LWGP - Chapter 42
Chapter 42: Thrilling
"I was very young then, so logically I shouldn't have understood anything, but my mother was a prostitute, so I knew a lot. You don't have to look at me like that."
"Although she was a prostitute shared by the men in the village, she wasn't the only one. Many women in the village were. It's just that some gave birth to sons, and as they got older, they were gradually accepted as legitimate. My mother, she couldn't give birth to a son, and her husband died, so she had no money to support the family. Her status never changed."
She stated this fact in a very ordinary, nonchalant tone, which only made her seem more contradictory to everyone.
Even people like Yang Dong, who were hostile towards her, couldn't deny her excellence after having looked into her background beforehand.
But no matter how excellent she was, a person's fundamental nature couldn't change, right?
So the nonchalance she displayed at this moment seemed particularly glaring.
Hearing this, Song Yuanqiao's expression was complicated.
Back then, a significant reason they had refused to acknowledge this child was because of this fact.
No matter what, neither family could accept the daughter of a prostitute as one of their own.
This was a base human failing, but Lin Zi had disagreed.
She had insisted on her own way.
"I thought I was probably done for, that this was a bad man. But even though I was the daughter of a prostitute, I didn't want to become the little child prostitute the villagers had been calling me since I was small. But I couldn't beat him. What was I to do?"
"I put the pillow back where it was, went to the kitchen, and found the most inconspicuous, rusty little knife. A knife like that, he wouldn't normally notice if it was missing. Then I waited for him."
"Not long after, he came back, made some food, and took me to the bedroom."
"I stabbed him. The force was probably considerable; I've been strong since I was a child. He couldn't get up for a long time. I didn't even have time to pull the knife out of his body. I just unlocked the door and ran, heading for the mountain without looking back."
"I stayed in the mountains for about a year. He came up the mountain to look for me a few times, but I always managed to slip away. He probably figured I couldn't survive in the mountains, so he gradually stopped coming."
"The last time, he came again. I was fed up. I commanded the wild wolves in the mountains—oh, right, I don't deny that I'm a little monster, because it's true. I've been able to command these animals since I was a child."
"I watched him get bitten to death, eaten…"
Wang Jiu lowered her gaze to her phone and said earnestly, "See? Isn't it incredible? Do you dare have your people check that house? He died so suddenly, he probably didn't have time to clean up. There should be a basement underneath. If not, then go investigate his true identity. Actually, if he were an ordinary person, what's the point of investigating whether he's dead or not? That's a job for the local police station. You're the national Investigation Team. You should be investigating more important things, like that terrifying cave on Miao Mountain, or the disappearances in Miao Village. I don't quite understand why the case of a single person has Captain Jiang so concerned."
Jiang Qiu's voice was somewhat cold. "That's why you're a dangerous element. The identity of every citizen is something we law enforcers must protect, including their right to life. We will investigate everything you've said, but that doesn't negate your crime of murder."
He spoke with such self-righteousness, but Wang Jiu suddenly tapped the table.
Three times.
She said nonchalantly, "Because I just confessed?"
On the other end, Jiang Qiu was suddenly taken aback.
What did that mean?
"Alright, I admit it. I only confessed because I didn't want you to think my old lady was really a murderer. Actually, I didn't kill him."
"I just suddenly had regrets. My apologies."
"I believe I can be detained for a few days for obstructing an investigation, according to the law. Are you going to fly over and detain me, Captain Jiang?"
Jiang Qiu: "…"
Everyone: "…"
It was a truly suffocating move.
It was hard to tell if this person was speaking the truth or lies. Just like before, when she had tried to pin the blame on the old lady, then confessed when she couldn't get away with it, and now she was openly recanting. She was incredibly fickle.
Zhang Dongcheng was also present. His emotions had shifted several times, but he had always had a low-key presence, so no one else noticed. Perhaps only he, who had been watching Wang Jiu the whole time, had seen something.
