Mystery Detective of the Steam World

Chapter 30 Unveiling the Mysteries
late at night.

The morgue was deathly silent.

Under the pale light, the corpse, covered by a white sheet, lay quietly on the bed.

There was no movement.

However, at that moment, the white sheet suddenly trembled, and then, accompanied by a low growl, the sheet was pulled back, and Rogers' corpse sat up and jumped off the bed. His eyes were bloodshot, he looked around, and then stumbled outside.

"Squeak—"

Rogers burst through the door and looked ahead.

Then he stopped.

In the corridor stood several soldiers in black uniforms, wearing masks and carrying weapons. Behind them were Levi, Katie, Inspector Lestrade, and the old butler.

"About 15 hours."

Li Wei took out his pocket watch and glanced at it.

"The autopsy report shows that Mr. Rogers died at 3 a.m. yesterday, which means that it takes more than half a day for the victim to be successfully transformed after being attacked by a vampire. Of course, it is also possible that it will have to wait until the evening."

"But we took this gentleman's body out to sunbathe for half a day before, and nothing happened."

Katie tilted her head in confusion.

"Isn't it said that vampires turn to ash when they come into contact with the sun?"

"It's also possible that he hadn't become a vampire yet, or that vampires aren't afraid of the sun at all."

Li Wei shrugged, then took out an all-knowing eye amulet and waved it at Rogers, who didn't react at all.

"Look, legend has it that vampires who see the amulet of the All-Seeing Eye will be destroyed by holy light, or is your amulet fake?"

"This was personally blessed by the archbishop."

Katie offered a defense, pouting angrily, clearly also dissatisfied.

Inspector Lestrade clearly didn't care about the conversation between the two, and instead cautiously observed the man in front of him.

“Mr. Rogers! I am Inspector Lestrade! Can you hear me?”

"Waaaaah..."

Upon hearing Inspector Lestrade's voice, Rogers tilted his head slightly and looked at him. Then, he suddenly spread his arms wide and pounced on Inspector Lestrade like a beast!
"Bang bang bang bang!!"

Soon, the masked soldiers raised their guns and pulled the triggers at Rogers. With each shot, Rogers' body trembled violently. Even so, he continued running forward, as if nothing was more important to him than his prey.

Seeing this, the old butler made a gesture. Soon, a soldier stepped forward, took out a bag of blood plasma, opened it, and threw it at Rogers. However, Rogers paid no attention to the blood plasma and continued walking forward without stopping. Then another soldier threw a chicken, but Rogers still ignored it, only glaring fiercely at them.

"It seems Mr. Rogers prefers human flesh to chicken."

Li Wei nodded when he saw this.

"Destroy him."

Then, another soldier stepped forward, carrying a large iron barrel on his back and holding a flamethrower. The soldier aimed at Rogers and pulled the trigger forcefully.

"boom-----!"

In an instant, the scorching flames engulfed Rogers, and moments later reduced him to a pile of charred remains.

The old butler withdrew his gaze and looked at Li Wei.

"Mr. Li Wei, has your investigation made any progress?"

"There are some guesses, but not many."

Li Wei didn't say much.

Should a curfew be imposed?

Inspector Lestrade was somewhat worried. He hadn't felt this uneasy even when he was dealing with the socialite killer. After all, once someone was killed by the socialite killer, they were gone and wouldn't get back up.

But right now...

"Mr. Rogers was sleeping at home and still couldn't escape it. I don't think the curfew will be of any use and will only cause unnecessary panic."

Li Wei gave a negative opinion.

"If you ask me, you might as well control the flow of information and make the newspapers report less about things like vampires."

Hearing Levi's complaint, Inspector Lestrade gave him a helpless look.

“That’s beyond my control. The media has freedom of the press and freedom of reporting.”

"Is there also freedom to spread rumors and exaggerate? Oh well, that's how it is for everyone who studies journalism."

Li Wei didn't say much and could only change the subject.

