Kudo Ran's words were like a stone thrown into a calm lake, instantly stirring up waves of shock and leaving the scene in stunned silence.
All eyes turned to the young high school detective, and the atmosphere grew tense in an instant.
The two men in black coats furrowed their brows.
A high school detective... Kudo Ran?
They exchanged a glance.
Damn it, why did it have to be him?
And that idiot, how could he suddenly drop dead during the deal?
The commander of the law enforcement team frowned slightly, clearly skeptical of Kudo Ran's judgment.
"Brother Kudo, what do you mean by that? We've just confirmed through surveillance and the coroner's report that this was an accident. The victim died of cardiac arrest."
"Cardiac arrest?"
Kudo Ran sneered, his sharp gaze sweeping over everyone present. "Have you ever considered why he suddenly collapsed in front of so many people? And why his health deteriorated so abruptly?"
"What are you talking about?"
The lawyer couldn't help but retort, his voice filled with anger and unease. "Are you suggesting that we caused his condition to worsen?"
"Are you kidding me?"
"We're all innocent! There's no reason for us to harm him!"
Hearing this, Kudo Ran raised his voice, as if trying to break through their doubts. "Innocent?!"
"Each of you played a role in this incident! Whether you were witnesses, customers, or tourists, you might not realize it, but this was all premeditated."
He continued his analysis, his eyes shining with rationality. He walked over to the victim, lifted the white sheet in front of everyone, and explained, "Even if it was cardiac arrest, it could have been triggered by some kind of stimulus. The terror in his pupils shows that he experienced extreme fear before his death!"
"In other words, the real culprit might be among you!"
"How can you say that?"
The JK Girl was visibly angry. "I don't even know this person. Why would I want to scare him?"
"Whether you scared him or not isn't for you to decide."
Kudo Ran cut her off and began his investigation in front of everyone. "Now, we need to retrace the sequence of events."
"Please recall if anyone was acting suspiciously or was near the victim before he collapsed."
Was anyone nearby?
The commander stepped forward. "Brother Kudo, we've already reviewed the surveillance footage. When the victim died, he was alone in the photo booth."
"So there's no way someone else could have killed him."
"No, no, no."
Kudo Ran shook his head, a cold smile on his lips. "That's exactly what the culprit wants you to think."
"Inducing cardiac arrest is actually quite simple."
"For example, through external stimuli, drugs, or other means to burden the heart, or even using small tools to achieve the goal."
Kudo Ran's voice was calm and firm, his sharp eyes scanning everyone present, searching for clues.
"But we can't ignore one fact: the victim must have experienced panic, anxiety, or shock before collapsing."
"So what? I still don't understand what you're trying to say!"
The JK Girl firmly rebutted, clearly unimpressed by Kudo Ran's reasoning.
At that moment.
The coroner walked over and whispered something to the commander.
The commander nodded, then approached Kudo Ran with a transparent bag and a phone. "Brother Kudo, take a look at this."
Kudo Ran picked up the transparent bag, which contained a small amount of golden powder.
He then opened the phone.
His gaze sharpened, and he walked over to the photo booth.
After a moment, he emerged, his expression gradually becoming one of realization.
The two men in black grew visibly nervous.
Hiss... why does this suddenly feel like a movie scene?
Su Muwan swallowed hard, a hint of excitement in her eyes.
She looked around. The real culprit... is among them!
Who could it be?!
Qin Luo glanced at the excited Su Muwan.
Based on how things usually go, could it be...
The next second.
"I know who the culprit is."
Kudo Ran slipped his hands into his pockets, his expression growing confident.
!!
Everyone was shocked.
He already... figured it out?
Kudo Ran leisurely walked into the crowd and said calmly, "I'd like to ask everyone here."
"Has anyone here come into contact with a golden powder?"
The crowd fell into silence, everyone exchanging puzzled looks, clearly confused by the sudden question.
Only a masked man raised his hand, swallowing hard, and said, "That's Nightmare Powder, right?"
Nightmare Powder?
Everyone was stunned, their expressions turning to shock.
"Exactly, Nightmare Powder."
Kudo Ran continued, "This was originally a legal drug in Cherry Blossom City. Users could fall into pleasant dreams, and it was intended to treat psychological trauma."
"But... if taken in excess, the pleasant dreams turn into nightmares, and the user can suffer cardiac arrest and die within a short time."
