Mystery Detective of the Steam World

Chapter 7 An Unexpected Invitation

It was already past midnight when Li Wei walked out of the Pink Lady bar.

Although the socialites enthusiastically invited him to stay the night, Li Wei politely declined.

After all, judging from the eager looks those socialites were giving him, Li Wei seriously doubted whether staying would be like a tiger entering a flock of sheep or a sheep entering a tiger's mouth.

So although going out at night was a bit dangerous, Li Wei felt that staying at the Pink Ladies' Club would only be more dangerous. After all, not only those socialites, but even Mrs. Clarty had told him with a smile that if he wasn't satisfied, he could choose any of the socialites at the Pink Ladies' Club, including himself…

Well, if we don't leave now, we might not be able to leave at all.

Leaving the brightly lit bar and walking along the quiet street, Li Wei finally breathed a sigh of relief. He had never really liked crowded places. Based on his experience, whenever he was in a large crowd, he was very likely to become the center of attention. Over time, Li Wei developed a preference for quiet places.

Of course, to ordinary people, the streets of Chongqing at night are definitely not a good place for a stroll. Besides the rumors of the socialite killer that make people hesitate, there are also some guys who often wander around under the cover of darkness.

Such as now.

"Hey, handsome young man, isn't it dangerous for you to be out alone so late?"

Accompanied by a sleazy voice, Li Wei saw a slovenly-looking man emerge from a nearby alley, blocking his path. He held a dagger, which he deftly wielded. Beside him stood a muscular, burly man, glaring angrily at Li Wei, adopting an attitude of "this mountain is mine, this tree is mine."

"What's the matter with you?"

Li Wei stared at the two men and asked a question, while the man with the dagger chuckled.

"It's nothing. I just thought you were quite generous, so I wanted to ask you for some money. You can give so much money to those socialites, so I thought you would also do some good deeds and give us some."

"What if I don't give it?"

Li Wei stood there, amusedly watching the man with the dagger. It was his first time encountering a robbery on the street, and he found it somewhat novel. Upon hearing Li Wei's reply, the man with the dagger's expression suddenly changed.

"Then don't blame me for being ruthless. I want to see if you'll still be laughing after I've turned your pretty little face into an ugly monster..."

As he spoke, the man with the dagger put it to his lips, licked it with his long tongue, and looked at Li Wei smugly. But before Li Wei could speak, the big man behind the dagger couldn't help but speak up.

"Big brother, you just stuck a rat in that dagger, you haven't washed it yet..."

"Ah————? YUE!!"

Upon hearing the big man's reminder, the man with the dagger's expression changed drastically. He then threw the dagger aside and began to vomit violently against the wall.

"…………"

Seeing this, Li Wei was speechless for a moment, but he didn't say anything and continued walking forward. It seemed these two thugs didn't have time to care about him anymore, however…

"Stop! Stop right there! Who said you could leave!"

Seeing that Li Wei was about to leave, the man with the dagger straightened up again and shouted at Li Wei.

"Our boss is looking for you! Come with us!"

"Your boss?"

Hearing the man with the dagger's explanation, Li Wei frowned. He wasn't surprised that such a place had a "vibrant social organization," but he was surprised that they would come looking for him. At least for now, Li Wei didn't think he could have any connection with the underworld. Could it be because of the socialite assassin? That made sense; after all, these people controlled the business in this area, and the socialite assassin's appearance clearly affected their profits…

Moreover, as local strongmen, we might even be able to glean some intelligence from them.
Thinking of this, Li Wei nodded.

"Ok."

Another reason for making the decision was simple: Li Wei had noticed that besides those two unreliable guys, several other people were lying in ambush in the nearby alleys. They had been silently watching him, and it was clear that if those two guys didn't succeed, it would take more effort next.

Since we'll have to talk about it sooner or later, we might as well have a proper talk.

Seeing that Li Wei was so obedient, the man with the dagger also relaxed his guard and, together with the big man, led Li Wei into the depths of the alley.

The man with the dagger seemed to be a chatterbox, and Li Wei got the information out of him almost effortlessly. The "dynamic social organization" that managed this area was called "Black Panther," and their leader was nicknamed "Scarface." According to the man with the dagger, Scarface was capable of anything—of course, it was obvious that this was just bragging; if Scarface really had those abilities, he wouldn't be the head of a gang in this place.

However, the name Scar reminded Li Wei of an animal villain in an animated film he used to watch. Now that he thinks about it, it's quite strange. Why would an animal in an animal cartoon name itself Scar?
They don't have knives.

As Li Wei's mind wandered, the three of them had already passed through the alley and arrived at a warehouse deep in the area. The man with the dagger reached out and knocked rhythmically on the warehouse door a few times. After a moment, the warehouse door opened a crack, and at the same time, Li Wei noticed that the auras that had followed him all the way had quietly dissipated.

They were quite organized.

Li Wei snapped out of his reverie and his opinion of "Scarface" improved considerably. It's easy to find someone who's both brave and ruthless, but it's rare to find someone who's both brave and ruthless and obedient. Scarface's ability to keep his men so obedient shows he's quite capable. Furthermore, the way he organizes things so meticulously demonstrates he's also a very logical person.

only………

Li Wei glanced at the man with the dagger with a puzzled look.

Why did I have to send this person to me? Couldn't I have found someone more reliable?
However, Li Wei's question was soon answered.

