You said you were going to make games, how did you become the richest man without doing anything?

Chapter 622

The body lay on a neatly made blanket, as if meticulously arranged. She was wearing a modern-day home outfit, neat yet slightly worn, as if from decades past. Strangely, there wasn't much blood at the scene, as if her body had rejected the gushing signs of life, leaving behind only an eerie cleanliness.

She was beaten to death with a blunt object.

Aside from her head, every part of her body was completely shattered. The frenzied violence was accompanied by an indescribable persistence, as if the killer had poured all his malice into her. Below the neck, only a flattened layer of human skin remained, her bones seemingly ripped from her body, and her limbs twisted and stretched in unnatural directions, like a broken doll.

However, the head was deliberately preserved.

Her face held a nearly wooden expression, her empty eyes fixed on the ceiling, her mouth slightly parted, as if silently shouting, yet also mocking her fate. The murderer's intent was clear—this wasn't simply killing, but unabashed cruelty. The level of violence went beyond mere murder, becoming more like some twisted ritual.

Tang Yin looked down at the ground, which was covered in familiar bloody footprints—exactly the same as the last crime scene. Wolf tracks were clearly visible throughout the room, but this time the wolves were clearly more vicious than before. Tang Yin couldn't help but frown, a deep sense of unease welling up in his heart.

"...Let's go," Zhao Gang whispered, his voice even deeper than usual, as if he was suppressing some emotion. Since they couldn't find Old Man Gao, they temporarily put aside their work on disposing of the body and decided to prioritize meeting up with the others.

……

Including Xiao Liang and Qin Ming, the five of them hurried along, eventually arriving at the Qian Group's headquarters. Qian Jin, who had just left, happened to meet them. His expression was equally dismal, his brow furrowed, and a hint of worry lingered in his tone, "...That old man has a hunting rifle, right? Is that really okay?"

Zhao Gang stopped, looked up at him and said, "...Under normal circumstances, Mr. Gao would never point his gun at anyone."

Qian Jin was silent for a moment, as if he wanted to say something, but in the end he just nodded slightly.

……

Everyone returned to the square and gathered in the cafeteria. The women, who had changed their clothes, and Qin Yi were already gathered here. Although outwardly calm, everyone's face was filled with depression and anxiety. The atmosphere in the cafeteria was as heavy as the frozen air. No one spoke to break the silence, but everyone was waiting for some kind of outcome.

Zhao Gang made some simple arrangements, asking Qian Jin and Qin Ming to stay in the cafeteria to guard it, while the rest of the men continued to head towards the northern part of the Kirigakure Village to search for unexplored areas.

……

The grass in the forest was parted, and Zhao Gang walked in front, his eyes always vigilantly scanning the surroundings. Tang Yin followed behind him, wanting to speak several times but finally couldn't help asking, "Zhao Gang, where are we going?"

Zhao Gang didn't stop, but just turned his head slightly and answered in a low voice: "Master Wolf's house is just ahead."

"Master Wolf?" Tang Yin was slightly startled. He quickly searched for the name in his mind, but found that he had no memory of it. He frowned and asked, "So, I've never seen Master Wolf's house before."

...Can this place be considered home?
Tang Yin stood before the wooden house, frowning as he surveyed the dilapidated scene before him. A small wooden hut stood precariously amidst the weeds. The beams and pillars had long since tilted, as if ready to collapse in the next gust of wind. The door panel half-hung on the wall, its rusty nails hanging loosely. A slight creaking sound in the breeze seemed to hint at some unease.

"Can this be considered a home?" Tang Yin muttered to himself, with a barely perceptible coldness in his tone.

Scattered on the ground were rags and worn-out parts of farm tools, almost every piece so rusted they were unrecognizable. Tang Yin glanced down, a thought flashing through his mind: these must have been things he'd picked up while wandering around the Hidden Mist Village.

Zhao Gang patted his shoulder and pointed to the half-open door, "Go in and take a look."

Tang Yin nodded and walked into the dilapidated hut with Zhao Gang. Their feet creaked on the wooden planks, straining under the weight. They held their breath and scanned the room—it was completely empty, nothing special, not even Master Wolf's body.

"Still haven't found it..." Zhao Gang gritted his teeth and whispered, with a hint of fatigue and irritability in his tone.

