Chapter 18: Truly Thrilling!

Chen Yu slowly took out the new phone he had exchanged from the system shop.

On the screen, he created a new notebook.

Then he began to type.

This was a habit he had kept for many years—writing a diary.

In the words of that devilish instructor at the police academy, keeping a diary was an absolutely necessary habit for any future criminal investigator.

After all, criminal investigation is a high-risk profession that walks on the edge of a blade.

Every day, one should secretly record what one has done and thought in a way only oneself can understand.

If one day, fate takes a cruel turn and you meet an untimely end, at the very least, these diaries might offer those who come after you some key clues about the cases you were working on.

By the light of the small lamp beside the hotel bed, Chen Yu’s fingers tapped quietly on the virtual keyboard.

Xia Country, River City, April 1st, clear skies.

The first day of my transmigration!

Thinking back now, those two bottles of cheap liquor last night really did me in.

Who would have thought that dying drunk at a barbecue stall would lead to such an absurd stroke of luck—crossing over into this brand-new world.

At the start, I genuinely thought I was going to die trapped in that damned locked room, with no one to hear me scream.

But then, a twist of fate—the system landed right on top of me.

This system is quite the treasure, but unfortunately, earning points is no simple task.

Well, no rush. One step at a time!

Let’s talk about the current case.

Who would have thought that I, Chen Yu, would suddenly become a sought-after star on a wildly popular national detective variety show?

Now I have fans. That’s a pretty good feeling!

If I can manage to solve this bewildering case in style...

I’ll have to start thinking about what to say in my acceptance speech!

As for Luo Xiangdong’s case, no matter how tangled its process seems, looking back with my abilities...

I personally believe this was nothing but a complete accident!

As for the poor soul involved—who knows what mischief he had in mind.

In the dead of night, he sneaked into an abandoned house all by himself, probably seeking some excitement.

In the end, even fate seemed to lose patience with him—a gust of “wind,” and his life came to an abrupt lesson.

Still, it worked out well.

Playing the “corpse” today brought me plenty of unexpected benefits.

All thanks to that gentleman’s “contribution”!

Rest assured, my friend! That charming widow of yours—your loyal brother here will make sure she’s well “looked after.” You may go in peace!

I have to admit—the perks from the production crew are simply irresistible!

Oh, by the way, speaking of last night’s “chance encounter” with that bar girl—I happened to spot a bald man named “Brother Lei.”

That guy may well be connected to the old case where Liu Gang’s wife was gruesomely murdered.

I’ll need to hang around that bar more often.

If I can find a way to strike up a conversation with Brother Lei, that would be perfect!

Just to clarify—

I’m going to the bar purely for investigation, for justice!

It’s absolutely not for the drinks, nor for those scantily clad ladies!

Yes, that’s exactly it!

Tomorrow, I must bring this up with the show’s crew.

I need to meet Luo Xiangdong’s business partners.

From what Liu Hong implied, she seems to have suffered quite a bit at their hands.

Is that really necessary?

The boss of such a massive conglomerate, worth trillions, going out of their way to bully a graceful, helpless widow?

Where’s their sense of proportion? Their dignity? Have they no shame?

Speaking of which...

That Liu Hong woman...

She’s something else!!

End.

The next day, the hour hand was almost at noon.

Chen Yu finally woke up under a barrage of phone calls.

He really had “overexerted” himself last night.

On the other end of the line was Lin Bing.

“Chen Yu? What did I tell you last night? Where are you? Second-floor conference room! Everyone’s waiting on you!”

“Meeting?” He tried to recall—apparently there was indeed a meeting.

Lin Bing had told him last night that the director required a meeting before the afternoon’s live broadcast to finalize the day’s schedule and filming plan.

Hanging up, Chen Yu rubbed his aching temples, only to find the bed beside him was already empty—the bar girl had slipped away at some point.

He didn’t dare linger. He quickly washed up and hurried to the small conference room on the hotel’s second floor.

He was, in fact, the last to arrive.

When he pushed open the door, the room was already full.

Most of the core production team was present, along with the other three contestants, Supervisor Yan Zheng, and the client Liu Hong.

Chen Yu’s gaze flickered toward the bar girl.

She did look tired, dark circles faintly visible under her eyes.

