Chapter 149: A Clever Woman

Just two minutes later, absolute silence fell over the venue.

The magician lay motionless on the ground, making not a single sound. The flames on his body began to die down gradually, but thick, heavy smoke continued to billow into the air.

"Quick! Put out the fire and save him!" Young Master Feng suddenly shouted, snapping the crowd back to their senses. They finally realized this was no mere magic trick—it was outright cremation.

The men in black who had been guarding the hall all along immediately sprang into action, rushing onto the stage with fire extinguishers to tackle the flames.

"This is terrifying." Tang Shiya had somehow buried herself in Liu Jingye's embrace, clutching his hand tightly and trembling all over with fright.

"Not only terrifying, but tragic." Liu Jingye watched as the flames on the stage extinguished and the thick smoke cleared, revealing a charred corpse lying in an intensely painful and twisted posture—a deeply chilling sight.

Chaos erupted in the venue. Someone turned to run when a loud crash echoed through the air. A wine glass shattered into pieces as Young Master Feng's cold voice rang out, "No one is allowed to leave! A homicide has occurred here. Everyone must stay until the police arrive and complete their investigation. Please cooperate, and we will ensure everyone's safety."

Daring not to defy Young Master Feng's wishes, the crowd stayed behind with lingering fear in their hearts. At that moment, the chubby man stepped forward again and said, "Everyone, please don't panic. This was merely an accidental mishap."

"You heard him. It was an accident," Liu Jingye said to the trembling Tang Shiya in his arms.

Tang Shiya looked up at him and asked earnestly, "Really?"

Liu Jingye's lips twitched. He wanted to smile, but he couldn't, nor did he give her an answer.

He couldn't be sure whether it was an accident or murder. After all, high-end magicians often performed extremely dangerous acts, such as self-immolation or escapes from water-filled containers, where the slightest deviation could cost them their lives.

What puzzled Liu Jingye, however, was the chubby man's reaction just moments ago.

*When the fire broke out, the fat man suddenly broke with his usual demeanor, standing up to cheer and applaud, stirring up the atmosphere of the entire hall... And upon discovering that the magician had been burned alive, he once again loudly urged everyone to remain calm, claiming it was just an accident and there was nothing to fear.*

*Although it seemed logical on the surface, it felt far too deliberate.*

Liu Jingye analyzed inwardly, *Furthermore, that magician had just humiliated the fat man, turning him into a bloated pig. Setting aside the fact that he is a wealthy heir, even an ordinary person probably wouldn't be able to swallow that insult. But for revenge to come so swiftly—and directly claim the other party's life—is ruthlessness on another level.*

"Don't be afraid. With so many people here, there shouldn't be any danger," Liu Jingye patted the still-shaken Tang Shiya, gently comforting her. "Just stay here in the crowd. I'm going over to take a look."

"I'm going with you." Tang Shiya clutched the corner of Liu Jingye's jacket tightly, refusing to leave his side no matter what.

With a helpless and bitter smile, Liu Jingye stood up with her and walked toward the stage.

The thick smoke and fire extinguisher powder had already dissipated. A few daring individuals lingered near the edge of the stage, while everyone else kept a safe distance, including executive leaders like Wu Jie.

Meanwhile, the fat man, Young Master Feng, and Gao Jing stood nearby, alongside the female host on the stage who had long since collapsed in terror, paralyzed like mud.

With city leaders present at the scene, the police arrived swiftly, instantly sealing off the entire hotel and permitting entry but no departure.

The police detachment leading the operation today was the captain of the municipal criminal investigation team, presenting a prime opportunity for him to impress the leadership.

First, he exchanged courtesies with the leaders before approaching the crime scene to inspect the body. After inquiring about the sequence of events, he had someone bring over the female host, who had only just regained a modicum of calm, for questioning.

"The deceased had clearly finished his performance just now. Why did he return to the stage for a second time to perform such a dangerous act?" the captain of the criminal police asked.

Standing not far away, Liu Jingye heard the question and a smile touched the corner of his mouth. *As expected of a criminal police captain,* he thought to himself. *He is far superior to a rookie like Yuan Xiaoying, instantly zeroing in on the crux of the issue.*

The female host thought for a moment and said, "This was originally a private performance. The artists always obey calls at any time; as long as the guests are happy, they can be called back to the stage whenever..."

"Then who called him back for this performance?" the detective captain asked.

Glancing sideways at Tan Yifeng, the female host replied, "It should have been Young Master Feng who wanted him to return."

"What?!" Tan Yifeng was close enough to hear her words and immediately snapped in anger, "Don't talk nonsense! When did I ever tell him to go back on stage?"

Though Tan Yifeng might not have known the whole truth, he could certainly sense something fishy was going on. After all, the timing was far too coincidental and likely tied to the fat man, making him extra cautious.

Startled by Tan Yifeng's sudden outburst, the female host shrank back in fright. The detective captain frowned slightly. Strictly speaking, interruptions during an interrogation should not be tolerated, but with high-ranking municipal leaders standing right beside Young Master Feng and remaining silent, it was difficult for him to voice any objections.

Stammering, the female host explained, "I-I'm not entirely sure either. I just remember that at the time, a man in a black suit and sunglasses came backstage and told me to notify the magician to take the stage."

The detective captain swept his gaze across the venue. There were numerous men in black suits and sunglasses present. Young Master Feng took the initiative to speak up: "That's right, those are my men. But I never gave any order for the magician to return to the stage. Besides, that style of dress is extremely common; anyone can dress like that."

