After a night of questioning, hunger gnawed at her stomach.
Jian Jing decided to indulge herself with a "delicious taste of death" and cook a meal to reward her stomach. She gathered rice, eggs, curry, peas, and ham. As soon as she activated her special ability, her body entered a strange state. Although she was still in control of everything, there were always some small mishaps.
For example, while she was contemplating whether to cook with a cold pan and cold oil, or a hot pan with cold oil, or a hot pan with hot oil, her hand had already moved and poured the oil. She intended to use less oil for a healthier option, but the bottle tilted and she lost control.
The rest of the process went more or less the same. Her actions with the frying pan were clumsy, as if a child was learning to use chopsticks for the first time. The spatula felt more like a weapon than a tool, as if each stir-fry was an attempt to dissect someone.
But little by little, the aroma began to waft out, making people uncontrollably salivate. Her stomach growled impatiently.
She finished cooking and transferred a pot of fried rice onto a plate. Each grain of rice was distinct, glistening with the oil from the curry powder. The peas were vibrant green, and the ham exuded a fragrant aroma. Even the eggs were perfectly balanced between being slightly charred and not overcooked, resulting in a delightful flavor.
Jian Jing thought to herself, "After using so many special abilities, this 'delicious taste of death' is truly unparalleled." She grabbed a spoon and immediately took a mouthful.
Delicious! Qaq
This was definitely heaven's way of sympathizing with detectives, specially comforting them.
"Having a late-night snack?" Kang Mu Cheng approached, pouring coffee, and was immediately greeted by an astonishing aroma. "Who made this?"
"I followed a recipe and went all out." Jian Jing replied vaguely. "Want to try it? It's delicious."
He shook his head. "You eat it."
"Just try a bite." She took out a new bowl and filled it halfway for him. "Give it a taste."
Kang Mu Cheng didn't want to dampen her enthusiasm, so he accepted and took a bite.
Immediately, he was astonished. "You made this?"
"I went all out, I went all out." Jian Jing modestly boasted. Although the meal was made with cheats, she was the one who cracked the case.
Rounding it off, it was essentially her own doing.
Kang Mu Cheng uttered a noncommittal "Hmm" but then asked, "Is it because your aunt raised the price and refused to cook for you? Should I help you find another live-in auntie?"
Jian Jing replied, "...No."
She didn't like having people frequently coming in and out of her home, so she only had her aunt come three times a week to clean and cook for the whole week, portioned and stored in the refrigerator. If she wanted to eat, all she needed to do was heat it up in the microwave. If there were any leftovers or takeout, her aunt would help take care of it, or she would bring it home herself.
What was Kang Mu Cheng imagining?
"Is it delicious?" She changed the subject.
Kang Mu Cheng said, "Not bad."
"Just 'not bad'? I think it's fantastic." She muttered.
He chuckled. "Alright, it's fantastic."
She suddenly broke into a smile.
After finishing their meal, Kang Mu Cheng started making tea again.
Jian Jing asked, "Aren't you going to sleep?"
"It's for my mom. I'll sleep in a bit. How about you?" he asked. "Are you done with all your questions?"
"More or less. I'm going to sleep first. I'm dead tired today." She yawned, waved her hand, and said, "Goodnight."
"Goodnight."
Jian Jing went back to her room to take a shower. Without playing with her phone, she climbed into bed and fell asleep.
The next morning, a torrential rain suddenly arrived, and there were no dense forests around the observation station to provide cover. Raindrops fell unimpeded, creating a daunting scene.
The water level in the stream surged, and the waterfall roared with sound.
However, the location of this place was quite clever. Although the water level continued to rise, it eventually flowed down to the forked mountainside, never managing to submerge the hotel's floor.
Knight crouched under the rain shelter, watching the small frogs invading the floor.
Two large geckos crawled on the walls.
A snake slithered past the elevated platform beneath the tent.
