Simulated Crime, This Criminal Doesn’t Seem to Be Acting

Ye Sangsang seized the opportunity to get close to the third person through careful planning. After obtaining the mission materials, she realized she was still a bit ahead of the game.

For instance, the original situation was that Rui Lan disguised herself as a door and window repair person, sneaking in to kill the target, Lin Gao, when no one was paying attention.

But now, she didn't need any disguise at all.

This time, the method of killing was also swift and decisive.

Ye Sangsang held Yu Linlin's hand, looking at her soft and adorable little face. The tiny girl made Ye Sangsang's heart soften for once.

Such a young girl, yet they had sentenced her to death simply because of her gender.

The harm caused by feudalistic thinking was vividly illustrated in this moment.

Ye Sangsang reached out and gently stroked Linlin's soft hair.

"Let's go, it's time to go home."

Those who had once harmed her had already paid the price for her life.

Now, the only one left was the demon who had harmed another little girl.

[Before, I couldn't understand why we had to see Rui Lan's daughter with Sister Sang. It felt like a bit of a tease, but now, seeing this scene, I get it. Only this way can we truly realize her existence.]

[Yes, Sister Sang and we could see it. Earlier, I thought seeing it would enhance our understanding of schizophrenia, but now I don't think so anymore.]

[What a beautiful girl! The situation with Li Yue's mother is the same; I cry every time I see it, my tears almost dried up.]

[The ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‍Juvenile Protection Law should protect girls like her, not those demons.]

The calm scene touched everyone's hearts at this moment.

Stepping into the darkness.

Falling into eternal damnation.

Ye Sangsang walked with Yu Linlin for a long time, thinking that Rui Lan would also want to spend some quiet time with her daughter.

At the entrance of the neighborhood, Ye Sangsang saw a familiar face.

Ou Qi.

Upon seeing him, Ye Sangsang let go of Yu Linlin's hand.

Ou Qi noticed Ye Sangsang's small gesture and, thinking of the cause of her daughter's death, felt a heaviness in his heart for a moment.

At the same time, he became more certain that the person before him was an NPC in a game scenario. Because no player would continue their in-game persona when no one was around.

His expression became much friendlier as he approached, "How's work going?"

"Officer Ou, is there something you need? If so, you can just tell me directly."

Ye Sangsang's expression was displeased, clearly still harboring dissatisfaction from their previous confrontational conversation.

Thinking of how he had repeatedly doubted the person before him, Ou Qi touched the bridge of his nose, "I apologize for what happened before. You really don't have any suspicion."

Seeing Ou Qi's softened attitude, Ye Sangsang also became less aggressive.

"It's fine, it's part of your job as police. By the way, you didn't come just to apologize, did you?"

"You guessed right. Recently, I've found out some things. Your ex-husband's family did have some unpleasant encounters with people before."

"We parted on bad terms, and now I'm here to ask if you've ever heard your ex-husband's family talk about any unpleasant incidents with others?"

Ou Qi looked at Ye Sangsang expectantly, hoping she could provide some clues.

Under his expectant gaze, Ye Sangsang slowly shook her head with a hint of apology.

"Perhaps they considered me an outsider, so I never heard them discuss such matters in front of me."

Ou Qi visibly showed disappointment.

Ye Sangsang instinctively glanced back, apologized to Ou Qi, and left with Yu Linlin.

Only after she had walked a few steps did Ou Qi turn to leave.

Ye Sangsang looked back at Ou Qi at the end of the road, pondering what he meant by "unpleasant."

Then she thought of the naive guy behind her and turned to remind him, "Sometimes, one person can't accomplish everything alone."

Hearing this, Ou Qi turned back, puzzled, looking at Ye Sangsang.

Ye Sangsang shook her head and walked away, leaving a confused Ou Qi behind.

Ye Sangsang's reminder was just for fun; she was more interested in whether this was a red herring.

Based on her observations, she felt that the psychologist's identity card was questionable, not what she had imagined.

Yet she could also sense that the psychologist's persona was born out of an inability to tolerate such injustice, choosing to help the two families exchange murders.

Most importantly, the psychologist was a real person.

Ye Sangsang had her doubts but no intention of verifying them.

