There's definitely something wrong with this murder mystery game

"Yueshu is... is that... "

The female journalist thought to herself and casually asked, finding the right description after some searching in front of Black Cat, "Is that the little boy who proved himself by killing his kin?"

Xu Shuo teased as he raised an eyebrow, "Which specific one are you talking about?"

Female journalist, "…The one with the twin sister, and the sister seems to be the Lina we met in the corridor."

"That is indeed him."

"Can he actually control this Black Cat?" continued the female journalist.

"To say he commands it isn't exactly right, but if you were to say he could, then indeed it can be done. Biologically you could see them as master and servant, but in terms of strength, you would need to consider them equals," Xu Shuo didn't mind revealing this information to her.

After all, this wasn't the kind of information that needed to be kept secret; it was like expanding her mind.

The female journalist indeed fell into deep thought, trying hard to connect the dots.

First off, did this guy just imply that she wasn't very smart before?

Damn it! Your next read awaits at My Virtual Library Empire

The female journalist looked at the girl petting the cat, narrowed her eyes, and suddenly thought of another question.

This guy, it's like he hadn't told her what he was ultimately up to from the beginning to the end!

From the start, she had been led along by the nose, and now that she was on the thief ship and had changed into the uniform of the orphanage staff, she had yet to get an answer.

"Hey, so why did you pretend to be a social worker and infiltrate around me, can you tell me now?" the female journalist asked with impatience.

"That can't possibly be the only question you've come up with, right?" Xu Shuo raised an eyebrow.

"…" The female journalist stared at him with a blank expression.

Xu Shuo stopped petting the cat, stood up with a serious expression, and said, "Alright, first off, I really am a social worker, no faking!"

The female journalist scoffed coldly, "You think I believe that?"

"Believe it or not, at least let me finish."

Xu Shuo turned and walked toward the living room door, continuing, "I am a social worker. After I emerged from the wall painting rules, I met you, and you were very sure that I was the initial social worker."

The female journalist didn't speak, frowning at him.

She understood his words; this guy wanted her to help falsify his identity, to affirm that she was the female social worker!

Why would he do that?

If this man were an employee of the orphanage, then her actions were clearly meant to cover something up, or perhaps she needed to use someone else's identity to do something she couldn't do as an orphanage employee.

She wanted to confuse the eyes of the person lurking in the shadows.

And the person lurking in the shadows...

The female journalist's gaze grew vacant as she continued to ponder.

But Xu Shuo suddenly cut through her brainstorming, "Don't think too hard for now; later I can tell you everything, as long as you can cooperate."

"What if I don't cooperate?" the female journalist said subconsciously.

Xu Shuo smiled and raised his finger, pointing to the black cat perched on the couch, intently grooming its paws.

Female journalist, "..."

Under someone else's roof, one must bow one's head, but later is later, this guy had been putting her off with "later" ever since the archives room!

The female journalist gritted her teeth, deciding to follow this person for now to see what happens next.

After that, Xu Shuo pressed the living room door handle, opened the door, and walked out; the female journalist followed closely behind, and as soon as she stepped out the door, her pupils contracted in shock!

In the corridor, the female social worker wearing a white T-shirt and a red sleeveless jacket also had her eyes shaking.

There were two identical female social workers!

The female journalist quickly caught on; after all, she always knew that the one beside her was the fake, so the person opposite might be the real female social worker!

The one who had just completed the side quest three!

However, before she could speak up, the girl next to her beat her to it.

Xu Shuo covered his mouth in surprise, "How could there be someone who looks exactly like me? Who are you, why are you impersonating me?!"

Female journalist, "..."

The female social worker across from her regained her senses, widened her eyes and shouted, "Wait! You're the fake one, aren't you? I just came out of the painting on the wall!"

"Nonsense!" Xu Shuo frowned, "I had emerged from the painting on the wall a long time ago, and during this time I've been with the journalist sister all along. Sister, you say, she's the fake one, right?"

"Impossible! I am the real one. Reporter, you should know, you must have just received the message!" The female social worker turned to the female journalist opposite her, making surreptitious eye contact.

"…" Female journalist.

The hidden meaning in the female social worker's words referred to the completion notification of the side quest three.

The script they were in had cooperative mechanics. When the side quest was triggered, everyone showed that they had received the notification; otherwise, they wouldn't have proposed to split up to complete the tasks.

It was evident that this female social worker was indeed the real one.

Honestly, the female journalist was torn inside because she didn't want to be constrained by some bizarre, unknown identity, yet she was indeed constrained and unable to escape at the moment.

