Blizzardous Threads of Red Main Story 1-3: Suspicious Danger
Overview
- Stage Cost: None
- First Clear Rewards:
Astral Memory x50
- Note - During its initial limited run, this stage's first clear reward was:
Holly Stationery x300
Guide
- Hover to view spoiler content.
Script
Villa Dining Room
There are still many questions surrounding Elijah Yin's death. Walk around the Villa Hall to get some information from the others.
Mason: Contracts, approval documents... *sigh* There's so many documents in his bag.
You: (He seemed to be sorting through Elijah Yin's belongings...)
Mason: Wait! How many pills are missing from the pillbox?
Mason: Did Mr. Yin accidentally take more medication...
Artem: Hello, my name is Artem, and this is my partner [Player]. We are attorneys from the Themis Law Firm in Stellis.
Artem: Sorry, could we see the pillbox in your hand?
Mason: You're both attorneys? Well, here...
You: Oh? This is a smart pillbox.
You: This kind of smart pillbox can help organize the medicine, as well as remind the owner to take medicine on time.
Artem: Yes... this slot has a reminder to take the medicine before bedtime.
Mason: Yes, our boss always takes his medicine on time, as ordered by his doctor.
Mason: This slot should be for tonight, before bedtime. Why is it already empty...
Mason: Maybe the boss dropped it by mistake?
You: ...
Artem: ...
Artem: Hello, can I take this pillbox with me for closer inspection?
Artem: There's something I need to confirm.
Mason: Are you investigating our boss' death?
You: Yes, there are many questions surrounding Mr. Yin's death that we're trying to clear up.
Mason: I heard attorneys from the Themis Law Firm are really good. Well... here, take it.
Mason: Be careful not to damage it, and remember to return it later.
You: Don't worry, we will.
(Obtain evidence: Smart Pill Organizer)
Rachael: *sigh* It's a shame... What a waste that so much grapefruit juice has to be thrown out.
Rachael: Can I sneak a sip? The butler won't know, right?
You: You have to throw it all out? But it looks to be freshly made...
Rachael: I don't know. The butler just told me to throw it all out.
Rachael: Mr. Yin just drank it. *sigh* The guests probably don't want to touch anything that he has had.
Luke: He drank grapefruit juice?
Rachael: Yes, just... shortly before the accident...
Rachael: And, he drank half the jug by himself.
Rachael: When I saw him, he was red in the face. He asked me for cold drinks since he was too hot in the bath.
Rachael: The kitchen had just brought out the cold grapefruit juice at the time, so I brought it to him.
Luke: ...
Luke: I remember Elijah Yin had a history of hypertension. That means he needed to take blood pressure medication every day.
You: Maybe... What's wrong with that?
Luke: Well... Grapefruit juice has been known to prolong the effects of blood pressure medication, thus increasing its effect.
Luke: If Elijah Yin drank that much grapefruit juice while taking his blood pressure medication...
Luke: It's likely that it slowed down his metabolism and caused symptoms of low blood pressure.
You: It's that serious!?
Luke: Yes.
Luke: In serious cases, it might even cause angina, myocardial infarction, or even death...
You: !!!
You: (Could this be the reason for Elijah Yin's cardiac arrest?)
Mr. Qian: What am I going to tell my colleagues when I get back...
Mr. Qian: Poor Mr. Yin. You were fine in the bath just now! *sigh* How could you be gone all of a sudden...
Vyn: Did Elijah Yin really take a bath!?
Vyn: Can you please elaborate? How long and when did he take it?
You: (I remember Mr. Qian saying that Elijah Yin really loves taking baths...)
Mr. Qian: Erm... It was probably after the argument with that woman.
Mr. Qian: Our boss was furious, so he said he needed to take a bath to calm his nerves.
Mr. Qian: I'm not sure how long he was in the bath, but at least an hour?
Mr. Qian: Our boss likes to take baths to stay healthy. He said it dilates blood vessels and relieves high blood pressure...
Vyn: ...
You: (Vyn's expression is terribly twisted. Could... something be up?)
Vyn: All right, I understand now.
You: Dr. Richter, what's up?
Vyn: Hot baths will dilate the blood vessels, which drastically reduces blood pressure.
Vyn: Elijah Yin had a history of hypertension. This means his vascular elasticity and his self-regulation of blood pressure were poor...
Vyn: Under these circumstances, a prolonged soak in hot water might lead to sudden shock and even death.
You: You suspect that may have been the cause of his accidental death?
