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

Suddenly, Ye Sangsang's actions were too abrupt. The door-opening motion caught Zhang Xiaoxiao off guard, leaving her stunned in place. Only when Ye Sangsang opened the door did Zhang Xiaoxiao realize what had just happened.

This action was undoubtedly a direct confrontation.

Wasn't Qi Qin known for being cautious and composed? This move was too impulsive!

Surprisingly, there was no indication of Ye Sangsang going out of character (OOC), and the game's superintelligent system remained silent.

"You... were you standing outside the whole time?" Wang Ziyang, startled to his feet, stepped back nervously.

Realizing he couldn't afford to lose his composure, he straightened his chest and leaned slightly forward, attempting to exude confidence and dominate the situation.

Ye Sangsang gazed deeply at him, and after a long while, with a touch of softness in her eyes, she nodded slowly. "Yes, I heard everything you said."

"What do you want?" Wang Ziyang swallowed hard, his voice lowering in unease.@@novelbin@@

Ye Sangsang silently stared at him, unblinking.

Wang Ziyang was unnerved by her gaze, his eyes darting around, unsure why she was looking at him that way.

Ye Sangsang finally broke her intense stare, saying, "It's okay, don't be afraid. I won't do anything to you."

Her tone was ambiguous, carrying an underlying indulgence that gave the impression she would let him do anything without retribution.

The room fell into an unexpected silence, a development none of them had foreseen.

Even Zhang Xiaoxiao, with her gaping mouth and unbelieving eyes, showed that this outcome had exceeded her expectations.

[Wow, I'd be blown away if I were Zhang Xiaoxiao...]

[Sangjie, I'm in awe of your acting. Why aren't you in the entertainment industry? Your ambiguous charm is so convincing it's giving me goosebumps.]

[Sangjie's moves have completely shocked Zhang Xiaoxiao. Since the game system didn't flag it as OOC, I'll take it as reasonable. But I still wonder, where did you pick up this strategy? I didn't see this coming at all.]

Ye Sangsang's moves blew up the live stream, sending the audience into a frenzy and boosting the show's popularity.

What was strange was that the game's superintelligent system, which should have flagged such an improbable action, remained completely silent.

The lack of response meant the system considered Ye Sangsang's actions normal. Given the system's reliability in such matters, the audience chose to believe it.

However, they were left wondering why this development unfolded as it did.

After a long silence, someone finally spoke.

It was Wang Ziyang, who now seemed to understand something. He looked at Ye Sangsang and said, "How did you figure it out...?"

"A witness," Ye Sangsang replied.

This was just one reason.

In fact, from the very first time she met him in the detention center, she had seen through his attempts at seduction.

The deliberate lowering of his head, followed by a slow raise to reveal his handsome face, the subtle shifts in his eyes—all spoke of his calculated seduction.

At the time, she wasn't sure if he was genuinely seducing an older man, as it seemed quite bizarre.

It wasn't until she confirmed Qi Qin's homosexuality that she put the pieces together. The only reason he would seduce Qi Qin was to use him to clear his case, gradually washing away his suspicions and walking out of the detention center clean.

Ye Sangsang's role was simple: play along, investigate, and wait for the witness he had arranged to appear.

Once she sensed it was time to act, she chose to cooperate.

With his plan proceeding as expected, she obtained the truth she wanted.

As for why she stepped forward, that was a secret she hadn't fully understood but knew she had to do.

Ye Sangsang's words put Wang Ziyang on edge. He looked at her suspiciously. "What's your goal? Or your demand? You can tell me."

"No demands. I'll just be your lawyer, and we'll meet from time to time," Ye Sangsang smiled at him, adding, "You have to trust me."

Wang Ziyang's expression changed slightly. It dawned on him what her real intention was.

He felt a shiver of dread, as he wasn't homosexual and couldn't accept someone like her.

Ye Sangsang reassured him, "It's just as friends. I really like you as a friend."

At the same time, she flashed a look of infatuation and admiration.

Wang Ziyang's eyes flickered with disgust, but he didn't dare act against Ye Sangsang.

Moreover, her identity could be of significant help to him.

