Mystery Detective of the Steam World

Chapter 290 Mysterious Man

It must be pointed out that for Li Wei, this investigation was, in itself, a form of entertainment.

After all, theoretically speaking, the case is closed; the shop owner was murdered, and the thugs who killed him have been caught. There's nothing mysterious or strange about the case itself.

Li Wei took on this case partly because he was very interested in the strange jar and also because he suspected that extraterrestrial beings might be behind it.

The other aspect is the main reason.

He's gone to investigate a case, so no one can ask him to update the chapters anymore!

That's right, I'm a detective. It's perfectly legitimate, my duty, and my investigation of cases is lawful, proper, and my responsibility!
You can't expect me to draw comics while I'm investigating a case, can you?
This is absolutely unreasonable!

To put it bluntly, for Li Wei, this was just an excuse to slack off.

That's why he's strolling leisurely in the park right now.

Of course, Li Wei said that he wasn't just wandering around randomly. After all, the thug had said that they had already scouted the place and knew that the antique shop owner would come to the park for a walk every afternoon, so they took advantage of that time to go in and steal things.

But the boss came home early that day and caught them stealing.

So why did the boss come back early?
The thug said that there were other people with the boss. So, based on the simplest deduction, the boss must have met a customer while taking a walk in the park. The customer wanted to buy the boss's antiques, so the boss brought the customer back early. After all, he came to the park just for a walk, not for a blind date. There's no reason for him to turn down a business that's offered to him.

Since the boss often comes to the park for walks, the vendors in the park must know him.

Yes, in fact, Livy's inference is correct.

He strolled through the park, browsing the stalls and chatting with the vendors. Soon, Li Wei obtained the information he needed.

"Ah, you mean what happened that day? I do know about it."

When asked by Li Wei, a bread vendor immediately gave an answer.

"Oh? Tell me?"

"Actually, it was nothing. Old Robert came to the park for a walk as usual that day and greeted us. Then he went inside to feed the pigeons. After a while, someone came up and asked me if I had seen the manager of the 'Master Antiques' shop. I told him that Old Robert was by the pond over there. Then that person went over, and I saw him say something to Old Robert, and then the two of them left the park."

Do you remember what that person's features were?

"Well..."

The vendor recalled something.

"He was wearing a top hat and a trench coat, dressed like a respectable person. But he was covered up very thoroughly. Now that you mention it, I also feel that something's off about him. It's springtime, who would be wrapped up so tightly..."

Indeed, it's springtime now, and summer isn't far off. The temperature isn't that low anymore, so people aren't wearing as many heavy clothes as they would in winter. It does look a bit strange to see someone dressed like that walking down the street.

"Thank you."

After obtaining the information from the vendor, Li Wei nodded and gave him a few pennies. He then took a piece of bread from the vendor and sat down on a bench by the fountain in the middle of the park to feed the pigeons. The pigeons here were already quite familiar with the locals, and upon seeing the bread in Li Wei's hand, they immediately gathered around him. Li Wei fed the pigeons while enjoying the leisurely spring sunshine in the park.

"Coo coo coo, coo coo coo..."

Pigeons swarmed around Li Wei, pecking at bread crumbs, while Li Wei listened to the sound of the fountain beside him, enjoying the warmth of the sun, and watching the people in the park around him.

It was late afternoon, and the park wasn't very crowded. Most people had gone to work, with only a few young children playing nearby. A few elderly couples could also be seen walking their dogs…

How peaceful.

As he watched, Li Wei felt a wave of drowsiness wash over him, and he closed his eyes and drifted into a sweet sleep.

"Da da da da da!"

After an unknown amount of time, a series of hurried footsteps woke Li Wei. He opened his eyes and saw a flock of pigeons surrounding him. The pigeons seemed to have heard the footsteps as well, quickly flapping their wings and flying away. Li Wei looked up and saw a person running towards him.

"Ah, Sir Levi, you're still here! That's wonderful!"

"What's the matter?"

Li Wei immediately recognized the person as the bread vendor from the park, but he didn't know why the vendor wanted to see him. However, the vendor's next words instantly brought Li Wei to his senses.

"I just saw the person you asked me about earlier!"

"Oh? Are you sure?"

"I'm sure, sir! I just finished selling my bread and was on my way back when I saw that person on the street. He was dressed the same way, all bundled up. I recognized him immediately! I'm sure of it! Then I saw him go into a nearby inn, so I came to find you!"

