Mystery Detective of the Steam World

Chapter 327 Case!

After inspecting the stage in person, Li Wei was fairly certain that this was a case!
In addition to examining the footprints, Li Wei also found the fallen plank and discovered that the rope suspending it had been cut.

The entire crime is actually easy to trace back: someone secretly cut the ropes on the wooden plank above Mobis's head backstage, attempting to harm or even kill him. Mobis was clearly aware of this beforehand; Joan also mentioned that Mobis previously preferred practicing alone rather than with others.

But today, contrary to his usual behavior, he came to the third stage, where there were the most people. Clearly, Mobis knew that someone was threatening him, and that's why he was afraid. When people are afraid, they instinctively go to crowded places, where they feel safer.

The problem is that, from an investigative perspective, it becomes very difficult to identify criminals when there are many people around. If Mobis continues to train only on less crowded stages, then it would be easy to find someone suspected of having been to that stage and investigate them. Moreover, less crowded places have fewer footprints and fingerprints, making them easier to investigate.

On the contrary, all sorts of people come and go. According to Joan, even when they are practicing, audience members will come in to watch the actors practice. As long as it doesn't involve spoilers, they are all welcome, because it is a kind of encouragement for newcomers.

The result is that this place is full of traces of the audience and actors, and trying to find the real culprit here feels like searching for a needle in a haystack.

If it were a dead person, then the case would definitely need to be solved, but this person isn't dead, is he?

And according to Joan and the old commander, that guy named Mobis wasn't exactly a good guy either…

So you see, being a detective is more enjoyable than being a police officer. For the police, solving cases is their duty, and they have to solve the case no matter who the victim is.

Whether a detective solves a case depends entirely on personal preference. If Mobis is naive, even if Levi knows the real culprit, he might not tell.

It depends on my mood.

Now that the crime scene has been reconstructed, the next step is to find the perpetrator.

However, before that, Li Wei still went to Mobius's room with the old commander and Joan.

Within the troupe, actors were clearly ranked. Senior actors had better rooms, junior actors had less desirable rooms, and extras lived in dormitories. Mobis naturally had a good room, but he clearly didn't care much about his living conditions, as evidenced by the mess in his room and the overturned bottles everywhere.

"Good heavens, this place is no different from a garbage dump."

Looking at the room filled with the stench of alcohol, Li Wei frowned slightly, while the old commander also sighed.

"Sigh, this child has always been so willful. I've told him so many times, but he just won't listen..."

I can tell.

Li Wei shrugged, remaining silent. He couldn't care less about the victim's background; what he needed to find now was…

"Sir Levi, what are you looking for here?"

Joan looked at Li Wei and asked curiously, while Li Wei glanced around and answered.

"Threatening letter."

"A threatening letter?"

Upon hearing this answer, both Joan and the old regimental commander were taken aback.

"You mean, Mobis received a threatening letter?"

"Based on my reasoning, it's highly likely."

As Li Wei walked into the room, he began to speak.

“I’ve never met Mobis, but judging from Miss Joan and Mr. Captain’s descriptions of him, and the situation in this room, this Mr. Mobis… to put it nicely, is a man of character; to put it bluntly, he has a bad temper. If someone clashes with him, he’ll beat them up, right, Mr. Captain?”

"Well……………"

The old commander looked somewhat embarrassed by Li Wei's words, but still nodded.

"Yes, he will curse and swear if things don't go his way. He will even hit some actors when they have conflicts with him because he thinks that the other actor's acting skills are not as good as his and that he has no right to teach him a lesson."

"Hehe, everyone has a temper. Other professions may allow people to act recklessly, but actors are different. With this kind of temper, he'll be dead if he doesn't die today."

Li Wei wasn't wrong. If you're a writer or an artist, it's okay to have a bit of a strange temper. You can always lock yourself in your room and do your own thing.

But an actor's performance isn't a solo act, nor is it a stand-up comedy routine.

Actors and behind-the-scenes performers, every performance is a collaboration of a group of people. If you offend everyone, in the end you will be kicked out, not the others.

After all, no one is irreplaceable. Perhaps this guy thinks he's a once-in-a-century genius who can do whatever he wants.

"So, if the other party were to threaten him face-to-face, given his temper, he would probably just go up and fight them. Therefore, I think sending a threatening letter is a relatively normal method, provided that he can read. He's an actor, he can read scripts, so he should be able to read... Oh, I found it."

As he spoke, Li Wei reached into the nearby trash can, rummaged around, and took out a few scraps of paper, which he then pieced together.

"Yes, it really is this one."

"What is it?"

Upon hearing Li Wei's words, Joan and the old commander hurriedly stepped forward and saw a piece of paper on the table that had been torn up but had now been pieced back together.

