Mystery Detective of the Steam World

Chapter 104 Evening Ball
If he could, Li Wei would jump off the ship right now and swim back to the Fog City.

Unfortunately, it was too late.

All he can do now is enjoy the trip as much as possible, and then... and pray that it will arrive at its destination safely.

Otherwise, what else can be done?
It's like watching "Final Destination" and then having a dream before boarding a plane. So, do you get on the plane or not?

Li Wei was quite certain that this was a question that most people needed to consider.

Night fell, and soon, the first night of the North Star arrived.

Li Wei didn't know how the passengers on the lower decks would spend the night, but it was clear that the first-class passengers had their own enjoyment. For example, the ball in the banquet hall tonight, where celebrities from all over the world gathered to dance, chat, and socialize.

Li Wei, meanwhile, sat on a chair nearby, sipping his herbal tea and idly passing the time.

Just then, an old voice rang out.

"If you ask those ladies to dance, they'll be very happy."

Li Wei turned his head and saw an elderly man with white hair, dressed in a sharp suit, smiling as he approached him and sat down. Li Wei had just met him at the luncheon; the old man was none other than business tycoon Howard. They had chatted quite a bit then, but Li Wei hadn't expected that the man would come to see him at the ball.

"Good evening, Mr. Howard."

Li Wei nodded to Howard, who sat down and chuckled as he took a glass of champagne.

"What? You don't like this kind of occasion?"

"It's alright. I'm used to crowded places, but I prefer to observe from the sidelines."

"That's a real shame, look at those ladies."

Howard lifted his chin and stroked his goatee.

"They're really hoping you'll invite them to dance; maybe you'll have a wonderful encounter?"

"Perhaps it is, perhaps it isn't."

Li Wei picked up his teacup and nodded to the young ladies who were whispering among themselves, towards whom he had been peeking. The ladies let out a low scream and turned away, their faces flushed.

"Look, how cute these sweet little birds are."

Old Howard chuckled as he looked at the ladies in the distance, stroking his beard.

"They are cute, but you can never figure out what they are really thinking."

Li Wei withdrew his gaze.

"Moreover, women are very fickle."

Then, he murmured to himself. This topic reminded Li Wei of the time before he transmigrated, when he had a wife, and the two were very much in love. Everyone thought they were a perfect couple, a match made in heaven. However, after Li Wei fell ill, everything changed.

His wife left Li Wei soon after, disappearing with her belongings. Even when Li Wei returned home, he found everything had been taken, including his bank savings; she had taken the money and vanished without a trace.

Rationally speaking, Li Wei could understand the other party's decision to cut their losses. Regardless of what they possessed, ultimately, this was an incurable disease, and even spending a lot of money would only prolong the suffering.

Therefore, under these circumstances, it is understandable that the woman would choose to leave rather than sink into this quagmire with him.

However, on the other hand, emotionally, this kind of behavior is unacceptable, after all, many stories and legends describe one person suffering from a serious illness while the other remains devoted and steadfast. From an emotional perspective, Li Wei also yearns for this kind of love that transcends life and death.

Unfortunately, he obviously didn't encounter such good fortune.

Although his friends thought Li Wei should file a lawsuit in court or simply expose it online, Li Wei felt it was pointless. After all, he knew that such a lawsuit would be protracted, and given Li Wei's condition at the time, he felt he might not even live to see the day he had to appear in court.

So Li Wei ultimately chose to give up. After all, whether he felt guilty taking the money or not was something only the other party knew, and he couldn't be bothered to care.

So is it because my judgment is bad?

Li Wei wasn't sure if that was true either. After all, many girls wanted to date him back then, and he spent a long time choosing before selecting his current wife. At the time, Li Wei believed that he and she were very compatible and that they loved each other. But was that really the case? Or was love just a backdrop?
Heartbroken?

Hearing Howard's voice, Li Wei finally snapped out of his reverie and shrugged.

"Because of some things I've experienced in the past, I find it hard to understand what women are thinking."

"Haha, I gave up trying to find the answer to what women are thinking thirty years ago."

Old Howard laughed heartily.

“I don’t know what you young people think these days, but I can give you some of my experience, Mr. Li Wei.”

As he spoke, old Howard pointed to the young ladies.

"Just enjoy the present moment."

"Now?"

"That's right, you see, for men, you can never be sure if a woman truly loves you. And it's the same for women. When you're exchanging sweet words, when you're enjoying intimacy, do you ever think about this question? Like me, you see, there are always young women fawning over me. So, is she after me as a person, or after my money?"

"…………………"

Li Wei looked at old Howard's physique and felt that the answer to this question was self-evident.

However, Howard Sr. just smiled.

"It doesn't matter, you know? At least you know that when she wants to make me happy, she can really make me very happy, and that's enough. After all, what's wrong with being together when you're happy and separating when you're not? Whether someone loves you or not, men and women may never get a definite answer. But many of them still stay together. Is it because they're sure of their love for each other? Or is it because they still remember the happy moments they had together?"