Qi Qin was a highly valuable person to exploit.

Most importantly, she was willing to be used by him, even knowing he was the culprit of the accident.

Such a useful tool shouldn't be discarded.

After weighing the pros and cons, he smiled at Ye Sangsang, showing gratitude.

"Thank you. You’re the first person besides my parents who’s been so good to me." His eyes sparkled with joy, his words sounding sincere.

Whether the sincerity was real or not was known only to him.

Ye Sangsang didn't say much, just looked at him. "It's alright. You can fully trust me, after all..."

She trailed off, her gaze unwillingly lingering with infatuation on his face.

Wang Ziyang stiffened under her stare but managed to hold his composure.

"Let's keep drinking," he said after a while, trying to break the awkward silence.

Ye Sangsang shook her head, speaking with the gentle tone of an elder. "No, I'll head back first. There are still some things I need to deal with. Let's catch up when you're free."

"Sure," Wang Ziyang's voice betrayed his unconcealed excitement.

Ye Sangsang turned to leave with Zhang Xiaoxiao.

Zhang Xiaoxiao couldn't believe what she had just witnessed. She looked at Ye Sangsang, then at Wang Ziyang.

Before the room's door had fully closed, she couldn't help but blurt out loudly, "Qi Lawyer, you actually like someone like that? And you're covering for him! I'm so disappointed in you, how could you be like this..."

Behind her, the hand that had been about to close the door paused for a moment before firmly pulling it shut.

Ye Sangsang continued walking without stopping because of Zhang Xiaoxiao's words.

Once in the car, seated in the passenger seat, Ye Sangsang looked at Zhang Xiaoxiao, who was hesitating to get in.

"Not getting in? Are you planning for me to drink and drive?" she asked with a cool tone.

Zhang Xiaoxiao, frustrated and caught off guard, realized what had just happened.

She remembered it was her job, and after saying such harsh things about her boss who had the power to decide her employment fate, she felt a mix of embarrassment and regret.

Sitting in the car, she thought about the brazen Wang Ziyang.

Remembering the possibility of losing her job, she couldn't help but speak again, filled with anger. "Qi Lawyer, are you really going to let him go? Wang Ziyang is a scumbag."

She could hardly believe Qi Qin could be so infatuated!

If not for the fact that she was still an intern and they had a boss-employee relationship, she would have scolded him with, "Start with something decent!"

"You're sticking your nose into too much. The case is closed, all evidence and witnesses confirmed. Even if I spoke up now, what good would it do? You're a lawyer, not a cop. Some things, you have to learn to turn a blind eye to." Her voice was cold, clearly indicating her determination to protect Wang Ziyang.

Zhang Xiaoxiao was utterly shocked by Ye Sangsang's shamelessness. She couldn't believe this was the highly respected Qi Qin she had admired for so long.

Her voice trembled as she said, "Qi Lawyer, I... I never thought you could be like this."

"What kind of person am I? In this cutthroat world, aren't we all like this?" Ye Sangsang glanced at Zhang Xiaoxiao's back, her expression inscrutable.

Zhang Xiaoxiao was so angry her eyes reddened, and she remained silent.

[If I were Zhang Xiaoxiao, I'd be furious to death. It's like a dream shattered.]

[Whether it's a star or anyone else, don't get too close; once you do, the illusion will be shattered.]

[Not sure why Sangjie is doing this, but I feel there's a bigger plot brewing.]

Ye Sangsang remained expressionless, not saying anything else.

Regarding Zhang Xiaoxiao's words, they held no power over her.

She hadn’t skipped the timeline and chose to return to Qi Qin’s house.

Looking around the spotless, immaculate room, a sudden thought crossed her mind: Was Qi Qin the owner of more than one house?

This house seemed devoid of any personal information, feeling more like a deliberately arranged setting.

With this thought in mind, Ye Sangsang began to search through Qi Qin’s house.

As a partner in a law firm, Qi Qin, just as Ye Sangsang had suspected, had another property listed in his assets.

It was about ten kilometers away, not too distant from the current location.