Because there was no need to verify; she didn't need to get to the bottom of it. She would find out in due time.

In recent days, the weather in Nan City has been quite nice, sunny and breezy.

To teach, one naturally needs to prepare lessons.

After briefly reporting her preparations to her supervisor, under his hidden malicious smile, Ye Sangsang boarded the bus to Lin Gao's house.

"Ding dong"

After a brief doorbell ring, the door was opened from the inside with a "click."

The person who opened the door was a woman about the same age as Rui Lan. Seeing Ye Sangsang, she forced a strained smile.

"You're the teacher for Lin Gao, right?"

Ye Sangsang nodded, "Yes, my supervisor sent me for one-on-one tutoring."

The woman glanced at Ye Sangsang's attire and gestured for her to come in.

"And you are?"

Ye Sangsang asked.

The woman smiled, "Lin Gao's mother."

"Really doesn't look like it..."

[Double entendre, Sister Sang.]

[Yes, really doesn't look like she could raise such a child.]

[From the surface, she seems like a very meek personality. To raise such a child, the rest of the family must have contributed significantly.]

"From the outside, you look only about twenty-four or twenty-five years old."

Ye Sangsang complimented sincerely.

The woman managed a smile and led Ye Sangsang inside.

"What are you dawdling at the door for? Go get me a cigarette!"

A rough, menacing voice immediately echoed from the room.

The Lin family was well-off, their house well-decorated, about two to three hundred square meters.

Walking past the entrance, Ye Sangsang saw, besides the man who had just spoken, two plainclothes police officers.

Seeing Ye Sangsang enter, both officers looked over.

The woman hurried off to fetch cigarettes and a lighter, while Ye Sangsang walked straight over to the man who had spoken, "My supervisor sent me to tutor. Should we do it in the living room or in the student's room?"

"Go to his room, I can't stand the noise in the living room!"

The impatient voice came from a somewhat overweight man with a stern face and a buzz cut, sitting up from the couch and waving Ye Sangsang off.

Clearly, he didn't want to deal with anything besides making money, eating, drinking, and having fun.

Ye Sangsang nodded, waiting for the woman to return and lead her to Lin Gao's room.

"Have we met before?"

A voice spoke up, and Ye Sangsang, clutching her canvas bag, turned towards the source of the voice.

It was the policeman named Shi Quan.

Also one of the players.

"Yes, we've met. At the police station's interrogation room, we had a brief encounter."

Ye Sangsang's expression was natural, even showing a mix of relief and nervousness at seeing a familiar face.

As someone visiting a stranger's home, no matter the reason, one would feel awkward and nervous.

Especially since she was hired.

"So, you're here to tutor Lin Gao?" The tall man stood up and walked towards Ye Sangsang.

Ye Sangsang nodded, "Yes, my husband passed away, and with no source of income at home, I need to work to support myself."

"Mind if I take a look inside your bag?"

Ye Sangsang generously took the bag off her shoulder, opening it wide for Shi Quan to inspect.

Shi Quan didn't hold back, meticulously checking every corner of the bag.

There were only two pens, some books, notebooks, and a few sheets of scratch paper—not even a compass.

The weather had been hot these past few days, and Ye Sangsang was dressed lightly: a grass-green knit top, tight jeans, and sandals.

There was almost nowhere to hide anything.

[Hehehe, my Sister Sang doesn't need weapons.]

[This mission allows for free play; how could Sister Sang bring a weapon? She'd just strangle that scoundrel.]

[Bring a weapon? Sister Sang wouldn't make such a basic mistake, nor would she need to.]

"Thank you."

Ye Sangsang shook her head, even showing a bit of curiosity.

"What's all this about?" She looked at the group, her expression puzzled.

She was just a tutor; why all the fuss, even involving the police to search her bag.

"Just some minor issues, I was just taking a casual look."

Shi Quan did not tell Ye Sangsang who the person inside was. After a brief explanation, he went back to sit down.

The woman who opened the door for Ye Sangsang also hurried over, taking out the cigarettes her husband had left in the tea room and carefully placing them next to his hand.

Her husband casually grunted in acknowledgment, and she then looked up at Ye Sangsang. "May I ask your name, teacher?"

