Mystery Detective of the Steam World

Chapter 53 Hotel
Thanks to the Difference Engine, the Empire has now entered the information age.

However, unlike the modern information age, information exists here, but it may not be timely.

So now we've encountered a problem.

"I remember the document said 'discarded'?"

Looking at the brightly lit manor before him, Li Wei was at a loss for words.

That's just how it is in the countryside.

Inspector Lestrade, on the other hand, had seen it all before and remained calm.

"Most likely, nobody cared anymore. It was sold again later, but the data update status wasn't reported. This kind of thing happens all the time. After all, most rural areas don't have lines connecting to data centers, so updating the data requires a special trip to Chongqing. But many people are too lazy to go, since updating the status means paying taxes... which is a kind of tax evasion... Oh well, we're not from the tax bureau, so this isn't our responsibility. I can talk to them when I get back and do them a favor."

Li Wei was not surprised by this. After all, a local official has more power than a distant one, and he knew the situation in the countryside.

The car chugged into the manor gate and arrived at the square in front, where it found a place to stop. There were only the two of them, their steam-powered vehicles, and several horse-drawn carriages parked nearby. Not far away, horses strolled leisurely on the lawn, occasionally munching on the tender grass.

"I remember this manor used to have a horse farm, mainly for young masters and ladies from the city to experience rural life. It seems it's still in use now."

As a police officer, Inspector Lestrade seemed to know the manor better than its current owner. He looked around, remarked something, and then led the three into the hotel.

Upon entering the main gate, Li Wei and the others were greeted by a spacious hall with a staircase leading to the second floor at the far end. There were two doors on either side.

There was no one behind the counter next to it, but the entire foyer was quite bright and looked very clean.

"no one?"

Inspector Lestrade frowned, muttered something, then walked to the table and pressed the bell.

"Ring ring—!"

A moment later, the door next to it opened, and a middle-aged woman, whose diameter was no less than that of Inspector Lestrade, walked in.

"Ah, hello, welcome to the Red Moon Inn... May I ask...?"

“I, we made an appointment beforehand. My name is Carter Brian.”

The bespectacled man hurriedly stepped forward and gave his name.

"Ah, hello, Mr. Brian."

The middle-aged woman picked up the roster on the table, looked at it, and nodded.

"Is this your wife?"

"Yes, it is."

"So these two are..."

"We are passengers."

Li Wei stepped forward and spoke to the middle-aged woman.

Are there any rooms available?

"Ah, oh, of course, of course."

Upon seeing Li Wei, the middle-aged woman paused for a moment, then immediately snapped out of her daze and greeted him with an enthusiasm disproportionate to her figure. She cheerfully picked up the roster and handed it to Li Wei.

"Please sign here."

Li Wei took the roster, glanced at it, then signed his name, followed by Inspector Lestrade's signature.

The middle-aged woman took the list, glanced at it, and then put it back.

"plz follow me."

As she spoke, she swayed her hips and led the group up to the second floor.

At the same time, the middle-aged woman also took the time to introduce the products.

"I imagine you're not very familiar with this place. The Red Moon Inn used to be a private manor, and it's now been converted into an inn. There are eight single rooms and two double rooms here. It's especially for the two of you..."

As she spoke, the middle-aged woman turned and smiled slightly at the newlywed couple.

"...the honeymoon suite prepared."

"That would be great."

After that, everyone took their keys and went up to their rooms on the second floor. Li Wei's room was located at the far west end of the house. The house itself was quite large, with a private bathroom, a double bed, a screen separating the room, a large desk in the center, and a roaring fireplace on the wall. Combined with the soft, comfortable sofa, blankets, coffee table, and the large open-air balcony not far away, it was quite a nice place.

Li Wei put down his coat, washed his face, and then sat down in the armchair by the fireplace. It wasn't summer yet, and being deep in the mountains, the nights were still a bit chilly. Sitting by the burning fireplace to warm himself and sipping a pleasant cup of black tea was a leisurely and comfortable pastime.

Sigh, if I weren't already short of life, I'd like to build a manor in these deep mountains and forests, hire a few servants, and work from sunrise to sunset every day—but thinking about it that way, it's not very interesting.

Thinking of this, Li Wei chuckled softly.

Modern young people yearn for the countryside, but people in the past would have gone to great lengths to go to the city. Besides the more opportunities and higher earning potential, the biggest reason was the ease of communication. Don't be fooled by today's young people's envy of rural life; if you told them that there would be no internet, no electricity, and no delivery services in the countryside, they would immediately lose heart.