Vyn: No. I am saying it is a possibility... but the details...
Vyn falls silent and frowns, deep in thought.
Villa Hall
Casey Cao: Oh no, oh no! I'm screwed this time!
Casey Cao: The snow beast must be furious... We're all dead meat *sobs*...
Mimi: Calm down! Snow beast? What are you going on about?
Casey Cao: Didn't you see? That man who died suddenly... I mean, it looked like the snow beast had taken his soul away.
Casey Cao: How scary! Who knows if we'll be next? I don't want my soul to be taken!
You: Snow beast? What's that?
Marius: It's a local legend in Yuchen Town.
Marius: It is said that a monster called the snow beast will attack passersby in the mountains every winter.
Marius: Those who are attacked look like they've fallen asleep, but their souls have been devoured by the snow beast.
Casey Cao: Yes, yes! It's just like what that guy said. That man's soul must have been devoured by the snow beast!
Mimi: That's ridiculous. What snow beast... Stop that nonsense.
Casey Cao: It's not nonsense! I'm serious. There used to be snow beast incidents in Yuchen Town several times a year... I saw it!
Mimi: Shh, don't talk nonsense! If you keep that up, Mr. Ji will blame you.
Villa Dining Room
After investigating, there are still many questions surrounding Elijah Yin's death. Calm down and sort through the clues first.
Marius: With a history of high blood pressure, Elijah Yin took a hot bath and then drank a lot of grapefruit juice...
Marius: With so many precipitating factors, it's hard to imagine that an accident wouldn't happen.
After summarizing all the information, Marius is the first to comment.
Vyn: Do you not think that these are too many coincidences?
Vyn follows right after Marius, raising his own doubts.
Artem: You mean...
Vyn: If it was just one cause, then it might have just been a coincidence. So many factors coming together seem to be a deliberate act.
Vyn: It is as if someone was afraid Elijah Yin would survive, so they took extra precautions.
Vyn turns to Luke.
Vyn: I remember you have one of those quick chemical testing devices, right?
Luke: Yes, I brought it this time.
Vyn: Please check the fruit juice on the table to see if there is anything special in it.
Vyn points to the grapefruit juice that Elijah Yin drank before.
The staff, Rachael, was ordered to pour it all out, but she is currently helping a guest tidy something.
The juice is still in the jug on the table.
Luke: Sure.
Luke takes out an instrument about the size of his palm. Above the electronic screen is a dropper-like device.
You are quite familiar with the device. He used the same device to test the residual drug powder in Penny's Comfort Foods.
You: (How nostalgic! I haven't seen Luke use it in a while.)
You: (But how does Vyn know that Luke has a device like this on him?)
As you ponder, the results from Luke's device come out.
Luke: ...The grapefruit juice contains blood pressure medication...
Artem: !!!
Artem takes out the smart pillbox and hands it to Luke.
This pillbox was found in Elijah Yin's belongings. It's missing two doses of blood pressure medication.
These two pills were to be taken tonight before bedtime.
Artem: Please compare the blood pressure medication in the pillbox with the traces found in the juice.
Luke: All right...
Luke performs the test again, then nods in confirmation.
Luke: It's a match.
You: That means... someone might have put the two pills inside the grapefruit juice.
Vyn: With a history of high blood pressure, Elijah Yin drank a lot of grapefruit juice after taking a hot bath for an hour...
Vyn: If you say these are all accidental coincidences, then...
He takes a quick look at the smart pillbox, which is missing two pills.
Vyn: The traces of blood pressure medication in the grapefruit juice is not an accident.
Vyn: A glass of grapefruit juice might not trigger symptoms of low blood pressure, but the blood pressure medication will.
Artem: Drinking grapefruit juice after a hot bath can already cause a sudden drop in blood pressure. Now with the addition of the medication...
Artem: The combination of these factors led to Elijah Yin's sudden cardiac arrest.
You: So, this wasn't an accident. It was murder!
Marius: Then, the next question is... Who did it?
Luke: ...How was the killer able to carry out his plan quietly in the villa?
You: Could it be Shantel Pan? But wasn't her falling out with Elijah Yin... too obvious?
Artem: Yeah...
Artem: I suggest we find Mr. Qian again to confirm Elijah Yin's situation.
Artem: Maybe we might find some information that we overlooked before.
You: Yes, let's go find him now.
Elijah Yin's death was not an accident. Ask Mr. Qian and others about what happened back then.
Mr. Qian: There's something wrong with that Shantel Pan!
