Anglerfish are a type of fish with an extremely grotesque appearance. This fish also has another nickname—"mystery box fish." Anglerfish have a large mouth and primarily feed by swallowing. When caught, their stomachs often contain a variety of seafood, making the act of opening one akin to opening a mystery box.
So, it's normal for an anglerfish's stomach to contain seafood, and those familiar with anglerfish are well aware of this.
But... an anglerfish's stomach containing a human hand is anything but normal!
Although the police officers didn't know how Xu Mo had determined that there was a murder case at the hotel, they still followed his lead and rushed straight to the hotel's kitchen.
Seeing guests heading towards the kitchen, a hotel staff member tried to stop them.
"Sir, are you looking for the restroom?" the staff member pointed behind Xu Mo and said, "The restroom is that way, not this way."
"I'm not looking for the restroom. I'm heading to your kitchen."
As he spoke, Xu Mo took out his badge. "Police officer. I just heard some noises coming from your kitchen, and I need to take a look."
Upon hearing this, the staff member looked conflicted. The manager had instructed that no one other than hotel employees was allowed in the kitchen.
However, since the person in front of him was a police officer who had already identified himself and claimed to have heard noises, the staff member couldn't continue to block the way. He had to step aside and let Xu Mo and the others pass.
"Thank you for your cooperation," Xu Mo said before leading the officers further towards the kitchen.
Meanwhile, in the hotel's kitchen.
"Manager, should we... call the police?"
"No way!" the Manager said bluntly. "If our competitors find out that there's a human hand in the fish, they'll definitely use it against us. At that point, we won't be able to keep the hotel running. So, absolutely no police! Just... throw the hand down the drain!"
"Also, today's incident must not be leaked. If I find out who's been talking carelessly, I'll make sure they regret it! Understood?" After deciding not to call the police, the Manager also issued a harsh warning to the hotel chefs.
Although finding a human hand in the purchased anglerfish had nothing to do with the hotel, this matter absolutely could not be leaked.
In the food industry, food safety is paramount, especially for high-end restaurants like theirs. Even slightly stale ingredients could lead to a sharp decline in customers, let alone finding a human hand in the food.
If word got out, who would dare to eat here? The thought alone was terrifying.
Moreover, if the police were called, their competitors would surely find out, and who knows what kind of schemes they would concoct against the hotel. Gossip is powerful!
The story would spread from one person to ten, and from ten to a hundred, becoming more exaggerated with each retelling. By then, the only outcome for the hotel would be closure.
The Manager didn't want to call the police primarily because he didn't want to lose his job over something that had nothing to do with him.
Seeing that the chefs were still standing there, the Manager shouted again.
"What are you standing there for? Didn't you hear what I said? Pick that thing up and throw it down the drain!"
Even after the Manager's outburst, none of the chefs dared to take a step forward.
After all, this involved a serious matter of human life, and they didn't want to get involved!
Each chef's face now clearly expressed, "I'm not throwing it. Whoever dares can do it!"
"No one's moving? You all don't want to work here anymore, do you?" The Manager glared angrily, continuing to threaten. The chefs didn't dare to touch it, and honestly, neither did he. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been forcing the chefs to dispose of the hand.
Just then, several people suddenly entered the kitchen.
As soon as Xu Mo and the officers from Team Seven entered the kitchen, they saw the half-dissected anglerfish on the chopping block, with a human hand inside its stomach.
"What the...?" The Manager was stunned.
It was exactly what he was afraid of!
Just after saying that the incident must not be leaked, someone unexpectedly barged into the kitchen. Could this be a dirty trick arranged by a competitor?
Thinking this, the Manager quickly stepped in front of the chopping block to block the hand.
"What are you doing? This is the hotel's kitchen. Non-employees are not allowed in. Out!"
"Move aside! What are you hiding behind you?" Wang Dachuan glared.
The Manager remained stubborn. "There's nothing here. Can't you hear me? Get out!"
"Stop lying! I already saw it!" Chen Ke stepped forward, ready to push the Manager aside.
At the same time, Xu Mo took out his badge again.
"Police. You'd better step aside right now, or I have reason to suspect you of murder."
After glancing at Xu Mo's badge, the Manager subconsciously looked at the chefs beside him.
His anger instantly flared up. These people must have called the police before he arrived! All his earlier warnings had been for nothing.
However, given the circumstances, the Manager couldn't say anything in front of the officers.
Having risen from an insignificant position to become the hotel's Manager, it was clear that he was a smart man with exceptional situational awareness.
His face immediately relaxed.
"Whew... I was scared to death. I thought you were troublemakers sent by a competitor. So, you're the police! Sorry, sorry. You must have been called here by the chefs, right? Oh, you're finally here. We've been waiting for you!"
The Chefs: ???
Could you change your tune any faster?! Didn't you just tell us not to call the police?
