No matter how many times Arthur replayed the deduction or how many hours passed within the game world, once the game ended, time always reset to the original moment.
Fortunately, throughout the entire process, Arthur acted as an "observer," meaning he didn't have to exert any energy actively participating in the events.
He wasn't sure how long it had taken, it felt both like an eternity and just a blink of an eye.
[The deduction is over!]
[Total duration: 3,821 hours!]
[You are satisfied with the deduction results. The entire process is being compiled and saved as a video of the successful deduction event to help players in the real world synchronize everything perfectly!]
[Saving—]
[3]
[2]
[1]
[Save complete, the video has been archived!]
Arthur named the video archive: [Abandoned Construction Site Collapse Incident].
Stretching his arms with a smile, he muttered, "That was satisfying."
The feeling was indescribable.
The painstaking work of making countless tiny adjustments to orchestrate what appeared to be a perfectly accidental event was exhilarating. To have the target die from a seemingly coincidental accident, each one carefully crafted like a work of art was astonishing and unforgettable.
Now, all that remained was putting the plan into motion.
With a slight grin, Arthur lit a cigarette and walked to the windowsill of his small rented apartment, gazing down at the pedestrians rushing by.
He couldn't help but think about the mastermind behind it all, the man who had placed the bounty on his head. He hadn't seen the old man yet.
Taking a drag from his cigarette, Arthur chuckled, "That old man is much more cautious than I gave him credit for."
Still, the plan for the abandoned construction site collapse was crystal clear in his mind. He knew exactly how to control every step, how to time every moment.
This knowledge came from thousands of hours of repeated simulation.
Even with his eyes closed, he could visualize every part of the construction site he'd never visited: the location of the bucket, the positioning of the stressed steel bars, the entrance gate—every detail was embedded in his memory.
Tick.
Tick.
Time moved slowly, minute by minute.
The 50 million reward sent shockwaves through the Dark Net.
In a dingy alley next to an old garage, several old partners gathered once again. Among them was the burly and stout Li Yan, the tech-savvy hacker Chen Yuyou, and Old Jin, a bald man with a gambling addiction who had been forced into illegal activities.
Old Jin, with a toothpick in his mouth, looked skeptical. "So, has that bastard filled in the address yet?"
The hacker, Gabriel, fiddled with his laptop and replied quietly, "Not yet!"
"Just be patient."
John, sporting scars and tattoos on his arms, had been in prison for nine years. His family had rejected him, but he didn't care. He thrived on conflict and loved to fight, never having been much for academics.
The three of them had been down and out until they met on the Dark Net. Together, they had completed several tasks and earned millions in bounties. For over half a year, they lived a life of luxury.
Now, their money was almost gone, so they teamed up again to take on another Dark Net job—this time targeting the 50 million reward.
Old Jin looked skeptical, chewing on his toothpick. "The Dark Net wouldn't scam us, right?"
"We already spent a million. If this is a waste of time, I'll have your head," he snarled, glaring at Gabriel.
Though they all used fake names, none of them trusted each other completely.
Gabriel grinned, "Don't worry, Brother Jin. We spent that million to get the target's delivery address, and the Dark Net isn't dumb enough to mess up such a sure bet."
"Besides, don't forget—the website gets 15% of the bounty once we kill him."
"It's a win-win for them too, so the address will definitely come through. Once someone picks up that package, we've got them!"
The three of them exchanged eager, excited glances.
The general consensus on the forum was that the kid who caused the car accident had just gotten lucky. They believed the accident happened before anyone had a chance to intervene, and that the doctor had died purely by chance.
Given this, they assumed their target wasn't particularly skilled, and 50 million seemed like a risk worth taking.
Suddenly, a message notification chimed.
The hacker glanced at his screen, thinking it was the address they were waiting for, but it turned out to be a message from the boss behind the scenes.
He raised an eyebrow and smirked. "Well, this is interesting."
"The boss says we need to torture him to death, but we can't kill him outright. Gotta make him suffer."
Contradictory, but clear enough.
Hearing this, John cracked his knuckles, eyes gleaming with excitement. "I like that. Just killing him would be boring!"
Old Jin laughed sadistically, "I've been thinking of a new way to deal with bodies. I'll try it out this time!"
Rubbing his hands together, he added, "Nobody will ever find him!"
Licking his lips, Jin muttered, "I'll make sure he sinks into the sea forever."
"Hahaha!"
The three of them laughed, their faces twisted with perverse glee, completely unaware that they were walking into... the death.