Due to the commotion, the reputation of the Paranormal Investigation Club unexpectedly rose. The once-quiet booth began to attract many freshmen interested in the intriguing logical puzzles. Soon, three new members joined, much to the excitement of the club members. If William knew his actions had inadvertently helped, he might have gone mad.
However, the buzz eventually died down, and the booth returned to its quiet state.
Out of boredom, the club members spent quite some time trying to solve Leon's riddle but to no avail. They eventually approached him for the answer.
"Vice President, what is the substance?" Alex Zhu asked.
Leon put down his book. "You're still thinking about that?"
"Yeah. Could it be water? But that doesn't seem right. Too much water would drown someone, but too little wouldn't kill them," Sandra Yue said, furrowing her brows in frustration.
Alex Zhu also shared his thoughts.
Leon couldn't help but laugh.
"What is it then, Vice President?"
"You're asking me? I don't know either," Leon replied helplessly.
The members were dumbfounded.
You don't know??
Leon explained that he had made up the riddle on the spot to mess with William because he found him annoying. There was no actual answer, so he left it to William to waste his brain cells on it.
The club members were left speechless, with Sandra commenting, "Leon, you're so wicked."
The others nodded in agreement, realizing they too had been fooled.
There are two types of good people in this world: those who let themselves be bullied and are then praised for their patience, and those like Leon, who are kind to nice people but don't hesitate to retaliate against provocation. Leon was adept at adapting his behavior to the situation.
After a while, Leon received a call from Luna Hu. After chatting, he left the recruitment booth to Sandra and left.
He took a taxi to the "National Central Bank," where Luna Hu, her long hair flowing, had been waiting.
"Witch, why did you call me out? Today is recruitment day, aren't you supposed to be there?" Leon grumbled as he got out of the car.
Luna Hu chuckled, "Put this on. We're going to see the site of the century's biggest murder mystery." She handed him a pass.
Leon pinned it on, knowing Luna was capable but not expecting her to secure permission for a site investigation.
As they smoothly entered the sealed-off crime scene, Leon asked, "Dear witch, this isn't fake, right?"
"Hmph, would I bring you a fake?" Luna sneered.
Her confidence was justified. The bank staff didn't question their presence.
On the way, Leon asked Luna about the reason she had called him out.
Luna explained that she had been contemplating the flaws in the locked-room scenario. Finding no weaknesses from inside the bank vault, she shifted her suspicion to external factors. However, the police investigation had found nothing suspicious outside either, despite the cameras. Hence, she decided to investigate the site herself for logical inconsistencies.
Early this morning, the city had its sixth bank vault locked-room murder case. This time, it was at the underground vault of the National Central Bank.
Somehow, Luna had obtained the investigation credentials to visit the still-sealed bank.
They were met by a portly, sweating bank manager, clearly anxious. Despite heightened security due to the ghost vault rumors, including the latest multi-layered locks and fifteen surveillance cameras covering the vault corridor, another body had mysteriously appeared in the vault.
"The victim is a woman, time of death around 1:15 AM, asphyxiated. There are signs of sexual assault. The body was found naked, covered in coins, with no clothing found in the vault," Leon repeated from the report.
"I'm here to supplement evidence. Have you remembered any overlooked details?" Luna asked coldly.
Their authoritative demeanor lent them a semblance of investigative legitimacy.
The manager, looking pained, replied, "Nothing else. This woman had no deposit records with us. We don't know how she got into the vault. Knowing about the previous incidents, we had security check the vault before closing, and it was empty."
"I want to see the site," Luna stated.
"Of course."
Led by the manager, they passed through the heavily secured entrance. The National Central Bank used fingerprint and retina scans, and surveillance cameras were spaced every few meters along the corridor, making it impossible for anything, even a fly, to go unnoticed. The manager explained that security personnel monitored the vault around the clock, and no suspicious individuals had entered in the 24 hours before the incident, as confirmed by the footage.
The vault's security was extremely tight.
Inside the vault, which was still being cleared, the crime scene remained intact. It resembled a fortress, with solid walls and floors precluding the possibility of tunnels or any other secret entrances.
"Could it really be a ghost?" the manager wiped his sweat. "It's too bizarre."
Even Luna's usually confident expression showed rare uncertainty.
After inspecting the area and questioning the staff, they found no useful information. Exiting the bank, they sat on the steps of the bank's garden. Luna organized her notes and then received a phone call, after which she said, "There's been a development."
"???"
"The police found a suspect in the vault's surveillance footage."
Leon was stunned. "Really?"
"Yeah, a man in black, reflected in a metallic surface. He seemed aware of the camera positions," Luna said with a cold smile. "I need to verify this, but it's good news. It's not a ghost, which means I don't need to consider it a supernatural event."
Leon remarked that Luna always seemed to have insider information.
The witch shrugged indifferently, "I know more about police activities than you do."
Leon smiled.
Glancing at his watch, Leon stood up. "I just remembered something. I have to go for now, Luna."
The witch nodded silently, still deep in thought.
After a while, Luna looked up. "Leon, do you think the culprit is like someone from the X-Files?" Leon was long gone, leaving her in silence.
...
Leon, checking his watch, walked briskly, occasionally scanning his surroundings.
His watch's indicator was slowly rising.
The more incidents involving the Xi Jing Ghost Vaults, the more convinced Leon was of his theory—the culprit wasn't a ghost but a human using some extraordinary means.
Near the Central Bank, Leon kept his head down and walked to Chinatown.
The watch's brightness reached 100%! He stopped, looking at the bustling street.
"Leon, the target has appeared. He's within 100 meters. Watch people's expressions. If someone has obtained an ability chip, they will appear unusual. As you approach, the indicator will change from green to yellow to red," Lina warned cautiously.
Leon acknowledged, his eyes scanning the area.
Suddenly, across the street, a man caught Leon's attention.
The man was tall and thin, with a wicked smile. Compared to those around him, he exuded a cold, indifferent aura towards the world.
Leon moved towards him, and as he took the first step, the indicator turned yellow.