There's definitely something wrong with this murder mystery game

"What exactly happened outside just now?"

Xu Shuo said, and turned to walk out of the bedroom to look down the hallway, but it was pitch-black, with only a faint smell of blood wafting over.

He frowned and covered his nose.

The Capital Commandant scanned the bedroom with one glance, guessing that someone tried to use the dim light from outside to see clearly inside after the power outage since the curtains were open, the beddings were somewhat messy, and there was a medical book on the bedside table.

Everything was cleverly disguised.

He sneered and said, "Does Doctor Kong truly not know what happened just now?"

Xu Shuo, stunned, turned his head back: "What?"

However, as soon as he turned around, his forehead was forcefully pressed against by the barrel of a gun, the muzzle still slightly hot to the touch, bringing a pungent gunpowder smell.

The room fell silent, and the dim light from the window cast upon the two of them, clearly outlining their silhouettes.

A faint blood scent emanated from the Capital Commandant, carrying a sharpness indicative of a bloodlust, marking him as particularly dangerous, although his dark blue military uniform was still impeccably neat.

The Capital Commandant stared at him expressionlessly, "Would you like me to explain in detail what happened just now, Doctor Kong?"

Xu Shuo's expression darkened, and he spoke displeasedly, "Capital Commandant, speak if you have something to say. But I hope, as the Major Commandant of the Empire's Thirteenth District's military zone, that you will live up to your status and handle matters justly."

He spoke deliberately, his direct gaze showing no signs of fear.

"Is that so."

The Capital Commandant remained expressionless, but his voice was tinged with sarcasm, "Doctor Kong, you secretly colluded with my deputy, disrupted the electricity main switch at the hotel, and arranged to rendezvous here. Were you planning to take advantage of the chaos to handover the distribution map of the troops in the Thirteenth District?"

Xu Shuo was slightly surprised, "Deputy?"

"Don't play dumb." The tone of the Capital Commandant intensified as he stared coldly, "Last night, after you stole the map, you used a signal to meet up with the contact person at the Five-star Hotel, right?

"Yet today, the informant who had just passed the information to us was suddenly killed here, which clearly indicates that there was an infiltrator in my Commandant Mansion.

"The other party knew about your contact's betrayal, so they came early to take care of him, but it's obvious they couldn't confirm your identity and retreat in time, giving our military zone the opportunity to lock down the hotel.

"Afterwards, because the hotel was sealed off, you couldn't take the item and leave quietly, which is why the deputy had to reveal himself.

"All this I'm saying; it's all correct, isn't it?"

He spoke calmly, his eyes closely observing the man before him.

Xu Shuo indeed had a strange expression. He raised his hands and said, "Hearing you out, I've got an idea of what's going on, but I have a question."

The Capital Commandant stayed silent, watching him.

Xu Shuo continued, "If I had already handed over the item to your deputy amidst the chaos just now, then where is the deputy now?"

"Ha, he ran off, I assume." The Capital Commandant sneered.

"Then why didn't I run?" Xu Shuo's eyes showed puzzlement, "Why didn't I leave with him?"

The barrel of the gun still pressed against the forehead of the man in front, not moving an inch, while the gun-wielding Capital Commandant drew closer to him gradually.

The usually expressionless face suddenly twisted into a grim smile.

He spoke softly, "Because you surely had some other purpose, and you, you're betting on whether I can discover your identity."

Xu Shuo knitted his brows, staying silent.

The Capital Commandant abruptly withdrew his expression, speaking coldly, "Too bad, I completely know your modus operandi."

Neat and orderly footsteps rang out from the staircase.

It was likely the military's reinforcements arriving after discovering the chaotic situation at the hotel.

At this moment, whether it was the dark environment, the lingering smell of gunpowder and blood, the overwhelmingly oppressive officer before him, or the arrival of the large military detachment—all felt like a heavy hammer smashing down, exerting immense pressure on one's chest.

He seemed to have a winning hand, his cold and heartless eyes looking as if he was viewing an ant struggling in its death throes.

However, Xu Shuo, despite his strange expression, showed not a trace of panic or fear. What seemed peculiar to him was only the irrationality of the other party's speculation.

Xu Shuo tilted his head, "But aside from me, anyone in the hotel could be a suspect, right? Why do you think it's me? Surely you're not just arbitrarily capturing someone to take the blame because you can't find the murderer and fear being held accountable by the Great General?"

The Capital Commandant looked at him indifferently, "Do you want evidence?"

"Could it be that the troops in the Thirteenth District can just arrest anyone without evidence?" Xu Shuo looked even more puzzled at him.

"You should be very aware of what identity your contact would have. He has always been looking for a doctor who could cure him, and your identity happens to fit, providing enough reason for a meeting and exchange," the Capital Commandant said.

"Just these reasons? Don't you think that there are more than just me as a doctor who was kept in the hotel today?"

"As it turns out, you're the only one," the Capital Commandant sneered.

"But..."

Xu Shuo, stroking his chin, said, "This evening, when I was dining in the lobby, I struck up a conversation with a lady. She said her husband was also an Ancient Medicine Physician like me, and she was somewhat involved with medical knowledge as well. Furthermore, do you really think the doctor's identity matters so much? There weren't a few people coming to the hotel today..."

