Mystery Detective of the Steam World

Chapter 312 Change
It must be said that Li Wei put in a lot of effort to ensure the little mermaid's quality of life.

The Little Mermaid's biggest problem is that she doesn't have legs.

This means that she would have difficulty walking on the ground, let alone taking an elevator to meet Li Wei.

Therefore, Li Wei had no choice but to use the system to make another major overhaul of the entire tower's architectural structure.

Of course, the interior decorations were not changed much, otherwise there would be no way to explain to others that Li Wei had only modified the walls.

Using the system, he spent several thousand pounds of gold to add another layer inside the walls of the entire tower, a design somewhat similar to the insulation layer of modern high-rise buildings.

However, the inside of this wall is not an insulation layer, but a water wall!
To put it simply, the original walls of the tower were completely replaced with glass walls filled with water. Of course, this only replaced the internal structure; the exterior appearance and interior decoration remained unchanged, so most people wouldn't be able to tell the difference.

Li Wei also "purchased" a large water tank room at the foot of the tower. Not only that, he also renovated small pools in some of his frequently visited places, including his study, and connected them to the water walls.

This means that in the future, the little mermaid can go up and down the water wall and then meet Li Wei through the pools that connect various places.

As for water pressure and such... well, they're all water fairies, so they shouldn't be affected.

Li Wei didn't know if his tower could withstand the water pressure, but it was a product of the system, and he had already paid for it, so it must be able to do it, right? If you can't do it, why did you make me spend so much money?
But I have to say, it's really expensive.

In fact, Li Wei had also thought about simply releasing the little mermaid into the river in the foggy city.

But then I thought, anyone who goes down into that thing is bound to die, so letting the little mermaid down would be like being slowly tortured to death... Oh well, I'm not short of money now, I won't let the little mermaid suffer that injustice.

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

“……!……!”

Watching the little mermaid excitedly splashing her tail and spinning around in the pool, Li Wei breathed a sigh of relief.

"How's it going? Do you like it?"

Upon hearing Li Wei's question, the little mermaid who was circling in the pool quickly came to Li Wei and nodded vigorously.

"Wow, so cute!!"

Looking at the little mermaid in front of them, Katie and Alice's eyes almost sparkled with excitement, and even the little dog barked and wagged its tail to welcome her.

"I never imagined that daffodils actually existed in the world..."

Butler Kane's expression turned somewhat serious. He looked at the little mermaid waving happily to the girls in the water and couldn't help but sigh.

"Isn't this great? It seems that what my mother told me before wasn't just a story."

In contrast, Eileen wasn't as serious as the housekeeper; on the contrary, she was quite excited.

"Master, would you like to keep this a secret? What if someone wants to come and see her..."

“I have no intention of using the little guy for any rare animal exhibition.”

Li Wei shook his head. He understood what Kane was worried about. After all, if word got out that there was a narcissus in Li Wei's house, people would definitely come to inquire about the situation under various pretexts, or even want to see the little mermaid.

"She's now a member of our family. Treat her like any other girl. If anyone wants to see her, they're not allowed in without my permission. Also, she can't speak yet. Next... Miss Adele?"

"Ah? Yes!"

Adele, the tutor who had been staring at the little mermaid lost in thought, was startled and brought back to her senses when Levi called her name.

"What are your orders, sir?"

"Could you please teach the little guy to speak? Of course, I'll pay you extra."

"Huh? Shall I do it?"

To be honest, this surprised Adele as well. She looked at Levi with a puzzled expression, then at the little mermaid.

"But...this child...isn't human? Can she really learn to speak?"

"In my opinion, the little one is very smart, and she is not completely unable to speak. It's probably because she has never been in contact with humans before that she can't talk."

Levi shrugged. He knew what Adele was thinking. In Adele's eyes, she probably mistook the little mermaid for a kitten or puppy, thinking it was unlikely she could teach it to speak. But in Levi's view, the little mermaid was more like the "wolf children" in news reports, raised by wild animals, who, having never had contact with humans since birth, naturally didn't know how to speak.

