Card Room (Rebirth)
chapter-70

In the 4th carriage, the staff of the dining carriage sent the packages to the seats. The group of couples arguing buried their heads in their food and the other passengers also ate. Yu Xinxin’s family of five went to the dining carriage next door to order.

The number of people in the dining carriage kept increasing. It was apparent that people from other carriages came to eat.

There were relatively fewer people in the sleeper carriage where Yu Hanjiang was located, plus there was the tour guide who directly took care of the tour group. He quickly checked on them before coming to the 5th dining carriage and nodding to Xiao Lou.

Xiao Lou’s eyes were on Group Leader Yu and he also walked over.

The two men meat in the tea room of the dining carriage

Yu Hanjiang briefly explained the situation of the 6th carriage. “The 12 person tour group staying in rooms 1-3 departed from the City of the Sun to the City of the Moon. They will be staying in the carriage for three days. The full name of the tour guide is Qin Shiyue and everyone calls her Xiao Qin. She is a recent university graduate, 24 years old and very cheerful and talkative. She said that these elderly people are retired workers. The youngest is 60 years old while the oldest is 70 years old. They were in the same unit before retirement so their relationship is very good and they often go on group tours.”

Xiao Lou asked, “What about the other passengers? Are there any abnormalities?”

Yu Hanjiang said, “The No. 4 room is a family of four. The parents with two children are going to visit relatives. The No. 5 and 6 rooms are all lone guests who don’t know each other. They don’t talk and look down at their phones in the carriage. The remaining No. 7 and 8 rooms are a few people. After chatting, it was found that they are physics teachers from different high schools who went to an academic conference.”

Xiao Lou thought carefully. “It seems that there is little possibility of a homicide occurring in other rooms since most of them don’t know each other. We have to focus on this elderly tour group. They used to be in the same unit and perhaps there are some grievances.”

Yu Hanjiang agreed. “Yes, I got the full list from the tour guide and will check on these elderly people.” He slightly paused before asking, “How is the situation over there?”

Xiao Lou talked about the result of his own ticket check, the couple arguing and Jing Weiguang pouring instant noodles on people.

Yu Hanjiang slightly frowned. “Two couples and a group of five friends, it is very easy for the relationship between such groups to go wrong. Perhaps they get along well on the surface but the hatred has long been buried in their hearts.”

Xiao Lou nodded. “I think so as well. I will focus on these people… and the late Jing Weiguang. He doesn’t know anyone but his appearance was too special. He might not be the deceased or the murderer but he is definitely a key figure to promote the plot.”

Xiao Lou looked at the gradually filling dining carriage and suddenly added, “Yes, there is the dining carriage and everyone on the train can come here to eat. Is there the possibility of the murderer directly poisoning the food?”

“Even if there is poison, it wouldn’t be now.”

Just then, someone happened to pass by and Yu Hanjiang and Xiao Lou stepped back to open the passage.

Once the man left, Yu Hanjiang continued, “In most murders, the murderer isn’t impulsive and there is a careful plan. They just get on the train and shouldn’t be too familiar with the restaurant. If they really want to use poison, the first thing to do is to look at the environment of the restaurant. Tomorrow or the day after tomorrow would be more assured.”

Xiao Lou thought of another possibility. “What if a train attendant is the one committing the crime? They should be familiar with the train’s environment and it is very convenient for them to go in and out of the dining carriage. Isn’t it easy for them to directly poison the kitchen?”

Yu Hanjiang thought about it and replied, “We can’t rule out this possibility.”

For example, a teacher committed the crime in 3 of Hearts. Perhaps in 4 of Hearts, an abnormal train attendant killed the passengers?

The two people were analyzing things when they saw the elderly tour group come over to eat in the dining carriage.

The spectacular group of 12 people immediately drew the attention of those around them.

A bald old man complained, “Old Li, this food carriage is too expensive. Let’s go back and set. Before I set off, my son bought me a packet of snacks that I haven’t eaten…”

The man called ‘Old Li’ was well-dressed. He was old but his hair was black and he looked very energetic. He smiled and said, “This is still expensive? Previously I went to eat seafood and I ate hundreds of gold coins at a time.” He patted the other person on the shoulder. “Don’t worry, I will treat you this meal!”

The bald old man’s eyes immediately brightened. “Old Li is so cool!”

Someone beside him wondered, “Old Li, how much money does your son make in a year?”

Old Li raised his eyebrows and pretended to be humble. “Not much, it must be dozens of billions.”

Xiao Lou was shocked. Dozens of billions, when converted according to the ratio of 100:1 was tens of millions. This old grandfather was actually the father of a local tyrant. It was unknown what his son was doing.

Yu Hanjiang immediately whispered in Xiao Lou’s ears. “Li Zhemin, 66 years old. He is the richest one among this group of elderly people. According to the tour guide, he often invites guests to eat along the way and shows off how filial and rich his son is.”

It was normal for the elderly to get together and talk about their sons and daughters. However, if one of them often showed off their children then it would cause resentment to others over time.

