Editing Blizzardous Threads of Red Main Story 3-1: Secluded Villa

{{Stage
|gameMode=Event
|stageType=Story
|name={{PAGENAME}}
|previousStage=Blizzardous Threads of Red Main Story 2-3: Hidden Bewilderment
|nextStage=Blizzardous Threads of Red Main Story 3-2: The Third Mystery
|stageCost=None
|firstClearReward={{Item icon|Holly Stationery}} x300
|unlock=
|guide=
===Script===
{{Script
|scriptHeader=Secluded Villa (1/4) - Villa Garden
|characterLinks=You!Main Character,Luke!Luke Pearce,Artem!Artem Wing,Vyn!Vyn Richter,Marius!Marius von Hagen
|script=
{{Float|{{Background location|name=Villa Garden|location=Blizzard Villa|image=Blizzard Villa - Courtyard (Snow).png}}}}
''Go to the Villa Garden to progress the story.''

The snow outside is getting worse, showing no sign of letting up.

Looking out from the villa, you find yourselves trapped on a lone island in a vast sea of snow.

{{SL|Marius|Nope, I still can't connect to the internet.}}
{{SL|Luke|Someone must be blocking the signal in the entire villa including its perimeter.}}
{{SL|You|...Looks like we have to find the device first.}}
{{SL|Artem|We don't have a way to deal with the reception problem, so we'll have to try something else.}}
{{SL|Vyn|So... what do you think we should do about Sam Zhang?}}
{{SL|You|...}}
Vyn is talking about the thing that happened yesterday.

{{Float|{{Background location|name=Villa Dining Room|location=Blizzard Villa|image=Blizzard Villa - Indoors (Lit).png}}}}
{{SL|Shantel Pan|Everyone, I know who the killer is.}}
It is mealtime and everyone is gathered in the dining room.

For some reason, Shantel Pan suddenly raises her arms in the air and shouts so that all eyes are on her.

{{SL|Shantel Pan|It's Sam Zhang! He killed Mr. Zeng with an insulin injection!}}
She points at Sam Zhang solemnly.

Everyone turns to look at Sam Zhang, who was sitting in the corner.

Sam Zhang freezes in shock, his face going white while holding the cutlery.

{{SL|Shantel Pan|Mr. Zeng, who had only met with Sam Zhang alone before his death, was killed by an insulin overdose shortly afterward.}}
{{SL|Shantel Pan|Sam Zhang has genetic diabetes and carries a lot of insulin injections around with him!}}
{{SL|Shantel Pan|So he's the most suspicious in all this!}}
{{SL|Artem|!!!}}
{{SL|Luke|What's going on? How did this clue get leaked?}}
{{SL|Vyn|Could it be...}}
You turn your head and look in the other direction.

In the corner, Tony keeps his head down, afraid to even look at you.

{{SL|You|It really was him...}}
{{SL|Marius|Bad move. I thought he would weigh the pros and cons and decide against saying anything.}}
Chaos ensues on the other side of the dining hall.

{{SL|Mr. Qian|Think about it. Didn't Sam Zhang say Mr. Zeng was in possession of his family's heirloom?}}
{{SL|Mr. Qian|Sam Zhang must have killed Mr. Zeng because he wasn't willing to sell it back!}}
{{SL|Sam Zhang|Stop slandering other people! I didn't!}}
{{SL|Mason|I think that's believable.}}
{{SL|Bernard Yang|Me too.}}
{{SL|Mr. Qian|And there's also something suspicious about our boss' death. Did you kill him too!?}}
{{SL|Shantel Pan|It's hard to rule out death by insulin overdose. An autopsy must be done to confirm it.}}
{{SL|Shantel Pan|I think there's more to Elijah's death... than meets the eyes.}}
{{SL|Shantel Pan|Maybe he killed Elijah too. We need to get Sam Zhang out of here!}}
{{SL|Mr. Qian|Lock him up! And we'll hand him over to the police when they come!}}
The guests close in on Sam Zhang, like hunters to a lone wolf that has strayed into a herd of sheep.

