Chapter 624 Ye Chu's Reasoning (Two Chapters Combined) If we deduce in chronological order, Master Mei is incredibly wealthy, ruthless, and possesses evidence of corruption among high-ranking Kuomintang officials. He's practically guaranteed to die no matter what.
So, a high-ranking official in the old city sent someone to the Mei Mansion to steal the confidential document that recorded the accounts, the whereabouts of supplies, and other secrets.
Meanwhile, Madam Mei bribed Chef Zhang to poison Master Mei, and then forged a will, leaving the family fortune to her son, Zhuang Sheng. After Master Mei's death, she secretly hid the will in his room. However, Madam Mei, who was hiding the will, was shot and killed by the thief who had gone to Master Mei's room to steal it—of course, we now know that this thief was Mr. Camel Huang Zi.
Such reasoning seems reasonable at first glance, but in reality it has many flaws.
First of all, since Madam Mei orchestrated Mr. Mei's death, why didn't she prepare the will before he died, instead of rushing to slip it in after his passing? This hasty action precisely proves that Mr. Mei's death was a sudden event for Madam Mei, much like finding 100 yuan inside a long-unworn set of clothes.
Secondly, Chef Zhang has worked for the Mei family for decades. How could he poison his own master over a few pieces of gold jewelry?
Finally, if things are really that simple, then what happened to Dr. Wu's death?
If we apply the correct reasoning, we find numerous errors and omissions.
So, what about the reverse?
Starting with the third deceased, Dr. Wu, and gradually deducing the causes of death of Madam Mei and Mr. Mei, would things become easier?
Dr. Wu's death is the easiest case to rule out as the murderer. Gu Wenhua, Zhuang Sheng, Lin Hao, Chef Zhang, and Huang Feizhang all have alibis; although Lin Hao was the first to discover the scene of death, he didn't have enough time to commit the crime; as for me, because I don't have an alibi, I've become a suspect—but I have no motive for the crime.
However, we seem to have all forgotten that there was a fourth person at the crime scene.
—Master Mei.
Yes, yes, Mr. Mei can't come back from the dead. Nor can he walk the runway wearing an angelic halo. What I mean is, what if Mr. Mei hadn't died in the first place?
To judge the logic behind a person's behavior, one must consider not only the person themselves but also the historical context in which they lived. What kind of person was Mr. Mei? What was the historical context of Mr. Mei's life?
Mr. Mei is a corrupt official who is rich but heartless and holds a lot of evidence of the Kuomintang's crimes. In the era when the Kuomintang was in power, he could act recklessly and lawlessly, but now, the New Party is about to enter the city.
Once the New Party enters the city, the end of President Mei will surely come; moreover, many members of the Kuomintang are already planning to surrender to the New Party. With the changing of the guard, these people, who aspire to be the new standard-bearers, will inevitably have to erase evidence of their past crimes.
Selling official positions, exploiting soldiers, profiteering from the people's goods, and manipulating the market were not uncommon practices in the Nationalist government, but they were punishable by death in the New Party. Therefore, Master Mei was also a target of the purge of these defectors.
You see, both Master Mei and his companions are doomed. So, is there any way for him to survive?
Yes, yes. It was Xiao Gu who reminded me.
What if Master Mei had died before either side could make their move? Then no one would have been able to kill him!
The New Party was about to storm the city, yet Master Mei was still thinking of inviting reporters to interview him—this in itself was strange. But if he was there to have the reporters witness his "death" and then publish the news, it wouldn't be so strange. He even chose the perfect day to die—a snowy, freezing day, when the body wouldn't decompose easily. Even if his body didn't smell of decay, no one would suspect anything.
Yes, that's right. That's what I mean: Master Mei faked his death. He bribed the family doctor, Wu Jianing, to fabricate his own death. This explains why he died of poisoning even though the food Chef Zhang prepared wasn't poisonous. It also explains why Master Mei ate cold noodles in the dead of winter. He wanted to spill the food on himself to make his death seem more believable, but he didn't want to burn himself with hot food.
Of all of us, only Dr. Wu understands medicine. She said Mr. Mei died of poisoning, and therefore Mr. Mei is truly dead. We, a group of medical novices, have no doubt about it.
I suspect that Mr. Mei faked his death to avoid the limelight, intending to hand over the fatal document after the New Party entered the city, hoping to atone for his crimes and secure his own survival. After all, that list not only detailed the misdeeds of high-ranking Kuomintang officials but also recorded many other things. It was invaluable.
This is the truth behind Master Mei's death—of course, I'm referring to his first death.
Is there a second death?
Yes, of course there are. But before that, let's talk about the death of Madame May.
Madam Mei's death was an accident. After Mr. Mei faked his death, Madam Mei harbored wicked intentions and wanted to forge a will. As a result, she happened to run into Mr. Huang Feizhang, who was visiting, in her room. With a bang, Mr. Huang sent her on her way.
Mr. Huang asked me what evidence I had. Actually, the evidence was quite simple.
The fact that no valuables were stolen from Master Mei's room proves that the people who searched it weren't after money. Besides that confidential document, what else did Mei Zhenbang possess that would make someone want to steal it repeatedly?
Chef Zhang said that the reason he kept sharpening the knife was because he had been hearing unusual noises coming from the kitchen a few days ago, which made him scared.
Chef Zhang knew everyone in this house. If someone in the family was searching the kitchen, why would they hide it from Chef Zhang, and why would he be so afraid as if facing a formidable enemy?
Yesterday, when I asked Mr. Huang Feizhang why he went out, he blurted out: "I went to the kitchen to find something to eat." The Mei Mansion is so large; I ask you, why would a rickshaw driver who was only staying here for one night have the audacity to search for the kitchen in the dark of night?
Let's make a bold assumption: Mr. Huang Feizhang has visited the Mei Mansion many times, and the kitchen is one of his regular haunts. Your task should be to find that confidential document, and then kill Master Mei.
If you didn't go to the kitchen last night, things get even more interesting. If you didn't go to the kitchen, where did you go?
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