In particular, if everyone was in the same unit then the income level was similar and the children’s age would be similar. As a result, Li Zhemin raised a son with over 100 million in assets. This would naturally attract envy and perhaps also lead to hatred.

Xiao Lou closely watched the faces of the old people.

There were a few people close to Old Li, who had envy on their faces as they praised, “Your son is the most promising!”

“I remember that your son, Xiao Li was particularly good as a child. His grades were always first in the school and he was the science champion for his university entrance examination. Hey, unlike that scoundrel son in my family. He still can’t afford to buy a house and I had to give him the down payment…”

An old lady with grey hair sighed. “At least your son is married and have children. How good is it that you can see your grandson and granddaughter every day? My daughter is 33 and her mind is full of work and promotions. I can’t even get her to go on a blind date!”

Someone joked, “Old Li’s son is also single. Do you want to introduce your daughter to him so that you become one family?”

The old lady replied, “You must be joking. My daughter is just an ordinary company employee. How can she get Xiao Li? Xiao Li is so rich and also handsome. There must be a queue of girls lining up to chase him!”

“Haha, there are indeed many girls chasing him.” Li Zhemin made a sad expression. “However, my son has a high vision. He must find a smart, virtuous, beautiful and capable wife. The key is that she must be filial to me. There aren’t many people who meet the requirements.”

“Your son is in such a good condition that there aren’t many girls who can match you. You have to polish his eyes and pick a proper daughter-in-law.”

“That’s for sure.” Li Zhemin smiled.

“Right, Old Li,” someone changed the topic. “Your son is engaged in real estate and the location is very good. I wanted to prepare a marriage house for my son. Can you give me a discount?”

“No problem!” Tell me directly what you want to buy and my son will give you the internal price!” Li Zhemin proudly assured.

The three people sitting at the same table as him obviously had the best relationship with him. During the process of chatting, they constantly praised his son. Someone asked about buying a house at a low price while others were purely flattering.

The other two tables were less unified. Some people heard him bragging about his son’s annual salary and started sneering. Some people looked indifferent and were completely cold when he praised his son.

In particular, once he talked about his son’s wife selection criteria, an old woman whispered to a friend next to her. “Why doesn’t his son find a fairy? Oh, his son inherited his genes and is only 1.8 metres tall. My daughter is tall while his son only has stinky money.”

Xiao Lou and Yu Hanjiang glanced at each other.

It seemed this elderly tour group might have problems.

Li Zhemin was too high-profile and didn’t know the saying about ‘not exposing money.’ He boasted about his son and it was easy to attract people’s disgust.

Don’t talk about his old colleagues, even the listening Xiao Lou found it distasteful. The other elderly people were worried about their children’s work, not being able to afford a house and not finding a partner. Meanwhile, Li Zhemin said his son’s annual salary was over 100 million and his development of real estate was excellent.

The old man chatted regardless of the situation. His emotional intelligence was too low and his vanity was very strong.

He was just like people who showed off their wealth every day, creating resentment.

In fact, there were a lot of people like this. The average person loved to show off and people would just talk about them privately. Surely there wasn’t enough hated to the point of killing?

Xiao Lou whispered softly in Yu Hanjiang’s ear, “Is there a connection between the couples in the 4th carriage and the elderly group in the 6th carriage? Or is one of them deliberately misleading us to interfere with us?”

Yu Hanjiang frowned and pondered on it for a moment. “In the 3 of Hearts secret room, five people were killed in the plot.”

Xiao Lou was shocked. “Yes, the girl who was pushed off the building five years ago, the three murderers killed by the avenger and the final innocent Ying Xiaoya. The difficulty of 4 of Hearts shouldn’t be lower than 3 of Hearts. Then more than one person might die on this train?”

Yu Hanjiang spoke decisively. “There are so many people in the 4th and 6th carriages. My guess is that the plot will be more complicated than 3 of Hearts. We should pay close attention to the movements of these people and meet in the dining carriage once we find something.”

3 of Hearts had the obvious ‘Count of Monte Cristo’ as a clue item. That case was related to revenge.

So far, 4 of Hearts didn’t have any obvious clues.

Xiao Lou and Yu Hanjiang were just turning to return to the carriages when a voice was heard from their headsets at the same time. “Every train attendant, meal time is coming. Please return to the 9th carriage as soon as possible to receive your work meal.”

The two people glanced at each other, a bit of uneasiness rising in their hearts.

The instructions from the headset must be obeyed but the 9th carriage was so far away. They couldn’t predict what would happen in the carriages once they left.

Yu Hanjiang stated, “It is only the first day and it is unlikely for the killer to act yet. We should go to eat first.”

It was only then that Xiao Lou turned to keep up with Group Leader Yu, quickly heading to the 9th carriage.

The crew of the train were gathered here. Each person received a working meal and sat at a table to eat and talk. Xiao Lou pricked his ears but didn’t hear any useful information. Most people were just gossiping.

He sat down facing Yu Hanjiang and opened his meal.

The food in 4 of Hearts was really good. There were chicken chops, a golden omelette, a small plate of pickled radish, garlic oil and a bowl of tomato and egg soup.