Everyone was dumbfounded. Li Ting looked at Wang Jiu with great astonishment. He knew that the moment she had confessed, the government personnel present had already begun to quietly close in.
If she were truly a dangerous element, she should naturally be apprehended, evidence collected, and charges brought. But now, she had suddenly denied it again.
That's right!
He knew where the problem was!
Up to this point, all of them, including Jiang Qiu, had been led by the nose by her. Whether she confessed or denied it was entirely up to her, because there was absolutely no valid evidence regarding Zhou Shanren's death.
The girl was kind enough to even explain it.
"If my stated motive holds, then he was a criminal, and I was the victim. If I killed him, it was in self-defense. By the way, there should be a sharp knife next to his body; he was also prepared when he came up the mountain. How old was I then? Far from being criminally responsible. Taking a step back, even if I went to court, I could hire any lawyer—or maybe I wouldn't need to, I could refute you myself. Was the method of murder commanding wild wolves to bite him to death? That's my own admission. You have no evidence to prove I can command wild wolves. A seven-year-old child—would the judge believe it? Would the jury believe it?"
"It's been 22 years. The statute of limitations has passed. Unless there's conclusive evidence proving he was murdered, the case can't even be reopened. At most, it can only be classified as an accidental death by wild animals in the mountains."
"If he were truly an ordinary township citizen, what powerful figure would file a public prosecution on his behalf? Could it be you, Captain Jiang?"
"Speaking of which, I have a story to tell, too. Do you want to hear it?"
Jiang Qiu was probably in a very bad mood on the other end. He didn't respond, but he didn't hang up either.
"Attracted by a case of skeletal remains sparked by an internet celebrity, a fool with the surname Jiang traveled thousands of miles to a desolate mountain to investigate. His original purpose was to investigate the supernatural phenomena on the mountain, but then he was contacted by his secret second boss, who told him to stop investigating such superstitious nonsense and quickly look into a divorced young woman. He wanted to refuse, but the other party insisted, so he agreed. As fate would have it, he actually found something. He was overjoyed and excitedly called his second boss. The other party was also very happy and told him to be sure to show off these findings at the right moment. So they interrupted a very important meeting. This fool still hasn't realized one thing—the apocalypse game has arrived, cars are overturning and planes are crashing everywhere, and transportation is nearly cut off. Smart capitalists have already chartered planes to fly back to the country, and many people are rushing to the capital or their hometowns. But this fool is still excitedly digging up dirt and examining corpses in the mountains, thinking he'll surely be highly regarded by his second boss when he gets back. But he forgot two things. One, smart and ambitious people have already started figuring out how to clear more dungeons to get stronger, while he's still working for his second boss. After this illicit job, he'll most likely be exposed for his disloyalty, and he hasn't even received any concrete benefits yet. Two, the transportation issue. By the time he gets back to the capital to ask his second boss for his wages, a long time will have passed. Tell me, isn't this person laughable?"
The tone of her last sentence was identical to Jiang Qiu's earlier mockery.
Jiang Qiu was probably about to explode on the other end, just like how Yan Yanting and Xiao Jue had their worldviews shattered by Wang Jiu's provocations before.
"Wang Jiu! You're slandering an official! You just wait, you…"
Wang Jiu was not the least bit intimidated by Jiang Qiu's chilling hatred. She just smiled. "You know, communications have been having problems lately. Is it possible that some very well-connected and wealthy bad person could spend a large sum of money to bribe someone with real power at a telecommunications company headquarters to do them a small favor? Of course, government personnel definitely can't be monitored, but others can. Especially if this bad person also had some computer experts plant a trojan virus on that person's phone."
She took out her own phone, opened an audio file, and turned up the volume.
"It's done. Although there's no solid proof, it's enough to ruin the reputations of Lin Zi or that Wang Jiu. Then it won't be easy for the higher-ups to start an investigation based on Lin Zi's death, and the Young Master will be safe."
