Chapter 02: Collective Pitfall

Hmm? The boy suddenly raised his head, looking puzzled. With that expression, he probably guessed correctly.

The several teachers standing in front of the classroom also wore smiles on their faces. They were quite pleased to see this inexperienced novice face some setbacks. The so-called quality issues of today stem from overly favorable living conditions, lacking the experience of encountering difficulties. The only unexpected aspect was the instructor of this department; the fact that none of the students could answer left him somewhat anxious. He awkwardly turned to look at Principal Wang and Director Jiang. Director Jiang seemed to see through his thoughts and quietly remarked, "It's not your problem. Director Xu's level back then was on par with capturing a psychopathic killer; ordinary people cannot keep up with his thinking."

The expression on the frozen face revealed a hint of disbelief, momentarily taken aback, unable to gauge whether this old officer was boasting or truly possessed some skills. He stiffened, while Xu Pingqiu continued to speak unperturbed.

Just as there was a pause, three more individuals joined in. The young man who had just been put in his place by the beautiful female student stood up again, unwilling to accept the situation

The boy who stood up let out a few hesitant sounds, his eyes bulging and his throat choking, his jaw dropping to the ground, swallowing the words that were on the tip of his tongue. One by one, everyone was so stifled that no one could respond, while those who remained seated began to chuckle, their laughter echoing.

"Lulu, don't be such an armchair strategist after the fact," Jie Bing said with a smile, his handsome demeanor becoming even more striking as he beamed.

It is so bizarre, the darkness under such a large light is unexpected. An Jialu has always sought the answer, but did not anticipate that it would be another tricky question, leaving her dumbfounded

"Do you know me?" The young lady blinked her beautiful eyes, feeling quite surprised, yet somewhat excited.

Suddenly, the entire room fell silent. This handsome man, one of An Jialu's admirers, approached her closely. However, in this situation, standing up for the beautiful An was indeed commendable and deserving of admiration for his courage

"Pfft," someone laughed out loud. An Jialu hesitated as she recalled how many people had stood up just now, then glanced at how many were standing now. This moment of hesitation only intensified the laughter.

The most astonishing was the bean bag in the back row, who stared at Yu Zui with a peculiar look. This guy has always been full of tricks, and it seems he was genuinely caught off guard this time. However, he couldn't stand that smug demeanor; he had originally intended to ask for advice but simply turned his head and ignored him.

"Are you sure? Why not six?" Xu Pingqiu smiled mischievously, and the handsome boy truly seemed uncertain. He scratched his chin and thought hard, but the situation had become chaotic, and his thoughts couldn't keep up. Just as he was about to speak again, Xu Pingqiu waved his hand and said, "Too slow. I declare that your right to answer has been revoked. Please take a seat."

A single sound of laughter erupted from the entire class, and An Jialu also found it a bit hard to maintain her composure, her hand resting on her forehead to shield her face as she shyly stifled a laugh. At this moment, even the instructor was taken aback, having guessed almost perfectly, nearly matching the understanding of the class monitor.

The first thing I said was: Please pay attention to the limitations. The primary requirement for a criminal investigator is to be meticulous. If you focus solely on one objective while neglecting simple elements, this is what is known as a blind spot in thinking. Falling into the same pit for the second time is a result of cognitive inertia. If you cannot overcome these blind spots and inertia, you will encounter many detours in your future work. Xu Pingqiu said, but he was unable to convince the unconvinced student. He continued, "Do you really enjoy watching Conan and Sherlock Holmes?" Falling into the same pit for the second time is a result of cognitive inertia. If you cannot overcome these blind spots and inertia, you will encounter many detours in your future work. Xu Pingqiu said, but he was unable to convince the unconvinced student. He continued, "Do you really enjoy watching Conan and Sherlock Holmes?"

"I don't recognize you. I have seen your list, and you are the only one with the surname An in this session," Xu Pingqiu said with a smile, provoking a wave of laughter from the audience. Originally, the beauties were somewhat proud, but unexpectedly, Xu Pingqiu's remark struck a blow, leaving An Jialu feeling somewhat displeased. She retorted somewhat defiantly, "Xu, are you about to pose a question? Are you preparing to ask me who the real culprit is, or who is telling the truth? It wouldn't be another set of conditions, would it?"

Xu Pingqiu said with a smile, firing off a series of judgments like a rapid-fire cannon, instantly silencing the room full of novices, who began to whisper among themselves, guessing that they were close to the truth. On Xie Bing's handsome face, there was a hint of embarrassment, as if he were being stripped bare. Just as he hesitated, unexpectedly, Xu Pingqiu made an even bolder remark, stating: "If I were to add one more thing, I can tell from the details that you are pursuing a girl, and you haven't succeeded yet, am I right?"

In the pause, Xu Pingqiu noticed the sly smile on the face of the young man in the back row, which seemed out of place in the lively atmosphere of the classroom, as if he had no intention of engaging in it at all. At this moment, there was no time to consider anything else; a pit had ensnared more than ten students. Seeing that the atmosphere was about right, Xu Pingqiu clapped his hands to signal for silence and added, "I'll give everyone another chance. Regarding the topic we just discussed, who else would like to try answering?"

"That's not right." Yu Zui shook his head

"Trash." Yu Zui said with a smile, friendly as he retorted.

Your personal habits are commendable, and you are tidy; one or both of your parents are civil servants, likely at the departmental level or above; your family background is quite affluent, with an annual income of at least 300,000 or even more; you have no habits of smoking or drinking; your interactions with classmates are not very harmonious, which can be understood as being of a highbrow nature; you possess a strong artistic flair, and I believe you have a particular interest in painting and appreciation. Do not doubt it, I have not viewed your personal profile, only the list. Do not doubt it, I have not viewed your personal profile, only the list. Am I far off in my guesses?

