Epilogue: Murder Mystery Game (Criminal Investigation Files Crossover Epilogue)

166.

Due to the long passage of time and the wide span, verifying and confirming the teenage girl abduction case took about a week.

Finally, when the New Year holiday arrived, Lu Junchi was able to take a break.

Early on during the holiday, he and Su Hui prepared to take Aristotle and Hemingway to the animal hospital.

Aristotle had been scratching his ear frequently, possibly due to inflammation, so he needed a check-up. Hemingway, on the other hand, was scheduled for neutering.

They had everything ready; they just needed to get the cats into their carriers.

Hemingway hadn’t been to the hospital much, and his vaccinations were done at the pet store. Being blissfully unaware, he seemed very excited about going out.

He quickly dashed into the carrier, then lay down obediently, looking up at his owner with big eyes.

Aristotle seemed to have a premonition. He darted around the room, and it was quite a struggle for Lu Junchi to catch him. Furthermore, he refused to enter the carrier.

Not only that, he even cast a disdainful look at Hemingway, seemingly understanding everything.

However intelligent a cat might be, it couldn’t outsmart two police elites.

Lu Junchi tried tempting him with several freeze-dried treats, finally managing to trick him into the carrier.

With one carrier in each hand, Lu Junchi and Su Hui got into the car. The two of them sat in the front, and the cats were placed in the back seat.

As the car started, Hemingway began to meow, and Aristotle moved restlessly.

Driving and speaking, Lu Junchi remarked, “Hemingway is so active today.”

Su Hui responded, “Probably hungry. Since he’s getting surgery today, I didn’t give him breakfast.”

As Su Hui had brought Aristotle in for neutering before, he was familiar with the process and knew to withhold Hemingway’s breakfast this morning, feeding Aristotle in a separate room.

Lu Junchi suddenly realized, “No wonder. He was so well-behaved this morning. He wanted a reward, didn’t he?”

Poor Hemingway lay in the carrier, looking at his owners with big, watery eyes.

What mischief could a little cat have in mind?

They soon arrived at the pet hospital.

It was an official animal hospital associated with the agricultural school and was quite reputable.

There were many interns there, most of them being pretty female students who cooed at Hemingway, the adorable almond-eyed kitten.

Hemingway circled around in his carrier, clearly indicating his hunger.

Unfortunately, these people were made of stone; not even the most adorable antics could get him food.

A female veterinarian examined Hemingway’s condition, then asked Su Hui, “This cat hasn’t had any contact with a female cat in heat, right?”

Su Hui thought for a moment, “I don’t think so…”

He wondered whether his attempt to suppress Aristotle counted.

The doctor stroked Hemingway’s fur, her gaze gentle. “That’s good. We’ll neuter him before he experiences the joys of mating. He won’t resent you.”

Su Hui: “…”

Suddenly feeling a bit guilty, what was that about?

Afterward, the doctor gave some instructions and handed a form to Su Hui to sign.

Lu Junchi paid the bill, and Hemingway was taken into the operating room after being changed into a surgical gown.

With Hemingway’s surgery underway, Su Hui and Lu Junchi waited to have Aristotle’s ears checked.

The doctor cleaned the discharge from Aristotle’s ears and took it for testing. The results were quickly out.

Doctor: “No ear mites, but there’s a mild fungal infection.”

Su Hui asked, “How should this be treated?”

The doctor expertly provided an ear-cleaning solution and an ear ointment. “Go to the treatment room next door to clean his ears. Then apply the ointment every two days. Also, be careful; the two cats shouldn’t cross-infect each other.”

Su Hui held the cat, waiting outside and listening for the call.

The corridor was bustling with activity—some people had dogs on leashes, others had cats in carriers. One person even had a goat on a leash, claiming it had been having stomach issues recently and needed a check-up.

Next to Su Hui, a slim girl held a Corgi. The dog wasn’t big, but its legs were exceptionally short, and its body was incredibly agile. Seeing Aristotle, the Corgi began to shuffle its limbs, trying to rush over.

Aristotle started meowing at it.

The girl quickly restrained her dog, and the dog’s front paws were left hanging in the air as it struggled to move.

While waiting, a nurse suddenly exclaimed, “Uh-oh, the Shih Tzu on IV fluids just rolled its eyes back!”

Several doctors and nurses hurriedly rushed over, and the level of tension was akin to a human hospital.

Feeling a bit bored waiting in line, Su Hui sent Lu Junchi to buy some bubble tea. However, as soon as Lu Junchi left, they reached their turn.

Here, the doctors called out the names of the registered pets.

At the door, a doctor called, “Aristotle!”