"We are willing to provide any assistance you require."

The old butler bowed and spoke, his expression serious.

"If I have to, I will."

Li Wei nodded to the old butler.

After that, Katie and the old butler left, the soldiers went to deal with the charred bodies, and Levi left the police station.

He actually already had some ideas about the case, but Li Wei didn't plan to tell anyone yet. It was just a guess, and it might not be accurate.

From the clues about the socialite assassin that Eileen provided and from Betty's letters, Levi discovered a pattern.

This appears to be some kind of ritual.

For example, the case of the socialite killer reminded Li Wei of the famous Jack the Ripper from his own world. This case has been talked about for so long because it has never been solved and the real killer has never been found, and it has even been adapted for the screen several times. In these stories, Jack the Ripper's identity ranges from an abandoned child to an evil spirit formed from resentment.

This kind of exploration of the unknown and the mysterious is what the public loves most, but what they seek is not the truth, but the thrill. Similar examples include the Bermuda Triangle, the Loch Ness Monster… and so on. The rumors surrounding courtesan assassins and vampire incidents are also similar.

Li Wei noticed that the two rumors had something in common, or rather, a certain order.

That's filling.

According to Eileen, at the beginning of the "socialite killer" case, all people knew was that a man roamed the streets at night, killing single women. Then, with the emergence of a second and third case, the description of this socialite killer became more and more detailed. He wore a mask, a black cloak, and carried a dagger used for killing and dismembering... and then, a complete image was born from the rumors.

The same goes for the legend of vampires. At first, all people knew was that someone died without a drop of blood on their body, and there were small holes on their neck that looked like they had been bitten by teeth, just like a vampire sucking blood.

These are the thoughts that the public had after the first case occurred.

Next comes the second case, involving this unfortunate rich second-generation painter. This time, the description of vampires is no longer so general, but more specific.

First, she is a female vampire; second, she is active at night; and finally, she only drinks the blood of handsome men.

Well, Edwards and Rogers both seem to be of above-average appearance.

After analysis, Li Wei discovered that these rumors were all reasonable and easy to believe.

Take the socialite assassin for example—he wears a black cloak, making him difficult to spot at night.

He wore a mask—so no one knew what he looked like.

He was holding two daggers—used for killing and dismembering.

Of course, Li Wei knew this was all nonsense. In reality, after Emilia transformed into a monster, she probably didn't retain much intelligence. Her choice of the scalpel was likely just a matter of habit. But that didn't matter, because the police couldn't publicly announce that the real socialite killer was a monster who had been resurrected from the graveyard through a mysterious ritual and transformed into a mutated form.

So for most people, the socialite killer is just a masked psychopath.

So, does this grant the other party some kind of mysterious power?

The socialite killer is dead, and Li Wei can't get any answers from the corpse. But it's not entirely impossible; for example, this case might just confirm Li Wei's suspicions.

In fact, Li Wei suspected that the other party's addition of the "targeting handsome men" setting might be aimed at him.

After all, he had thwarted the plans between Madame Clarty and a certain mysterious figure, even forcing the latter to kill Madame Clarty to stop Levi's further investigation. Therefore, it was understandable that the other party wanted to kill him to eliminate any future trouble. Moreover, since the other party had even killed Madame Clarty to avoid further investigation, Levi felt there was no way they would spare his life.

So the question is, how will he kill himself?

Using ordinary methods isn't impossible, but Li Wei was prepared for the possibility that every time he went out, he might be ambushed in some alley by a group of thugs or gangsters, and then they would pull out a gun and, like in "The Godfather," shoot him like a sieve.

However, it's clear that the other party doesn't intend to use this method. This is understandable, because if Li Wei manages to escape alive, he could potentially use these assassins to investigate in return.

Given the other party's caution, the best approach would be for Li Wei himself to die mysteriously in a mysterious event without anyone noticing.

