FIMA Ch32: Strength

Through this incident, Wang Xue and Huang Group got to re-evaluate Gu Siyuan.

It turns out this audience member wasn’t a burden but a real asset.

Regardless of whether they could solve the mystery in the end, just having this expert around meant they didn’t have to run and hide every time they saw someone. This gave them the time to slowly search for evidence and clues.

The three continued to move forward, searching for clues and NPCs.

Gu Siyuan stopped in front of a door.

The door of a room next to it suddenly opened, and a voluptuous woman in a qipao stood in the doorway.

“The master is not here. Are you looking for him?”

This was the first sober person they had encountered since coming up here.

Wang Xue cherished the opportunity. She smiled and asked, “First wife?”

The woman nodded and gently said, “The master’s study is off-limits to everyone. You should leave.”

“Okay.” Gu Siyuan responded, then asked, “Do you know where Master Bai is now?”

“At this time, he should be listening to opera at the fourth wife’s place, according to routine.” The first wife replied without much thought. After saying that, she immediately patted herself: “Oh, I forgot. Nowadays, that probably won’t work. He might be at the second wife’s place having tea.”

Saying this, she seemed a bit disheartened and reiterated, “You should ask around, just don’t stay by the study door. The master’s study is very private and important.”

Gu Siyuan and the others nodded in agreement.

The first wife then closed the door with a snap.

Gu Siyuan glanced at an iron ornamental model placed not far away, reached out to touch it, and soon, a slender iron rod appeared in his palm.

Wang Xue reacted, “You want to pick the lock?”

Ji Haoying was also surprised, “Boss, you have this skill too?”

“First time, not necessarily successful.” Gu Siyuan bent slightly, successfully inserting the slender iron rod into the lock of the study door while placing his ear against it.

The two beside him also bent down, watching closely.

At that moment, there was a crisp click.

Gu Siyuan pushed the door, and it opened.

Wang Xue and Ji Haoying exchanged glances, amazed at the boss’s “first time” success.

After entering the study, they didn’t need any prompting and began searching.

Gu Siyuan used his skills again, prying open two locked drawers on the desk. Inside were mostly bills of exchange, contracts, and account books.

Additionally, there was a leather-bound diary.

Gu Siyuan opened it directly. Although it was clear the diary started long ago, the entries were not numerous. The dates were sometimes just a few days apart, sometimes several months, and each entry was brief, only a few sentences.

Gu Siyuan flipped through it page by page.

Wang Xue leaned over, eyes brightening, “Is that a diary?”

“Yes.” Gu Siyuan replied without pausing his flipping.

Ji Haoying watched his movements, “Boss, flipping so fast, do you have some definite clue?”

Gu Siyuan: “Almost.”

The diary wasn’t large, and the three crowded together couldn’t see clearly.

Wang Xue and Ji Haoying left the desk to continue searching.

While feeling the books on the bookshelf, Wang Xue suddenly found that one large book had an unusual hardness.

She called out to Ji Haoying, “Here, here.”

The two worked together to move the book, revealing a small safe behind the bookshelf.

At this moment, Gu Siyuan had finished reading the diary and walked over.

Wang Xue eagerly asked, “Boss, can you open the safe?”

Gu Siyuan’s expression didn’t change, “I’ll try.”

Wang Xue and Ji Haoying watched as he didn’t even use an iron rod or listen, just directly started turning the combination dial.

Then, after four continuous clicks, the safe door opened.

“This is…” The two exchanged glances.

This was too unscientific!

Gu Siyuan, rarely in a good mood, explained, “I found in the diary that almost every year on August 12, Master Bai wrote a sentimental entry. This date must be special, so I just tried it.”

Ji Haoying raised his hand, “Wait, weren’t you flipping through it randomly just now? In such a short time, you not only read all the content but also remembered the dates?”

Gu Siyuan kept a straight face, “Just happened to.”

“Uh…” Wang Xue and Ji Haoying gasped.

Gu Siyuan reached into the safe and took out its contents. Besides some gold bars and land deeds, there was something special—a report in English.

Wang Xue and Ji Haoying were dumbfounded.

They both had attended art schools with average grades, not to mention the report was full of obscure words.

A glance showed only a few familiar words in the title, “The… of…”, the opening “Dear Sir”, and the bilingual signature at the bottom. They couldn’t recognize anything else.

