Ke Xue: I picked up a bottle of sherry at the beginning.

The principal kindly chided, "Why didn't you notify us so we could go and greet them?"

Lian Jian laughed heartily: "You're welcome. I was just thinking of showing my wife around my alma mater!" He pointed to the music room across the street and said to his wife, "Look, this is the music room. Back then, my classmates and I held many concerts here..."

Mrs. Lianjian looked around curiously at everything here: "This building is very old, but it's still very beautiful."

When Renjian saw Sakazaki standing behind the principal, he quickly walked over and hugged him tightly: "Long time no see, Sakazaki..."

"Hasumi, I'm sorry to ask you to take some time out of your busy schedule..." Sakazaki looked at Hasumi gratefully.

"You're welcome! As you wished, a day earlier..."

While they were exchanging pleasantries, Conan heard Michiko and Shiori whispering to each other. Michiko lowered her voice and said, "I heard that Mr. Sakazaki and Mr. Hasumi were in the same class."

"I know, they are rivals." Shiori also said.

"But Mr. Sakazaki injured his hand just before the concert, so he had to give up his piano career..." Michiko said this with a sad look on her face. "Now he has become a world-famous pianist, while I am a poor teaching assistant... What a cruel trick of fate..."

If Quan Yi were here, he would definitely be madly complaining about this similar plot: It's obvious that he was the one who caused it! This kind of plot has been played out for dozens of episodes!

Shizhi's face darkened and she interrupted her: "Don't say that!"

Michiko was startled, turned her head to look at her, and said quickly: "I'm sorry!"

At this time, Lian Jian had already walked to the piano and said, "Before we officially start, can we rehearse for a while? Let me get familiar with the piano." Everyone present applauded.

Lian Jian bowed to the audience as usual, adjusted the height of the piano chair, and sat down calmly.

He flicked his fingers, testing a few notes. Then, taking a deep breath, his hands began to dance across the piano keys, a stream of music flowing freely from his fingers. He was playing Beethoven's "Pastoral Symphony," a piece known to everyone, yet now, his masterful performance seemed to breathe new life into it. His nimble hands, like a magic wand, effortlessly stirred the emotions of the audience in the concert hall. The music, by turns passionate and somber, evoked the feeling of strolling through the fields of early summer, taking in the ever-changing landscape of nature. While the crowd was still immersed in the tranquility of the clouds, a torrential downpour, accompanied by thunder and lightning, suddenly descended. Finally, the downpour cleared, a refreshing breeze carried a warm warmth, and the music ended gracefully in a radiant sun.

There was warm applause and cheers in the music room. Even Conan, who was tone-deaf, couldn't help but nod in praise.

Michiko, standing by, couldn't help but sweat for her own afternoon performance: "Oh, I'm so nervous. Now I don't even have the courage to stand on the same stage with the teacher..."

Lian Jian laughed easily and said, "Hahaha, no need to be so nervous!"

"Yes, his piano isn't that scary." This was said by Mrs. Hasumi, who was already sitting in front of the piano. She smiled and said to Michiko, "Look!"

Although she did not take off her gloves, her hands' dexterous movements were not hindered at all. They were like two lively little black cats dancing lightly on the piano keys, playing out a series of brisk notes.

Madam Lianjian clapped her hands lightly and walked down the stairs. "How about it? I'm not bad, am I?"

Lian Jian quickly said to everyone, "My wife can only play this."

Mrs. Lianjian pouted dissatisfiedly and said, "It's enough for me to express myself!"

"Yes!" Michiko smiled.

Mrs. Lianjian said to her husband, "Yes, you should listen to the girls' performance first..."

"That's great!" Renjian gave the two girls a questioning look, "Is that okay?"

Michiko and Shiori were both timid and dared not say a word. After everyone encouraged them again and again, Shiori tremblingly went to the piano.

After the song, the principal shook his head and said, "Alas, I was still too nervous."

"Didn't Heibei come today?" Michiko walked to the window and murmured.

Madam Lianjian asked curiously, "Heibei?"

Shiori explained: "There is a little wild cat living in the school. Everyone loves it and often feeds it. There is also a saying among us students: if you can touch Kurobei before an exam or a performance, everything will go well."