Jian Jing hung on the hammock, feeling desolate and devoid of joy.
Kang Mu Cheng asked, "Are you feeling sick?"
"I want to go home," she said. "I hate rainy days in the rainforest."
Listening to the sound of rain in tall buildings and skyscrapers was a rare moment of tranquility amidst the hustle and bustle, but the heavy rain in the rainforest... it was an animal paradise.
She would rather go catch crocodiles in the river than stay here and keep company with amphibians and insects.
Kang Mu Cheng asked, "The culprit hasn't been caught yet. Are you willing to leave?"
"Ah," she sighed heavily, realizing that leaving was impossible. She struggled to climb out of the hammock and said, "I'll find something to do instead."
She wanted to go and ask Chen again.
However, when she inquired, neither Chen nor Fei Na were there. They had left before the rain started.
Nevertheless, Jian Jing didn't have to wait long. Before lunchtime, the two of them returned dripping wet, still holding the huddled Bolly in their arms.
The little monkey had lost its previous mischievousness and liveliness. It curled up sullenly, its eyes dim and pitiful.
Jian Jing was taken aback. "Where did you find the monkey?"
"Not far from where we parted the day before yesterday." Despite Fei Na's previous dislike for Bolly, she now held the little monkey tightly in her arms, providing it warmth with her body heat. "It was frozen. I hope it doesn't get sick."
She gently stroked Bolly's head. The little monkey struggled to open its eyes, trembling. Jian Jing felt heartbroken and called out loudly, "Cha Li, come quickly and take a look at Bolly!"
Cha Li frowned, clearly reluctant to play the role of a veterinarian, but he didn't refuse either.
Bolly was placed in a temperature-controlled box, and Mrs. Lao fetched a blanket, tightly wrapping its body. It seemed as if the monkey had transformed into a newborn baby, obediently curling up in the corner.
Jian Jing found Chen and asked him about the specific location of the discovery.
Chen was unable to explain clearly, so he hastily drew a map and marked the direction for her.
...........GPS disappearance point..
Observation Point No. 3.........Bolly
.......................
............Hotel.......
Jian Jing reorganized the route in her mind.
Two nights ago, Professor Lao and his group searched for No. 21. Due to the height difference, it took a long time, about 90 minutes, to reach the GPS disappearance point.
However, it would take approximately 30-45 minutes to return directly to the hotel from the GPS disappearance point.
From the hotel to Observation Point No. 3, it would take 50-80 minutes.
Walking directly from the GPS disappearance point to Observation Point No. 3 would only take 15-20 minutes.
Of course, these estimates were based on being very familiar with the route. Without knowledge of the terrain and someone to lead the way, it would take an entire day to get there.
Professor Lao separated from the others and was found dead about 40-50 minutes after the gunshot.
So, let's analyze the possible scenarios for the professor's death.
The first possibility is that the culprit was among Fei Na, Mrs. Lao, and Chen.
After parting ways with the professor, the killer followed him closely until he returned to the vicinity of the observation point, where he suddenly fired a shot. The first shot hit the professor's arm, and he retaliated by returning fire (which is what others heard as gunshots). However, the killer's second shot struck the professor's chest, causing his immediate death.
The second possibility is that the killer is Li Journalist or Cha Li, the doctor.
They trailed the professor and his group, waiting for an opportunity to strike, and followed them to the vicinity of Point 3.
But there is an inconsistency here. If they were tracking the professor, they would have overheard his arrangement with the others to meet near Point 3 in one hour. Choosing this location for the attack, so close to the designated time, would have increased the likelihood of being discovered by the people gathering there.
Therefore, it is more likely that the killer was lying in wait near Point 3 in advance, which would have made it more convenient to launch the assault.
However, this raises a new question.
How did the killer know that the professor would go there?
There are two possibilities: 1) The anomalies on the 21st were the killer's doing, and based on the GPS location, it was predicted that the professor and others would appear near Point 3, or 2) the killer had arranged to meet with Professor Lao at Point 3.