Of course, there was also the fact that the girl seemed to have a good understanding of Qiming Orphanage, so perhaps following her could even expedite the completion of the main quest.

But she was truly anxious...

At this moment, Xu Shuo sneered upon hearing this, "Quit your acting; the painting on the wall posed several questions to me, which I answered and got out early. You were probably the one following behind me, impersonating me then."

Seeing that the female reporter was slow to speak up for her, the female social worker stomped her foot in frustration, angrily saying, "I think you were the one who took advantage of me explaining the game rules to disguise yourself as me and approach my partner! You really can't trust her, I'm the real one!"

Upon hearing this, something sparked in the female reporter's mind.

She finally spoke, asking curiously, "What were the rules of the painting on the wall, and how did you complete it and come out?"

The social worker quickly explained, "The painting on the wall was of a little boy. After I entered, he kept asking me what is what. After I answered all his questions and drew with him for a while, he let me out."

"What kind of questions?" the female reporter was taken aback.

"Questions like, is this painting a pigeon, is this one a panda, is this one a dolphin, and stuff like that..."

"...And how did you answer?" inquired the female reporter.

"Since I had never seen those animals, I didn't know what they looked like and just kept fobbing him off saying 'yes, yes, yes'. Then he believed me, and even asked me to draw them with him," the social worker said, scratching her head sheepishly.

"..." the female reporter.

The female reporter was stunned.

In a daze, she felt a strange sense of déjà vu about their conversation.

It seemed like something similar had happened not long ago.

Xu Shuo crossed his arms, laughing mockingly, "Sister, see, I told you she's fake. Everything she said is what I already told you."

The female reporter held her forehead in discomfort.

To tell the truth, if it weren't for the hint from the side quest, she might have lost her own judgment in this "true or false social worker" confrontation just a moment ago.

What both of you are saying is exactly the same; I really can't tell them apart!

In the end, the determined female reporter looked at her true teammate with a sorrowful expression and said regretfully, "Sorry, I don't believe you are real. The social worker has been with me from the beginning, and I have a way to confirm she is the real one. So you must be the fake!"

The social worker's pupils dilated in shock, she spread her hands, looking at her with a puzzled and confused expression.

Have you lost your mind, my teammate?

She was about to say more, but in the next moment, the girl impersonating her whipped out a dark green Bamboo Joint Cane, full of menace and brimming with murderous intent!

"Sister, this guy is definitely a monster from here, let's take it down together!" Xu Shuo sneered.

"Alright," the female reporter's conscience ached slightly.

"Wait! You're not really going through with this, are you? Snap out of it, I'm really the social worker!"

The social worker stepped back in panic, but the female reporter's gaze flickered, and she violently threw a marble in the direction of the social worker, the deafening shockwave exploding with a boom!

The marble burst near the outer wall of the corridor, and the social worker close by promptly raised her hand to defend herself, only to be blown away by the wind to the staircase entrance.

Perhaps out of fear for the rules of the corridor, the marble didn't release any heat and was merely a powerful shockwave.

After rolling a few times, the social worker quickly regained her footing, and with an ugly expression, glanced at the two people not far away, then her gaze furtively shot towards a door beside her.

Seeing the female reporter raise her hand to attack again, the social worker abruptly got up and lunged for the door, rushing through it after pressing the handle.

Upon entering the Qiming office, she immediately shut and locked the door.

Outnumbered and with the possibility that the person beside the female reporter might also be a monster from the place, it made more sense to avoid the fight than engage in an inconsequential battle.

She had originally planned to investigate the office anyway, just that she had thought to head to the archive room first to meet with the others.

As for now, she hoped the female reporter would take care of herself.

...

In the corridor on the third floor.

Seeing the social worker choose to avoid the battle and disappear into the room, the female reporter also lowered her feigned attack posture, silently breathing a sigh of relief.

Beside her, Xu Shuo looked at her with a teasing smile, "I didn't expect you to have such a kind heart."

The female reporter didn't look at him and didn't respond.

"However…"

But the next moment, Xu Shuo leaned in close to her ear and murmured like a devil, "To be honest, I was planning to force her into that office myself, but now that you've done it, it saves me the trouble of pretending."

The female reporter's body stiffened abruptly. "…"

Wanting the social worker to go in there couldn't be to avoid a fight or out of kindness to avoid killing, right?

Unless this guy has ulterior motives!

No wonder he just stood there posing when she preempted the attack earlier, showing no intention of pursuing.

It was all a trap!

Well, she hoped the social worker would take care of herself.

She had done all she could to save her.

...