Chapter 864: The Flaw in His Words

After the military otaku, naturally another "neutral player" who seemed to have no connections with anyone else chose to begin their statement.

"Everyone, my hobbies are board games and card games," Fern said, resting her chin on her hand. "If you want me to start... I don't really know where to begin, so if you have questions, feel free to ask."

"Do you generally prefer German-style or American-style games?"

The military otaku looked at Fern and asked.

"Either works. If I'm playing with people I'm not too familiar with, doing a temporary pickup game, or if a friend brought along a newcomer who needs some ice-breaking, I'd lean toward American-style games. But if it's with my regular group of friends... I prefer spending my time on German-style games." 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ

Fern answered casually.

Fu Luo rubbed his chin: "So, you're the type who specifically goes to physical board game stores, huh?"

"Of course. Although I do have some wealthy friends who've collected a lot of authentic board games at home... it's still a bit awkward to keep dropping by other people's houses. Going to a board game store to split the cost isn't much, you can grab a group deal and get drinks, plus there's a professional DM," Fern said seriously. "Although a lot of board game stores these days aren't very professional, mostly relying on script murder and werewolf games to host parties and generate revenue, which isn't very friendly to dedicated board game enthusiasts like us... but if you join a few hardcore enthusiast groups online, you can always find a good place eventually."

Fu Luo pondered for a moment, then asked: "Where are you from?"

This was a question that seemed unrelated to what Fern had been answering.

"I'd rather not have you all know where I was born. As for where I currently live, I move around a lot... my current state could be described as living a nomadic lifestyle, really."

As Fern spoke, Fu Luo narrowed his eyes.

"That's quite strange. Although I personally have no interest in board games, there are actually quite a few board game enthusiasts within the mystery fiction fan community, so I have a rough understanding of that group's ecology—for board game lovers, it's actually quite rare to emphasize 'geographic origin' and 'regional ties' in their interest community."

"If you're traveling around living in different places, you'd probably find it hard to enjoy board games... and if you can enjoy board games long-term, your situation should be one where you're settled in a first-tier or new first-tier city."

Fu Luo's words grew somewhat sharper as he spoke: "But you said you have a group of 'regular friends'—and even mentioned a 'newcomer friend' situation where someone might join. That doesn't match your stated nomadic lifestyle."

"At the very least, based on what you've said so far, there are already contradictions."

Fern, under Fu Luo's questioning, remained expressionless as she spoke: "What's inconsistent about that? Can't I go to a place and immediately integrate into the local scene?"

"Besides, there are many types of nomadism—I'm the type who stays in a city for one to two years. That amount of time is enough for me to initially integrate into a local board game community."

"Furthermore, it's not like I never return to those cities to reconnect with my old friends."

As Fern spoke, Fu Luo narrowed his eyes.

"Still very suspicious... but for now, it's not enough to confirm you're the one who was replaced."

"All I know is that you should be lying to me, or at least concealing some key information... which is causing a lot of dissonance in your words."

Fu Luo said this, but Fern didn't budge.

"I simply answered your questions truthfully. If you think I'm deceiving you... then I suppose it's because my lifestyle is too unconventional, perhaps beyond your comprehension, Your Excellency the Great Detective."

"Anyway... let's hear the statements from the others first."

As Fern spoke, Fu Luo nodded and looked at the person beside him.

"Kitty, let's start with you on our side."

Fu Luo said, and Kitty also nodded.

"As you can all see, I'm a person from Haicheng, my class is 'Teacher', and I'm currently employed at a well-known university in Haicheng, teaching professional courses there," Kitty said confidently. "So my hobbies are relatively refined. I have considerable appreciation for opera, painting, and various classical arts. At the same time, I also quite enjoy cuisines from around the world, though I'm mindful of my figure, so I mostly just sample them lightly."

"Last weekend, I just attended a Monet exhibition—Monet is a painter I really admire. His works truly resonate with one's sensibilities."

After Kitty finished speaking, the room fell into a brief silence.

She looked around in surprise: "Don't you all have any questions?"

"I'm not too familiar with those areas," Fu Luo muttered, his Henan accent slightly slipping out. "Those are blind spots for me."

King Vulture also let out a sigh: "Really now, how did the 'Player Mutual Aid Association' end up in this kind of state."

It was Nineteen who, after thinking for a long while, finally asked: "At that exhibition, which Monet painting left the deepest impression on you?"

"Each one brought different emotions, but the one that moved me the most was the 'Water Lilies' series... the most famous works certainly didn't disappoint their reputation," Kitty said, a longing expression appearing on her face. "Those masterpieces truly have their extraordinary and touching qualities... Monet's colors and brushstrokes possess a dreamlike, ethereal beauty that's both real and hazy. The 'Water Lilies' series especially makes you feel like you're having a romantic French dream on a midsummer night, by the window and in the garden. Through the painting frame, it's as if you're living within Monet's pupils, gazing at those beautiful water lilies."

As Kitty spoke, a contemplative expression appeared on Nineteen's face: "Hmm... I see..."

At that moment, Lin Yu raised his hand and looked at Kitty: "That exhibition of yours, how much was the ticket?"

Kitty looked at Lin Yu with slight surprise, then recovered.

"The organizer is a friend of a friend, so the ticket was given to me."

"Oh, I see. Well, if one were to buy it, how much would it cost?"

Lin Yu asked again.

Kitty's expression was clearly uncomfortable: "With this kind of art exhibition, talking about money is too vulgar. We generally don't discuss such things... any one of the paintings inside is worth a fortune. The most recent publicly sold Monet 'Water Lilies' fetched 59 million US dollars... what matters is the artistic value!"

Lin Yu insisted: "Right, so I want to go in and experience tens of millions of dollars worth of artistic value—how much would it cost?"

Kitty looked at Lin Yu, seemingly unwilling to answer the question.

But she turned to see Fu Luo's equally curious expression, and only then reluctantly spoke.

"Anyway... it's not particularly expensive. After all, the organizer isn't short on money; they just want more people to experience the charm of Impressionist paintings..."

"How much exactly?"

"It's... well, buying tickets online, I think the price is set at 169 yuan."