Chapter 181: Deduction Script

Led by Lin Ranhai, the group finally arrived at the murder mystery game store he had mentioned, the one that also served food.

The store was located at the entrance of a bustling pedestrian shopping street east of the stadium. It was a standalone, three-story building with a glass curtain wall that shimmered with a faint golden light in the sun.

Even in broad daylight, its facade was covered in flashing neon signs. Beneath the huge, fluorescent central sign reading "Mysterious Realm·Food Theater" was a line of eye-catching smaller text: "Immersive Murder Mystery Games × Themed Custom Catering."

The display windows showcased medieval armor, an ornate Chinese carved wooden cabinet, and cyberpunk-style props, attracting many passersby on the street to stop and take photos.

By the entrance, a service robot with a cute cartoon face on its display screen was repeatedly announcing the recommended scenarios and special deals of the day in a cheerful voice.

"Wow, is that a robot?" Zhao Yuanyuan couldn’t help but move closer the moment she saw the cute object.

"It’s so cute," Su Yuqing said, her eyes practically sparkling with hearts.

Seeing her reaction, Chen Mo thought to himself, ’Maybe I should ask my parents to get a robot for our house.’

’But the technology isn’t very mature yet.’

’They call it AI, but in reality, it hasn’t reached the level where it can converse freely with people.’

’It’s just a slightly more intelligent toy for amusement, that’s all.’

"If you’d like to chat with it, it can manage a few simple replies," a female attendant standing nearby said with a smile, looking at the two of them.

"Really?" Zhao Yuanyuan’s interest was immediately piqued. She asked the robot, "What’s your name?"

"Hello, dear guest. My name is Shasha. Welcome to the Mysterious Realm·Food Theater murder mystery game store. I hope you have a fun time!"

The robot answered Zhao Yuanyuan’s question in the cute voice of a small child.

This absolutely delighted Zhao Yuanyuan, who had never encountered such a high-end toy before.

’This is so cool.’

She felt like she didn’t even need to play the murder mystery game; she could just stay at the entrance and play with this robot for a while.

"Alright, let’s go inside." Chen Mo noticed Lin Ranhai and his four friends looking at Zhao Yuanyuan with amused smiles, as if they were looking at a country bumpkin. Unfazed, Chen Mo gently guided Zhao Yuanyuan into the store.

The moment the group pushed through the plastic curtain strips at the entrance, a wave of cool air mixed with the aroma of buttered toast rushed out to meet them.

Even though it wasn’t the weekend, the store was bustling with people.

Young customers filled most of the shop. Some were gathered at the dining bar in the main hall, eating black pepper beef spaghetti while reading through their scripts. Others, dressed in traditional Hanfu, were posing for pictures on the staircase.

The staff at the front desk, all in uniform, were extremely efficient. As they scanned QR codes to verify reservations, they didn’t forget to recommend a new game: "You get a 30% discount on the *Bloody Banquet* and seafood hot pot combo!"

Next to the cash register stood an electronic leaderboard that updated in real-time—"Top Detective of the Week," "Fastest Completion Record." Next to the top player’s virtual avatar was a note of their reward: A free new game experience + a dining combo of their choice.

The first-floor hall was divided into two main areas. To the left was a semi-open dining bar where a long, natural-wood table held a self-serve cold food buffet and a coffee machine; behind the bar were various craft beers and bartending tools. To the right was the game display area, where promotional standees with character art for games from *Nationalist Spy Shadow* to *Interstellar Escape* hung from the ceiling. A crystal chandelier cast colorful spots of light on the glass display cases, which held prop samples like "blood-stained" parchment scrolls and electronic combination lock boxes.

"Is your party for twelve?"

Seeing Chen Mo’s group come in, an attendant immediately counted them.

"That’s right. Could you recommend a scenario for twelve people for us?" Lin Ranhai said with a smile.

"Of course, please look over here. We have a fairly complete collection of scenarios. Even for twelve players, we have various genres to choose from, like lighthearted, emotional, horror, and mystery games. I was wondering what genre you all would prefer?"

Lin Ranhai looked magnanimously at Chen Mo’s group and said, "I play all the time, so I like pretty much everything. What genre would you guys like to try?"

Most of the people on Chen Mo’s side were here for the first time, so they had no idea how to choose.

Although Qu Danwan knew what a murder mystery game was, she had never played one, so she also didn’t know what to pick.

Chen Mo, however, felt a flicker of interest and said, "Let’s do a mystery."

"Alright, a mystery it is. We have several types over here. These are the basic story synopses for the scenarios. Please see if there are any you like."

The clerk immediately showed Chen Mo’s group several available scenarios.

"You choose this time. Pick one you all haven’t played before," Chen Mo said, smiling at Lin Ranhai.

"Sure. Let’s go with this one, then. It seems pretty new," Lin Ranhai said, pointing to a scenario.

"You must be a regular, sir. This scenario just came out a couple of days ago. If you’ll all please follow me to the second floor, I’ll arrange a room for you."

They walked up a spiral staircase to the second floor. The hallway was lined with six themed private rooms, each designed for an immersive experience in a different era: the Gilded Peony Hall (Chinese imperial court style), the Dark Rose Hall (European castle style), the Cyber-Dream Hall (metal-grid walls)... An electronic screen in front of each door displayed the room’s availability.

Just then, the faint sound of people chasing each other and shouting drifted down from the third floor. Seeing Chen Mo’s group look up in confusion, the attendant quickly explained with a smile, "That’s the ’escape room plus haunted house’ crossover area we’re building. If you’re interested in the future, you can come give it a try. It’s very effective for strengthening bonds, you know."

As she said the last part, she gave a meaningful look at several people in the group whose gazes were clearly fixed on members of the opposite sex.

For instance, Zhou Hao was constantly looking at Qu Danwan.

The girl next to Lin Ranhai was constantly looking at him.

Su Yuqing’s eyes were always on Chen Mo.

Huang Mao’s gaze was always fixed on Zhao Yuanyuan.

These people were just too easy to read.

Soon, the attendant led the group into a room decorated in a medieval style.

"For the *Twelve-Part Blood Manor Ensemble*, you will all be playing in this themed room. Next, the host will guide you through the rest of the game. I hope you have a wonderful time. If you need any food or drink service during the game, you can contact me anytime using the service button in the room."

After she finished speaking, the attendant left the room.

Only the twelve players and one host remained in the room.

Those who had never played a murder mystery game before entered the room with expressions of pure novelty, surprised that such a game even existed.

The scene, which looked like something out of a TV show, and the various props on the table all struck them as incredibly novel and interesting.

At that moment, Chen Mo looked at Lin Ranhai, intending to use this game to gauge his intelligence.