Finally, they found Master Wolf near a hanging pine tree. He wandered beneath the tree, hunched over, a strange smile on his face, as if completely oblivious to the world around him. Tang Yin and Zhao Gang exchanged a glance and finally breathed a sigh of relief; they had successfully reunited.

……

Except for the missing Mr. Gao, everyone else had been found. To be on the safe side, they rushed to Mr. Gao's house near the square. The house was empty, and the messy furnishings showed that the owner had not been home for a long time.

……

When they returned to the cafeteria, an indescribable tension hung in the air. Despite the tense situation, Mrs. Chen Xiang continued to work at the stove, the steam rising from the pot carrying a faint aroma of rice. "No matter what, eating is the most important thing." This was a phrase she kept on saying.

Today's breakfast was a simple yet heartwarming porridge. However, no one in the dormitory touched their chopsticks. Tang Yin observed their frozen expressions, and something dawned on him: life and death weighed heavily on everyone's heads, and even the most delicious food had lost its appetite.

After dinner, everyone gathered together to discuss their next steps. It was already past seven o'clock, but Mr. Gao still hadn't appeared. Zhao Gang frowned, his voice low, "We must continue the search. Regardless, he's missing, and this situation is very unusual."

"...Is it really necessary?" Someone raised an objection in a low voice, with a hint of tentativeness in the tone, "Perhaps he has gone insane and left the Hidden Mist Village."

"Or," another person continued, "he might have fallen into a pond or a paddy field..."

"It may also be...contaminated."

Each of these hypotheses was darker than the last. Reason told them to launch a search and rescue operation as quickly as possible, but reality made them hesitate. More and more people began to think that perhaps it was no longer necessary.

However, Tang Yin's gaze swept across everyone's face, and he sensed a faint unease in the silence. Zhao Gang broke the silence, "There's another possibility—" His voice was low and cold. "Old Man Gao is hiding somewhere, armed."

Finally, they formed a search team once again and set foot into the fog-shrouded labyrinth of Wuyin Village. Tang Yin, Zhao Gang, Wang Lina, and Tong Xiaoliang trudged along the soft, moist soil, circling the winding path several times. The fog, like an invisible curtain, reduced their vision to a few feet. They walked in silence, their footsteps especially clear in the damp, cold air.

"It feels like a futile effort," Tong Xiaoliang said, breaking the silence. His tone sounded relaxed, but a hint of fatigue could be seen between his brows.

Tang Yin said nothing, but he couldn't help but agree in his heart. Could this blind search really yield anything?

In the end, the four of them returned empty-handed and had to return to the square. Before they even got there, they heard a childish voice: "Brother Tang!"

Tang Yin looked up and saw Xiao Mei running towards them. Her face looked rosy against the morning mist, her eyes filled with an innocent glow. Tang Yin was stunned for a moment, feeling a complicated feeling in his heart. It had been a long time since he had spoken properly to this child. He had ignored her all day yesterday. It seemed that getting her to remember his name would be a distant dream.

"Xiao Mei?" He squatted down slightly, speaking as gently as possible. "Sister Hualu kept saying things I couldn't understand, so I came out to play." Xiao Mei pouted, looking dissatisfied.

Wang Lina's face instantly darkened. "...What are these people doing in the cafeteria?! Letting this kid escape alone? What if something happens...!"

"It's okay," Tong Xiaoliang interrupted with a smile, "Xiao Mei, you also voted for Granny Rong, right?"

"Mee?" Xiao Mee tilted her head, confusion written all over her face.

Tang Yin frowned slightly and asked, "...What happened?"

Xiao Mei turned her head to look at them, then suddenly blinked and said crisply, "Grandpa has been in the assembly hall the whole time."

……

The next moment, everyone rushed into the assembly hall.

"...Uncle Gao, what are you doing here?" Zhao Gang's voice was low and full of suppressed anger, as if it would explode at any time.

The door to the assembly hall creaked open, letting in a faint stream of light, revealing a hunched figure. Gao Zhijie sat in his seat, motionless as a statue. An empty one-liter bottle of wine lay on the floor beside him, its aroma mingling with a faint musty odor, quietly filling the chill air.

"...Uncle Gao, Xiaomei..." Wang Lina's voice trembled with a hint of temptation.