"So give it a try first, and don't worry, she's a very kind and good girl."

"Well... okay, I'll give it a try."

Adele wasn't confident she could teach a daffodil to speak, but she decided to give it a try anyway.

After all, the job of teaching a daffodil to speak is something that might be available to only one person in the entire world right now…

"So... sir, does this narcissus fairy have a name?"

"A name..."

When asked by Adele, Levi pondered for a moment.

"Let's call her Muse."

In the legends of Livy's world, the Muses are the Greek goddesses of art and science, and also the water nymphs who guard the springs of Helicon. The little mermaid has a beautiful singing voice, and being a water nymph, and since we're all water nymphs, this name is perfect.

Back home, after settling everything in, Li Wei finally breathed a sigh of relief and collapsed onto the sofa to rest.

Speaking of which, this trip brought back a new professional skill and a little mermaid, so it can be said that it was a very fruitful trip.

However, the losses were also considerable.

The biggest expense was money. Just to build this system that would make the little mermaids feel comfortable, Levi spent three thousand pounds. Not to mention, during the battle with the high-ranking vampire, Levi self-destructed his silver-armored knight puppet, which cost over two hundred pounds!
After all, the entire design, armor, and core of the Silver Knight cost money, not to mention the weapons and other accessories installed inside, and Eileen's labor also cost money.

This world is not the modern world where you can build your own production line, which means that every doll in Levi's collection was handmade by Irene.

As for handmade items... naturally they're more expensive.

Although Eileen said it was her job as a maid, Levi insisted on keeping the two separate. After all, maids do housework, and making dolls is obviously not a maid's job. Moreover, not every doll Levi used was made in one go. Just look at the discarded dolls in the training room to know that this is not a simple job.

Huh? Wait, something's not right...

Thinking of this, Li Wei paused for a moment. He remembered that when he was looking for Alice before, he had smashed a large mech into a statue.

It's the Little Mermaid again...

Thinking back, I don't think I've ever spent this much money before I encountered the Fantasy Seed.

Could it be that the fantasy is incompatible with my birth chart, causing me to lose money every time?
But thinking about Alice, and then about the Little Mermaid... well, they're both quite cute.

Fortunately, I have plenty of money.

As Li Wei pondered this, he yawned and slowly drifted off to sleep.

After an unknown amount of time, Li Wei felt a tickle on the tip of his nose. He opened his eyes and saw Alice holding a strand of hair, scratching her nose. Beside her, the puppy was lying there, its tongue lolling out as it looked at him.

"Daddy's awake!"

"Ah."

Looking at Alice, Li Wei smiled slightly and reached out to pat her little head. Thinking back, he had once imagined this kind of life. It was right after he got married that Li Wei envisioned himself having children, living a peaceful and carefree life, with his daughter running to wake him up every morning and his son asking him to go out and play…

At that time, Li Wei was working tirelessly, staying up late every day, all for this future.

The result was a complete loss; he lost everything, including his life.

Unexpectedly, being transported to this world has given me the feeling of being a father...

Thinking about this, Li Wei felt somewhat depressed.

"Dad? Did you have a nightmare?"

Seeing Li Wei's expression, Alice asked anxiously, while the puppy came over, barked softly twice, and nudged Li Wei's cheek with its nose.

"No, I just woke up and I'm a little groggy."

Li Wei also came to his senses at this moment, smiled slightly at Alice, and then reached out to pat the puppy's head.

"What's wrong? Have you had dinner?"

"Not yet, it's the big-bellied uncle who's here."

"Oh, Lestrade, I'll go take a look."

Levi sat up, stretched, and went downstairs. He then saw Lestrade sitting on the sofa at his desk, sipping tea with a smile. Lestrade waved to Levi as he appeared.

"Hey, still sleeping so late?"

"I can't help it, I've been very busy lately."

Levi watched Alice leave in the elevator with the puppy before plopping down behind his desk and looking at Lestrade.

