Chapter 490
Blockade of a neighborhood is no small matter, and Scotland Yard will maintain the siege until dawn tomorrow at most.
When daylight comes, the police will no longer be able to hinder the normal operation of London City in order to arrest a murderer.
And in just a few hours, I want to find someone in a neighborhood without basically knowing any information about the other person.
This is like looking for a needle in a haystack.
It sounds like an impossible task.
But Conan's analysis suddenly awakened Lin Xinyi:
This is a virtual game world after all.
If you think of Noah's Ark as a player.
Then its fun, or purpose, should be to appreciate the performances of these gamers.
But Haihara Ai has a photographic memory, and even remembers every detail of the Jack the Ripper case in history - and the plot setting in this game is exactly restored from history.
This is equivalent to being born with a "game guide".
Players used the game guide to clear the level at the speed of light. The long-awaited "game live broadcast" of Noah's Ark has only started for half an hour and is about to end in a simple and crude way.
This is definitely not what the "audience" wants to see.
So it secretly increases the difficulty of the game.
"But it's like giving test papers to students."
"The questions are too simple and cannot test the students. Naturally, the 'question maker' is not satisfied."
"If the questions are too difficult and students have no hope of getting them right, it also violates the original intention of the 'question maker'."
"so."
By trying to figure out what the person who asked the question meant, Lin Xinyi gradually gained confidence:
"This question is definitely not unsolvable!"
"There must be some way. Let's find Jack the Ripper from this neighborhood!"
So, how to find it?
You still have to put aside the logic of real-life investigation and use the thinking of a strategy game to look for clues left by the "question maker".
"A game, unless there is a bug"
"Otherwise, it would be impossible not to leave clues for players to pass the level."
"And this kind of clues are usually hidden in the game process that players have experienced——"
Lin Xinyi began to use the creator's thinking to solve the problem in reverse:
Just like at the beginning of the game, the NPC patrolman's shout reminded Conan of "go find Officer Lestrade".
The clues that promote the plot of the game are usually designed like this and given directly to the players.
"It is impossible for game designers to let players wander aimlessly in such a large open world and look for clues without any prompts."
"It's such a waste of time and it's not fun."
"So, the clues should have been given to us inadvertently!"
"What we have to do now is find it from 'side'!"
After analyzing this point, Lin Xinyi and Conan both vaguely realized something:
They had only played the game for half an hour.
I didn’t see Jack the Ripper’s face, let alone his identity.
When Jack the Ripper fled from the scene in a hurry, he left no traces for tracking.
Therefore, the only clue that the player has now that can be related to Jack the Ripper is...
"Corpse."
"The body of Lady Elizabeth."
Lin Xin returned his attention to the victim who died in the "opening CG":
He had just performed a "space autopsy" based on historical data, and he was eager to bring people over to ambush Jack the Ripper.
There was no contact with the body at all.
Nor was an autopsy conducted according to standard procedures.
If we go back and do a more detailed inspection now, we might be able to find some clues from the body that was ignored by everyone at the beginning.
"That's right."
Hui Yuan Ai also nodded in approval.
She helped Lin Xinyi analyze:
"Actually in real history:"
"The victim we encountered at the beginning, Ms. Elizabeth, has special characteristics that are very worthy of note:"
"Elizabeth's death was not only the only case among the five cases where there were witnesses at the time of the crime."
"And another witness claimed:"
"A few hours before the incident, Elizabeth bought grapes at the fruit shop."
In London in 1888, grapes were still a very valuable fruit.
It is a luxury product that only the elite can afford.
Grassroots manual workers like Elizabeth, who are still working in the slums in their 40s, are obviously not qualified to enjoy the "freedom of grapes."
And the customers she usually receives are all poor people.
It would be nice to be able to pay your salary quickly after finishing the work.
It is impossible to be so generous as to give Elizabeth a large amount of spare money to buy grapes——
In this era when people are as cheap as grass, buying grapes is more expensive than buying her.
In this way, Elizabeth's behavior of buying grapes during her lifetime seems very intriguing.
Later generations have always suspected that the financial backer who gave her money to buy grapes was Jack the Ripper himself.
"If that's the case."
"That means Jack the Ripper didn't simply pick random targets on the street, at least, not in this case."
"He probably first approached Elizabeth by pretending to be a wealthy customer and deceived her into trusting her."
"I waited until late at night before luring her drunken woman to the place I chose to commit the crime."
Haihara Ai tells people's speculations about the truth behind the Elizabeth case in real history.
Lin Xinyi heard what Huihara Ai really wanted to express:
If Jack the Ripper really spent some time with Elizabeth during her lifetime.
Then he would have greater possibilities and more opportunities to leave traces on Elizabeth.
And these traces may be the problem-solving tips they are looking for.
Thinking of this, Lin Xinyi immediately turned around and walked to Lestrade:
"Officer Lestrade."