There was only one sentence written on it.

"Don't play the role of Nuoan, or you'll die."

The letter was typed and contained only this one sentence. Judging from the paper, Mobis was furious after reading it, so he tore it up, crumpled it into a ball, and threw it into the trash can.

Upon seeing the note, the old commander's expression turned very unpleasant, and Joan was also very uneasy.

"interesting."

Li Wei squinted at the note in front of him.

This note contains only one sentence, but it conveys much more than just that.

"Miss Qiong."

"Yes, I am."

"You said this is a new play that's currently in rehearsals and hasn't been performed yet, right?"

"Yes."

"Nuo'an is the main character?"

"Yes."

Li Wei is now almost certain that the enemy is a member of the theater troupe at Honnoji Temple—cough, no, the suspect is.

But what is the motivation?
This made Li Wei very curious.

Ultimately, the profession of detective is just about being a bystander.

We grow our own, dig our own, and eat our own.

This is why Li Wei likes this profession.

If it were a famous play, the benefits of playing the lead role would be self-evident. Of course, some viewers who love the character might be unhappy with Mobis playing the role. To illustrate, it's like casting a notorious nobody as a legendary figure in a legendary tale; no matter how good his acting is, there will be viewers who deeply love the character and feel he has tarnished the role. However, in a play that hasn't been performed yet, the audience is unlikely to know the plot; only those rehearsing the play clearly know it.

So, who exactly is the culprit?

There are several possibilities, with two being the most likely.

One theory, based on the most common principle of "whoever benefits is the most suspicious," is that whoever takes on the role after Mobis is unable to perform will be the biggest beneficiary.

Another possibility is that someone within the troupe likes the character of Noan and therefore doesn't want Mobius to play it.

The reason Li Wei was so adamant was because the threat on the note was very specific.

"Don't play the role of Nuoan."

Instead of more explicit and uncompromising statements like "get out of the troupe."

Ordinary audience members would likely use phrases like "Get out of this troupe" or "You don't deserve to be here," rather than going into details like "Don't play a certain role."

Because what if Mobius is really scared and decides not to play Noan anymore, but to play another role instead?

Does this mean the other party has achieved their goal?
So what is the motivation?
Wow, that's really interesting.

"Could I see the script for this play?"

"of course can."

Although he didn't know why Li Wei suddenly asked to see the script, given his status and position, the old troupe leader wasn't worried about him revealing the plot. So he took out the script from his side and handed it to Li Wei, who then took it and started reading.

The play, titled *Moonlight Flower*, initially tells a story similar to Romeo and Juliet, recounting the journey of two rival noblemen, Noan and Anna, from their first meeting to their growing affection and love. Noan is portrayed as a romantic and passionate man, while Anna is depicted as a pure and innocent young woman. Their romance blossoms until they learn of each other's true identities and the nature of their opposing families.

However, unlike Romeo and Juliet, Noah and Anna behaved completely differently afterward.

Anna knew she could never marry Noan, and her family had already discovered she had a lover and were demanding to know who he was. If they knew Noan was their lover, they would definitely kill him! This was a blood feud between two families!
So Anna brought her childhood friend Otto over, claiming that during the time Otto protected her, she had fallen in love with him and already had someone else in her heart!
Otto was a simple man; he genuinely loved Anna, but he was overjoyed to learn that Anna also loved him. He was also from a noble family and had grown up with Anna, making their union a cause for celebration.

But Anna had her reasons for doing this!
Her family found out because Anna was pregnant!

She's carrying Noah's child!
Anna deeply loved the child, seeing him as the fruit of her and Noan's love. She knew that if her family found out the child's father was Noan, they would surely force her to abort this tainted bloodline. But Anna was unwilling to do so, so she had to use Ott as a shield.

And Otto—of course—knew absolutely nothing about this~~~lalala~~~
So Anna and Otto had a grand wedding, while Noan watched from below. He couldn't understand why Anna would suddenly abandon him and marry Otto.

Could it be that his love for her was all a lie?

Just then, the Noan family's business was suddenly attacked by the Anna family, suffering heavy losses. This caused Noan great distress, and then he believed he had discovered the truth—Anna had deliberately approached him, taking advantage of his naivety to secretly infiltrate his side in order to steal the Noan family's business intelligence so she could take action against them!

He wanted revenge! He wanted Anna to know the price she paid for hurting herself!
Noan asked Anna out again, wanting to ask her if it was all true. But when he saw Anna's slightly protruding belly, Noan felt there was no need to ask anymore!

She even had a child with that guy, Otto!

Enraged, Noan drew his sword and slashed at Anna!

Just then, Otto suddenly jumped out and stood in front of Anna!

It turns out that Otto also discovered that his wife had secretly left, and worried that something might have happened to her, so he followed her. But he never expected that she would come to see Noan!