The wine she had consumed earlier wasn’t enough to intoxicate her, so Ye Sangsang decided to hail a taxi and take a look.

The taxi ride took about half an hour, and by the time Ye Sangsang arrived, it was already 9:30 PM.

She looked up at the apartment complex, an older residential area with all walk-up buildings.

She paused, then proceeded inside following the system’s guidance.

The address was on the fourth floor. Ye Sangsang moved steadily, climbing all four floors in one go.

The house had a password-protected lock, requiring only the entry of the code to unlock the door.

Ye Sangsang recalled the code and entered it effortlessly.

Inside, the room was dark. She fumbled along the usual places for light switches and found them, successfully turning on the lights.

With a few clicks, the entire room illuminated.

Unlike the cold, sterile environment of the large flat she had visited earlier, this place exuded a sense of life.

Perhaps it had been unattended for about two weeks, as the furniture had gathered a thin layer of dust.

Ye Sangsang closed the door and slowly ventured inside. The room was cluttered, with decor leaning towards a yellowish tone.

It was a modest three-bedroom apartment. The living room wasn’t expansive, offering a clear view to the end.

She moved towards other areas, finding beds in the rooms.

Nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

Finally, she stepped into the study of the house.

Unlike the neat and spare study in the large flat, this one was chaotic, littered with various documents.

She surmised that this must have been the home of Qi Qin during his early days as a lawyer.

Ye Sangsang sat down and began meticulously going through the desk and drawers, examining each item.

The holographic game’s dungeon so far hadn’t been simple. Each posed a certain level of difficulty, some quite astonishingly so. Ye Sangsang’s current dungeon required her to seek out the culprit behind a case known as “The Truth.”

What exactly was the case, and who was the culprit? These were the key points.

Initially, she was lost, but after some time, she managed to piece together some clues, such as her identity.

Many players would instinctively overlook the initial identity card. In this dungeon, Ye Sangsang wasn’t a criminal, nor a victim; she was an investigator.

Paired with the lawyer’s identity, perhaps she wasn’t just passively becoming Wang Ziyang’s lawyer to uncover the truth behind his car accident, but actively becoming an investigator to uncover a truth that Qi Qin wanted to know.

Qi Qin was a steadfast, calm, elegant individual with a touch of righteousness.

After deciding to confront the matter openly, and the game dungeon not warning of an ooc (out of character) response, she had firmly established a fact:

Wang Ziyang was the prey, never the hunter.

Initially, due to her identity, Ye Sangsang had been somewhat perplexed.

It was only later that she realized there were two interpretations of being an investigator.

Ye Sangsang pondered, her hands flipping through the contents of the drawers.

Soon, she felt a yellow bullhide paper envelope containing some paper documents in the bottom drawer of the desk.

She pulled it out and set it on the table, untying the binding string around the envelope to open it and retrieve the file inside.

A thick stack of documents fell into her view. She raised an eyebrow, realizing she had a lot of work ahead of her.

Ye Sangsang began to read carefully. The documents detailed a missing person case.

A young male college student, having arrived in the city, suddenly disappeared.

Upon discovering the disappearance, the family had been anxious to find him but had come up with nothing; even the police had searched in vain.

The case, on the surface, appeared ordinary, without any obvious anomalies.

Disappearance cases, after all, number in the thousands nationwide each year.

However, since it had landed in Qi Qin’s hands, there must have been valuable leads.

Ye Sangsang turned the pages, memorizing every detail.

She also went through other items, though most were scattered fragments, with only this set contained neatly.

At this moment, Ye Sangsang was drawn to a photograph.

It was placed on the second-to-last shelf of the bookcase, positioned behind the door, where Ye Sangsang hadn’t noticed it upon entering. Sitting down, she now saw it directly in her line of sight.

She walked over, picked up the photo with slightly yellowed and curled edges, and brought it closer to her eyes.

It depicted a youthful boy, bearing the naivety of a teenager, with his single eyelids and short crew cut, his eyes clear as he gazed into the camera.

Judging by his age, he was around eighteen.

He seemed slightly familiar.