Mrs. Lianjian opened her eyes wide: "Really? I want to see it too! I love cats the most."

"What's wrong with you today? You don't like to go out during the day, do you?" Michiko leaned against the window frame and muttered. It seemed that she was hoping that Hei Bei would bring her good luck!

Speaking of cats, Conan couldn't help but think of Mitsuhiko and the others. He wondered how they were doing now? Were they still anxiously calling out "Sakura" and looking for her everywhere?

After the rehearsal, Kisaki Eri was invited to have lunch in the school cafeteria, and Shiraizumi Mashi, Xiaolan, and Conan also followed.

Conan no longer cares about the fact that Shiraizumi Mashi got both Kisaki Eri and Xiaolan pregnant. His mind is now full of the case. He smells the scent of the case. Although it has not happened yet, he knows it is about to happen.

Besides them, Michiko, Shiori, the Hasumi couple, and the principal also decided to have dinner together...

The group headed to the restaurant, with Mrs. Hasumi walking last. Seeing no one was closing the music room door, she closed it herself. There were two doors, one on each side. Mrs. Hasumi closed one, and Sakazaki looked back and saw it, and hurriedly turned back, saying, "Excuse me, let me do it!"

Madam Lianjian smiled at him and left.

The spacious and bright school cafeteria was filled with laughter. Mrs. Hasumi and several young girls were enjoying delicious food and wine while chatting and laughing. The principal and Mr. Hasumi watched from the side, shaking their heads.

After eating and drinking, Xiaolan suddenly said that she forgot to bring her handkerchief and wanted to go to the convenience store to buy one. After she reminded them, Michiko and Shiori found themselves going shopping too. Even Mrs. Hasumi joined in the fun and said, "Then I'll go too. I want to buy something too!"

Mr. Lianjian sighed: "Women always like to do things in a group!"

After leaving the restaurant, Hasumi went back accompanied by the principal, Sakazaki and others, while Mrs. Hasumi took a few girls and Conan to the school supermarket to "shop".

Although this supermarket was located on campus, it was quite large. Inside, the dazzling array of goods was simply overwhelming. Ran muttered to herself, "Handkerchief," as she searched the shelves. Mrs. Hasumi walked straight to a shelf and took down a box of cat food. Michiko and Shiori didn't really have anything important to buy; they were just browsing. They didn't leave until the performance was almost about to begin.

Conan finally found the little black cat

"This 75-year-old concert hall will soon become history. I hope today's concert will become a fond memory for everyone!"

In the VIP room of the concert hall, after the principal's impassioned speech, the concert began. Michiko performed first, followed by Shiori. Perhaps after hours of interaction with the master pianist, their nerves had subsided, and they took to the stage with ease, showcasing the skills they had painstakingly cultivated for four years to the fullest, earning relentless applause from the audience. Their captivating performances marked the beginning of the grand opening for the appearance of piano master Hasumi.

To the roaring applause, Lian Jian emerged in a suit and tie. He bowed deeply to the expectant audience, then turned and sat down at the piano, adjusting the piano chair as usual. Suddenly, his expression changed, and he jumped up from the chair.

"What's the matter?" the principal in the audience stood up and asked.

Lian Jian smiled uncomfortably: "Could you please change a chair for me?"

"A staff member came up and took the chair aside and replaced it with a new piano chair for Lian Jian. Lian Jian then sat down steadily and began to play.

"Boom—" A piercing high note hit the audience's heart hard. The sound had a long, trembling tail, like the footsteps of the god of death descending upon the world. Xiaolan and Ke looked at each other in bewilderment: "What's going on?"

Lian Jian was trembling all over, his face livid, beads of sweat rolling down his cheeks. In an instant, his face turned a deathly pale, and his eyes widened, revealing the whites of a dead fish's belly. He raised his hands tremblingly, fingers spread out, but his hands seemed to be unable to move, frozen in mid-air. Suddenly, there was another "thud," and Lian Jian fell flat on the piano.

"Mr. Lian Jian!" Everyone present screamed.

The principal and Sakazaki rushed over and pushed Hasumi. Hasumi turned around and showed a scary roll of the eyes.

"Quick! Call an ambulance!"

"It's too late," Conan walked up to Renjian, reached out with his hand, and his face suddenly became serious: "-He is dead."

