Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
“Yes, that’s the end.” While they were on the place, Wu Xiumin told Zhao Yu about the story of “And Then There Were None.”
“In the end, all of the 10 people died! Actually… This was all planned by the Lord Chancellor, who punished those people by the means that he thought were most just!”
“Oh…” Zhao Yu nodded. “This story is quite interesting, but I thought a judge had to have an associate! If an old man wants to kill so many people in line with the description of nursery rhymes, including killing methods and order, it’s no easy feat.”
“Sin is in the heart!” Wu Xiumin said. “In fact, the most incredible part of Agatha Christie’s work is how she reveals the hidden evil. The crimes of these people have been exposed, and they are suspicious of each other, which the judge can take advantage of.”
“Well, that does make sense. Although it’s a novel, it’s really impressive!” Zhao Yu sighed. “I hope our case is not like the novel, where no one survives.”
At this time, Zeng Ke suddenly looked at his mobile phone and said to Zhao Yu, “I have just received an update from Chen Zhuo. There are survivors!”
“Holy sh*t!” Zhao Yu cried out. “How can you have access to the internet on this plane?”
“It’s not a big deal for me.” Zeng Ke proudly pointed to the screen of his mobile phone and said, “At present, the police have found three survivors on Yongjin Island, but one of them is in very serious condition in the hospital.”
He then added, “The other two survivors are a woman and a man. The woman is an actress, and the man claims to be a producer, but in fact, he is a cook!” Zeng Ke said.
He then added, “The Quliang Crime Investigation Department was the first to arrive at the scene after receiving the call. They felt that the situation was severe, so they reported it to the Criminal Division. That’s why we were asked to come and help.”
Zeng Ke continued, “It is said that the two survivors were not seriously injured, except for their mental instability. But, the report says that, although she was a survivor, the woman was put on a folding stool with a hemp rope around her neck. Then, she was almost hanged to death!”
He shook his head. “The cook encountered something even more bizarre. He was tied up and buried alive! Only his face was above the ground! Because they still are suffering after experiencing such a scare, the local police have sent a large boat, where they were temporarily placed. They’ve also sent a psychologist to help the two calm down, while also asking them about the specific details of the case.”
Wu Xiumin then asked, “How many people died in total?”
“At present, six people have been confirmed dead!” Zeng Ke then turned to Zhao Yu with a sad face and said, “These people died in different ways, and their bodies were scattered all over the island. So, the police are still searching the whole island for their remains. As such, the final number of deaths remains uncertain!”
“God! Six people! They’re all filmmakers, too. Who could kill them so cruelly?” Wu Xiumin exclaimed. “Did they have a big dispute among the crew or something?”
“Let me see that…” Zhao Yu took Zeng Ke’s mobile phone and carefully read the information that Chen Zhuo had just sent.
Apparently, the crew that was involved in this accident was an independent film crew that worked for a film company called Champion Pictures. As they were a semi-private unit, they had their own creative and production teams, but because of limited funds and distribution, they still had to be affiliated with larger companies.
Usually, before filming, they would submit their travel plans and production schedule to the larger parent company. If the company agreed to them, they would get some funding and assistance. Then, when the film was released, they could receive a higher percentage of the copyright proceeds.
Champion Pictures itself was not a well-known name in the industry. As such, its production teams were not very skilled.
These filmmakers could only make low-cost digital movies, mini films, indie documentaries and so on. That crew on Yongjin Island was such a team.
Actually, their team was at the bottom in the film and television circles, that is, they just earned what was on the table. The purpose of their films was just for the investors.
For example, in terms of a low-budget film with a production cost of only half a million dollars, they would usually ask for a budget investment of one million or even two million dollars. The price difference was basically their profit, so they didn’t really care about the quality of the film or the later profit after the release of the film.
Of course, investors were not fools. Therefore, dirty business became a widespread part of this industry. In order to find sponsorships and investment partners, the filming team or the film company would resort to any means possible.
For example, the crew in the accident had obtained its funds from a local rich female via a personal relationship that she had with the actor Xie Hao. Because of this, Xie Hao naturally became the lead actor in the cast. But, unfortunately, Xie Hao was had died in this island tragedy!
According to the information that Zhao Yu had, the reason why the film crew wanted to shoot on Yongjin Island was that Yongjin Island had something to do with the script. This time, they were filming a digital film called “Lighthouse.” The whole story was about an isolated island and a lighthouse.
The reason why the film crew chose Yongjin Island was because Yongjin Island actually had a lighthouse, and in the 1970s and 1980s, that lighthouse had played an important role in guiding the local ships safely to shore.
It was reported that the police had contacted the director of Champion Pictures, who claimed that a total of 17 members of the film crew had participated in the filming! However, because the shooting site was far away from the mainland, these people did not necessarily all stay on the island full-time. Now, they were actively trying to contact these people, so it was expected that they would get the exact number of deaths soon.
In addition, the crew’s production schedule showed that their shooting period was a full month. So far, the crew members had been filming on the island for about half a month. Yesterday, they were almost finished!
“My god! I can’t believe it… 17 people!” After hearing this astonishing figure, Zhao Yu grew tense.
He couldn’t believe that a film crew had encountered such a terrible thing, especially right when it was near to being finished with the film! He had to wonder…
What happened on that island?