"Oh?"

This is truly a case of "searching high and low without finding it, only to have it come to you effortlessly." Indeed, waiting for a rabbit to run into a tree stump is not just a story; you can just sleep here and do nothing while suspects come to you.

Is there such a good thing?

"Where?"

"The Rabbit Inn is just two blocks from here. I'll take you there!"

It really is a rabbit.

Now that the person had been found, Li Wei stopped slacking off, or rather, he hadn't put in much effort anyway, having been feeding the pigeons and sleeping the whole time.

So you see, we still need to build a people's front; mobilizing the masses is the most efficient way.

Are the Chaoyang residents joking with you?
If I'm all alone, how many years will it take me to find it?
Of course, this is also because Li Wei has a good reputation among the masses. His anti-gang and anti-crime campaign terrified thugs and hooligans, but it was precisely these small vendors who loved it. They were running small businesses and were most afraid of gangs coming to collect protection money.

If you don't give him the money, he'll interfere with your business and prevent you from doing it, and you can't do anything about it. Now things are much better; those smug thugs who act all high and mighty on the streets are gone, and everyone is much safer doing business. Naturally, Li Wei is extremely grateful.

Not to mention, Li Wei is handsome, generous, and has a pleasant voice; everyone likes him.

The vendor led Li Wei to the Rabbit Inn, a modest, mid-range inn in Li Wei's city—not great, but business was decent. Li Wei looked around and gave the vendor a few shillings as a reward. The vendor happily took the tip and went home—the small tip Li Wei had casually given him was enough to cover his business for several days.

Then, Li Wei walked into the inn.

"Welcome... Oh? Sir Levi?"

The receptionist looked up, saw Li Wei, and was taken aback for a moment before flashing a warm smile.

"What can I do for you?"

The receptionist didn't even ask Li Wei if he was staying at the hotel. His home is in this area; why would he choose a hotel instead of his own home? He's not married yet, and he doesn't seem like he brought a lover for a secret rendezvous…

"I'm looking for a guest. Do you know a man who is wearing a top hat and a trench coat, who is bundled up and is about 1.7 meters tall?"

"Yes, there is such a guest."

The boss came out at that moment and nodded hurriedly when he heard Li Wei's question.

"Could you tell me a little about this guest? Anything you know will do."

If it were a large hotel, they would definitely say righteously that it's a matter of guest privacy and they can't disclose it, blah blah blah. But small travel agencies like this don't have so many concerns. Moreover, Li Wei is very prestigious in this area, and as long as you don't ask him what position his wife likes, you don't even need to do any authentication when chatting with her.

It's just a guest's privacy; once it's sold, it's gone. How many days can a guest stay? Li Wei's home is right here.

"This customer is very generous with money."

The boss quickly began the introduction.

"They gave us a month's rent as soon as we arrived, and even booked a single room, but there's something a little strange about it..."

"Strange place?"

"I've never seen him eat at the hotel. After all, there aren't many generous guests like him. I even offered him free meals at the hotel, but he never ate there. I've never even seen him ask for any tea or snacks. He does occasionally go out for a walk, though."

"About when?"

"Mostly in the afternoon."

"Um……………"

After listening to the boss's explanation, Li Wei thought about it for a moment.

“I want to talk to him. It happens to involve a case, and I want to discuss it with him in person.”

"Alright, I'll take you there. It's in room 203."

Soon, the boss led Li Wei to a single room on the second floor, and then the boss knocked on the door.

Good afternoon, guest. I apologize for disturbing you.

"………………………"

"Guest, could you please open the door?"

"…………………"

However, the room was completely silent, without any sound.

Li Wei frowned, a bad feeling creeping over him.

"Open the door, you have a master key, right, boss?"

"Ah, yes."

The boss also realized something was wrong. How could someone who had just returned not long ago have disappeared?

Could something have happened in the room?

At this moment, the boss hurriedly took out his key and opened the door.

"You wait here."

To Li Wei, the people in the room seemed more like suspects than victims, so he gestured for his boss to wait outside, then gripped the persuader's hand and went into the room.

"…………………"

The room fell silent.

The single room itself isn't very big; it just has a bed, a cabinet, and a table—that's about it.

However, what Li Wei was most concerned about was the wide-open window. He walked to the window and looked outside.

He then sighed silently.

He ran away.

(End of this chapter)