"Oh, my dear!" Mrs. Lianjian cried and rushed over.

When she calmed down a bit, Sakazaki asked, "Hasumi-kun...do you have any chronic illness?"

"Oh no, not at all..." Mrs. Lianjian sobbed.

Conan's mind was spinning rapidly: there was nothing abnormal before his death, just that his body suddenly trembled, which was like... poisoning! Suddenly, an idea flashed in his mind and he shouted: "Mr. Sakazaki, the deceased had changed the chair before the performance, what's going on?"

Sakazaki touched his head and said, "...There's a needle embedded in that chair."

Conan hurried over to take a look. Sure enough, in the center, slightly to the back of the piano chair, right where the buttocks sat, a thin, sharp needle protruded from the sponge seat. Leaning over, Conan saw a thin, yet resilient, silk thread tied to the hinges beneath the chair, while a smooth nail was driven into the side of the wooden board beneath the seat. One end of the tautly stretched silk thread was wrapped around the hinges, the middle looped several times around the nail, and the other end was embedded in the sponge seat. It seemed that this thread was used to pull the needle through the seat.

"Mr. Sakazaki, call the police quickly, this is a murder!" Conan shouted anxiously.

"What?!" Sakazaki was shocked. "Murder?"

"Yes, this needle is likely to be poisonous." Conan said seriously.

...

Ten minutes later, the police arrived at the scene. Shortly thereafter, the inspection report came back. Just as Conan had predicted, the needle was indeed poisonous, but strangely, no fingerprints were found on the needle or the silk.

With the assistance of his subordinates, Officer Megure, wearing gloves, carefully cut the sponge cushioning of the chair horizontally from where the needle protruded, revealing a crescent-shaped silver needle. The nail, silk, and needle were all on the same surface. This was a surgical needle used to suture wounds, the tip coated with a highly toxic agent, the tail of which was tied with silk from the silkworm.

Inspector Megure analyzed, "The mechanism designed by the murderer is very clever. If you lower the chair and turn the hinge, the silk thread tied to the hinge will also wind around it. When it is taut, it will pull on the needle, lowering the needle, causing the needle tip to rise and penetrate the chair."

Michiko turned pale with fear and said, "According to your reasoning, wouldn't it be possible that we could be harmed as well?"

Shiori also said: "Yes, but how come we are okay?"

"Hasumi-kun is much larger than you, so the chair lowered much further—in other words, the force pulling on the silk was much greater, so the needle tip came out." The sheriff said, "But at this point, we can't be sure whether the murderer's intention was to kill..."

The principal asked hurriedly, "Are you saying that the murderer targeted Hasumi-kun?"

"We can't say for sure at the moment, but we can't deny it either..." Inspector Megure said something ambiguous, but everyone knew in their hearts that the criminal's target was Hasumi!

"Why is he targeting my husband? What exactly..." Mrs. Lian Jian's eyes were red.

Sakazaki suddenly remembered something and took out a letter from his pocket and handed it to Inspector Megure: "Before the concert started, I received this letter..."

Officer Megure took it and read it, stunned. It read: "Oppose the destruction of the concert hall. Cancel today's concert! Otherwise, the consequences will be disastrous!"

Officer Megure immediately became alert and asked Sakazaki: "When and where did you get it?"

"We all went out for lunch today and found it when we came back. It's at the entrance of the concert hall."

The principal frowned: "Another anonymous letter!"

Inspector Megure was startled: "Again?"

Sakazaki explained: "Ah, we've received a few similar things before..."

Officer Megure thought for a moment and said, "It seems that this was undoubtedly left by the murderer." He turned and handed the letter to his subordinate, "Check it, there are fingerprints on it!"

The principal said to Sakazaki, "But, Sakazaki-kun, why didn't I hear you mention this letter today?"

Sakazaki lowered his head and whispered, "I'm sorry, I didn't want to worry everyone, so... I also checked the venue carefully and didn't find anything unusual..."

The principal shouted angrily, "No abnormalities? Can you still call it no abnormalities now?! Nothing can be done about it now."

Sakazaki hung his head and apologized repeatedly: "I'm so sorry! Please forgive me."

"This is not a question of forgiveness or not!" the principal roared angrily.

