B U G Arc
Exam God 02
Xin Lan: Dead? How is that possible?
Zero Nine: This is probably the reason behind this 3S mission.
Xin Lan still remembered how she failed her first mission in Face-Slapping Department.
Before she even started slapping faces, she beat up the guy first, and then he became a wreck, so he jumped off the building, committing suicide.
When a key character in the mission dies, it is considered a mission failure, and the mission world will collapse.
But at this moment, she was still here, and this world seemed to be intact.
Xin Lan decided to first assess the situation before finding Wan Yan.
She appeared to be in a hotel room right now, and the environment was extremely run-down. It was a single room with a bed placed against the window. The window was covered with old newspapers, somewhat tattered. The hanging light bulb also appeared very aged, with unidentified stains on it, casting a dim, yellowish light.
Xin Lan was still wearing the clothes that the original host had on when the exam began.
She held the card in her hand, examining it closely once more.
[You are a police officer, here to investigate a hotel suicide case. However, you have discovered that it is highly likely a murder. The deceased is named Xiao A, and the suspects are B, C, and D. Among these three individuals, one tells the truth, one tells lies, and one speaks half-truths. Please find the murderer and submit your findings.]
“The first exam is about to begin. There are a total of 5 candidates in this exam room, and the time allotted is 6 hours. Please submit your papers within the designated time.”
“The official start of this exam.”
That strange voice echoed in her mind once again, accompanied by the ringing of a bell.
Xin Lan glanced at the time on her wristwatch and then noticed a change in the identity card she was holding.
The front remained the same as before, but on the back where it was originally blank, a horizontal line had appeared. At the same time, a pen had dropped into her hand.
Could it be that filling in the name of the person she believed to be the murderer on this horizontal line was how to submit her answer?
As Xin Lan pondered this, she heard a cry of alarm from Zero Nine.
Zero Nine: Host QAQ, I think I might be malfunctioning.
(Originally translated on littlepandatranslations.com, let's go!)
Xin Lan: ???
Zero Nine: I just tried to scan this space and create a 3D map, but it couldn’t scan, QAQ.
Zero Nine: It seems like something is obstructing it, everything appears blurry.
How could there be such a force that can hinder the system’s actions?
Xin Lan: Let’s not panic for now; you should take it easy.
This place is indeed unusual. There are no key characters, yet the world can still survive. There must be some kind of energy supporting it.
And that energy should be the voice that echoed in her mind.
Since it can do this, it’s normal for the system to be disrupted.
Since scanning is not possible, she’ll have to rely on herself.
Fortunately, Xin Lan is not someone who heavily relies on the system, and she’s not in a hurry to find Wan Yan. Instead, she thoroughly searched her room.
The room was very simply furnished, making it easy to find things. Xin Lan quickly discovered a police badge and a small notebook.
The card read: “[You are a police officer…]”
So, the police badge was a symbol of identity.
In the other notebook, there were self-written diary-like entries:
“This is a remote inn, and I rarely come to this area. The innkeeper called to report a girl’s death in the courtyard, apparently a suicide. There aren’t many people around, so they sent me alone to investigate this matter.
“I found out that the deceased was named Xiao A, female, nineteen years old. Her friends say that her love life hasn’t been going well lately, and after drinking last night, she might have lost hope, leading to her suicide.
When I arrived, she was lying face down on the ground with a head wound, blood flowing. Her eyes were wide open. I tried to close her eyes, but she kept them open.
I suspected that she might not have committed suicide but was murdered.
Because I felt a lump on the back of her head, as if she had been struck.”
Xin Lan integrated this information with what was on her identity card and organized a few key points.
- Deceased: Xiao A, female, 19 years old, with three friends, B, C, and D.
- All three of them are suspects: one tells the truth, one tells lies, and one speaks half-truths.
- Friends mentioned that Xiao A had been having relationship problems recently and had been drinking last night, possibly in a troubled state of mind.
- Xiao A refused to close her eyes, and there was a suspicious lump on the back of her head, likely from a heavy blow.
The voice said that the exam time was only six hours, meaning they had to identify the murderer within that time frame.
Additionally, there were five examinees in this test.
Xin Lan opened the door, revealing a somewhat narrow corridor. Only one light was on not far away. At the end of the corridor was the staircase.
Looking down from here, she could see four people sitting on the couch in the hotel lobby.
Xin Lan immediately spotted the exquisitely featured woman, and their eyes met.
Her expression remained unchanged, bearing an otherworldly, breathtaking beauty.
The only difference was her eyes, which had shifted from icy blue to brown.
Wan Yan also spotted Xin Lan and waved to her.
As Xin Lan descended the stairs, she assessed the other three individuals.
One was a schoolgirl in her uniform, young in age but appeared quite composed.
There was a young man in casual attire, looking down and seeming very quiet.
(If you're not reading on littlepandatranslations.com, it means this has been stolen)
Lastly, a woman in loungewear, around forty years old, wore an expression of panic.
“Is everyone here? It seems the five of us are the examinees for this test. You all heard that voice, and we have six hours.”
The high school student spoke first, despite being the youngest in age.
“What is this place exactly? We…”
The woman’s lips were trembling, and her voice quivered.
“Just a moment ago, I was sitting in the library. How did I suddenly… That voice in my head, what’s going on? What kind of test is this, and what is this ‘New Citizen’…”
The young man seemed somewhat on the verge of a breakdown, making Xin Lan and the others appear unusually composed.
