The city was eerily quiet at midnight, with the only noise coming from a few entertainment venues still open. Suddenly, a piercing scream shattered the silence, echoing through every corner of the city. The scream came from an immersive "script killing" venue located in the city center. Players had been invited to this suspense-filled location to experience a lifelike game, but they never anticipated that this game would turn into a life-or-death struggle.
When Lu Chenzhou and Su Wanqing arrived at the venue, chaos had already ensued. The hurried footsteps, busy staff, and panicked players created a tangled mess. The only clear sight was a cold, lifeless body in the corner. The victim lay beside a long table, her face pale, a prop wine glass shattered on the ground with liquor and shards of glass scattered around her. The surrounding players hadn't yet fully shaken off the game's immersive atmosphere. They stared at the body, their eyes filled with confusion and fear.
"It's another murder," Su Wanqing said softly as she carefully examined the victim's body. The victim's expression showed little pain, as if she had lost consciousness suddenly. Based on the initial examination, Su Wan Qing concluded that the victim had been poisoned and died within a short period.
Lu Chen Zhou crouched down and closely observed the remnants in the wine glass. "This is the venue's prop wine glass; the victim must have drunk from it during the game. The wine appears ordinary, but the problem is…" He pointed to the bottom of the glass, "There's an obvious anomaly. A layer of colorless, odorless poison is hidden at the bottom."
"Are you sure?" Su Wanqing's sharp eyes scanned the glass. She picked it up with gloves, carefully turning it over for a closer inspection. "It does seem off."
After further testing, Su Wanqing confirmed that the glass contained poison—a common but deadly substance that could cause rapid death with only a small dose. The poison was hidden at the bottom of the glass, clearly to avoid detection during the game.
"This isn't a simple accidental death," Su Wanqing concluded expressionlessly. "This is a meticulously planned murder. The poison was hidden at the bottom of the glass. The victim drank the poisoned wine during the game, and the toxin acted quickly, causing her to die without realizing what was happening."
"But who is the victim? Why would she be the target?" Lu Chenzhou asked.
Su Wanqing glanced at the victim's identification card and suddenly raised an eyebrow. "She's the ex-wife of the venue's owner, Liuqian. According to the information I found, Liuqian had evidence of the owner's tax evasion. Even after their divorce, she still held onto those documents. If I'm not mistaken, these documents are probably the reason for her untimely death."
"The owner's wife?" Lu Chenzhou immediately understood the complexity behind the case. "You mean she knew the owner's secret and became the target of the murder?"
"Most likely," Su Wanqing nodded. "She probably knew her death was imminent, or she discovered some unknown secrets within the venue that made her a thorn in someone's side."
At this point, the venue owner was brought to the scene. His eyes were disoriented, and he seemed emotionally agitated, struggling to control himself. "I can't believe this! She's dead! How could she die in my venue?" The owner froze in place, his expression complicated.
"Do you know the cause of death?" Lu Chenzhou asked directly, his gaze sharp.
"I... I don't know!" The owner appeared a bit anxious. "She's just my ex-wife, she's no longer my problem. How would I know she would die here? She was once my wife, and I knew she had some of my business secrets, but that was in the past! I…"
"Your words don't make any sense," Lu Chenzhou interrupted calmly. "What we're investigating is your relationship with her, especially the contact between you two after your divorce. What's most important right now is finding the murderer."
After a detailed investigation, the police discovered that Liuqian's death wasn't solely due to the secrets she held. Her ex-husband was indeed involved in tax evasion, but the true mastermind was the current owner's wife, Yangxue.
Yangxue had always been the biggest threat to Liuqian after the divorce. She knew Liu Qian possessed evidence of her husband's illegal activities, and she was willing to take extreme measures to protect her interests. Upon learning that Liuqian was threatening her husband's career, Yangxue decided to take revenge—and the way she chose was through the script killing venue.
"She used the script game setup in the venue to hide the poison in the wine glass," Su Wanqing analyzed. "Through clever design, she made every player believe it was just part of the game. When the victim drank the poisoned wine, she had no suspicion. Meanwhile, Yangxue calmly watched everything unfold from behind the scenes."
Lu Chenzhou thought for a moment and then asked, "How did she ensure that Liuqian would drink that glass of wine?"
"It was a carefully arranged sequence," Su Wanqing replied. "Liuqian wasn't the first player in this round. Yangzue had arranged things beforehand to ensure that Liuqian would participate and drink the wine she prepared. Every role in the sequence was calculated precisely."
The police finally uncovered Yangxue's crime. Not only had she used the venue's immersive atmosphere to carry out the murder, but she had also designed a seemingly perfect crime. Yangxue was arrested for her brutal murder and was brought to court.
The revelation of this case was shocking. It not only exposed a cold-blooded murder but also proved the darkness hidden beneath the surface of society. Su Wanqing and Lu Chenzhou stood at the crime scene, looking at the evidence in their hands, feeling a deep sorrow.
"Everyone has a secret behind them," Su Wanqing said softly. "Sometimes, the game isn't just for fun—it's full of deadly traps."
Lu Chenzhou didn't respond. He merely stared silently at the script killing venue, a place full of falsehoods and deception.