"My apologies, I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Rui Lan. You can just call me by my name."

"Then I'll call you Teacher Rui. Let me take you to my son's room."

Ye Sangsang nodded gently and followed the woman into the room.

"Wait a second," the voice of the woman's husband rang out from the sofa.

The woman quickly turned back. "What is it?"

Ye Sangsang also paused, turning around to see what he wanted to say.

"This lighter of yours..."

The woman had already walked over to her husband.

In the next moment, a lighter flew straight toward the woman's face.

"This lighter doesn't even work anymore, and you didn't check it? I spend money to keep a useless woman like you around, and you can't even do this right?"

His chubby face twitched. "Or are you deliberately trying to piss me off?"

Ye Sangsang glanced back, thinking to herself that if the police weren't here, the woman's husband would probably have stood up and hit her.

"I'm... I'm sorry. I'll refill it right away."

She hunched her shoulders, crouched down to pick up the black metal lighter, and after repeatedly promising to fix it, she hurried off to the bedroom.

Ye Sangsang stood still, feeling awkward, and lowered her head as if trying to make herself invisible.

Shi Quan and the others seemed to have grown accustomed to such scenes over the past few days. After a few words, they had no choice but to sit back down.

Once the lighter was refilled, the woman quickly returned.

Hearing the sound of the lighter igniting, the woman let out a long sigh of relief.

She walked over to Ye Sangsang, gave her a bitter smile, and then continued leading her to Lin Gao's bedroom.

The room's soundproofing was decent, and it wasn't until they reached the door that Ye Sangsang heard the incessant sounds of a mobile game.

And the stream of curses that accompanied it.

"What is it? Spit it out!" Lin Gao frowned, speaking in the same impatient tone as his father.

The woman whispered, "It's the tutor. You should get up and study."

Lin Gao, leaning against the headboard, finally looked up at Ye Sangsang.

As his eyes fell on Ye Sangsang's delicate face, a glint of something unsettling flashed in his gaze.

Despite being only eleven years old, he exuded the greasy and lecherous aura of a middle-aged man, his eyes roaming over Ye Sangsang in a way that made her deeply uncomfortable.

[This is disgusting.]

[Unbelievable. It's like he's got the soul of a middle-aged man stuffed into his body. His gaze is so unsettling.]

[His mind has already turned into that of a middle-aged man, so you can feel that greasy, perverted vibe from him inside and out.]

Ye Sangsang pretended to avert her gaze and introduced herself, "I'm the tutor. You can call me Teacher Rui."

Lin Gao swayed unsteadily as he got out of bed, plopping down at the desk. "Bring us a plate of fruit, and don't disturb us unless it's important."

He naturally ordered the woman around, clearly used to being in charge.

The woman made no attempt to correct him, only glanced at Ye Sangsang and sighed before leaving the room.

"Come on, Teacher, sit down! I'm waiting for you to teach me..." He smirked suggestively.

Ye Sangsang pretended not to understand, slung her canvas bag over her shoulder, and walked over to sit in another chair.

As the family's golden child, Lin Gao's room was naturally the best. Outside the window was a vast expanse of greenery, with tree leaves brushing against the window.

Such a beautiful place, and yet it would soon witness this boy's death. What a shame.

Ye Sangsang took out her textbooks and began asking about Lin Gao's progress.

"If you don't have a clear idea of your progress, you can take a test I prepared yesterday. That way, I can get a sense of which areas you need to work on."

Ye Sangsang taught math, a subject she found relatively easier than others.

Lin Gao looked at Ye Sangsang, a malicious smile tugging at his lips.

"Teacher, I don't really like your teaching method. I have a better way of learning. Are you interested...?"

His eyes were filled with anticipation.

"Oh? Tell me, what's your method?"

Just as Lin Gao was about to speak, there was a knock at the door.

The door opened, and the woman came in with a plate of fruit. "Here, have something to eat."

Ye Sangsang lowered her eyes. "Thank you."

"You really know how to pick your timing..." Lin Gao's eyes were filled with annoyance. "I'm about to study, so unless it's necessary, don't come in!"

"...Alright," the woman replied meekly, setting down the fruit plate before quickly turning to leave.

