Bai Youwei knew perfectly well.
The reason Zhu Shu had asked that kind of question was surely because she’d sensed something was off.
But Zhu Shu was very refined, and very skilled at conversation — she never put anyone in an awkward position.
A normal person would be worried about their teammates’ safety, would be anxious about their own situation, would be troubled about winning or losing — so how could anyone find a game like this fun?
Bai Youwei smiled faintly and let the matter drop, doing her best not to dwell on it — because no matter how she thought about it, she couldn’t arrive at a comfortable answer. Better not to face it.
The two of them passed the time downstairs until six o’clock in the evening, when dinner was served.
The inn offered two meals a day — one at nine in the morning, one at six in the evening.
Ten people gathered again in the downstairs dining room. Every face was composed, but the atmosphere remained taut.
Bai Youwei and Zhu Shu sat together, with the woman holding the infant sitting beside them, and Willard across the table.
To Willard’s left and right sat Karl from Room 404 and the bald man from Room 205.
There were empty seats available, yet these three sat crammed together in a row, visually more crowded than anywhere else at the table.
The woman with the infant glanced over several times as if she wanted to say something, but ultimately closed her mouth and silently rocked the baby doll in her arms.
The others also cast subtle glances toward Willard’s side.
Zhu Shu grew a little uneasy and leaned close to Bai Youwei, lowering her voice. “Weiwei…”
“It’s fine.” Bai Youwei kept her eyes down, cutting the roasted pork chop on her plate. “We watch the show.”
She cut off a piece and placed it in her mouth, chewing slowly. The meat itself was good — a shame about the seasoning, which was terrible. Rather like what was unfolding before her —
The concept was elegant, but the execution was poor.
The bald fatty gripped his dining knife — and without warning, swung it backward and stabbed at Willard!
It happened without the slightest preamble, and everyone at the table was shocked! Willard seemed to have anticipated it — his body jerked backward, trying to dodge —
But Karl on the other side wouldn’t let him! He threw out a hand and struck Willard in the back, forcing him into the blade!
With a sharp hiss, the gleaming dining knife buried itself halfway into his chest!
Crimson bloomed across Willard’s white shirt.
“Ahhhhh!!!” The woman with the baby screamed. “Murder! Someone’s being killed! Ahhhhh!!!”
But then — the situation at the table shifted again!
The bald fatty rose to his feet, yanked the dining knife free, stepped past Willard, and drove it into Karl from Room 404!
Karl had never anticipated being turned on by his own partner — caught completely off guard, his chest took two successive stabs!
“You fat idiot! Have you gone mad?!” Karl raised his arm to block, stumbling back in a panic, but the bald fatty gave chase and landed several more strikes — slashing his arm and shoulder!
At this moment, the Inspector burst in from outside, roaring: “Stop!!! Stop right now!!!”
Karl exhaled in relief and scrambled toward the Inspector’s direction.
But the fatty behind him still didn’t let up — one final thrust into his throat! Yanked out hard!
Karl’s body went rigid, eyes going wide —
Warm blood gushed forth, spattering across the dining table, mingling with the greasy juices of the pork chop. The metallic stench was nauseating.
The Inspector strode forward, whipped out his handcuffs, and forced them onto the bald fatty!
“You are under arrest!”
He marched the bald fatty toward the dining room exit, his voice both furious and triumphant: “Finally got you — five criminals! With this, the rain will finally stop — tomorrow I’ll throw every last one of you scum behind bars!”
Bai Youwei noticed something fall from the fatty’s back — an extremely fine, black thread.
Like a loose thread from a garment, or an unusually long strand of hair. Because it was so thin, it vanished in the blink of an eye…
—