"What's wrong? What do you want to see me about? Don't tell me it's another case. I've been very busy lately, and I'll have to clean up the mess later."

Her Majesty's plan includes a nationwide anti-evil campaign that has already begun arresting people. Although Li Wei will not be in charge of leading the arrests, he will lead inspection teams to various places to assess and investigate the arrests after they are made, to see if there are any wrongful convictions or major problems that have not been discovered.

He wouldn't be back for at least a month, and Li Wei felt like he'd really gotten himself into trouble this time... But he was a detective and an Imperial Knight, so this was part of his job.

"Hehehe, I know you're busy..."

Hearing Levi's words, Lestrade scratched his head a little embarrassedly.

"However, there are some things I'd like to ask you."

"Oh?"

"The recent thing from the Ministry of the Interior regarding the police investigation... was that your suggestion? Could you elaborate?"

"Police investigation? Oh, that..."

Upon hearing Lestrade's words, Levi recalled that it was shortly after he returned to the Fog City from Caesarblanca that the old butler informed him that Her Majesty the Queen wished to see the little dog Betty. So Levi took Alice and Betty to have afternoon tea with the Queen. The Queen adored the little dog, but ultimately she didn't actually take it away.

After that, Alice and the puppy went off to play, while the Queen discussed judicial reform with Levi. According to the Queen, the current efficiency of court prosecutions and trials was too low, resulting in a backlog of cases. The recent arrest of a large number of gangsters had further overwhelmed the entire judicial system. Therefore, Her Majesty specifically convened a small meeting with members of the Upper House, including Levi, to discuss how to reform the existing judicial system. In fact, Levi also felt that the Empire's current judicial system was relatively outdated.

The empire's judicial system still follows a confrontational approach. Simply put, it's like what you often see in legal dramas: the prosecution speaks, then the lawyers speak, then the lawyers question the prosecution's weaknesses, the prosecution can't hold on, retreats step by step, and in the end, the defendant wins the case and leaves triumphantly, while the prosecution is ashen-faced and utterly defeated.

In such trials, the court itself plays a largely passive, neutral role. Simply put, it listens to whoever makes the most sense. If the plaintiff's argument is valid, they are guilty; if the defendant's argument is valid, they are innocent.

These courtrooms have a great atmosphere and are quite theatrical, but the problem is that they are incredibly time-consuming, with many cases deliberately dragging on. This results in extremely low efficiency.

So, following Her Majesty's wishes, Li Wei offered his suggestion: to shift from a passive to an active role, allowing the court to take control of the trial's pace rather than simply being a passive observer. This meant that judges would have the right and obligation to collect evidence and ascertain the truth, heavily relying on their judgment and impartiality.

Of course, it's impossible to say that this is perfect. If the judge is incompetent or has ulterior motives, the case becomes a one-man show, and whatever the judge says goes. The influence of the lawyer as the defendant's representative is greatly weakened.

Even so, Li Wei felt it was much better than the current situation.

Because under the current system, lawyers benefit the most and have the greatest influence. Moreover, the more a lawyer distorts the truth and tries to make a blind cat appear innocent, the more popular they become. Some law firms even openly advertise in newspapers with slogans like "I guarantee your absolute innocence."

It's important to know that judges are overseen by the House of Lords and the Home Office, and at the very top is the Queen.

But apart from their own professional unions exercising self-discipline, lawyers are completely unregulated!

If Li Wei's level of trust in the judge is 50%, then his level of trust in the lawyer is negative.

It's not that there aren't good people among lawyers, but rather that the legal profession, unlike judges, is inherently driven by economic interests; lawyers are profit-seekers within capitalism. Therefore, the lawyer class is similar to landlords. You might ask if there are truly benevolent landlords in the world, and the answer is certainly yes.

But the landlord class was definitely rotten to the core.

