·

The diligent staff member led The Vault upstairs to fill out the forms.

The procedures for participating in the closed beta were extremely complicated, but fortunately, many documents already had backups at Trident. Julian Grant vouched for her, which saved them from some unnecessary steps. After a series of operations, the staff handed them the green card permitting access.

The Vault took it; the process went much more smoothly than she had expected.

Pointing to the symbol on the card, Julian Grant said, “The first batch of the closed beta officially starts in five days. There will be other players participating as well. I need to emphasize again: during the period between the end of the closed beta and the start of the public beta, you must strictly adhere to the confidentiality agreement. Afterwards, you are also not allowed to release any information to the public that could be misleading or inaccurate, or you will face massive financial compensation. Don’t try to provoke Trident’s legal department—they’re always eager for a collective debut. The last person they ‘sacrificed’ is still burdened with an endless string of debts.”

The Vault nodded.

Julian Grant: “Also, the closed beta may take quite a while, depending on the difficulty of the scenario—it could be anywhere from three days to a week. If there’s no progress in the scenario for a long time, Trident will provide some hints externally, placing evidence in relatively easy-to-find locations.”

The Vault asked, “Why does it take so long?”

“Because some of the prototype characters will also appear. To be honest, the gameplay experience during the closed beta isn’t great.” Julian Grant waved for her to follow. “During the closed beta, you can ask any questions you want, even just chat—it helps us improve character modeling. But the questions must be about content that can be made public; sensitive words will be set as forbidden.”

The Vault: “Alright.”

Julian Grant then explained some other precautions about the closed beta, and went to contact Quinn Foster, asking him to give The Vault another psychological test.

·

The closed beta was never open to the public, only quietly conducted within Trident.

Five days later, The Vault received a reminder on her phone and walked to Trident with Julian Grant. Julian Grant led her to the designated room and went to the adjacent workstation himself.

At the same time, a group of people had gathered in the closed beta screening room.

Quinn Shelby followed a middle-aged woman into the room, greeting several staff members inside.

The woman wore a white chiffon blouse and black suit trousers, her expression stern and unsmiling, exuding a strong and commanding presence—clearly not someone to be trifled with. Her short hair was neat and tidy, her makeup immaculate; at first glance, she looked like a capable career woman. But the calluses and scars on her hands revealed that she was a true frontline detective who had worked her way up from the grassroots.

Henry Harris, also the deputy leader of the major crimes unit responsible for solving this case.

Quinn Shelby turned on the screen in front of him, glanced at the list of closed beta participants, and paused when he saw a familiar name. He grabbed Henry Harris, about to speak: “She…”

Henry Harris made a gesture, signaling him not to talk.

“Everyone’s here early.”

Quinn Foster strode in with a big smile.

“Morning, everyone. Thanks for your hard work.”

“Long time no see.”

“Honestly, this is my first time participating in a closed beta.”

“To be honest, after one time, you probably won’t want to do it again.”

The psychological evaluators all knew each other, exchanged a few pleasantries with a smile, then went to their assigned seats to wait for the scenario to begin.

Around nine o’clock, all the first batch of closed beta players were in place. The room gradually quieted as everyone focused on the screens in front of them.

Quinn Foster took off his jacket, sat up straight, and watched as a line of text appeared on the black background, while the scene gradually lit up. It showed The Vault officially logging in.

·

Welcome, player, to the fully immersive simulation game [Crime Scene Breakdown] (closed beta scenario). All case-related memories have been locked. Please use your past experience, interact freely with the characters, and help complete the plot details.

Identity: Detective (Law Enforcement)

Name: The Vault (QC1361)

Player rating: 97 (There’s a song, “Step by Step Higher,” that would suit you well.)

Character compatibility: 100% (Please do not engage in behavior that violates the core socialist values.)

Investigation progress: You still have no idea who the culprit is.

[Note] The closed beta scenario may take a long time. If you do not receive an answer after questioning a character, please be patient, or investigate other parts of the scene first.

[Click here to view scenario details]

The Vault took a step forward. As the mist in the scene cleared, she saw the view before her.

