Simulated Crime, This Criminal Doesn't Seem to Be Acting-Chapter 38
“Dead... he’s dead...” Chen Jing said, her voice trembling with fear as she tentatively checked Zhao Changde’s breath. Her fingers pointed at the motionless body on the ground, her entire body shivering.
Ye Sangsang, startled by her words, kept backing away until she slipped and fell to the ground. Her fall had been hard, slamming directly into Zhao Changde, causing him to lose balance and fall backward, his head slamming heavily against the edge of the bathtub.
Chen Jing had initially tried to support him but was horrified to see blood gushing from him and no signs of life. After checking his breath, she froze in shock.
With a dead body, things had just gotten much more complicated.
Her gaze shifted nervously to Ye Sangsang, who lay sprawled on the ground, and all she felt was fear. No, no, she had to escape, she couldn’t stay here any longer. As for Ye Sangsang, at this moment, she couldn’t care less.
She needed to leave quickly; she didn’t want to become a suspect in Zhao Changde’s murder. Besides, Ye Sangsang couldn’t see her, so she wouldn’t know what she looked like anyway.
[This is her running away! But it’s understandable. It started as a simple theft, but now there’s a death and an injury.]
[Sometimes, it’s best to stop while you’re ahead.]
[If she runs, she’ll probably have to flee the country.]
The live-stream viewers were quick to notice Chen Jing’s actions and guessed what she was about to do.
Ye Sangsang, hearing Chen Jing’s rapid breathing, could imagine Zhao Changde lying in a pool of blood. She had already anticipated what Chen Jing would choose to do.
If she left, and Ye Sangsang escaped afterward, this scenario would probably be considered complete.
Escaping alive.
Perfectly completed.
However, even the resourceful Ye Sangsang hadn’t expected that, even in such a desperate situation, Chen Jing would still take other actions.
Chen Jing quickly left, tidied up the stolen jewelry, and returned shortly after.
Ye Sangsang, trembling, stood up and, by touch, found a decorative iron tower, hiding it behind her back as she continued to feel her way to a hiding spot.
The next second, rapid footsteps approached again.
Before Ye Sangsang could react, a cold blade pressed against her throat.
Chen Jing’s voice whispered into Ye Sangsang’s ear, “I’ve already taken your phone and removed the memory card from your camera. Now, I need to take care of you, this potential threat.”
[Oh my, is she really going to kill Sister Sang?]
[Interesting, Chen Jing’s quite ruthless.]
[Why though! If she kills Sister Sang, she’ll be charged with murder, not just theft. The difference is huge!]
The live-stream viewers were stunned by this unexpected twist.
Ye Sangsang would now have to face her opponent head-on, unlike her earlier tactics of using strategy and cunning.
She couldn’t guarantee she wouldn’t get injured.
What worried her more was that if she fought back too fiercely, it might be considered excessive self-defense.
Since her role was a victim, becoming a criminal would negatively impact her progress in this scenario.
She sighed inwardly.
But restarting the game would mean losing all her hard work. As a blind character, making such progress filled her with a sense of accomplishment.
Chen Jing pressed the blade harder against Ye Sangsang’s neck, as if ready to pierce it at any moment.
A trickle of blood, bright red against the silver blade, flowed down her slender, swan-like neck and slowly disappeared into her clothes.
Ye Sangsang’s hand moved, gripping the decorative iron tower tightly.
“Hand it over, I saw it,” Chen Jing said darkly.
Ye Sangsang stayed still, for handing over the item would mean her death.
“I’m not planning to kill you,” Chen Jing said, narrowing her eyes as she studied the girl in front of her. “Since you’re not giving it up, I’ll warn you not to move.”
Ye Sangsang’s tightly clenched hand hesitated slightly. She sensed that Chen Jing truly didn’t intend to kill her.
Just as she was about to step back, the blade pressed against her neck again, forcing her to stop.
She didn’t fight back because she was unwilling to restart her progress. Starting over didn’t guarantee she’d have the same patience to set up such a scenario again.
Hesitation often leads to defeat. Chen Jing took out a rope and swiftly tied Ye Sangsang up tightly, binding her like a dumpling.
“I don’t want to kill, and I’ve never killed anyone. Just stay still, and it won’t take long until your family comes to rescue you.” Chen Jing bound Ye Sangsang so tightly that she could barely move.
It wasn’t out of kindness, but out of fear.