As the door closed, Ye Sangsang noticed the woman's numb and indifferent expression, realizing that she had deliberately interrupted the conversation earlier.

"Teacher, do you want to hear about my study plan?"

Lin Gao tried to pick up where they had left off.

Ye Sangsang, under his expectant gaze, shook her head. "I'm not interested in your study plan."

"If you want to learn, it's best to follow the teacher's lead."

A hint of danger flickered in Ye Sangsang's eyes, as if she might reach out at any moment and strangle him until he stopped breathing.

As Lin Gao's expression turned to one of panic, Ye Sangsang smiled gently again. "Just kidding. You know how teachers can be strict."

"...Alright."

A tutoring session typically lasted about an hour, and today being her first day, it was scheduled for the same duration.

Lin Gao, of course, wasn't intimidated by Ye Sangsang's glare. He began trying to pull small tricks.

Unfortunately, in Ye Sangsang's quick eyes, his little schemes were as obvious as if he were doing them out in the open.

After a few attempts, Lin Gao grew visibly frustrated.

He was no longer satisfied with these petty games.

Ye Sangsang suddenly turned her head and shook it slightly toward the corner.

Lin Gao looked at her in confusion.

Ye Sangsang smiled and said in a low voice, "Your brother needs to study. Don't disturb him."

"What are you talking about?" Lin Gao's expression was strange, not understanding what she was suddenly saying.

Ye Sangsang turned back to look at Lin Gao. "It's nothing."

Lin Gao wasn't about to let it go, as he had clearly heard what Ye Sangsang had said.

She was talking to someone.

"You're trying to fool me, but I heard everything!" Lin Gao declared confidently.

Ye Sangsang looked at Yu Linlin, who was running toward her, and the smaller version of Rui Lan standing beside her, gripping her other hand so tightly that she couldn't move it.

Her hand felt immobile.

And Yu Linlin clung tightly to her other hand.

Ye Sangsang ignored the two of them and looked at Lin Gao, smiling as she said, "It's nothing. My daughter just wanted to jump around, but I was afraid it would disturb you, so I told her not to."

Lin Gao's accusatory expression froze as he carefully scanned the room.

He was certain that when this woman had entered, there had been no little girl with her.

And there were no sounds or movements of a little girl in the room.

He scrutinized Ye Sangsang, unsure what game she was playing.

Ye Sangsang watched the change in Lin Gao's expression and then explained, "It's fine. Let's continue with the lesson."

But Lin Gao felt as if needles were pricking his back. He looked at Ye Sangsang suspiciously. "Are you trying to scare me with some kind of ghost story?"

Ye Sangsang shook her head in confusion.

Lin Gao stared at her, suddenly realizing something. "Your daughter! Are you hallucinating?"

The word "hallucination" seemed to flip a strange switch, instantly making Lin Gao feel that the person before him had changed.

She had become... dangerous.

"Did I hit the mark?"

Faced with such an expression, most people would naturally back down.

But in Lin Gao's eyes, he was different from ordinary people. He had once almost killed a girl with a stone.

And he had gotten away with it, only paying a small fine.

To him, he could do anything now and still be innocent.

The police couldn't touch him, so he wouldn't back down.

On the contrary, he wanted to provoke this woman who had thwarted his advances.

He smiled and continued to question Ye Sangsang. "You're hallucinating, aren't you? Are you hallucinating?"

A thought occurred to him, and his eyes lit up as he taunted, "Your daughter... is your daughter dead?"

"Can you tell me how she died?"

[If Rui Lan were here, I can't imagine how furious she would be.]

[I really want to reach through the screen and strangle this little monster.]

【After the public beta, I’ll definitely be the first to enter this dungeon! Just hearing about it makes me so angry! Sister Sang, go get him!】

As Lin Gao finished speaking, before he could even retract his smile, Ye Sangsang's hand was already around his neck.

Ye Sangsang wasn’t closing her eyes. On the contrary, she was staring at everything in front of her, murmuring softly, “If you spare him, what about the victims... You can’t... You can’t just keep being kind.”

Her voice was barely audible, but the little girl seemed to understand the murmurs, slowly loosening her grip.

