Chapter 9: The Second Game Quest

From the map, Ye Sansan could clearly see that the small courtyard rented by Sun Bin was neither too close nor too far from Zhou Qiang’s location.

Only five kilometers away, it would take about ten minutes by taxi.

Such a distance held advantages no matter what she intended to do.

If Ye Sansan guessed correctly, the other two individuals’ residences wouldn’t differ much from Zhou Qiang’s location.

The only unknown was whether they would flee later on.

That likely depended on when they found out that Wang Shun had been murdered out of vengeance.

This time, Ye Sansan’s visit was mainly to trigger the mission and confirm the next step in the game.

This kind of mission, with a hint of free exploration, greatly piqued her interest.

It was said that the real culprit hadn’t been caught yet, though the reason was unclear.

“Next up is Zhou Qiang? That name sounds familiar.”

“The first mission Ye Sansan drew was already hell mode.”

“With Ye Sansan’s stamina, it would be tough to complete this mission if it gets triggered.”

The viewers immersed in the livestream discussion watched Ye Sansan’s side profile as she drove.

They had thoroughly unraveled that there was more hidden inside this mission.

Knowing clearly that other tasks existed within the scenario and that the targets were all tough opponents, the netizens doubted whether Ye Sansan could pull it off.

As for the mission involving killing Wang Shun, Ye Sansan was just taking a shortcut.

An extremely difficult mission, with a strength level of three—essentially powerless.

And to restore the murder details as closely as possible, it was simply beyond human capability.

Ye Sansan was unaware of the viewers’ thoughts; she had already arrived at Zhou Qiang’s residence.

Zhou Qiang, compared to Wang Shun, was somewhat wealthier, living in a relatively bustling residential complex. Its gray facade was crossed by hanging wires, and all the buildings were seven stories tall.

Outside the complex was a lively commercial street.

She parked the car by the roadside, got out, and walked to a tobacco and alcohol shop to buy a pack of Red Pagoda Hill cigarettes.

Leaning against the car door afterward, her eyes glanced sideways at the gate of the residential complex.

Compared to Sun Bin himself, Ye Sansan faced many more difficulties.

Sun Bin had all the information and had already made plans, whereas Ye Sansan didn’t even know what the mission target looked like and had to trigger the mission first before making further plans.

Though Ye Sansan was quite patient, she waited around nearby for three hours at different times before seemingly getting close enough to Zhou Qiang to trigger the in-game mission.

Yet even for Ye Sansan, this mission revealed a somewhat reluctant expression.

The moment the mission appeared in the game livestream, the chat exploded instantly.

“Wow, they’re talking about slitting the veins and flaying alive.”

“I’m starting to wonder what kind of grudge Wang Shun, Zhou Qiang, and Sun Bin have in real life to take it this far.”

“This actually happened in reality! No wonder the case files haven’t been made public for so many years.”

Yes, from the game mission and the photos provided, Zhou Qiang died after being drained of blood at home and then having his skin cut open piece by piece.

In the photos, his entire body resembled a fish, with his skin appearing like scales arranged in arc-shaped wounds.

The sight was ghastly, unrecognizable, drenched in blood, and utterly inhuman.

Without a great grudge, one simply wouldn’t use such brutal means.

The flood of comments speculated endlessly on the underlying reasons.

Ye Sansan sat in the car, holding a cigarette, staring at the photos in silence.

She wasn’t feeling sympathy for Zhou Qiang, but such methods were an extraordinary form of revenge.

Previously, she had tried to understand Sun Bin’s thoughts and discovered that he was actually quite a refined person in daily life.

From the home’s layout and the couple’s conversations, both had gentle, even somewhat lethargic temperaments.

This gentleness and refinement stemmed from their upbringing and education.

Typically, such people rarely displayed intense emotions outwardly.

Yet their method of avenging Wang Shun and Zhou Qiang was cold and cruel.

This was definitely not innate cold-bloodedness or antisocial personality disorder, as she herself had been diagnosed with such traits. As someone with that diagnosis, she was certain they were not like that.

With her eyelids heavy, she wondered what kind of event could push two people to such ruthlessness.

If she wasn’t mistaken, these two had previously held respectable jobs in the eyes of society.

So what could possibly be worth abandoning everything for?

Ye Sansan was filled with questions and the scene before her was shrouded in mystery.

Should she wait for Wei Qingzheng to provide explanations, or should she take the initiative to seek the truth herself?

Ye Sansan began to hesitate for the first time.

She reached out and swiped the virtual screen glowing faintly blue in front of her.

It was densely packed with details.

The estimated time of attack, the handling methods, the spotless crime scene.

After reading it all, she suddenly felt a spark of interest.

Why not ask Zhou Qiang?

Since Wang Shun couldn’t provide answers, maybe Zhou Qiang could reveal something.

At this thought, her eyes flickered with excitement and anticipation filled her heart.

Hesitate?

