Julian Grant didn’t react for a moment, because in his imagination, this should be someone who would never joke around. So when The Vault finished speaking, his mind was thrown into confusion and he fell silent.

The Vault turned around. “Location and time of the suicide.”

The atmosphere was so calm and unruffled, it was as if everything just now had been Julian Grant’s illusion.

Julian Grant snapped back to reality, raised his hand, and pointed ahead. “That’s where they jumped.”

The Vault looked in that direction.

The building’s location was awkward—neither here nor there, and its height was neither tall nor short. It sat at the border between the dormitory area and the teaching area, tucked behind a small convenience store. It was an old dormitory building, and the school had long hesitated over whether to renovate or rebuild it, but lacked the funds.

Because the water and electricity systems in this building often malfunctioned, not many students actually lived there. Later, the school designated it separately, so students who wanted single or double rooms could apply to live here.

This was a co-ed dormitory.

The Vault looked at the rooftop, then glanced at the neighboring building, and suddenly asked, “Would someone who wants to commit suicide care about a sense of ritual?”

Julian Grant tilted his head. “What do you mean?”

The Vault: “Nothing. I mean, why this building in particular?”

Julian Grant fell silent.

The Vault: “In previous years, which building did students jump from? Has it happened before?”

“According to past records, it was a building in the back, called Skyspire Tower. Ever since it was built, most students who wanted to commit suicide would choose that one—even students from nearby schools came for its reputation.” Julian Grant pointed at a building in the distance, only half visible, “That’s also the tallest dormitory in the school. It has an elevator.”

“If it were me, I’d choose the building with the highest fatality rate.” The Vault gestured at the old building’s height. “There’s even a bike shed below this one. Not only would it damage other people’s property, but the impact might leave you half-dead instead of killing you outright. That’s the scariest thing. For five people in a row to choose this building to commit suicide from—it doesn’t make much sense. Unless there’s some special connection.”

“The first victim died in February this year, then it was winter break. At the end of March, the second victim jumped. Then it was Wendy Ward. Now, there’s less than a week until Wendy Ward’s scheduled suicide date.” Julian Grant said, “So far, the police haven’t found any connection between the three—at least, I only have information on three people. The rest will have to wait until after your ‘suicide’ to access. For now, there’s no evidence of any significant link between the three suicides.”

He thought for a moment, then continued, “I went through the police records and information. If you really want to find a connection, the first and second victims were from the same hometown, and the second victim was Wendy Ward’s roommate. The first victim and Wendy Ward didn’t have much to do with each other. Since the police didn’t suspect anything at the time and treated it as a regular suicide case, only these scattered details remain.”

The Vault nodded. “Got it.”

Julian Grant curled his lips into a smile. “I heard you’re really good. Does that mean I can clear this scenario with you this time?”

The Vault smiled as well. “You can give it a try.”

This was the first time Julian Grant had seen her smile. Before he could savor the moment, The Vault had already turned to leave, and Julian Grant quickly followed.

The two walked a bit further. The Vault remained silent the whole time, and Julian Grant assumed she was thinking about the case.

Suddenly, The Vault stopped and said, “We’re about to reach the girls’ dorm. Middle-aged weird uncle, you’d better stop here.”

Julian Grant: “…??” At his age, he was at most a young man.

This friend clearly hadn’t experienced the harsh lessons of money.

Chapter 3: Search

Dorm 103.

This dorm originally housed five people, but after the second victim’s suicide, there were only four.

The second victim’s name was Nathan Sanders.

Her belongings were still in their original place, including bedding and books. The family had come to collect some important items, but the rest were left behind.

At the strong request of her roommates, the school didn’t deal with these belongings, but let them remain until all the students graduated, to be handled then.

When The Vault entered, the dorm was empty. Lunch break was short, so the roommates had probably gone straight back to class after eating.

The Vault found Wendy Ward’s bed, rummaged through the cubby for a while, and pulled out a small key from a conspicuous spot to open the wardrobe beside it.

The school’s wooden cabinets had a damp, musty smell, mixed with a strong scent of mothballs. The two odors combined and wafted out as the door opened, creating an overwhelming, pungent sensation.

