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Chapter 1593 Final Chapter: Guarding the Coastline: "OE: Die from the Ocean (15)"

Murder on the Orient Express.

The core of that story is not the ingenious plot, nor the mysterious murderer, but... the conspiracy.

A murder, but not committed by a single person, but by twelve people in an entire train car. Each person stabbed the victim with a fatal blow, using different tools and harboring different motives, yet they formed an absolutely meticulous alliance, weaving a perfect web to cover up the truth. No one betrayed them, no one confessed, and before the dock, they all concealed each other's crimes, burying them deep beneath the snowy railway tracks.

"Click."

silence.

The deepest cells of the Tower of Punishment seemed to have been instantly drained of air, and even the flow of time seemed to stand still.

Aland raised his hands, like a music box dancer in a snowy night, like a male actor in a musical. Dressed in white, his voice, rich in elegant tones, flowed through the silence:
……

"Your Excellency, please allow me to tell you the story of 'Murder on the Orient Express'."

"Princess Dragomirov on the train is a cover for authority, representing the Supreme Court or an ancient family. She uses her noble status to provide an alibi, protecting her maid, whose testimony carries a natural credibility."

—The highest authority represented by Ashkel. They are the embodiment of "order," possessing the power to formulate and interpret rules. They made no obvious mistakes, except that they failed to repeatedly discuss and supervise the "exploration of Zhaixing" plan. Most members of the council supported the exploration because "exploration" represented the resources of a new planet, which meant they could seize more benefits, thus secretly fueling this destruction.

……

"The Central Research Institute has obtained Zhai Xing's coordinates? That's fantastic!"

"I think, Ashkel, the vast majority of members of parliament will give the green light, except for the conservatives."

……

bite.

……

"Foscarelli, an enthusiastic car salesman and an incited radical extremist, provided significant misrepresentation in the case on the train as an ordinary member of the working class."

—The radical player group represented by Yuri Kru, adhering to the idea of ​​"making the world a better place," believes that ordinary people should be slaves to players. They were swayed by the voice of the Eighth Seat's higher dimension and carried out a meticulously planned intelligence leak, helping the Eighth Seat to lock onto the navigation situation in the small world. They are the most visible and obvious "firepower," the easiest "culprits" to be pointed out, and the "scapegoats" in the plan.

……

"Ordinary people are just slaves to the players! What have they done?"

"The Eighth Seat has contacted us... We might as well go along with it. Anyway, this small world is pretty useless. If it's going to make a move, it'll be against Su Ming'an. We ordinary people won't be in any danger."

"A few years ago, Su Ming'an inexplicably imprisoned Boss Yuri Kru and arrested many people who had never committed a crime, claiming that the 'Ming'an System' judged them to be criminals in the future... I will not follow a world lord like that!"

……

Hook → Leaking coordinates

……

"Colonel Absnow and Miss Debenham on the train, one a disciplined instructor and the other a calm and rational teacher, together created the image of 'decent people,' representing a disguised alliance and a joint effort of military and intelligence forces."

—A force supported by resources from the Eni family or similar conglomerates. One side provides funding, technology, and resources, while the other is responsible for precise execution of operations, intelligence gathering, and the "handling" of key personnel. They may pretend to be unrelated, but in reality, they coordinate seamlessly, operating like precise gears.

……

"Aini, this morning's shipment requires us to deliver it discreetly; it seems to consist of several letters."

"This is all very strange... Could there be something wrong? Giorgio, Hubert, open it and check."

"It's been checked, Aini. There are just a few letters inside, sent by the Cynthia family. There's no sign of encryption."

"No, I've heard they have ties to the radicals. While the radicals have been relatively stable, who knows what they might do? This is not allowed."

"But, Aini, since you took the position of Tower Master, you haven't maintained close contact with Su Ming'an and the others. You used to be on good terms with Noel, which aroused the dissatisfaction and vigilance of many people... The Rotagus family is eyeing us covetously, and their patriarch is also a top-ranked player... If we intercept this batch of letters, then the contracts signed by the Leslie family will probably be..."

"Damn it, damn it!"

"Aini, we're in a bind now. Even if you give up the position of Tower Master, these wolves and tigers won't let our family off the hook. You can't keep asking Su Ming'an for every problem."

【“…”】

"Son, it's just a shipment of goods. Let's turn a blind eye. There won't be any problems."

"...I know, haha, I thought I could escape the quagmire of power, but I didn't expect to come back. Dad, Mom, I really can't let go..."

……

Hooking → Coordinates Revealed → Information Transmission

……

“Masterman, a silent servant, the deceased's Gran valet, taciturn, provided the crucial false evidence of the pajamas and carried out the assassination.”