"Scarface, Boss!"

The man with the dagger squeezed through the crack in the door and shouted loudly.

"We've brought the person you requested!"

"Cliff!"

However, to Li Wei's surprise, the man with the dagger answered with a gentle, even slightly annoyed, female voice.

"How many times have I told you, don't call me that anymore!"

"Huh? But it's cool, isn't it?"

"???"

Hearing their conversation, Li Wei blinked in surprise, then looked towards the warehouse. He then saw a figure wearing a cloak and a mask standing in the center of the empty warehouse. He—no, she was petite and slender; judging from her figure and voice, she was probably only sixteen or seventeen years old.

Is this girl the leader who controls the entire social group?

Are you kidding me?
Li Wei appeared outwardly calm, but inwardly he was utterly astonished. Through his earlier "reconnaissance," Li Wei discovered that the other person's language was extremely refined, far beyond what someone uneducated would speak. This indicated that this young lady was not only educated, but had received a high level of education. So why was she posing as a gangster boss in this slum?
Are young people these days so good at having fun?

The girl seemed to have given up arguing with the man with the dagger. She looked at Li Wei again, and at the same time, Li Wei felt the girl gasp softly. However, with the mask covering her face, he couldn't see her expression. Well, there was no need. After all, Li Wei had experienced far too many things like this.

"Hello, Detective."

The girl spoke again the next moment, her voice becoming much gentler and more elegant.

"I am very sorry to bother you. Please forgive me if I have been rude. The reason I asked you to come here is that I have some questions and hope you can give me some guidance."

"………………………"

Li Wei looked around at the dilapidated warehouses.

You're speaking so formally; anyone who didn't know better would think you're inviting me to dance at a banquet.

"Are you asking about the socialite killer?"

"Yes, that's exactly it."

The girl nodded.

"I understand that you have communicated with the members of the Pink Ladies. Did you gather any clues?"

"There are some clues, but..."

Li Wei stared intently at the girl, sizing her up and down.

"I'm curious, what do you want to do by telling me all this?"

If Scarface were a ruthless man, Li Wei could easily guess that a gang leader would arrest anyone causing trouble on his turf and chop them into mincemeat. But this young lady didn't seem like that kind of person. Of course, having been exposed to modern information, Li Wei wouldn't readily assume this was her true nature. Perhaps she was all pink on the outside but black on the inside?
"I just want to hear you tell the story."

"Tell me?"

"That's right. Why are you investigating the socialite assassin? You're not from around here, are you? Is someone hiring you? Or is it because of a bounty?"

"…………………"

Li Wei frowned, somewhat puzzled by the young lady's thoughts, but he still honestly recounted his experiences to her, since there was nothing to hide. The young lady simply stood there listening, and later sat down on the wooden box beside her.

After Li Wei finished recounting his experiences, the girl remained silent for a long time.

"I see... So, you suspect who the socialite killer is? We, Black Panther, can help you investigate!"

How do we investigate? Do we break down the door, barge in, and ransack the place?
Li Wei silently grumbled to himself, but didn't voice it aloud. He still leaned towards the police rather than social groups. After all, police enforcement was based on law, followed procedures, and had evidence that could withstand investigation. Relying on these energetic social groups to commit riots and looting, even if the case was eventually solved, wouldn't look good on them.

"I have some guesses, but I'm not entirely sure yet."

Li Wei spoke up while watching the masked girl's reaction.

"Moreover, I don't think it's appropriate for local gangs to get involved in these matters."

"why?"

Sure enough, the girl's voice turned unhappy.

“This is Black Panther’s territory, so of course we have to protect everyone here… Ah, I’m sorry, Detective, I’m not blaming you, I just… just feel a little uneasy.”

disturbed?

Upon hearing this word, Li Wei did not react. Instead, the man with the dagger glanced at her in surprise, but refrained from speaking.

"To bring them to justice, it is best to follow the necessary procedures and rules."

Li Wei treated her like a little girl and patiently explained it to her.

"Only in this way can we bring criminals to justice. If we punish criminals by taking illegal actions, then even if the case is eventually closed, we will not be able to explain ourselves clearly. Following the rules is good for everyone, whether it is for you, me, or the criminals."

"That's nice to say!"

Upon hearing this, the girl, who had been so polite just moments before, now seemed somewhat angry.

"Rules, rules, rules, all I know are rules! But these rules get nothing done! By the time those incompetent civil servants finish their work, I'll be an old lady!"

Yes, they really are young.

Li Wei used to think the same way, believing that rigidly adhering to rules without flexibility was often just causing trouble. However, after entering the workforce, he realized that rules protect both parties. Of course, it cannot be denied that some people will exploit the rules for their own benefit, but most of the time, the existence of rules can effectively resolve most problems.

However, it's too early to say this to teenagers.

So Li Wei remained silent, thinking that the other party would leave after venting. He understood that this young lady had probably come to hear his story. He figured he wouldn't get any information from her, so it would be a wasted trip.

Just as Li Wei was about to take his leave, the girl came to her senses and stared at him.

"You mean you want to use the rules to catch the murderer?"

"Yes."

Rules that at least passable from the police's perspective.

"very good."

The girl nodded.

"Then I'll investigate with you! I want to see how you plan to use the rules to catch that murderer!"

“………………………?”

(End of this chapter)