Su Hui stood up with the cat, and the girl next to her, who was holding the Corgi, burst into laughter.

In just a few seconds, the door of another treatment room opened.

“Steamed Bun!”

“Here!” The girl quickly stood up while holding her dog.

Hearing the name, Su Hui, who was about to enter the room, couldn’t help but laugh.

He carried Aristotle into the treatment room and placed him on the examination table.

The doctor verified the cat’s information with him.

Su Hui gently rubbed Aristotle’s head and noticed something different about the cat today. He told the doctor, “This cat’s eyes are unusually big today.”

Not only were they big, but they were also dark and seemed very alert.

The doctor glanced at the cat without much surprise. “It’s scared. I assume this cat has been neutered here before; its pupils dilated the moment it entered.”

Then, the doctor started cleaning the ears. She wrapped the cat in a surgical gown, made a “cat burrito,” and began dripping ear-cleaning solution into its ears. She massaged it in, and Aristotle squinted, apparently feeling itchy. When the doctor released him, he started vigorously shaking his head, sending droplets of liquid flying.

From cleaning to medicating, the whole process took about ten minutes. During this time, Aristotle attempted to escape three times and was finally caught.

Su Hui had to resort to using a treat, feeding him a strip of salmon paste, coaxing and tricking him into completing the ear examination.

Male cat neutering was simpler than female cat spaying. The doctors were skilled, and within half an hour, Hemingway’s surgery was finished.

After the observation period, he was carried out as well.

Hemingway was put back into the carrier, and the doctor instructed, “The surgery was successful. Don’t let him get wet when you go back, put on an Elizabethan collar, and make sure he doesn’t remove the gauze on his own and lick the wound.”

The mission was accomplished.

Neutering felt as simple as going shopping.

Lu Junchi returned with bubble tea, handed one to Su Hui, and carried the two cats back home.

Since they had left early, it was just past ten when they returned. Lu Junchi also bought some groceries on the way back to prepare lunch.

After the anesthesia wore off, Hemingway quickly recovered and could slowly start moving around. He hadn’t quite understood what had happened yet, but occasionally he would look down at his hindquarters, examining the shaved area with a thoughtful expression.

It seemed as though he was pondering, “Why don’t I have my ‘eggs’ anymore?”

Su Hui felt he should treat his little “son” well, so he opened a can of cat food and fed both cats a bit.

While some cats might not eat or drink after neutering, Hemingway had a healthy appetite.

After eating, he walked a bit unsteadily, but determinedly made his way to Su Hui’s side, meowing in a sweet, affectionate tone.

While meowing, Hemingway lightly rubbed against Su Hui’s leg, and his furry little head made Su Hui itchy.

Su Hui surrendered quickly, giving him a bit more food. As he stroked Hemingway, he exclaimed, “Tell me, you’re clearly a male cat, why do you meow so sweetly?”

Lu Junchi sighed, “Because he’s now a eunuch cat.”

Su Hui: “!”

It sounded so logical…

Lu Junchi rubbed Hemingway’s head. “Eat more and recover…”

For lunch, Lu Junchi made a warm and hearty sukiyaki. It included thinly sliced beef, napa cabbage, enoki mushrooms, and Su Hui’s favorite dragon well tea-infused shrimp, finished off with a tea-steamed egg custard.

At lunchtime, Lu Haochu arrived. The three of them had a meal together.

During the meal, they chatted. When Su Hui mentioned the recent solved case, Lu Haochu was pleased to hear about the successful outcomes, especially about the retribution against Jian Bai and his son.

The schedules of the three were already planned in advance.

Su Hui was pulled by Lu Haochu to join a murder mystery role-playing game, while Lu Junchi had a long-unseen junior coming to the city. They planned to meet in the afternoon and then have dinner together.

When it came to Su Hui playing the murder mystery game, he was always accompanied by Lu Haochu.

Before this, Lu Haochu had taken the entrance exam for the Behavioral Analysis Unit.

This time, in order to supply various sub-bureaus and nearby cities with talent, their department had expanded and allocated twenty positions. Lu Haochu didn’t use any connections and ranked exactly twentieth when the results were released.

Getting into the department was something to celebrate, but his lackluster performance in the exams left him unable to feel happy about it.

What’s more, this department was headed by Professor Su. Not only did he personally lose face, but he also dragged Professor Su’s reputation down…

His brother would definitely not let him off easy!

The latter half of his junior year had relatively few courses. Lu Haochu was determined to work hard. He bought a pile of reference books, attended lectures at the School of Criminology every day, and repeatedly asked Yao Fei if he could intern at his company to learn about the practical applications of criminal psychology. He even joined the school’s murder mystery interest group, aiming to enhance his deduction and reasoning abilities.

