Chapter 83: Countdown until the plane crashes

Translator: Abo Dammen

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Case Five: The Law of Causality 

Circular Booth, Upper Deck. Thirty-five minutes until landing.

Xu Pei took out his phone and pressed the stop recording button. “Couldn’t get anything out of her.”

The plan was simple, but execution was difficult. No matter what bait Xu Pei dangled, Mo Xin wasn’t foolish enough to reveal that the brothers had swapped places. Besides, she held hostility towards him, making it even less likely for her to slip up. 

“Currently, Mo Xin doesn’t seem to be a suspect. Her motive to kill me stems from my engagement to Zhan Gao, but the other ‘me’ had already broken off the engagement with Zhan Gao. She had no reason to attack me,” Xu Pei reported. “What about your side?”

“Sun Yamei has an alibi. She was in a video conference with company executives when the attack happened,” said He Yixun.

Zhan Gao, Qiu Wei, and Mo Xin had no apparent motive. Sun Yamei had witnesses. Everyone in the upper deck guest rooms had been ruled out. Xu Pei frowned. “So that leaves the pilot and flight attendants?”

“Sun Yamei mentioned a detail. The ‘you’ here quit coffee for drug trials.” 

“But I ordered a coffee before the attack.”

“Two possibilities,” He Yixun said. “You suddenly wanted coffee for some reason, or, the flight attendant was lying.”

Xu Pei rested his chin on one hand and supported his elbow with the other, his mind racing.

The plane’s engines roared incessantly. Outside the window, clouds drifted by intermittently, and blinding sunlight occasionally streamed in. Time ticked away, increasing the urgency to solve the case. 

“If the flight attendant wasn’t lying,” Xu Pei mused, “I probably drank the coffee to stay alert.

“Maybe I had insomnia last night because of the hearing.

“In that case, ordering coffee isn’t strange.”

“Wait.” A scene suddenly flashed in He Yixun’s mind. When he was brought to the upper deck by this world’s Xu Pei, drinks for six people were placed on the circular booth’s table. There was tea, coffee, juice… Although he couldn’t match them to individuals now, he clearly remembered that the seat in front of Xu Pei had a glass of plain water. 

“If you were feeling unwell right after boarding, you should have ordered coffee from the start. But during your negotiation with Zhan Gao, you were drinking plain water.”

Plain water…

A loose thread suddenly appeared in the tangled mess of thoughts. Xu Pei pulled on it, and some overlooked details surfaced. “We seem to have assumed I was knocked out by the killer, who then staged the suicide. But would I really not hear the killer open the door?”

A bolt lock could be faked using fishing line or magnets. Because the method wasn’t highly complex, their focus had been on the motive, not the how, causing them to overlook how the killer entered the room. 

“You’re saying the killer didn’t necessarily knock you out,” He Yixun said.

“The killer entering my room boils down to two scenarios. I knew, or I didn’t.

“If I knew, it means they knocked, and I either let them in or opened the door. This process must involve communication, like me asking who’s there. How could they ensure our conversation wasn’t overheard? And how could they guarantee knocking me out instantly without making any suspicious noise?

“Even if the plane engines are loud, it doesn’t mean others couldn’t hear anything. 

“So, you didn’t know when they entered,” He Yixun concluded.

“Mm,” Xu Pei stated the conclusion simply. “The killer drugged me.”

That explained why Xu Pei ordered coffee. With the hearing imminent, it wasn’t time to sleep.

“If that’s the case, the flight attendant is the prime suspect.” Reaching this point, He Yixun suddenly remembered the service room had notes for each passenger, including their drink orders after boarding. He added, “The pilot’s suspicion can’t be ruled out either.” 

Xu Pei checked his phone. A little over twenty minutes until landing. Time was extremely tight.

He stood up. “I’ll go find Zhan Gao.”

He Yixun grabbed his wrist. “Be careful. Call me if anything happens.”