No matter how he tries to explain, the other guests wouldn't listen.

Finally, Butler Winters comes out to maintain order and temporarily invites him to a separate guest room.

Winters promises that staff will deliver food and water to Sam Zhang until the police come to investigate.

{{Float|{{Background location|name=|location=Blizzard Villa|image=Blizzard Villa - Courtyard (Snow).png}}}}
{{SL|You|In fact, it isn't only Sam Zhang who is suspicious. There are still many things about Mr. Yin that need to be cleared up.}}
{{SL|You|If Sam Zhang is the killer, what is his motive for killing Mr. Yin?}}
{{SL|Vyn|These are the keys to solving the case, but it is not the truth the guests want to know.}}
{{SL|You|Really!?}}
{{SL|Vyn|After so many days in a closed environment, they have no hope or way out...}}
{{SL|Vyn|Right now, some people just want to comfort themselves.}}
{{SL|Vyn|It does not matter whether Sam Zhang is the real killer or not. What matters is this result will reassure them.}}
{{SL|Vyn|"The killer has been caught, so I will be safe from now on."}}
{{SL|You|But...}}
{{SL|Vyn|Flight is an instinct.}}
{{SL|You|...I can understand, but I don't agree with it.}}
{{SL|Artem|Indeed, false truth is meaningless.}}
{{SL|Artem|If we can't find real answers, then we will be in a constant state of fear.}}
{{SL|Luke|[Player], I'll accompany you to find the truth.}}
{{SL|Marius|Yeah, it's just a little more complicated this time, but that won't hold us back from finding out the truth.}}
{{SL|You|Yes, I believe in us.}}
Comforted by their words, your heart gradually warms up. You no longer hesitate.

But then...

{{SL|???|I can't take it anymore... I have to get off the mountain. Now!}}
{{SL|???|We will all die if we stay here!}}
{{SL|???|There's something wrong with the fengshui of the Zeng Family. Yuchen Town wasn't like this until they came...}}
A faint cry comes from a woman behind the old trees that adorn the garden.

{{SL|You|(Fengshui? The Zeng family?)}}
You faintly hear a few key words.

{{SL|Luke|I think something's going on over there... Shall we go take a look?}}
{{SL|You|Yeah!}}
}}
{{Script
|scriptHeader=Secluded Villa (2/4) - Villa Garden
|script=
{{Float|{{Background location|name=Villa Garden|location=Blizzard Villa|image=Blizzard Villa - Courtyard (Snow).png}}}}
''There seems to be a woman crying under the old tree. Go ask what happened.''

Under an old tree, a woman stands dejected in the snow.

{{SL|You|(It's... Casey Cao?)}}
You remember her. She's a local resident that came with Mr. Ji to Yuchen Town.

Casey Cao looks cautiously as you approach.

{{SL|Casey Cao|What are you doing?}}
{{SL|You|What's going on, Ms. Cao?}}
{{SL|Casey Cao|*sigh* I'm upset... Mimi doesn't believe me, and they all think I'm spouting nonsense.}}
{{SL|Casey Cao|But... But with everything that has happened... How could I be overthinking this?}}
{{SL|Casey Cao|Maybe it was the Zeng family who provoked the snow beast, and that's why we're stuck here!}}
{{SL|You|The snow beast!?}}
You remember Casey Cao mentioning the snow beast on more than one occasion.

After what happened to Elijah Yin and Mevis Zeng, she said something along the lines of "the snow beast sucked their souls"...

But what does all this have to do with the Zeng family?