Mr. Qian: So, what have you got? Tell me. Do you have any evidence that this woman murdered our boss?
Because of its importance, you haven't told Mr. Qian about what your group has learned...
He only knows a vague explanation of the suspicious circumstances of Elijah Yin's death.
Unexpectedly, Mr. Qian immediately gets worked up upon hearing that Elijah Yin's death was suspicious.
You: Mr. Qian, please calm down and listen to us first...
Artem: The snow is too heavy outside, and there's no way of telling when it will stop.
Artem: If we can't contact the outside world, we will need to remain at the villa for days.
Artem: As an attorney, I would like to know more about Mr. Yin's life...
Artem: To make it easier to cooperate with the police when they come.
Artem: Also, if your firm needs legal assistance, Themis Law Firm will be happy to assist you.
Mr. Qian's eyes light up as soon as Artem hands out his business card.
A shrewd businessman never turns down an opportunity.
Mr. Qian: So you want to help the police collect evidence? I understand. Attorneys are more rigorous.
Mr. Qian: Okay then, ask me anything you want.
You: Could you tell me the exact reason why Mr. Yin and Ms. Pan had an argument?
Mr. Qian: The reason? Well, because that woman stole our business.
Mr. Qian: Our company specializes in transportation...
Mr. Qian: People like the Zeng family, who are located in remote areas and have to do business, often use our company's transportation services.
Mr. Qian: Anyway, a few years ago when Mr. Nolan Zeng was still alive, the Zeng family always had dealings with us.
Mr. Qian: Mr. Zeng once gave our boss a gift. Let me look for it...
Mr. Qian pulls out an antique jade pendant from his collection. Mr. Qian: Look... My boss said that whoever has the jade pendant will be able to work with the Zeng family for a long time.
Mr. Qian: But last year, that woman... Well, she also opened a transportation company and took a big chunk of our business from us.
Mr. Qian: She didn't obey the business rules. She was just doing whatever she wanted.
You: (Mr. Qian's getting worked up again.)
Artem: This jade pendant... Can you give it to us for evidence and allow us to keep it for a while?
Mr. Qian: I'm sure you won't try to steal from me, considering you are a lawyer. Yeah, you can keep it.
You: ...Is there some personal grudge between Mr. Yin and Ms. Pan?
Mr. Qian: Well... I heard from my boss that there was an apparent conflict between them when they were young.
Mr. Qian: But my boss didn't tell me the whole story.
Mr. Qian: In short, the woman hated our boss. She always tried to create problems for him.
You: (It seems that the relationship between those two was quite complicated.)
You: What does the Zeng family's antique business have to do with that transportation company ...?
Mr. Qian: The Zeng family has a wide-reaching business network. They needed our help with the transportation.
Mr. Qian: It gets tons of orders every month. Here...
Mr. Qian looks down, takes out a stack of documents from his briefcase and hands them to you. Mr. Qian: This is their shipping order for this year.
Marius: It's a paper document?
Mr. Qian: Yes, the Zeng family is very old-fashioned.
Mr. Qian: They never accept electronic documents. All transaction documents are printed out on paper.
Marius: When there are bad signals, paper documents are more convenient for looking things up.
You: Yes... Sometimes paper documents are the most reliable.
Mr. Qian: Do you have any other questions?
Mr. Qian: If not, I have other things to do... *sigh* With our boss gone, I have much work to do.
You: Not at the moment. Thank you, Mr. Qian.
Artem: Can we go through the information first and come back to you if we have any questions later?
Mr. Qian: Yes, I'll let you get to it then.
Mr. Qian: *sigh*... Just don't mess up my company's documents.
You: Okay, we'll be careful.
(Obtain evidence: The Zeng's Jade Pendant, Logistics Company Records)
Villa Garden
Go someplace quiet and sort out the clues with the NXX members.
After Mr. Qian leaves, you all get together to sort out the clues you've gathered so far.
You all gather at a remote garden, afraid that your discussion might get overheard.
The deserted corner of the villa feels much safer despite how chilly it is outside due to the snow.
Artem: Let's start with the clues we've gathered so far.
Artem: A short while ago, we found out that Elijah Yin, the boss of a logistics company that attended the auction, had died of sudden cardiac arrest.
Luke: Our investigation revealed that his death was not an accident but the result of deliberate planning.
You: Yes, the killer might have been familiar with Elijah Yin's habits and knew that he loved to take hot baths.