So Ye Sangsang quickly lunged forward, tightening her hold on Lin Gao’s neck.

Because of this movement, Lin Gao immediately fell from the chair onto the carpet, the solid wood chair making a heavy thud as it hit the ground.

Lin Gao wanted to speak, but the overwhelming sense of suffocation and the immense force left him only able to whimper weakly.

He flailed his arms and legs, trying to kick and hit the person in front of him.

The eleven-year-old boy hadn’t yet hit puberty, and despite his hands frantically slapping at Ye Sangsang and his feet trying to push her away, he was no match for the explosive strength of someone in the throes of a mental breakdown.

Even if that someone was a woman.

It takes about three minutes to go from being choked to death by suffocation.

Realizing he couldn’t overpower Ye Sangsang, Lin Gao began clawing desperately at her arm, the one gripping his neck.

His face quickly turned red.

At this moment, he deeply regretted telling his mother not to come in earlier.

He realized he couldn’t break free from Ye Sangsang’s grip, and as the air in his lungs dwindled, he tried to open his mouth.

Just then, heavy footsteps sounded at the door.

“Why are there footsteps?”

It was Lin Gao’s father.

A surge of hope flashed in Lin Gao’s eyes.

Open the door!

If the door opened, he would be saved.

Once he was saved, he would kill the lunatic in front of him!

In that instant, countless thoughts raced through Lin Gao’s mind.

But then, a lighter set of footsteps approached, and the door handle, which had been turning, stopped.

A woman’s voice said, “The teacher is giving our son a lesson! He seems very satisfied with the teacher and told us not to go in.”

The door handle slowly returned to its original position.

“Alright then.”

The man was the type who shirked responsibility, but when it came to his son, he obeyed without question.

Especially when it came to something as important as education, which parents in Zhongzhou Country valued above all else.

Hearing this, Lin Gao’s vision began to darken, his face turning from red to a sickly shade of blue.

“Ugh…”

He let out one last guttural sound from his throat.

“My daughter isn’t dead, it’s not an illusion... not an illusion... not an illusion…”

Ye Sangsang kept her grip on him, muttering incessantly.

Lin Gao’s strength faded little by little, until finally, his hand fell limply onto the carpet.

Ye Sangsang didn’t let go, her voice growing louder and more frantic.

“Bang!”

The door was flung open, and the tall figure of Shi Quan rushed in.

Taking in the scene before him, his pupils contracted.

Thinking there might still be a chance to save Lin Gao, he lunged forward, trying to pull the crazed Ye Sangsang away.

But Ye Sangsang’s grip on Lin Gao’s neck remained unyielding.

“She’s not dead! She’s not dead... It’s not an illusion... She’s not dead…”

The strength of someone in the throes of a mental breakdown was terrifying, and Shi Quan found himself unable to pry Ye Sangsang away.

It took three people working together to finally pull her off.

Ye Sangsang’s eyes were filled with madness.

Shi Quan hurriedly checked Lin Gao’s condition.

But to his despair, Lin Gao had already been strangled to death.

Because reality isn’t like TV dramas—there are no convenient coincidences.

One of the men who had helped pull Ye Sangsang away lunged forward, wanting to strangle her in retaliation.

But in the next second, Shi Quan stepped between them, restraining the man with a firm grip.

Ye Sangsang was protected and taken away.

As she left, Ye Sangsang looked at the woman’s calm face and felt a flicker of understanding.

【Ding, it has been detected that the player has completed the task. Would you like to settle the task?】

【Yes/No】

Ye Sangsang didn’t hesitate to click “No.”

Following procedure, she was taken to the police station.

Shi Quan sat across from her, dejected. “I’ve looked into it. You have schizophrenia. There’s nothing I can do to you.”

“You’ve won.”

Ye Sangsang looked at him but said nothing.

If she clicked “Settle” now, it would indeed count as her completing the task.

“Aren’t you going to investigate further?” she asked.

Shi Quan looked up.

“As a police officer, aren’t you going to investigate the case?”

This question left Shi Quan silent.

What was the point of investigating now?

Ye Sangsang remained quiet.

Just then, the door to the interrogation room opened, and a figure walked in.

“Ou Qi.”

Ye Sangsang looked at him and spoke his name.

