Mystery Detective of the Steam World

Chapter 186 Strange Will

The next morning, Levi and Katie met up and then, following the address on the notice, arrived at an office building on Birch Street.

"right here?"

Katie looked up at the building in front of her, her face full of confusion.

"Seems to be."

Li Wei could understand why Katie would react this way. Birch Street was the financial center of the Fog City. Simply put, it was full of various trust fund institutions, managers, and stock trading.

To put it bluntly, this doesn't seem like the kind of place suitable for the opening scene of a detective novel.

In short, let's go in and take a look.

Li Wei didn't seem to care much. He led Katie into the building and then inquired about the notice at the front desk. After learning Li Wei's purpose, the receptionist quickly flipped through her register, and after a moment, she smiled and spoke to Li Wei.

“You’ve come at just the right time, Mr. Levi. Mr. Rogers will be waiting for you in the meeting room on the tenth floor.”

"Thank you."

Li Wei smiled slightly at the receptionist, who immediately blushed and smiled brightly like a young girl who had just entered society.

"May I ask if anyone else has been here besides me?"

"Of course, Mr. Li Wei."

The receptionist was quite excited. She quietly approached Li Wei and whispered something.

“During this period, several other detectives have come besides you, but most of them have not been able to gain Mr. Rogers’ approval.”

"Oh... thank you."

Just then, the elevator doors opened, and Li Wei thanked the receptionist again before leading Katie into the elevator.

Katie only looked at Levi with curiosity when the elevator started to rise.

"Did you hear that? She just said Mr. Rogers!"

"Hmm, it should be the client. Since the name is the same, then he must be a relative of Mr. Jim Rogers."

Li Wei wasn't surprised. If there was a family connection, the motivation behind the advertisement was at least understandable, perhaps involving inheritance. Moreover, the other party should be considered wealthy; at least in Li Wei's view, someone who could work at the top of a financial district and hadn't jumped off a building must not be bankrupt.

The same is true.

Upon reaching the top floor, the two were quickly led to a reception room and served hot tea and crisp, sweet biscuits. A moment later, a man with a beer belly appeared before them.

"Ah, hello, Mr. Li Wei, I've heard so much about you."

The man entered the reception room and greeted Li Wei with a warm smile. He strode forward and extended his hand. Li Wei stood up and shook hands with him.

"Hello, I think you must be Mr. Rogers?"

“Yes, I am also Rogers, and this young lady is…”

"Katie, my assistant."

"Ah, what a beautiful and lovely assistant! I really envy you, Mr. Levi."

The man laughed and gestured to the two of them again.

"Please take a seat."

As he spoke, the man sat down on the sofa opposite him.

"Let me introduce myself. My name is George Rogers, a very common name, right? That's what I always thought, if it weren't for some unfortunate relative I have a connection with."

"May I ask what the meaning of this notice is?"

"Well, there's nothing strange about it."

Mr. George was clearly a very talkative man and soon began to speak.

"I'm a distant relative of Jim Rogers, though we're related. I don't remember him ever existing. He's probably my uncle. Anyway, I didn't know who he was until a few months ago."

"oh……………"

"But after that, a lawyer contacted me and expressed his desire for me, as a member of the Rogers family, to inherit the estate of Mr. Jim Rogers. Oh my, I was really shocked at the time and wondered if they had the wrong person. But they insisted that they had the right person, and later I learned from my family that I did indeed have such a relative."

Mr. George was gesticulating wildly and talking animatedly, clearly quite excited.

“But there’s a problem.”

"question?"

“That’s right, you all know that Rogers once advertised in the newspaper that anyone who could solve his puzzle would be able to obtain his treasure, right? The lawyer said that Rogers’ will also included this condition: only by solving the puzzle could one obtain the treasure.”

So what exactly is the mystery?

"That's the problem."

George slapped his thigh hard.

"He asked ten people to hold a dinner party at the Blackwood Mansion, and then find out the riddle and solve it."

"Oh ho..."

Hearing this, Li Wei narrowed his eyes. Based on his experience with horror movies, novels, and games, anything with special or inexplicable rules usually falls under the category of sacrifice-based gameplay.

"So you're planning to send ten detectives to the Kuroki Mansion to solve this mystery for you?"

"If only it were that simple."

George sighed.

"But the lawyer said that my family and I also need to be there, and without an organizer, we can't have a banquet. Plus the lawyer, servants... well, we can only invite a maximum of five guests."

"That's what the lawyer said? Are you sure he's a legitimate lawyer?"

According to the conventions of horror movies, such people are usually the embodiment of some kind of demon.

"You are the first detective to ask me this question."

Upon hearing Levi's question, George also showed an expression of deep sympathy.

“I was also very suspicious, so I sent someone to investigate. He is indeed from Frank Law Firm, and I personally confirmed it. In fact, he is a newcomer who just joined the firm. I heard that other lawyers were unwilling to do this inheritance determination, so they sent him to do it.”