The two split up again. 

Xu Pei went to Zhan Gao’s door, knocked twice as a symbolic gesture and directly turned the doorknob. It wasn’t that he lacked manners; firstly, it was unnecessary with Zhan Gao, and secondly, time was short—every second counted.

However, what surprised Xu Pei was that upon pushing the door open, he saw Qiu Wei leaning against the desk, with Zhan Gao standing in front of him, one hand braced on the desk, the other gripping Qiu Wei’s neck. Their faces were very close.

Two alphas standing together in this posture created an atmosphere that seemed dangerous, but also… tinged with a hint of ambiguity.

Seeing Xu Pei enter, Zhan Gao wiped the dominant expression from his face, calmly released Qiu Wei’s neck, and said with a normal demeanor, “You’re here.” 

Qiu Wei used his middle finger to push his glasses up his nose bridge, straightened his disheveled collar, said “Professor Xu,” and then left Zhan Gao’s room as if nothing had happened.

After the door closed, Xu Pei withdrew his gaze and looked at Zhan Gao. “What were you doing?”

“A minor disagreement,” Zhan Gao said without elaborating. He asked, “Did you remember who knocked you out?”

“No,” Xu Pei said, pulling over a chair and sitting down. “I’m here to discuss the marriage.” 

Zhan Gao leaned against the spot Qiu Wei had just occupied, crossed his arms, and said with interest, “You’ve finally changed your mind.”

Xu Pei said, “I need to confirm…”

“You won’t go to prison,” Zhan Gao interrupted. “I can tell the state court you’ve been persuaded by me. A peaceful resolution is what everyone hopes for.”

“What I need to confirm is,” Xu Pei interrupted back, “do you really like me?” 

Zhan Gao raised an eyebrow slightly, seemingly surprised that someone who should be discussing interests was bringing up feelings. He walked to Xu Pei, lifted his chin, and rubbed his cheek with his thumb. “Of course. You were my first love.”

“But you sleep with alphas,” Xu Pei said, looking at Zhan Gao.

“Those are just rumors,” Zhan Gao said, walking to the bed and sitting down. His tall frame allowed his back to lean directly against the wall on the other side. “Are you worried about Qiu Wei? Although he is quite beautiful, I prefer omegas.”

“If that’s the case, why didn’t you fulfill the marriage agreement with me before?” Xu Pei asked. 

“I was busy with my career,” Zhan Gao replied matter-of-factly.

“Were you busy with your career, or,” Xu Pei paused, “lying in a life support pod?”

The room fell abruptly silent, leaving only the roar of the massive engines.

Xu Pei estimated they had less than twenty minutes until landing. In that time, he had to record sufficient evidence. Even if Zhan Gao later flatly denied everything, the recording could be used to apply for a search warrant. A simple blood test would reveal Zhan Gao’s true identity. 

Zhan Gao hid his surprise well, observing Xu Pei’s expression. “What did you say?”

“You didn’t marry me because you couldn’t,” said Xu Pei. “The previous Speaker Zhan was your brother, Zhan Yuan. He was the one who liked sleeping with alphas.”

“Who told you that?” Zhan Gao asked impassively.

“Would you believe me if I said I dreamed it?” 

“Qiu Wei?” Zhan Gao didn’t deny it.

Rather than being exposed, he seemed more concerned about how he was exposed. In Xu Pei’s place, he would also want to know who leaked the secret and to what extent.

“How about a deal?” Xu Pei offered. “I’ll keep your secret, and you help me with the hearing.”

Zhan Gao didn’t agree immediately. He scrutinized Xu Pei carefully for a while before speaking, “Fine. Tell me how you found out.” 

Without answering this, the conversation couldn’t continue, and the evidence chain would be incomplete. Professor Xu had no choice but to employ his talent for fabrication.

