The weapon by the pillow

Chapter 58 Reverse Tracking!

"If this case hadn't remained unsolved for thirteen years, we wouldn't have gone to such lengths to force him to come out!"

"But..." Both Shadow Cat and the professor were taken aback.

"But these old guys are just as good at adapting to new technologies as the young people!"

"Our original plan was to use Cheng Tan's nightmare, the live trial, Liu Li's 'death,' and the locked room and the dice to force out all the participants from back then, ultimately forcing them to show up and expose the truth to the light of day."

As he walked, Fang Lian analyzed the situation quickly, his thoughts becoming clearer and clearer. "But those pawns in room 403, especially Cheng Tan, he's not following the script. He smashed the wall, he went into 402, he created the 'Liu Li is not dead' act that's hard to tell if it's true or not... These unexpected events disrupted the rhythm, but they may also have... inadvertently touched on their more sensitive points."

He stopped and stood under the eaves of an abandoned newsstand to take shelter from the rain.

Rainwater dripped down the damaged roof, splashing tiny droplets at the three people's feet.

"I still don't understand," the square-faced man said, looking at the two men. "If it's just a murder case that even the police can't solve... why are those old guys so nervous, even going so far as to hint that we 'stop' or 'clean up'? They could have easily suppressed it in a more discreet way before it blew up, or crushed us like ants after we finished our 'performance.' But they didn't."

"They're investigating us, and they're even passing messages to us." Shadow Cat understood, his face turning grim. "Through channels we can't monitor, using a 'language' we're familiar with... They know we exist, they know our purpose, and perhaps... they've been guiding us all along?"

"It's not so much guiding as it is... observing and exploiting." The square-faced man sneered. "We're a somewhat disobedient but still sharp knife. They want to see how deep this knife can cut, how much blood it can splatter. If it cuts the right person and eliminates the threat, they'll be happy. If it misses, or if the knife turns around and hurts the hand holding it... then they'll not hesitate to break the knife, or, replace it with another one..."

The professor gasped: "So... we abandoned the car because..."

"The car is no longer safe," the square-faced man said definitively. "From the moment we decided to go back to Anpingli, or even earlier, perhaps from the moment we stepped into this place, we might have been marked. That logistics park address might be a trap, or a 'showroom.' Handing the car over to that designated driver is twofold: first, a way to escape potential tracking; second, a test. To see where that car will ultimately end up, and who will 'receive' it."

"This is, after all, their territory. It's a complex web of connections, and it's inevitable that we'll all be intertwined..." He looked at Shadow Cat. "Cat, your mission has changed. Forget about the car; it's bait. You need to find out immediately how to track that car, and... whoever came into contact with it. I need to know who's pulling the strings behind the scenes."

The woman's eyes sharpened, and she nodded.

Hiring a designated driver was a brilliant move. Now we're in the shadows, and tracking and counter-tracking are her strengths.

"Professor," the square-faced man turned to the bespectacled man, "you should stick to the original plan and return to the vicinity of Anping Village. Try to erase all traces and steer those eight people towards our script... After all, this play isn't over yet."

The professor hesitated for a moment: "Boss, what about you? Aren't you coming with us?"

The square-faced man looked into the depths of the rainy night, towards the direction where the city lights were most concentrated, his gaze somewhat complicated.

"Tonight, I'll find a way to meet them. They might not know, but we're also doing reverse tracking!" he said slowly, with a desperate ruthlessness. "Find out what this 'real secret' that's been going on for thirteen years, keeping us all completely fooled... is. Why are even those old guys at the top of the pyramid so wary of it, even going so far as to get involved themselves?"

He paused, then added, "Ah Cat, Professor, remember, from now on, the three of us will operate independently. Unless I contact you, do not contact each other. If... if I don't hear from you before dawn, or if I send a 'clear' signal, you know what to do. Erasure all traces of us, and then... take care."

"Boss!" Shadow Cat and the Professor exclaimed in unison.

Square-faced man waved his hand, stopping them. He glanced one last time at his two companions who had followed him for many years, a fleeting, almost imperceptible tenderness passing through his eyes, but it was quickly replaced by a steely coldness.

"The main character can't be absent halfway through this play." He tightened the zipper of his waterproof suit and pulled his hat down even lower. "I want to see what kind of expressions those old fogies pretending to be asleep will have when they're dragged to the front of the stage."

After saying that, he didn't linger.

He turned around and stepped back into the torrential rain without hesitation, his figure quickly swallowed up by the darkness and rain.

Shadow Cat and the professor stood there, staring in the direction where Square Face had disappeared, speechless for a long time.

The rain is getting heavier.

……

Room 402, Building 7, Anpingli.

Time moved slowly, each second an agonizing wait.

The eight-person "performance" ended half an hour ago.

"Will they...believe it?" A-Zhe asked, his voice trembling.

"I don't know." Cheng Tan shook his head. The nosebleed had stopped, but cold sweat continued to pour from his forehead. "But this is all we can do. Next..."

He looked at Li Kai and Shadow: "If I'm not mistaken, they might come back. We must confirm Liu Li's fate and deal with any 'accidents.' We must be prepared."

"How are we prepared?" Lynx smiled wryly. "There are only eight of us, unarmed. The other side might be professionals, and they might even have guns."

“We have this room,” Lin Qian suddenly spoke up. “We know this place better than they do. We also have… a surprise attack.”

She pointed to the tools on the ground: a wrench, an ice pick, and electrical wires...

"These aren't just for show." Lin Qian picked up a wrench, weighed it in her hand, and said, "They might have been murder weapons back then, but tonight... they could be weapons."

A fierce glint flashed in Li Kai's eyes as he picked up the heavy pair of pliers.

Shadow didn't speak, but he checked his multi-tool and tactical flashlight, adjusted his stance, and looked like a leopard poised to pounce.

Wu Wenbin looked at the tools, his face pale, but he still picked up a roll of thick wire with trembling hands.

A-Zhe and Xiao-Fei exchanged a glance, then gritted their teeth and picked up the paper cutter and the heavy paperweight from the ground.

Looking at everyone, Cheng Tan felt a mix of emotions welling up inside him.

Fear remains, but the courage to fight to the death when pushed to the brink is also growing.

They are not pawns to be slaughtered at will.

They had to survive.

They have the right to know the truth.