"I see." Even lawyers don't want to spend a night in a house where someone has died. Or rather, even those lawyers found the will strange.

"If the puzzle is solved, I will take half of the inheritance, and the other half will go to the person who solves it. If it is solved by several people together, then we will coordinate internally according to the importance of the puzzle. Does that sound acceptable to you?"

"I have no objection."

"Then, please sign the agreement."

Mr. George was clearly prepared, quickly producing the commission and agreement. Levi took them, glanced at them, and signed his name. Katie didn't sign; she was nominally Levi's assistant, not a detective. Even if they were to split the profits, it would be between Levi and her privately—well, Katie probably wasn't interested in that.

"Then I'll leave it to you, Mr. Li Wei."

Seeing that Levi had signed the agreement, Mr. George breathed a sigh of relief, stood up again, and respectfully shook Levi's hand.

"I've long admired you, and to be honest, I never imagined that a famous detective like you would come."

"I'm also somewhat interested in that case."

Of course, Li Wei couldn't tell him that it was a ghost who asked him to solve the case.

After exchanging a few more words, Levi and Katie left the building.

"It's strange."

As Katie walked out of the building, she muttered to herself.

“I don’t think this gentleman needs to care about that inheritance at all. After all, he is already very rich, and those conditions all sound rather strange.”

"What would you do if you were in this situation?"

"I?"

Katie thought for a moment.

"Yes, I won't take that inheritance."

"is it?"

"Yes, nine people died in one house. That's terrifying. Just walking in there and imagining whether someone has died in the place you're in makes you very uncomfortable."

This is true.

The reason why haunted houses don't sell for high prices is the same in both the East and the West.

My opinion is exactly the opposite of yours.

Li Wei turned his head and glanced at the office building behind him.

"In my opinion, this gentleman may be in great need of this inheritance."

"Huh? Really?"

“That’s right. Didn’t you notice that when he met us, he made a lot of exaggerated gestures and spoke very loudly? That’s how he hides his nervousness and anxiety. Besides, in the stock market, you either go to the top or you jump off the top.”

Li Wei stopped there and looked away.

"If I'm not mistaken, this person may already have one foot in the door, so this inheritance is a godsend for him."

"But... if that's the case, why would he give half to the person who solves the puzzle?"

Katie raised her question again.

"If this gentleman is really that short of money, why not just give him one-tenth?"

"The prerequisite is that we have to be alive to take it."

Li Wei snorted coldly, then opened the car door.

"Okay, let's go."

"Where to go?"

"Frank Law Firm, I need to figure out why a will from fifty years ago would suddenly appear at this time. It couldn't have just grown legs and run out on its own."

This is also Li Wei's habit. Unless it's a sudden incident, he won't rush directly to the crime scene. He will first walk around the perimeter to investigate as much information as possible before considering how to deal with the situation.

As it turned out, Li Wei's guess was correct.

That will wasn't written by someone who grew legs and ran out of it, but rather...

"Investigation?"

"Yes."

Frank, the lawyer at Frank Law Firm, is nearly fifty years old. He has a kind and benevolent appearance, somewhat resembling the smiling Maitreya Buddha.

“We recently launched an initiative to conduct a thorough review of all the documents and wills currently in our firm. You know, many times some wills may be expired, invalid, or for some reason we may not be able to contact the will's owner. This part needs to be reviewed and questioned. And then we found this will… Well, I have to say, it was quite unexpected.”

"If I remember correctly, this Mr. Jim Rogers invited guests to a banquet at the Blackwood Mansion and then said that whoever solved the puzzle would inherit his estate. If that's the case, then is there any need for him to write a will?"

“Oh, of course, Mr. Levy. Legally, it is necessary. Indeed, he published it in the newspaper, and everyone knows it, but there is no evidence to prove that he actually wrote it. Let’s assume that Mr. Rogers unfortunately passed away, and an unrelated stranger survived and claimed to have solved the mystery and inherited Mr. Rogers’ estate. In that case, when the case went to court, the newspaper announcement alone would not be sufficient evidence.”

As he spoke, Attorney Frank tapped the table.

"But a notarized, recognized, and legally compliant will is a completely different story."

"So, the contents of this will are actually aimed at the guests at the banquet at the Kuroki Mansion that night?"

"Judging from the date, that is indeed the case; the will was written a week before the incident."

"But more than fifty years have passed now, haven't they?"

“But that’s what the will says, Mr. Li Wei.”

Attorney Frank chuckled.

"To legally inherit this estate, you must do as the will says. This applies regardless of the circumstances under which it was written."

It turned out to be the case.

Li Wei finally understood the cause and effect of the matter.

It seems this banquet will have to take place eventually.

(End of this chapter)