[Unexpected, yet predictable.]
[Sister Sang’s so unlucky.]
[She’s at a disadvantage because she’s blind. Chen Jing wouldn’t have been able to do this otherwise.]
Ye Sangsang tentatively resisted, but realizing she could still complete the scenario, she stopped.
Escaping alive and breaking free would mean victory.
So she chose not to fight back.
The reason she hadn’t directly killed Chen Jing was due to the role definitions within the game.
When she initially explored the game’s official website, she had carefully studied the role definitions. There were limits to what one could do based on their role.
If a detective was a police officer, they couldn’t commit crimes.
If a criminal committed a crime, they couldn’t ultimately evade justice.
A victim, unless necessary, couldn’t end up being labeled a criminal.
The essence was respecting the role and maintaining the playability of the scenario.
There were other agreements, such as not excessively deviating from the character’s original personality or engaging in vulgar or lewd behavior within the scenario.
As a victim, if she wanted to complete the task and receive the scenario’s evaluation, she couldn’t act out of character.
She could strategize, but she couldn’t become the murderer or a criminal.
Based on the definition of self-defense, for example, when she knocked out Brother Wang with an ashtray, the moment he lost consciousness and stopped resisting, she couldn’t continue attacking; otherwise, it would be considered deliberate harm.
She had planned carefully, only striking the second time when the creep tried to re-engage.
Until he was knocked out, she could then leave.
Zhao Changde’s death was an accident; it couldn’t be blamed on anyone.
With one death and two injuries, she felt enough was enough.
Ye Sangsang, still tied up, was stuffed into a wardrobe by Chen Jing, her mouth gagged with a towel and tape.
“Brother Wang mentioned that your family might come over for a nanny interview. It won’t be long before someone arrives. I advise you to stay quiet, and if you dare to leak any of my information, be careful of my retaliation!”
Chen Jing leaned down and threatened Ye Sangsang menacingly.
“Boom!” A thunderclap sounded outside.
Chen Jing glanced at her phone and muttered, “It’s almost six o’clock already,” before closing the wardrobe door and hurrying away.
Ye Sangsang, already blind, felt no difference in the darkness inside the wardrobe.
[Feels like Sister Sang is at peace.]
[Finally over, right? I think so too.]
[The only saving grace of Chen Jing is that she’s too scared to kill. As for her, stay far away from people like her in real life.]
Ye Sangsang rested for two minutes, hearing the sound of the door opening outside, then closing half a minute later.
Sure that she was alone, she breathed a sigh of relief.
As a blind character, even with her skills, this scenario had been a test of all her faculties.
She needed to guess the opponent’s personality, confirm the number of enemies, and prepare potential countermeasures. She had initially thought there was only one person, the creep, so she had eased up a bit.
Who would have expected more surprises later?
Her Strength stat of 10 was a significant advantage.
She wondered how Wen Yanxin in real life had fared, whether she had survived.
Hopefully, she had.
No matter what, survival was the most important. Even in the darkest times, as long as one lived, there was always a chance for self-redemption.
Ye Sangsang couldn’t help but reflect on that.
She began trying to untie the ropes binding her. There were still two unconscious people in the house, and they might wake up at any moment.
Chen Jing had bound her tightly, likely realizing how strong she was, so the ropes were quite tight.
Ye Sangsang’s hands were tied behind her back, along with the decorative iron tower. She strained against the ropes, trying to create some slack to drop the iron object.
The pain from such exertion kept intensifying.
Due to her blindness, her body was quite delicate.
Even with her Strength stat, if she was injured, the pain felt much worse than in her first scenario with a male character.
After struggling with the ropes for a long time, Ye Sangsang finally managed to loosen them slightly and maneuvered the decorative object out of her bindings.
Once the object was free, she could begin to untie herself.
As she struggled to break free, Ye Sangsang suddenly heard faint footsteps. The footsteps were about ten meters away, and the master bedroom was roughly that distance from the living room.
In an instant, Ye Sangsang's heart raced, and her breathing grew hurried.
She had just confirmed that the front door was shut, and under such circumstances, any footsteps at this moment seemed dangerously threatening.
Wen Yanxin, in the body of this game, had better-than-average hearing. She recalled that Brother Wang in the master bedroom hadn't shown any signs of waking up.
Could it be that perverted man in the housekeeper's room?
Ye Sangsang wasn't sure.