{{SL|You|Ms. Cao, can you elaborate?}}
{{SL|Casey Cao|You... You believe me?}}
{{SL|You|Yes, I believe you.}}
{{SL|Casey Cao|Okay then. I'll tell you everything I know...}}
{{SC
|choice1=Myths of the snow beast
|script1=
{{SL|Artem|Ms. Cao, can you please elaborate on the so-called snow beast?}}
{{SL|Casey Cao|The snow beast... It's a divine beast from ancient times. It is Lady Qingnu's mount.}}
{{SL|You|Lady Qingnu?}}
{{SL|Artem|Lady Qingnu is the legendary goddess of snow and ice. But her mount...}}
{{SL|Artem|The original legends do not mention her mount.}}
{{SL|Casey Cao|Yes, people in Yuchen Town used to worship Lady Qingnu every winter.}}
{{SL|Casey Cao|Lady Qingnu rides her snow beast down to earth every winter to bring us snow.}}
{{SL|Casey Cao|The thicker the snow in winter, the better the crops will grow in spring.}}
{{SL|Casey Cao|But... Nowadays, people don't believe in the legends anymore, and many of them neglect coming back to worship Lady Qingnu.}}
{{SL|Casey Cao|So, this custom was slowly lost to time and forgotten by everyone.}}
{{SL|Casey Cao|But then... Something bad happened to us here.}}
}}
{{SC
|choice1=Follow-ups
|script1=
{{SL|Luke|What happened?}}
{{SL|Casey Cao|It started during a snowstorm in Yuchen Town one winter... Some people disappeared in the forests in the mountains.}}
{{SL|Casey Cao|At first, it was some young girls, but then young men too, and then old people started to disappear... People from all walks of life slowly disappeared.}}
{{SL|Casey Cao|And it didn't just happen in the winter, it started happening in summer during rain storms too...}}
{{SL|Casey Cao|*sigh* All because people in our town stopped worshiping Lady Qingnu.}}
{{SL|Casey Cao|After Lady Qingnu left... the snow beast, without its master, has been left to wander the mountain forests...}}
{{SL|Casey Cao|It has no consecrated food ... In order to not starve to death, it has been forced to attack passers-by—eating the souls of people.}}
{{SL|You|That's impossible. Maybe... it was just people having accidents.}}
{{SL|Casey Cao|No, it's true. Over the past few decades, people have gone missing.}}
{{SL|Casey Cao|Look, there were two murder cases at the mountain lodge.}}
{{SL|Casey Cao|You all blame those cases on simple murder. But I think... It's more likely that the snow beast has taken their souls away... *sigh*}}
}}
{{SC
|choice1=Relationship with the Zeng family
|script1=
{{SL|You|By the way, Ms. Cao...}}
{{SL|You|I just heard you mentioned the Zeng family... You said it was the Zeng family that attracted the snow beast, right?}}
{{SL|Casey Cao|Yes! I forgot to add that the Zeng family came to our town about 50 years ago...}}
{{SL|Casey Cao|Since then people have been disappearing... one after another.}}
{{SL|Casey Cao|The older generations believe that the Zeng family had offended the mountain gods by remodeling the old house, and that's why the snow beast was released.}}
{{SL|Casey Cao|Unfortunately, Mr. Ji does not believe us. He always finds excuses for the Zeng family. *sigh*}}
{{SL|Marius|About fifty years ago?}}
{{SL|Marius|Has someone been missing for the past fifty years?}}
{{SL|Casey Cao|Yes, people have gone missing every year since I can remember.}}
{{SL|Casey Cao|Of course, I heard the previous stories before I was born from my father... But according to my observations, I think what he said is true!}}
{{SL|You|(For all these years, people been going missing in town? That's really strange... )}}
}}
{{SL|Casey Cao|What else do you want to know?}}
{{SL|You|Well... That's all for now, Ms. Cao. Your explanation tells us more about this situation.}}
{{SL|Casey Cao|Oh, you're welcome. I just needed someone to talk to and blow off some steam.}}
{{SL|Casey Cao|Not to mention, I feel a lot better after talking to you.}}
{{SL|Casey Cao|You don't need to persuade me. I know none of us can leave the mountain. It can't be helped...}}
{{SL|Casey Cao|I will take care of myself.}}
{{SL|You|(Uh... She ended up comforting herself.)}}
}}
{{Script
|scriptHeader=Secluded Villa (3/4) - Villa Garden
|script=
{{Float|{{Background location|name=Villa Garden|location=Blizzard Villa|image=Blizzard Villa - Villa Garden RPG map.png}}}}
''What Casey Cao said seems to reflect what's happened... Discuss this in detail with NXX members.''