Li Wei is the same; staying in a guesthouse like this for a few days to recuperate is a good option.

But to say that living here for the rest of my life would be too boring.

"Dong dong dong."

A knock sounded at the door. Li Wei glanced at the doorway, then went to open it, and saw Inspector Lestrade walk in with a smile.

"Did I disturb you?... Oh, your room is nice." "Really?"

Seeing Inspector Lestrade looking at his room with envy, Levi simply raised an eyebrow.

"It's about the same."

"Oh, not at all. My room is only half the size of yours, and it doesn't even have a toilet. You have to go to the common area downstairs..."

Inspector Lestrade, his pipe dangling from his lips, could not hide his envy.

"They're all the same price, so why is there such a big difference?"

"It's also possible that they don't have enough guest rooms."

Li Wei didn't seem to care much about this. Before he transmigrated, he would often encounter situations like being upgraded on airplanes or in hotels. The reasons were varied and bizarre, ranging from being the 10,000th passenger on the flight to being unable to find enough hotel rooms and having to upgrade to a presidential suite.

It's been like this since he was a child, and over time, Li Wei got used to it.

"Hehe, that's possible."

Inspector Lestrade took a drag of his cigarette, glanced at Levi, and seemed about to say something, but ultimately could only change the subject.

"So, what do we do now?"

"What do you mean?"

"You're here to investigate, right? But given the current situation, we can't just investigate randomly."

What Inspector Lestrade was talking about is the biggest problem the two are currently facing.

Originally, since the manor was recorded as "abandoned," Levi and Inspector Lestrade didn't need to do anything; they could simply barge in and investigate whatever they wanted.

But things have changed drastically; the place has now been converted into a hotel, and that's where the problem arises. Although the records state it's "abandoned," it's currently owned.

As a civil servant, Inspector Lestrade needs a search warrant to conduct a search.

But the problem is... this search warrant isn't so easy to obtain.

Besides, this isn't a real case right now, so they have no reason to issue a search warrant.

"Let's see how things go first. If all else fails, we can investigate secretly."

"I can't do this job."

Inspector Lestrade chuckled and patted his beer belly.

"I can only cover for you, kid. You'd better watch out so you don't get caught."

"I'll pay attention."

Li Wei wasn't actually good at these kinds of petty thievery. He didn't have the skills either, but since he'd thought of it, he naturally had his own methods.

"Dong dong dong."

Just as the two were talking, the knocking sounded again. Inspector Lestrade, who was nearby, went straight to open the door. There stood a girl dressed in a maid's outfit, about the same age as Eileen. Upon seeing Inspector Lestrade, the girl paused for a moment, then stared wide-eyed at Levi sitting by the fireplace.

Inspector Lestrade found the scene amusing and deliberately stepped aside, coughing a moment later.

"Have you seen enough?"

"Oh, I'm so sorry...!"

Hearing Inspector Lestrade's teasing, the girl blushed and quickly lowered her head.

"I... I'm here to inform you two that dinner is ready. Please come downstairs to the restaurant..."

"Okay, we'll go right away."

Upon hearing Inspector Lestrade's reply, the young girl hurriedly left, while Inspector Lestrade looked at Levi with a smile.

"Let's go, it's time for dinner."

"makes sense."

After running all the way, Li Wei was also hungry. Hearing that dinner was ready, he stood up, straightened his clothes, and picked up the rectangular box next to him again.

"What exactly is in there that you're so fond of?"

Seeing how much Levi treasured the box, Inspector Lestrade was somewhat puzzled, but Levi simply smiled at him.

"Something useful."

"Ok?"

Although Inspector Lestrade intended to ask more questions, Levi clearly intended to keep it a secret. So he didn't say anything more, and the two tidied up before leaving the room and going to the dining room on the first floor.

Although it's now a hotel, it was formerly a manor, so most of the furnishings remain the same, including the restaurant. A long dining table runs the length of the room, with chairs on both sides. This means all the guests eat at the same table. Of course, this wouldn't be acceptable in a high-end hotel. However, this hotel is more like a guesthouse, and people in this era were far more tolerant of less comfortable accommodations than people are today.

Eating at the same table is nothing, as long as the two sides are a little far apart.

When Levi and Inspector Lestrade arrived at the restaurant, several people were already seated.

Li Wei's appearance naturally attracted their attention.

(End of this chapter)