The former option is more challenging to execute. According to what Fei Na said, the Asian unicorn's movements are unpredictable, and it has rarely appeared. The killer would have had to intercept the GPS signal from the 21st in advance to make any calculations, which means they either understand wildlife or possess hacking skills.
It is not difficult to screen Cha Li's resume, and he should have no knowledge in this area, so the focus points to Li Journalist.
The latter option would require a special reason to make Professor Lao meet him alone in such a remote location. It is evident that this points to Cha Li, who has a conflicting relationship with the professor regarding the green hat issue.
In addition to these points, there are two more doubts.
1) The murder weapon doesn't make sense.
The bullet was from a Type 56 semi-automatic rifle, and apart from the missing bullet fired by Professor Lao, which Chen mentioned, there were no other bullets found at the scene.
2) What about the monkey Bolly?
Previously, Bolly had saved Professor Lao once. Did the killer eliminate the monkey because of that reason? How did they manage to do it?
Monkeys are alert and sensitive; they don't eat food given by strangers, and only familiar people can tamper with their food. Alternatively, did the killer use something like anesthesia? The observation station does have supplies of tranquilizers.
Jian Jing carefully analyzed everything and compared them one by one, only to realize that most of the evidence pointed towards Chen.
She wanted to test it out, so she shared her analysis with Fei Na.
Without hesitation, Fei Na said, "Chen couldn't have done such a thing, it's definitely not him."
"But he's hiding something from everyone, and even when I asked him, he refused to say," Jian Jing said. "This is not good for him. Maybe you can get something out of him?"
Fei Na couldn't sit still and replied, "I'll go find him."
Facing Jian Jing, Chen's mouth was as tight as a clamshell, but when confronted with the girl he had silently loved all this time, even the most stubborn man would surrender.
Chen finally opened up, saying, "I didn't mean to keep it from you, it's just... I don't know who it is."
"Perhaps it's your mother," he added.
Fei Na was extremely surprised: "Are you suspecting Xiang Cao killed my father?"
"No," Chen hesitated for a moment and slowly said, "Some data was stolen."
"What data?" Jian Jing pretended to coincidentally pass by and joined the conversation.
Chen: "The GPS records from the 18th."
"What happened on the 18th?" Jian Jing asked.
"A white Bengal tiger," Chen's expression turned grave, "Many wealthy individuals from the Middle East have offered a large bounty for a live white tiger."
Jian Jing gasped, "Are you saying that someone stole the data to capture this rare white tiger?"
Chen nodded.
"Do you suspect Mrs. Lao?"
"No," Chen denied that possibility and explained, "I have ruled out the professor, Fei Na, and myself. The remaining people are all suspicious."
Jian Jing pondered, "When did this happen?"
"Was it two months ago?" Fei Na seemed to recall something.
Chen nodded.
Fei Na said, "Two months ago, my father was injured and he refused to leave here for the town. Xiang Cao brought a doctor to check on him—was that when the data went missing?"
Chen replied, "Yes, it was only during those days when the professor was sick and didn't check it in time."
Jian Jing then asked, "Since the data was lost once, were you all extra cautious? Is it possible for the content to be stolen again?"
"The system has been upgraded," Chen stated firmly, "Only the professor has the encryption key. I don't think anyone can crack it, at least not in the short term."
Jian Jing nodded slowly, "I see."
Fei Na anxiously asked, "Who stole the data? It can't be Xiang Cao. Why would she do such a thing?"
"Fei Na, I didn't suspect her. I suspected Cha Li," Chen said seriously, "But he denies it."
Jian Jing curiously asked, "What about Journalist Li? Didn't he also come once?"
"Yes," Fei Na quickly responded, "It was him who said he wanted to take pictures of the spectacled monkeys, and that's when my father was attacked."
Chen immediately added, "It could also be him, but I'm not certain."
