Chapter 8: Waiting at Ease for the Weary

The three deduction enthusiasts who adored cosplay entered the carriage one after another. Each wore an expression as wilted as frostbitten eggplants, their faces drooping with dejection and defeat.

Not far away, the director discreetly signaled Lin Bing with a glance. Lin Bing, ever perceptive and quick-witted, understood at once. Rising gracefully, she flashed a professional, sweet smile and approached them.

“So, detectives, have you made any new discoveries?”

The three exchanged glances, still looking dispirited. The man known as “Holmes,” ranked fourth on the leaderboard, wore his signature deerstalker hat, which now seemed to have lost its shine. His tone barely contained a simmering frustration.

“Clues?” he said. “The locked room was utterly empty. We found nothing of value.”

His voice rose sharply, full of resentment. “I suspect the only—and most crucial—piece of evidence has already been reduced to ashes by our friend, the ‘corpse.’”

His grievance was clear, barely concealed between the lines.

Chen Yu shrugged languidly, his expression one of utter innocence, tinged with just the right amount of aggrieved helplessness. “Perhaps,” he suggested, “we should let the young man who spent the longest time in the locked room speak first?”

This came from the seventh-ranked contestant, “Bubble Girl,” dressed in gothic lolita style. She waved her tablet, looking far more energetic than the others, seemingly undeterred by the predicament.

Chen Yu stroked his chin, words whirling in his mind as he pondered how to convey the reconstructed scene without revealing the existence of his system.

“Well…” he began tentatively, uncertainty coloring his voice, “I personally think there’s a possibility… that this whole thing might simply be an accident.”

“Oh? How so?” The “Pipe,” a youthful uncle ranked sixth, who had been silently fiddling with his pipe, finally lifted his head, his deep gaze settling on Chen Yu.

Seeing he’d captured everyone’s attention, Chen Yu continued to unfold his theory.

“Think about it—could there have been such a scenario? On a pitch-black night, amid wind and rain, Mr. Luo Xiangdong arrives alone at this remote, locked chamber. Suddenly—bang!—a heavy iron door is slammed shut by a fierce, unexpected gust. The tremendous impact knocks down the already loose latch outside with a clatter. And thus, he is accidentally trapped inside.”

Pipe’s eyebrows shot up, his voice incredulous. “Are you suggesting that this case, which shook the entire River City—the disappearance of a prominent entrepreneur—was merely… an accident?”

“Incorrect!” Bubble Girl’s clear voice rang out as she abruptly raised her tablet. On the screen appeared pages of detailed data.

“I just checked River City’s historical climate records from eleven years ago. The year Luo Xiangdong disappeared, River City was in the midst of a once-in-a-century drought, with virtually no rainfall all year!”

“So your so-called ‘stormy night’ couldn’t have possibly occurred!”

“Uh…” Chen Yu blinked, not ready to give up, steering the conversation further.

“Well, what about wind? Even without rain, there could still have been windy nights, right?”

“Wind?” Holmes snorted openly, his gaze behind the glasses filled with condescending disdain.

“How do you expect to verify the wind conditions from eleven years ago?”

“We were invited for rigorous logical deduction, not to listen to your fanciful storytelling!”

His tone grew harsher, even stepping closer, exerting a palpable pressure.

“Kid, mind your words and actions!”

“If your age and the timeline didn’t mismatch, I’d even suspect you were the real culprit, returning after eleven years to destroy evidence!”

“Why?” Chen Yu feigned surprise, his eyes flashing with mischief.

“Because you deliberately destroyed the only critical piece of evidence on site! Now we’re at a total standstill!”

“Tch!” Chen Yu scoffed, unable to keep from laughing. Survival is instinct, isn’t it? In that situation, who would care if something was so-called ‘evidence’?

The atmosphere in the carriage grew tense at Holmes’ accusations.

Lin Bing, standing aside, felt a thrill deep in her eyes.

There it was—this was the effect the show needed!

Such fierce clashes between contestants were always a ratings goldmine for “Reopening Old Cases.”

Meanwhile, the livestream’s comment section had already exploded.

“The resurrection team is awesome! What’s wrong with my brother surviving on his own?!”

“Exactly! Those old-timers have no skill, just blame others! Disgusting!”

“Can the rabid fans upstairs calm down? This is a serious investigative show! Holmes is right, he’s guilty and destroyed the evidence on purpose!”

“Right! I think he’s the murderer!”

Chen Yu caught sight of the barrage out of the corner of his eye, twitching a smile.

When did… he become “someone else’s brother”?

This generation of netizens really knew how to play.

“Alright then.” Chen Yu withdrew his gaze, shrugged lazily, and broke the silence in the carriage with a playful smile.

“If everyone insists on treating this as a criminal case, let’s discuss it openly.”

He scanned the room, his gaze finally settling on Holmes.

“If there really is a culprit in this case, in the eyes of you detectives… who is the most likely suspect?”

His words brought a momentary pause to Holmes, Pipe, and Bubble Girl.

Chen Yu didn’t rush them. He simply leaned back in his chair, tapping the armrest idly, waiting quietly.

Go on, deduce! Aren’t you all supposed to be top-tier deduction experts?

Based on everything he’d reconstructed so far, the conclusion was still an accident. But if they could raise any constructive doubts, he’d be happy to investigate further.

In the corner, Yan Zheng, who had been watching coldly, couldn’t help cursing Chen Yu internally.

“Sly devil!”

This tactic of waiting for others to move first was executed flawlessly.

This kid was definitely not a genuine deduction enthusiast here for the show. His adaptability was strong, but as for true crime-solving skills… that’s not something just anyone can possess!

But he certainly had a grasp on human nature and the dynamics of the scene.

Time ticked by.

Holmes, being the highest-ranked among the trio, obviously couldn’t remain silent for long.

He adjusted his deerstalker hat and spoke in a low, firm voice.

“Though it’s premature to draw conclusions now, that doesn’t stop us from making some rational, evidence-based conjectures.”

His gaze sharpened as he slowly swept over everyone in the carriage.

At last, his eyes passed through the group and settled on the direction of the control booth.

“With the extremely limited clues at hand, I believe…”

Holmes’ voice dropped to a whisper.

“The most likely suspect is—”

“Ms. Liu Hong!”