Ye Sangsang studied it closely. Then, realization dawned: this photo matched the likeness of the young male student in the missing person case files. However, the family-issued photos provided for the search were much earlier, showing him around thirteen or fourteen years old.

That’s why Ye Sangsang hadn’t recognized him at first.

Holding the photograph, Ye Sangsang had a good guess as to what Qi Qin’s true purpose was.

She brought the photo to the documents, slid open the drawer, and placed it inside, avoiding leaving it out where it might be seen.

With her goal largely achieved, Ye Sangsang left the house and returned home.

Just as she arrived home, she received a message.

On her phone, an unfamiliar number sent another text.

The content was simple: “How are you?”

At first glance, it seemed like a concerned inquiry.

But Ye Sangsang knew it meant something different.

She contemplated for a moment before typing a reply: “Fine.”

The other side responded swiftly with a simple, “Good.”

Ye Sangsang slid her finger across the screen, deleting the message.

She put the phone away and gazed at the night sky. The first message from the unknown number had been an expression of apology. Before that, the only incident Ye Sangsang had faced that required an apology was being expelled from the hospital with Zhang Xiaoxiao.

If the apology was related to that, it meant Lin Xiu from the car accident knew something and had hence apologized.

Now, the question “How are you?” was a veiled inquiry about whether everything was going smoothly.

Her reply of “Fine” was to inform the sender that things were proceeding as planned.

The reply of “Good” indicated that the other side had relaxed.

Ye Sangsang felt that the time ahead would be valuable, so she skipped over the sleep period.

When Wang Ziyang called her, she didn’t refuse. The interactions with Wang Ziyang were fairly pleasant.

Perhaps because Ye Sangsang knew his true nature, Wang Ziyang no longer pretended.

Far from the kindness he portrayed, he was a cunning and shrewd man.

His looks, slightly more handsome than the average person’s, made him quite appealing to those who liked his type.

As ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‍a deputy general manager of a construction company, even if he had initially relied on his family’s resources, being able to rise to that position later meant he wasn’t someone simple.

He even harbored a desire to toy with Qi Qin, the lawyer, choosing him specifically because Qi Qin was a homosexual. Investigations by Ye Sangsang revealed that Qi Qin and Wang Ziyang’s construction company had had some bad dealings in the past.

That lawsuit had seen Qi Qin demanding results with an iron fist.

So Wang Ziyang had schemed to wait until Qi Qin was deceived and then, after the verdict was announced during the court proceedings, reveal that piece of information to watch him fall apart.

But what Wang Ziyang hadn’t anticipated was that Qi Qin had discovered the truth early on.

Most unexpectedly, Qi Qin had actually fallen for him.

Keeping him around was merely because Wang Ziyang knew he had leverage over Qi Qin and that he still had value to exploit.

Individuals in the construction industry capable of reaching such a position were all exceptionally cunning, shrewd, and shameless.

So, regarding homosexuality, as long as there was no intimate behavior, it didn’t matter what they did.

Ye Sangsang was acutely aware of Wang Ziyang’s intentions. Her proximity to him was merely to observe his every move.

Time continued to pass.

Ye Sangsang could sense that the curtain was about to rise.

…

In a certain housing district in the south of the city, two early-morning workers began their day at a typical decoration company.

They were commissioned for the decoration of a restaurant, with all work being handled by them.

The location was a first-floor unit in the eastern corner of the district, where the first and second stories along the street served as commercial storefronts.

At eight in the morning, the mood of those heading to work was understandably sour. The two workers responsible for knocking down walls were also in low spirits.

Upon arriving at the site, they quickly spotted the supervisor.

They quickly adjusted their expressions to avoid being thought unwell and not being called to work next time.

The construction site supervisor took out a piece of chalk and led the two men to quickly mark the walls that needed to be demolished. "This is pretty much today's task. When you're done, you can leave. I don't care what time you leave."

After finishing the markings, the supervisor explained his thoughts to the two men.

The message was simple: work fast, and you can leave early; work slow, and you'll have to stay late to finish. The amount of work is fixed, whether you leave early or late is up to you.

The two men counted and found there were six walls in total.

