Chapter Five: A Maze of Mystery

  "Muhammad! Sayyad!" Zhang Fan's words had just left his mouth when the beautiful Countess Yekaterina appeared at the side door of the hall, letting out a shrill cry and rushing towards the two corpses!

  At this time, the countess had completely lost her beautiful and charming appearance of the first two days, and had almost become another person. Her eyes were wide open, with her eyeballs nearly popping out, and her face was full of horror!

  Her full lips, originally extremely enticing, would make men want to kiss her. But at this moment, her lips were trembling rapidly, and there were dense beads of sweat on her lips and the tip of her nose! She was literally drenched in sweat, which had ruined her makeup, making her look even more frightening!

  Actually, thinking about it, the mysterious death of these two giants at the Countess's party would first and foremost harm none other than the Countess herself!

  People came to her party because they believed in her reputation and out of friendship with her, and it was precisely for this reason that they also followed the various rules she had set that seemed inhumane. However, as her guest, he mysteriously died at her party! Once this incident gets out, the Countess's position in society will definitely plummet, and there will be a risk to her life.

  Even if others didn't know that Muhammad and Siyad came to her party, their confidants would definitely know. And no matter what the purpose is, there will be many people who avenge the two giants. As the direct cause of the death of the two giants, the countess must have an inseparable connection.

  So the countess's flustered and at a loss expression was absolutely understandable. Looking at her current flustered appearance, it actually made Zhang Fan feel a hint of sympathy.

  Of course, this sympathy was not because Zhang Fan had a good impression of the countess and stood up for her. In fact, for someone like Zhang Fan who came from a humble background, the countess, as a member of the nobility who only knew how to enjoy herself and put on airs, couldn't evoke even a hint of admiration from her. However, seeing a woman with such a majestic bearing suddenly become so disheveled in an instant, any man would feel some degree of sympathy for her.

  Because of this, Zhang Fan's plan to ask her some questions to understand the truth was also put on hold. The countess's current mental state is absolutely not suitable for answering any questions. Of course, even if the countess is in a state of mental collapse, as a spiritual system superpower user, Zhang Fan has the ability to get what he wants from her mind - but doing so would be, first, highly unethical, and second, most importantly, the countess's spirit may suffer immeasurable damage, with the worst-case scenario being that she might go mad on the spot!

  So, regardless of what considerations, Zhang Fan had to put his own plans aside and gave the police chief a wink, letting the police chief send her back to the room as well.

  The emotions of the crowd in the hall, which had gradually calmed down, also began to intensify again due to the dramatic outburst by the countess. Although they were much better than at the beginning (it was clear that these people had begun to realize that their actions were quite shameful), they were still very excited.

  A young man even jokingly said, "Is it that these two are competing with each other and eating vinegar, so they didn't even wear clothes to keep out the cold and ran outside to duel?" As soon as he finished speaking, Zhang Fan gave this guy with a viscount title a most straightforward answer with a white eye.

  In this case, wanting to investigate the true situation was an extremely difficult thing. So after letting the police chief take down everyone's identity and reminding them again not to leave privately, Zhang Fan had no choice but to let everyone return to their own rooms.

  Over the next two days, Zhang Fan began a very detailed investigation. Although he still didn't know who the mysterious woman was or what her purpose was in calling him here, the sudden death made him feel that there must be some connection between this and the case he was investigating!

  This is a rather mysterious feeling, Zhang Fan can't find any evidence to support his idea, but it makes him deeply convinced. As a spiritual system superpower user, he has a deep dependence on this seemingly unreasonable perceptual ability, and this feeling has never been disappointed since his superpower awakened.

  Sometimes he even wondered if the mysterious woman had foreseen that he would encounter such a situation in this ancient castle, and that's why she wanted him to come here? And through the investigation of this murder case, it must be possible to find clues about Professor Ouyang!

  The deaths of the two men are simply inexplicable. Would they really venture out in this weather just to vie with each other? That's utterly absurd! To think that they, who have climbed to such lofty heights today, owed not only to opportunity but also largely to their own abilities, would engage in a duel to the death in the snowstorm over petty jealousy is unthinkable.

  And look at the circumstances of their death, was it a duel to the death? — If they were a pair of secret homosexuals who died together in a lovers' pact, that would be more acceptable to Zhang Fan. At least this could explain why the two were embracing before they died.

  However, Zhang Fan also knew that this was impossible. The identities and status of these two people, even the details before they rose to prominence were almost all in his database, and there was no sign of any homosexual tendencies. Moreover, Zhang Fan thought back and forth, but couldn't find a reason for their deaths. ——If it wasn't for the Countess's party having considerable security guarantees, how could they come alone without bringing any entourage?

  The countess once proudly said that the security work of her private gatherings could absolutely compare with that of any head of state's outings.