—The infiltrated or bribed government officials may not be at the highest levels; they could be mid- to low-level personnel within the tower responsible for the daily maintenance, patrols, and energy flow of the small world. These individuals, perhaps due to threats, bribery, or some twisted belief, might execute direct sabotage orders at crucial moments, shutting down a tower's defensive nodes and indirectly helping the pink-haired people infiltrate silently. Their actions are like those of silent servants, yet they precisely remove the cornerstone that keeps the fortress running.

……

"You...you said...if we don't activate the cruise system at 8 AM today, it will only take two or three seconds...and you'll give us eight million in research funding?"

Is this kind of statement really believable?

"The other side is a higher dimension... If we don't listen to Him, we'll definitely die... Besides, even if we don't do it, someone else will do it sooner or later, so we might as well keep the money in our hands..."

"Yes, yes, money leads to more research results. Do you want to keep writing those meaningless papers? We're doing this for the good of the world."

……

"Dad, can't we just put this in the corner?"

"Yes, my daughter is so good. Here's another candied hawthorn for you. Go tell that boy over there to go out for a bit..."

……

Hooking → Coordinates Leaked → Information Transmission → Infiltration Occurs

……

"The Countess and Countess Andrei. The Countess used her beauty and noble status as a cover, while the Count provided linguistic misdirection in the case. Their identities naturally provided a protective shield, and at the same time, both of them wielded the blade of revenge."

—The Tower Masters, represented by Joey, Mayani, and Derrick, are groups with special status or abilities. They are powerful, battle-hardened, and possess unique top-ranking player abilities. They were moved by family or friends and unintentionally provided some crucial item.

……

"Sister Meiani, do you still have that 'super radio' gadget? Can I borrow it for a few days? I want to make a few calls to my cousin on the other side of the world; the signal is bad there because of the war."

"Fine, you've been begging me for days, here you go..."

"Meiani, is it okay to lend out those props?"

"My cousin is only eight years old. What problem could possibly arise from her making a phone call?"

【"Too."】

……

"Andrew, lend me your electromagnetic pistol! A bunch of bastards have jumped out of the gutter again."

"Okay, Dad, take it, take it."

……

Hooking → Coordinate Leakage → Information Transmission → Penetration → Communication with Higher Dimensions
……

"Mrs. Hubbard, she was a masterful actress, a master of deception, who on the train created confusion, concealed her murderous intent with a feather fan, and provided crucial misleading information."

—Sora Mizushima and the hidden forces he represents. They may not have harbored any intention of betrayal, but merely acted as pawns without knowing the full picture. They may have paralyzed the defense system for a war that would benefit their family, tacitly allowing the delivery of certain intelligence, even if they were unaware that this intelligence was related to higher-dimensional information.

……

"Those old men are getting restless again. Miss Mizushima has become a god, so the position of head of the family is vacant. What are they planning to do?"

[“We, the Mizushima River family, should be the heads of the family. If Miss Mizushima River won’t let us do it, then we’ll do it ourselves! Have you contacted Lord Joyta yet? What did he say?”]

"He demanded...that we create a major event to attract the attention of the global hub, drawing the computing power of the Ming'an system to us."

"Is...is this really okay?"

"It's just a tiny bit of computing power. What's that compared to a massive system? Hurry up, the old man at home is pressuring us."

……

"Lin Yin, come here quickly, I need to talk to you about something."

"Hmm? You want me to contact the global hub? It's about family... Okay."

……

Hooking → Coordinate Leakage → Information Transmission → Penetration → Communication with Higher Dimensions → Distributed Computing Power

……

“Mr. Hardman, he is a ‘detective’ who disappeared on the train, causing a security failure.”

The key AI responsible for the security system of the small world, the "Ming'an System," was supposed to be the first line of defense. However, during the attack, the Ming'an System experienced a localized failure at just the right time.

……

"So many things have been happening lately... The computing power has been scattered. Yuzhu, check it again to see if there are any problems..."

"These all seem like ordinary incidents, but there are so many of them. It will take some time to sort them out. Is there enough time...?"

……

Hooking → Coordinate Leakage → Information Transmission → Infiltration → Communication with Higher Dimensions → Distributed Computing Power → A Thousand-Mile Dike Destroyed by an Ant Hole
……

"McQuinn, he was one of the train victims' personal attendants. He knew the target best and was the easiest to kill. He provided a lot of true and false information, which helped Ratchett's death."

—Lu Shu and his representatives did not intend to betray, but were misled by false threat assessments, leading to incorrect deployments and the belief that the coordinates were correct and there was no threat.

……

"Su Lin said they obtained Zhai Xing's coordinates... Is that believable?"

