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墨書 Inktalez
Although I was in a science class during high school, many years have passed, and aside from some common chemical names, I don't recognize most of the chemical substances. I gently opened the bookshelf, and there was no smell coming from inside; it seemed to be quite well sealed.
Some jars were transparent, while others were opaque, likely sorted according to their different chemical properties. From what I could see, these items should be what the Murderer used to kill. However, Deng Xuemei did not destroy these items after committing the murders, which felt off.
If she truly intended to kill everyone and then leave, why would she leave behind these chemicals? Destroying them wouldn't be difficult, especially for someone like Deng Xuemei, a student from the Biology Department. Moreover, both the leftover food in the kitchen and the shopping list found in the bathroom indicated that Deng Xuemei's departure didn't seem to be planned for long.
For a woman who kills without hesitation, such a lifestyle seemed too carefree. Furthermore, if Deng Xuemei really intended to leave, why did she buy so many things just before? It was unlikely that she would take all these items with her. The food in the refrigerator and her pajamas carelessly thrown on the bed suggested that Deng Xuemei might actually plan to return.
I furrowed my brow as Zhao Mingkun began to pull out the bottles one by one.
Zhao Mingkun said, "The Murderer used these chemicals to cause everyone's deaths. So we might be able to figure out how they were killed, right?"
I nodded and replied, "Exactly. Based on the current situation, we have several points to clarify regarding the Murderer's methods. How did the Murderer manage to make those people gouge out their own eyes without being present? And how did Wang Yikai die? Which of these chemicals caused his death?"
I tugged at my hair and slowly said, "Now we know that Yang Licheng and Wang Xin died because Calomel decomposed under sunlight and produced gas. Wang Xin lit an incense burner, and the gas caused both of them to become poisoned. Therefore, the rest can certainly be explained scientifically."
"And I," I looked at the bottles Zhao Mingkun had taken out and said, "have already figured out one point."
"What do you mean?" Zhao Mingkun asked.
I pointed at my eyes and said, "Why did these people gouge out their own eyes?"
This had always been a mystery looming over us. Hearing that I had solved this puzzle made Zhao Mingkun look puzzled and surprised as he asked me, "Really? Why would a perfectly normal person gouge out their own eyes? Moreover, it was clear that no one was forcing them to do so. The only scenario I can imagine is someone holding a gun to their heads—if they didn't gouge out their eyes, they would die. Perhaps that would give them a chance to survive."
I nodded and replied, "The mechanism is similar, but no one was holding a gun to their heads. Currently, the two most bizarre deaths are Liu Ruijie, who died locked in a room, and Xing Yafang, who gouged out her eyes in an elevator. Both were in completely enclosed spaces with no one around."
"Yes," Zhao Mingkun asked. "But why?"
"Do you remember when we went to eat at that street stall?" I asked Zhao Mingkun.
Zhao Mingkun nodded and said, "Of course I remember; you got chili in your eyes."
I snapped my fingers and said, "This is the key. At that moment, the chili pepper got into my eyes, causing intense pain, and naturally, I had to rub my eyes with my hands. I felt like I could have gouged my own eyes out because the pain was so severe. But what if it were something even more painful and deadly?"
Zhao Mingkun understood my point and spoke up, "You mean corrosive chemicals?"
I nodded and replied, "According to the types of chemical corrosives, they can be divided into three categories: acidic corrosives, alkaline corrosives, and other corrosives. If a strong acid or strong base were to enter someone's eyes, it would be a matter of moments."
"And some of the chemicals here could easily do that," I continued. "Although I'm not very familiar with chemistry, I know that those starting with 'H' are acids, while those ending with 'H' are likely bases. Deng Xuemei is a student of Biological Engineering; her understanding of chemicals must be stronger than ours."
Zhao Mingkun rubbed his eyes and began, "So you're saying that Deng Xuemei sprayed this chemical into someone else's eyes? Under the powerful corrosive effect, they would instinctively rub their eyes, but it would be futile as the corrosive liquid penetrates deeper, leading them to gouge their own eyes out?"