The Vault flung the wardrobe wide open to let the smell dissipate a bit.

Wendy Ward’s belongings were neatly arranged—everything was clear at a glance. Feminine products were on the bottom shelf, clothes for spring and autumn were folded and stacked on the left, pants on the right. A bag of snacks hung on the wardrobe door. Clearly, Wendy Ward was a relatively disciplined and tidy girl.

Near the wardrobe door was a crystal storage box containing various hair clips, headbands, bracelets, and trinkets.

The Vault fished out a red string bracelet from inside. Tied to it was a small metal cube, with the letters “XY” engraved on the front.

The Vault ran her fingers over the faded metal, and the first thought that flashed through her mind was: Douglas’s XY theory, or chromosomes?

The Vault: “……”

She knew she deserved to be single.

The human subconscious is truly terrifying.

The Vault took out her phone, snapped a picture of the red string, and used the scan function to search for similar items on Taobao.

…Turns out it wasn’t anything rare, just a red string bracelet from the XXX Matchmaker Temple.

The Vault: “……”

Alright then. It showed that Wendy Ward liked pretty things and had aspirations in life.

The Vault put the jewelry box aside and started searching through the clothes.

Wendy Ward didn’t have many casual clothes—after all, the school required uniforms. As The Vault was halfway through moving things, she found a small red pouch.

When she opened it, she found a yellow talisman inside.

She couldn’t tell what was drawn on the talisman, but the back was inscribed with “Rest in Peace”—its purpose was self-explanatory.

The Vault scanned it with her phone again and discovered something remarkable.

This thing was actually a hot seller on Taobao, 25 yuan each, with over ten thousand sold per month. The most popular ones were for wealth and fortune.

…Human nature really is universal.

Though, these talismans probably worked best for the shop owner.

The Vault sighed, put everything back in place, and went to check Nathan Sanders’s desk directly opposite.

This time, she didn’t rummage through anything, just stood by and scanned the desk and under the bed.

On Nathan Sanders’s desk was a photo of two girls in identical outfits, leaning together and laughing with hand gestures. They were the first two suicide victims.

Nothing else stood out—books, test papers, a big cup full of pens.

The Vault calmly took a picture of it.

·

At this moment, the livestream chat was buzzing. What excited viewers most was this kind of scene, where clues were just beginning to emerge, yet still shrouded in mystery.

“I was just wondering what she was doing, rummaging through clothes like a scavenger. Didn’t expect her to actually find a key clue. I’m too young”

“I remember this scenario. The last player played dumb with the NPCs for two days, got some important plot info, but it turned out to be wrong, and the suicide meter maxed out. There’s a lot of misleading info in this scenario… From what I see so far, I have a feeling this player is going to fall into the same trap. Prophet's Mercy”

“Thinking Nathan Sanders is dead, and Wendy Ward prayed for her to rest in peace, so they must have been close.”

“Doesn’t the school teach scientific thinking? Why is Wendy Ward still buying talismans?”

“Detective mode activated! Wendy Ward and Nathan Sanders were good roommates, and Nathan Sanders and Yvonne Thornton were best friends. The three sisters were close, and all committed suicide one after another—definitely a conspiracy. Maybe they witnessed something illegal and were threatened in retaliation.”

“Can’t school life be a bit simpler? Why do you all have to turn it into a horror movie?”

“Not every detective is called Conan, some are just bumbling fools. I’m talking about you guys. doge”

·

While the viewers were still focused on the photo, The Vault had already turned and gone to the balcony.

She leaned against the balcony railing, pressing her hand to the back of her neck, and rotated her head in a wide circle. After stretching her neck, she pressed her fingers hard, making her knuckles crack crisply.

Once she was ready, The Vault took out her phone and began typing a message to Julian Grant.

The content on her phone was projected on the right side of the screen for the audience to see.

The Vault: Regarding the inferred relationships among the three victims.

The Vault: The first victim, Yvonne Thornton, and the second victim, Nathan Sanders, were close. [Photo]