"Good. Ah Yu's side is fine. Nothing in the game can be investigated right now anyway, and even if it could be, there are no laws to convict him. I'm worried about that Wang Jiu. I'm afraid she'll take the lead. The higher-ups want to recruit her now, and you know that military unit has too much say. If she gets in…"
"I understand. She won't get in. I'll make her confess."
In the vast conference hall, filled with so many people, a dead silence fell.
Wang Jiu lowered her eyes, her fingers stroking the edge of her phone, and sighed softly. "It truly is a wonderful era. A single phone can do so many things."
There were too many talented people on that website. If she could find the seafood market and knew Chen Jun's account, she could find others to help.
She couldn't afford the people with high-level accounts, nor did she want to provoke them, but there were countless talents among the lower-level accounts, many of whom were far more capable than Chen Jun. They just wanted money.
From the moment she left the airport and got into Qi Jun's car, when she began to suspect Yang Yu, she had already started making her moves in the car.
Money, what was the point of it?
Money that was spent was money that had meaning.
You see, every sum of money had its purpose. As long as you were willing to part with it, you would get something in return.
The connections from the website plus the power of money had brought her to the current situation.
And in just a few short days, the amount of money transferred out of her account had reached eight figures.
But she didn't care.
Jiang Qiu cared! He was practically suffocating on the other end.
Wang Jiu leaned closer and spoke gently into the speakerphone, "Sorry, to prevent you from destroying the evidence in Zhou Shanren's house, I had to pin a crime on you as well. We'll be investigated together. Sharing weal and woe doesn't dishonor the fate that brought us together. Though I suspect you were already on the government's blacklist, otherwise Minister Li wouldn't have let you join this cross-departmental call so easily."
Wang Jiu pushed the phone back and smiled faintly at Li Ting. "I didn't mess things up, did I, Minister Li?"
Li Ting took the phone and gave her a light glance. "The young people today are truly remarkable. But I hope you're one of the good ones."
Her scheming ran too deep. Zhou Shanren's death was likely connected to her; she had probably done it. But as she had said, the case ultimately couldn't result in any criminal punishment for her.
Wang Jiu picked up her own phone, turned off the audio, and said flatly, "Someone willing to help the country catch bad guys, how bad can they be?"
In truth, from Li Ting's high position, he had seen all sorts of people. There were quite a few who had committed crimes but were eventually recruited because of their value. It just wasn't made public, otherwise that website community wouldn't exist.
This world was too big. Many things unknown to ordinary people didn't mean they didn't exist.
Besides, if what Wang Jiu said was true, then Zhou Shanren's death was no great loss.
Unless she had committed other crimes.
For now, what they needed to be wary of was her disposition and some oddities she hadn't mentioned, things she was hiding.
Too dangerous. A bit psychopathic.
Just as Li Ting took the phone back, a commotion could be heard from the other end. A moment later, another member of the investigation team spoke up, reporting one thing—Jiang Qiu had resisted arrest and escaped.
Arrest? So they were prepared. Otherwise, they wouldn't have acted based solely on Wang Jiu's audio and a string of suspicions.
It was just that her outburst had been unexpected and too hasty. Jiang Qiu was also prepared and had managed to escape.
"He has cleared more dungeons than reported, and his attributes are higher than expected. He injured the arresting officers and escaped."
Li Ting was quite frank in relaying this to everyone.
Hearing this, Wang Jiu pursed her lips and said lightly, "The wicked always live long."
She didn't seem to care about the escape of this "enemy." All her emotions were on the surface, making it impossible to see her true feelings.
Li Ting glanced at her. "That audio just now…"
"I'll send it to you." After Wang Jiu sent it to him, she didn't mention who Jiang Qiu's second boss was.
Although the gazes of those present swept vaguely towards a certain spot, the person in question showed no reaction.