However, his study efforts had yet to yield significant results, while he got addicted to playing murder mystery games.

Lu Haochu not only played by himself but also convinced Su Hui to join in.

At first, Su Hui wasn’t very interested, but Lu Haochu described the game so enthusiastically that Su Hui participated twice. Gradually, it became natural for him to play, and he would join a game whenever he had spare time.

In the past few months, Lu Junchi had been busy with the year-end summary of the Major Crimes Unit and hadn’t had time to accompany him. Today, at the dining table, he asked Su Hui and Lu Haochu, “How do you play that murder mystery game?”

Lu Haochu explained, “Have you seen The Great Detective? It’s similar to that, with around six players. Each takes on a different role, and at the end, everyone votes to choose the murderer. If they guess correctly, the players win; if not, the murderer wins.”

Lu Junchi asked, “Is it fun?”

Su Hui thought for a moment and said, “When I played online, the experience was so-so. The main issue is that the quality of the scripts varies, and the skill levels of the players differ widely. If you encounter beginners or bad scripts, it greatly affects the gameplay. Additionally, murder mystery games are based on the author’s settings and aren’t like real cases. They focus more on murder methods, character relationships, and schemes. The excitement of the story not only depends on the players’ performances but also on the scriptwriter’s design.”

To ensure Lu Junchi understood, he further explained, “In other words, the creator of the script presets the murderer at the beginning.”

Lu Junchi understood and nodded, “The story revolves around this character, and the details are intentionally crafted.”

Su Hui agreed, “These designed scripts certainly don’t reflect real-life cases. They’re more analytical in nature. Since the scriptwriters are normal people, not criminals, what they create tends to be based on normal thinking. With this premise, truly excellent scripts are rare. However, it’s still a good way to pass the time and observe how ordinary people perceive wrongdoing.”

That’s why, although he had some reservations about this game format, he hadn’t stopped playing.

Lu Haochu chimed in, “Professor Su, don’t be too modest. Your online ID has a 100% win rate and is known as the ‘Killer God.’ My account has gone up several levels when playing with you.”

Lu Junchi asked, “Are you two collaborating? How can you win together using my account?”

Lu Haochu said, “No way! I’m a righteous person who never cheats. But whenever Professor Su is in the game, I observe him closely. If he’s quiet and makes natural analyses, contributing key points, then I’ll vote for the murderer according to his actions. If he suddenly becomes active and starts leading the conversation, it’s obvious he’s the killer.”

Su Hui said, “…That’s because some rounds are just too boring.”

Sometimes when the script wasn’t great, if he wasn’t the murderer, he would quickly deduce the real culprit, and it wasn’t very engaging.

Only when he was the murderer did he feel motivated to fool the others. He hadn’t expected that Lu Haochu would base his choice on his reactions.

Lu Junchi laughed, “Well, this is applying psychology in practice. Your method seems effective, but why do you still lose sometimes?”

Lu Haochu teared up, “Because when Professor Su is the murderer, he often shifts blame masterfully. His acting skills are top-notch, and everyone believes he’s a good person. No one ever believes me…”

On a few occasions, Su Hui even deflected blame onto him.

Su Hui exposed without mercy, “That’s because your testimony is often weak and doesn’t hit the key points, making it hard to persuade others.”

Lu Junchi ladled soup into Su Hui’s bowl and continued, “Is the offline version the same as the online one?”

Lu Haochu’s eyes gleamed as he said, “Of course not. This time we’re going to a specialized murder mystery venue here in Huadu. The layout is designed to match various styles of murder mysteries, including ancient, modern, and futuristic settings. Every detail makes you feel like you’re in the story! We booked a long time in advance to get in.”

Lu Junchi initially thought murder mystery games were somewhat similar to mafia or werewolf games, but now he realized they were more complex. “That sounds quite professional.”

Lu Haochu continued, “Not only that, the murder mystery venue has various costumes, makeup services, and even full makeup options. They even have fake corpse props and on-site evidence collection segments.”

He went on, “Brother, why don’t you come with us? Maybe we’ll get a historical script. Don’t you want to see Professor Su dressed in ancient clothes with long hair flowing?”

Lu Junchi felt regretful after hearing this, “I’ve made arrangements with someone else, so I can’t back out. Maybe next time. But I can drop you both off.”

Author’s Note:

Lu Junchi: “Why didn’t you say so earlier? Can I still ditch Song Wenge now?”

He initially thought he could write about Song Wenge today, but it seems that will have to wait until tomorrow.

Professor Su and Sisi are participating in a historical murder mystery game together.

TN:

Poor Hemingway. RIP His manhood. You would have been a great dad.