Her intuition told her that whoever was out there was very dangerous.
【Super-intelligent night vision is on, and Sangsang's expression seems off.】
【Did you hear an extra sound in the background?】
It's just the sound of thunder! Looks like it's going to rain in the copy.
Only a few viewers in the live stream noticed the anomaly, while the rest continued to watch Ye Sangsang struggle with the ropes.
For them, Ye Sangsang's final escape attempt was also a satisfying conclusion to this suspenseful story.
As everyone eagerly anticipated, Ye Sangsang managed to untie the ropes around her wrists and began carefully peeling them off her upper body.
At that moment, it started to drizzle outside the window.
Ye Sangsang's expression changed. Under such conditions, even her exceptional hearing advantage was rendered nearly useless.
The sound of rain hitting the glass window drowned out the footsteps she had barely managed to hear earlier.
Her face tensed, her expression highly alert, she vigilantly watched for any possible developments.
Feeling her way, she didn't rip off the tape first but focused on untying the ropes around her hands.
【Something's not right, Sangsang's expression is off.】
【There's definitely a problem.】
【I heard a sound earlier! It was footsteps!】
The live stream viewers were taken aback, expressing, "Are you kidding me?"
Ye Sangsang was already struggling to untie the ropes around her legs, but the other party had tied them too tightly, with a dead knot.
After nearly a minute of effort, she managed to loosen them a bit.
"No! Help me..."
A cry for help rang out, abruptly cut short as the sound of a knife piercing flesh echoed.
"Thwack"
The sound was extremely faint, but Ye Sangsang still heard it amidst the rain.
Ye Sangsang's pupils contracted. The voice just now belonged to Chen Jing.
Didn't she leave already?
【Didn't she leave?】
【Was she killed?】
【Ahhh, I'm dying of suspense! Someone explain!】
The live stream viewers were baffled, and Ye Sangsang also fell into deep thought.
Then she recalled a person, someone who had appeared a few times in this copy and had been mentioned by several people.
A fugitive murderer on the run.
Ye Sangsang's hands trembled slightly. The situation was becoming tricky.
Her shaking wasn't due to fear, but rather an instinctive excitement.
As she thought, another faint cry for mercy came from the living room, followed by the dull sound of a body hitting the floor.
Without even seeing it, she could imagine the other person had been killed.
Such speed and method meant the killer had definitely not just killed one or two people.
Ye Sangsang began to consider how the murderer got inside.
Logically speaking, the murderer shouldn't have been able to get in. The door's security level was high, and the murderer couldn't possibly be skilled at picking locks, right?
Perhaps, someone had opened the door for him, and the murderer had been waiting outside.
She thought back to the interval between the sound of the door opening and closing, about half a minute. It was this half-minute gap that now made sense—Chen Jing, unfortunately, must have run into the murderer as soon as she stepped out, forced back inside at knifepoint, and then quickly dispatched in the living room.
Ye Sangsang let out an almost imperceptible sigh, not for Chen Jing, but because of the mission.
The sourc𝗲 of this content is frёeωebɳovel.com.
She had been preparing for a breakout, only to realize that this so-called "hell dungeon," as the live stream viewers called it, truly lived up to its name.
One misstep, and it could cost you your life.
She wasn't sure if this series of events was part of a chain reaction or if the original story also encountered such a ruthless murderer.
"Hell dungeon," as she remembered the live stream viewers term it, while exchanging some quick dialogue through her super-intelligent device.
Curious about the viewers' chatter, she tuned into them for a moment but eventually lost interest and turned it off.
She was getting a bit annoyed now.
Ye Sangsang loosened the ropes around her feet, took a slow, deliberate stretch, and grabbed the only thing nearby that could be considered a weapon: a metallic tower ornament.
At that moment, the murderer's footsteps approached and then faded away.
Ye Sangsang could tell that the murderer had entered the housekeeper's room.
Looks like that perverted man was also doomed.
Next, it would probably be the person in the master bedroom.
Ye Sangsang didn't move but waited.
Going out now, even with her strength, would be suicide.
She was waiting for nightfall.
Ye Sangsang guessed correctly. Just over a minute later, clear footsteps approached the master bedroom.
The footsteps were loud, seemingly close at hand.