"I've reviewed the entire process, and there are basically no problems. Even if we run away now, our location has already been exposed to Zhai Xing's group. Why don't we go check it out?"

"After all... we really want to go home."

……

Hooking → Coordinate Leakage → Information Transmission → Infiltration → Communication with Higher Dimensions → Distributed Computing Power → A Thousand-Mile Dike Destroyed by an Ant Hole → Explosion

……

Aland stopped dancing in his shackles, slowly reaching out to cup the insignificant sunlight streaming in from outside the cell, his voice elegant and deep:
"Detective Poirot discovers the truth that 'everyone is a murderer' and faces a conflict between legal justice and moral justice. He ultimately chooses to conceal the truth and let the train head towards the 'silent end'."

"And you—Lord of the Realm, now that you know of these human actions, whether intentional or unintentional, anticipated or unanticipated—what judgment will you render?"

……

The white-haired youth stood at the bottom of the punishment tower, as if standing before a judge's bench. The incandescent light fell on his face, outlining his blank expression.

Aland's revelation amplifies the burden of Detective Poirot's predicament a thousandfold.

"Boom..." It sounded as if a train was passing over the tracks.

Zhai Xing became that "Orient Express" speeding through the void.

—The attack on the small world was a meticulously planned "perfect murder" in which everyone participated.

—All those he had protected orchestrated this attack, which nearly killed him, caused Lu to melt and die, caused Lü Shu to burn and die, caused the tower to collapse, and caused countless people to die on the road while facing each other with swords.

A silent thunderclap exploded in his mind, and a chilling coldness shot up his spine, freezing his limbs and bones.

The twelve stabs in the train carriage, each one a different identity, a different motive. In this "murder" on Zhai Xing, every faction handed over its own "murder weapon": the poisoned dagger of intelligence, the blunt knife of resources, the noose of power, the suffocating silence, the cold arrow of betrayal, the frenzied clamor, and the final infiltration...

They covered it up together, they remained silent together.

In that instant, Lu's smile, Lu Shu's burning eyes, Yamada Machi's regretful expression... countless faces spun and reassembled like shards of broken glass, eventually transforming into faces wearing different masks, crowded in the cramped carriage of the "Orient Express," each holding a bloodstained weapon.

Lin Jiang? Her seemingly detached indifference might just be the very knife she used to precisely sever crucial clues.

Aini? With the flow of resources and the network of interests, who can guarantee that no fatal heart tube has passed through his hands, becoming a conduit for destruction?

Eschkol? He might just be that train conductor standing at the junction of the carriages, using his power to smooth over the mess; his "order" is the best curtain to cover up the chaos.

And there are many more… those seemingly innocent, rescued, and grateful faces… those “passengers” struggling to survive in the disaster… Did they, too, out of fear, self-interest, a distorted sense of “justice” or “unavoidable circumstances,” quietly offer their own “blade”? Perhaps it was just a sigh of indifference, a deliberate delay in information dissemination, misleading a key figure, or a trivial interception of resources… Little by little, they accumulated, eventually crushing the seemingly sturdy lighthouse.

"Forgive the selfishness in the human nature, forgive the human depravity..." Su Bread's last words echoed in my ears.

— "A chance to redeem oneself" versus "Everyone is a murderer"?
If the murderer is all the passengers, how can he raise the torch of "Dawn"?

Should we, like Poirot, let this "human express," laden with sin, continue its journey into the unknown amidst fading hope? Or should we ignite the flames of faith and carry out a thorough, all-or-nothing punishment?

He raised his hand, his fingertips unconsciously fluttering the colorful rope. The stone that Xiao Gesang had given him was burning hot in his pocket. He remembered Xiao Gesang and his mother's simple and honest smiles.

“People used their own ‘knives’—power, technology, intelligence, resources, or even just silent indulgence—to collectively stab at the core.”

"Then, they tacitly returned to their cubicles, wiped away the bloodstains, put on innocent expressions, and together maintained a facade of grief and bewilderment after the 'snowy night' of disaster descended—covered by a solid ice layer of countless lies, excuses, and self-interest."

"No one is the 'only' murderer, yet everyone is a murderer."

At that moment, the iron bars of the prison cell suddenly transformed into the window panes of a train in Su Ming'an's eyes, and Aland's clasped hands resembled a closed train door.

Those beautiful blue eyes stared at him, like frozen glaciers.

"Perhaps it's just a moment of neglect towards relatives and friends, a small amount of money, or even a little girl's candied hawthorn, or a wish for a better world..."

"In order to create a paradise, humanity has gone to hell."

“And you are heading towards hell,” Aland said with a smile.
"I'll be waiting for you in hell."

……