They could knock down three walls in the morning and, if they hurried, the remaining three in the afternoon, allowing them to leave around four o'clock.

Leaving early was a great incentive, and after exchanging a glance, both men were filled with determination.

Soon, they began working on the first wall.

This was a non-load-bearing wall left by the developer, with varying thicknesses.

By noon, they had knocked down three walls.

After demolishing this wall, it would connect with the adjacent storefront, creating a spacious banquet hall.

As expected, this wall was very thick.

After half a day of hard work, they had barely made it halfway through, both gasping for breath.

The older man's nose twitched, and his eyes flickered as he looked at the younger man and said, "No, let's take a break. I need a smoke."

"Alright, let's rest for a bit," they leaned against the wall, took out their cigarette packs and lighters, lit up, and started smoking.

They chatted about various topics from here and there. Then the younger man said, "Brother Gang, I was going to say earlier, but do you not take a shower when you get home? You smell a bit... off."

"Hey, don't look down on me just because I'm from the countryside. After doing this kind of work, I shower every day when I get home. Otherwise, I'd be covered in dust and how could I sleep?" The older man frowned and looked at the younger man, "Actually, I was thinking earlier that it was you who smelled... really unpleasant."

Both men held their cigarettes, sniffed at themselves, and confirmed it wasn't their imagination.

The younger man frowned and said, "If it's not us, then where is that smell coming from? This storefront and the one next to it are both empty, with nothing inside."

"It doesn't feel like body odor. It's more like... the smell of rot," the older man commented after sniffing.

After saying this, the older man suddenly paled, as if thinking of something.

The younger man asked, "What's wrong?"

"I feel like this smell... it's a bit like... the smell of a decomposing body. When my elderly family member passed away, we secretly buried them after keeping the body at home for a few days. That's the smell..." The older man said nervously.

At that moment, he suddenly realized he had been sitting on something.

Earlier, he had felt something uncomfortable, but since it was a construction site, sitting on the ground was bound to be uncomfortable, so he didn't think much of it.

But now, he suddenly felt something was off.

Like a startled bird that has been shot with an arrow, he suddenly stood up and looked down at what was underneath.

His pupils constricted, and he wiped away the dust with his hand to reveal what was beneath.

In the next second, his hand trembled, and he opened his mouth in horror, unable to speak.

After a while, he managed to find his voice and said, "Human... human bones!"

The younger man, initially confused about what the older man was doing, sprang to his feet upon hearing this, his eyes immediately landing on the hand bone buried in the debris.

The sound of police sirens approached quickly, and the scene was swiftly sealed off.

The two men stood by silently, trembling slightly.

Seeing human bones out of the blue was really terrifying.

The younger man was only in his twenties and had never experienced such a thing before. Watching the police gradually knock down the wall and dig out the bones piece by piece, he was frightened and ran out to vomit.

The bones, perhaps because they were sealed in cement, had not completely decayed into white bones and still had some remnants of rotting flesh.

The stench was overwhelming, and the younger man ran out and vomited.

The older man, however, had calmed down and shifted his position to avoid the smell.

As the ones who discovered the crime scene, the two men were questioned extensively.

They recounted every detail of the wall demolition without omission.

Although many times, the person who discovers a crime scene is suspected, the two men in front of them clearly weren't, so the police quickly let them go.

Naturally, work was no longer an option after a murder was discovered.

The younger man had no choice but to carry his hammer and go home.

The older man glanced at the crime scene once more before turning around and leaving.

Outside, he went to a secluded spot, took out a different phone he had prepared, and dialed a number.

"Hey, I've done everything you asked. I've successfully reported it to the police, and they're currently investigating the scene." The older man said and waited for a response.

The person on the other end quickly confirmed they knew.

Soon, the older man received 50,000 yuan in payment via a text message on his other phone.

With 50,000 yuan, plus the 5,000 yuan advance payment, he could save for a year.

It wasn't something evil, and the man soon smiled and walked home with a light step.

After the man left, local media soon arrived.

A murder case involving a body sealed in cement carried its own traffic and attracted the media naturally.

Soon, local news outlets reported on the case, and many local residents commented on short video platforms.