Instinctively, they looked at Gu Siyuan, who was seriously reading it.

About five seconds later, Gu Siyuan put the report back in the safe, restoring everything.

Wang Xue curiously asked, “Boss, what did the English say?”

They had no doubt Gu Siyuan was genuinely understanding, not pretending.

Gu Siyuan didn’t disappoint, “It’s a diagnosis.”

Ji Haoying: “Wow, they had English diagnosis reports eighty years ago. Are we regressing now?”

Gu Siyuan shook his head, “We’ve progressed. Back then, most Western hospitals were run by foreigners, affordable only to the wealthy, hence the English reports. Nowadays, our hospitals are run by our own people.”

Upon hearing this, Wang Xue and Ji Haoying exchanged knowing smiles.

The three of them left the study and continued forward.

At this moment, they ran into the three members of the Red Group coming from the opposite direction.

However, the Red Group didn’t seem as relaxed as them; they were all panting heavily, as if they had just escaped from something terrifying.

Seeing the relaxed demeanor of the Huang Group, Teacher Li was curious, “You guys didn’t go looking for clues?”

Gu Siyuan asked back, “Did you come from the eldest son’s place?”

Teacher Li nodded, “Yan Yan asked if he killed his brother, and he went berserk, chasing us all the way…”

Gu Siyuan nodded, “I see.”

“No way…” Qi Ran said in amazement, “Brother Siyuan, how did you know it was the eldest son chasing us?”

Gu Siyuan didn’t answer.

Teacher Li was taken aback but quickly figured it out, “This second floor houses Master Bai, the first wife, the second wife, and the eldest son. It seems you encountered someone else.”

Gu Siyuan nodded, “More or less.”

Wang Xue and Ji Haoying exchanged glances. Besides meeting the first wife and the fat chef rushing out of the servant’s room by the stairs, they hadn’t encountered anyone else…

At this moment, Gu Siyuan turned to them, “We’ve seen enough here, let’s check out the scene on the third floor!”

After saying this, he headed towards the stairs.

Wang Xue and Ji Haoying naturally had no objections and followed him.

Teacher Li watched the three of them leave, squinting his eyes shrewdly, “It seems this temporary helper has some real skills.”

Qi Ran first nodded, then laughed, “But luckily, although we were chased, we did get some clues.”

“Yes.” The three members of the Red Group exchanged glances, feeling quite good.

Meanwhile, at a corner on the third floor, two frightened figures were huddled together – the two members of the Green Group.

Earlier, when Xi Shuang saw the eyeball under the door crack, she decisively abandoned her teammate and ran. The promised cooperation and “never abandon, never give up” turned into empty words.

However, Xie Jinzhao, being a boy, although he reacted a bit slower, ended up screaming and running with her to the corner of the corridor.

After that, they rested against the wall for a long time.

After some time, Xi Shuang looked at Xie Jinzhao and said, “We can’t go on like this. We need to stay calm and cooperate. These things are all fake; there’s no need to be scared.”

Xie Jinzhao nodded coldly, “You’re right. Otherwise, even if we stay safe, without any clues, we still fail this game.”

Xi Shuang nodded, “Just like we said at the beginning, never abandon, never give up.”

Xie Jinzhao nodded, “Never abandon, never give up.”

“Bao’er… Bao’er…”

At this moment, a sharp, drawn-out voice called from behind them, getting closer.

They both swallowed hard and looked back simultaneously.

They saw a young woman with long hair in a nightgown, smiling lightly, seemingly floating towards them without touching the ground.

Seeing Xie Jinzhao and Xi Shuang, she quickened her pace, her blood-red mouth opening and closing, “Where’s my Bao’er? Did you… did you steal my Bao’er?”

Xie Jinzhao and Xi Shuang exchanged a glance, then screamed and ran forward, forgetting their earlier promise to stay calm and cooperate.

However, this castle was an open rectangle. At the corner, there was only a dead-end room ahead.

Xie Jinzhao reached the end of the corridor first.

Behind him, Xi Shuang, screaming “Wait for me,” found herself with no way out and a face full of despair.

A flash of inspiration hit her, and she grabbed Xie Jinzhao’s sleeve, “You’re a man, you can’t beat her? Go on, hit her!”

