Since the decision was made to investigate thoroughly, there could be no slackening. Ye Tiancheng handled the affairs of the shaman's funeral simply, ensuring she was not mistreated, and then focused on investigating what went wrong with the ritual that day.
Ye Tiancheng didn't understand these unorthodox methods well, so sometimes he had to rely on his wallet. Ye Tiancheng hired the entire team of experts to investigate. As expected, money worked wonders. In less than half a day, they discovered some strange substances in the remnants of the burned effigy of Su Muxian.
Their unanimous conclusion was that the shaman probably had some skill but was quite unlucky, having been framed by others.
The Su family was a large one, and naturally, there was some surveillance, with cameras in many corners. Ye Tiancheng felt a bit nervous because he seemed to be getting closer to the truth.
If they just investigated the surveillance footage properly, they might see what he wanted. Then, they would surely be able to find out who was pulling the strings behind the scenes.
When Ye Tiancheng checked the surveillance, he went with Fatty. Little Fox was also in Fatty's room at the time and volunteered to go along and watch.
Ye Tiancheng always didn't want Little Fox to face danger, but at the same time, he thought that since the child was following him, he should gain some experience.
"Alright, follow us and learn more. Although you are still young and I don't plan to rely on you now, you will grow up eventually, and I will have to rely on you. I'll wait until you can carry the burden; then I'll know I haven't led you out to wander in vain."
They went to watch the surveillance together. Even though the Su family had many surveillance points, there were still some blind spots. After all, it was impossible to have clear video recordings everywhere. They could only judge who might have tampered with things by seeing who had disappeared during this period.
This was a very difficult process. Ye Tiancheng and Fatty felt like they had watched for two or three hours, and their heads started to ache. They simply couldn't take it anymore, feeling like they might vomit if this continued.
"Brother Ye, it seems we thought things were too simple. It's quite difficult to get conclusive evidence. We'll have to think of other ways."
Fatty was at a loss. At this moment, Ye Tiancheng pondered and felt that everything needed to be planned carefully. There were indeed suspicious points in the surveillance, but they required time and effort to examine. This was not something to rush.
They continued to be busy until evening. Ye Tiancheng's stomach rumbled, reminding him that he needed to eat. Only then did Ye Tiancheng come out of the surveillance room.
Fatty had already prepared seafood pasta in the dining room. It wasn't that he volunteered; it was that he had to cook himself at the Su family's, wanting to show off his culinary skills.
The reason was that after the shaman's sudden death, the Su family, which was already not thriving, was further scared, and some more people fled. Now, the number of people in the Su family was decreasing. Originally, there were three chefs in the kitchen. Even if some chefs were on leave, there would at least be two chefs working, not to mention the dedicated pastry chef. But after this incident, even with a lot of money, people didn't dare to stay here to earn a living. They quickly ran away, thinking the place was too unlucky.
All the chefs had run away. Even if Fatty didn't want to do anything, he had to do it himself. However, it was good this way; if you do it yourself, you have plenty to eat.
"Hurry up and eat. If you're not enthusiastic about eating, there's something wrong with your thinking. I've been calling you for a long time, and finally, you're all gathered here. No matter what happens, you have to eat first. People are iron, and rice is steel; if you don't eat one meal, you'll be hungry."
Fatty seemed to be in a good mood. He had looked solemn earlier, but now he was deliberately trying to liven up the atmosphere. Otherwise, if everyone was listless, it would feel truly terrifying, with a very eerie feeling.
"I found a suspicious point."
As soon as Ye Tiancheng sat down, before he could even take a bite of the seafood pasta, what he had just discovered kept spinning in his mind. He wasn't sure, and he felt that if this were true, it would be too outrageous. Even he himself was a little disbelieving.
"Oh, Brother Ye, what suspicious point is there? Let's discuss it after we eat. If you say something disgusting, we might not be able to eat."
Ye Tiancheng knew that after he spoke, it might cause a stir in a small circle, and people would lose their appetite. So, he chose to listen to Fatty and not mention it for now.
"Okay, then I won't say it. If I say too much, I'm afraid I'll affect your appetite. I'm really a bit unappreciative."
After Ye Tiancheng finished speaking, Fatty quickly made a joke, and then everyone started to eat.
The atmosphere at the entire dining table was a bit somber. Su Muxian sat beside Ye Tiancheng, eating small bites. Her movements were noticeably smaller than usual when eating. It was evident that she was probably not in a good mood and was contemplating unpleasant matters.
The one who ate the happiest at this table was Little Fox. After all, he was young and didn't have much on his mind. He was also clearly quite hungry, eating the seafood pasta in large mouthfuls. Beside him was the bacon sandwich made by Fatty. Fatty's cooking skills were simply superb; even the simplest ingredients turned into exquisite delicacies in his hands, as if by magic.
