Deceitful Game

Chapter 170 To Alina

Chapter 170 To Alina

Mingpo followed the path she had taken and walked towards the hall.

As he passed by, he pushed all the doors in the rooms, but none of them could be opened.

In the hall, the Russian nesting dolls in the shape of Bodhidharma were still displayed perfectly, and there wasn't a speck of dust on the table.

But that's actually impossible.

Just now, when Mingpo opened the Russian nesting doll, he placed one half on the table. There should be obvious signs of dust on the table now.

So—is it really a time loop?

Mingbo reached into her pocket to confirm that the ruby ​​ring was indeed there.

He unfolded the Russian nesting dolls layer by layer once again.

This time, the ring wasn't inside.

There was only a small, white note, about the width of a finger. On it, written in childish handwriting, was the word "I'm sorry."

It was all pseudonyms, but thanks to the built-in translator in the Deceitful Game, the corresponding Chinese characters appeared on the text.

—Is this the form of translation?

Mingpo raised an eyebrow.

They didn't directly understand the content, nor did they know the pronunciation of the characters.

This means that if there are puzzles like "puns", "word chains", or "Caesar's cipher", it would be very difficult for the con artist to crack them if they did not understand the corresponding text.

However, according to the fair principles of the Deceitful Game, if you don't know the relevant information, you might not be assigned to the corresponding game at all.

Mingbo walked once again toward the extremely expensive Steinway piano, which its owner had not cherished at all.

"————Steinway B-211."

Mingpo reached out and gently stroked the body of the guitar: "The most classic model—"

Even Mingpo couldn't help but feel a little heartache.

It's really ruining good things.

Mingbo didn't know how much this thing would be worth in Japan—but it should be at least ten or twenty million yen.

"What's wrong?"

Mingpo retorted sarcastically, "You became a con artist, made money, bought a nice instrument, and then just left it there?"

No response.

Even the music gradually returned to its melodious tranquility.

Mingpo knew that the other party could definitely hear her.

Deciphering the mystery wouldn't be difficult for Mingpo, not to mention that the title "Silent Lamb" itself enhances Mingpo's intelligence.

But the other party—

If this "paradox" continues to play the piano on the second floor until Mingpo leaves, leaving Mingpo with only the minimum reward—this would be somewhat unacceptable to Mingpo.

Mingpo needs to bring him down.

It's just a pity that Mingpo isn't very good at being sarcastic.

Although this statement sounds ridiculous, it is the truth.

Because Mingpo only knows how to reason and tell the truth. At most, he'll put on an arrogant expression.

Few people, except those who cannot stand the truth, can be angered by Mingpa.

This is also one of the reasons why Mingpo doesn't like online games—he can't win an argument with someone.

Mingpo appears to possess a rather strong madness, but he is probably the most rational of the three in their team. So much so that when he criticizes someone, he only speaks the "bitter truths," at most using a couple of sarcastic remarks in Shanghainese.

The reason Gao Song was able to break down so easily with just a few words from Ming Po was because he genuinely had a guilty conscience. So, he couldn't stand it when Ming Po simply repeated the truth a few times.

In the online environment, this level of harm can only enrage people and drive them crazy, but it cannot frighten them or make them admit defeat.

Face-to-face is different—when facing someone who's so stubborn, Mingpo can kick them and they'll immediately repent sincerely.

It's even faster than the Phantom Thieves' ability to steal hearts and repent.

Unfortunately, I can't kick it because of the internet connection.

The current situation also has a certain aesthetic appeal to "online debates".

If the other side is determined to be a coward, Mingpo really can't break through their shell.

Is this why he banned the Power Domain? How despicable.

Xiao Fan is even worse; he's more polite than Ming Po and doesn't even swear.

If Ai Shiping were here, that would be great.

It has to be said that Ai Shiping is the most vicious swearer Mingpo has ever met. Although he seems the most gentle, once he switches to battle mode, he can make Mingpo lean back tactically the entire time, showing an expression like an old man on the subway, and dare not join the battle to offer support.