"Stop talking," Gao Zhijie interrupted her coldly. He slowly pushed the bottle aside, his movements steady and composed, as if the strong liquor he had just consumed had no effect on him. He stood up, his straight back instantly giving people an irresistible sense of oppression.

He raised his head, his eyes as sharp as a knife, scanning everyone in the room. His voice was low, but it revealed a resounding determination: "Xiaomei is gone. All that remains is to end the party, that's all."

Tang Yin was shocked. It turned out that he had been patrolling everywhere to protect Xiaomei all along...but now, Xiaomei's death had completely let go of those obsessions.

Zhao Gang stepped forward and looked at him coldly, his voice devoid of emotion: "Give me the gun."

Gao Zhijie suddenly raised his hunting rifle, pointing it directly at Zhao Gang. His eyes were as sharp as a steel blade, and his voice was low but oppressive: "Go back to the cafeteria and wait for the lunch banquet to begin."

At that moment, the air seemed to freeze, even breathing became unusually heavy. Tang Yin stood aside, his eyes fixed on the hunting rifle. It was a weapon capable of killing with a single strike, and at this moment, Gao Zhijie was using it to fight for dominance in this chaotic situation.

**"It seems that no one can fight him during the day..."** This thought emerged in Tang Yin's mind, but at this moment, something unexpected happened.

Zhao Gang suddenly rushed forward, leaping at Gao Zhijie without hesitation, attempting to wrest the shotgun away. The two instantly tangled in a terrifying clash of forces. Zhao Gang seized the barrel of the shotgun and swung it fiercely with his left hand toward Gao Zhijie's chin—his wrist movement precise and steady, the movement clean and sharp.

"boom!"

Gao Zhijie's head jerked back, and he was thrown backward, falling heavily to the ground. The shotgun slipped out of his hand and hit the floor with a dull thud.

However, the stubborn old man did not stop. He gritted his teeth and stood up unsteadily, the murderous look in his eyes becoming even stronger.

It's now!

Tang Yin seized this fleeting opportunity, dashed forward, and picked up the hunting rifle from the ground. Without hesitation, he immediately turned around and handed it to Wang Lina: "Quick! Take it!"

Wang Lina was stunned for a moment, but quickly reacted, turned around and ran with the shotgun in her arms.

"Stop!" Seeing this, Gao Zhijie immediately wanted to chase after him, but Zhao Gang, Tang Yin and Tong Xiaoliang blocked his way at the same time.

"...I understand how you feel, but using a shotgun is too despicable, old man." Zhao Gang spoke coldly, his tone carrying a hint of unquestionable majesty. He stared directly at Gao Zhijie, refusing to give in.

Gao Zhijie didn't say anything, just stared at them, his breathing gradually becoming heavy, like an enraged beast.

Zhao Gang continued, "Not everyone can't be trusted."

Tang Yin also spoke, his voice low but carrying a rationality that could not be ignored: "...I can confirm one thing. The wolf clearly killed Xiaomei to make you collapse, Uncle Gao."

These words pierced Gao Zhijie's heart like a sharp knife. His eyes trembled slightly, but he still did not let down his guard.

Tang Yin took a deep breath and continued, "You should understand this. If you implement a high-pressure policy like you are doing now, you will play into the wolves' hands."

Gao Zhijie fell silent, his eyes swept over Tang Yin and Zhao Gang with complicated feelings, and finally he slowly lowered his clenched fists.

"...Xiaoliang," Tang Yin turned to look at Tong Xiaoliang, his tone calm, "Go call everyone over, it's almost time to start the banquet."

……

Soon after, the villagers regrouped in the assembly hall. A gloomy atmosphere enveloped the entire hall, as if even the air had become thick and sticky. Gao Zhijie sat to the side, his expression grim, while Zhao Gang stood in the center of the hall, his gaze sweeping over everyone.

"...Xiaomei was killed by a wolf last night," Zhao Gang said, his tone revealing a restrained anger. "Moreover, the body is still lying in the room."

Everyone was silent, their eyes turned to Zhao Gang with fear and anxiety.

Zhao Gang's voice became even deeper: "...We can't let her sacrifice be in vain. We must find out the identity of the wolf today and end this nightmare."

(End of this chapter)