【I'm so scared, I'm so scared!】
【Kill me already, stop scaring me!】
【If Sangsang can take down this murderer, I'll forever be her fan, never doubting her skills again!】
【Yeah, even if she loses, I'll respect her unconditionally, considering she's blind and her hearing is hampered by the rain.】
As the footsteps approached, the live stream viewers grew increasingly excited, even more nervous than Ye Sangsang herself.
Ye Sangsang, listening carefully, suddenly remembered something.
When Zhao Changde tried to assault her, he had placed his phone aside and started recording.
Ye Sangsang: ...
There's never a dull moment in life.
"Thwack" The sharp sound of a knife piercing flesh echoed, low yet immediately conjuring images of flowing blood.
Brother Wang, who had been unconscious, thrashed and twitched for a few seconds before dying.
After killing Brother Wang, the murderer approached Ye Sangsang's direction.
Ye Sangsang tightened her grip on the metallic ornament. If things went south, she'd consider using a prop card, specifically the storyline regression card that allowed her to return to a previous storyline point.
She wasn't too nervous because the killer was most likely there to finish off Zhao Changde.
This man was extremely cautious. Regardless of whether the target was dead or not, he needed absolute confirmation.
Suspicious, brutal, and meticulous, with top-tier anti-surveillance skills.
Combining this with the information she had seen in the news and the details—early twenties, around 175 cm tall—it was clear that this was the fugitive murderer.
Such a person was extremely ruthless, with a strong emphasis on strength, ensuring he could evade the police for so long.
Even with her sight, Ye Sangsang wasn't sure if she could win against him. Add her blindness to the mix, along with the rain disrupting her hearing, and the situation was far from ideal.
To top it off, with the phone situation, she had to tread carefully.
At the moment, she needed to find a place to hide and avoid being discovered.
Ye Sangsang was deep in thought when, near the bathtub outside the closet, the murderer swiftly dispatched the already dead Zhao Changde again.
Even separated by the closet wall, she could clearly smell the increased stench of blood as he arrived.
It was overwhelming.
She couldn't help but narrow her eyes.
She carefully listened to the outside sounds.
Assuming the room only contained these people, the murderer didn't bother concealing his footsteps, killing with no hesitation, and then directly heading towards the closet.
【One board apart from the murderer—I'd be scared out of my wits.】
【Sangsang, please just focus on staying alive and hiding till he leaves.】
Escaping alive, this game actually demands quite a bit from the player.
【I'm barely breathing, terrified that he'll open the door and drag me out for a "snip."】
The live stream viewers, sensing the tension outside, all fervently hoped for one thing: that Ye Sangsang could escape.
Surviving was the victory they yearned for.
Ye Sangsang wasn't sure whether the murderer would check the closet, remaining as still as a statue, holding onto her makeshift weapon.
Whether the closet door opens or not, the priority was to stay quiet and reduce the chance of being discovered.
The walk-in closet had a glass pedestal in the center, resembling the glass counters in shopping malls, where ties and watches were usually displayed. On the left was a transparent glass cabinet, used by Wen Yanxin’s mother to store her handbags.
As for the right side, where Ye Sangsang was currently half-sitting, it was where the clothes were kept.
There were three wardrobe doors, all with hanging space, and she was currently in the middle section.
Ye Sangsang could feel the footsteps approaching her, growing closer.
Her body tensed involuntarily.
Soon, the footsteps stopped about half a meter away from her.
“Creak”
The sound of the door opening was extremely faint yet distinct.
The wardrobe door on her left was opened. Ye Sangsang’s mind began to race, trying to figure out the other person’s intentions, while she quietly reached out to feel the clothes above her.
The fabric was lightweight and long, with the hems of dresses, clearly women’s clothing.
This suggested that the neighboring section might be men’s clothes, though there was also a possibility that the wardrobe on the right contained men’s attire.
As for why she was distinguishing the clothes, Ye Sangsang felt it was likely because the person wanted to freshen up.
Under relentless pursuit by the police, the person must be exhausted and might want to wash up and rest briefly. However, Ye Sangsang doubted they would stay long; the residential area was quite upscale, with plenty of surveillance cameras.
Unless there were no cameras outside Wen Yanxin’s apartment, the person would most likely rest and then leave quickly to avoid being discovered by the police.
Thinking this, Ye Sangsang heard the sound of hangers and wood clattering as the person began to retrieve clothes from the neighboring section.
She breathed a little easier, though she wasn’t sure if the person would search for more clothes. At least the likelihood of them opening her door was decreasing.