This guy is wasted as a hotel Manager. He should go learn face-changing opera!
In just a few words, the Manager had distanced himself from the situation.
His main goal was to show that he had nothing to do with the incident.
After speaking, the Manager stepped aside, no longer blocking the chopping block.
"This fish was purchased by us. Who would have thought there would be a human hand inside? Um... officers, could you please not publicize this case? If this gets out, our hotel will be ruined, and nearly a hundred employees will be out of work..." the Manager said weakly.
Xu Mo looked the Manager up and down. "Alright, but you need to cooperate with our investigation. Where did you purchase this fish?"
"I don't know that. Please wait a moment, and I'll call the Procurement Officer."
Seeing Xu Mo nod, the Manager left the kitchen, first calling the hotel owner to report the situation, then bringing in the hotel's Procurement Officer.
"Quick, tell the officers where this fish was bought."
The Procurement Officer's expression changed slightly, then he said, "It's from the same place, Manager, you know that."
Xu Mo caught the Procurement Officer's subtle expression.
"Tell the truth. Where did it come from?"
Seeing this, the Manager also realized that the Procurement Officer might be lying. "Speak honestly! Where exactly did this fish come from?"
The Procurement Officer swallowed hard, licked his lips, and then revealed the truth.
"Actually, this fish... I found it. This morning, when I went to purchase ingredients, I found this bag of fish in a trash can. I checked, and the fish were fresh, so I..."
iaobai: "Councilor Dad, front me some funds. I want to hire ten thousand professional miners for a project!" [Five-Star Mission Issued: Capture the leader of the Blood Heaven Pirate Gang, who is on the run in the Radiant Star Sector. It is said the gang has over a hundred members. Proceed with caution.] Lu Xiaobai: "Councilor Dad, lend me the family's hundred-thousand-strong Lu Army!" [Seven-Star Mission Issued: Subdue a juvenile Void Dragon Beast.] Lu Xiaobai: "Councilor Dad, I'm taking your tamed Void Dragon Beast King out for a family reunion!" I said, System, don't you have any slightly more challenging missions? You're just not up to par! [Nine-Star Mission Issued: Become the Human Councilor.] Lu Xiaobai: "Dad, there's a small matter I'd like to discuss with you..."
grated, and just when he finally managed to get into an elite academy, he discovered that he actually had a system, and the way to earn rewards was extremely ridiculous. So for the sake of rewards, he had no choice but to start acting ridiculous as well. Su Cheng: "It's nothing but system quests after all." But later, what confused Su Cheng was that while he was already quite ridiculous, he never expected those serious characters to gradually become ridiculous too. And the way they looked at him became increasingly strange... (This synopsis doesn't do it justice, please read the full story)
] [Lone Wolf, No Male Gaze] [Protagonist is pursued early on; extreme protagonist-stans, stay away!] The "Carnival Paradise" descends and slowly devours the real world in the form of a game. By chance, Zhu Yan awakens the talent [Roleplay], becoming one of the first beta players. He thought he could develop safely, but after clearing the first instance, he is branded by humanity as the chief culprit behind the game's spread—a traitorous villain. A villain? Who would ever... become one! He'll be the villain! From then on, Zhu Yan is not only a player but also a lackey for the Carnival Paradise. Between the straight path and the crooked path, he chooses the con. With his left hand, he dons the villain's mantle, staging scenes within instances, infuriating players who decry him as a despicable traitor, all while the game happily promotes him. With his right hand, he joins the non-human organization "Fangcun Mountain," which opposes the Carnival Paradise, transforming into a mysterious player who slaughters game bosses, earning cheers of "Long live the expert!" from fellow players. Gradually, Zhu Yan rises to become an S-rank human player in Fangcun Mountain's archives, while also being the Carnival Paradise's certified top game Boss. But when the final war erupts and both major factions place their hopes in him— Players tag his various aliases: "Experts, this offensive depends on you." The Carnival Paradise's supreme Boss throws an arm around his neck: "Bro, you're the iron, I'm the steel; you can't let me down again!"
ine. During your journey, you save an abandoned baby girl and become her elder brother】 【You rely on each other, becoming each other's support】 【At the end of the simulation, you shield the now-grown girl with your life, sacrificing yourself to block numerous demonic cultivators. You die, and the light in the girl's eyes fades】 …… 【Second Simulation: You are transported to a world where steam and magic coexist】 【You immerse yourself in the study of magic, obsessed with its research. One day, while out, you encounter a half-blooded demon girl wandering the streets. You take her in as your student】 【You teach the demoness what it means to be human, show her the beauty of the world, and nurture her into a miracle that surpasses even the gods】 【At the end of the simulation, you die of old age in front of the nearly immortal demoness due to your mortal lifespan】 …… One simulation after another, one encounter after another. Xu Xi suddenly felt something was off: "Wait, you said you're coming to the real world to find me?"
