The weapon by the pillow

Chapter 93 SOS, distress signal

"Looks like I guessed right! You're here for him!" Sister Fang's eyes narrowed slightly. "Jin Xiaohao... he's a murder suspect, the mastermind behind last night's sensational online live-streaming fraud case that shocked Jiangzhou and even the whole country... The police are investigating this case. How can I guarantee his safety?"

"You know he's innocent," Cheng Tan said, staring into her eyes. "You know who the real killer is. Or at least, you know part of the truth about last night."

Fangjie was silent for a few seconds, then laughed: "Everyone says you're very smart, little fool. But smart people often die young."

"Perhaps," Cheng Tan smiled, "but before I die, I want to know the truth. The truth about these dice, the truth about the Jin Dafu case, the truth about Liu Li."

Fangjie tapped her fingers lightly on the table.

Cheng Tan recognized the rhythm now—it was Morse code. Short, short, long, short, short… SOS. A distress signal.

Who is she calling for help from? Or does this signal have another meaning?

Cheng Tan glanced around and saw two waiters, a man and a woman, who seemed different from the two who had just come in.

These two people seemed to exude a murderous aura.

"What if I refuse?" Fang asked.

"How could you refuse... Sister Fang has always cherished her reputation! She's always been a chivalrous person who keeps her word!" Cheng Tan reached out, picked up the largest finger bone die, and slowly said:

"Besides, you never intended for this character to die!"

Fang sighed, "What I like most is dealing with smart people. Xiao Han, you played your cards very well tonight, but your information was outdated..."

"Information...delayed?" Cheng Tan's eyes widened, and he glanced at Cheng Jing, only to see her face filled with sorrow.

He suddenly had a bad feeling, but then he heard Sister Fang say calmly:

"You're too late... because just as the game started, we received information that the person you mentioned... Jin Xiaohao, was already dead!"

Dead! Before the card game!

Jin Xiaohao was someone I promised to protect, how could he die so inexplicably!

"I just got the news myself!" Cheng Jing felt a sense of helplessness. She whispered, "He died in his cell. They said it was suicide, and there was no evidence..."

"Haha... Ridiculous... Suicide!" It turned out that all his efforts had been in vain, that he had been playing the fool in someone else's carefully crafted story. Cheng Tan's anger and resentment surged forth. He stared coldly at Sister Fang:

"Can you tell me if this has anything to do with you?"

Fangjie's expression changed. Her eyes turned cold, like a lake in winter.

Are you threatening me?

"You still broke your promise," Cheng Tan said coldly. "Just like you said... you knew my reason for coming to play cards, but he died before I finished playing."

A tense silence fell over the room. Both General Manager Zhao and Director Sun watched Fang Jie nervously, awaiting her decision. Time ticked by. The clock on the wall ticked clearly, each sound resonating in everyone's hearts.

Finally, Fang Jie stared at Cheng Tan meaningfully, and her first words were a bombshell.

"You are Cheng Tan," she said. "You're not Xiao Han! Nor are you..."

She gently pulled a photograph from the cigarette pack and threw it on the card table. "That big, dumb cop! He's impersonating you!"

"Chen Ming!" Cheng Jing jumped up, staring at Fang Jie in astonishment. "You caught him... what did you do to him?"

"I didn't arrest him," Sister Fang shook her head. "He went into a place he shouldn't have gone, saw things he shouldn't have seen, and took things he shouldn't have taken. I just know that such a person exists, that's all!"

Fang Jie cursed inwardly, thinking, "That damn cop! I always thought he was Cheng Tan, and I've spent so much effort trying to get even a single useful piece of information out of him."

"You only realized it when you saw us... that he wasn't Cheng Tan, but Chen Ming," Cheng Tan suddenly said. "Wasn't that right?"

"You...you knew all that!" Fangjie realized her words were somewhat inappropriate as soon as they were spoken. "The main thing is that I'm very interested in Mr. Cheng Tan. I didn't expect him to show up uninvited tonight; it's truly admirable!"

"He's my friend, and he was wrongly arrested because of me..." Cheng Tan stared at Sister Fang. "Release him!"

"Well, I can't make that decision! This big oaf peeked at things he shouldn't have seen, and took things he shouldn't have taken... We're not planning on letting him come back, besides..." Sister Fang laughed, "I'm missing a die in this box, and I think his index finger bone is perfect, so it'll make up the difference!"

"This finger bone isn't easy to keep..." Cheng Tan laughed loudly. "This little flower behind him has quite a history with him. If you cut it off to make dice, it'll probably fight you to the death!"

"Xiao Hua, I like this name!" Sister Fang pondered. "Compared to those 'hot-tempered policewomen' titles, it sounds more like a chivalrous heroine! It's a pity... she's been having a run of bad luck lately, like a dragon stranded in shallow waters!"

"It seems Sister Fang knows quite a lot... Well then..." Cheng Jing was already angry.

"Xiao Hua, sit down!" Cheng Tan pressed down the impulsive Cheng Jing, turned around and said coldly, "Since it's a promise, let's change it. This hand of cards calls Chen Ming...you release him!"

"Sure!" Fang Jie answered decisively, much to everyone's surprise.

"Words are no proof," Cheng Tan said. "I need a guarantee."

What kind of guarantee do you want?

"Those dice," Cheng Tan pointed to the box of bone dice, "Give me those. As collateral."

Fangjie's expression became extremely complex. Looking at her, there seemed to be anger, resentment, hesitation, and even a hint of... relief?

"Do you know what these dice represent?" she asked.

"I know," Cheng Tan said. "They represent thirteen lives, or at least thirteen fingers. They represent sin, secrets, a past you don't want to face."

Fangjie smiled, but her smile was tinged with sadness.

"You're right," she said. "These dice really do represent the past. A past I want to forget but can never forget."

She reached out and pushed the box containing the dice toward Cheng Tan.

"Take them. But remember, taking these dice means you've taken on the sins. The grudges of the dead, the unsolved mysteries, the eyes hidden in the darkness... they will follow you until the truth is revealed."

Cheng Tan took the box. The box was very light, but in his hands, it felt as heavy as a thousand pounds.

"Now," Fangjie said, "you can push your cards over. You win."

Cheng Tan pushed over his hand. Thirteen cards were neatly arranged on the table—all honor tiles, two of each of the four winds (East, South, West, North, Center, Green, and White), plus a White tile as the pair.

All suits, single tile, self-draw.

"What a perfect hand," they all heard a cold voice say at that moment.

"But the new game has only just begun!"