When laughter erupted, a boy blurted out: "Five."

It is not that I am too foolish, but rather that this old policeman is too cunning. Even you would not be able to answer it. The boy said defiantly, acknowledging that it was indeed a case of carelessness leading to a loss.

In the midst of mutual glances, three more individuals stood up. The correct answer to the mystery is not difficult; many people have already guessed it accurately. Even if we make it more challenging, there are already some who have counted and provided a few specific conditions. With just a few limitations, could there still be any difficult problems to derive from this?

The confusion in the answer lies in the fact that among A, B, C, and D, the person telling the truth is not the same as the real culprit. An Jialu has already clarified the reasoning behind this.

"Three seconds, does anyone know? Speak up." Xu Pingqiu pointed at the few boys who stood up, and continued, "In this dim light, who dares to speak recklessly?" After a pause, Xu Pingqiu, clearly disappointed, waved his hand and said, "Please sit down; your right to answer has been revoked."

"No, it's not a difficult problem. This... is intentionally misleading. How can one reason like this?" Jie Bing retorted indignantly

How many people stood up just now? The whole classroom was filled, was it 12 or 13? No one is sure, and An Jialu is blushing, feeling quite embarrassed.

You are very confident, and I hope you answer with that same confidence. My question is... "Xu Pingqiu teased a bit, and a smile accompanied the question: 'This proposition has stumped people, both in the past and present. If you cannot answer it either, how many people are there in total, including you?'

The group sat down in frustration, and the girl named An Jialu was so angry that her chest heaved. Those who had not dared to test the waters could now sneer. As the laughter grew louder, the boy sitting next to the girl and the book could not contain his displeasure, standing up abruptly and startling Xu Chuqing. He said to Xu Chuqing without any courtesy: "Director Xu, I believe you are deliberately making things difficult for us"

"What are you pretending for, as if you know anything? Who is the real culprit?" Doubao mocked.

Deliberately keeping them in suspense, just when everyone thought the answer was about to emerge, Xu Pingqiu, with a teasing smile, shifted the topic and said: "How many constraints did I just give? Three seconds, buzz in with your answer."

Such reasoning is merely guesswork; who would still count how many conditions were just mentioned? It is clearly a trap

"Your surname is An... then it should be An Jialu, right?" Xu Pingqiu suddenly asked

The girl has a solid support base, and it seems she is the center of attention, standing with an expression full of pride.

The answer to my previous question is not difficult. Assuming that D is telling the truth, the other three conditions can coexist, and it can be concluded that C is the true culprit. However, what I am testing is not these, but your attention and observation skills. You may complain that my direction has gone off course, but you cannot blame the question for being too difficult. Xu Pingqiu smiled and revealed the answer, hearing a wave of embarrassment from the students below. He noticed that there was still a look of discontent on Jie Bing's face, and added, "Jie Bing, let’s continue with the previous question. How about I play the role of Sherlock Holmes and deduce your thoughts?" You may complain that my direction has gone off course, but you cannot blame the question for being too difficult. Xu Pingqiu smiled and revealed the answer, hearing a wave of embarrassment from the students below. He noticed that there was still a look of discontent on Jie Bing's face, and added, "Jie Bing, let’s continue with the previous question. How about I play the role of Sherlock Holmes and deduce your thoughts?"

Oh, is that so? Xu Pingqiu smiled and replied dismissively, "Then do you think my question is difficult?"

The beautiful girl in the third row cast a disdainful glance at the boy sitting next to her who had embarrassed himself, her eyes filled with mockery as she scolded, "Jie Bing, you are so foolish."

"I am not referring to the answer," Yu Zui chuckled and whispered, "What I mean is, after all, they are people sent by the organization. If someone with your level of intelligence can guess it, isn't the standard and the material a bit lacking?"

An Jia Lu's eyes bulged, and the prepared answer was swallowed back, nearly choking her

The teachers on the sidelines and Director Shi both laughed, making it quite difficult to assess the mixed reviews.

"I couldn't answer, six of them." The girl counted and finally got the number right.

"Yu Er, it should be C," Dou Bao whispered to Yu Zui. He did not react immediately, but he heard the discussion about the answer from the front row

The awkwardness of this attention-grabbing situation only intensified the laughter among the classmates, as a simple question turned out to be a trap that ensnared so many. However, the atmosphere became even more harmonious. The old detective, whose eyes sparkled with cunning, appeared more endearing than the stern-faced instructor.

As the two were engaged in conversation, Xu Pingqiu had already taken note of the eleven or twelve individuals who stood up. He smiled and encouraged them, saying: "Your courage is commendable; you may answer my question simultaneously. My question is..."

With a sneer, Dou Bao became angry, rolling his eyes that were more white than black, and viciously pointed at Yu Zui, cursing: "Wretch!"

Well, courage is still commendable... Oh, a heroine has stood up, so shall we prioritize the ladies for this topic? Xu Pingqiu saw the girl and said with a smile, only to realize that she was quite tall, definitely not someone who worries about the country and the people; in a few years, she might become a calamity for the nation. Upon hearing this, the girls below raised their fists in encouragement, softly shouting: "Xiao An, go for it..."

Xu Pingqiu, standing at the podium, maintained a smile on his face without moving. However, the students below were quite active; some were snickering at a few who had made a fool of themselves, others were discussing the true answers within the previously set conditions, and still others were whispering softly, stating that the conditions were not the limited conditions, but rather the criteria for resolving household registration and housing issues after selection.