  So Zhang Fan found it strange that the Countess had not come to find him. Logically, since he was holding an invitation with unknown origins to attend the gathering, the Countess must have been suspicious. Although she wouldn't drive him away out of politeness, she would certainly be keeping a close eye on him. But in these few days, he hadn't discovered any signs of surveillance at all!

  Zhang Fan even suspected that his identity might have been known to the female countess a long time ago, which was why she could be so at ease with him. Although he wasn't well-known in ordinary social circles, he did have some reputation in certain peculiar social circles. Given the extent of the female countess's social connections, his identity wouldn't be a secret to her at all.

  Moreover, Zhang Fan had been investigating the ancient castle for several days and found that the female count's renovation of this castle with an ancient history was far from just adding some modern living facilities.

  To put it bluntly, the security measures inside this castle are truly at the level of a head of state's residence. The countess said that the security level of her private gatherings is even higher than that of a national leader, and she wasn't bragging.

  In this case, the two people would not have died like that. Upon receiving the information of their exit from the gate, the relevant computer system should have had corresponding safety strategies in place. When they did not return within a certain period of time, the computer should also have instructed and suggested to the relevant personnel to take measures.

  In this case, even if they really wanted to commit suicide, it's unlikely.

  But they happened to freeze to death in the snow, hugging each other tightly in a shocking and astonishing way!

  Of course, those nobles in the hall did not see these scenes. In order to avoid shocking the world, when bringing back the two corpses, Zhang Fan had made some adjustments to their movements. However, the expressions on their faces could not be concealed.

  "Haha, I think this shouldn't be called the Alps, it's more like Broken Back Mountain! Thinking of the two embracing each other to death, even more intimate than the closest lovers, Zhang Fan couldn't help but have a dark thought. "Such a romantic way to die, if Ang Lee saw it, he might get inspiration for another masterpiece, something like 'Alps Eternal Love', and win another Oscar! This majestic snowy landscape is far more breathtaking than that Broken Back Mountain."

  To be honest, if you don't pay attention to the expressions on their faces before they died and their genders, the two people are really a perfect match in terms of background and personality. Thinking of this, Zhang Fan couldn't help but feel another chill run down his spine.

  "What, you're saying there's no record of the two of them leaving the computer?" Zhang Fan stared with wide eyes at the so-called "computer expert" in front of him, who had a completely innocent look on her face. Of course, this expert was exclusively for the private use of the female count.

  From the beginning, he had the idea of checking the surveillance records. The surveillance system did not detect the disappearance of the two people, which was a very unusual thing, and maybe something could be dug up from here.

  "That's right, I've reviewed all the footage from the past three days, and there's nothing." The computer expert with gold-rimmed glasses shrugged his shoulders. "If it weren't for the record of two people being active on the first day, these two people seem to have never appeared in this ancient castle at all." He wasn't worried in the slightest; as a top-notch professional, even if the countess fell, he wouldn't have trouble finding another way out. And even if there were any consequences, it's unlikely they would be directed at him.

  "How is this possible? Isn't your computer system supposed to be monitored 24 hours a day?" Before that, Zhang Fan had already understood some of the situation. In this ancient castle, except for each person's room, it was basically under 24-hour surveillance. —— The reason why there was no surveillance in the rooms was not only to give guests private space but also because they were quite confident in their own safety measures. Each room had several emergency call buttons, and as long as the guest pressed them, security personnel could arrive within a few seconds.

  "In theory, that's how it is." The expert still looked calm and collected, but Zhang Fan felt a sense of unease. The police chief standing beside him looked like he was about to kill someone. - In his own country, under his own nose, two heavyweight figures had mysteriously died, how could he not be anxious?

  "In theory?" Zhang Fan was taken aback. "So, it's not actually being monitored for twenty-four hours in reality?"

  "Uh-huh." The expert nodded. "The computer system undergoes a thorough check every week to prevent unexpected situations. This process takes about twenty minutes to half an hour."

  "Didn't you do a routine check two days ago?" Zhang Fan furrowed his brow. This wasn't quite normal, didn't Countess Yekaterina know about this situation and tell them to move the inspection forward or backward? "Didn't Ms. Yekaterina tell you that there would be a gathering these few days?"

  The expert waved his hand: "This is just a routine check, the computer system is fully automatic, even routine checks are automatic, and it's a bit of trouble to change the program. It was originally possible to avoid this in time, but probably Catherine didn't notice this point and arranged everything well. ——However, even if she noticed, she shouldn't think it's a big deal. After all, it's only half an hour at most, and nothing unexpected happened in the previous few times."

  Zhang Fan suddenly found it somewhat amusing: originally, a thorough inspection was conducted to avoid accidents, yet when an accident occurred, time was wasted. This is quite ironic.

  "What time was the inspection two days ago?" The police chief interrupted and asked. After all, he was also a high-ranking official, and being put aside made him feel bad, and the attitude of this so-called "expert" made him even more angry, so his tone was not very friendly.

  The expert flipped his eyes, glanced at the computer screen, and replied weakly: "It started at 14:30 and ended at 14:53, taking a total of 23 minutes and 18 seconds."