Xin Lan couldn’t help but focus her gaze on the teenage girl. Among them, these two seemed to have the most normal reactions to such a situation. This girl’s calm demeanor was truly remarkable.
“What’s most important right now isn’t asking these questions. I don’t know what’s going on either, but without a doubt, we’ve been forced into some kind of selection test. What’s even more critical is that failing this test means death. Didn’t you hear that we have only six hours?”
The girl said coldly, casting her eyes toward Xin Lan.
“I’m called Tong Zhizi, ‘Zhizi’ like the flowering pear tree. I’m the niece of the innkeeper, temporarily residing here. And you?”
“I’m a police officer here to investigate a suicide case.”
Seeing their companions so composed, the young man and the woman also calmed down.
Wan Yan walked over to Xin Lan, secretly wanting to hold her hand, but realizing that it wasn’t appropriate in this unfamiliar situation. She was afraid of causing any misunderstandings, so she just thought about it silently and maintained a respectable appearance.
Everyone introduced themselves and exchanged names. Xin Lan used her own original name rather than that of the previous host.
The woman’s name was Chen Hong, and the young man was Feng Ye.
Tong Zhizi didn’t speak up this time but instead looked in Xin Lan’s direction.
Tong Zhizi had always been sensitive, and she could sense that among everyone present, Xin Lan was likely the most formidable. Just standing there, Xin Lan exuded a powerful aura.
On the other hand, the person named Wan Yan next to Xin Lan gave Tong Zhizi a very cold impression. Before Xin Lan appeared, Tong Zhizi had been looking at them with an indifferent attitude, as though they were not living beings but mere objects. Moreover, Wan Yan’s excessively attractive face was somewhat intimidating, making her hesitant to interact with her.
Seeing Tong Zhizi looking at her, Xin Lan naturally took the initiative.
Xin Lan: “We have less than six hours now, so we need to be efficient. Let’s each share the contents of our cards and then integrate the information.”
Xin Lan: “Before we proceed, let me ask, is your mission also to find the murderer?”
Wan Yan responded particularly enthusiastically: “Yes, and there’s a horizontal line on the back of the card, and a pen dropped as well.”
It was no different from Xin Lan’s situation.
The others nodded, indicating that their missions were the same.
Xin Lan briefly explained her identity card, including the true and false aspects.
Wan Yan: “I am a private detective, hired by a client to follow his girlfriend, who is the deceased, Xiao A. During my surveillance of Xiao A, I discovered she was having an affair with Xiao C. On the night of the incident, I heard an argument between Xiao B and Xiao C.”
Tong Zhizi: “I am the innkeeper’s niece, staying here temporarily. On the night of the incident, I saw Xiao D and Xiao A kissing in a corner. I also witnessed Xiao B attempting to push Xiao A down the stairs. My card also has true and false aspects.”
Chen Hong: “I am the hotel cleaner, responsible for cleaning all the rooms in the hotel. On the morning of the incident, I found bloodstained clothes in Xiao B’s room, and I was the first one to discover the body. My card also has true and false aspects.”
Feng Ye: “It seems we all have true and false clues. I am a hotel guest, and on the day before the incident, I saw Xiao B and Xiao D holding hands while taking a walk. I was asked to take a picture, and I still have the photo with me.”
After everyone had spoken, there was a moment of silence.
What a complex web of relationships.
(Support me at littlepandatranslations.com)
Xiao A and her boyfriend, Xiao A and Xiao C, Xiao A and Xiao D, Xiao B and Xiao D—showbiz really is chaotic.
“It seems that this first test isn’t too difficult.”
Xin Lan pondered for a moment before speaking.
Suspects A, B, and C, with a one-third chance of guessing correctly, combined with the provided relationships and the true and false clues, even with six hours given, this first test is remarkably user-friendly.
“You three go and call B, C, and D,” Xin Lan instructed. “Tell them the police want to question them. Wan Yan and I will go check Xiao A’s body.”
Tong Zhizi nodded first, and Chen Hong and Feng Ye followed suit, heading upstairs.
Xiao A’s body was still in the courtyard, untouched by anyone.
Wan Yan walked alongside Xin Lan, and she smiled while looking at Xin Lan’s profile.
Having memories and being with her felt so wonderful.
“This time, the scumbag died, did you know?”
“Died?”
Wan Yan was somewhat surprised and became serious.
“It seems this bug is much more powerful than I imagined. Previously, when the hosts failed their missions, it was because the confrontation hadn’t reached its climax, and the scumbag died due to an accident. But that was all later on. This time, it directly killed the scumbag before the beginning and maintained the world’s operation.”
In other words, this bug became even more formidable during the constant cycle of world destruction and rebirth in this anomaly.
“What should we do? Zero Nine said her scanning function isn’t working.”
“Wait, let me try something.”
Wan Yan’s eyes flashed with numerous digits, like an endless sea of stars.
Zero Nine: “Ah, Commander, just now you suddenly spoke to me and asked if I could hear you.”
“Can we communicate?”
Wan Yan tilted her head and asked, “Can we?”
“Yes.”
“That’s good. The mental connection is still intact. I need to find the bug in order to eliminate it. The bug is located in a distant coordinate, probably at what they call the end of the last test when it finishes.”