"Cop, you're lying," Qiao Jiajin said coldly.
"Hmph, I knew you'd say that. But do you have any evidence to prove I'm lying? Just because someone attacked me?"
"Of course not." Qiao Jiajin smirked. "Although I don't know the reason, everyone's story so far has been interconnected. Many characters overlap in these narratives, and if we disregard geographical locations, the stories make sense."
"So what?"
"The problem lies right here." Qiao Jiajin pointed at Lawyer Zhang Chenze. "There's a common figure between your story and the lawyer's: the 'fraudster who scammed two million yuan.' However, your stories contradict each other, which means one of you is lying."
Officer Li hesitated for a moment before asking, "Where's the contradiction?"
Qiao Jiajin shook his head, looking at Officer Li. "Lawyer Zhang said she was preparing for trial, which means in her story, 'the suspect was already apprehended.' But in your story, you were still staking out the suspect, meaning 'the suspect was still at large.' Isn't that a contradiction?"
Officer Li pondered briefly before responding, "I must admit, your point makes some sense. However, I think you've been influenced by this 'game.' First, you need to understand a key premise: none of us were in the same city. In other words, even if our experiences are similar, we're not describing the same event. Since they're different incidents, naturally, the outcomes would differ."
Qi Xia silently observed the two arguing, making no move to intervene.
Yes, let them argue. The fiercer, the better.
If either of them voted against the other, the liar would win.
After all, the rules were absolute. If any of the others voted incorrectly, everyone else would die alongside them.
Although Officer Li had provided an explanation, Qiao Jiajin's words lingered in everyone's minds.
After all, this was the first time two people's stories had conflicting elements.
Qi Xia couldn't help but regard Qiao Jiajin—the so-called thug—with newfound respect.
Though he appeared unruly, he was sharper than expected.
"Hmm… it's my turn now…" a young woman began.
The group snapped out of their thoughts and looked at her.
This woman had screamed loudly when the corpse first appeared.
Now, she seemed calmer, though her gaze refused to stray toward the body.
"Hello, everyone. My name is Lin Qin. I'm a psychotherapist."
Qi Xia froze slightly at the name Lin Qin because it carried a unique charm.
In ancient China, Lin Qin was a poetic term for "apple."
The name evoked an artistic sentiment, leaving a deep impression.
Perhaps Lin Qin's parents wanted to give her a distinctive name, but here, it could be her downfall.
Among the participants were a writer, a teacher, a lawyer, a doctor, and a police officer—any of whom might know the meaning of Lin Qin.
As long as the name resonated in their minds, Lin Qin's story would be unforgettable.
Seeing no reaction from the group, Lin Qin covered her nose and mouth before continuing, "I'm from Ningxia. Before I arrived here, I was waiting for a client—a kindergarten teacher."
The group instinctively glanced at Xiao Ran, the kindergarten teacher, marking yet another connection in the stories.
"She said that the teaching profession is increasingly difficult. You can't hit or scold the children. Parents treat teachers like babysitters, and children see them as servants. Every classroom is equipped with surveillance cameras, and parents monitor everything in real time. If your tone is even slightly stern, they'll call the principal immediately."
"But isn't the purpose of sending kids to kindergarten to build their values?"
"If teachers can't discipline students strictly, how will children learn from their mistakes?"
"She felt lost and stifled for a long time."
"So I developed a treatment plan for her lasting about a month."
"But for some reason, the client never showed up for her appointment. I just kept waiting in my office."
"When the earthquake hit, I had no chance to escape. My office was on the 26th floor."
"The higher the floor, the stronger the tremors. I felt the entire building shaking."
"I never knew Ningxia could have earthquakes. This was my first experience."
"I vaguely remember the ceiling collapsing before everything went black."
After Lin Qin's story, the group seemed to realize something.
Qiao Jiajin was the first to speak. "I have two questions."
"Go ahead," Lin Qin replied, still covering her nose and mouth.
"You said every classroom is equipped with 'surveillance cameras.' What do you mean by that?"
The group didn't expect Qiao Jiajin to focus on such a detail. However, Lin Qin, as a psychotherapist, answered patiently, "I believe the cameras are installed so parents can monitor the classroom from anywhere."
"So it's 'CCTV'… A private kindergarten, then," Qiao Jiajin muttered to himself. He then asked, "Was the teacher you mentioned Xiao Ran?"
"I don't know," Lin Qin shook her head. "We only communicated via WeChat. I planned to learn more during our meeting."
"WeChat?" Qiao Jiajin seemed puzzled, not understanding.
Officer Li interrupted the exchange, saying, "Thug, enough already. Xiao Ran is in Yunnan, while Lin Qin is in Ningxia. Who would travel such a distance just to see a psychotherapist?"
Qiao Jiajin shot back, "I just think it's suspicious. This is the first time someone's story explicitly involved another participant."
Dr. Zhao, agreeing with Qiao Jiajin this time, nodded and asked, "Xiao Ran, did your reasons for seeking therapy align with what Lin Qin described?"
"Um…" Xiao Ran hesitated before replying softly, "Not exactly… I was feeling depressed because of long-term criticism from a parent…"
"Then it's just a coincidence," Dr. Zhao concluded. "After all, we're from different provinces. There's no need to force a connection."
The room fell silent for a moment before Lawyer Zhang suddenly spoke up. "Ms. Lin, half of your story was about the kindergarten teacher. Isn't that against the rules?"
"Huh?" Lin Qin froze. "I only mentioned her to help you understand my job better…"
"Don't get me wrong; I mean no harm," Zhang Chenze said with a faint smile. "I'm just saying that if the teacher's story was fabricated, it would naturally differ from Xiao Ran's, proving you're lying."
"You…!" Lin Qin hadn't expected such aggressiveness. She could only defend herself, "Dr. Zhao and Officer Li both said our locations are different. It's just a coincidence!"
"A coincidence?" Zhang Chenze crossed her arms. "Think carefully. Why were the nine of us chosen to gather here? Don't forget, we're all strangers. To uncover lies in each other's stories, we must be given clues. These 'clues' are the connections in our narratives. After listening to everyone's accounts, I believe we were deliberately selected. This ensures we can spot inconsistencies and find the liar. Otherwise, this game would be absurd because the liar's odds of winning would be far too high."