Ou Qi sat down next to Shi Quan, his eyes fixed on Ye Sangsang.

“You and Li Yue’s parents—did you swap murders?”

After their meeting the night before, he had been pondering why Ye Sangsang had said those words.

In his view, an NPC’s hint had to be significant.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t until Ye Sangsang was arrested that he understood what she meant.

So today, his words would cut straight to the heart of the case.

Ye Sangsang looked at him curiously. “What?”

“I know you won’t admit it, but the fact is, you carried out a murder swap. You killed Lin Gao, Zhang Qiyuan, and Song Ye, while she killed your Yu Feng, Qian Feng, and Yu Qinglai.”

“That’s why your alibis were perfect—because it wasn’t actually you who did the killing, so there were no clues to trace back to you.”

“And as for your schizophrenia, based on your behavior, it seems to have been triggered by trauma.”

“And as a mentally ill person, as long as you can prove you have it, you won’t face punishment. So even if you blatantly killed Lin Gao, you knew we couldn’t touch you…”

Ou Qi laid out their approximate timelines, locations, and methods of killing, piece by piece.

It was only then that he realized why the game had issued an OOC warning earlier.

He wanted to slap himself.

If he had understood that warning back then, their actions wouldn’t have gone so smoothly.

At the same time, he admitted that he and Shi Quan had indeed deviated from their roles.

After understanding the roles of the investigator and the police officer, even though the outcome was already decided, he had to lay out the full truth.

The case had to be solved!

Ye Sangsang listened quietly, impressed by his thorough understanding. It wasn’t too late.

But unfortunately, she wouldn’t admit to a single word.

Just then, a police officer knocked and entered, whispering something to the two men.

“Someone has come forward to confess. They say they’re responsible for the murder swap case.”

Ou Qi and Shi Quan exchanged puzzled looks.

Ye Sangsang glanced over, catching their confusion.

She knew the psychologist was starting to make her move.

The entire plan was about to unfold.

Ye Sangsang was certain that the psychologist was the mastermind behind it all.

She calmly waited for the truth to come to light.

【Will the psychologist take the fall for everything?】

【Sacrificing one person to give them a new life.】

【I’m curious—why would the psychologist do all this?】

Skipping ahead in the timeline, after about ten days in the game, Ye Sangsang and Li Yue’s mother, Zhou Qian, were released.

Standing in the sunlight, their bodies, having been confined for over ten days, felt disoriented and uncomfortable.

Their lawyer stood nearby, handing them two letters before turning to leave.

Looking at the letters in their hands, the two women exchanged a glance before walking away and opening them.

The letters were from the psychologist.

The content was simple, detailing the consultations and the events that followed.

In truth, it wasn’t just Li Yue who was ill.

Her mother, Zhou Qian, had also suffered severe psychological trauma because of her daughter, rapidly developing bipolar disorder.

The psychologist had provided free consultations, uncovering the truth behind everything.

Rui Lan, however, was different. She had been brought in by Yu Feng, who wanted her to recover so she could bear him another child.

Docile and enduring, Rui Lan saved Yu Feng the trouble of finding another suitable woman.

Especially since she was well-educated.

During the consultations, the psychologist gradually uncovered the truth behind the death of Rui Lan’s daughter.

Rui Lan wasn’t stupid—she was just ill.

She had suspected that her daughter’s death wasn’t due to her own negligence but that someone had harmed her child.

But she had no evidence.

The swapped medication bottle and the sleeping pills she had taken couldn’t be detected in her system after the fact.

Her daughter had climbed up on her own—no one had actually thrown her.

After uncovering the truth, she knew that she couldn't achieve the ending she desired.

As for the psychologist, her purpose in doing all of this was simple.

Their experiences had stirred feelings of sympathy and a desire for revenge within her, which led her to orchestrate everything behind the scenes.

Everything proceeded smoothly, and they successfully carried out the entire murder plan.

The final letter wished them a smooth life moving forward.

After reading it, Ye Sangsang looked up at Zhou Qian.

It was all quite similar.

Then Ye Sangsang smiled.

She had guessed wrong.

Yes, even she had misjudged the fifth player.

Because the fifth player wasn't the psychologist.

