"Everyone, allow me to introduce myself again."
"My true identity is:"
"The legendary phantom thief who has carried out countless perfect thefts:"
"LJ."
"I've stolen antiques and famous paintings. And today, I carried out another perfect theft."
"What I stole wasn't mere cash, but the ugly secrets certain people had buried deep in their hearts."
"Zheng Yi, Zhou Lan, you two should know what I'm talking about."
Lin Jie's piercing gaze swept over the police chief and the tycoon.
"You know perfectly well what you've done!"
Both lowered their heads without a word.
After a while, Zhou Lan looked up.
"Even if you've found out about 'my affairs,' you're already dead. You can't reveal them to the public."
But Lin Jie was confident. "I'll win this game, and then I'll expose everything."
The unscrupulous businessman, Zhou Lan, and the corrupt police chief, Zheng Yi, had colluded for their own gain.
Lin Jie's original plan had been to release all the evidence of Zhou Lan's and Zheng Yi's crimes after completing that earth-shattering theft.
But along the way, a hotheaded rookie had appeared out of nowhere and shot Lin Jie without a word.
"Ahem, you can settle your grudges in private after the game ends."
God suddenly interrupted their conversation.
"Now, Lin Jie, you may explain how you died."
Still seated, Lin Jie took a deep breath and began his account.
"Today, I completed the most satisfying theft of my life."
"I'd spent nearly a week planning it."
"As I said before, the money was only incidental to this theft. My real goal was to punish two sinners."
"The unscrupulous businessman, Zhou Lan, and the utterly corrupt police chief, Zheng Yi."
"I infiltrated Zhou Lan's home, reached the vault, and defeated every security device installed there."
"Then I slipped inside and waited for Zhou Lan to arrive."
"Instead, someone unexpected showed up."
"A servant."
"I had no choice but to knock her unconscious." Lin Jie turned to Liu Yunyun. "I'm truly sorry."
Liu Yunyun still seemed unable to process it, her eyes blank with confusion.
"Then I called Zheng Yi and demanded that he come over immediately."
"Zheng Yi lied to you earlier. He didn't die in the line of duty, and I never took a hostage."
"He had no choice but to come, and he had to come alone. Because I had something on him."
"Just then, Zhou Lan arrived at the vault too."
Lin Jie turned to Zhou Lan. "Remember, Zhou Lan? We even talked there."
"Do you remember what we said?"
Zhou Lan sat there without a word.
"After Zhou Lan and I had our 'cordial and friendly' conversation, the second key figure finally arrived."
"Zheng Yi."
"Once those two got together, they grew bolder and tried to seize me by force."
"But the instant they caught me-"
Lin Jie abruptly paused.
"Zhou Lan, Zheng Yi, what happened?" Wearing a mocking smile, Lin Jie posed the question to them.
But the two merely sat there, muttering futile curses.
"That's right, I wasn't there anymore! In my place was a bomb!"
"And attached to it was a note-"
"'With compliments, the phantom thief, LJ!'"
"And I suddenly appeared more than a dozen li away."
"Do you know how I did it?"
At that moment, Zhou Lan and Zheng Yi looked up.
Even after their deaths, they still had no idea how LJ had teleported more than a dozen li in an instant.
Even in death, they wanted to understand.
But Lin Jie kept them in suspense.
"If you get a chance to survive, I'll tell you myself when we meet in the real world."
Lin Jie continued his account.
"Taking ill-gotten wealth from an unscrupulous businessman, executing two sinners, and then exposing the evidence of their crimes to the public-"
"That was the perfect theft I planned!"
Lin Jie paused. "Unfortunately, something unexpected happened along the way."
"Some hotheaded rookie shot me without a word."
"The great LJ can't just die like that! A perfect plan must have a perfect ending! So I have to go back and take revenge on that person!"
Everyone was stunned by Lin Jie's introduction.
"So he's that phantom thief!"
"I heard LJ stole fortunes from countless wealthy businessmen, and he often toyed with the police. They couldn't do a thing about him..."
"Clap! Clap!" God suddenly began applauding.
"A splendid introduction! Lin Jie, the phantom thief LJ, you'll definitely be satisfied with the role I give you."
God cleared his throat.
"All right, everyone has finished introducing themselves, and I've chosen suitable roles for you."
With a sweep of God's hand, the nine role cards on the table suddenly flew into the air.
The nine cards circled twice above the table, then each flew to a player.
After receiving their role cards, the players hurriedly checked them.
Only Lin Jie remained motionless.
Because the game of Werewolf had already begun!
The moment they checked their role cards was the most crucial moment in Werewolf!
From the emotions they revealed while checking their cards, Lin Jie was confident he could guess their roles!
Without betraying anything, Lin Jie swiftly scanned each player's face.
Some remained expressionless after receiving their role cards.
Some let out a slight sigh after receiving theirs.
And that information gave Lin Jie an idea of where they stood.
Those people were most likely just ordinary villagers.
However, one person caught Lin Jie's attention.
Player No. 6, Xia Qu, the young woman who had just graduated.
After seeing her role card, Xia Qu briefly looked delighted.
Then her face quickly went blank again.
She even covered her role card, only making it more obvious that she had something to hide.
Lin Jie knew that expression all too well.
Xia Qu was either a werewolf or a power role!
Lin Jie was a veteran Werewolf player. Reading expressions like this no longer worked on veterans, but against newcomers who had only just encountered Werewolf, it was a killer move.
"Please note: after viewing your role card, you are strictly forbidden from revealing it."
"Anyone who violates this rule will have their soul annihilated."
God added this after everyone had checked their cards.
Everyone had looked at their role cards. Now, only his remained.
Lin Jie let out a breath.
What would God base the role assignments on?
He believed his own introduction had unquestionably been the most eye-catching and spectacular.
If roles were assigned according to how "spectacular" their introductions were, Lin Jie would definitely not receive a villager card.
If Lin Jie received a powerful role like the Witch, the good team could practically declare victory.
If Lin Jie received an information-gathering power role like the Seer, he believed his eloquence would definitely allow him to lead everyone in voting out all the werewolves.
If he received the Guard, Lin Jie was even confident he could protect someone successfully and produce a "peaceful night" every night.
If he received a werewolf card, heh, the good players could wait for Lin Jie to run circles around them with his lies.
Lin Jie had even thought it through: even if he received a villager card, he had flashy tricks that would let him pull off a spectacular victory.
Lin Jie drew his role card in front of him and silently turned it over.
*?*
Lin Jie could hardly believe his eyes.
Had he somehow turned it over wrong?
Without betraying anything, he turned the role card facedown, then flipped it over again.
*?!*
Why?
Why was Lin Jie's role card-
Completely blank?!