The heat surged rapidly, even becoming a regional trending topic.

News comments brought awareness and public pressure, and many curious netizens began digging into the details.

This didn't cost money but was something many netizens were willing to do.

Eating melons, especially getting first-hand information, held great appeal for netizens.

From the owner of the community storefront to the developers of the community, to the construction companies involved, everything was unearthed by capable netizens.

The name of the East Di Construction Company appeared frequently in the comment sections of the on-site videos. Many people said they knew it was indeed the company that had undertaken the construction of that community.

A finger continuously slid through the videos, each short video localized to the area. Every three or four videos, one about the cement-sealed body would appear.

The owner of the finger would click into each video to watch, and then open the comment section to read one by one.

As the number of views increased, his hand, from finger to palm, began to shake, showing how panicked he was.

But even so, he kept watching, over and over, wanting to know the specifics.

He wanted to know if he had been exposed.

Fortunately, he hadn't been exposed, and everything was still under the surface.

But deep down, he was very clear that this was just the surface. Those police officers would quickly lock onto him, as he had been the site manager back then.

He stood up, the first thing he thought of was packing up and running.

But soon, his steps stopped.

Because he was very clear that he couldn't run, unless he fled to another country.

But now that the case had been exposed, running would be an admission of guilt, which was just too stupid.

He also wanted to gamble, to bet that the police wouldn't find out it was him.

Three years had passed since the incident, and many evidences had disappeared. The police might not be able to find out it was him.

If they couldn't find out, then he panicking and running would just tell everyone, and focus the police's attention on him, right?

"No, I can't do something so stupid, no way..." The man clenched his fists and muttered.

He took a deep breath, forced himself to calm down, and sat stiffly on the sofa.

At that moment, a "click" sound came from the dark room, and the lights suddenly filled the entire room, dispelling all the darkness.

A woman with slightly greyed temples, yet not old, slowly walked into the living room.

The man was startled and turned to look, seeing it was the woman, he sighed helplessly and called out, "Mom, you scared me to death!"

"What happened..." The woman, with sleepy eyes, asked, "Why aren't you sleeping at night and staying in the living room?"

The man naturally trusted his mother and, after hesitating for less than a second, told her about the incident.

The woman gazed at her son, starting in panic and fear, and gradually calming down.

Looking at her son who was in a state of panic, she said, "Right now, you need to find someone who is trustworthy and knowledgeable in this field to help you deal with it, so that even if the police find out about you, they can't do anything to you."

"Or, like last time, find a scapegoat."

"However, this case is different from a traffic case. The police aren't as concerned with traffic cases and they're easier to get around. So, even if you find a scapegoat, it has to be someone who is familiar with criminal investigations."

The woman looked at her son, her meaning clear.

The viewpoint shifted, and seated on the living room sofa was none other than Wang Ziyang.

He looked at his mother and realized who she was referring to. Hesitating for a moment, he asked, "Can he be trusted?"

"He knew the truth about you almost hitting someone to death in a hit-and-run, yet he still chose to protect you. I think he can be trusted," Wang Ziyang's mother thought for a moment, then added, "Just like you said, he likes you. I know you find such people repulsive, and I do too, but right now, he's your best option."

Wang Ziyang lowered his head, lost in thought.

His mother looked at him and smiled, saying, "Besides, you don't have to be so blunt this time. Just hold back, and don't say everything out loud."

"Okay, I'll listen to you," Wang Ziyang nodded in agreement.

A sigh of relief escaped him, and he even looked relieved. Luckily, he hadn't burned bridges with Qi Qin recently; otherwise, he wouldn't know where to find a trustworthy lawyer right now.

Especially since Qi Qin was one of the top criminal defense lawyers in the city. With proper handling, he was confident he could avoid being caught.

The movements of the two quickly caught the attention of another person in the house. After expressing his anger at his son's actions, he immediately agreed with his wife's suggestion.

As for his son having to deal with a homosexual, it wasn't a big deal for them.

As long as they could save their son's life, everything else was trivial. Moreover, Qi Qin didn't demand any intimate actions.

