The weapon by the pillow

Episode 41: The vote decides life or death...and the result!

The raindrops are falling so fast!

No, it's already snowing in some places... and the snow is falling even harder!

This rainy night in Jiangzhou was destined to be different from other places.

Look, on the voting pages of the live stream and forum, the bars next to the eight names are jumping wildly.

One after another, appeals for a vote that would determine everything were flooding the screen next to each name:

"The trial of Cheng Tan! This is just the beginning of his nightmare!"

"Trial Li Kai! He has the motive and the ability for revenge!"

"Trial Lin Qian! She's too mysterious!"

"Judging Shadow! He's too much like a professional killer!"

"Trial of Wu Wenbin! His father is the key!"

"Judgment of Lynx! His equipment is suspicious!"

"Trial A Zhe and Xiao Fei! They know Wang Bin!"

Behind each name followed a torrent of irrational yet emotionally charged "seconds".

This was a rainstorm even heavier than the one in Jiangzhou. The raindrops were silent, yet they were washing away room 403, unleashing towering waves.

Or perhaps another room... another face!

A woman's face!

In the dilated pupils, the percentage numbers changed every second. Various campaigning, analysis, smear campaigns, and whitewashing rhetoric filled every corner.

The internet has given rise to a whole host of experts!

Look, some people have compiled a "Cheng Tan Nightmare Timeline," some have delved into "Li Kai's Thirteen Years of Obsessive Pursuit," some suspect "Lin Qian's Mysterious Background," some analyze "Shadow's Professional Actions Suspected to be Military or Mercenary," some speculate "Wu Wenbin Inherited His Father's Crimes," some think "Lynx's Equipment is Too Professional," and some even joke that "A Zhe and Xiao Fei are Pretending to be Weak to Be Tigers"...

Absurd, noisy, yet imbued with a collective unconscious sense of "justice".

The sounds of rain outside the window, the police's muffled shouts, and the hum of the hidden cameras... all intertwined.

At last.

In the live online broadcast room, the countdown to this absurd vote entered its final moments.

Huge virtual numbers danced in the corner of the screen:

5...

God!

How similar is it to last night?

It's like a countdown to the New Year's bell, like the countdown to a destructive program.

Hundreds of thousands of netizens held their breath, waiting for the "verdict" to be announced.

4...

In the forum, the refresh rate of the analysis posts slowed down, and everyone stared at the live broadcast screen, waiting for the developments in room 403, as well as the results of the online vote.

3...

In the scene at 403, Cheng Tan said, "We...can't just wait here like this." He stood up, leaning against the wall. "The police are outside, but they're still far away. That voice said, 'The door will only open when the sum of the points is seven.' Liu Li might not be dead; she might still be nearby. The second secret room might be right beneath our feet, and it might hold the real secret...and here we are, like a flock of lambs to the slaughter, suspicious of each other."

He pointed to the flashing red dot of the camera: "And this! And those hundreds of thousands of onlookers outside! What are they doing now? Guessing who the murderer is! Don't you think that's ridiculous? Our fate is to be decided by a bunch of strangers on a screen clicking their mice?"

"Then what do you suggest we do?!" the lynx roared. "We can't open the door! We can't get out of the window! Faced with this damned dice puzzle on the second floor! What are we supposed to do?!"

"Vote." A cool voice rang out.

It's Lin Qian.

She lowered her arms from her chest, took a step forward, and calmly met everyone's astonished gaze.

"I said, let's vote," Lin Qian repeated, her tone flat. "Not like those people, voting based on guesswork and emotions. Instead, let's make a rational... judgment based on the existing clues, everyone's statements, and possible motives."

"Determine what?" Li Kai stared at her. "Determine who the murderer is?"

"We need to determine who is most suspicious, who might be concealing crucial information, or... whose behavior is most illogical," Lin Qian calmly analyzed. "We're trapped now, with information asymmetry and a lack of trust in each other. This is exactly the state the mastermind wants to see. One way to break this state is through openness—or at least, by using a vote to force everyone to confront the questions raised by others."

"This is too frivolous!" Wu Wenbin objected. "It will only exacerbate the conflict!"

"The conflict is already deep enough," Shadow suddenly spoke up. "Nothing can be built without destruction. I agree. But voting must have rules; it can't turn into insults and accusations."

Cheng Tan looked at Lin Qian, then at Yingzi, and gritted his teeth: "Fine! Let's vote! But like Yingzi said, there have to be rules. Everyone can only raise questions based on facts and clues that have already occurred, no personal attacks. We... we're not here to convict, but to find out who might know more, or... who might be lying."

2...

Outside, a desperate and heart-wrenching scream seemed to be heard.

1...

The results of the online poll are in the comments section.

A cold, electronic female voice replaced the previous barrage of comments in the live stream, ignoring whether anyone in the chat cared or was laughing bitterly, and proceeded to deliver its "verdict":

"Based on the voting results of 573,421 online 'jury members,' the ranking of the eight individuals present in Room 403 of Anpingli and their preliminary 'verdict' regarding their 'online suspicion' are now announced."

"First place: Li Kai. Suspicion level: 87.5%. Verdict: Clear motive for revenge, capable of setting a trap, highly dangerous, recommended for isolation and investigation."

"Second place: Shadow. Suspicion level: 76.2%. Verdict: Unidentified, professional behavior, unusually calm, suspected of having an armed background, recommended to be 'closely monitored'."

"Third place: Cheng Tan. Suspicion level: 68.9%. Verdict: The beginning of the nightmare, key information, unstable mental state, may be an unconscious trigger or a fake victim, mandatory psychological evaluation is recommended."

Fourth place: Lin Qian. Suspicion level: 65.4%. Verdict: Too much knowledge, unclear purpose, suspicious background, recommended for further investigation.

Fifth place: Wu Wenbin. Suspicion level: 58.1%. Verdict: His father is directly involved in the case, and his behavior is contradictory and shows a tendency to lead others. A polygraph test is recommended.

"Sixth place: Lynx. Suspicion level: 42.3%. Verdict: Acts erratically and has suspicious equipment, but there is no obvious direct connection. General questioning is recommended."

"Seventh place: A-Zhe and Xiao-Fei (tied). Suspicion level: 31.7%. Verdict: They knew the deceased Wang Bin, but acted timidly, more like an accidental involvement. It is recommended to release them after education."

Note: This "judgment" has no legal effect and is merely a reflection of public opinion online. Please refer to the police investigation for the actual situation.

Absurd! Ridiculous! Yet it is also full of the chilling reality of the "collective will" in the online world.

They all knew that the people inside the room couldn't hear this "verdict".

Because at the very moment the electronic female voice began to sound—

"Bang!!!"

A loud bang.