As soon as she said this, the young woman in the nightgown fixed her sinister gaze on Xi Shuang.

“Ah!” Xi Shuang pulled on Xie Jinzhao, “Go on, go on!”

“I never hit women!” Xie Jinzhao gritted his teeth and refused.

“She’s not a person, she’s a ghost!” Xi Shuang trembled.

Suddenly, Xie Jinzhao felt something shift behind him.

He turned to see that the door they had been leaning against was slightly ajar.

Xie Jinzhao’s face lit up with joy.

However, the next moment, his body tilted, and with a sharp shove from beside him, Xi Shuang burst into the room first, slamming the door shut behind her.

“…” Xie Jinzhao.

At that moment, a sound of footsteps came from the stairs at the end of the corridor.

The young woman in the nightgown changed her expression and slowly walked back the way she came.

Xie Jinzhao breathed a sigh of relief and softly knocked on the door, “She’s gone, let me in.”

Xi Shuang cautiously opened the door to let him in.

They exchanged awkward smiles, avoiding any mention of their mutual betrayal.

Xie Jinzhao, with a cold face, commented, “We were too tense. She might not have attacked us. She could be the fourth wife, the mother of the dead child. We could have asked her for clues.”

Xi Shuang nodded, “Yes, next time, we need to stay calm and cooperate.”

Xie Jinzhao agreed.

“Hehe… hehe…” At this moment, a light, crisp laugh echoed in the room.

They exchanged glances and screamed, scrambling towards the door.

But they had locked it too tightly upon entering, and in their panic, they couldn’t open the old-fashioned lock.

“Ah, ah…” Xi Shuang yelled anxiously, “It’s all your fault for locking so many locks!”

Xie Jinzhao was even angrier, “You got in a minute earlier than me, and you didn’t notice there was someone inside?”

“Knock, knock… knock, knock…”

Just then, a rhythmic knocking sounded from outside the door.

Xie Jinzhao had been using one leg to brace the wooden door for leverage while trying to unlock it, but the knocking scared him so much he jumped aside, fearing a blood-red hand might suddenly break through the door.

“What do we do, what do we do?” Xi Shuang was collapsing, “Wolves in front, tigers behind, we’re doomed.”

“Open the door.”

At that moment, a cold male voice sounded from outside.

“Ah, ah…” Xi Shuang was shocked, “This ghost can talk?”

Xie Jinzhao was also trembling, “And the voice is so chilling, it must be a hundred-year-old fierce ghost…”

“Open the door. If you don’t, I’ll break it down.” The voice outside grew even colder.

Xi Shuang grabbed Xie Jinzhao, “What do we do? This ghost can break down doors. It’s threatening us.”

She then noticed that Xie Jinzhao had fallen silent.

She shook his shoulder in despair, “Oh my god, are you so scared you’ve gone dumb? Am I going to face this alone…”

Xie Jinzhao’s shoulder twitched, and he shook off her hand, hesitantly saying, “No, I think… the person outside might not be a ghost.”

“Huh…” Xi Shuang was puzzled.

Xie Jinzhao’s hand returned to the lock. Whether because he knew who was outside or because he had calmed down, the lock, which he couldn’t open earlier, was now easily unlocked.

He gently pulled back with a slight wrist movement, and a handsome, ice-cold face came into view.

Xie Jinzhao breathed a sigh of relief and even smiled lightly.

“What, seeing the hundred-year-old fierce ghost here to take your life, you’re ready to accept your fate?” Gu Siyuan said expressionlessly.

“Ah…” Xie Jinzhao was embarrassed.

How to deal with offending your agent and boss?

Wang Xue covered her mouth and laughed, “Wow, you actually mistook our team’s ace for a ghost?”

Xie Jinzhao raised his hands in surrender, “My mistake.”

Xi Shuang also followed, “My mistake too.”

Ji Haoying looked at the two of them with a rather surprised expression, “You guys haven’t been eliminated yet? Looks like you’re cooperating well.”

Xie Jinzhao and Xi Shuang exchanged a glance and both smiled.

Xi Shuang boasted, “Thanks, we both stay rational and calm, with a sense of cooperation, so we’ve found quite a few clues. How about you guys, how’s it going?”

Xie Jinzhao also asked Gu Siyuan, “You guys came to the third floor so quickly, didn’t find any clues on the second floor?”

