Villain? No, I'll catch up with the protagonist after passing the civil service exam.

"Murder?"

Lu Jingyan's pupils contracted sharply, and his brain instantly went into high-speed operation.

Without the slightest hesitation, he directly issued the most urgent instructions into the walkie-talkie.

"Zhao Tiezhu! Seal off all exits on the second floor of the convention center! No one is allowed to enter or leave!"

"Su Xiaoxiao! Immediately cut off the network signal to the 'Mist Theater' live stream and preserve all recorded evidence!"

"Calling command center! Requesting ambulance and forensic assistance! I repeat, this is not a drill!"

After issuing a series of orders, Lu Jingyan charged toward the elevator on the second floor like a cannonball.

The convention center was in complete chaos.

The internet celebrities downstairs who were still queuing for urine tests looked at each other, puzzled, upon hearing the piercing scream and Lu Jingyan's urgent instructions.

"What's wrong now? Is this part of the script too?"

"No way? They're playing this really high? They actually called the police?"

The tens of millions of viewers in the live stream who hadn't yet left were completely dumbfounded.

When they saw Lu Jingyan's unprecedentedly solemn face and heard him say "This is not a drill," a chill instantly ran from the soles of their feet to the top of their heads.

Could it be... that something really happened?

The elevator doors opened with a "ding".

The second-floor corridor was dimly lit, with only a few emergency exit indicator lights flashing eerily, creating an atmosphere as eerie as a scene from a horror movie.

The "Mist Theater" experience center is located at the end of the corridor.

The completely sealed door, covered with eerie runes, remained tightly shut, cutting off all sound from within. But Lu Jingyan could smell a strong, nauseating stench of blood seeping out from the cracks in the door.

"Break down the door!"

At Lu Jingyan's command, Zhao Tiezhu behind him did not hesitate at all. He raised his foot, which was wearing a military boot, and kicked hard with all his might!

"boom--!"

The heavy soundproof door was kicked open and fell inward.

The sight behind the door made Zhao Tiezhu, who was used to all kinds of bloody scenes, gasp in shock.

The room was decorated like a medieval castle dining room, with leftover food on a long table, flickering candlelight, and a gloomy atmosphere.

And at the end of the dining table.

A man in a tuxedo and bow tie lay slumped on the carpet. A gleaming knife was stuck in his chest, and blood gushed from the wound like a fountain, staining the expensive Persian carpet beneath him.

And standing next to him was another person.

The man was wearing a detective's trench coat and a baseball cap, and was holding a phone that was broadcasting live.

He is tonight's host, the "King of Murder Mystery Scripts"—A-Gui.

At this moment, Ah Gui showed no panic whatsoever; instead, he wore an extremely excited and morbid smile. He didn't even glance back at the police officers who rushed in, continuing his final "performance" into his phone camera with a highly infectious voice.

"Family members! Do you see this? This is the end! This is what happens to traitors!"

Ah Gui raised the prop knife (which he thought was also stained with blood) and laughed wildly at the camera, "This script is too exciting! Who guessed this twist? NPCs can kill people too! Hahahaha!"

"That move just now, the feel, the sound effects—it was absolutely amazing! Let me tell you, the blood and gore props here are so realistic, they even smell like rust!"

The chat in the live stream room has gone completely crazy.

[Seriously... is this really acting? Something doesn't seem right to me.]

[That blood splattered so realistically! Like a water gun spraying! And why isn't that NPC moving at all?]

[Stop laughing, Ah Gui! Look behind you! The police are really here! And they're armed!]

"police?"

Ah Gui scoffed at the comments, "They're probably actors hired by the organizers to make it more realistic. Murder mystery games are getting more and more shady these days."

He turned around and finally saw Lu Jingyan and Zhao Tiezhu standing at the door.

He even went so far as to professionally immerse himself in the role, pointing the prop knife at Lu Jingyan and reciting his lines in an extremely affected tone:

"Officer, you're too late."

"The murderer is me."

"Now, please..."

"Shut up!"

Lu Jingyan's sharp shout interrupted his performance.

Instead of giving a legal talk as usual, he drew his pistol from his waist, released the safety, and pointed the dark muzzle steadily at Ah Gui's forehead.

"Drop your weapons! Put your hands behind your head! Crouch down!"

Lu Jingyan's voice was as cold as ice, and the undisguised murderous aura made the temperature in the entire room seem to drop several degrees.

Ah Gui was stunned.

He looked at the Type 92 pistol gleaming with a cold metallic sheen, then at Lu Jingyan's eyes, which held no mockery but only pure killing intent, and his mind went blank for a moment.

Not right.

This script is wrong.

Which murder mystery game NPC would point a real gun at a player's head?

and……

Ah Gui subconsciously looked down at his still-dripping "prop knife".

On the tip of the knife, the dark red liquid was slowly solidifying, emitting a sweet, fishy smell.

He turned his head sharply and looked at the motionless "NPC" on the ground.

The man's eyes were wide open, his pupils were unfocused, the wound on his chest was so deep that bone was visible, and the pool of blood beneath him was expanding.

A strong, suffocating smell of blood, mixed with the stench of intestinal contents, assaulted his nostrils.

This...this isn't prop blood...

This is... real blood!

"ah--!!!"

A belated scream, filled with fear and despair, burst from Ah Gui's throat.

The prop knife in his hand clattered to the ground, and he collapsed to the ground as if his bones had been removed, his crotch quickly becoming soaked.

He actually killed someone?

Or in front of millions of viewers on a live stream?

Lu Jingyan ignored the murderer who was already terrified.

He quickly stepped forward, squatted down, and extended two fingers to probe the victim's carotid artery.

Icy.

stiff.

There were no signs of life.

Lu Jingyan slowly stood up, his eyes as still as a stagnant pool.

He glanced at Ah Gui, who was still convulsing on the ground, and then at the blood-stained weapon.

[Ding! Extremely heinous crime detected: Intentional homicide!]

Target locked!

He picked up the walkie-talkie, his voice hoarse, yet carrying an unquestionable tone of command.

"I am Lu Jingyan."

"Seal off the scene and notify the forensic expert."

He paused, took a deep breath, and uttered the words that made everyone's hearts sink:

"This is not a drill."

"It's a murder scene."