"Please take us back to the scene of the crime just now. I need to take a closer look at the body of Ms. Elizabeth."
"Master, do you want to go back?"
Officer Lestrade was still thinking about Master Lin's intention in doing this.
But the young patrolman who came with Jiang Shou hesitated and gave a surprising message:
"Master Lin, there is no need to go back."
"We have already loaded the body into a truck and transported it over."
As he said that, the young patrolman pointed to several carriages parked outside the alley behind him:
One of them was a corpse truck carrying corpses.
It turned out that when Lin Xinyi and others came over to set up an ambush, the police officers responsible for surveying the scene had already loaded Elizabeth's body into a truck and were preparing to take it back to Scotland Yard for the forensic doctor to perform an autopsy.
Because we happened to be on our way, while sending Jiang Shouhang and other primary school students over to "find the master," they also drove the corpse truck over.
"this"
Lin Xinyi and Conan were both stunned.
A look of surprise immediately appeared on their faces:
Did the body just happen to be delivered?
This "clue hint" is too obvious.
It seems that they figured out the question maker's intention correctly this time - the key to solving the puzzle is hidden on this corpse.
"Let me go and see."
Lin Xinyi quickly walked to the corpse truck without saying a word.
He opened the car door, borrowed gloves from the police officer on board, and then carefully removed the body from the cramped and cramped compartment, laying it flat on the ground.
Inspector Lestrade was confused.
Lin Xinyi didn't explain either, he just went about his business.
"What is Master Lin doing?"
"The neighborhood was blocked by us. Why didn't he catch the escaped Jack the Ripper instead of coming to see this dead man?"
The young police officers on the side were whispering curiously.
Everyone looked a little confused.
Only Officer Lestrade, who was well-informed and well-remembered, saw the truth after some reflection:
"I see--"
"This should be what Easterners call 'transcendence', right?"
"I heard that monks in the East can wash away the sins of the deceased by performing magic rituals next to the corpse and help the deceased reach heaven."
"That's what it is."
It turns out that the master is giving out atonement coupons to the dead.
Still free of charge.
The master is worthy of being a master, and there is such a way to send people to heaven.
Much more considerate than the church priest's service.
The police officers all secretly marveled at Master Lin's "cleansing" method.
I was even more impressed by Officer Lestrade's knowledge.
But there were still one or two "idiots" who questioned the leader without any insight:
"But how do I feel about Master Lin?"
"It doesn't look like a magic ceremony is being held?"
"Instead, it's a bit like our Scotland Yard forensic examiner examining the body?"
"nonsense!"
Lestrade retorted firmly:
"Didn't you see that the master was already chanting a spell next to the corpse?"
"This must be a magic spell to pray for the dead, and it contains the special power to communicate with heaven!"
As he spoke, he pointed at Lin Xinyi.
Everyone looked there and saw that Master Lin was indeed reciting the "mantra" silently.
It’s just that the voice is too low and I can’t hear clearly what the spell is:
"Left carotid artery ruptured and damaged."
"There were bruises on both shoulders, especially the right shoulder, collarbone, and upper chest injuries. The injuries were no different from what was recorded in history."
"The condition of the wound is clear at a glance and does not help in finding the whereabouts of Jack the Ripper."
"Then the clue shouldn't be the injuries on this body."
"But other traces?"
Master Lin recited the incantation silently while carefully examining the corpse in front of him.
Finally, he discovered something.
That's a few wires.
It was found from under the skirt of the deceased. Several threads were stuck to the skirt of her skirt and were not part of her clothes.
"This thread is slender and soft. It shines brightly when facing a streetlight, and feels cool when touched by your fingertips."
"This thread is natural silk?"
"There are also these threads. Curly, thin and short, with different lengths."
"Kind of like natural wool."
Master Lin recited a "mantra" here, turned around and said to the police officers who were watching:
"Borrow a lighter."
The lighter was invented earlier than the match, and it was not a strange thing in London in 1888.
He quickly borrowed a lighter,
Pick out a "natural silk" and a "natural wool" from those threads and light them.
Let’s ask about the taste:
"It smells like burnt hair."
"That's right. These are silk and wool."
Lin Xin's eyes gradually became brighter.
The police officers on the side looked even more confused:
"Master, what are you doing?"
"Why set a fire next to the body?"
Everyone turned to look at Officer Lestrade, the well-informed "Orientalist".
Expert Lestrade pondered.
"I see!"
"I heard that Eastern monks have the ability to communicate with the spirits of the dead through 'incense'."
"If I'm not wrong."
"Master must be giving incense to the victim!"
"He is talking to the spirit of the deceased in this way, asking her for information about the murderer!"
"Huh? Communicating with the undead?"
The police officers were all shocked:
Wasn’t he still a pastor who sent people to heaven?
Why do you even know the skill of necromancy now?
Are Eastern monks so omnipotent?
Everyone was terrified.