{{SL|You|According to Ms. Cao, people frequently go missing in Yuchen Town. Does this... have anything to do with the Zeng Family?}}
{{SL|Luke|Yuchen Town is close to the north, and the climate here is quite peculiar. There are blizzards in the winter and heavy rain in the summer.}}
{{SL|Luke|It's true that people often encounter dangers when walking on mountain roads...}}
{{SL|Artem|But according to her, a dozen of people go missing every year, which is unusual.}}
{{SL|Marius|However, without access to the internet, we have no way of verifying her story.}}
{{SL|You|Right...}}
{{SL|Vyn|Let us assume that Casey Cao is right about all this.}}
{{SL|Vyn|A lot of people go missing every year in Yuchen Town... What do you all make of it?}}
{{SL|You|I suspect that it might not be an accident.}}
{{SL|You|Every time there is a missing person case, people react by blaming natural disasters or the legendary snow beast...}}
{{SL|Luke|In doing so, they may have overlooked the real cause of the cases.}}
{{SL|Artem|Yuchen Town's climate means blizzards in the winter. But the people only started going missing after the Zeng Family moved in.}}
{{SL|Artem|The so-called snow beast aside, it is worth investigating...}}
{{SL|Marius|Yes, it's indeed strange...}}
What seems to have nothing to do with the Zeng family is strangely connected. Is it really just a coincidence?

Just as you're about to say something, you catch a glimpse of a shadow passing by...

{{SL|You|Eh!?}}
{{SL|Luke|What is it?}}
{{SL|You|I saw a person running toward the backyard. I think it was... Tony!?}}
{{SL|Luke|Come on, let's go after him!}}
}}
{{Script
|scriptHeader=Secluded Villa (4/4) - Villa Garden
|script=
{{Float|{{Background location|name=Villa Garden|location=Blizzard Villa|image=Blizzard Villa - Courtyard (Snow).png}}}}
''Tony seemed to run toward the Villa Backyard. Chase him!''

{{SL|Luke|Stop right there!}}
You all intercept Tony just as he is about to enter the backyard.

{{SL|Tony|...E-everyone, let's talk it out.}}
{{SL|You|What are you doing?}}
{{SL|Tony|Nothing! Just... looking around.}}
Tony rubs his hands together as a show of weakness and his willingness to talk.

{{SL|Artem|Considering what's here, your "looking around" isn't as simple as you claim it is.}}
{{SL|Vyn|We both know what is in the room ahead of us, right?}}
The spare room in the backyard is being used as a temporary room to store the body. The guests avoid it at all costs.

Tony came alone with the sole purpose of doing something here.

{{SL|Marius|What's wrong? What big story are you after this time?}}
{{SL|Tony|I was really just looking around.}}
{{SL|You|So you were going to take a picture. The camera on your phone is still on...}}
Startled, Tony looks down and locks his screen.

{{SL|Marius|Sorry, we're not letting you go there, otherwise, you'll go leaking information again.}}
{{SL|Marius|And then, the killer will know everything before we figure things out.}}
Tony's face stiffens again at the mention of what happened in the hall that day. He tries to talk his way out again.