That was inconceivable to her. First, this was a completely virtual world; second, she wasn’t emotionally invested in it.

As a player, if she spent too much emotional energy on it, she would lose much of the fun.

So first, she needed a sufficiently sharp knife.

And it had to be an ordinary one.

Next, she explored the route to Zhou Qiang’s home. According to the game’s information, Zhou Qiang lived in Building 12, second floor, unit 201, on the southeast corner of the complex.

The second floor had a platform, which Zhou Qiang had specifically chosen when buying the house.

That platform had become his death warrant.

According to the system’s info, the killer climbed up from a small protrusion on the first floor to the second floor and entered Zhou Qiang’s home.

Under the cover of night, the killer bound Zhou Qiang to the bed.

Then, slitting the arteries in his limbs, letting him experience life fading away with the flow of blood.

Before the blood drained completely, the killer flayed him.

Leaving him to perish in excruciating agony.

The final cut was a knife to the carotid artery—a deliberate finishing blow delivered even after the victim was lifeless.

Just like with Wang Shun, who had been struck seven or eight times with a hammer after death.

The main purpose was likely to vent anger.

Ye Sansan guessed that the police suspected both murders were committed by the same person, not only because the four knew each other but also due to the post-mortem cruelty to vent rage.

She replayed the scenes she had seen in her mind repeatedly, a slight smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.

“She’s coming, she’s coming, with her twisted ways again.”

“A blood letter from a fan—please, Ye Sansan, don’t laugh. Can I call you Sister Sang?”

“+10086, sobbing, a beauty yet a freak!”

Ye Sansan analyzed the situation, and the audience enthusiastically joined the discussion.

Just as the conversation was going well, Ye Sansan suddenly smiled, and the livestream chat exploded again.

Because they realized the streamer was even more twisted than the twisted.

Her smile was eerie, as if she was about to pull off something big the next moment.

After smiling, Ye Sansan began to scout every major and minor road nearby.

Watching the night gradually darken, she returned to the small rented courtyard.

When she entered, Sun Bin’s wife was still sitting on the cramped sofa in the living room.

Her aura was incongruous with the shabby, dilapidated room; dusk shadowed her face, while her eyes carried the indifferent hatred Ye Sansan had seen before.

She instinctively sensed the woman’s sorrow.

“I’m going out for a bit. You should rest early today,” Ye Sansan said, not to comfort but merely echoing what Sun Bin’s personality would dictate.

If it weren’t for Ye Sansan impersonating Sun Bin, the woman would have just coldly walked aside, ignoring any emotional concerns.

Sun Bin’s wife, Lin Shu, lifted her eyes. Gray strands clung near her temples as her gaze fixed on Ye Sansan. “Don’t disappoint me.”

Ye Sansan said nothing, turning back toward the kitchen to retrieve a common, single-edged slicing knife.

About twenty-five centimeters long, clean, without any chips.

Clearly, this kitchen knife had never been used for cooking.

Socks, gloves, ropes—those were enough.

This time, she did not plan to drive.

Although the game data did not specify how the killer reached the scene, Ye Sansan was certain a taxi was out of the question.

If anyone witnessed it, the police would immediately lock onto the taxi as a key clue.

She did not want to be targeted too soon.

If Wei Qingzheng suspected something and the police began close surveillance, completing the mission would become far too difficult.

Based on the route she had scouted, Ye Sansan chose to advance along deserted side paths.

It was two o’clock in the morning when she left.

Just as she stepped out the door, she glanced back, reaching into her pocket to tuck away a slightly yellowed photo.

She stepped into the darkness.

She expected to arrive around three o’clock, the time when people were most drowsy and deeply asleep.

“Hahaha, watch Sister Sang with stamina level 3 climbing walls.”

“Betting on whether Sister Sang can pull it off!”

“You guys are so bad yet love to play—mocking her but scared to death.”

The chat erupted into chaos, taking advantage of Ye Sansan’s obliviousness to the barrage of comments.

Some even joked about waiting to see her fail and restart.

Ye Sansan, feeling bored, opened the chat and saw exactly this kind of chaos.

“You guys... really unexpected... ah...” she commented after focusing on the chat.

“!!!”

“She’s coming! She’s coming!”

“Sob, Sister Sang, we were wrong.”

Suddenly hearing Ye Sansan interact, the chatroom erupted in wails.

Ye Sansan looked on and smiled softly. “Everyone, don’t be too scared. I don’t kill people in real life.”

The chat fell silent…

Her words only made them more afraid.

With a smile curling her lips, she continued to tease them.

Amid the chaos in the livestream chat, she arrived at the designated location.

Looking at the platform that clearly required some effort to climb, Ye Sansan donned gloves and a mask, wrapped her feet carefully, and after confirming no one was watching, began to climb.

The small protrusions suitable for climbing were minimal, so Ye Sansan had to use the tangled wires for leverage to ascend.