Genius Playground

”The police in the United States have been very cooperative. They’ve had similar cases involving murdered scholars, and it’s been confirmed... just as your initial intel suggested, all these cases were the work of the Regrets Mutual Aid Association.”

「Several days later.」

Inside an office at the East Sea City Public Security Bureau, Jiang Ran sat across from Officer Liu.

”The mastermind behind all this was the same target we identified earlier—the hundred-billionaire and top scholar, Wu Yuanzheng.”

Officer Liu leaned back in his chair.

”They did a great job keeping things under wraps. Normally, an investigation like this wouldn’t be so easy. The surprising thing was, we found an investigation report on Wu Yuanzheng aboard that private jet at Jiaxing Nanhu Airport. It provided a lot of key clues, allowing us to crack the case so quickly.”

At this, Officer Liu sighed.

”I have to say, the man was as cunning as they come. We were secretly tracking Wu Yuanzheng, but he still managed to trick us. He used a Rolls-Royce to lure us to Pudong International Airport—a classic diversion.”

”That was an oversight on our part, for sure. When you think about it, if Wu Yuanzheng had decided to flee and knew we were onto him, why would he use his own private jet and apply for a flight path under his own name?”

”But you have to admit, Wu Yuanzheng was incredibly resourceful... Jiaxing Nanhu Airport just finished construction and isn’t even open to the public. We checked with airport officials. They said they don’t plan on scheduling flights or accepting passengers until December; it’s still in the internal preparation stage.”

”I just can’t figure out how Wu Yuanzheng got another private jet to Jiaxing Nanhu Airport, or how he managed to secure a flight path.”

Jiang Ran listened silently, not making a sound.

’He didn’t doubt for a second that Wu Yuanzheng could pull something like this off.’

’It wouldn’t even take someone as powerful and influential as Wu Yuanzheng to do it. Just look at Zhou Xiong from the class reunion this summer—he could have sorted this whole thing out with a single phone call.’

’That’s right.’

’Just one phone call.’

’Except this was a call to Lilith.’

’Based on the current clues, it wasn’t hard to deduce that Wu Yuanzheng—the Priest—must also possess a special phone just like Zhou Xiong’s. A phone that could not only contact Lilith but also grant these incredible wishes.’

’In the Future Prison of 2045, the Assassin, Fang Yang, had said he took a Princess Coin from Zhou Xiong. He was also certain that the Priest possessed a King Coin.’

’Back then, Jiang Ran had already started to suspect that ”Priest” was just an internal title within the Regrets Mutual Aid Association. Wu Yuanzheng’s true identity in the Genius Playground, he thought, was likely the King.’

’But a few days ago, when the department’s forensic experts examined the scene of Wu Yuanzheng’s death, they found two blobs of melted plastic on the ground. Judging by how they had curled and shrunk, the experts inferred that before being burned, they were two flat, coin-shaped objects.’

’So, that was interesting. Wu Yuanzheng had apparently carried two Identity Coins.’

’It was quite possible that one was a Priest Coin and the other a King Coin... Which one was truly his remained a mystery.’

’After all.’

’When all was said and done.’

’Everything he knew about the Genius Playground, its members, and the Identity Coins was based mostly on his own deductions and speculation. There was no hard evidence to back any of it up.’

’He had only inferred it all from a few key events: his Setting Collection being stolen, his script being bought out for an astronomical price, and Zhou Xiong contacting Lilith right in front of him. From these, he deduced that the edgy, adolescent world he’d made up had somehow, inexplicably, come true.’

’If a game called the Genius Playground truly existed in the real world, just as he had imagined in his Setting Collection...’

’Then were there really eleven members, just as he’d specified back in middle school?’

’Uncovering that answer would require him to dig up more intel.’

’But there was no doubt Wu Yuanzheng had a way to contact Lilith. He must have used a similar method to grant his followers’ wishes, allowing him to operate with impunity and manipulate events from behind the scenes.’

’Take what Officer Liu was struggling to understand, for example...’

’The airport wasn’t even officially open, so how did Wu Yuanzheng’s plane get access?’

’An ordinary person might find that difficult, if not impossible. But Jiang Ran had witnessed Lilith’s power firsthand at the class reunion. A trivial matter like this would be child’s play for her.’

”So... are there any leads on Wu Yuanzheng’s killer?”

Jiang Ran voiced his biggest concern:

”When we were at the scene a few days ago, it was clear that both Wu Yuanzheng and the middle-aged man with him had been shot and killed.”

”After all this time investigating, you still haven’t found a single clue about the killer? Anything at all... age, build, motive?”

However.

Officer Liu just shook his head, looking frustrated.

”That’s another baffling part of this case. We can’t find a single clue related to the killer.”

”It’s just too strange. It’s as if... some incredibly skilled team cleaned up after him. He came and went without a trace, not leaving a single thing behind.”

Jiang Ran narrowed his eyes...

’So, was this impossibly thorough cleanup Lilith’s handiwork as well?’

’If so, that meant the person who killed Wu Yuanzheng was, in all likelihood, also a member of the Genius Playground!’