{{SL|Tony|Sorry, before, I... my lips were loose.}}
{{SL|Tony|Who knows how it got out and how it got so widely known... *sigh*...}}
{{SL|You|Who exactly did you tell about what we found?}}
{{SL|Tony|Ugh... That day in the dining hall, I saw Butler Winters in a bad mood, and I was just trying to comfort him...}}
{{SL|Tony|And then somehow...}}
{{SL|Tony|*sigh* I blame my loose lips. There were many people in the dining hall that might have overheard me.}}
{{SL|Tony|I regretted it immediately after. It's all my fault...}}
{{SL|Luke|So you're not here to make amends and help us with our investigation?}}
{{SL|Marius|Or did you just want to take some more photos to enrich your big story?}}
Maybe Marius has too much experience dealing with reporters like Tony.

Tony is barely able to come up with a retort. Instead, he scratches his head, embarrassed for having been seen through.

{{SL|Tony|I have a piece of secret information that no one knows about.}}
{{SL|Tony|How about I tell you all about it to make up for what I did?}}
Marius looks back at you, and you nod to indicate that you want to know what he has to say.

{{SL|Marius|What information do you have?}}
{{SL|Tony|The Zeng family is a family of collectors. It's rare for their family to meet people, and their business is done in secret.}}
{{SL|Tony|I was curious why the Zeng family would suddenly be interested in inviting so many people to the so-called auction...}}
{{SL|Luke|Get to the point.}}
{{SL|Tony|Haven't you noticed? Most of the guests here are connected with each other!}}
{{SL|Tony|Shantel Pan and Elijah Yin had business dealings with the Zeng family. Sam Zhang and Mr. Ji had many years of friendship with the family.}}
{{SL|Tony|Oh, and Dr. Lee was also a frequent visitor of the Zeng family...}}
{{SL|You|Dr. Lee!?}}
{{SL|Tony|Yes, Dr. Lee visits the Blizzard Villa several times a month. Don't you all find that strange?}}
{{SL|You|...}}
You remember the day of Mevis Zeng's accident when the young nurse voiced her concerns about Dr. Lee.

Dr. Lee and Mevis Zeng... Maybe there's a secret connection there?

Everyone looks at each other, thinking about the connection between Tony's message and the killings.

{{SL|Tony|Well, this juicy piece of information makes up for what I did, right?}}
{{SL|Tony|That's all I've got, so I'll take my leave now!}}
Tony slips away like a puff of smoke while all of you are unaware.

It's as if he thought you would catch him if he was even one second slower.

{{SL|Luke|Wait!}}
{{SL|Vyn|He is already gone...}}
{{SL|Marius|That guy...}}
{{SL|Artem|Leave him be for now. I think... we need to discuss what he told us.}}
{{SL|You|Yeah, I think so too.}}
}}
|summary=
|locations=
|evidence=
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 |nextStage=Blizzardous Threads of Red Main Story 3-2: The Third Mystery
 |stageCost=None
-|firstClearReward={{Currency|Astral Memory}} x50
+|firstClearReward={{Item icon|Holly Stationery}} x300
-|originalFirstClear={{Item icon|Holly Stationery}} x300
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@@ Line 295: / Line 294: @@
 |locations=
 |evidence=
-|characters=
-{{Character|name=Marius von Hagen|image=Marius character icon 7.png}}
-{{Character|name=Luke Pearce|image=Luke character icon 9.png}}
-{{Character|name=Artem Wing|image=Artem character icon 9.png}}
-{{Character|name=Vyn Richter|image=Vyn character icon 7.png}}
-{{Character|name=Shantel Pan|image=Boss 3 Winter character icon.png|nolink=true}}
-{{Character|name=Mr. Qian|image=Middle-age M2 character icon.png|nolink=true}}
-{{Character|name=Sam Zhang|image=Middle-age M character icon.png|nolink=true}}
-{{Character|name=Casey Cao|image=Boss 18 Winter character icon.png|nolink=true}}
-{{Character|name=Tony|image=Boss 4 Winter character icon.png|nolink=true}}
 }}