Subtle undercurrents were stirring.
After a while, Liu Sau-chi spoke: "Miss Terauchi has discovered a very important clue. However, I don't think the killer was unaware of it. This is undoubtedly a frame-up, and the killer is Chinese."
He looked at Jiang BaiYan with certainty: "You are the vessel. Perhaps you orchestrated this yourself, with the aim of having Dan name you as his successor, and then killing him. This way, you could become the rightful heir."
Jiang BaiYan asked dryly, "How would I know about the reincarnation technique?"
"The witch."
"According to your logic, if the witch wanted to betray Dan, she wouldn't do it for my sake. She'd more likely make a deal with the third son. He could marry her granddaughter, and she'd reveal the secret." Jiang BaiYan once again directed the accusation towards Min-cheol Park.
Liu Sau-chi: "You're lying."
Jiang BaiYan smiled. He hadn't smiled much lately, but now he curled his lips upward, smiling particularly sweetly and sarcastically: "Why do you think I'm lying?"
Liu Sau-chi hurriedly said, "I'm telling the truth, please don't be angry."
"Why would I be angry? I'm just curious," Jiang BaiYan said with a smile. "I think my reasoning is very sound. Dan wouldn't approach me because I'm not of his bloodline. No matter how well he treats me usually, it's still limited. You should understand the mindset of these old people, right? If you don't share the same surname, you're not family."
"Even if he didn't approach you, you would approach him. Dan's health was already very poor. If you wanted to become the heir, shouldn't you seize the opportunity to prove yourself?" Liu Sau-chi said. "Moreover, you only answer when others ask you, always on the defensive, hoping others won't suspect you. You haven't really investigated the killer."
Jiang BaiYan argued eloquently: "I think everyone makes good points."
Having said this, Liu Sau-chi was at a loss and smiled apologetically: "I was just sharing my personal opinion, I didn't mean anything by it."
"It's alright, I'm not angry," Jiang BaiYan said sincerely, his tone dripping with sarcasm.
Zhang Xue'er tried to mediate: "Then let me share my thoughts. Kumiko has a point. Dan might not have summoned the vessel, but there is one person who would definitely go to find him, and who reported their intention to kill."
She looked at Min-cheol Park: "Of all the people here, only you prepared poison, showing clear murderous intent. I strongly suspect you. And your beheading of the witch could very well be because she told you that you had bad luck, and you harbored resentment."
Min-cheol Park opened his mouth, seemingly wanting to defend himself, but quickly closed it again.
"Indeed," Wataru Kojima nodded. "Of everyone here, you're the only one who both had murderous intent towards Dan and reason to hate the witch."
Ran-er Kim asked, "Mr. Kojima also thinks Mr. Park is the killer?"
"He's highly suspicious in my book, but I haven't made up my mind yet," Wataru Kojima replied.
Ran-er Kim wrinkled her nose in frustration, looking quite adorable: "Everyone's arguments sound so convincing. I don't know who to vote for now."
"Go with your intuition," Zhang Xue'er said. "Whoever your gut tells you, that's the one."
Ran-er Kim thought for a moment, then said sheepishly: "To be honest, I suspect Mr. Jiang."
Jiang BaiYan: "Why?"
"Intuition. I feel like you're hiding something," she said. "Generally speaking, my intuition is quite accurate. You understand what I mean, right? The sixth sense isn't some superpower, it's your brain telling you something doesn't add up, so I trust my feelings."
He sighed and fell silent.
"Oh, and the most important point," Ran-er Kim said. "I've noticed you very much avoid Miss Jian's gaze. When she looks at you, you look away. It's very strange. If you're not guilty, what are you afraid of?"
Jiang BaiYan shrugged, choosing not to answer.
Now only two people hadn't expressed their opinions.
Wataru Kojima looked at Jian Jing and asked, "Who does Miss Jian think is the killer?"
Jian Jing didn't answer directly, instead saying: "From what we've seen so far, everyone has basically focused on witchcraft. The difference in suspects is whether the killer is the vessel or the vessel's relative or lover. For me, as long as there's a motive, the rest comes down to physical evidence.
"I don't know if anyone has noticed, but the witch's clothing was a bit disheveled, and the candles on the altar were scattered. If there had been a struggle, this wouldn't be strange, but the witch died of natural causes, so why is the scene so messy? Usually, deliberately disturbing a scene is done to disguise it as a burglary, but that doesn't work in a locked room.
"Considering Raj's testimony, I believe that after the murder, the killer remained at the scene for some time, searching the area and the witch's body. What was their purpose?"
"Looking for something?"
"I remember reading before that messing up a scene can be to hide something, or to make people overlook that something is missing."
