Chapter 72: Detective Chen Fan

“Clang, clang, clang—thud.”
Chen Fan stood with his back to the iron door, arms folded, replaying the events of the past few days in his mind. Tomorrow would be the final day—the outcome would be decided once and for all. The No. 3 revealed guard couldn't protect himself, and he was likely to be eliminated, which meant, by all logic and deduction, that No. 5 must be the last lurking wolf.

“Hey, Suspect No. 6, come over and have some water.”
The prison guard slid open the iron window. Facing the back of Chen Fan's head, he unceremoniously jabbed inside with his baton.

Chen Fan turned, accepting the half-bowl of water from the guard. Even though he knew someone's water had been poisoned, he drank it without hesitation.

“Results should be out tomorrow. Let’s hope we can bring the real culprit to justice,” the guard remarked with a sigh.

Chen Fan was surprised. He hadn't expected an NPC to grasp the situation so well—clearly, the scenario's optimization had been well done, aside from the inspector who loved slapping people.

“What are you still standing there for? The inspector wants to question you.”

Carrying the half-bowl of water, Chen Fan was long accustomed to such abrupt shifts in tone. He kept his expression calm, stepped smartly forward, mind racing with possibilities, and entered the hall with measured steps.

“What’s going on here? People can even die from drinking water. This police station is no place to stay. Drag No. 4 out and bury him somewhere,” the inspector ordered, pinching his nose and instructing his men to remove No. 4’s corpse.

“The one who died was No. 4? Now that’s interesting.” Chen Fan paused. There were only four people left; today was the final showdown.

No. 3 glanced at No. 5 and said confidently, “I guarded Golden Water No. 10 last night. With only four left, regardless of whether the Witch is here or not, if we make the wrong vote today, it’s over. The only uncertain identities are No. 5 and No. 6. Let's hear your statements and see whom the sheriff votes for.”

No. 5, a total rookie, looked bewildered and protested, “I really, really am just a plain villager. No way there are two wolves left—if there were, we’d have ended it already. So… so there must be only one wolf.”

As No. 5 spoke, he turned to Chen Fan. “No. 6, you’re the last wolf, aren’t you?”

Chen Fan smiled faintly at him. With No. 5’s performance, if they faced off directly, Chen Fan was confident he could take him down in less than three rounds. His logic might not be great, but his presence always carried conviction—enough to deceive even himself every time.

He smoothed his fringe, preparing for victory. As long as he hammered home the point about No. 5’s vote last round, his win was all but assured.

“No. 6’s turn to speak. As someone who didn’t vote last round, my identity is clearly more credible than yours, No. 5. From the first day’s statements to today, day four, you’ve done nothing but insist you’re a villager, offering nothing substantial. My vote today will definitely be cast for you, No. 5.”

A knowing smile crept across Chen Fan’s face, as if he could already see the goddess of victory beckoning him. But everything seemed a little too smooth. Suddenly, his brow furrowed, and the grand flourish he’d prepared got stuck in his throat.

“I have a bad feeling. I think No. 3’s guard card might be a fake.”

He proposed an alternative scenario.

“The identities of No. 2 and No. 7, who were eliminated before, are unknown. If either was actually the guard, then the authenticity of No. 3’s claim is highly questionable.”

Chen Fan revisited the situation, rewinding the game to the third day, which was the most confusing day for identities.

“It’s impossible for both to be special roles. I’m guessing one was a guard and one a villager. No. 10, the Golden Water, should be the Witch. At this point, there’s no reason to hide—report who you protected and who was targeted. If you’re not the Witch, then No. 3 must be the real guard. The final showdown is still between me and No. 5.”

His fringe, so recently tidied, was tousled again by the wind, but Chen Fan didn’t bother to fix it. He knelt, deep in thought, like a penitent confessor.

“Here’s what puzzles me: if it was one guard and one villager who left, then No. 3 and No. 12 must be the two wolves. No. 3, not knowing if the real guard is still here, boldly claims the role to try to fish out the genuine guard. As long as he doesn’t bump into your Golden Water No. 10, these two—real and fake guards—stand a good chance of reaching the final round.”

“On the first night, guards usually protect themselves, so last night, the guard could only guard someone else. The wolves, not knowing everyone’s roles, didn’t target Golden Water, nor the revealed guard, but instead struck down No. 4, who had good statements and voting patterns, leaving the suspicious No. 5 and No. 6. That’s really suspicious.”

Chen Fan tried to analyze from the wolves’ perspective, considering their tactics and psychology.

“If No. 3 and No. 12, as wolves, saw three good roles die on the third day and the game still wasn’t over, they’d decide to impersonate the guard to find the remaining power roles. If both Witch and Guard are alive, there’s only a one-third chance to exile a wolf. If only the Guard remains, the good side can’t win. If only the Witch remains, the fake guard’s identity is hard to disprove.”

“The voting patterns also suggest No. 3 and No. 12 might be colluding. If I were a wolf and there was a revealed guard, I’d target the guard without hesitation—after all, eliminating a powerless villager like No. 4 poses no threat to the wolves.”

This line of logic was far more complex than simply pinning the wolf on No. 5. Chen Fan felt as if his understanding of Werewolf had reached a new level.

“As for No. 3 and No. 5, it all depends on what identity you, Sheriff No. 10, reveal. Whoever you choose, I’ll follow your vote.”

With this concluding statement, Chen Fan, in the presence of the sheriff’s badge, finally bowed to the forces of darkness.

No. 10, Kang Jixuan, was getting a headache. She twirled her ponytail and said, “I really am the Witch. No. 9, the Hunter, was killed two nights in a row. I poisoned No. 7. Originally, we were going to vote out No. 5 this round, but after what you said, No. 6, there’s actually some merit to your logic. Let me think a moment…”

“If No. 3 is a wolf, he and No. 12 are partners. That’s why they tried to push votes onto No. 5 last round, and now want to use No. 5 as a scapegoat. If No. 3 isn’t a wolf, but the real guard…”

The more Kang Jixuan thought, the more her head hurt. If she’d known this endgame would be so painful, she’d have used the antidote to save her brother. But he always liked to feign death and claim special roles, fooling her so often she’d blacklisted him more than once.

“Screw it, let’s go with No. 3. If we lose, No. 6, you take the blame. I can’t think anymore.” With a sigh, Kang Jixuan ran her fingers through her hair, pulling out a few strands, and held up three fingers to indicate her choice.

Right before voting, Chen Fan was still uneasy. After all, without any insider knowledge, he’d never correctly analyzed a single game.

“The game is over. The good side wins.”

“Guards! Take this last prisoner and finish him off!”

Before Chen Fan could react, the inspector drew his Mauser pistol, and the surrounding police all raised their rifles, unleashing a hailstorm of bullets at No. 3.

There was no need to imagine the result—he was riddled with holes.

Blood splattered everywhere, staining Chen Fan’s clothes. Curious, he stuck out his tongue to taste it—it was like tomato juice.

“Hmm, quite amusing.”

Relaxed, Chen Fan smiled, gazing at the bloodstains on the floor, where large characters read: “Winner Winner, Chicken Dinner.”

PS: The script for the Republican Era Concession Police Station has concluded! In the upcoming Wolf King Tournament, there will be even more diverse scenarios to experience—stay tuned!