"Due to the high number of deaths, private purchases were banned, and it could only be taken in small doses under medical supervision."
"And we just happened to find an excessive amount of Nightmare Powder in the photo booth."
"We checked the surveillance footage. This machine was purchased yesterday for the Corgi Parade performance and was only opened to the public today."
"Once inhaled, this excessive powder is fatal. So..."
Kudo Ran's voice carried a hint of coldness. "Everyone here should know who had the opportunity to plant the excessive powder before the victim entered."
At this point.
Kudo Ran took a deep breath, his eyes narrowing. "There's no such thing as a perfect crime!"
"If someone commits a crime, they'll leave behind traces!"
"So!!!"
"With all the evidence pointing in one direction!"
As he spoke, Kudo Ran raised his finger, his gaze serious as he pointed in a specific direction.
In the crowd.
The two men in black grew increasingly nervous.
One of them whispered to the other, "Boss, what do we do? If they find out we planted the stuff..."
The other clenched his fist. "Don't worry. If it comes to that, we'll fight our way out."
As they spoke, their hands moved toward their waists.
The next second.
"The culprit!"
Kudo Ran shouted, "It's you!!!"
Boom!!!
Everyone was shocked!!!
They all turned to look in the direction Kudo Ran was pointing.
Su Muwan did the same, her head swiveling left and right.
The culprit? The culprit? Where is it?
But...
When she realized everyone was looking at her.
Su Muwan froze.
She shifted slightly, and everyone's gaze followed her movement.
One second, two seconds, three seconds.
Boom!!!
A thunderclap struck Su Muwan's heart.
She pointed at herself, her expression one of utter shock as she looked around at the crowd, screaming internally.
Wait?!
The culprit... is me??!
Qin Luo shrugged. Well, of course it turned out this way.
The two men in black were stunned: ?
For the sake of his unrequited love, his ex-girlfriend abandoned him at the altar, indirectly causing the death of his parents. Just when he thought his life was plunged into darkness, a clueless yet beautiful girl unexpectedly took him in. Looking back, he realized how many hidden gems had always been by his side. A childhood friend who had secretly loved him for over a decade, a stunning but socially clueless school beauty, a mischievous and playful girl who lived for chaos... His ex, filled with regret, pleaded: "I was wrong—can we go back to how things were?" Before he could respond, the girl stepped in front of Ye Shuang and coldly declared, "If you didn’t cherish him, then he’s mine now." Also known as: "After Losing My Job, I Was Picked Up by a Hidden Gem," "The School Beauty I Raised," and "Oh No, I’m Surrounded by Rich Girls."
th】 【No prior gaming knowledge required】【The First Cultivation + Game Design Novel on the Platform】 In a world where the righteous path dominates and crushes the demonic sects, Lu Ze unlocks the "Son of the Demon Path" system. Killing righteous cultivators now grants him power-ups. Wait—deaths in illusions count too? As a former game designer, Lu Ze decides to give the cultivators of this world a little—no, a massive—shock... Sect Elders: "What is this 'Escape from the Demon Sect' game? Why have all our disciples abandoned cultivation to play it??" Elite Disciples: "You're saying... mastering 'Demon Slayer' can help us counter demonic schemes?" Reclusive Masters: "Why did I leave seclusion? Ask that backstabbing rat who ambushed me in 'Eternal Strife' yesterday!" Rogue Cultivators & Civilians: "'Immortal Abyss Action' is addictive! You can even earn spirit stones by loot-running..." Sect Prodigy: "My Dao heart is unshakable... except for that cursed black hammer." Royal Scions: "Can skins have stat boosts? I’ll pay 10,000 spirit stones for one!!" Sect Leader: "WHO IS CORRUPTING MY DISCIPLES?!!!"
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?"
e school belle recognized by the whole school, a genius girl from the kendo club. She also has a hidden identity, the youngest legendary demon hunter. Chen Shuo just transmigrated and found himself turned into a weak, helpless little vampire. He was caught by Su Xiyen and taken home at the very beginning. Since then, Chen Shuo's life creed only had two items. "First, classmate Su Xiyen is always right." "Second, if classmate Su Xiyen is wrong, please refer back to item one." Many years later, Chen Shuo, who had turned back into a human, led a pair of twins to appear in front of all the vampires to share the secret of how he turned back into a human. "It's simple, I tricked a female demon hunter into becoming my wife!"