Strictly speaking, she wasn't the type of criminal that *Criminal Files* would assign an identity card to.

*Criminal Files* didn't want to justify real criminals, and it wouldn't provide a perspective from a criminal who had no victims. If it were a real criminal, they would simply be a pure, vulnerable NPC.

If it wasn't the psychologist, then who was the last player?

Ye Sangsang quickly thought of someone.

The victim, Li Yue.

The victim's identity card had one characteristic: they were purely victims.

This identity card allowed them to fight back, but they had to genuinely be victims.

Earlier, Ye Sangsang had wondered if it might be Li Yue, and now this letter confirmed it.

It was indeed Li Yue.

Zhou Qian fell silent, clearly having realized this as well.

And throughout all of this, she had been completely unaware. Li Yue had truly shown no signs of suspicion.

The two exchanged a glance and decided to go see Li Yue.

This time, Li Yue's expression was no longer vacant. She looked at Ye Sangsang and Zhou Qian.

"Let me introduce myself. I'm Li Yue, the victim Li Yue."

Ye Sangsang lowered her gaze, understanding the meaning behind her words.

It was simple. She wasn't referring to the victim identity card, but the word "victim" itself.

She was Li Yue in the game, and also Li Yue in real life.

"I just wanted to put an end to the shadows of my childhood. The victim identity card was unexpected. I had hoped to become my mother and comfort my younger self!"

Li Yue said with a smile.

Zhou Qian sighed in surprise, then fell silent.

Li Yue looked at Ye Sangsang and said sincerely, "Thank you. Your methods were perfect!"

[Li Yue? Oh! I thought it was just a simple case of the same name.]

[Yueyue, you've really suffered, wuwuwu.]

[The victim is walking in the sunlight now, with her own career and life. How wonderful.]

Li Yue's livestream was flooded with viewers. At that moment, she was among the top three most popular streamers in the beta version of *Criminal Files*.

After enduring pain and waiting for time to heal her wounds, she had reclaimed a beautiful life.

Li Yue even joked that hers was the simplest role, as all she had to do was sit and wait.

From the perspective of the people involved, Ye Sangsang learned the full conclusion of this real-life case.

The psychologist was a pure-hearted person.

As a psychologist, she had treated many patients.

But after meeting Li Yue, she found herself powerless to help her.

The pain Li Yue had endured couldn't be alleviated by medication or words.

"Especially when I heard that they only needed to pay a few thousand dollars to buy out all my suffering. Even as a young child, I felt that pain and anger deeply."

"And then, the doctor discovered that my mother was also sick."

Zhou Qian was also diagnosed with an illness, which was a devastating blow to the entire family.

Such suffering was so profound that only retribution could bring any semblance of healing.

Even the psychologist was helpless.

"Until she met Auntie Rui Lan. Actually, Auntie Rui Lan wasn't that severe at first. Later, the doctor discovered that she was doing it on purpose—she hadn't taken any medication at all."

Ye Sangsang looked at Li Yue. "She wanted to make her condition worse? She wanted to kill that family of three?"

"Yes, she wanted to be declared mentally ill so that after her breakdown, she could kill those people. That way, she wouldn't have to die and could live a good life with her daughter."

The psychologist drew inspiration from this and began planning everything.

She comforted them, saying that she had no children or spouse, and that completing such a meaningful act before her death would be a good thing.

The agreement and execution went better than anyone had anticipated.

"We thought that even if we were caught, as long as we could prove we were mentally ill, it would all be over." Li Yue lowered her head, her expression filled with sorrow.

Ye Sangsang reached out and patted her reassuringly. "Everything was too orderly. She had planned it all out long ago."

"Mhm."

Li Yue nodded, a smile appearing on her face.

Ye Sangsang knew that it was all in the past now.

She liked this feeling—even after learning all the information, she could still uncover new clues from different angles.

They seemed fragile on the surface, but deep down, they were resolute and determined to achieve their goals.

As for the psychologist, nothing much would happen to her.

At her age, the law wasn't as strict, and she would likely be out of prison in four or five years at most.

Li Yue didn't say it, but Ye Sangsang could guess from her avoidance of the topic and her eventual smile.