"Tsk."

Mingpo smacked her lips and ignored the coward.

It seems we need to discover something more to force him to come out.

Mingpo stroked the piano and casually said, "Although it's only been played once, I can already basically figure it out—"

"Your wife is dead, right? Your daughter—maybe she had an accident too? That's why you've become withdrawn at home."

"You bought this piano to fulfill your dream after making money with your deceitful abilities, didn't you? Although I'm not a musician, I can understand; anyone who studies piano must dream of owning a Steinway."

"—I see. No wonder the design of this villa looked a bit strange."

Thinking of this, Mingpo suddenly realized: "This villa is also something you've been dreaming of."

After entering the annex, he walked almost straight ahead. But the path wasn't straight; it kept making slight turns. Even the way up to the second floor had two twists and turns—it looked as strange as the staircases at Hogwarts.

From God's perspective, this villa looks like a snail. And the parts hidden in the mountains are like the snail's shell.

This is a special sound field structure. Just as a concert can use a special building structure to focus the sound, allowing the music to resonate from all directions—the piano sound he hears now is so clear, perhaps not because the Deceitful Game is "playing background music" for him, but because the building structure itself can make the piano sound from the second floor resonate clearly on the first floor.

"So, how did you create this 'paradox'?"

As Mingpo casually remarked, he reached out and carefully touched every detail of the piano: "You went back in time and resurrected your wife and children?"

"However, it doesn't seem quite right. There are a lot of old clothes and toys in that pile of junk, which means they were probably still alive when you became the Deceiver. If you just wanted to resurrect them, there would be no need to go back to before you became the Deceiver."

"Let me think—you feel guilty, don't you?"

"The Silence of the Lambs" diminishes the detective's ability to directly find new clues, forcing Minpeer to search for suspicious details bit by bit.

Although Mingbo has not yet found any new clues—but solving a mystery does not necessarily have to start with the mystery itself.

Analyzing the thought process of the question setter is also a way to solve the problem.

Why did you tear up the photos? Did your wife cheat on you? That doesn't seem likely. But she probably dumped you, or at least you had a fight.

"Is it because of that ring? The ring was in the Russian nesting dolls—did your daughter hide it? Ah, that's why she apologized—"

"Does she suspect you of cheating? Or is it for some other reason that you can't find the ring, so you two argued?"

"But this kind of thing is completely irrelevant to the conman—this level of misunderstanding can be undone anytime, anywhere by going back in time and repairing the relationship. After all, the conman has countless opportunities."

Mingpo spoke casually, reaching out to touch each piano key.

His fingers paused at the C key in the center of the piano.

He saw it.

—There was a trace of dark brown blood in the crevice here.

He just returned to the initial position because he pressed this key while playing the piano.

This time, Mingpo did not sit in the chair.

He simply stood there, reaching out to slowly press the piano keys again.

This time, he was very careful and very slow.

Everything around quickly faded, becoming like an old photograph, tinged with a dim yellow hue.

Mingpo, still in the position of pressing the piano keys, returned to the doorway once more.

He raised an eyebrow and said with absolute certainty, "There's something under the piano keys—what are you hiding?"

Previously, Mingpo only felt that the tone was wrong, but this time he clearly noticed that the feel was wrong. There were obvious, stiff, and uneven sections.

But it seems that Mingpo has pushed him too far.

The music that was looping suddenly changed!

A tinkling sound, like that of bells, rang out.

It was an ethereal melody, like an icicle striking a wine glass.

That is Avo Pat's "Für Alina".

Just hearing that sound sent a chill down my spine, a terrifying and long-lasting coldness piercing through me.

The undisguised hostility made Mingpo laugh.

"Oh, right—stop hiding. Come out and play!"

A disturbing smile spread across Mingper's lips, his slow, rhythmic footsteps almost drowned out by the soft carpet.

He walked forward, slowly gripping the dagger in his pocket.

Mingpo lowered her voice, as if whispering to someone, and said quietly, "Let me—take a look at you."