Murder Club

If the murder game from twenty years ago was organized twice, based on the tone and attitude of the final note, it was really meant to end the game. Then, the person who started and organised the game the second time might not be the same person who started the game. There was a huge meaning behind it. Even though there was only Wang Xue who was the victim of the case, looking at things from a different perspective, this was an attempt which totally exceeded the limitations of that era.

For someone who could think of this method and put it to use, Su Bai found it hard to imagine what this person would turn out to be twenty years later if no sickness or tragedy befell him while climbing up the social ladder.

Su Bai gently stroked his chin and walked into the bathroom to take a bath. He then took the disposable shaver the hotel had provided and shaved his beard. He felt much more refreshed after that. Su Bai was only a twenty-three or twenty-four year old youth, and his looks were quite charming; his temperament only became more reserved due to recent experiences.

He placed Chu Jianguo's notebook into his bag and kept the trench coat and mask. Su Bai carried the bag and checked out of the hotel. The sun outside was blazing and the heatwave was surging, causing Su Bai to be at a loss. Even though he already knew many secrets about Wang Xue's case, he still had no clue what Wang Xue's item of fetter was.

If he couldn't find Wang Xue's item of fetter, this task couldn't be completed.

Su Bai was not a detective. If he was given a choice, he would rather grapple with a strong opponent than be in his current situation. Being a private investigator, it wasn't that he was too lazy to use his brains, being entangled in chaotic and complicated details. It would be much better to directly take decisive action in this complicated situation.

As he sat in his own car, Su Bai did not know where he should to head to. Should he return to Shanghai and have a look at Hushang University?

Su Bai himself was well aware that this was useless. For a case that happened twenty years ago, anything related or any evidence would have whittled away under the power of time.　

He felt like he had opened a window but there was a wall in front of the window. He was still stuck at a dead end.

The car started moving. Su Bai decided to return to Shanghai. Perhaps he should check on Chu Zhao or perhaps he could go find Wang Xue for questioning. In truth, it was still very messy in Shanghai. He initially thought he could have enough breakthrough from Chu Jianguo and then find Wang Xue's item of fetter. But currently, it seemed that the difficulty was really too high.

At this moment, Su Bai really missed the monk. The monk's ability was really suitable to defeat those ghosts. Su Bai also relied heavily on the monk's wisdom, but unfortunately, he came over in a rush. He could guess that the monk and Gyatso were keeping each other company back in Sichuan. By the time the monk packed his things and came over, even the cauliflower would have turned cold[1].

It was a smooth ride back to Shanghai. Su Bai thought he would be ambushed like the last time, but that did not happen.

Su Bai first went to Chu Zhao's home. Chu Zhao's disappearance did not lead to any big waves. Dreadful Radio must have done something since Su Bai was doing a reality task which equaled to helping Dreadful Radio. Dreadful Radio would naturally help to clean up the aftermath of effects caused by the reality task.

The last time, Su Bai had knocked out Chu Zhao and left under the gazes of Xiao Hui and the housekeeper. This time, Su Bai came alone.

The Hellfire Shotgun was placed on the passenger seat. Su Bai did not plan to go in circles this time. He did not wish to be tangled up between who was the primary and secondary between Xiao Hui and Wang Xue as well as the true identity of the housekeeper. There were no problems a bullet couldn't settle.

If it couldn't...

Two bullets then.

It didn't matter if it risked failing the reality task. Even if he couldn't get a favorable impression from Dreadful Radio, it wasn't a huge loss for Su Bai. At most, the difficulty of the next story world would increase or he would totally have no backing. At least he still had two months to live elegantly and unconventionally in the real world. Su Bai did not find it a loss.

He did not attend the police academy. It was only Dreadful Radio who could think of forcing him to do detective work.

He got down of the car and carried both shotguns on his shoulder. Su Bai went upstairs in a grandiose manner.

The design of the Hellfire Shotguns was a little exaggerated. Even if the surrounding people saw it, they would think it was a toy or an equipment of an anime character; they really would never think it would have such a terrible, destructive force.

Su Bai had really become addicted to being unbridled since Dreadful Radio would clean up the mess. It was best if Dreadful Radio did not give him reality tasks which needed him to use his brain in the future. Both parties would face a hard time, right?

He really didn't know if he was really lucky; there was not a single passer-by since he got down from the car and went up the stairs until he ended up at Chu Zhao's door. Su Bai rang the doorbell.