She was standing on a patch of grass. The weeds, left untended for a long time, had grown to between half a meter and a meter tall. The mix of withered yellow and fresh green blocked the view of the body hidden within.

The air was a bit chilly, and the cool wind gave The Vault goosebumps on her arms. The blaring of a large truck’s horn sounded almost right next to her ear, the howling wind making her irritable.

They were near the outskirts, beside a road.

“The deceased, Thomas Daniels.” A deep voice sounded in her ear.

The Vault turned and saw Julian Grant in casual clothes, holding a small notebook, reading out the victim’s information.

Their eyes met, and they exchanged a brief, knowing smile.

Julian Grant continued, “The deceased, Thomas Daniels, 54 years old. At 5:30 this morning, a sanitation worker cleaning nearby discovered his body and went to a nearby convenience store to call the police.”

Julian Grant flipped a page: “According to the preliminary forensic examination, the time of death was around 2 to 3 a.m. Judging by the livor mortis, this is the primary crime scene. However, from the traces at the scene, he was likely still alive when brought here. There’s a strong smell of alcohol on him, but no obvious external injuries. His wallet contained a small amount of cash, and he was wearing a watch worth tens of thousands and a ring—none of which were stolen. Some injuries will take time to appear; the exact cause of death will have to wait for the autopsy results.”

Julian Grant pulled an evidence bag from his side: “There was a note in his pocket. It said, ‘Lie.’ If not for that, it would look like an accident.”

The Vault let out a snort. “A familiar pattern. But it’s all rather baffling.”

The Vault squatted beside the body, put on gloves, and turned his face to examine it.

The smell of alcohol on the man was so strong it overpowered the scent of earth. There was a puddle of vomit on the ground, showing that the victim had only eaten a little meat and vegetables before drinking heavily. His face was half-submerged in the vomit; after soaking all night, half his face was swollen and almost unrecognizable.

The Vault said, “He comes from a well-off family. Wearing a full suit—probably out socializing. Check where he went last night. Also, he didn’t come home all night—wasn’t his family worried?”

Julian Grant: “He lives near his company in the city center. He has a son in graduate school who doesn’t live at home. His wife is a housewife and said the deceased often stayed out all night, so she wasn’t suspicious.”

Julian Grant turned and pointed: “The person who reported the case is over there.”

The Vault looked over. It was a middle-aged man in a thin jacket, looking a bit uneasy in the morning breeze, holding cleaning tools and quietly talking to someone beside him.

The Vault walked over and greeted him, “Hello.”

The informant looked at her nervously.

Julian Grant dutifully played the role of assistant: “Justin Hall, 42 years old.”

Forty-two?

The Vault raised an eyebrow.

Judging by his graying temples and haggard face, The Vault would believe he was older than the deceased, Thomas Daniels.

The Vault said, “Prematurely gray?”

Justin Hall forced a weak smile.

Julian Grant added, “Social anxiety.”

The Vault: “……”

She could tell.

Chapter 61: Interrogation

The Vault beckoned with her finger, took the notebook from Julian Grant, quickly scanned its contents, and said, “Sanitation work must be tough, right? Is your salary enough to cover your daily expenses? If you’re having financial difficulties, you can seek help from the government. The country is making great efforts to support those in need, and grassroots services are well established.”

Justin Hall didn’t speak, only nodded almost imperceptibly.

The Vault said, “No need to be nervous. Please recall again—how did you discover the body, and how did you report it?”

Justin Hall swallowed, then said, “I was cleaning the road and passed by here. I smelled some alcohol. I thought someone had vomited by the roadside, so I walked along the curb. As I was about to leave, I saw someone in the grass. I went over and found he was already dead.”

The Vault: “Did you check to confirm he was dead before calling the police, or did you see him lying there motionless and immediately go to call the police?”

Justin Hall said, “I felt his neck. His body was already cold.”

The Vault nodded and asked, “When you found the deceased, was there anything suspicious nearby, or any passersby?”

Justin Hall shook his head.