Soon, the person headed towards the master bathroom, where the shower was located.
She heaved a heavy sigh of relief. At this stage, she knew she couldn’t overpower them, so she had to bide her time.
Ye Sangsang contemplated her next move and decided to change her position.
After considering her options, she chose the corner near the southeast side of the living room, a spot hidden from view in the spacious room, where a divider and some cabinets provided cover.
Most importantly, with some caution, she could also access the electrical box behind a painting there.
This was one of the key details Ye Sangsang had memorized during those three hours.
The master bathroom was separated from the rest of the room by a glass partition. Ye Sangsang couldn’t follow the path the murderer had taken, as it would mean emerging from behind the partition, and if the person left the bathroom door open while showering, she would be immediately exposed.
The sound of rain outside was mixed with other water sounds, coming from the direction of the bathroom.
She counted to thirty, the time it usually took for someone’s hearing to become slightly less acute after showering.
Feeling the wardrobe door in front of her, she opened it silently.
Thankfully, the house was well-built, and the sound of the door opening was barely audible.
She didn’t stand up but rather crawled out slowly, then carefully closed the wardrobe door behind her.
Murderers weren’t usually clumsy or carelessly, so she couldn’t afford to let any details reveal her presence.
【This is so nerve-wracking.】
【I’m holding my breath, terrified that my breathing will give her away.】
【I feel like Sangsang had a chance earlier, but now it’s really hopeless.】
Ye Sangsang slowly began to stand up and moved toward the direction where Zhao Changde had died.
With poor visibility and slippery floors, Ye Sangsang moved cautiously and slowly. Most importantly, she couldn’t step on the blood stains left by the others, as that would be a dead giveaway.
Her mind continuously calculated the safest route, and she finally made it to the wooden desk in the master bedroom.
She wanted to find her phone, which had been recording videos, as it could prove her presence in the house.
If discovered, the consequences would be dire.
Moreover, once she was far enough away, she could also use the phone to call the police.
However, after searching for a while, she couldn’t find her phone, and Ye Sangsang’s heart sank.
【Ahhh, it’s under the desk, looks like Chen Jing knocked it down with the lock-picking toolbox earlier.】
【I’m dying, I’m so anxious. Asking a blind person to find a phone in such a situation is practically impossible.】
【It’s on the ground, I’m having a heart attack.】
Realizing she couldn’t find the phone on the desk, Ye Sangsang remembered Zhao Changde and Chen Jing’s several entrances and exits and guessed it might have been taken by Chen Jing, leaving her with no choice but to give up.
She measured the distance with her footsteps, estimating the time it would take to reach the door, and moved as quickly as she could towards the exit.
Once outside, she breathed a sigh of relief and continued toward her target.
Uncertain of Chen Jing’s location, Ye Sangsang decided to take a detour, avoiding spots she thought might be risky.
Midway, due to miscalculations, she was bumped into several times but bit her lip and continued forward, feeling her way.
Perhaps because there was no one else in the house, the person didn’t seem to mind leaving doors open, and even in the living room, Ye Sangsang could still hear the sound of the shower.
This inadvertently gave her a sense of security.
The living room had two large sofas facing each other, with the backrests reaching up to her hips. Upon touching them, Ye Sangsang roughly estimated her current position.
Several minutes had passed.
She wasn’t sure if she had left any traces, but now she could only press on.
Just as Ye Sangsang prepared to continue, the water sounds in the master bedroom stopped, leaving only the increasingly heavy rain outside.
Ye Sangsang immediately crouched down and hid herself behind the sofa.
Without pausing, she started crawling.
Her destination was only about four meters away, but it was a wide-open space.
Just as Ye Sangsang pondered whether to rush over or stop to be cautious, the sound of barefoot footsteps reached her ears.
Ye Sangsang decisively stopped.
After about ten seconds, the footsteps reached the entrance.
The next moment, the sound of shoes being put on came, followed by footsteps leaving, though not out of the living room, but from the entrance to the area in front of the sofa.
Clothes being placed on the sofa reached Ye Sangsang’s ears, though faintly, and soon the sound of changing clothes confirmed what she had heard.
The person changed clothes swiftly and efficiently.
Ye Sangsang thought for a moment, then retreated back towards the balcony side of the sofa.
Sure enough, the next moment the person headed towards the kitchen.