"What exactly?" Zhang Xue'er asked directly.
Jian Jing paused, then said slowly: "Normally, as a detective, I would certainly explain everything clearly, allowing the culprit to confess and face justice with full understanding, but..."
She took a breath and looked at everyone: "Today, we're all detectives. I've already shared my thoughts. If I say more, it might confuse your thinking. Please vote for who you think is the suspect."
"That's all."
Jian Jing closed her notebook and leaned back in her chair.
Wataru Kojima looked at her, then suddenly said: "I originally had two suspects, the third son and the nephew. Before, I was leaning towards the former, because Dan chose his fiancée as the first to discover him. Miss Jian said that Dan wanted her to bear the suspicion of his death, thus keeping the secret of eternal life. I fully agree with this point.
"This alone is not enough to convict, but what if the third son accused her? The fiancée's only support would be her fiancé. So, reasoning backwards, since Dan chose her, the possibility of him being the third son is extremely high.
"My primary suspect was Mr. Park. But just now, I changed my mind. As a detective, bringing the culprit to justice is only right and proper. Miss Jian's reason doesn't convince me at all. Why would you do this?"
Without waiting for Jian Jing to answer, he voiced his own guess.
"Because you don't want to accuse your friend," Wataru Kojima said. "I believe you would choose the truth, but out of loyalty to your friend, you can't publicly accuse him, right?"
Jian Jing looked at him and said, "This is just a game."
"I know," Wataru Kojima nodded and turned to the others. "I've said my piece. Let's vote."
--
On the live streaming platform, in the comments section:
[Holy crap, is it really Xiao Bai?]
[Panicking, can he handle this?]
[Xiao Bai is definitely acting weird, have you seen him in the haunted house? Totally different person]
[Xiao Bai doesn't follow celebrities, definitely suspicious]
[Oh God, please don't let it be Xiao Bai]
[I think that Korean pretty boy is acting strange]
[There must be some behind-the-scenes manipulation]
[Timid before, now coming out swinging, what the hell?]
[I'm so nervous...]
[My heart is racing]
[Go Teacher Jian, we believe in you!]
[That Kojima guy is so annoying, thinks he's so smart?]
...
--
The voting process was simple. Each person got a piece of paper, wrote their vote, and put it in the box. Then they would count the votes immediately.
It was all about the suspense.
They went up to vote in order of their numbers.
Five minutes later, it was over.
Daniel suddenly appeared: "Hello everyone, did you miss me?"
"You're not reincarnated, you've risen from the dead," Connor Lee joked with him.
Daniel smiled and said: "That's right, but unfortunately I don't know who the killer is either."
The others were a bit nervous and urged him: "Hurry and check the results."
Daniel made a calming gesture and faced the camera: "Although everyone is eager to know the results, I still need to reiterate our rules. Now, excluding Rinae who died and Raj who was eliminated, there are thirteen detectives eligible to vote.
"The outcome of the voting is determined by the number of votes. The guest who receives the most votes is the identified suspect. If the suspect is indeed the true culprit, those who voted correctly will split $1 million, with a minimum guarantee of $100,000 each. Those who voted incorrectly face no punishment. If the suspect is not the true culprit, the real killer will enjoy the $1 million prize alone."
The rules were written in the contract, and everyone already knew them, but Jian Jing still couldn't help but grumble internally.
The cunning part of this game lay in the prize money. If someone were to step forward and guide everyone to vote for the correct killer, the money each person would receive would be pitifully small. So, maximizing one's interests wasn't just about finding the killer, but also ensuring that the number of people voting the same way was neither too many nor too few.
Exceptionally skilled players could even mislead others to vote incorrectly while they and their allies vote correctly, earning 500,000 each.
Converted to Chinese yuan at a 6:1 exchange rate, that's the difference between 600,000 and 3 million.
With 3 million, she could buy plenty of nice furniture for her little villa.
Jian Jing, the humble homeowner, let out a soft sigh.
"Now, let's reveal the results," Daniel said, having built up enough suspense. He pulled out the paper balls one by one, announcing the votes.
"Valeriya accuses Wu Lie."
Valeriya blinked. Wu Lie smiled bitterly.
"Liu Sau-chi accuses Jiang BaiYan."
Liu Sau-chi's expression remained composed. Jiang BaiYan's face was expressionless.
"Kumiko Terauchi accuses Wu Lie."
Kumiko Terauchi gave Wu Lie an apologetic look. The latter sighed.
"Min-cheol Park accuses Jiang BaiYan."
Min-cheol Park interlaced his fingers. Jiang BaiYan remained expressionless.
