot from those too.

“Qin Weiyi, don’t you think you’re being a little too eager?”

Qin Weiyi didn’t panic in the slightest. “If we’re talking about being eager, you’re worse. After all, my ass hadn’t even hit the chair before you started coming at me.”

As he spoke, Qin Weiyi tilted his head again and gave a slightly innocent smile. “I’ve answered your question. You can move on to the next one.”

He said that, but Qin Nan couldn’t shake the feeling that what he really meant was: when it’s his turn to speak, that’s when he’d truly go after Xia Zeqin.

For some reason, Qin Nan didn’t feel any urgency about life and death right now. Instead, he found himself looking forward to watching the two of them tear into each other.

Xia Zeqin studied Qin Weiyi for a few more seconds.

After speaking, Qin Weiyi lowered his head, as if nothing had happened. From the look of him, he didn’t intend to argue with Xia Zeqin any further.

Xia Zeqin tugged at the corner of his mouth.

No one knew if it was irritation or something else.

“Next.” Xia Zeqin nodded with a half-smile, but his expression quickly shifted as he turned his pressure onto the next person.

Xia Zeqin and two others were responsible for searching the rooms of six people.

Qin Nan, Qin Weiyi, Jian Fan, Zheng Jueming, Mu Xin, and the middle-aged man who was with Qin Weiyi-Lu Jing.