“I didn’t……”
“Stop. Let me finish first. I’ll let you speak once I’m done.” Number 10, Liu Qingzhu, interrupted Zhang Huiran who was about to explain.
He flicked the ash from his cigarette and continued, “Everyone knows that because I exposed Number 2 Zhang Huiran’s lie on the very first day, she hates me fiercely.
Just like now, Number 3 hasn’t accused me of being the killer, but this Zhang Huiran immediately pinned it on me. Why? Because we already suspected her. She’s scared we’ll vote her out, so she wants to find a scapegoat.”
“No… no…” The woman’s face changed drastically. It was clear she wasn’t good at twisting words.
“Quiet, listen to me first.” Number 10 Liu Qingzhu interrupted again, pointing at the scantily dressed woman before speaking once more, “She’s trying to find a scapegoat, and she personally hates me a lot since I exposed her lies.
So last night, when she took action, she deliberately tampered with my chair, pretending I had sat there. But look, I’m sitting here in Number 1’s seat right now, and nothing’s happened.
If I were the killer, why would I come sit in my own designated spot? Besides, when we first came down, we immediately saw my chair wasn’t placed properly. Isn’t a crooked chair a pretty obvious sign?
Would a killer not notice that? If I were the killer, I’d just fix the chair—why leave such a stupid blunder? Also, does everyone remember what Number 3, Qian Min, said just now?”
Everyone was thinking, but no one responded.
Even Qian Min himself wasn’t sure which exact words the old man meant.
Seeing no one answer, Number 10 continued, “Qian Min said in Room 15 that two people actually attacked and killed, another was outside watching, and among the two who didn’t attack, one was the strategist while the other is missing.
But can you think about why one person is missing?”
No one could answer his question.
Everyone had fallen into his rhythm, waiting for him to continue.
Taking another drag from his cigarette, Liu Qingzhu raised his voice, “Because that one is a woman! Number 15 was strong and muscular.
As a weak woman, Number 2 Zhang Huiran couldn’t do much, so she just stayed in the hall to create confusion and deceive us.
She knew her identity was exposed.
If she didn’t do something, she’d definitely be voted out during the day.
So she deliberately picked a scapegoat to frame.
There are four killers, but everyone else is innocent.
The others killed Number 15 and could survive the next day’s vote.
But Number 2 Zhang Huiran is different—she can’t guarantee survival even if she kills someone.
For her, killing or not killing doesn’t matter; what matters is clearing suspicion to stay alive.”
Did Number 3 Qian Min really say that?
Everyone began to recall, though even Qian Min couldn’t accurately remember every word he had said.
Room 15 was terrifying; everyone was too scared to remember what anyone said. So no one contradicted Number 10.
“It’s not me. I didn’t leave my room at all last night. I didn’t do this! Really, it wasn’t me!” Number 2 Zhang Huiran started her pale defense.
This time, no one interrupted her, letting her shout in vain. Number 1 Zhou Wei turned his face away, unwilling to look at her.
Number 3 moved farther away, wanting no contact with this woman. Number 10 Liu Qingzhu, cigarette dangling from his lips, headed toward the public bathhouse without pursuing further.
At this point, it was enough. Saying more might raise suspicion or cause resentment. The idea of “knowing when to stop” meant exactly this.
Watching that still disheveled figure, Number 3 chose not to follow but went in the opposite direction toward the kitchen.
The others dispersed as well.
Number 2 stubbornly followed Number 1, knowing Zhou Wei was the leader of this small group. Gaining his support meant a strong chance of avoiding the vote-out.
But Zhou Wei’s attitude was very cold, seemingly wanting to distance himself from Zhang Huiran.
Number 12 followed Number 3, joining the small team led by Number 3. There used to be a Number 15 in this group, but sadly, that muscular man was already killed.
So Number 3 Qian Min was a bit nervous today, hoping to prove his value to earn some say. How well that went was hard to tell.
However, things had changed. When Number 10 Liu Qingzhu began sparring with Number 2 Zhang Huiran, Qian Min, despite knowing the old man’s reasoning was shaky, didn’t refute him.
Rather than exposing who the killer was, he now cared more about surviving today’s vote. For that, Number 2 Zhang Huiran going out was the best outcome, since she belonged to Number 1’s team.
Weakening that big group was necessary.
He felt uneasy.
Even if he wanted to check the public bathhouse for clues, he had no heart to go.
Every time he saw Number 10’s frustrated face, he clenched his teeth in anger.
That old man was just too composed, as if he controlled everything.
It was this indifferent attitude that annoyed Number 3 Qian Min. So when the crooked chair was found in the hall, he merely mentioned it, knowing it was framing, and didn’t directly call him the killer.
Yet he never expected Number 2 Zhang Huiran to jump out and ruin it for herself.
Thinking back, Qian Min suddenly wondered if this was a trap set by Number 10 Liu Qingzhu himself.
What if he really was the killer, and last night he deliberately messed with his own chair, calculating that Number 2 would jump out? Then he could send her to hell?
Impossible, impossible.
Qian Min was startled by his own thoughts.
A trap using his own life for bait was too crazy.
Was it necessary to go this far just to take out Number 2? Why was the old man so eager to eliminate her? Could it be…
His mind flashed back to the incident yesterday when the group went to the bathhouse.
Numbers 10 and 12 went to the women’s bath, while Number 2 went to the men’s side.
Could it be… Could it be that the old man used to be a woman? Had a grudge against Number 2 Zhang Huiran? That’s why he targeted her? If that guess was right, maybe they were even in the same QQ group?
Qian Min’s mind was in turmoil as he struggled to find any logic in Number 10 Liu Qingzhu’s actions. Like Hua Ru, two opposing camps seemed equally trapped by the disheveled old man.
Even scheming Hua Ru couldn’t figure out his logic, thinking the guy was just messing around, switching between loud and quiet tactics, making his moves unpredictable.
But if he was really just causing chaos, Number 2 Zhang Huiran was too dead meat. Placing himself in her shoes, Qian Min wasn’t sure he could come out on top of the old man’s twisted arguments.
So both Hua Ru and Qian Min feared Number 10 for now.
Voting him out would be ideal; if not, then don’t confront him directly yet. The old man’s suspicion was significant.
Once Number 2 was out, next up would be him.
Qian Min’s urge to check the bathhouse for clues was suppressed because of that man’s presence.
The murder scene of Number 15 was so bloody that the killer’s body must have blood on them.
That meant they’d need to wash up or clean clothes at the bathhouse, where clues might be found.
But since the old man was there, he didn’t want to come into contact.