"...Perhaps that is indeed the case."

Li Wei gazed at the hall before him, watching the dancing crowd, and murmured to himself. He had married her precisely because he was happy with her; they were both young then. Indeed, her subsequent betrayal had caused him immense pain, far surpassing any physical suffering.

But this didn't erase the happiness he felt when he was with her. Perhaps old Mr. Howard was right; he shouldn't have been so fixated on finding an answer, because everyone might have a different answer. In fact, one could say there isn't one answer at all. Perhaps she thought so too back then; she believed she loved him and was unwavering in her devotion.

But reality later shattered this illusion.

So, if the two of them were in the same situation, what would he do?

Will he abandon his wife and seek a new love? Or will he squander his fortune just to prolong that eternal pain? In the end, will he lose both his wife and his wealth?
Li Wei felt that he didn't have the answer either.

From a moral standpoint, Li Wei could certainly argue that he would rather go bankrupt than let her die. After all, that's what the protagonists in novels, movies, TV series, and games do.

However, from a practical standpoint, as long as Li Wei abandons the other person, he will continue to possess his assets and status, and can also freely embark on a new encounter. Apart from the pangs of conscience and the moral dilemma, he has lost nothing.

Just then, a commotion erupted in the hall. Li Wei turned his gaze and saw a young, beautiful woman walking out arm in arm with a young man. The guests scattered, as if they had seen a king and queen. The young couple embraced and then began to dance gracefully on the dance floor.

"Oh, that's quite interesting."

Old Howard picked up his glasses, put them on, and looked at the center of the dance floor with a grin.

Have you seen this young lady before?

"She's very famous?"

"Rosalie Porto, at her age, there is no one richer than her."

"inherit?"

Li Wei looked at the young woman and offered his guess. For this business tycoon to say such a thing, it meant that the woman was extremely wealthy. However, considering her age, unless she had some kind of superhuman advantage like a protagonist in an online novel, the most likely explanation was that she had inherited a fortune.

“That’s right, Miss Million Pounds, that’s her title. And she comes from a good family and is very smart. I remember there was a rumor that the eldest son of the Carlest family was pursuing her, but she didn’t choose him and instead married an unknown young man, which was quite surprising.”

"…………………"

Li Wei squinted, carefully observing the couple dancing gracefully on the dance floor. The woman appeared to be in her early twenties, with striking blonde hair and a tall, slender figure. Her every move possessed a strong and distinctive quality; she seemed like the kind of person who was good at giving orders.

The man she was dancing with had brown curly hair and a charmingly innocent smile, with a boyish air about him. He was quite likable.

"Isn't it interesting, Mr. Levi?"

Mr. Howard put down his glasses and rubbed his eyes.

"Do you think that young man pursued Miss Porto because of her as a person? Or because of her money? Or perhaps he simply loved her?"

At this point, Howard chuckled.

"But that doesn't matter, right? At least for now, they're happy."

"indeed so."

Li Wei watched the two dancing gracefully on the dance floor. They looked deeply in love, their eyes only for each other. To them, it didn't matter where they were; they only cared about each other and had eyes for one another. Perhaps at this moment, the flames of their passionate love were indeed pure.

But the flame will eventually die out, and perhaps conflicts, estrangement, or even a split will arise afterward. Will they still remember this ball then? Or will it have faded into the depths of their memories?
However, this had nothing to do with Li Wei. After finishing his tea, he said goodbye to Mr. Howard and went back to his room to rest.

Admittedly, Mr. Howard's suggestion to Levi was quite interesting; in fact, Levi didn't have many thoughts about love at the moment.

Of course, there are socialites in this world who are easy to get along with, but Li Wei does not intend to have any deep conversations with them.

The reason is quite simple—even if he and the other person are having a pleasant conversation, when they start undressing and preparing for further interaction, Li Wei can't help but scrutinize the other person's body, and then…

Ah, this person has symptoms of syphilis.

This is...the outward manifestation of gonorrhea, right?
This looks like genital warts...?
Li Wei had to admit that the diagnostic skills he learned from Dr. Dolittle were indeed useful.

Perhaps it's a bit too useful.

So in the end, it turned into Li Wei giving them money so they could see a doctor…

After all, the state of hygiene in this era... well... it's hard to describe.

After that, Li Wei rarely went to such places.

He went there to have some fun, not to provide free medical care.

Li Wei pulled himself out of his thoughts, then went to bed and slept.

He was awakened by a knock on the door.

"Who?"

Li Wei opened his eyes and looked out the window; it was still early morning.

He arrived at the door in his pajamas, opened the door, and saw a waiter standing there with a serious and tense expression.

“I’m very sorry to bother you, Mr. Li Wei, but there is something important that I need your help with.”

"Oh?"

Upon hearing this, Li Wei immediately focused his attention.

"what's up?"

"...A murder occurred on the ship."

"…………………Um?"

(End of this chapter)