But the moment their eyes met, she instantly switched back to her exaggerated, daytime persona—a world apart from the vulnerable openness she’d shown in the night.

This subtle change made Chen Yu feel oddly unsettled.

He glanced at Liu Hong.

When his eyes landed on her, he caught a subtle, complex emotion in the way she looked at him.

It was the kind of look that set him daydreaming again.

In the corner, Captain Yan looked just as exhausted as he was, sporting a pair of impressive panda eyes.

Well, well—had the senior also spent the night “toiling” away?

The meeting was chaired by the show’s chief director.

He began with a beaming smile, lavishing praise on Chen Yu’s dazzling performance yesterday.

After all, Chen Yu’s “resurrection” and subsequent antics had sent the live audience to the highest peak in the program’s history.

According to the show’s established format from previous seasons:

On the first day, contestants usually conduct a meticulous investigation of the crime scene.

On the second day, they visit the city’s detective division to review case files and all evidence gathered by the police so far.

But clearly, Chen Yu’s unexpected “twist” had shaken up the usual routine.

Just as the director was about to continue, Chen Yu suddenly interrupted.

“I imagine after investigating at Liu Hong’s house yesterday, everyone has formed some initial conclusions?”

“Let me share mine first.”

He paused, his tone firm: “I believe Liu Hong can be ruled out as a suspect!”

The room’s occupants almost all wore the same “How do you know?” expression.

“The reason is simple.” Chen Yu spread his hands and smiled. “I believe the bond between Liu Hong and Mr. Luo Xiangdong was deep and genuine—moving enough to touch the heart. So, for now, I see no motive for her to have killed her husband!”

With confidence, he continued, “So, I think our attention should shift to those with stronger motives—namely, Luo Xiangdong’s two business partners!”

“Partners?”

“That’s right! Luo’s partners are the ones most likely to be driven to murder by enormous financial disputes!”

Lin Bing suddenly blurted out, her eyes nearly swooning as she gazed at Chen Yu.

Today, Chen Yu was nothing like the bedraggled “corpse actor” who’d crawled out of the locked room yesterday.

Now, dressed in clean, stylish casual wear, he looked energetic and strikingly handsome.

Compared to yesterday, his image had leaped by several orders of magnitude.

And as soon as Chen Yu voiced his opinion, Lin Bing agreed without hesitation.

Everyone else in the room gave Lin Bing a strange look.

In the corner, the quiet contestant nicknamed Pipe frowned and spoke: “If I remember right, the contestant handbook didn’t include detailed info on Luo Xiangdong’s partners. Did the show forget to provide it?”

“Not at all,” the director explained. “Mr. Luo did have two important business partners.”

“One is Zhang Fu.”

“The other is Dong Zhan.”

“Which one should we start with?” Chen Yu quickly followed up.

But as soon as he asked, everyone in the room looked at him as if watching a fool... No, as if watching an idiot.

“What’s wrong?” Chen Yu felt uneasy under their stares.

In the corner, Yan Zheng couldn’t help but snort coldly.

This kid’s acting is truly something. Still pretending to have amnesia at this point? And selling it so well!

“Ahem!” Captain Yan coughed heavily and said, “Let me clarify.”

“Zhang Fu is the current president of River City Group. I’m afraid you won’t be able to investigate him for now.”

“As for Dong Zhan, he’s the current president of Xiangdong Group. If you insist on meeting him, I can try to use some of my connections to arrange an introduction.”

“But I must warn you—President Dong’s time is extremely valuable. Every minute is worth a fortune. So when you meet, get straight to the point and don’t waste anyone’s time!”

Captain Yan’s words left Chen Yu bewildered.

River City Group?

Not possible to investigate?

What did that mean?

“River City Group is a giant compared to Xiangdong Group—many times larger in scale, influence, and resources. Zhang Fu’s schedule is packed; even high-ranking city officials need to book appointments well in advance. Do you understand, Mr. Amnesia?” Captain Yan, for once, patiently explained.

Everyone else in the room was clearly wary of the power behind these two names.

But Chen Yu remained steadfast in his opinion.

In the end, the director made the final decision: the afternoon’s live broadcast would begin in front of the Xiangdong Group’s headquarters.

First, they would visit the current head of Xiangdong Group, Dong Zhan.

Afterward, they would head to the city detective division to review the case files.