As he finished speaking, the gun pressed against his forehead suddenly exerted more force, causing Xu Shuo to stagger back involuntarily, his back hitting the door frame.

Under the dim light, the Capital Commandant's eyes were exceptionally fearsome.

Xu Shuo tugged at the corner of his mouth, "So, simply guessing based on identity, don't you think the Capital Commandant is being a little too arrogant?"

His voice remained temperate and composed, as refined and amiable as the man himself.

The words he spoke, however, were laden with sarcasm.

At that moment, seemingly attracted by the noise in the room, a soldier entered at the door and saluted, "Officer, the surrounding area has been thoroughly inspected, and for the time being, no signs of anyone hiding have been discovered."

The Capital Commandant stared at Xu Shuo with a somber gaze, put down his pistol, and turned his head, saying, "Continue to expand the search around the area, and also close the city gates."

"Yes, sir!"n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Upon receiving the order, the soldier quickly departed.

But two soldiers still stood at the door, guarding it. After the chaos erupted, more troops had been dispatched from the military district.

Released from the muzzle of the gun, Xu Shuo touched his forehead, then walked into the washroom and wiped away the black ash that had just stuck to him with a towel.

The Capital Commandant observed his movements but said nothing.

In the pitch-black room, the two men each harbored their own thoughts.

The Commandant truly didn't have a shred of evidence; his earlier words were merely his own conjecture.

After all, the person who had previously fought in close combat with him was only his adjutant, and the other person had been standing too far away. Although their builds were similar, confirming the identity still posed some difficulty.

The opponent had said something at the time, but then again, voices can be altered, and that person's voice didn't closely resemble Doctor Kong's gentle and mellow tones.

But the Commandant trusted his intuition.

Since he felt this person was the prime suspect, then something certainly must be off about him.

Only, during that previous probing, the other party did not show the slightest fluctuation in response, either indicating strong mental fortitude or too good of an acting performance.

He wanted to see what this person had in mind by staying behind.

He had better not catch him slipping up!

The Commandant silently loaded his pistol with bullets.

Xu Shuo emerged after wiping his forehead, took a glance at the Commandant's gun, and feeling the icy, tense atmosphere around him, wondered if the man was already so infuriated that he was ready to switch to a killing mode.

If that was the case, then there was no helping it. He still had one more card to play.

Just then, the hotel, immersed in darkness, suddenly snapped to brightness with a click!

The electric main switch had been repaired by the military personnel.

Those accustomed to the dark were momentarily blinded by the light, squinting and surveying their surroundings while observing the hotel post-chaos.

Standing in his own room, Xu Shuo, through the open doorway, saw fresh red blood spilled at the staircase entrance.

It was evidence left behind from the encounter with Doctor Chu, who could have used "One-Click Kill" but chose instead to slit a throat; thankfully, the clothes from the Character Card vanished after its effect had worn off, otherwise bloodstains might have remained.

This indirectly proved that the Character Card was a rare thing; otherwise, how come he never saw anyone else using it?

How useful it was.

Now, with the hotel's power restored, other matters would be easier to handle.

The Commandant expressionlessly signaled towards room 218, and the two soldiers guarding the door immediately entered, saluting and greeting him.

"Search," the Commandant said succinctly.

"Yes, sir!" the others were prompt and efficient.

Xu Shuo did not resist, simply watching from the sidelines and saying, "Be a bit gentler this time, please. Otherwise, I'll have to go down and request a room change again."

Hearing this, the Commandant seemed to recall something, and the atmosphere around him grew even chillier.

The newly arrived soldiers did not understand what he meant by "gentler," and seeing no new orders from their officer, they simply searched the room as usual, turning over all places where someone or something could be hidden.

In the end, his luggage was also dragged out.

Xu Shuo felt a headache coming on: "Do you have to go through this again?"

No one heeded him, so Xu Shuo could only neatly fold his clothes again as they were tossed out and once again protect his medical books and acupuncture needles.

The process of searching the room was repeated, nearly identical to the previous one.

Except this time, neither the bed nor the sofas was dismantled.

And likewise, they found nothing.

Once their task was done, the two soldiers returned to the doorway to continue their guard, without expressing any doubt throughout the process.

As Xu Shuo tidied up his things, he sighed, "All this suspicion makes me very uneasy. I hope the forces of the Empire's Thirteenth District can handle affairs more swiftly and find the real culprit soon."

The Commandant disregarded his complaints and scanned the room, suddenly asking, "Did you order coffee?"

Xu Shuo: "What?"

This question was so unexpected that Xu Shuo genuinely didn't grasp it at first — why would he suddenly inquire about coffee?

But quickly, Xu Shuo replied with equivocation, "What, does the Commandant care about such trivial matters regarding me?"

The Commandant turned to look at him, his expression cold and his eyes sharp, "You only need to answer me."

Xu Shuo frowned, "Yes, I did. Every night at this time, I read medical books to study, and I need coffee to stay awake. What about it?"

Hearing this, the Commandant said nothing further and simply turned and left room 218 on his own.

Watching his retreating figure, Xu Shuo narrowed his eyes slightly.

—Had someone linked him with coffee?