How Can You Tell I'm a Clown?

With his eyes narrowed and his face dark, Zhang Jizu vented all his disdain on Maxford. He casually flicked his wrist, and the Scalpel was driven into Maxford's head three inches deep.

The Clown lowered his head in fright, his face instantly turning pale.

He shrank back again, his voice trembling, and said, "I'll talk, I'll talk, I'll tell you everything you want to know."

Cheng Shi glanced at Zhang Jizu with a strange expression, thinking to himself that Old Zhang was quite cooperative today, and then chuckled:

"I ask, you answer; if you answer incorrectly, this person's Scalpel won't be so inaccurate next time."

"Is Lake's disappearance related to you?"

Maxford stiffened, hesitated for a moment, then nodded emphatically. "Yes."

"Very good, the second question, he's dead, right?"

"... yes."

As soon as he finished speaking, two Scalpel were simultaneously driven into the Clown's head, two inches above his head. The vibrating blades hummed, resonating with Maxford's nerves.

Cheng Shi and Zhang Jizu both took action. Squinty Old Zhang was cooperating with the interrogation, while Cheng Shi's action was purely instinctive; he was itching to fight.

If I don't act a bit fierce during interrogations, it just doesn't feel right.

Of course, the reason these two reacted so quickly was because the Clown in front of them was lying!

Lake didn't die?

Cheng Shi was taken aback, took two steps closer, and asked with a frown:

"Then what about that cenotaph? Why are you 'commemorating' someone who isn't dead? Where did Lake go?"

"He..."

For some reason, upon hearing this question, the fear in Maxford's eyes vanished for a moment. A strange expression appeared on his face, and he stared at the ground with a slightly bewildered look. After a moment of silence, he stammered:

"He left, left Dusk Play, left that place that saddened and disappointed him."

"?"

Judging from the other party's reaction, could it be that these two Clown from opposing camps actually have a pretty good relationship?

But buddy, have you forgotten where you are?

We're conducting an interrogation, not asking you to recount your confusion!

Cheng Shi sneered, then moved the Scalpel down an inch, pinning it to the wall right against Maxford's scalp.

"It's like toothpaste, right? You can't squeeze it out unless you squeeze it out."

"Does Mr. Clown think we're being too friendly?"

Maxford shrank back, trembling, and said, "Yes... you said you'd ask me and I'd answer... I didn't dare answer any more..."

"???"

Okay, okay!

Cheng Shi was so angry he laughed. He quickly pulled out three Scalpel, pointed them at the Clown's nose, and said coldly:

"Then tell me what you know about Lake."

Remember, don't lie, otherwise...

Clown in the Dusk Play will die or not is unknown, but the Clown in the Morning Cheer will definitely die first.

Whether it was Cheng Shi's threat that worked or something else that provoked the Clown, Maxford suppressed his fear, stared at the knife tip so close to his face, and tremblingly told everything he knew.

However, the very first sentence left all four players present dumbfounded.

"I am Lake."

"!!??"

Before the players could react, the Clown's second sentence brought an eternal silence to the scene.

"It wasn't me who died, it was Maxford."

Morning Cheer's Clown is indeed dead... and I cannot escape blame for that."

"!!!???"

Cheng Shi's mind was completely blank.

The Clown in front of me is actually Lake!?

Only then did he realize that the players had overlooked a crucial issue: none of them had ever met Maxford; they had simply assumed he was Maxford, the Clown from Morning Cheer Morning Cheer Circus, because they had found a Clown there.

But what kind of actor is the Clown inside, even with full makeup? They've never seen him before.

Cheng Shi blinked frantically. He used the tip of his knife to pry off the Clown's nose, remove the Clown's wig, wipe away the Clown's makeup, and reveal the unfamiliar face beneath.

He was certain this wasn't Lake's face, because he had seen Lake's original appearance inside Lake's tent.

But Cheng Shi's knife didn't stop. He keenly noticed some shadows on the jawline of the unfamiliar face, and these shadows were precisely the easiest places to hide flaws. He had mastered this technique since childhood, and under such close observation and with a clear purpose, it naturally couldn't escape his eyes.

He peeled back the upper layer of skin, finally revealing a face that was exactly the same as Lake's.

He really is Lake!!

In that instant, countless thoughts flashed through Cheng Shi's mind, his imagination erupting like a volcano, creating the most plausible plot to match the two sentences from the Clown's mouth.

Why can't they escape blame?

Could it be that Lake killed Maxford, but was caught in the act by Morning Cheer's men, and Mrs. Flord, upon learning of this, threatened Lake to impersonate Maxford in order to win the Dusk Play?

This seemed to be the most reasonable guess, and it matched all the clues they had found. The group exchanged glances, their expressions interesting, clearly having come to the same conclusion. However, the development of events once again took them by surprise.

"You killed him?" Zhen Xin's smile hadn't stopped since the beginning, as if she were watching a Clown circus.

Maxford —no, Lake— shaked his head, denying Zhen Xin's "accusation."

"It wasn't me, I didn't kill anyone..."

I just had the wrong drink with the wrong person at the wrong time.

He grabbed his hair in "regret" and fell into memories.

Even though it only happened a few days ago, those few days felt like half a lifetime to Lake.

In preparing for his showdown with Morning Cheer, Lake racked his brains for new tricks and ideas, but the audience, whose psychological expectations and threshold for laughter had already been raised by all sorts of new things, would not buy into the actors' efforts. They only cared about who was funny and entertaining.

Lake lacked confidence in winning the final showdown, and in his frustration, he sneaked out of the troupe and went to a small bar in the suburbs to drown his sorrows.

Coincidentally, that same day, Maxford also came to drink alone, feeling sullen and unhappy.

The two half-drunk Clown met like that.

They knew each other and were initially wary, but as they drank more and more alcohol and their vision blurred, the two, like close friends from the same group, slowly sat together and poured out their inner pressures to each other.

When they learned that their opponent also lacked confidence in winning the final match, the two Clown, who had lost confidence, regained it.

And since both of them were the country's top Clown with exceptionally high performance skills, they ended up talking about their professional fields. One talked and the other listened, and the other performed and watched. That night, they seemed to have found kindred spirits and had a conversation that came from the very soul of Clown.

The two felt an instant connection and drank until they were completely drunk.

Late at night, the two reluctantly parted ways, each filled with the fighting spirit to defeat their opponent honorably on the final Stage.

However, to Lake's surprise, the next morning, a mysterious person sneaked into the Dusk Play, found him, and told him that the drinking session the previous night had given him the victory.

The mysterious man said:

"Is this the victory you wanted, Lake?"

Your fear, your lack of confidence, your twisted desire to win—all of these have utterly buried a Clown was destined to go higher and further.

Everything you've done is despicable; you've shown the world through your actions:

You, Lake, are truly a Clown, and only deserve to be a Clown!

"..."

In that instant, Lake's world collapsed.