Huang Peiyu and Zhuang Mo were left utterly speechless.
They'd heard of people courting death, but this was… next level self-destructive.
Zhuang Mo whispered, "Didn't those people know that doing something like that could kill them?"
"Of course they did," Wu Qiong replied. "But not everyone died. Some were saved in time. For some... this was seen as an extreme challenge, like bungee jumping or base jumping—testing the edge of life and death."
Huang Peiyu thought for a moment.
"So, according to you, Chairman Chang had alcohol in his system because someone used this… absurd method?"
"No." Wu Qiong shook his head firmly. "The alcohol in Chairman Chang's body was ingested through his mouth."
Both officers looked at him, completely lost. His logic made no sense to them.
Wu Qiong elaborated:
"Modern pharmaceutical technology is quite advanced. Capsules come in different types, each designed to dissolve in a specific part of the digestive tract.
"They're all swallowed through the mouth, but some dissolve in the stomach, some in the small intestine, and some even in the rectum.
"Chairman Chang had several chronic conditions. He was a regular patient at our hospital. He had moderate fatty liver disease and came in every month for a check-up and a fresh prescription.
"He had to take pills daily. If someone swapped one of his usual pills for a capsule filled with alcohol—engineered to dissolve in the rectum—it would be completely feasible."
Silence fell over the room.
Huang Peiyu was busy analyzing the plausibility of Wu Qiong's explanation—and at the same time, weighing whether Wu Qiong might actually be the killer.
Up to this point, Wu Qiong still remained the prime suspect. Even if he hadn't committed the murder himself, he had to be somehow connected to the killer.
And yet... if someone had indeed used this method to kill Chairman Chang, and Wu Qiong was truly involved, why would he reveal the entire process so clearly?
Was he trying to deflect suspicion, or was he attempting to direct police attention toward the real killer?
Whatever the reason, Wu Qiong had now effectively distanced himself from the crime.
In fact, it felt like he'd used someone else's hand to commit murder—and now he'd turned around and handed the murder weapon straight to the police.
But who was the killer? Wu Qiong was wondering that, too.
Since the incident, he had the distinct feeling that some invisible hand was dragging him toward the center of it all. He was supposed to be nothing more than a witness—yet the evidence kept pointing subtly toward him.
Just as Bai Qing had said the night before:
"Look at the autopsy report, and you'll know the truth."
Everything unfolded exactly as Bai Qing predicted. But now Wu Qiong found himself lumped in with the suspects.
Because in this era, there was probably only one person who would think of such a strange method for murder—himself.
Wu Qiong glanced at Huang Peiyu and saw a storm brewing in the veteran detective's eyes.
Yep… he's starting to think I'm the killer.
Huang Peiyu took a breath and changed the subject:
"Daoist Wu, have you told this story to anyone else?"
"I have, in the past," Wu Qiong answered honestly. "But not in recent decades."
That answered Huang Peiyu's biggest question.
He still didn't know exactly what role Wu Qiong had played in this case—but at least now, he knew the real cause of death.
"Sorry for troubling you so many times, Daoist Wu."
Huang Peiyu's words were polite, but his tone remained cold and guarded.
Wu Qiong didn't take it personally. He courteously walked the officers out of his office, his public manners flawless.
But the moment he returned to his office, Wu Qiong shouted at the top of his lungs:
"Chahua! Chen Chahua! Where the hell are you?!"
He searched the entire Whale Fall City compound and couldn't find her. In fact, now that he thought about it… he hadn't seen her all morning.
Meanwhile…
Chen Chahua was sitting in the University of Space Federation President's office, face soaked with tears.
"I'm never going back to Whale Fall City again! That place is too humiliating!"
"Aiya, my little Chahua!"
He Shoucheng, her uncle, dropped all pretense of dignity. Hands clasped together in mock prayer, he bowed toward his niece.
"Now that Chairman Chang is dead, our biggest obstacle is gone. You just need to stay in Whale Fall City another six months, and then that place will belong to our family!"
"So what?" Chahua snapped. "It'll be your asset, not mine!"
"Isn't that the same thing?"
He Shoucheng had dropped his facade. Gone was the upright gentleman—what remained was a calculating businessman.
"Your mother is my blood sister, and you're my beloved niece. Have I ever treated you poorly?"
To be fair, he hadn't.
For all his two-faced behavior in public, He Shoucheng treated his family exceptionally well.
Chahua had been raised under his strict guidance. While he wasn't a moral role model himself, he'd always demanded excellence from her.
So much so that a fake villain had raised a genuine virtuous scholar. Academically and ethically, Chahua was flawless.
Her only real shortcoming was that she loved throwing tantrums in front of her uncle—who always caved in the moment she teared up.
As He Shoucheng was still scheming how to persuade her back to Whale Fall City, an urgent knock rang out at the door!
Whoever it was, they were clearly in a rush—the banging was thunderous.
"Come in!"
He Shoucheng signaled his niece to stop sobbing.
The door burst open, and Mrs. Mylah—the president's secretary—stormed in.
"President He, urgent news! Chairman Chang's eldest son, Chang Hao, has filed an application with the court to inherit his father's Player One account!"
"What?!"
He Shoucheng leapt from his seat.
"We finally got rid of a Player One, and now another one pops up? What's the court saying?"
"They've accepted the case. A ruling might come as early as next month."
It was all too sudden. Even Chahua forgot to cry.
She and her uncle sat frozen, eyes wide with disbelief.
"It's fine," He Shoucheng muttered, trying to stay calm.
"We have one month. Chahua, get back to Whale Fall City. Report anything suspicious to me immediately. I'm going to contact the other major families. We have to solve this Player One issue within a month."
Chahua pouted.
"Can I at least switch jobs? I don't want to be the old Daoist's assistant anymore…"
This time, He Shoucheng didn't budge.
"If you stop being his assistant, how will you gather intel? Do you know how much work it took to get you that position?
"If you quit in the morning, by afternoon, one of the other families will have someone in your place!"
Seeing her uncle's rare display of firmness, Chahua hesitated.
"Besides," He Shoucheng added slyly, "if another woman becomes his assistant, what if the old monster falls for her instead? Then you'd really be out of luck."
That hit the mark.
He Shoucheng knew his niece like the back of his hand.
Chahua sulked in silence… then finally, reluctantly, agreed to return to Whale Fall City.
As soon as she left, He Shoucheng grabbed his coat and rushed out the door with his secretary in tow.