From her current position, she would be directly visible from behind the island in the Western-style kitchen, so, estimating the person’s line of sight with their footsteps, she slowly hid herself behind the sofa armrest.
Effectively hiding from sight.
【Sangsang, you’ve got skills.】
【I’m a complete waste, I wouldn’t think, I’d just freeze in panic.】
【Same here, even if I wasn’t blind, I wouldn’t dare move.】
After confirming she hadn’t been discovered, Ye Sangsang began to think about how to reach her destination.
The sound of a refrigerator door opening came, signaling the person was retrieving something.
She had guessed right; after fleeing for so long, the person must be hungry and wanted to eat.
The person seemed quite composed, or perhaps incredibly bold, as they even decided to cook in such a situation.
It sounded like they were frying steak, with sizzling noises filling the air.
Although the stove was behind her, Ye Sangsang didn’t dare take the risk that the person wouldn’t notice her.
After ten minutes, when Ye Sangsang’s legs were numb from crouching, she heard the person’s footsteps moving towards the dining area.
The dining area was next to the Western-style kitchen but separated by a wine cabinet, giving Ye Sangsang an opportunity.
Ye Sangsang tightened her grip on her only weapon and quietly placed it under the sofa.
She was well aware that such a thing posed no threat to the murderer, not even enough to make them wary.
Hearing the sound of a chair being pulled out, Ye Sangsang crawled back towards the island in the Western-style kitchen.
She didn’t stand up, as standing would draw too much attention.
【What’s Sangsang going to do, grab a knife from the kitchen?】
【I feel like she’s about to do something big, I’m so tense.】
【This scenario is like a heart attack simulator, constant bursts of tension.】
Seeing this, the comment section once again lit up.
There were hardly any negative comments, and those who dared to say something like “Why didn’t she just hide immediately?” were quickly shut down.
Simple: If you think you can do better, try the public beta. Otherwise, close your eyes and navigate your own home, feeling the helplessness of only being able to flail your arms as someone tries to kill you.
Under these circumstances, no one dared to throw out any sarcastic remarks.
Ye Sangsang wasn’t aware of this, as she continued her advance towards the southeast corner of the Western-style kitchen, where a selection of kitchen knives was kept: scissors, vegetable knives, butcher knives, fruit knives, and more.
The butcher knife was close to twenty centimeters long and extremely sharp, making it a formidable weapon for self-defense.
Everything went smoothly; she managed to get the knife.
Leaning against the kitchen island, Ye Sangsang held the knife upside down, with the blade resting against her arm. This way, she could move with minimal noise, crouching down as she moved.
If she could just navigate around the island and move a bit further, she would reach her destination.
Just as she was about to step out from behind the island, a rumbling sound came from outside the window.
Ye Sangsang suddenly realized that the killer might not leave anytime soon. After all, this place had probably been chosen carefully by the murderer for a rest...
Brother Wang, the property manager, was well aware of the location of the security cameras. How could these thieves have entered the house without any preparation? They must have tampered with the surveillance somehow.
Although Ye Sangsang didn't know the specifics of the external cameras, she could guess based on the age of the system that they were likely exposed and could be adjusted to change their focus. Furthermore, one of the burglars might even be skilled in hacking the surveillance system, disrupting the cameras monitoring the house's entrance.
The latter possibility seemed more likely, as the murderer’s cautious nature would undoubtedly involve checking the cameras before choosing this location.
He had observed them, selected this place, and then unexpectedly encountered Chen Jing, who was just stepping out.
That was when the killer entered the house.
With the violent thunderstorm outside, the chances of the killer leaving were extremely slim.
Especially since the police had already come to check this house.
Ye Sangsang's heart sank. Fortunately, she had gone to get the knife for self-defense.
With two things on her mind, Ye Sangsang didn’t stop moving. Quietly, she proceeded toward her destination.
She successfully hid behind the partition.
This space was designed for reading, with a three-meter-wide floor-to-ceiling window and tatami mats.
The cabinet wasn’t too large, and when Wen Yanxin’s petite figure squeezed in, there wasn’t much room left.
She needed to wait a bit longer. It was still before 7 PM, and even with the heavy rain, there was still some light.
If she wasn’t discovered, she didn’t necessarily need to take risks.
The sensation of death wasn’t pleasant; Ye Sangsang had learned that in her first survival scenario when she had jumped into the river.
Although the memory had blurred, she still retained some of the feelings.