He hadn’t eaten well for several days so Xiao Lou was really moved when he saw this package. He immediately opened it and moved his chopsticks to eat.

The two of them quickly finished their meals and had just picked up a tissue to wipe their mouths when they heard a female voice in their ears.

There was clear anxiety in her voice. “This broadcast is looking for someone. If there is a medical worker on the train, please go to the sixth carriage. A child had an accident and urgently needs the help of a medical worker… this broadcast is looking for someone. If there is a medical worker…”

The hurried broadcast was repeated twice.

Xiao Lou and Yu Hanjiang glanced at each other, packed up their meal boxes and rushed to the sixth carriage.

Yu Hanjiang spoke with a cold face while walking. “The children in the carriage is only that young couple’s children in Room 4. They are twins of mixed sex and are three years old this year. They just started kindergarten.”

Xiao Lou was very worried. “There was a sudden broadcast to find a doctor. I don’t know the condition of these children.”

Dinner time on the train was more chaotic. The middle aisle was filled with people walking back and forth carrying instant noodles. The two people passed sideways and soon arrived at the 6th carriage.

Yu Hanjiang strode to the door of Room 4.

He saw the young couple full of anxiety. The woman was holding her three year old son and the child’s face was blue, his body twitching violently. Xiao Lou immediately followed and asked, “What’s the matter?”

The woman cried. “I just fed the child and the child suddenly became like this…”

A foreign body must’ve been inhaled into the trachea, causing the suffocation spasms.

Xiao Lou was also a doctor and understood what was going on based on the child’s appearance. He went forward to help but the next moment, he saw a person rush over. “What’s the situation? What happened to the child?”

It was actually Jing Weiguang of the 4th carriage.

Xiao Lou hadn’t reacted yet when Jing Weiguang rushed through the gap between him and Yu Hanjiang into Room 4. “Give me the child!”

The woman’s eyes were red as she looked at the young man’s messy clothes and asked, “You are?”

“I am an emergency doctor. Give me the child.”

It was like the woman was grasping onto straw as she immediately handed the child over to him and hurriedly explained what happened.

Once Jing Weiguang heard this, he held the 3 year old boy from behind and opened the child’s clothes. He calmly stretched out his right hand, his right hand in a fist that was two finger lengths above the child’s navel. Then he wrapped his left hand around his right hand and quickly struck hard against the back.

The purple-faced child was hit five times in a row and suddenly coughed.

A fingernail sized raisin was coughed out and the child’s face and breathing gradually returned to normal. He had clearly been suffering and let out a cry.

Jing Weiguang handed the child back to the woman and warned, “Be careful when feeding the child, especially when the child is crying. It is easy for food to be sucked into the trachea. If this happens again, you can give first aid like I did just now.”

The woman coaxed her son and looked gratefully at him. “Thank you, thank you! Thank you so much!”

Her husband also grabbed Jing Weiguang’s hand. “Thank you, Doctor! What is your name and what hospital? Once we go back, we must visit and send you a banner!”

Jing Weiguang’s face slightly reddened and he hurriedly waved his hand. “No, there is no need. Cough, it is nothing. I’ll go back first.”

He turned and ran quickly, leaving Xiao Lou and Yu Hanjiang to face each other.

Yu Hanjiang went over to make sure that the child wasn’t in danger before turning around.

Many passengers had come over to watch and they exclaimed, “Such a good person!” “This little friend is lucky that there happened to be a doctor on the train…”

Xiao Lou whispered in Yu Hanjiang’s ear, “He is Jing Weiguang who showed up later. I didn’t expect him to actually be a doctor.”

Just now, Jing Weiguang used the common emergency ‘Heimlich Maneuver.’ The technique was ‘scissors, stones, cloth.’ The scissors referred to the position of two fingers above the navel. The stone was to hold one hand into a fist in this position. Cloth was to wrap around the stone like a cloth with the other hand. Then hit quickly five times a round until the child coughed up the foreign body.

The principle of this first air method was to increase the pressure of the abdominal cavity so that the diaphragm elevated. This increased the pressure in the chest so that the foreign matter was discharged. A child could accidentally inhale things into the trachea by mistake when eating. If first air wasn’t timely then it could be fatal.

Jing Weiguang ran to Room 4 to save the child and told the relevant people that he was a doctor.

Xiao Lou was thoughtful. “In the 8th row, the two females are studying medicine. Yue Xiaoquan is studying clinical medicine and Mo Jiaran nursing. So many medical professions appearing on the train isn’t a coincidence.

Yu Hanjiang said, “Perhaps the killing method in this secret room is special. If there are no medical related profession among the challengers, there is no way to solve the mystery. Therefore, there are so many doctors in the secret room. If the challengers don’t understand something, they can go ask Jing Weiguang?”

Jing Weiguang was a doctor acting alone and wasn’t likely to be the deceased or the murderer.

Now it seemed that the existence of Jing Weiguang was more like a NPC assisting the relevant people in judging medical knowledge.