The detective captain nodded, indicating he harbored no suspicions against him. Yet Young Master Feng's eyes narrowed; this was clearly a deliberate setup designed to point the finger of blame directly at him.

He glanced at the fat man, who was currently chatting and laughing effortlessly nearby. *Could it be him?* Young Master Feng mused inwardly. *Can this cripple really concoct a plan like this? Or does he have someone else by his side besides that female bodyguard?*

Slowly, Young Master Feng reined in his contempt. This sudden turn of events forced him to take the fat man seriously.

"Well? Did you notice anything?" On the other side, Tang Shiya whispered her inquiry to Liu Jingye.

Liu Jingye carefully examined the corpse, the surrounding environment, and recalled the scene as it burned. Lighting a cigarette, he said, "To be honest, I truly can't tell whether this was murder or an accident. All I know is that what caused him to catch fire so fiercely was that his clothes were soaked in white phosphorus."

"White phosphorus?" Tang Shiya asked in surprise. "You mean that chemical substance with a very low ignition point, similar to crystals?"

Liu Jingye nodded. "Exactly. Look around the body; this substance produces a massive amount of white smoke when burned and then resolidifies into crystals, which are scattered around the corpse right now. Furthermore, I thought it was strange the moment he stepped onto the stage—his movements seemed somewhat erratic. That's because white phosphorus is highly toxic; merely inhaling it causes poisoning symptoms like dizziness and generalized weakness.

"Additionally, white phosphorus has an exceptionally low ignition point. In this kind of environment, it can spontaneously combust at around forty degrees Celsius."

"Forty degrees?" Tang Shiya asked skeptically. "This is a luxury hotel equipped with air conditioning and humidifiers. The temperature here is only around twenty-six degrees."

"That's correct," Liu Jingye said. "The temperature here is only in the twenties. But think carefully about what the stage looked like just moments ago."

Tang Shiya frowned as she tried to recall. Suddenly, her eyes lit up, and she asked in astonishment, "Are you talking about the lights?"

"Right!" Liu Jingye confirmed with a solemn expression. "When he stood on the stage just now, the moment the performance began, all the super halogen lamps overhead were switched on simultaneously. Each one is at least twenty-five hundred watts, and I'd estimate there were at least ten of them. Turning them all on at once is comparable to the sun—you can imagine the intense heat they generated."

"Does that mean someone really harmed him on purpose?" Tang Shiya asked, a chill running down her spine. As an actress herself who frequently performed on stage, she knew that if someone used a similar method against her, her chances of survival would be slim to none.

Liu Jingye shook his head, unwilling to make a definitive judgment. "There's no way to verify that, because he was a magician. For all we know, he might have intended to perform a fire-escape act, and both the white phosphorus and the floodlights were props he prepared himself. It's possible he simply miscalculated the amount of white phosphorus used, leading to the accident."

"Do you really think that's possible?" At that moment, another voice came from behind him.

Liu Jingye turned around to see it was none other than the fat man, Tan Yixing, accompanied by his personal bodyguard, Gao Jing. The fat man wore a smile on his face, while Gao Jing's expression was as deep and cold as stagnant water. However, the look in both their eyes as they awaited his reply was identical—they had clearly overheard Liu Jingye's analysis.

Liu Jingye shrugged. "Whether it's an accident or man-made, I suppose the truth can be found simply by investigating backstage to see who had access to his costume, or by asking the backstage lighting technician why all the lights were cranked up to maximum intensity in a single instant."

The fat man smiled gently. "Perhaps, just as you said, those were simply the props required for his magic trick?"

Liu Jingye replied, "As far as I know, there is a metal called cesium with an ignition point of around twenty-eight degrees Celsius, close to room temperature, making it even easier to combust. Of course, that's just an example; there are many substances with ignition points lower than white phosphorus, and quite a few of them are non-toxic. Moreover, cold pyrotechnics seem to be what magicians prefer to use nowadays. Why on earth would he choose highly toxic white phosphorus for his act? That's practically asking for death!"

A smile still lingered on the fat man's face, but his gaze grew deeper and more profound. "Who knows? Perhaps what he pursued was precisely that thrill. However, your analysis is quite fascinating—you should share it with the police. It might just help crack the case."

Echoing the exact sentiment Young Master Feng had expressed to him not long ago, Liu Jingye gave the exact same response: "My words carry no weight. Even if I told them, they might not believe me. Why look for unnecessary trouble?"

"A wise choice," the fat man praised. "If you have time later, I'd like to invite you for a proper drink. I hope you won't refuse. And of course, the lovely Ms. Tang—I hope you will grace us with your presence."

Tang Shiya smiled and nodded in agreement, though she knew full well that the fat man's invitation was merely polite boilerplate; the only person he actually wanted to host was Liu Jingye.

After the fat man and Gao Jing departed, Tang Shiya opened her mouth as if to speak, but Liu Jingye raised a hand to stop her. "Sometimes, a woman being too clever isn't necessarily a good thing."

Tang Shiya paused for a fraction of a second, then obediently shifted the topic. "So, a woman's ultimate destination is still to find a reliable man to marry."
Liu Jingye chuckled. "Reliable men are rather hard to come by these days, though."
Tang Shiya replied, "Heaven rewards those who do not give up. I believe that as long as one searches with patience, they will surely find one. Perhaps at the edge of the world, or perhaps..."