"So, have you found a solution to the problem?"
As the waiter served a large portion of sea cucumber soup at the table, Mu Zi and Ouyang Liuse had already paid their bill and left the restaurant. Ouyang Liuse seemed somewhat regretful about leaving the expensive dish untasted, so as they stepped out into the brightly lit street, she hurriedly asked.
"Almost," Mu Zi replied while walking, his tone serious and his speech rapid, as if the deep contemplation of the past few days had prepared him for this moment. "The situation is clear. Our only opportunity is to get into the bathroom."
"Yes, because it's the only place not in the female bodyguard's line of sight... The problem is, we haven't even entered the villa, let alone know anything about that nearly enclosed bathroom!" Ouyang Liuse said with a slight frown.
"So, the first thing we need to do is find an opportunity to get into that bathroom. And this opportunity must meet two conditions: first, when the female bodyguard happens not to be in the villa, and second, we must have a plausible reason to enter the bathroom and be able to stay there for at least two minutes without raising any suspicion from He Li," Mu Zi continued rapidly.
"Regarding the first condition, we're pretty confident now. Every weekend evening, the female bodyguard goes out to drink alone for at least an hour before returning to the villa. In the three weeks we've been observing, there's never been an exception," Ouyang Liuse added thoughtfully, following Mu Zi's line of thought. "As for the second condition, we'll have to create that ourselves. I think it's not difficult, like we could tamper with the drainage pipe outside He Li's bathroom and then pose as maintenance workers to enter that mysterious bathroom," she spilled out her thoughts. After speaking, she sighed and added, "You must have thought of this during your days of deep thinking."
"That's right, I thought of these from the start," Mu Zi replied quickly, "but there's one issue you haven't mentioned: what happens after we enter the bathroom."
"After entering the bathroom?" Ouyang Liuse was puzzled.
"Yes. To stage an accident in the bathroom, there are basically two possibilities. First, we could use the connection between the bathroom's exterior and interior, take the opportunity to enter the bedroom to understand the situation, and then create the accident from outside the bathroom, such as through the water or exhaust pipes, poisoning, releasing gas, or even sending a poisonous snake into the bathroom. But after careful consideration, I've dismissed these possibilities.
Firstly, these methods are too obviously man-made and wouldn't escape police suspicion. Secondly, the bathroom is on the second floor of the villa, and there are many cameras installed around, so we wouldn't have the opportunity to act."
Ouyang Liuse's mind raced, and as soon as Mu Zi finished, she continued, "Then the second possibility you mentioned is to create the accident scene inside the bathroom. I think that's difficult."
"It is indeed difficult!" Mu Zi nodded, "Firstly because of time. We need to complete the setup before the female bodyguard returns and without raising He Li's suspicion. The difficulty is probably only something Death itself could manage. Unfortunately, we are merely humans. In such a short time, observing and familiarizing ourselves with a luxurious bathroom is just about possible, but planning and setting up an accident scene is virtually impossible.
Next is the issue of tools. Even if we happen to have a stroke of inspiration upon entering the bathroom and immediately conceive of an accident scene, then what about the setup? Different scenes require different tools. For example, tampering with electrical appliances requires screwdrivers or pliers, and for mechanical valves, wrenches or hammers are needed. But we won't know what tools are required until we enter the bathroom. We can't just show up at He Li's door with a truck full of every tool imaginable, right?"
Despite the pessimistic topic, Mu Zi spoke lightly, so Ouyang Liuse's mood also lightened. She smiled and said, "But seeing you eat so heartily today, you don't seem stuck on a problem, so you must have thought of a solution?"
Mu Zi smiled noncommittally and continued, "To be honest, my thoughts did hit a dead end at this point. Then I remembered something that taught me a principle or a method of dealing with problems: don't get stuck on one track. When you're at an impasse, there's often another way out! And interestingly, it involves you!" Mu Zi said mysteriously, turning his head towards Ouyang Liuse, winking, and giving her hand a reassuring squeeze.
"Something involving me?"
"Yes, the Black Neapolitan incident," Mu Zi slowed his pace and stopped outside a restaurant window. "Back then, it was hot and I was frustrated, unable to find a solution to Mina's situation. The deep-seated hatred wouldn't let me give up, and the two conflicting emotions nearly drove me mad. I decided to set aside these worries and find a refreshing environment to cool off, so I went down to a restaurant like this and sat down." Mu Zi's gaze returned from its wanderings, focusing deeply on Ouyang Liuse, "And then, I met you in the rain, and soon, things started to turn around..."
Ouyang Liuse's face flushed slightly, and she squeezed Mu Zi's hand back before quickly saying, "Alright, let's get back to the matter at hand. Have you found the final solution? According to what you just said, to plan an accident in the bathroom, we need to overcome the issues of time and tools. Have you thought of a way for both?"
Mu Zi nodded and continued, "Time and tools are actually causally related. That is, if we overcome the time issue, the tool issue naturally resolves itself."
Ouyang Liuse pondered briefly, then nodded in understanding, "Right, with enough time, the tool issue can be easily solved. For instance, we could improvise with materials in the villa without arousing He Li's suspicion, or even get her to help find suitable tools. Or, we could go out to collect tools under the guise of needing them for repairs and then return... All this depends on having enough time, which means... completing everything before the female bodyguard returns!"
"We're getting more in sync," Mu Zi smiled, shaking Ouyang Liuse's hand, then said seriously, "However, the time you're talking about is still not sufficient, because what I want is for the entire murder plan to be completed before the bodyguard returns to the villa!"
Ouyang Liuse fell silent for a moment, then had a sudden realization, "Right! The female bodyguard is extraordinary. If the accident scene is just set up when she returns, she might become suspicious. Moreover, she might even save He Li from danger and easily thwart our setup!"
"Exactly!" Mu Zi said earnestly, "So, we must ensure that when the bodyguard returns to the villa, what she finds is He Li's corpse!"
After Mu Zi's last statement, both fell silent. Mu Zi twirled a lock of hair at his forehead and watched Ouyang Liuse, wondering if it was his words or the cool autumn breeze that made her withdraw her hand and wrap her arms around herself. Her gaze settled on the bustling crowd inside the restaurant window behind Mu Zi, clearly deep in thought.
Her deductive skills were improving, and their cooperation was becoming more seamless. Mu Zi thought to himself, but it seemed she was still uncomfortable with the topic of death.
After a while, Mu Zi checked his watch.
Seeing this, Ouyang Liuse asked softly, "Tell me, what do I need to do?"