"Wu Lie accuses Min-cheol Park."
Wu Lie was calm. Min-cheol Park was also calm.
"Andrei accuses Jiang BaiYan."
Andrei shifted his sitting position. Jiang BaiYan changed his posture, propping up his head.
"Zhang Xue'er accuses Min-cheol Park."
Zhang Xue'er smiled. Min-cheol Park frowned.
"Connor Lee accuses Min-cheol Park."
Connor Lee appeared composed. Min-cheol Park's frown deepened, seeming uneasy.
"Hiroto Ishikawa accuses Jiang BaiYan."
Hiroto Ishikawa nodded, his posture relaxed. Jiang BaiYan slumped onto the table, looking lifeless.
"Jiang BaiYan accuses Min-cheol Park."
Jiang BaiYan raised his head, as if regaining some hope. Min-cheol Park's expression grew serious.
"Ran-er Kim accuses Jiang BaiYan."
Ran-er Kim made a face. Jiang BaiYan once again gave up hope.
Daniel took a breath, intentionally saying, "The votes are quite concentrated. Jiang BaiYan has 5 votes, Min-cheol Park has 4, and Wu Lie has 2. It seems the next 2 votes will be crucial."
He opened the second-to-last paper slip.
"Wataru Kojima accuses Jiang BaiYan."
Wataru Kojima looked relieved, offering a faint smile.
Jiang BaiYan slumped down, weakly saying, "So I'm already the murderer? Not even a chance for a tie."
Min-cheol Park also breathed a sigh of relief. At this point, even if the last vote was for him, it wouldn't change the outcome. He couldn't help but feel relieved, "That was close, so close."
Andrei asked, "Did I guess correctly?"
Ran-er Kim's tense face relaxed, breaking into a smile.
Liu Sau-chi adjusted her expression, ready to face the camera at any moment.
"Kojima's vote was very important," Hiroto remarked, "It directly determined the outcome."
However, Wataru Kojima looked at Jian Jing and said, "There's still one vote left to be revealed."
Daniel opened the paper slip, glanced at Jian Jing, and looked surprised: "Miss Jian, are you sure you didn't write this by mistake?"
Jian Jing replied calmly, "Of course."
"This is truly an unexpected choice," Daniel said, deliberately keeping everyone in suspense.
Jiang BaiYan suddenly sat up straight: "Could it be Rina?"
Jian Jing smiled: "Why do you think that?"
"As long as the murderer isn't found, they get the prize money," he said slowly. "Rina is dead, so no one would suspect her. That would be the safest outcome."
His words caused a stir among the others.
Many people looked doubtful, but Wataru Kojima said, "Rina had no motive."
Jiang BaiYan shook his head: "Murder needs a motive, but a game doesn't."
He fell silent.
Daniel, being the seasoned professional he was, heard their heated debate but didn't reveal the vote. Instead, he put the paper slip back in his pocket, smiling as he said, "I've decided to announce this vote later. It might be a surprise."
The others felt a sinking feeling in their hearts.
Ran-er Kim asked, "It couldn't be that we were all wrong, and only Jian guessed correctly, could it?"
Daniel just smiled and moved on to the next phase: "Hand over your identity proof."
Jiang BaiYan reached into his pocket and took out his capsule toy.
Daniel said, "Let's send our murderer to the electric chair."
Two tall, burly men in black came on stage, grabbed Jiang BaiYan, handcuffed him, and pushed him into the electric chair that had risen from the center of the stage.
It was a retired real electric chair, with fingernail marks left by prisoners on the armrests, stains of unknown origin on the backrest, and exposed wood covered in scratches, making it a terrifying sight.
As Jiang BaiYan was pushed into it, he immediately gasped, his face turning pale.
The men in black strapped him in tightly, leaving him completely immobilized. Jiang BaiYan tried to struggle a bit, but his wrists immediately turned red from chafing.
The lights came on, making his already pale face look even whiter.
Daniel put on a serious face: "Mr. Jiang BaiYan, you are charged with the murder of Dan and with inciting Raj to commit a crime. You have been sentenced to death. Do you have any last words?"
Jiang BaiYan: "...I'm innocent."
"Anything else?"
"No."
Daniel said, "Proceed with the execution."
The fully armed men in black pulled out two guns.
"3, 2, 1—"
"Bang!"
The muzzles of the two handguns spewed out blood-red smoke, which at first glance looked like real blood spatter.
Bloody yet beautiful.
Jiang BaiYan's body convulsed once, then his neck went limp and dropped.
Daniel opened the capsule toy and took out the paper inside. Then, with a deeply sorrowful tone, he announced: "We have sent an innocent man to the electric chair."
