Mu Feng frowned, his mind racing. He knew it wasn't the film crew's cook poisoning anyone; there was no motive. The culprit had to be a seasoned criminal with strong counter-surveillance skills, otherwise, they wouldn't have found and destroyed the hidden camera so discreetly.
Meanwhile, hidden in the shadows, a young man trembled with rage. Clutching a pair of binoculars, he cursed, "He's still alive! Damn it, but I'll make sure you die!" This young man bore a striking resemblance to Director Liu; he was clearly his son.
With no leads to follow, Mu Feng had no choice but to put his investigation on hold and focus on rescuing the poisoned crew members. The poison was potent, and while these individuals were temporarily out of life-threatening danger, they suffered significant after-effects.
By noon, after intensive treatment, their complexions had finally regained some color. Mu Feng had gone through several sets of silver needles, all of which had turned black, seemingly having absorbed a large amount of toxins. He let out a long sigh and handed a prescription to the cook. "These herbs can be found at any ordinary pharmacy. Hurry down to the town and buy them. Have them ingest the medicine, and they should recover completely!"
The cook was overwhelmed with gratitude, tears welling up in his eyes. He bowed deeply. "Thank you, President Mu, thank you so much!" Concerned about his livelihood, the cook had thoroughly cursed the poisoner, even insulting their ancestors.
Cheng Xiao approached him. "Mu Feng, what do we do now? The killer might be targeting the entire crew. Should we just disband the production?"
Mu Feng shook his head. "That won't do. But I have a plan to draw him out!"
After some time, the cook returned, carrying a large bag of herbs, panting. "Finally got them! I'll go brew the medicine right away!"
"Master, I believe you also want the perpetrator to reveal themselves?" Mu Feng said.
The cook became visibly excited. "Of course, of course! If he doesn't show himself, my reputation will be ruined! People will suspect me of poisoning, and no one would ever believe otherwise!" He began to cry, his nose running, looking utterly pathetic.
"In that case, how about we put on a show?" Mu Feng felt something was amiss, as if he were being watched. His intuition was rarely wrong, so he decided on a ruse to lure the snake out of its hole.
Though he didn't fully grasp the reasoning, the cook nodded eagerly. "President Mu, just tell me what to do, and I'll do it!"
"Excellent!" Mu Feng nodded with satisfaction.
As the cook prepared to administer the medicine to the crew members, Mu Feng stepped forward, pointing at his nose, and shouted, "Hold on! What are you doing?"
"Huh? I... I'm giving them medicine!" the cook exclaimed, momentarily confused. But when he saw Mu Feng wink, he suddenly understood.
"Giving them medicine? I think you're trying to poison them!" Mu Feng roared.
At that moment, the young man observing the crew with his binoculars chuckled. "These people are as stupid as dogs, thinking it's the cook's fault? They're as foolish as earthworms!" He mouthed every word, hearing everything.
The cook vehemently denied it. "No, how could I possibly poison them? I have no motive!"
"No motive? You dare say you have no personal grievances with them?" Mu Feng chuckled. The cook, perhaps having absorbed the drama of the film sets, put on an Oscar-worthy performance, bursting into tears. He knelt, crying, "This is unfair, truly unfair! Why blame me for their poisoning?"
Unaware of the charade, some crew members began to scold the cook. Mu Feng grabbed him, lifting him up. "Still trying to deny it? You're the one who poisoned them! Guards, seize him!" Several security guards rushed forward and pinned the cook to the ground.
"Take it easy on me! Go easy on me!" The cook was on the verge of tears. Had the act become reality?
Mu Feng coughed. "Take it easy, everyone. We must maintain some decency. Keep a close eye on him; I'll settle the score later!" With that, the cook was taken away by the guards and locked inside a jeep.
The young man lurking in the shadows licked his lips. "Heaven is helping me! Now I can continue poisoning them. I don't believe you won't eat breakfast tomorrow!"
Because of these events, Mu Feng couldn't leave and stayed with the crew temporarily. The film's production was now overseen by the assistant director. Although he'd heard rumors that the film might lose its funding, he was focused on his daily wage and happily continued with the shooting.
Time passed quickly, and it was soon evening. Being in the mountains, there were no entertainment options. Everyone returned to their RVs or tents to rest.
In the dead of night, an uninvited guest entered again – the young man who had poisoned them the previous night, Director Liu's son. "Tsk, tsk. A bunch of forgetful fools, plus an idiot. Your deaths are directly related to your intelligence!" As he spoke, he pulled out a small glass bottle. This time, he brazenly walked into the camp, seemingly unconcerned. He quickly approached the logistics vehicle and opened a water barrel.
Just as the young man was about to pour the poison from the glass bottle into the barrel, a cold voice cut through the silence. "What are you doing here?" It was Mu Feng, standing right behind him. The young man jumped, startled, and quickly hid the glass bottle in his pocket. He turned around hastily. "Nothing, I was just passing by, curious about what this place was!"
Mu Feng immediately sensed something amiss. The young man looked too much like Director Liu; he was most likely his son. "Nothing? What were you holding so suspiciously just now? Let me see it!" He held out his hand. The young man, unwilling to admit anything, quickly replied, "I wasn't holding anything! I'm just curious. I'm a villager from nearby and have never seen so many RVs before, so I just came to have a look!"
Mu Feng rubbed his nose. "Judging by your attire, you don't look like a villager. Are you playing a joke on me?"