  It seems that Muhammad and Siyad must have left at that time. If they had gone out shortly after the initial check, by the time the computer system was back in operation, the heavy snow would have erased any traces they might have left on the ground, so nothing unusual would have been noticed.

  It seems that this line is going to break. Although it's a bit suspicious to arrange for the castle management computer system to do a full self-check during the party, what the expert said was also true. It's normal to overlook such a small thing, and it's only been half an hour, who would have thought something would happen?

  Then Zhang Fan and others found that servant.

  "Was it you who opened the door for Mr. Muhammad and Mr. Siyad when they left?" This time, it was the Police Commissioner who spoke up. In terms of interrogation, this police commissioner who rose from the lowest level should still have a set of skills, and his questioning should be more authoritative than Zhang Fan's. The servant can refuse to answer Zhang Fan's questions or pretend not to know, because Zhang Fan is basically nobody. However, facing the inquiry of his own country's Police Commissioner, he must answer: Moreover, with the future of Countess looking uncertain, for people like them who need to find a new job, offending the higher-ups is not a good thing.

  "Yes, Mr. Poggi." Despite a hint of panic on his face, the waiter showed good breeding and upbringing.

  "Tell me about the situation at that time." The tone of Zong Chang was not very good, with a clear condescending attitude. It seemed like he always spoke in this manner. This tone made Zhang Fan feel somewhat uncomfortable. He liked to have equal conversations with people, which not only showed respect for others but also reduced their defensive emotions and allowed him to obtain more information.

  "Alright, Mr. Poggi." The waiter's face also showed a hint of displeasure, but still no other expression, and continued to speak in an even tone.

  As the servant spoke, Zhang Fan's mind slowly pieced together the scene at that time.

  It was about 2:40 when the two men went out, as they had estimated. The servant remembered it so clearly because he looked at his watch about half a minute before they left. The Countess had a large staff in the castle, and the porter changed shifts every three hours. His shift ended at 3 o'clock, and he checked his watch to see how much longer he could rest: the Countess attached great importance to keeping up appearances, believing that people standing at the door must be spirited and energetic, and maintaining shorter working hours and sufficient rest was a necessary condition for being full of energy.

  According to the servant's account, the two of them looked somewhat angry when they went out. Of course, they were wearing masks when they left, so he couldn't see their expressions, but from their movements and pace, they seemed quite furious. Moreover, when he opened the door for them, he also reminded them to a certain extent not to linger outside for too long because of the bad weather. However, the two of them didn't even acknowledge him, without even nodding their heads, and left directly.

  This also made him somewhat dissatisfied in his heart, because whether it was put on or not, the people at the meeting maintained a very good demeanor, which is quite rare. It's precisely because of this that when Zhang Fan left, he became somewhat flustered.

  But he soon threw this dissatisfaction behind his mind. —— A woman who looked quite charming had just given him a hint to go to her room after work. Although according to his appearance and demeanor, romantic encounters are inevitable, but at least it means that he can get a small fee, and if the woman's appearance is as charming as her figure, then in addition to the small fee, he will also have a wonderful night.

  So, after the shift change, he went directly to that woman's room and soon forgot about it until Zhang Fan was also going out. —— Of course, in his heart, those two people must have returned a long time ago. How could they possibly stay outside for a whole day in such cold weather and heavy snow?

  "Didn't you mention this to the next shift when you were handing over?" Zhang Fan interjected. As usual, these attendants would clarify all matters when they handed over.

  "No, I was in a hurry for an appointment." The waiter's face showed some unnatural expression, which was a small mistake. "But isn't the computer system always monitoring?"

  "Don't you know that's exactly when the computer system is doing its checks?" Bogie asked coldly.

  "Our two systems are independent, if you hadn't said it, I wouldn't have known there was an inspection at all." The waiter shook his head.

  This line seems to be no problem. After the incident, Zhang Fan and Boji went to ask the lady again what the waiter had said. Although it was a bit embarrassing for her to have an affair with a low-ranking waiter, after the two narrated the seriousness of the matter, the lady also confirmed that the waiter was telling the truth.

  However, a sentence that the lady inadvertently brought out made Zhang Fan's heart have some slight doubts: According to what she said, at that time she was just joking with the countess and said that the men who attended the meeting were all somewhat uninteresting, wanting to find something fresh and exciting, the countess casually pointed to the servant at the door and said: "Wanting to find a fresh thrill, go try his taste! This little guy's 'kung fu' is not bad."

  Of course, this was just a joke among the upper-class women, and there were many such things, nothing serious. Moreover, according to the lady's account, the countess's expression and actions at the time all indicated that it was just a joke, and when she asked the countess with ill intentions whether she had tried the "skills" of this little guy, the countess even laughed and hit her. ——Although this little guy really satisfied her, some things are not good to be discussed openly after all.

  So, although Zhang Fan had a slight doubt in his mind, he soon let it go.