Gu Siyuan glanced at him without speaking.

Ji Haoying, however, felt like showing off, “We didn’t find much, but Mr. Gu said he already knows who the murderer is, just missing crucial evidence.”

Xie Jinzhao maintained a calm exterior, but his heart was in turmoil.

Damn, this place is so terrifying, and someone actually had time to find clues instead of running around scared?

When the variety show airs, won’t it make our team look useless?

“Hehe… hehe…”

Suddenly, the same clear and crisp laughter came from the room behind them. If not for the eerie castle setting, the laughter would have sounded quite innocent and joyful.

Gu Long said, the three people you should never provoke in the Jianghu (martial world) are monks, women, and children.

Not to mention monks, but in horror stories, especially Chinese horror stories, women and children are often the ones who send chills down your spine. Many suspense or horror movies start or end with the laughter or eerie rhymes of women and children.

Thus, at this moment, except for Gu Siyuan, the other four all frowned, with Xie Jinzhao directly pulling Gu Siyuan’s sleeve, hiding behind him.

Though Mr. Gu was scary, he had a certain deterrent effect against ghosts.

Yes, “Ghosts’ Nemesis” might be a fitting title.

In a flash, a figure slowly emerged from the room, literally spinning out.

A young girl in a pink ballet costume, with a face thickly painted white and blood-red lips like a ghost, spun and danced her way into their view, laughing.

In the eerie, dilapidated castle, the sight of a young dancing girl was strikingly out of place.

Gu Siyuan snapped his fingers.

The girl looked over curiously but kept spinning.

Gu Siyuan asked, “Are you the Bai family’s young lady?”

The girl shook her head, “No, I’m Little Swan.”

Wang Xue frowned.

Gu Siyuan, with one hand in his pocket, nodded and went along with her, “So you’re called Little Swan. No wonder you have such a high talent for dancing.”

“…” Everyone else.

Boss, are you lying with your eyes open? We’re all in the entertainment industry; we can tell how well someone dances.

But the girl seemed very pleased.

“Hehe… hehe…” She literally floated over like a white swan, her feet never touching the ground.

With her white-powdered face and blood-red lips, the effect was quite shocking.

“Ah…”

The two women present couldn’t help but scream.

Is this black technology specifically designed to scare people? It’s really unnecessary, totally unnecessary.

“Though you have a high talent for ballet, it’s a pity you seem to lack guidance from a master. Your performance feels a bit outdated,” Gu Siyuan said.

The girl pouted angrily but then looked pleadingly, “Then what should I do?”

Gu Siyuan pointed to Wang Xue, “I have an expert dancer from Italy here. She can guide you, but I need you to answer a few questions.”

Wang Xue, suddenly being called upon, felt very excited, finally having some value. She immediately performed several classic ballet movements. If not for her inconvenient attire, she might have done even better.

The girl, now completely absorbed, immediately started imitating the movements, saying, “Ask your questions!”

Gu Siyuan asked, “Did you hear any noises the night before last?”

“Ah…” The girl’s continuous dancing suddenly faltered. Panicking, she said, “I know why you’re here, you’re investigating the death of that poor child.”

Gu Siyuan nodded, “Yes.”

“Shh, we can’t talk about it.” The girl’s eyes darted around wildly. She lightly put her finger to her lips and blew softly, “You mustn’t let it hear. It’s the Buddha, it has eyes and ears everywhere. You need to leave now!”

After speaking, the girl spun around and floated away.

Gu Siyuan’s outstretched hand, intended to catch her, paused in mid-air.

For the first time, he was somewhat annoyed with this black technology he had developed. If it were a real person, he would have grabbed and held her, preventing any escape, demanding clear answers.

Sounds came from the stairs again, and the three members of the Red Team appeared.

Teacher Li saw them staring blankly at a door with unpleasant expressions and chuckled, “Seems like you’re not having much luck with the clues…”

“Mm.” Gu Siyuan responded with a sound.

Xie Jinzhao tugged on his sleeve and gently shook it, “Actually, I have some clues. How about we cooperate?”

Gu Siyuan looked at him, his thin lips parting slightly, “Freeload? Dream on.”

“…” Xie Jinzhao.

How can someone weighing over a hundred pounds speak so coldly?