The atmosphere at the emergency meeting was as heavy as a moldy, compressed biscuit; tension permeated the air.
Qin Wan'er stood on the stage, speaking with great emotion and passion, like an Oscar-winning actress in a post-apocalyptic world.
She spoke with absolute certainty, pinning all the blame on the deceased Li Feng. Her manner made it seem as if Li Feng were some heinous cosmic demon king.
"Li Feng is a treacherous and cunning man with malicious intentions; he has long harbored rebellious thoughts!" Qin Wan'er's voice echoed in the conference room, each word like a nail driven into Li Feng's coffin. "He secretly possessed weapons and intended to assassinate Zhang Tieshan, the leader of the base. The evidence is overwhelming and cannot be denied!"
The crowd below the stage was abuzz with discussion and their emotions were running high.
Some people cursed Li Feng with righteous indignation, while others looked doubtful, seemingly not quite believing Qin Wan'er's one-sided story.
Regardless, Li Feng's "crimes" spread rapidly throughout the base like a virus, and almost everyone believed he was the culprit.
However, at that moment, a discordant voice broke the atmosphere of the denunciation rally.
"Wait!" Lu Zhaoming slowly stood up, a harmless smile on his face, but his tone carried an undeniable firmness. "Secretary Qin, you told this story vividly; it's a pity you're not writing novels. However, it's full of loopholes and seems rather perfunctory."
Qin Wan'er's face stiffened. "Lu Zhaoming, what do you mean?"
“My point is very simple,” Lu Zhaoming shrugged and spread his hands, “your testimony is so obviously fake that it couldn’t be more fake.”
He walked up to Qin Wan'er, picked up the so-called "testimony," and pointed to the signature, saying, "First of all, the handwriting is clearly inconsistent with Li Feng's usual signature. Secondly, the timeline mentioned in the testimony is also seriously contradictory. If Li Feng really wanted to murder Zhang Tieshan, why would he choose to do it inside the heavily guarded base? That would be suicide, unless he's out of his mind."
Every word Lu Zhaoming said was like a sharp knife, piercing Qin Wan'er's sore spot.
Her face grew increasingly pale, and fine beads of sweat appeared on her forehead.
"You...you're spouting nonsense!" Qin Wan'er retorted, trying to remain calm.
"Slander? I'm all about evidence." Lu Zhaoming smiled slightly and took out a palm-sized metal device from his pocket. "This is a simulation of the incident based on the distribution of bloodstains at the scene. Please take a look."
He connected the device to the projector in the conference room, and a virtual scene immediately appeared in front of everyone.
In the scene, Li Feng did not commit the crime with a knife as Qin Wan'er claimed. Instead, he was attacked from behind without warning.
The person who actually wielded the knife was... Zhao Xiaorou!
"What?!"
"That's impossible!"
"Xiao Rou is so gentle and kind, how could she kill someone?"
The meeting room erupted in chaos; no one could believe their eyes.
Even Zhang Tieshan was stunned. He stared at the projected image in disbelief, his lips trembling slightly.
“I know it’s hard for everyone to accept this fact,” Lu Zhaoming’s voice rang out again, tinged with a hint of helplessness. “But the evidence is right in front of us, and there’s no room for argument.”
He paused, then continued, "However, Zhao Xiaorou's actions were not of her own volition; she was coerced. And the real mastermind," Lu Zhaoming's gaze shifted to the deathly pale Qin Wan'er, "is you!"
Qin Wan'er trembled all over, like a frightened rabbit. "No...it wasn't me...I didn't..."
"Still trying to deny it?" Lu Zhaoming sneered, taking out a tissue stained with a special drug from his sleeve. "This tissue was found in a crack in the storage room floor. According to my system analysis, this drug can induce a brief period of mental instability, causing people to do some incomprehensible things. And the formula for this drug is held by only one person, and that is you, Qin Wan'er!"
With the evidence irrefutable, Qin Wan'er could no longer deny it.
Her face turned from white to green, then from green to purple, and finally collapsed to the ground like a pile of mud.
Zhang Tieshan was furious and ordered Qin Wan'er to be arrested immediately.
The meeting room erupted in cheers, with everyone praising Lu Zhaoming's wit and courage.
Zhang Tieshan was even more impressed with Lu Zhaoming and immediately expressed his intention to promote him to the position of base security advisor.
"Brother Lu, we owe you a lot this time!" Zhang Tieshan patted Lu Zhaoming's shoulder hard. "If it weren't for you, we would have almost wronged an innocent person and let the real murderer go free!"
Lu Zhaoming smiled modestly, but secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
He knew that the charade was finally over.
He took the opportunity to request Zhang Tieshan to take over the follow-up investigation of the case in order to further investigate potential problems within the base.
Zhang Tieshan readily agreed and expressed his full support for his work.
However, just as everyone was celebrating their victory, a cold, synthesized electronic voice rang in Lu Zhaoming's ears: "Warning, the host's behavior has attracted the attention of higher-level forces. Please act with caution."
The smile on Lu Zhaoming's face gradually disappeared, replaced by a solemn expression.
He knew that the real challenge had only just begun...
He glanced at the darkening sky outside the window and muttered, "Looks like tonight's going to be busy..." With that, he turned and left the meeting room, heading towards the supply depot...
The night was like a dirty rag, making the wasteland world even gloomier.
Lu Zhaoming crouched down and slipped into the supply depot, looking just like a night owl searching for food.
The air was thick with the smell of engine oil and dust, making him wrinkle his nose involuntarily.
The storage point was quiet, with only the squeaking of mice and the howling wind in the distance.
He found Zhao Xiaorou's bed, but only found a crumpled note with a line of crooked writing on it: "Be careful, they're here."
A chill ran from the soles of his feet straight to the top of his head. Lu Zhaoming's heart skipped a beat. This was not a good omen!
"who are they?
Qin Wan'er's accomplice?
Or... something even more terrifying?
As he was pondering this, he suddenly heard a series of chaotic footsteps approaching from afar, sounding like an army of zombies attacking.
"Damn it, I can't be that unlucky!" Lu Zhaoming cursed under his breath and quickly stuffed the note into his pocket.
He held his breath and listened intently. The footsteps grew clearer and clearer, accompanied by some deep voices.
Oh no, they're really here!
Lu Zhaoming narrowed his eyes, his gaze sharp and intense, like a cheetah poised to pounce.
"Come on, grandpa's waiting for you!" A cold smile curled at the corner of his lips as he slowly drew the dagger from his waist... The blade reflected a chilling light in the dim light, as if foreshadowing an impending bloodbath... "Let me see just which monsters and demons..."
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