Although he didn't know what had happened between the two, seeing that Noan was about to hurt his wife, Otto couldn't hold back any longer and jumped in to challenge Noan to a duel in order to protect Anna!
So the two began to fight, but Otto was no match for Noan. He was killed by Noan's sword through the chest!
Seeing her childhood sweetheart killed by her lover, Anna screamed and fainted. Noan didn't even glance at Anna before turning and leaving. He vowed to repay the humiliation and suffering his family had endured a thousandfold! He would destroy Anna's family!
Otto died, and Anna suffered a miscarriage due to the shock. At this moment, Anna was heartbroken and devastated. She lost her love, the fruit of her love, and her childhood sweetheart. For Anna, she lost the whole world!

But Noan was unaware of this, nor did he stop. He had completely turned to the dark side, and under his leadership, the Anna family suffered a crushing defeat. Finally, Noan walked triumphantly into the Anna family's castle, while those Anna family members who had once hated him were now either corpses or prisoners!

He utterly defeated the Anna family and became the supreme ruler!
But when Noan found Anna and asked her if she had anything to say, he discovered that Anna was dead.

Just as Noan stepped through the gates of Anna's family castle, Anna hanged herself!
She lost everything: her lover, her child, her childhood sweetheart, and now even her family! She had lost everything; she had lost the will to live. And Anna knew perfectly well that it was all her own doing! If she hadn't been at the ball, drawn to that young, handsome, and unruly man, none of this tragedy would have happened! But alas, it was all too late! There was no going back!
Looking at Anna's body, Noan felt doubt for the first time.

Things shouldn't be like this!
After that, Noan saw Anna's diary and learned the truth of the story. He was devastated and realized that he had been blinded by rage!
Finally, Noan drew his sword and committed suicide, falling onto Anna's body, and the two went to the afterlife together.

End.

"Well…………………"

After reading the entire script, Li Wei's expression was unusually complex.

Isn't this just another typical "wife-chasing-after-the-cremation" series in the female-oriented online literature genre?

On the surface, the main characters are Noan and Anna, but in reality, Anna is the female lead, while Noan and Otto are essentially supporting characters.

Moreover, the two are polar opposites. Noan is possessive, loves beautiful women, and is selfish. When he saw Anna get married, Noan was not angry about Anna's betrayal, but that she dared to deceive him!
Otto is the exact opposite of Noan. He is like the prince charming in a girl's dream: handsome, devoted, and affectionate. Even if he discovers that his wife is cheating on him late at night, he is still willing to sacrifice his life to protect her.

However, they were just supporting characters; ultimately, both of them were destined for a tragic end, like a man chasing after his wife.

Anna, however, is the main character!

Throughout the entire story, Anna is the most innocent, the most affectionate, and the most pitiful... but if Li Wei were to comment, she would also be the most disgusting.

To be fair, a young girl discovering she's pregnant and being interrogated about the father's identity would naturally be flustered, especially since she's carrying the child of a rival family. Hiding the truth or finding someone to act as a shield is understandable. However, the problem is that when she meets with Otto, she never tells the truth; she just cries.

Crying, crying, crying—will crying solve the problem?
This is the difference between men and women. Men don't easily shed tears because men are mainly focused on solving problems. They only talk about "not being heartbroken until the problem is solved" after the problem is solved. But women are different. Women are mainly focused on venting their emotions. I don't know how to solve the problem. In short, I've been wronged, I feel aggrieved, I'm in pain, so I have to cry.

Don't ask me how to solve this problem! I'm heartbroken!

Well, this is just Li Wei's opinion. After all, his wife was like this back then, and Li Wei is very familiar with it.

I don't care if the sky falls or the earth cracks, as long as you comfort me. If you don't comfort me, even if the world ends in the next second, it won't concern me.

Because I'm unhappy!

Putting aside subjective judgment, simply looking at the script, this domineering CEO-like Nuoan is actually the most annoying character.

If Mobis were to play Otto, the childhood sweetheart who's like a prince charming, Levi might find it ironic, but this Noan...

This role was practically tailor-made for Mobis, wasn't it?
But then again...

"Mobis actually agreed to play this role?"

Faced with Li Wei's question, the old regimental commander gave a wry smile.

"As an actor, he is very dedicated. He will play any role, no matter what it is, and he plays it exceptionally well."

Okay, so this seems to be why Mobis is so arrogant, yet everyone still tolerates him—he's much better than any popular celebrity.

Regardless of personal matters, at least he has a strong work ethic.

However, this makes it difficult to guess the motive.

Li Wei returned the script to the troupe leader and pondered for a moment.

In short, let's go see Mobis first and have a face-to-face talk with him.

(End of this chapter)