Jiang Baimian didn't answer Shang Jianyao's question but looked at Long Yuehong, leaving him the opportunity to analyze.
After thinking for a while, Long Yuehong said:
"Excluding the possibility of the surveillance video being faked, the murderer should be hiding in a room near that route. If he's only at the 'Sea of Origins' level, searching the rooms on both sides of the road should be enough. If he's entered the 'Mind Corridor,' then the rooms on nearby streets should also be included in the investigation."
That route refers to the path Mu Qingqing's father, Mu Renjie, took from his home to the nearest public toilet, starting from his home and ending at the place where he collapsed and died, drawing a circle outwards.
"Why exclude the possibility of the surveillance video being faked?" Shang Jianyao asked unconventionally.
Long Yuehong frowned:
"The risk of this method being discovered is too high.
"The 'Life Ritual' cult didn't do this when they carried out 'Divine Punishment' before.
"From a path dependency perspective, if they had previously used the method of modifying surveillance videos and it was effective, they would have done the same thing last time."
Clap clap clap, Shang Jianyao clapped.
Bai Chen also smiled and nodded.
This made Long Yuehong's confidence swell a bit.
He quickly added:
"Besides, the surveillance video has been deleted, so it's impossible to confirm whether it's real or fake, and the original head of the surveillance department committed suicide because he was involved with the 'Life Ritual' cult, so there's no way to verify anything. We can only temporarily assume that the surveillance video is real."
"Then why not include the rooms on the same route on the floors above and below in the investigation?" Shang Jianyao asked instead. "The range of an Awakened's abilities isn't just planar."
Long Yuehong organized his thoughts and said:
"I think that with the obstruction of floors, the possibility of precise positioning is not high. Based on the same reasoning, the probability of the murderer hiding in other rooms on other streets is also not high.
"What if it was Mu Renjie's wife who went to the public toilet that night?"
"Then maybe she would have died," Shang Jianyao said with a sinister smile.
Hiss... The words "indiscriminate killing" suddenly popped into Long Yuehong's mind!
"Wait!" He suddenly came back to his senses. "We associated Mu Renjie's death with the 'Life Ritual' cult because he died of a heart attack and inherited the old-world talisman folklore, drawing many 'more sons and more grandsons' talismans. His wife doesn't meet the conditions at all."
If it was truly indiscriminate killing, then all the previous reasoning of the "Old Task Force" would be wrong, and there would be no way to connect it to the "Life Ritual" cult.
Jiang Baimian nodded slightly, about to comment, when Shang Jianyao proposed another possibility:
"Maybe Mu Renjie had corresponding thoughts implanted in him in advance, so he would definitely go to the public toilet at that time, making it very easy to lock onto him.
"It's unlikely that his wife would also happen to go to the public toilet at that time, right?"
"Wouldn't this be too complicated?" Long Yuehong expressed his doubts.
Mu Renjie wasn't some powerful character.
"It's not complicated." Shang Jianyao smiled. "The day you stayed in Xiaobai's room, you got up at three in the morning to go to the public toilet because I implanted corresponding thoughts in you."
He looked triumphant, being the prankster he is.
"..." Long Yuehong opened his mouth. "It was you! Didn't you say you wouldn't bother using your Awakened abilities on me?"
Shang Jianyao spread his hands:
"I definitely wouldn't for serious matters, but it's okay to joke around."
Bai Chen joined the discussion:
"I don't think your statement is correct.
"If it were possible to implant some kind of thought into Mu Renjie in advance, then there would be more and better ways to make him die silently, without any suspicious points."
"Yes, it can be done completely. For example, when repairing a light bulb at home, he could be careless and die from electric shock," Shang Jianyao replied without any hesitation, as if he wasn't the one who proposed the possibility of thought implantation just now.
Long Yuehong was confused:
"Then why did you say that Mu Renjie might have had corresponding thoughts implanted in him in advance?"
"Isn't it to bring up the fact that I once implanted thoughts in you, making you go to the toilet in the middle of the night?" Shang Jianyao replied confidently. "If I do a prank and the target doesn't know about it, then what's the point!"
The Wei who is cheerful and loves to joke is essentially also a bad guy... Jiang Baimian commented from the side.
She then concluded:
"As long as making the target die from heart problems isn't a ritual that the 'Life Ritual' cult insists on, then the problem is most likely in the rooms on both sides of the corresponding route.
"This involves dozens of households and hundreds of people. Some of them later changed rooms and went to other floors because of marriage. It's very difficult to investigate them one by one, and we must have the cooperation of the company."
And once it's reported to the company, the hidden members of the "Life Ritual" cult may intercept the information in advance and remove the clues.
Shang Jianyao thought for a while, and his eyes suddenly lit up:
"Why don't I hack into the broadcasting station and pretend to be Hou Yi, hiding 'thought guidance' in a piece of news?
"I can currently influence more than a hundred targets at the same time, which is just enough to investigate everyone on that route."