Master Lin over there stood up from the corpse with a calm face and said in a "gloomy" voice:
"Let's go, everyone-"
"The deceased has already told me the clues I want!"
The air was silent.
Lin Xinyi didn't notice the strange atmosphere and just ordered:
"Officer Lestrade."
"Please inform your subordinates:"
"While keeping the neighborhood cordoned off, send people in to search—"
"As long as you find a carriage parked somewhere or driving on the road, bring the owner, groom and carriage here to cooperate with the investigation!"
"Especially those who are driving on the road and trying to leave here in a carriage must pay special attention!"
"If someone shows signs of trying to escape while under investigation, use force directly and do not hesitate to do so!"
He gave a somewhat incomprehensible order.
Lestrade nodded without question:
"Okay, Master!"
"I will send people to search this neighborhood now."
"Make sure we find all the carriages hidden in this neighborhood!"
The streets here are narrow, space is limited, and there are no underground parking lots.
Hiding people is easy, but hiding such a large carriage is impossible.
Lin Xinyi's order to "gather all the carriages in the neighborhood" was not difficult to fulfill.
but
"Did you agree too readily?"
"Officer Lestrade, don't you want to know why I did this?"
The other party agreed so readily that Lin Xinyi was not used to it.
If it was someone from the Mu Mu Police Department who was a professional, he would have picked up what he was saying and asked him about his reasoning.
And this Officer Lestrade.
"Master, it's whatever you say."
"I'll just do it."
He fell completely into a state of fanatical superstition.
Lin Xinyi: "."
"Okay, I'll leave it to you."
He silently suppressed all the reasoning and analysis:
In fact, the clues are just those few lines.
Those few threads found under the hem of the deceased Elizabeth's skirt.
There is natural wool in these threads. The wool is soft, fine, and slender. At first glance, it seems that it comes from a high-quality sheep breed specially used to make high-quality clothing materials.
There is also natural silk, a more precious textile material.
And Elizabeth herself wore only inferior cotton clothes.
Neither of these textile fibers came from the deceased himself.
It could only be that she got it from other places.
The area where silk and wool are stained is the lowest part of the skirt, which is usually only in contact with the ground.
So, something that contains these two textile materials and will come into contact with the skirt of the deceased
"It's the carpet!"
The first thing Lin Xinyi thought of was the Persian carpet on the floor of the high-end carriage he had just ridden in.
This luxurious rug is made of cotton, wool and natural silk.
It just fits the composition characteristics of both wool and silk.
certainly
In addition to high-end carpets, there are also some expensive silk quilts that meet this characteristic.
But it is very likely that Jack the Ripper had already approached Elizabeth by pretending to be a financial sponsor before the incident.
His purpose was to abduct the poor woman and kill her.
So of course he couldn't have brought Elizabeth indoors.
He would not really "make a deal" with her, so that the bottom of her skirt would have a chance to come into contact with textiles such as sheets and sheets.
As for whether Elizabeth got these threads in her own home, or from other guests?
It’s not very likely——
With the financial resources of her and her guests, I am afraid that neither she nor her guests can afford silk clothes, carpets and quilts.
Therefore, Lin Xinyi made a bold judgment:
"The textile that Elizabeth came into contact with during her lifetime was the carpet in the high-end carriage!"
"She was once abducted by a murderer who pretended to be a wealthy guest and tricked her into getting into his carriage."
Jack the Ripper most likely drove a horse-drawn carriage to commit his crimes.
This just answers another question:
That is, how does the murderer return to his lair after committing the crime?
You must know that every time he kills someone, he doesn't leave empty-handed. He cuts open the belly of the deceased and takes away a lot of organs.
These bloody internal organs are not easy to handle.
Traffic arteries on the streets of London are patrolled 24 hours a day by police.
If Jack the Ripper was walking on the road in the middle of the night with such a "suspicious big bag", wouldn't he be afraid of running into a patrolman?
There can be two explanations:
One, Jack the Ripper's lair is nearby, and it's not far to go home with the goods.
Second, Jack the Ripper is familiar with the terrain, can fly over walls, and has the confidence to bypass police patrols on the street.
Third, Jack the Ripper had transportation and could hide his "trophies" in the car.
If it is normal reasoning, Lin Xinyi cannot rule out the first two possibilities at all.
but
"But this is a game."
"If it's the first two situations."
"How else can players find the murderer in just a few hours?"
I don’t know how many houses and rooms there are in this block.
If we really conduct a door-to-door investigation and call out each household to inquire about the situation, the investigation will not be completed even if it lasts until next week.
The game cannot be designed in such a way that it is impossible to pass it.
Lin Xinyi thought over and over in his mind for a long time:
can be deduced based on existing clues.
It also gives players hope of completing the level.
This is the only possibility left:
"Jack the Ripper came out in a carriage to commit crimes."
"As long as we find the carriage, we hope to find him!"
I didn’t finish the second update and looked at more than 4,900 words, so I just combined them into one_(:з」∠)_