Time passed second by second. The killer finished eating and then opened the fridge to grab something else.
Someone who had only killed one or two people wouldn’t be able to eat steak calmly next to a corpse. To be unfazed by being surrounded by four dead bodies was truly terrifying.
No wonder the police had been checking every house. It was likely that more officers were gathering outside.
As for evacuating everyone, that was practically impossible. Such an action would only give the killer an opportunity to escape among the crowd—it was madness to even consider it.
From her conversations with Brother Wang and others, she knew that this neighborhood was quite large, with about a thousand households. She also learned that an adjacent resettlement neighborhood, separated by a wall, housed over a thousand households.
Her neighborhood was relatively upscale, with fewer floors per building but more buildings overall, making it a sprawling area.
For the police, finding someone in such a place was a daunting task, even with some areas under surveillance.
After analyzing the situation, Ye Sangsang began to think about how to handle unexpected developments—specifically, how to quickly pull the circuit breaker.
Only by being in complete darkness would she have any advantage.
Time continued to tick. The killer, seemingly at ease, turned on the TV and began watching news about himself.
[This mental fortitude is on par with Sister Sangsang’s.]
[So terrifying! I can’t imagine being in the same room as a corpse and staying calm.]
[Unbelievable. I wonder how the original girl survived something like this.]
The live stream was filled with comments expressing shock and sympathy for the original victim.
Ye Sangsang, meanwhile, periodically moved her body a bit to avoid getting too stiff while hiding.
After a short break, the killer directly headed toward the bedroom, clearly intending to rest for a while.
Her guess confirmed, Ye Sangsang’s expression darkened.
The killer didn’t bother to conceal his footsteps, and Ye Sangsang soon heard him pause.
She pushed the door open, sensing that he might discover something.
The next moment, she heard his footsteps heading toward the master bedroom.
She wasn’t sure.
It was now around 7:30 PM. She decided that if she were discovered, she would need to take the initiative.
Ye Sangsang twisted her body and crawled out of her hiding spot.
As she moved, a sound came from the direction of the master bedroom.
It was the sound of a video playing. Ye Sangsang froze. Chen Jing hadn’t taken this phone? Earlier, she hadn’t managed to grab it. Could it have fallen in a place she hadn’t checked?
So, the phone had been recording the entire time, and the killer might have clicked save and then fast-forwarded through it.
Her estimation was off, and she needed to act quickly.
[Ahhh! Watching the video will definitely reveal the existence of Sister Sangsang!]
[Here it comes, it’s really coming.]
[So scary, I’m scared to keep watching.]
The chat exploded with rapid comments, as what was about to happen would undoubtedly lead to a confrontation.
Many viewers were so terrified that they covered their eyes, unable to watch.
Ye Sangsang quickly moved, realizing that once the killer paused the recording, he would realize someone else was in the room.
Without sound, it confirmed that the killer knew there was another person in the room.
Sure enough, soon the room was filled with heavy footsteps and the sounds of cabinets being opened and doors slammed.
He was searching for her!
Ye Sangsang suppressed the numbness in her body, her hand brushing against the wall as she felt for the location of the picture frame.
After a few seconds of searching, she finally touched the edge of the frame.
Carefully, she placed the knife on the book and lifted the frame with both hands.
The frame was a bit heavy, but her strength allowed her to lift it easily.
She soon discovered a problem: the circuit breaker box was too high. She could only reach the edge and needed to stand on her toes to reach it.
Originally designed to deter mischievous children, the height now became a barrier on her path to survival.
She didn’t attempt it again. With a calm and composed demeanor, she carefully moved the book to serve as a step.
Meanwhile, the killer had already opened the fourth door and was searching for Ye Sangsang.
He moved quickly through the balcony, the maid’s room, the Chinese kitchen, and the western kitchen…
His movements were swift and eerily silent, sending chills down her spine.
Ye Sangsang finally reached the circuit breaker box. She gently opened the door and touched the switches.
She couldn’t see which switch controlled the main power and which controlled the areas, so she pulled them all down.
As she pulled the switches, the power went out silently.
The killer, however, was already approaching her location.
Hearing the killer's footsteps quickly approaching, Ye Sangsang pulled down all the switches steadily.
The room plunged into complete darkness.
Ye Sangsang closed the breaker box and quietly climbed down from the book, picking up the knife she had placed on it earlier.
