Under the weight of fear, Li Meimei revealed a piece of crucial information.

Dean's expression was difficult to read. "Are you saying you were worried George might die on the cruise ship, and when you went looking for him later, he was being taken to a room by a sturdy man?"

Avoiding Dean's gaze, Li Meimei lowered her head. "Yes, that man was carrying George into the spa room. I didn't see his face clearly; I only know that the man was wearing a crew member's uniform!"

"What about the time?"

Li Meimei hesitated for a moment, then said uncertainly, "My drug effects had just worn off, and my mind was a bit clearer. When I went out to check the time, it seemed to be around four in the morning."

The timing matched.

Aisha had been toying with George a little after three o'clock. After sating herself, she hadn't bothered with George and had left alone. Later, George, lying in the corridor, had encountered another man...

Fair is fair. This scene was very similar to the "corpse-picking" circles Dean had seen in bars and nightclubs. Within these circles, men and women in such a state were referred to as "passed-out drunks" or effectively "bodies." Some men with HIV particularly enjoyed lurking outside nightclubs and bars. Upon spotting an unconscious "passed-out drunk," they would feign being a companion and take the person to a secluded corner or a hotel for a "romp." This served multiple purposes: first, to satisfy their own lust; second, to spread their disease, making more people as unfortunate as themselves; and third, to film short videos. Later, they might use these videos to blackmail the victim into a long-term illicit relationship. Failing that, they could sell the videos to obscure websites for some cash—a venture that was all profit, no loss. The number of such victims daily was unknown. Female victims were the most common. Male victims were fewer, but still numerous. This was because even if drunk men couldn't perform, certain parts of them remained warm enough to soothe the desolate and lonely hearts of such gay men.

Seeing that Dean remained silent after hearing her words, Li Meimei grew anxious.

She mustered her courage and pleaded with a tone more devout than prayer, utterly sincere, "There are only so many crew members on a private yacht. If you investigate, you can verify what I've said!"

On such private cruise ships, the crew is a dedicated team maintained by the ship's management, on call 24 hours a day.

So, what Li Meimei said was not false.

"Then why didn't you mention this after finding out George was dead?" Dean looked up. "You should realize that Aisha and those rich women were willing to let you into their circle solely because of your father and Mr. Saul's relationship. But after George's death, they've actually been suspecting you. Don't you care about their opinions of you at all?"

As someone of Chinese descent, Li Meimei was an outsider here.

Whether it was lifestyle habits, social circles, or interests, it was actually very difficult for her to integrate into the local circle of wealthy women.

Such people generally care a lot about the thoughts of others in their circle; to be accepted, they often deliberately adopt a subservient posture in interactions.

But Li Meimei obviously had critical information, and there had been precedents of her "toys" dying. She should have known that everyone's first reaction would be to suspect she had played George to death. Yet, Li Meimei concealed such important information. She feigned unconsciousness while on the ship and put on airs here. She only spoke up after being beaten and realizing her father wasn't backing her.

This wasn't normal! People have a natural instinct to seek advantages and avoid harm. This meant that, in Li Meimei's eyes, speaking up might clear her of suspicion, but it would undoubtedly bring her even greater trouble! So, what was she hiding?

Dean became interested. Seeing Li Meimei lapse into silence after his questioning, he cracked a smile and signaled to Harry, who was enjoying the show, "Harry, it seems our Miss Li still hasn't come to terms with the situation. Go fetch me some toothpicks from my desk; I'll help her come to her senses!"

Li Meimei was instantly spurred into reaction. With unprecedented Speed, she sprang up from the ground like a rubber ball, scrambling and rolling towards the door in an attempt to flee this terrifying place.

The next moment, Harry's size 43 foot landed squarely on Li Meimei's face, sending her sprawling onto her back and stamping an AJ shoe logo imprint on her.

"Nice shoes, Harry. Look how clear that imprint is; those are some good shoes!" Dean complimented.

Harry gave a thumbs-up, deliberately saying, "Indeed, with these shoes, I'm the coolest guy on the streetball court. But I don't quite understand, Dean, why do you want to use toothpicks to help this woman clear her mind?"

Dean crouched in front of Li Meimei, who was curled up on the ground, covering her face.

He picked up her well-maintained right hand and explained considerately amidst her irrepressible trembling, "Each human finger is connected to meridians that lead directly to the brain through the limbs. As law-abiding detectives, we don't just beat a prisoner's head at will, but it's not a big deal if we just help her trim her nails. The key is…"

Dean looked at the increasingly trembling Li Meimei and chuckled softly, "The key is, she only has one head. If that gets damaged, she's dead. But she has ten fingers, enough for us to while away a boring day."

"Makes sense!" Harry, having coordinated with Dean many times, saw that the atmosphere was suitably menacing and pretended he was leaving. "Right, Dean, I remember Daisy has some pliers. I'll bring them over later. If the toothpicks don't give you enough satisfaction, we can also help her with her fungal nail infections for free."

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