That's why he fabricated this rumor specifically targeting Li Wei: a female vampire who drinks the blood of handsome men and operates in the darkness. Walls, windows, and locks can't stop her; she comes and goes without a trace—Li Wei could even guess that tomorrow morning's newspapers would report this extensively, letting everyone in the Fog City know that a third-rate painter had been drained of his blood in his room, in a secret chamber.

This is some kind of trick that involves distorting reality, and Levi has already guessed it—a carefully pieced-together horror story made up of lies, twisted intelligence.

However, in the end, a story needs a prototype.

If the socialite assassin is based on Emilia, then who is the prototype for the vampire?
Sitting in his box at the theater, watching the performance below, Li Wei yawned listlessly. He was completely uninterested in this so-called "art." If he had the time, he'd rather read more books. Unfortunately, for Fog City at night, this was one of the few forms of entertainment, and if the vampire was after Li Wei, then fighting outside was certainly better than staying at home.

Li Wei was unwilling to destroy his own home.

The actors on stage were screaming their lungs out, portraying the final struggle of a king at the end of a dynasty. But Li Wei showed no interest. He yawned again, then leaned back in his chair and squinted.

Just then, a voice rang in Li Wei's ear.

"Sir, you seem rather bored?"

Li Wei turned his head and saw a woman sitting in a private seat next to him, smiling and looking at him. She was dressed in a magnificent gown, adorned with dazzling jewels, and looked very elegant and composed. She possessed a captivating charm, like a bright and dazzling pearl in the night, radiating a brilliant light.

"I'm sorry, miss, I've disturbed your enjoyment."

Li Wei nodded slightly in greeting to the woman.

"I have no problem with this play, it's just that I've been a bit tired lately, so it's understandable that I'm not in good spirits..."

"I can understand that."

The woman smiled slightly; her smile was so bright that just looking at her seemed to dispel all worries.

"Actually, I'm also feeling a bit bored. How about... we go for a walk?"

Li Wei did not refuse the suggestion. She took his hand, and the two left the box. The theater corridor was silent, without a single person in sight. The faint sounds of theatrical singing coming from behind the walls only reinforced this impression, as if they had been completely isolated from the world and had arrived in a completely different place.

It was like a dark, quiet, deserted alleyway next to a bustling street, giving one an eerie sense of isolation from the lively, mundane world. However, Li Wei didn't care, and neither did the woman. She took his hand, led him through the corridor, and brought him to a room nearby. Before Li Wei could even see what it was, the woman pulled him inside.

Then the two hugged each other tightly.

It was a heat that seemed to melt everything, yet also carried a chill that seemed to freeze everything. And a sense of languor and comfort—like lying in a warm bed in early winter, eyes closed, enjoying the comforting sensation. His previously clear mind began to fade, and Li Wei even felt his thoughts gradually becoming blurred.

He lowered his hand and reached into his pocket. The woman chuckled softly, her slender, soft fingers grasping his hand with the agility of a snake. Li Wei paid no heed; he simply held the woman's hand as if it were that of a beloved lover, and placed it into his pocket.

"—————————!"

The next moment, the woman let out a silent, piercing scream. At the same time, Li Wei felt a sudden, searing heat and pain, like a branding iron, erupt from his pocket.

Then, Li Wei opened his eyes.

The soaring chant reached its climax at this moment, and on stage, the actor playing the villain began to scream and struggle. The audience rose to their feet and applauded, the enthusiastic applause resounding throughout the theater.

Li Wei turned his head and looked to the side, where there was no one.

"interesting."

Levi chuckled and stood up. Then he reached into his pocket and took out a badge—the very one he had taken from Katie earlier, which she claimed was blessed by the Archbishop with the Eye of All Wisdom.

Li Wei flicked his finger, sending the object flying high into the air before it landed back in his hand. At the same time, a glint flashed in Li Wei's eyes.

He then stood up, put on his hat, and left the box amidst applause from the audience.

(End of this chapter)