Chapter 93
Chapter 93
[Congratulations, host. You have completed a side quest and received one clue regarding the family massacre case. You may choose from three clues.]
Qi Jiao had to deal with his mother’s return to the country, so he left first.
After Wu Xiaojiu got into the Didu car, the System spoke up with a reminder.
[What are the three clues?]
Wu Xiaojiu slid the key into the ignition and started the car. Before the System in his head could reply, Wang Qiang sent him a message first.
[The three clues correspond to the three biggest mysteries of the case: the range of possible killers, why no fingerprints or evidence were left behind, and the killer’s motive.]
Holding his phone in one hand, Wu Xiaojiu gave the steering wheel a couple of distracted pats. All three clues sounded important.
[By the killer’s range, do you mean the scope of the crime back then, or the killer’s current coordinates?]
The System did not answer directly. A loading sound rang in his mind.
Then there was nothing.
While he waited, Wu Xiaojiu absently checked the message Wang Qiang had sent.
[This is a huge case. The bureau thinks very highly of you! I’ve already applied for them to officially hire you. Senior said your chances of getting in are one hundred percent! Then we’ll be colleagues. Congratulations on escaping your sugar daddy’s evil clutches.]
Every line from that silly kid radiated happiness on Wu Xiaojiu’s behalf.
Seeing such a sincere message, Wu Xiaojiu, who had been run ragged and irritated all day, finally felt a rare bit of relief. A smile tugged at his face.
He sent back a little cat thank-you sticker.
Wu Xiaojiu was just about to drive off and return the car when, the instant the engine caught, the System’s message arrived in his mind.
[The killer knew the Eldest Son of the Bo Family. They were classmates of the same generation. His family’s business often dealt with the Bo Family. He is left-handed. His family has practiced medicine and pharmacology for generations. The hired accomplice who helped him commit the crime is a retired butcher from a nearby slaughterhouse, skilled at cutting up large animals.]
[Are you reading out the killer’s ID number or what? With that much detail, can’t the case basically be solved right now? Why save it for the mid-to-late-stage finale? I can just call Long Aotian directly.]
Wu Xiaojiu’s face lit up. He pulled over, shut off the engine, and immediately called Bo Suihan.
Who knew what Bo Suihan was busy with on the other end.
Four or five calls in a row failed to connect. Every single one hit the busy tone.
[This isn’t right. Bo Suihan is always eager when it comes to me. Forget phone calls-even a single message can make him pop up. What’s going on today? Why haven’t four or five calls gone through?]
[Maybe he’s busy with something else. But now that you mention it, it isn’t just Long Aotian acting strange. Headquarters is a little strange too. Logically, for a major case like this, with all the foreshadowing and suspense laid throughout the entire novel, the reveal should come at the very end no matter what. Yet today, all you did was complete one side quest, and for some reason the key clue just got dumped out. Headquarters is definitely being weird too.]
Wu Xiaojiu clenched his teeth anxiously.
He paced back and forth beside the car, at a complete loss for what to do.
When people were thrown into panic, their thoughts always tended to run wild.
He could not help remembering what Lin Yang had said before she left.
[Bo Suihan didn’t really go on that blind date, did he? Then what have all these days between us been? Proof that he’s broad-minded and generous enough to love everyone?]
[It’s possible. The book’s setup follows the classic route. Maybe Bo Suihan and the magical dancing girl fell in love at first sight but didn’t realize it. After Lin Yang pushed him, the clouds parted, the sun came out, and he finally realized who he actually liked.]
The System was not sure either, but it was excellent at making trouble.
Seeing Wu Xiaojiu so anxious he looked like his eyebrows were on fire, it found him funny and decided to tease the kid a little.
It had not expected Wu Xiaojiu to actually take its words to heart.
Clenching his teeth, he pulled a long face and dropped into the driver’s seat. Without another word, he started the engine and began circling Central Avenue.
The didu car might have been a sedan, but it could still tear down the road at frightening speed. At this rate, sparks were practically about to fly from the wheels.
The System truly couldn’t hold back anymore.
[You unlucky brat, have you lost your mind?! If he’s going on a blind date, then he’s going on a blind date. Why are you circling the flowerbed on Central Avenue? Do you have a death wish?]
[I’m waiting for the light. In a bit, I’ll search around Entertainment Street and the mall bit by bit for Bo Suihan. I refuse to believe a CEO powerful enough to become the richest man would take his blind date to some random hole in the wall. A private little bar? No way. It has to be a café or restaurant inside the mall! I am going to drag that scumbag out.]
Wu Xiaojiu had completely lost his head.
The instant the light in front of the Central Flowerbed changed, the didu car shot forward at breakneck speed.
The pedestrians beside the road were stunned.
They couldn’t help wondering what kind of case could possibly be this urgent.
Along the way, Wu Xiaojiu didn’t forget to keep calling Bo Suihan. After passing two or three intersections and making twenty calls without a single answer, Wu Xiaojiu finally snapped.
Gritting his teeth, he flung his phone into the back seat.
Then he started cursing under his breath.
[Fine, don’t answer. As expected of a cold-hearted Long Aotian. When things were good between us, he whispered sweet nothings and worried I might get cold or catch a chill. Now that he’s tired of me and can’t stand this young master’s temper, he cuts me off and ignores me. No wonder he left in such a hurry after finishing the case. Turns out he was afraid I, this sticky plaster, would cling to him.]
Listening to his bellyful of complaints, the System couldn’t help finding it funny.
Back then, it had tried every possible way to persuade this one to cling to Long Aotian and push the strategy value to 100%, but this young master refused to listen no matter what. Well, great. Now it was too late for regrets.
Just as Wu Xiaojiu grew so anxious he couldn’t resist running a red light and slammed his foot down on the accelerator, the phone he had thrown into the back seat suddenly rang.
It was even the exclusive ringtone.
After Wu Xiaojiu’s sister, Bo Suihan was the second person to receive the honor of an exclusive ringtone.
His foot on the accelerator jerked to a stop. Wu Xiaojiu’s whole body pitched forward from inertia.
A small patch on his forehead turned red from the impact.
He grimaced in pain and rubbed it with one hand, yet he still didn’t forget to reach back for the phone.
“You little bastard. At least you still have some conscience.”
The moment he saw the caller ID, Wu Xiaojiu finally felt at ease. He pressed answer, and before the person on the other end could speak, he couldn’t hold back.
But the other side didn’t immediately reply.
Instead, a burst of chaotic, inexplicable noise came through.
Wu Xiaojiu covered one ear, frowning as he stared at the phone screen.
“Can you go somewhere with better reception before calling? Do you have any idea how noisy it is on your end?”
There was still no response.
Instead, the background noise grew even heavier.
The more Wu Xiaojiu listened, the more he felt something was wrong.
He pressed his ear closer to the phone’s receiver and listened carefully. The more he listened, the tighter his brows drew together, until at last he finally realized what that noise was.
It wasn’t static, nor was it interference from a bad signal.
It was a man’s breathing.
Of course, not that kind of breathing.
It was heavy, unusually hurried, but deliberately kept quiet.
“Did something happen over there?”
Wu Xiaojiu could only lower his voice as well.
Without realizing it, he hunched down and asked carefully.
“Who are you? Can you help me? I’m hiding in the bathroom of the presidential suite at Baijinghui. Someone’s trying to kill me!”
The voice coming from the other end didn’t belong to Bo Suihan.
But for some reason, it sounded strangely familiar.
A bad feeling surged up in Wu Xiaojiu’s heart. He clenched his sleeve in his hand, his brows knitting tightly together.