12. The Truth Does Not Matter

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【Players, please board】
The moment the mission completion prompt appeared, everyone returned to the train.
The four of them remained in the same seating order as before getting off.
Li Nuo lowered his head, and a pale blue transparent panel popped up in front of him:
【Mission Rating: B (True culprit not found)】
【Gold coins awarded: 220】
【Reward items have been sent to your mailbox; please check after returning】
“Who are you... and how did you solve the case?” Suddenly, a ponytailed man named Jack spoke up.
Li Nuo looked up; everyone still maintained their in-mission appearances.
He didn’t express much confusion—perhaps this was just a way for players to exchange experiences.
Jack with the ponytail spoke again: “I was so close... The culprit must be someone inside the police department, but how did you jump ahead of me?”
Li Nuo said, “People need to look forward, not dwell on the past.”
He squeezed closer to Li Nuo, their noses almost touching; the setting sun outside illuminated the gap between them.
“Please, I want to know the truth!”
In reality, Jack was a woman, a female detective...
【Players are forbidden from fighting on the train; violators will face special penalties】
Was she going to hit me?
Li Nuo glanced around; the other two’s eyes were filled with silent grievances.
Actually, it didn’t matter.
“If one day, a mental hospital patient escaped and told you this world is a game and you’re an NPC, what would you do?”
Jack replied, “Send him back to the mental hospital and increase his medication.”
Li Nuo chuckled, “Did he snap a rubber band at your window? That cruel?”
“Just tell me already!!!”
“Don’t be impatient...” Li Nuo waved his hand and smiled, “If a madman tells you you’re an NPC in this game world, the only thing you should do is beat him up and tell him I’m the BOSS.”
“Then... what does that have to do with this case...?” Jasmine stammered.
“Put yourself in the story—the BOSS of this case is the culprit. If I become the culprit and kill myself, that means I’ve defeated the BOSS and cleared the level~” Li Nuo clapped his hands and shrugged, “Isn’t it simple!”
The old man, Chris, was stunned and anxiously asked, “So you... killed someone?”
“No, I’ve never been in a fight since I was a child. Killing is so hard, how could I manage that... Besides, some people cling to life before death; I’m too weak to beat such people. What if I got killed instead?” Li Nuo’s tone held a hint of shame.

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He paused, then said, “The right way was to go to the alley opposite the police station, draw an inverted cross on the ground as shown in the photos, pretend to be a cult, then find a brick to use as the murder weapon...”
Jack suddenly interrupted, “Wait, why a brick?”
Li Nuo said, “No particular reason. According to the victims’ death methods, they died from nine different weapons, but none was a brick.”
Old man Chris bowed his head in thought, “Makes sense... The brick is the universal language...”
Li Nuo nodded approvingly, “Yes, if there were an eleventh weapon, it should be a groundhog.”
“Alright, go on...” Jack stammered, “So... you used the brick...”
Li Nuo calmly explained:
“I stopped a kid just out of school. He wore glasses as thick as bottle caps, looked honest and tough. I grabbed his collar, took him to the spot where I drew the cult symbol, told him to call the police, then started hitting him with the brick. Then I was arrested. In the end, I took all the blame. With the evidence in hand, the case was considered solved.”
Jack shook his head, “But... that’s basically gambling, not a conventional method... The truth wasn’t uncovered, and the only answer isn’t the real one. Does that still pass the mission?”
He muttered to himself, then looked at Li Nuo again, whose smiling face made him feel unsettled.
“There’s only one truth—the one officially recognized.”
Li Nuo’s explanation ended there.
But it left the other three with a question—did he really tell the truth?
If not, it meant he either found the culprit from another angle or... he really did kill someone.
But things weren’t that complicated.
Li Nuo told the truth, just not everything.
In fact, the policeman who entered the meeting room to assign the mission had already given them a way to solve it.
That officer said, “Do whatever you want; the iron cage that confines your freedom is downstairs.”
See? Two elements in one sentence: do as you please, prison—that means you can do anything, even go to jail.
Considering the police needed to report to their superiors quickly, what they needed wasn’t the truth but an answer that helped them get through the ordeal.
So who the culprit was didn’t matter.
What mattered was who killed the mayor’s daughter.
As long as someone dared to take responsibility and provide evidence to convince the authorities, the case was closed.
Of course, no one here probably understood him...
After all, someone like him who analyzed fellow players’ personalities by role-playing the mission issuer was rare in terms of thought process...
Players had to hide themselves well in the real world, so they remained silent all the way.
...
When Li Nuo opened his eyes again, he was back in the subway. Looking around at the passengers, his tense heart relaxed a little.

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At that moment, only one thought occupied his mind: thinking outside the box can also succeed...
A few hours later, after a hospital checkup.
Hungry, he randomly found a noodle shop.
An old ceiling fan buzzed overhead.
Li Nuo stared at the TV in the corner above the cashier; the screen was broadcasting news:
“Let’s turn to international news.”
“Today, the serial cult murders in the Blue Eagle country have been solved. The suspect was caught in the act by the police.”
“The suspect, Hogar Jones, works at a private detective agency, has a history of drug abuse and trafficking, and has been arrested by the Cairo branch of New Nottingham City Police. The case is currently under trial.”
The script affects reality...
Li Nuo touched his face—was this the texture of a game character’s face...?
“Whose plain face!?”
“Hey, boss, over here!”
Li Nuo slurped his noodles, looking at Hogar’s balding photo on the screen, thinking, let me eat first.
The camera follows his pupils and enters the TV, arriving at New Nottingham City Police Station.
After dealing with reporters and citizens, Chief Thompson returns to his office.
He draws the curtains.
Lowers the soundproof blinds.
Turns off the cameras.
Then turns on his computer.
On the screen appears a sharply dressed man with red eyes.
Thompson lights a cigarette, smoke swirling around his face, and says quietly, “Hogar must have taken some crazy drugs, insisting he’s the culprit. We’ll just use this chance to treat him as the culprit; he’s a junkie anyway, and it’ll give the mayor some closure.”
The red-eyed man on the screen replies, “That’s really not easy. Thank you very much for your help.”
Thompson suddenly clenches his teeth, a hint of anger in his voice: “So, you better keep those aliens under control and stop them from abducting people for experiments!”
The red-eyed man smiles, “Okay, I understand. I hope the human elite will put aside grudges and continue to shelter us under the guise of the cult.”
Thompson: “You damn aliens, I wish you’d just go back to your planet... Let’s end this call.”
The red-eyed man bows slightly, “May human glory last forever.”