Dictators and capitalists—Li Wei would be a fool to choose the latter as his social guide. He'd seen firsthand what it was like to be ruled by litigious lawyers. They could truly call black white and white black, call a deer a horse and a horse a deer. They threw away all notions of morality, fairness, and justice, prioritizing their own profit above all else—a perfect example of "every man for himself."

Moreover, the court's control helps the royal family maintain power, build consensus, and gain prestige. Li Wei is not afraid of being called a dictator's lackey... Anyway, he certainly won't side with the capitalists.

There's a reason why our ancestors placed capitalists at the very bottom of the social hierarchy: scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants.

In addition, there are standards for judicial determination.

As mentioned earlier, the current imperial judicial system is essentially a contest between plaintiffs and defendants, with judges acting as adjudicators. While this approach is outdated, it is nonetheless necessary.

The reason is simple: most people in the empire were illiterate.

That's right. In that era, the empire's technology was underdeveloped, and most people were illiterate and couldn't even read. If you gave someone a dictation to read, they would only say one sentence after reading it.

"Sir, I can't read."

That's a complete waste of expression.

It would be better to just go to court and have a heated debate. Even if you can't read, at least you can speak!
Of course, people at the time knew that relying solely on one side's testimony was insufficient. To ensure greater fairness, a jury system was introduced, relying on majority vote for a verdict. This way, there was no need to worry about being blamed.

Moreover, having "elites" apply the law and "commoners" (juries) decide the facts was the greatest respect for common sense and public opinion in the historical and social context of the time.

However, with the development of technology, this system naturally needs to change.

The reason Her Majesty summoned Livy to discuss this matter was primarily because she had read about the suicide of Lady Porto that occurred aboard the North Star.

In that case, Li Wei used technological means throughout the entire process, including taking photos of the scene, comparing fingerprints, recording audio, typing oral statements on-site, and having witnesses sign and fingerprint them. Combined with the case report itself, the entire process was very clear, and anyone who read the report could draw their own conclusions.

Most people in the empire can now read and write, and they have no problem with taking statements and recording things; they can not only understand them, but also sign them.

In this situation, the Queen hopes to change the current situation where the court relies heavily on confessions, while Levi is more radical. He directly proposes that even without a confession, as long as there is sufficient evidence, the defendant can still be sent in.

The idea that you have the right to remain silent, but that anything you say can be used against you in a court of law, is utter nonsense in Li Wei's opinion.

As long as there is enough evidence to form a chain of evidence, even if you don't say a word, they can pin you down. No matter how many lawyers come, it won't make a difference!
Of course, the Queen wasn't as extreme as Levi in ​​this regard... She only said she would go back and study the matter before making a decision.

Judging from Lestrade's current state, have the research results already been obtained?
"What did the police say?"

"They said that all bureaus below should improve their own capabilities and use scientific methods to collect evidence..."

When this topic came up, Lestrade looked miserable.

"I know fingerprint experts, but what other scientific methods are there? Can you point me in the right direction?"

"Hmm, the scientific method..."

Upon hearing Lestrade's question, Levi pondered. It seemed the Queen was indeed proceeding gradually, shifting the focus from confessions to evidence. First, it was crucial to ensure the police force had the capability to adequately gather evidence. From this perspective, the initial direction of this reform was correct.

Um?and many more.

"Given your position, you shouldn't be involved in this kind of matter, right?"

Levi looked at Lestrade with suspicion. Lestrade was just a police inspector; he might have some say in personnel arrangements within the police department, but finding replacements from outside was not within his authority, unless…

"You got promoted?"

"hey-hey……………"

Faced with Levi's question, Lestrade smiled sheepishly, then picked up his coat and showed it to Levi—no wonder he hadn't given it to Eileen before; he was showing it off. On the epaulettes, a silver crown could be seen.

"Wow, you got promoted?"

"Assistant, assistant, hehe, not worth mentioning."

Inspector Lestrade—no, he should be called Assistant Commissioner Lestrade now—was grinning from ear to ear. Clearly, he had achieved a meteoric rise in his career.