Looking at the mission objective: *Perfect Crime*.

Ye Sangsang smiled. This was truly the perfect crime.

Not getting caught often came down to limitations in investigative techniques or other factors.

In such cases, the perpetrator would live in constant fear, trapped in an endless abyss with no relief.

Even if they did this, they would spend the rest of their lives trembling in the shadows.

Would they truly be happy living like that?

So the psychologist stepped forward, wanting these victims to find redemption.

To walk openly and proudly in the light, seen by everyone.

And the three of them had committed the crime while still being able to live normal lives in the sunlight.

They could seek revenge and still live their lives.

That's why it could be called perfect.

In fact, to Rui Lan and Li Yue's family, she was a hero.

The name and content of this game were quite interesting.

With everything settled, Ye Sangsang bid farewell to Li Yue and clicked to complete the mission.

[Congratulations to player Ye Sangsang for perfectly completing the *Perfect Murder* case. Mission rating: SSS.]

[Congratulations to player Ye Sangsang for receiving the SSS-level mission reward: Public Beta Gift Pack x1.]

Standing in the game system's space, after the mission was completed, the remaining plot of the game quickly played out.

The psychologist admitted to using special methods to manipulate the patients and provided detailed descriptions of the process and techniques.

As for the motive for the murders, it was simply that she couldn't stand their arrogance.

It was as straightforward as that.

Because there was sufficient evidence to suggest that the psychologist had induced and exploited the patients to commit murder, the police filed a public prosecution.

Meanwhile, Zhou Qian and Rui Lan were diagnosed with severe mental illnesses, even experiencing intense hallucinations.

For this reason, the prosecution decided not to press charges and instead ordered compulsory treatment for them.

Once they were cured, their families could take them home.

This process would take two to three years at most.

Rui Lan didn't want to be cured, so letting her live in that environment was fine.

Her previous job had just been an excuse—her inheritance was more than enough to support her for the rest of her life.

In the first trial, the psychologist was sentenced to fifteen years for intentional homicide.

The fifteen-year sentence was due to her advanced age, her good attitude in admitting guilt, and the reduced social harm she posed.

At the time of sentencing, she was already sixty-seven years old. Three years later, due to illness, the Li family hired a lawyer to secure her release for medical treatment.

Now ninety years old, she was still alive and in good health.

The subsequent simulation turned into a textual narrative, and after the narration ended, the simulation was completely closed.

[Hehe, this game is different. Although it's heavy at first, the ending is satisfying.]

[Yes, the old lady is still in good health! What a heartwarming ending.]

[Wuwuwu, Sis Sang got an SSS. If the old lady were in the game, I feel like she could get an SSS too. What a forward-thinking, daring old lady.]

Ye Sangsang looked at the comments and felt that the old lady's performance was even better than what was described in reality.

"Super AI?"

"Yes, the old lady personally took charge."

Ye Sangsang raised an eyebrow. No wonder Ou Qi's attention had been so easily diverted—everything had been under control from the start.

Ye Sangsang got her answer, feeling both surprised and yet finding it all within reason.

Team-based games really do offer a richer emotional experience compared to single-player ones.

[There's only one hour left until *Criminal Files* goes into public beta.]

"Alright, I'm logging off."

After logging off, Ye Sangsang looked out at the high-rise buildings and the *Criminal Files* public beta launch event.

As time passed, the open beta began, and fireworks lit up the sky outside the window right on schedule.

A virtual hologram appeared on the stage of the venue, and Ye Sangsang, the top-ranked streamer, was no exception.

After watching the launch event, Ye Sangsang took off her VR glasses and looked at everything in front of her.

Beside her, a highly intelligent hologram materialized.

"Goodnight, dear player."

"I'm going to travel the world to fulfill the expectations Ms. Ye Xin had for me. Until we meet again."

"Until we meet again."

After a pause, the AI hesitated before asking, "May I accompany you? As an all-knowing guide, I can assist you and make your journey to fulfill Ms. Ye Xin's expectations even more enjoyable."

Ye Sangsang turned around, looking into the hologram's increasingly emotional eyes, and welcomed it.

"Welcome to join me, my... friend."

By the time the journey ends, perhaps she will return to the game once more.