You: After taking a bath, Elijah Yin drank the grapefruit juice, dosed with blood pressure medication, which induced hypotension and caused death.
You: And the killer could still be at the villa.
Blizzard Villa is deep in the mountains and isolated from the rest of the world.
The blizzard has blocked the path down the mountain with snow, making it almost impossible to enter the villa.
You are inclined to believe that the killer had mingled with the other guests and seized the opportunity to kill Elijah Yin.
Vyn: As far as we know, the person who had a grudge against Elijah Yin is Shantel Pan.
Vyn: Moreover, Shantel Pan was the first witness to Elijah Yin's death.
You: Technically, that makes her our prime suspect, but...
Marius: But it's too obvious.
Marius: She's an obvious target, telling others that she is most likely the killer if Elijah Yin died.
Luke: Yeah, I guess... Shantel Pan isn't stupid enough to make herself so obvious, is she?
Artem: Yes, that makes her less of a suspect.
Marius: One more thing. Look at this transaction record provided by Mr. Qian...
Marius takes out the transaction documents that he got from Mr. Qian and points them out to all of you.
Marius: Their orders have been gradually decreasing year by year.
Marius: This year, their orders have fallen by more than half...
Marius: Under these circumstances, Elijah Yin's company was already operating in the red. No wonder he was worried.
You: Mr. Qian mentioned that it was Shantel Pan who stole many of their customers after she opened her own company.
You: Then, Shantel Pan stands to benefit...
Marius: Even if Shantel Pan stands to benefit from it, she has no reason to kill Elijah Yin.
Marius: She didn't stand to gain anything by killing Elijah Yin, right?
Artem: I agree.
Artem: So it's possible that the killer is using Shantel Pan as a distraction.
You: But who else would have the motive to murder Elijah Yin besides Shantel Pan?
Could it be Mr. Qian? Or... is there another unknown factor that you don't know about?
Luke: Everyone, I've spotted another problem in the transaction records.
You: What is it?
Luke: Generally speaking, antiques are different from other goods. You wouldn't buy a dozen antiques, several times a day.
Vyn: Yes. Antiques depend largely on personal preference. No one purchases antiques like how they shop for vegetables at the market.
Luke: But look at this record... Someone bought twenty antiques on this day.
Luke: And the name of the antique is "glass flowerpot." Isn't that strange?
You: ...Look here. Someone bought thirty white glazed vases in one day.
You all carefully look over the transaction records once more, only to discover more irregularities.
Luke: Why is the Zeng family engaged in so many transactions? What is the purpose of this auction?
Luke: At this moment... I have my suspicions.
Marius: You suspect Mevis Zeng?
Luke: Yes, as the master of this villa, he knows more about the situation than anyone else.
Luke: And... He is Elijah Yin's acquaintance too, isn't he?
Vyn: ...If so, then things have just got complicated.
Right now, no one is able to escape the villa or contact the outside world, which means Mevis Zeng is in control of everything you do.
If that's the case, then things will quickly get out of hand.
Marius: Let me try contacting the outside world again...
With that, Marius takes out his tablet and taps gently on the screen.
You: This is...
Marius: I'm checking to see if we can connect to Pax's satellite signal.
You: Satellite signal!?
Marius: If I can connect, then we will be able to contact the outside world, and we don't have to wait for the reception to come back.
Marius taps the screen two more times...
Then a few more times.
His expression grows harder with each tap, his eyebrows pinched together into a frown.
Vyn: Are you unable to connect to it?
Marius: I can't even locate the source of the signal, let alone connect to it.
Marius: Everyone, I don't think the Pax satellite is broken, so that means...
Marius: There's a special magnetic field blocking all the signals.
You: So the blizzard isn't the reason why we can't get reception...
You: Someone is deliberately blocking all the signals with some technology and keeping us here at the villa!?
Vyn: Who would... go through such means?
You follow Vyn's gaze.
In the white snow, the enormous villa is like a large cage firmly enclosed onto something.
It's a mystery that none of you are aware of.
Summary
Character(s)
Evidence
Smart Pill Organizer
A smart pill organizer carried by Elijah Yin. The organizer has a timer to remind the patient of when to take the medicine.
The Zeng's Jade Pendant
An old-fashioned jade pendant found in Elijah Yin's belongings. It seems to be the keepsake of the Zeng family.
Logistics Company Records
Transaction documents between Elijah Yin's logistics company and the Zeng family. As a tradition of the Zeng family, the transactions have been kept in paper documents all these years.