"This is so delicious, Brother Fatty. I'm afraid if I stay by your side for a while, I'll gain dozens of pounds and become a little fatty."
Fatty mostly treated Little Fox like a younger brother, and sometimes doted on him like a son. He reached out and pinched his cheek.
"Good boy, you'll be even cuter if you gain a little weight. You're too thin. You're a man, a grown man. It's not good to be as delicate as a little girl. Eat more. When Fatty has time, I'll take you to train your muscles, and I'll definitely make you a real man."
"I'm already a boy."
Many people mistook Little Fox for a girl because he was a bit slender, possibly due to his age. Most importantly, his skin was fair and translucent, giving him a soft and cute girlish aura. In any case, he could never be associated with a big man, as men in people's minds were rough and not this beautiful and cute. At this stage of his life, Little Fox could only be considered a handsome little boy.
"Alright, stop being glib. There's also seaweed and egg soup over there. Have a big bowl later. This is the most delicious thing here. Eat more, and you'll be full."
Watching the interaction between Fatty and Little Fox, Ye Tiancheng felt that Fatty doted on Little Fox like a junior, like a son, with such care. However, Ye Tiancheng couldn't smile because he had a knot in his heart. As long as this knot wasn't untangled, it would never be resolved.
As they were almost done with the meal, Ye Tiancheng finally spoke, "I've been investigating the surveillance for a long time, and I really can't find anyone suspicious. There's no other way, so I used another method. I used the process of elimination and investigated almost everyone. The result was that only Little Fox had the time to tamper with things."
As soon as he said this, not only did Fatty not take it seriously, but he was also amused.
"Brother Ye, are you doing this on purpose? What you're saying is not very realistic. How can I not understand? How did Little Fox get involved?"
"Be serious. I'm not joking. You know I'm not in the mood to joke recently. Too many things have happened, and I'm already feeling very overwhelmed. I can't joke with others anymore."
As Ye Tiancheng reiterated the matter, Fatty could no longer laugh because he realized that this matter might not be simple. It involved many things, and it might require him to think more.
"Brother Ye, there must be something wrong. I don't think even if I were suspected, it would be Little Fox. It's too far-fetched. This makes no sense whatsoever. He's too young and so innocent. He always listens to us when we do things. How could he be the one causing trouble behind the scenes?"
At first, Ye Tiancheng thought the same as Fatty. He never suspected Little Fox. If anyone else said so, he would have retorted angrily.
However, in reality, Ye Tiancheng slowly began to suspect as well. After all, for him, there was nothing absolute in this world. Some things, upon closer thought, were indeed suspicious from the beginning. It's just that as time passed, everyone liked to explain away things that didn't make sense. Over time, they even forgot their original intentions and naturally felt that everything before them was real. However, everything before them also had an element of self-deception.
"Okay, Fatty, then tell me, do you know Little Fox's real name? Do you know his background? Or do you know his father or mother? You can't say any of these now. Little Fox's background has been very suspicious from the beginning, and there's never been a good explanation. We've just convinced ourselves."
When Ye Tiancheng said this, Fatty was indeed a bit bewildered. It was true, and Fatty suddenly realized something: Ye Tiancheng wouldn't wrongly accuse others casually. Since he said so, there must be a reason for it. Only he himself could understand the intricacies.
Fatty didn't say much more but cast his gaze towards Little Fox. He didn't want to make everything clear. If this was a misunderstanding, it would greatly damage their brotherhood. With a glance, Little Fox should understand what he meant.
As expected, Little Fox's eyes were clear, but his mind was still very simple. He looked at Ye Tiancheng with a confused expression.
"What are you talking about? I don't understand."
"Alright, then I'll tell you directly. The shaman died inexplicably last time because someone was behind it. Is that person you?"
Ye Tiancheng had to step forward and play the bad cop. If everyone played dumb, it would never end, and it would be a waste of time. That was not the effect Ye Tiancheng wanted. Time was very precious now, and he had to learn to cherish it instead of just muddling through day by day, letting things pass by carelessly.
"Brother Ye, Brother Fatty, you must have misunderstood me. It was definitely not me who tampered with things, nor do I have any reason to do so. I have no enmity with that auntie, so why would I harm myself and others? Besides, you are very good to me, and I live a very happy life. There's no need to ruin such a good life. Before coming to the Su family, I ate and drank well in the villa, and you doted on me like a child. I was also very happy."
Little Fox's words were reasonable and well-founded. Everyone does things for a reason. Little Fox is not crazy and doesn't act out randomly. Regardless, he truly had no reason to harm anyone. He lived a very comfortable life, so why would he make things so difficult for himself?