Chapter 122: Volume 1, Chapter 122 – Tenant (10)

【There are 17 days left until the instance ends.】

【Please, Host, find the serial killer within the time limit.】

As soon as Jiang Zhi woke up, she heard the system's voice.

A sense of urgency lingered in her heart; she got up from bed, changed clothes, and went out.

Time had passed almost halfway, and she now had no clues at all.

If this continues, by the last day she fears she won't be able to find the mission target.

If the instance task fails, unlike in the ordinary world, she will also be erased, completely disappearing from the world.

This is the cruelty of the instance.

She no longer worries about having no money for food; in the coming time, she must figure out the serial killer's movements.

Zhang Hao, who died at the hands of the serial killer next door, never left his house and rarely went out. He indulged excessively in lust, and Jiang Zhi could hear ambiguous moans from next door every night.

Why did the serial killer kill him? What was the murder motive?

Jiang Zhi first went to the neighboring room; it was empty, leaving no trace.

Perhaps the landlord had cleaned it.

She should have come to look on the day of the incident; then she might have found some clues.

Jiang Zhi looked around, and as she turned to leave, she caught a glimpse of a figure standing in the doorway out of the corner of her eye.

"Le Zhou?"

Le Zhou had large and small bags of luggage placed beside him; catching her gaze, he walked over and explained, "I told the landlord I'm moving in here today."

He previously lived in 609; why would he move again into a house where someone died?

Jiang Zhi couldn't help but ask.

Le Zhou's dark brown short hair, slightly curled, shaded his brows; he slightly narrowed his eyes and smiled, saying, "The facilities in 609 are a bit old, living there is inconvenient for me, so I moved here."

The more Jiang Zhi listened, the more alarmed she became.

Who would a normal person move into a room where someone just died? Moreover, all the tenants on this floor know that Zhang Hao in 602 met a gruesome death, brutally murdered.

There is only one explanation: Le Zhou himself is that serial killer.

A chill ran down her spine, her expression unchanged, she said matter-of-factly, "Oh, then you should move out; I have things to do, I'll go first."

Having said that, she lifted her foot to walk past him.

"Jiang Zhi." Le Zhou stretched his long legs, blocking her path to leave.

Jiang Zhi suddenly stopped, her cheeks turning pale, as she looked at him.

Her startled look resembled a lost elk in the forest; her eyes widened suddenly, too clear, reflecting his face.

Le Zhou's fingers tensed imperceptibly, his smile undiminished, his eyes slightly narrowed as he drew closer, not missing her tense expression.

"Are you afraid?"

Hearing this, Jiang Zhi lightly pressed her lips together, her long lashes involuntarily trembling.

"I originally wanted to come see what was inside, but just thinking about the corpse's gruesome state makes me afraid."

Le Zhou let out a soft sigh and comforted, "Don't be afraid; the body has been taken away, it's safe in here, and I'm here too—you needn't fear."

Jiang Zhi raised her forehead, her pupils covered with a thin, glass-like clarity, "Hmm, Le Zhou, do you have something else for me?"

Le Zhou made space, shook his head: "I have nothing else, but after I finish moving tonight, I'd like to invite you to eat here."

Afraid she might refuse, he raised his eyebrows energetically, with a warm, sincere smile: "Actually, I've always wanted to treat you to a meal; you're the first person I've met here. I bought plenty of dishes; my cooking may not be exquisite, but at least it's edible."

Jiang Zhi hesitated a moment, then said: "Alright, but I still have some things to do today and need to go out; I don't know if I'll make it back in time, and if I don't, I'm afraid I'll disappoint your kindness."

"It's fine." Le Zhou gazed deeply into her eyes, unwilling to budge an inch, "I'll wait for you, Jiang Zhi."

…

Leaving the apartment building, Jiang Zhi quickened her pace, her heart filled with mixed emotions.

She seriously pondered Le Zhou's attitude, which was no different from before, yet it always made her feel odd.

It felt as if she had felt this way at some point before.

She didn't have time to think further when a familiar figure appeared in her sight.

It was Shi Xuan.

The boy carried a heavy cardboard box forward, his steps steady, his back appearing especially lonely.

Jiang Zhi knew he went out every day to pick up scrap, but she didn't realize it would be so arduous.

During her stay here, she had heard other tenants talk about his affairs.

Shi Mu was born into a poor family; early on she came to the city to make a living, where she met a man who ran a gambling house—that man was Shi Fu.

Shi Fu pretended to have a respectable job, deceiving Shi Mu into marriage; after the wedding, his true nature was revealed—he frequently beat and scolded Shi Mu, and even packaged her as a commodity to send to partners for abuse.

Afterward, Shi Mu gave birth to Shi Xuan, secretly fled with him, and took refuge in this apartment building, where she fell gravely ill and was bedridden.

At first, when Jiang Zhi heard this, she was greatly shocked.

How could those tenants possibly know those secret matters about Shi Xuan's mother?

Upon further thought, this is a Punishment Instance; all information can only be obtained by oneself, so these are naturally arranged by the system.

The system stores each tenant's information within the instance, requiring the task-doer to seek it out themselves.

No matter how unreasonable it seems, it's quite normal in a Punishment Instance.

And Shi Xuan's tragic background fits the profile of the mission target, the serial killer.

Jiang Zhi had previously suspected him because of his background.

But since that day when she fell ill, he has cared for her meticulously; her suspicion of him has lessened, for a serial killer would not save others out of a little kindness.

Her gaze followed the boy's figure as it vanished around the corner; Jiang Zhi withdrew her gaze and thought of her own business.

She went to the security room to check the surveillance.

In this old district, surveillance cameras are few due to limited funding, and they are installed only at key busy spots.

She asked the security guard in charge of this area to look at the footage, using the excuse of having dropped something.

The guard initially refused, but after receiving the thousand dollars she gave, he moved aside without a word.

Jiang Zhi sat in front of the screen for an afternoon, and finally caught a clue the day before Zhang Hao's accident.

That day, on her way to investigate the alley murder case, she ran into Zhang Hao returning.

After she left, Zhang Hao was shoved by someone and nearly hit by an oncoming car.

The surveillance footage was blurry, but a vague silhouette of the person who pushed him could be seen.

He was dressed all in black, wearing a baseball cap, yet his profile was very familiar.

Jiang Zhi leaned in and stared intently for a long time, her pupils suddenly constricting.

"Le... Zhou?"

She muttered to herself, raising her hand in disbelief to cover her mouth.

How could it be him?

Jiang Zhi walked out of the security room, lifted her gaze; the sky was deep dark, and wherever her eyes reached was gloomy with no light.

She had been so engrossed that it was now nine o'clock.

Thinking of her appointment with Le Zhou, a chill rose from her heart.

She didn't know why Le Zhou wanted Zhang Hao dead, but for now he is the prime suspect in the killings.

Jiang Zhi bit her lip, pacing back and forth in place.