I nodded and said, "Exactly. I've seen those people's eyes; the ones that were gouged out had parts missing—likely corroded away. It's just like when chili gets into your eyes; the more you rub, the worse it gets. If corrosive substances enter their eyes, they would subconsciously rub them, spreading the corrosive agent even more."
I recalled the scene of eating noodles and said, "And I was able to hold on until that Boss handed me a wet towel to wipe my face. But in a life-or-death situation, they had no other choice. They gouged their eyes out to stop the corrosive substance from penetrating further."
Zhao Mingkun fell silent, contemplating the possibility of what I had said.
I continued, "I think Hu Xiaoxue might have just been a test subject. Deng Xuemei wanted to verify if this method was effective. There's also another possibility: what if she intended to kill Jiang Xiaochun but accidentally killed Hu Xiaoxue instead?"
A chilling thought suddenly crossed my mind—if that were true, wouldn't the others be in danger?
Zhao Mingkun gently shook his head, picked up a bottle to examine it, and said, "The mechanism for this kind of murder makes sense, but how do you explain how the murderer actually did it? For instance, how did the murderer spray the corrosive substance into someone else's eyes? That seems even more bizarre than why the victim would gouge out their own eyes."
I leaned against the table, tugging at my hair as I said, "The murderer is a woman; that's an initial advantage. Let's use Liu Ruijie as an example; we can imagine a scenario. Someone rings Liu Ruijie's doorbell. When Liu Ruijie sees a woman at the door—this woman is Deng Xuemei—Liu Ruijie probably doesn't know her."
I stroked my chin and continued, "If it were a strange man at the door, anyone would be cautious. But if it's a woman—especially one who isn't unattractive—then analyzing from this perspective, Liu Ruijie would likely open the door."
I closed my eyes and imagined what happened at that moment.
Liu Ruijie saw a woman at the door—a beautiful woman. Although Liu Ruijie didn't know what this woman was there for, she still opened the door. Women are often seen as vulnerable in this world but can also possess strength in certain aspects. Liu Ruijie opened the door and was about to say something.
But before his words could escape, he saw the woman holding a spray canister. Suddenly, Liu Ruijie felt a sharp pain in his eyes. A wave of panic surged from deep within him, making him feel as if he were about to go blind. His mind screamed that if he didn’t evade immediately, he would die right there.
With his eyes barely open, Liu Ruijie quickly shut the wooden door and locked it.
At that moment, a secret chamber created by the Victim appeared. Deng Xuemei showed no hesitation as she left the hallway. Meanwhile, Liu Ruijie was frantically clawing at his eyes while retreating. The pain was excruciating; he realized that some corrosive liquid had come into contact with him.
Fear gripped him; he was terrified that the Corrosive Liquid would seep into his nervous system. In a desperate act, he began to claw at his own eyes. As he stumbled backward, he lost his footing in his slippers and fell to the ground. With that fall, he never got back up again.
Perhaps this was the true nature of the situation.
I voiced my speculation, "This is certainly one possibility," Zhao Mingkun said. "But have you considered what this means for Xing Yafang? We reviewed the surveillance footage, and there wasn’t a single other person present. In just a few minutes, only Xing Yafang walked by."
Zhao Mingkun continued, "Moreover, we all saw the footage. After Xing Yafang left, she stayed in the restroom for two minutes before taking the elevator. During that time, nothing happened, and no one else came out of the restroom afterward. This is the top floor; I doubt anyone would escape through the window. So it was only Xing Yafang."
Zhao Mingkun's words hit a crucial point, and I furrowed my brow in deep thought. How did the Murderer manage this? What was this delayed trigger mechanism?
I glanced at the chemicals laid out on the table by Zhao Mingkun and suddenly recalled a key detail.
"I understand now!" I looked at Zhao Mingkun and replied quickly, "I know! These deceased individuals actually share a commonality. And this commonality explains why they died alone!"
"Commonality?" Zhao Mingkun asked. "What commonality?"
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