They didn't lose anything; they could just discard him after using him.

Wang Ziyang, with a solution in hand, felt refreshed and decided to find an opportunity to contact Qi Qin as soon as possible.

But deep down, he still felt a bit hesitant.

This matter was different from the car accident. The previous incident had been a momentary lapse, and although the result was bad, it could be covered up as an accident caused by overconfidence.

Although his mother advised him not to reveal everything, he wasn't sure if someone as shrewd as Qi Qin would notice something was off. After all, Qi Qin had quickly realized something was wrong during the car accident incident.

After pondering, he decided he needed to test the waters and see where Qi Qin's limits lay.

Ye Sangsang answered the phone and, after speaking, tapped her fingers on her phone.

The role of the investigator suited her perfectly.

Or rather, it suited Qi Qin.

Just as the information stated, he was exactly the same, without any errors. Or rather, the character settings within the game's instances had never been incorrect before.

Recently, Zhang Xiaoxiao had applied to intern at another law firm, and Ye Sangsang hadn't tried to keep her, so she was now going solo.

Once the case in the phone call kicked off, Ye Sangsang finally understood the full picture of the case.

Everything in front of her was designed by Qi Qin and another behind-the-scenes helper, including the car accident and Lin Xiu's involvement in it.

Their goal was simple: to gain Wang Ziyang's trust.

To uncover the truth behind a missing persons case, find the culprit, and bring them to justice.

Of course, Ye Sangsang didn't completely believe this before confirmation.

Until that phone call came in, on another phone belonging to Qi Qin.

And that evening, Qi Qin's luxurious apartment welcomed a familiar guest.

She wasn't using crutches; in fact, her injuries didn't allow her to use crutches.

She was seated in a wheelchair, wearing a mask and hat, and was pushed in.

After entering, she took off her mask and hat, revealing her dark, shining eyes looking at Ye Sangsang, "Good evening, Mr. Qi."

【Ahhh! Lin Xiu?!】

This replica (instance) always surprises me. I was wondering what that phone call was about, mentioning a corpse!

【They know each other, and they're familiar! I knew it, I suspected that Lin Xiu and Qi Qin knew each other!】

【Sob, my brain can't handle this. Can you explain what's going on, Sangsang?】

"Come in," Ye Sangsang stepped aside, allowing her to be wheeled into the living room.

She poured water for Lin Xiu and the person pushing her, placing the cups in their hands, showing no surprise on her face.

To be honest, Ye Sangsang felt this was the most challenging case for acting.

A single misstep could lead to being OOC due to not understanding the truth.

Lin Xiu drank from the cup in her uninjured hand, looking at Ye Sangsang and sighing, "I never thought we'd really make it this far."

"Compared to me, you've obviously sacrificed more," Ye Sangsang sat down, sighed, and looked at Lin Xiu with a heartbroken expression.

A car accident—

One small mistake and she could have died.

Lin Xiu's hand trembled at Ye Sangsang's words, her dark eyes filled with deep hatred.

She clenched the glass in her hand and slowly said, "As long as it achieves our goal, it's worth it to me."

"We're not here to put pressure on you; on the contrary, we want to tell you not to stress too much," said the tall, burly man who had pushed Lin Xiu in. He looked at Ye Sangsang.

In the moment their eyes met, the game's information filled Ye Sangsang's mind.

This man was the brother of the victim.

She looked at them and firmly said, "Trust me."

"Thank you," Lin Xiu lowered her head and whispered.

Ye Sangsang looked at her coldly, "There's no need. I have my own obsessions; I'm not doing this for you."

The room fell silent for a moment.

After a while, Lin Xiu softly recounted the smooth progress of their journey.

Such as hinting to Wang Ziyang about Qi Qin's identity, how Lin Xiu sacrificed herself to set up the car accident, and why they did all this.

At this moment, they were more expressing their emotions.

After venting, they knew they were about to face a tough battle.

Ye Sangsang stood by the floor-to-ceiling windows, gazing out at the heavy night sky.

The stage was fully set, waiting for the leading actors to take the stage.

The time to test their acting skills had arrived.