The weapon by the pillow

Chapter 29 Shall we...begin the trial now?

In the room, eight pale-faced people stared at each other.

The light was dim. Two beams of strong flashlights crossed, cutting trembling spots of light through the dusty air and illuminating several faces filled with fear.

At Cheng Tan's feet, half a dark red lipstick lay in a deep blue velvet box, like a drop of congealed blood.

The killer... is right among us?

Is there a second level to the secret room beneath our feet? Does it hold the secret that Jin Dafu and his group are truly trying to conceal?

Each question is like a cold dagger pressed against everyone's throat.

This also surprised many netizens.

Those who were just watching the spectacle inadvertently switched roles and became the main characters in the performance.

The protagonist who was forced into the spotlight is not someone who is vying for that dazzling microphone at a concert!

Look, the chat in the live stream has completely gone crazy.

The servers were groaning under the strain as viewership surpassed an unbelievable 500,000 and was still growing by thousands per second.

The platform owner was all smiles, his traffic was more enviable than any online novelist who stayed up all night writing!

They had ample reason to believe that, in the face of an event involving suspected real crime and public safety, maintaining the live stream, allowing more people to see it, and perhaps providing clues became the only option.

A barrage of comments flooded the screen like a tsunami:

He said the killer was among the eight people!!!!

"My God! Who is it?!"

"Shadow! He's the calmest and most professional!"

"Lin Qian! She knows too much!"

"Wu Wenbin! His father's suitcase!"

"Lynx! He's too violent!"

"Ah Zhe and Xiao Fei! They know Wang Bin!"

"Li Kai! He has a motive for revenge!"

"Cheng Tan! His nightmare is the key!"

"Anyone is a possibility!!!"

"What's on the second level of the secret room?!"

"What exactly is Jin Dafu trying to cover up?!"

"Where are the police?! Why haven't the police arrived yet?!"

"There's a bomb in the building?! Holy crap!"

"This madman! He's going to kill everyone!"

"Help! I can't watch anymore, but I can't help it!"

In a modern second-tier city, the internet has taken off, and forums and various social media platforms are buzzing with information and analysis. Some are analyzing the live stream frame by frame, trying to find clues in everyone's micro-expressions and body language; others have compiled all known information about the eight individuals into comparative charts; some are trying to search for related crime patterns based on keywords such as "ritual," "sacrifice," and "pentagon"; and still others have begun doxxing everyone's background, trying to find any potential connections between them and the case from thirteen years ago.

Police did arrive at No. 7 Anping Lane, but were blocked from entering.

Three police cars, two black armored SWAT vehicles, and a special vehicle belonging to a bomb disposal expert blocked off the street intersection.

The red and blue police lights spun silently, casting shimmering shadows on the dilapidated building walls.

A dozen fully armed special police officers and regular police officers, using vehicles as cover, vigilantly watched Building No. 7, which lay like a giant beast in the darkness.

Cheng Jing stood behind the cordon, holding up binoculars, her expression unusually grave.

She took a deep drag on the cigarette in her mouth, then took it out and stubbed it out hard.

She exhaled a puff of smoke, and reports from each group came through her earpiece:

"The bomb disposal team reported that a suspected pressure sensor was found at the first-floor entrance. The wiring is complex, and removal will take time, estimated to be at least fifteen minutes."

"The sniper team is in position. The curtains in the target room in Building 5 are closed. Thermal imaging shows that the three people are still inside and have not moved significantly."

"The technical team reports that, in addition to the computer in Cheng Tan's home and the mobile signal in Building 5, a weak wireless signal was also detected inside Building 7. The location could not be pinpointed, and it may be equipped with a jamming device."

"The negotiation experts are in place, but they are unable to establish direct communication with the people inside."

Fifteen minutes.

Cheng Jing glanced at her watch: 2:53.

There are seven minutes left until 3 a.m.

I'm caught in a dilemma!

If Master's speculation is correct, and if Li Wan's time of death (3-4 a.m.) was indeed some kind of "ritual time," then seven minutes later, something extremely terrible might happen in this room.

"Captain Cheng, should we launch a direct assault?" Chen Ming asked anxiously. "Bomb disposal takes time, but we can try climbing the outer wall or rappelling down from the roof..."

"No way." Cheng Jing still firmly rejected the idea. "If the other side can set up pressure sensors on the first floor, they can probably do the same in other parts of the building. Taking any rash action could kill the people inside, and it could also kill our team members."

Her brain was working at lightning speed.

The murderer is among the eight. The secret room has a second level. The ritual requires an audience. Jin Dafu needs to cover up the secret…

These fragmented pieces of information collided in her mind.

"Chen Ming," she suddenly spoke, "investigate two things immediately: First, what exactly was the demolition plan for this area of ​​Anpingli thirteen years ago? Which specific project did Jincheng Demolition Company undertake at that time? Who was the client for the project? Second, investigate Liu Li, the single woman in room 402. I need to know everything about her—when did she move out? Is she still alive? If she's dead, when did she die? How did she die? The sooner the better!"

"Yes!" Chen Ming immediately ran to the command vehicle and began contacting the rear database.

Cheng Jing raised her binoculars again, looking at the window of room 403 that was nailed shut with wooden planks. A faint light seemed to seep through the gaps in the planks—the beam of a flashlight from inside. She could almost feel the extreme fear and mutual distrust of the eight people inside through those planks.

The murderer was among them.

Who is it?

……

Room 403.

The deathly silence was broken by Li Kai's hoarse voice: "I don't believe it... I don't believe there's a murderer among us... This is another divisive tactic! He wants us to kill each other!"

"But he has a point," Shadow said, his calmness terrifying this time. His gaze was fierce as he slowly swept over everyone. "Logically speaking, the person who knows this room best, is most likely to have arranged all of this beforehand, and is most likely to know about the secret room is indeed most likely to be among us."

"Then who do you think it is?" Lynx glared at the shadow. "You're the most suspicious! You're too calm! Unnaturally calm!"

"I'm calm because I've been professionally trained," Shadow said calmly. "But if you're going to be suspicious, everyone is a suspect. You, Lynx, you've acted from the beginning like a physically fit, adventurous outdoor enthusiast, but your backpack is too well-equipped, as if you were prepared in advance."

The lynx's expression changed: "You're talking nonsense! This is just a habit!"

"And you, Wu Wenbin," the shadow turned to the research enthusiast, "your father's box and documents are key clues. Is your presence here tonight truly a coincidence? Or have you inherited your father's 'work,' or... is it a guilty conscience that wants to settle things?"

Wu Wenbin adjusted his glasses, his lips trembling, but he finally managed to utter a few words:

"Are we... about to begin the trial?"