A Simple Murder Plot (4)

"Teacher, take me out in the rain…"

These words remind Wen Jun of Lingzi's lively and pretty face.

He gestures an 'OK' sign on the glass and quickly gets out of bed, grabs an umbrella, opens the door, and steps out.

Lingzi stands right in front of the door, her face still mysteriously hidden under the umbrella. She holds a faintly glowing flashlight, casting a blurry circle of light at her feet.

Seeing Wen Jun emerge, she swiftly turns and strides forward.

Wen Jun closes his door and chuckles as he follows her. Their figures soon vanish into the torrential rain…

Lingzi moves swiftly ahead, her white clothing shifting rapidly, appearing somewhat eerie under the dim light of the flashlight.

How I'll deal with you…

The intense rain, barely deterred by the umbrella, quickly soaks Wen Jun. His clinging clothes send shivers down his spine. Yet, he's still smiling, viewing Lingzi as a mouse and himself as the cat in this game. The chase is amusing but won't last long…

Lingzi quickly crosses the dormitory area to the stone path leading to the back garden.

Oh, so we're heading to the most romantic spot on campus. The back garden, with its lush trees and secluded pavilions, is a favorite for amorous couples. The game's endpoint is near…

The path's cracks are evident, with repair materials still piled up by the road, hastily covered with a plastic sheet to shield them from the rain.

The plastic rattles under the assault of the rain, sounding like snaps and cracks.

This inefficiency! And now the rain will make the repairs even harder… Wen Jun thinks bitterly.

Suddenly, Lingzi quickens her pace, turning into a white seagull amidst the storm, swiftly navigating the stone path until her figure and the faint light vanish from Wen Jun's view.

Losing the guide of the flashlight, Wen Jun is left in darkness. He wants to call out for Lingzi to slow down but wisely keeps quiet, not wanting to expose their secret.

He accelerates, almost running to catch up with Lingzi. Then, he'll teach her a lesson.

Running in the heavy rain, Wen Jun's feet kick up water, the sound merging with the rain and thunder. The umbrella is useless now, the thick rain pelting his face.

Suddenly, a bright light from directly ahead blinds him!

Instinctively, he shields his eyes, and as his vision fades to black, he trips over something, losing balance and falling forward!

What the hell is happening? Who shone that light at me? Damn workers, leaving cement bags here…

His palms and knees scrape painfully against the stones. The umbrella drops as he struggles to get up.

But just as he stands, feeling the sharp pain in his knees, the ground beneath him gives way!

A manhole cover!

"Help…"

Wen Jun's cries are in vain. He falls too fast, unable to grab anything. Plunging into the dark sewer, he's hurt and in pain.

Coughing violently, he struggles to stand in the foul-smelling sewer, looking up. Rain pours down, relentless, giving him the illusion of standing under a waterfall.

It's not too high. I should be able to climb out.

Regaining his composure, Wen Jun rubs his sore knees and gathers strength. He jumps, reaching for the road above.

But something's wrong. He's not grabbing the hard stones, but…

A bag of cement!

The bag falls, hitting him on the head before he can scream…

The rain stops in the early hours, and around 5:30 am, school cleaners find Wen Jun's umbrella and then discover his body in the sewer…

Ling doesn't visit the scene of Wen Jun's death. But she hears from classmates how gruesomely he died, struck by a bag of cement, struggling to escape, only to be trapped as the cement hardened around him.

Many speculate why Wen Jun ventured out in the stormy night. Guesses abound, but the truth remains a mystery…

At the prestigious Middlesea Carrier, a luxury complex in Middlesea City, Ling holds an envelope with 1,000 yuan and heads to the underground parking lot.

She finds the specified red Ferrari in the second row, third spot.

Following the message's instructions, she looks for a backpack under the car's right rear wheel to place the money.

But instead of a backpack, there's just a note.

Picking it up, she reads:

"Study hard, make progress every day!"

Ling smiles through her tears.

"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" she shouts into the empty parking lot until her voice gives out…

Meanwhile, Mu Zi smiles as he stows his binoculars in a corner. He takes Ouyang Liuse's hand, and they head to their Harley motorcycle parked nearby.

"Let's prepare for our next job. This time, it's worth 200,000…"

The silver Harley zooms off into the sunlit road…