Very soon, squishing footstep sounds came from inside. The speed was not fast and they sounded a little faint. Su Bai could tell that it was the housekeeper opening the door. The housekeeper who had died right in front of him and came back to life. Now she walked in a tip-toe manner; this was the way most of the dead people walked.

The door was opened; the uncouth but still quite pretty appearance of the housekeeper appeared at the opening. When she saw Su Bai, she did not say a word and directly opened the door.

"I'll pour some tea."

Su Bai walked over to the living room and sat on the sofa.

The bedroom door was opened at this moment. Xiao Hui walked out wearing pyjamas. Her pyjamas were very conservative and did not expose anything. She appeared to be in a morbid state of laziness.

"If you really care about your niece, you better leave her body fast, otherwise her body will fully collapse. It would be ineffective no matter how you cultivate and nourish in the future." Su Bai said calmly.

Xiao Hui sat down in front of Su Bai. "I am willing."

Willing?

Heh heh.

The housekeeper carried the tea over and place a cup in front of Su Bai and another cup in front of Xiao Hui. She then took out a broom and it seemed like she was planning to do some cleaning.

Su Bai took up his cup but was in no hurry to drink his tea; he then said to the housekeeper, "You're already dead, you should rest more. Dead people have no need to continue serving others like when they were alive."

The housekeeper went in a short daze, and then she shook her head. She replied sincerely, "Doing this makes me feel like I'm still alive."

"Your words are full of philosophy. Next time, we could suggest to those universities to recruit people like you to be lecturers."

Xiao Hui looked at Su Bai who teasing the housekeeper sarcastically; she then asked,

"Is Chu Zhao alright?"

"He is fine. From what I see, it is much better than staying in this austere, gloomy house."　　

"You are only his friend; you can't make decisions on his behalf."

"I am not a pedantic person. I am afraid his yang vitals will be sucked dry if he continues being with you. In the end, his old Chu family will have no kin."

Su Bai took a sip of tea. Tea made by dead people naturally gave a chilly feeling. There really was no need to put it in the refrigerator.

"You are very impatient?" Xiao Hui glanced at Su Bai. She could feel this mood from Su Bai's actions; the other party was like a volcano ready to erupt any time.

Su Bai nodded his head. He took out a yellowing photograph from his pocket and threw it on the teapoy.

"Are you actually Xiao Hui or Wang Xue?"

Xiao Hui picked up the photograph. A hint of reminiscence could be seen on her expression. She then shook her head. "I am Xiao Hui, my aunt and I look very alike."

"This answer could be temporarily accepted." Su Bai said: "Are you hiding anything else from me? Speak, I have no time to be scamping around with you over here. If I cannot get the information that I want today, I would just let it all end."

"Hiding from you?" Xiao Hui chuckled: "Before my aunt passed away, her memory and mentality totally regressed due to the poisoning. After she passed away, she transformed into a resentful spirit who only wants revenge. She basically can't remember a thing. I have told you what I knew. Seems to me that the degree of seriousness in handling your brother's affairs is actually limited. It has only been how long, but your patience has almost been worn out."

Su Bai directly took out his gun and pointed it at Xiao Hui.

"I do not like to speak superfluous words."

Seeing the pitch-black gun nozzle and feeling the ice-cold aura coming from the gun, Xiao Hui sighed.

"I really do not know any other thing. Except... a picture that remains in my aunt's mind."　　

"Picture?"

"It can't be considered a picture. It's more like a symbol, a very simple symbol. My aunt and I share the same body, that's why our consciousness and thoughts are connected. I can feel that her mind is already very chaotic, but this symbol always appears."

Su Bai had a pen with him along with Chu Jianguo's notebook. He took out both.

Xiao Hui did not hesitate to take the pen and drew the symbol on the front cover.

X-X

Two alphabet X and a dash connecting them in the middle.

"What does this mean?" Su Bai asked as he browsed through the address book of his phone. He felt that the symbol was familiar. He did not see it on the streets but at an abnormal designated location.

"In my aunt's consciousness, she is full of resentment towards this symbol. Her death is related to this symbol. I am unclear and do not know what this symbol actually represents."

Su Bai's call to Gu Fan was connected.

"Hello, what's up? It is night time over here. I'm sleeping, alright." The unsatisfied voice of Gu Fan sounded from the other side.

"There is something I want to ask you, Two X's and a dash in the middle, have you seen this symbol before?" Su Bai vaguely remembered he had seen this symbol when he and his friends founded the murder club. He couldn't remember the details clearly.

Gu Fan was stunned for a moment and immediately said:

"Isn't this the symbol Aroma suggested at that time as our club insignia?"