The weapon by the pillow

Cooperation! What a moving word!

In this age of mutual distrust!

We so desperately want to be open and honest! We hope to cooperate with each other by opening our hearts to each other!

But is cooperation even possible in this enclosed space?

Cheng Tan needs to give it a try... He believes... Everyone needs to give it a try!

"Cooperate! Share all known information, analyze all clues, and find contradictions and breakthroughs. That die, that phrase 'the sum of the numbers is seven,' the words on the bed sheet, and..."

Cheng Tan's gaze fell on the camera covered by the bed sheet, and on the table where the camera was located.

"...And the room itself. We're trapped here not just because the door is jammed. This room is the biggest repository of clues. We might be overlooking something."

"That's true! We were careless at the beginning, each of us acting independently!" Shadow nodded. "So I agree. From a criminal investigation perspective, scene reconstruction and linking clues are crucial. We should systematically review everything: from the moment we entered the room, everything we saw, heard, and discovered, everyone's reactions, and everything they said."

Even when they were huddled together, everyone kept their voices very low.

Lin Qian added, "There are also timelines. Cheng Tan's nightmare timeline, Zhao Jianguo and Wang Bin's death timeline, the timeline of our gathering here, and... the timeline of what might happen tonight."

She glanced out the window at the dark sky and the heavy rain. "The voice mentioned 'ritual,' and Li Wan died between 3 and 4 a.m. Now..."

Everyone subconsciously glanced at their watch or phone screen.

2:58 am.

There were only two minutes left until that symbolic moment.

The rain grew heavier, and the sound of it pounding against the windows was like a rapid drumbeat, striking everyone's heart.

"Let's not worry about time for now," Cheng Tan forced himself to calm down. "Let's start with the most direct clue—this die, and the fact that 'the sum of the numbers is seven.' Professor Wu, you have expertise in antiques and old objects, can you see anything special about this die, except for the missing piece?"

Wu Wenbin took the dice again, brought them close to his eyes, and examined them carefully in the dim light of his flashlight.

This time, he looked at it even more carefully, even gently scratching the wooden surface of the die and the flat, chipped corner with his fingernail.

"The wood is rosewood, and it's old material, quite old. The patina is very natural; it's been handled a lot," Wu Wenbin said as he examined it. "But this chipped corner... the cut surface is too new; the tools are very professional. Wait a minute..."

He suddenly brought the dice close to his nose and took a gentle sniff.

"What does it taste like?" Lin Qian asked.

"Very bland...a little bitter, and a bit..." Wu Wenbin frowned, "It tastes like...some kind of chemical agent? Or maybe...camphor? No, camphor doesn't taste like this..."

"Camphor?" Cheng Tan's heart skipped a beat. "That box is made of camphor wood."

"Could it be the smell left over from cutting? Or..." Wu Wenbin looked at the missing corner repeatedly. Suddenly, he shone a flashlight on the cut surface from a specific angle.

Under the slanted light, faint, very shallow engravings appear on the smooth, cut surface of the wood.

"There are words!" Wu Wenbin exclaimed in a low voice.

Everyone crowded around. On the chipped surface, two extremely tiny numbers were etched with barely perceptible markings:

3

D

3D? Three-dimensional? Stereoscopic? Or some kind of abbreviation or code?

"3D..." Li Kai chewed on those two characters. "What does that mean?"

"Could it be a room number?" Lynx guessed. "3rd floor, unit D? Or building 3, unit D?"

"There's only Building 7 here, Room 403," Shadow denied. "Besides, 'D' isn't usually a floor number."

Cheng Tan stared at those two words, something seemed to have been touched in his mind. 3D...three-dimensional...three-dimensional...a die itself is a three-dimensional cube...

A missing corner, cutting off one corner, ruins the complete cube...

The sum of the points is seven...

An incomplete cube... a cube that needs to be "completed" to achieve a certain "balance" (VII)...

He felt he had touched the edge, but the inspiration was elusive and he couldn't grasp it.

Just then, Lin Qian, who had been staring at the camera covered by the bed sheet, suddenly let out a soft "Eh."

"Look...there..." she pointed to the shadowy corner between the table leg and the wall next to the camera.

There, something seemed to be reflecting light faintly.

Previously, everyone's attention was drawn to the red light on the camera, and due to the dim lighting, no one noticed it.

Shadow immediately stepped forward, crouched down, and shone a tactical flashlight in the direction of the attack.

In the gap between the wall and the floor, right behind the table leg, was a flat, black plastic device about the size of a lighter.

On one side of the device, there is a tiny red indicator light that is also flashing slightly, but at a much slower frequency than the camera's indicator light.

"Another device?" Shadow carefully pried it off with a utility knife.

There was adhesive on the back of the device, indicating that it was deliberately stuck to that hidden location.

"What is this?" Li Kai asked.

Shadow examined it carefully: "It's not a camera, there's no lens. There's a miniature antenna...it looks like a signal transmitter or receiver. It could also be...a bugging device?"

Eavesdropping device?

Besides cameras, there were also listening devices?!

The mastermind behind it all is not only watching, but also listening!

Cheng Tan's action of covering the camera may have only blocked the image; the sound may still be being transmitted!

"Turn it off!" Lynx cried urgently.

The shadow found a small switch on the side of the device and flipped it.

The red indicator light went out.

Currently, both images and sounds should be temporarily cut off.

"That was close..." Ah Zhe patted his chest.

But Cheng Tan's brows furrowed even more.

If the mastermind can install cameras and listening devices, then could he possibly have installed... something else?

Could the countdown he designed be the countdown for some kind of triggering device? And the operators' withdrawal wasn't because the mission was complete, but because... the device was about to trigger automatically? They stopped the countdown not to stop it, but because they had already entered an irreversible triggering phase?

Just like in the movies, the bomb disposal expert cuts the wire, but the bomb still has a backup timer?

Had he already set a timer for someone's death, so that once the time came...? Cold sweat instantly soaked Cheng Tan's back.

"Quick! Check the room!" Cheng Tan's voice suddenly rose. "Check every corner! Walls, ceiling, floor! Look for anything else strange! Anything like electronic devices, cables, unusual bulges, or gaps!"

His nervousness was contagious.

Shadow immediately stood up and began to quickly scan the room with a professional eye. Lynx also got up and carefully shone a flashlight on the walls. Li Kai, Lin Qian, and Wu Wenbin each took charge of an area.

The rain intensified, pouring down relentlessly. Cheng Tan knelt on the ground, patting and pressing down on each paving stone, trying to detect any hollow sounds or abnormalities. His heart pounded, and his ominous premonition grew stronger.

Time: 2:59:30.

2:59:45.

3 o'clock exactly.

The moment the watch numbers jumped to 3:00—"Click."

A voice announced: "You've exceeded your time limit. The trial has begun!"

"No! I've found the second floor!" Cheng Tan roared.

Cheng Tan finally understood!

He picked up the pliers and smashed it down with all his might!