He was keeping his cool. A true old fox of the business world.
In any case, even if it were confirmed, the final charge wouldn't be severe unless the actual amount of the bribe was found. Judging by Jiang Qiu's reaction, they had only recently connected—after the game descended, people's hearts had grown restless.
Qi Dong had a headache. Seeing Wang Jiu gave him an even bigger headache.
He thought he finally understood why his younger brother was a bit withdrawn.
"Minister Li, shall the meeting continue?"
"Of course, it will continue. I hope there will be no more disruptions from people with ulterior motives."
Li Ting's gaze swept impassively over Yang Dong and the others.
Yang Dong was noncommittal.
Jiang Qiu's existence was inconsequential to him. He couldn't have killed Wang Jiu anyway; the goal was just to prevent her from gaining power within the government.
Although the process was unexpected, the goal was fortunately achieved—the government would not recruit such an unstable element.
It was just that their side had essentially half-torn face with the government, which was not good. It felt like they had succeeded in stealing the chicken but had also knocked over the rice jar.
If the government really decided to make a move next, probably no one would find it strange, and they would be on guard and band together. After all, the Yang family had been the first to offend.
The main problem was that this Wang Jiu was too difficult to deal with.
Yang Dong looked down at his phone, his expression grim. But Zheng Yu sent him a text message: "Bro, what are you afraid of? It makes no difference. As soon as the game loads… even before it loads, I can kill her."
That was true. Yang Dong's brow relaxed a little, but he still said, "Contact Ah Yu again. This Wang Jiu is a bit strange. Make sure he hasn't fallen for her tricks."
"Okay." Zheng Yu wasn't particularly fond of Yang Yu. With his experience and insight, he could naturally see the ambition and jealousy in that little brat's eyes. But he didn't care much. What he wanted right now was his friendship with Yang Dong.
Though the equipment on that kid was pretty good.
A dark look flashed in Zheng Yu's eyes. He agreed and continued to call Yang Yu, but the call never went through.
Something wasn't right. Other people's phones were working, but that kid's wasn't? Was there a problem with his phone?
At this moment, Li Ting returned to the podium and began to play the records on the large screen. These were all incidents left over from dungeons that had been experienced.
"This one is from the incident at the capital's airport. It was filmed from a distance, so it's not very clear. But you can see this mini-boss. It's a Level 2 Grey Monster, which is very low-level, but its skin is bulletproof. Do you think it's easy to deal with? But it also has a weakness. Once the weakness is found, every single person here can kill it."
Wang Peng thought: That's not necessarily true. I can't.
Of course, Li Ting was referring to the elites, including Wang Jiu. But it wouldn't be good to point that out specifically and embarrass those with weaker combat power.
"There are also more powerful ones, like Bronze-grade, or those already at level five or six. I don't know if any of you have encountered them, but my military has. For example…"
Before he could finish, the sound from the screen suddenly changed. It became the terrified screams of humans, followed by shocked gasps from the entire audience.
Oh, he could tell it was the audio from the video on the big screen behind him. It was indeed shocking, but he had made this "PPT." Why did this sound seem a bit unfamiliar?
Li Ting turned around and was stunned by what he saw on the screen.
On the screen was a large, abandoned factory. Sunlight streamed in through holes in the corrugated iron roof. In the wide-open space, a huge black spider made a domineering entrance.
This was not a dungeon they had collected footage of.
It was so high-definition, the filming technique was so good, with shots from every angle, it looked like a damn edited movie clip.
Most importantly, this giant spider… no one from the military had experienced this or submitted any material on it!
Just as Li Ting and the other officials were in shock, the camera zoomed in, and they clearly saw the giant spider attacking three people.
No, it was two people now.
One person had been pierced through the body by its terrifying spider leg, and then its mouthparts stabbed into their head… just like drinking bubble tea, and at the end, swallowing a pearl (eyeball)?
The bloody scene was a shock to the system.
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