The corners of Jiang Baimian's mouth twitched:
"How much do you want to hack into the broadcasting station?"
How many times has he made similar suggestions!
Then, she poured cold water on Shang Jianyao:
"Also, how are you going to pretend to be Hou Yi?"
Shang Jianyao was stunned for a few seconds and said with a sigh:
"It would be great if Lao Ge was here, he could make a voice changer by hand."
Can Lao Ge's handmade products really be considered handmade? Long Yuehong suddenly had such a doubt.
Jiang Baimian breathed a sigh of relief and said:
"The simplest way is to submit a report to Director Su, request a meeting, and talk to him about Mu Renjie's matter, so that he can arrange the follow-up investigation.
"If there are people from the 'Life Ritual' cult on the board of directors, then we don't need to work hard anymore. Just wash ourselves and wait to believe in 'Fate'."
Shang Jianyao nodded, stretched out his hands, pretended to be holding a baby and gently swaying it, and said loudly:
"Everything will eventually return to Fate!"
Jiang Baimian first rolled her eyes at this guy, then asked amusedly:
"I remember you said that 'Everything will eventually return to Fate' is used when a life passes away.
"Isn't this a bit unlucky?"
"Don't worry about these details." Shang Jianyao quickly changed the subject. "When the computer is returned, I will start writing the report."
Because he didn't have to install a phone in his room for the time being, he became lazy again.
In the afternoon, the items that had been searched from the "Old Task Force" before were issued after review, along with their rewards.
Jiang Baimian was still at level d9 and couldn't enter the management level yet, but the above hinted to her that after exploring the last Buddhist holy site, finding the real location of the Eighth Research Institute or the whereabouts of Shang Jianyao's father's old task force, she would be promoted to m1, the same level as her father, Jiang Wenfeng.
Shang Jianyao and Long Yuehong both reached level d8, and Bai Chen was d7.
In addition to the increase in rank, they received a reward of 30,000 contribution points per person, including foreign aid subsidies.
My basic monthly salary is now 5300 points, and the allowance is 1300. Xiaobai's basic salary is 4800, and the allowance is 1100. Together, we can earn contribution points in a month... Long Yuehong instinctively calculated in his mind.
Such income is almost seven times what he earned when he first started working, which is enough to support a family of four with meat at every meal and frequent fruits and snacks.
Coupled with the large room that would inevitably be assigned according to his and Bai Chen's ranks, Long Yuehong couldn't help but curl up the corners of his mouth when he thought about the future.
Jiang Baimian saw his appearance and teased with a smile:
"There are still two days until Sunday. Do you want to practice meeting the parents in advance?"
"Yes, yes!" Shang Jianyao was immediately excited.
"Uh..." Although Long Yuehong didn't think this needed practice, he was still a little unsure.
After all, it was also his first time bringing his future wife home.
"Okay." Bai Chen answered very seriously.
Jiang Baimian then smiled:
"Practice is not necessary, but I can tell you some precautions."
"Okay." Bai Chen didn't refuse.
Shang Jianyao suddenly looked disappointed and regretful.
"What's with that expression?" Jiang Baimian glanced at him.
Shang Jianyao sighed and said:
"If we really want to practice, we definitely have to find someone to play Xiaohong's dad."
Long Yuehong suddenly felt like he had escaped a catastrophe.
…………
Floor 495, Block B, No. 196.
Shang Jianyao returned home and saw that it was still early, so he lay on the bed and entered the "Mind Corridor."
He pushed open the door of room "506" and walked inside.
The family area of the Fourth Research Institute then appeared in front of him.
There are buildings everywhere, trees planted all over, and most of the people who come and go know each other, often stopping to chat a few words, and the atmosphere is peaceful and serene.
Shang Jianyao walked around at will and found that this psychological shadow had returned to the state when he first entered.
This is the most normal situation, similar to the shadow of the cruise ship, which is a very special example.
After walking around like this and meeting many people, Shang Jianyao rubbed his chin and began to "talk to himself":
"How to face painful memories directly?"
"It's very simple. First, turn against the people here!" The reckless Shang Jianyao gave his own suggestion.
After a period of "discussion", the Shang Jianyaos decided to try it out first.
He slowly walked to the gate area, only one meter away from the place where he was injured before.
Then, Shang Jianyao manifested a military exoskeleton device and prepared.
He jumped into the dangerous area with a swish, and then jumped back suddenly, swinging on the edge of the "cliff".
A dull roar sounded instantly.
This time, it wasn't an explosion, the entire ground cracked open, and red-hot lava gushed out.
Shang Jianyao narrowly avoided it, rolled back to a safe place, and cheered excitedly:
"The owner of the room has seen a volcanic eruption!"
At this time, the expressions of the people in the family area all became indifferent, like emotionless corpses.
Shang Jianyao then straightened his body and walked over with a smile.
He wanted to see how painful memories would affect him!