"Please calm down!" Inspector Megure finally calmed the principal's anger. "Tell me what you did today?" As he said that, he took out a pen and a notebook and analyzed and recorded.

"Rehearsal started at 11:30, and everyone went out for lunch at 12:30. We returned to the concert hall at 2:00 PM and found this anonymous threatening letter at the door. This means the murderer sneaked into the concert hall and left the letter between 12:30 and 2:00. Also, Mr. Hasumi performed during rehearsal, and nothing happened at that time. This means the poison needle was also installed between 12:30 and 2:00..."

After some analysis, Inspector Megure came to this conclusion. He looked at everyone and asked, "Where did you leave your keys when you went to eat?"

The principal said: "No, the music hall is not locked during school hours and students can come and go as they please."

At this moment, a police officer ran in with the anonymous letter and said, "Officer, only Mr. Sakazaki's fingerprints were found on this letter."

Inspector Megure immediately asked, "Where are the previous ones?"

"It's all the same."

Inspector Megure stroked his beard as he pondered, "But the murderer must have been to the school today... How many entrances and exits does the school have?"

Sakazaki replied, "There are two entrances, the front door and the back door. Both have reception rooms. All outsiders must register."

"Hey, why didn't we register?" Xiaolan said.

Michiko said: "They must have mistaken you for a student of our school. Those on duty were not so serious..."

Under Inspector Megure's orders, the police quickly brought in two administrators at the school gate. However, they said that there were so many students attending classes and VIPs attending the concert that they couldn't register them all at once.

Inspector Megure was in a dilemma, his face wrinkled like a bitter melon: "Oh my, there are so many suspects..."

Conan looked at his bewildered look and sneered in his heart.

"There aren't that many murderers, and there's only one truth!"

"The mechanism on that chair is incredibly ingenious. The murderer exploited a movement a pianist must make before a performance to set it up. It must have taken a lot of thought. Would someone capable of designing such an ingenious mechanism act without a plan? The police believe the murderer took advantage of us going out for dinner, but what if we hadn't? Although the restaurant was booked in advance, even if the murderer knew that, there was still the risk of being seen sneaking into the concert hall during that time. Honestly, no one would take such a risk..."

"But if the murderer didn't do it during that time, how do we explain Mr. Hasumi's safety during the rehearsal and his sudden death during the performance?"

Conan squatted down in front of the chair again and began to study it carefully. This time, his eyes fell on the nail he had previously ignored. The silk was wrapped around the nail several times, and the part from the nail to the shaft was stretched tightly. Why did the murderer do this? What special purpose did this nail have?

·· ·······Request flowers····· ·····

Conan was thinking hard, and suddenly he jumped up: Yes, that's it! Now, the remaining problem is the letter... Thinking of this, he took big strides and ran out.

The anonymous letter he received today was wrapped in plastic. Through the thin plastic film, Conan saw that the letter itself was bent and distorted, as if it had been soaked in water and then dried. How could this be? Conan racked his brains.

At this moment, he heard a man sobbing in the lounge next door. He looked over and saw that it was Sakazaki wiping away tears. Shiori comforted him: "Teacher, please don't cry. This is not entirely your fault!"

"If I had checked carefully, I wouldn't have..." Sakazaki fell into deep self-blame.

"No, this must be retribution!" Shiori suddenly said viciously. Conan outside the door quickly pricked up his ears.

Sakazaki looked up at her in surprise: "What did you say?"

"I know what Lian Jian did to you, Teacher, before. This must be retribution for that!"

"Shiori, what are you talking about?"

"I was playing piano part-time at a hotel when I ran into Hasumi. I knew he was a friend of yours, so I went up to say hello. He bought me a drink and said he'd done something wrong to you... He said that before the big competition, you two went on a road trip together to relax. As you were reaching out to get your luggage from the trunk, he deliberately slammed the hood shut, crushing your right hand!" Shiori gritted her teeth. "He...he deliberately resorted to such vicious tactics to defeat you in the competition!"

. ........ .......

Sakazaki covered his head, as if unwilling to listen, and insisted painfully: "No, it wasn't! That was indeed an accident!"

Shiori shook Sakazaki madly: "Teacher, why don't you dare to admit this fact? He snatched the piano from you, can you just remain indifferent... I, I will never forgive him!"