Thinking that since Zhan Yuan was dead and Zhan Gao couldn’t confirm with his brother anyway, Xu Pei said, “Many years ago, at an event, I met the then prospective councilman, Speaker Zhan. I released my pheromones, and he had no reaction. I found it strange at the time.

“It wasn’t until just now, when you reacted strongly to my pheromones, combined with the recent series of events and Mo Xin’s sudden appearance by your side, that I reasonably suspected the Speaker Zhan I met back then was actually your brother, Zhan Yuan.

“And you, Zhan Gao, are the S-class alpha Mo Xin created. 

“You swapped identities once before and have now swapped back.”

After Xu Pei finished, Zhan Gao waited a moment but heard nothing more. He asked, “That’s it?”

“That’s it,” Xu Pei said.

Zhan Gao sounded disappointed. “Just that?” 

Realizing Zhan Gao’s attitude had shifted from tense to relaxed, Xu Pei instantly heightened his guard, “Isn’t that enough?”

“You’re clever, Pei Pei, worthy of being my first love.” Zhan Gao said lazily, crossing his legs and switching to a conversational tone. “Yes, that S-class alpha is me, Zhan Gao. Don’t you think I’m more suited to be Speaker?”

“You killed your own brother,” Xu Pei said.

“He coveted my gland.” 

With this conversation, it was enough to apply for a search warrant. Having accomplished his mission, Xu Pei saw no need to stay with this dangerous individual any longer. He stood up and said, “I don’t care about your affairs, but I hope you keep your promise and help me with the hearing.”

Having said that, Xu Pei was about to leave when he smelled a strong, oceanic alpha pheromone. He frowned, disgusted. “Have you forgotten I’m already marked?”

A marked omega is insensitive to other alphas’ pheromones.

Zhan Gao smiled, returning the phrase to Xu Pei. “Have you forgotten I’m an S-class alpha?” 

Feeling his own pheromones begin to fluctuate, Xu Pei cursed inwardly. Damn, again?

He covered his nose, leaning on the chair for support. “What are you doing? The plane is about to land!”

“You’re so clever,” Zhan Gao walked to Xu Pei’s side, wrapped one arm around his waist, and with the other hand reached into his suit’s inner pocket, pulling out the phone that was recording. “How could you not be recording?”

Xu Pei was startled and tried to snatch the phone back, but saw Zhan Gao give it a slight squeeze. The screen cracked under the pressure, instantly turning it into a useless piece of metal. 

Even though he knew the S-class alpha’s strength was terrifying, seeing it firsthand still instilled a deep fear in Xu Pei’s heart.

“Are you insane?” asked Xu Pei. “There are so many people on the plane! Do you want to force me into heat?”

“Indeed, it’s not appropriate,” Zhan Gao said, leaning close to Xu Pei’s neck, greedily inhaling the honey scent his pheromones had provoked. “But we can do a temporary mark first.”

“Get lost!” Xu Pei pushed desperately against Zhan Gao’s chest. “I’m already marked!” 

“Maybe I can overwrite another alpha’s mark?” Zhan Gao said eagerly. “We won’t know until we try.”

He Yixun was right there in the circular booth, so Xu Pei could call for him anytime. But just as he opened his mouth to shout, the plane suddenly lurched violently. Both men lost their balance, forcing Zhan Gao to release him. Simultaneously, a commotion erupted outside.

Looking out the porthole, he saw the sea of clouds rising sharply. Accompanied by a pressure that felt like his eardrums would burst, the massive plane plummeted like a paper airplane in freefall.

The ever-present engine noise suddenly vanished, creating an eerie silence amidst the chaos. Objects in the room tumbled to one side. Xu Pei grabbed the door handle, about to open it, when the door was pushed open from the outside. He Yixun was holding onto the doorframe and said to Xu Pei, “Good news, the case is solved.” 

He was frowning deeply, not looking like someone delivering good news at all.

Xu Pei intuitively guessed his next sentence. “Bad news, the plane is going to crash.”