But thinking about it, he followed Li Wei around and solved quite a few cases. He was also the liaison for MI7. He really deserved a promotion long ago.

"This task was assigned to me by my superiors, so I thought... it would be more convenient to come and ask you."

Indeed, everyone understands scientific methods, but what scientific methods to use and where to find people are things that leave the police of this era somewhat at a loss.

"Um……………"

Li Wei also closed his eyes, thought for a moment, and then looked at Lestrade.

"How about this, I suggest you go to the Royal Academy of Sciences to find someone."

"Royal Academy?"

"That's right, find an anthropologist."

"Anthropologist?"

"Yes, scholars who specialize in studying humans, especially those who study the human body, will definitely be of great help to you. I have also read some of their published papers and literature. Currently, the anthropologists at the Royal Academy of Sciences have certain research and expertise in fingerprints and footprints. Moreover, it is not easy to find a job after graduating from anthropology. You can directly ask these scholars, researchers or students in anthropology for help and have them investigate and extract footprints, fingerprints, hair and the like from crime scenes. Maybe they can get some clues about the suspect just from these things."

"You still read academic papers?"

"How novel! How am I supposed to solve a case without reading academic papers?"

Li Wei rolled his eyes. In this era, detectives no longer rely solely on making up stories to fool people in order to find the murderer. For Li Wei to use fingerprints and footprints, he needs to be certain that someone in this era has already studied them and made certain achievements before he can use them.

The judicial system is arguably the most cautious about new technologies, as fairness, impartiality, and reliability are paramount. This explains why, when fingerprints were first introduced as a method of solving cases, many police officers, including Lestrade, were skeptical. Only when a renowned Imperial scholar wrote a paper endorsing the theory, confirming its validity, and multiple cases were solved with irrefutable evidence, would the police use fingerprints as evidence.

Therefore, Li Wei couldn't just make things up. Before technologies like DNA instruments existed, he couldn't easily mention DNA testing. Even with fingerprints and footprints, Li Wei had to look at papers to confirm that anthropology in this world had progressed to that level before he could use them.

In fact, besides studying the human body, anthropology also studies human culture, human handwriting, and racial differences. As long as it reaches a certain level, it can be used as a necessary condition for criminal investigation.

The premise is that the other party has already achieved results and gained the recognition of most of their peers.

"Do detectives these days need to read academic papers?"

Lestrade, however, didn't seem to care. On the contrary, he was thrilled to have received such information. Although Levi had only given him a general direction, it was enough for Lestrade. As a policeman, finding people is simple; once you've provided a general area, it makes finding them much easier.

but……………

"Are those big shots in the Master's program willing to cooperate with us?"

The topic made Lestrade somewhat uneasy. After all, in his view, the Royal Academy of Sciences were all high-ranking scholars, and it was uncertain whether they would even agree to his request, given his rough and uncultured nature.

Not to mention, the police station doesn't have much money...

"This is easy to handle."

Levi chuckled, then beckoned Lestrade over and whispered something in his ear. After hearing what Levi said, Lestrade's eyes widened as he looked at Levi.

"Is this okay?"

"Trust me, it can definitely work."

"Are all academics this twisted?"

"How can something so novel and non-abnormal be the subject of academic research?"

At this point, Li Wei thought of Anne again.

That young lady... doesn't seem normal either.

"Then I'll go now!"

Lestrade was also in a hurry, excitedly turning to leave, but was quickly stopped by Levi.

"and many more."

Levi called out to Lestrade, then gestured for Eileen to take a bottle of red wine from the cabinet next to him.

"I don't have anything to give you, but here's a bottle of red wine to congratulate you on your promotion."

"Oh?"

Lestrade picked up the bottle out of curiosity, examined it closely, and was then taken aback.

"Hey? Isn't this Crown Tears? Such an expensive wine, you're really willing to give it away?"

When Lestrade asked him a question, Levi shrugged.

"I'm not reluctant to part with it, since I don't drink anyway."

(End of this chapter)