Chapter 2 Chapter two
My home is in Kobe, Japan, and my father's name is Miko Shinto.Mother's name is Wei Zi.My name, Awei, is a word taken from my mother's name.I haven't been able to write my own name in the correct Chinese characters yet.I use my imagination to remember the literal meaning, so there is no problem in reading it, but if I am required to write it out by myself, it may be a bit difficult.I am confident that I can write correctly only the "son" and "god" in "MIKOGAMI". The name "MAMORU" is still being practiced, and it is not yet to the extent that it can be written openly for others to read.So the name I wrote in my textbook or notebook is MI 子神 MAMORU, the same as the name tag on my chest when I was in elementary school.
I don’t remember when it was, I took the bus with that nameplate on, and I sat next to it. The foreign uncle in black stared at my chest, then nodded several times in admiration, speaking in broken Japanese Said: "Your name is so good, it seems to be blessed by the gods." I didn't know what he meant, so I mentioned this to my mother when I got home.As a result, the mother nodded confidently and said, "I think that person must be a pastor or priest or something."
"Because he knows how to interpret Ah Wei's name as 'God Protects the Royal Son'".
I asked my mother what "Oko" means, and my mother told me, "In Christianity, it means the child of the gods. It means Jesus Christ." I still don't understand.I've heard words like Jesus or Christ, but I don't know what it is.My father, who was on the sidelines, interjected, "By the way, if you use hiragana to write Mamoru's name, it can be pronounced as 'MIKOGAMI 御子GA见守RU'." My mother also said, " It sounds right, it means the same as "Jesus guarding", she seemed happy, but I still couldn't figure out what it meant.My father smiled and said, "According to this, using hiragana to write my father's name means 'the imperial child is guarding', which means that the gods are watching me." I think my mother had a complicated expression when she heard my father say that. .Of course I don't know what's going on.
It seems that the religious views of father and mother are a bit different.My father is an atheist and my mother is a Christian.I heard that before they got married, their relatives and friends were quite worried. Their values are so different that it is impossible for the relationship between husband and wife to be good.I can't tell how serious this problem is.But I heard that my father didn't care, so their wedding was held in a church with a Christian ceremony.Baptized mothers also go to church once a month after marriage.Sometimes they also pull me along.But my father doesn't agree with this matter very much, and usually doesn't have a good face.Sometimes it can also lead to quarrels between husband and wife.Why, I still don't know.
If it is not clear, what exactly is the so-called "baptism"?I asked my mother, and she told me, "To put it simply, it means to swear that from now on, I will live my life according to the gods."According to my mother, the so-called "believing in gods" means "believing that gods exist in this world" and "accepting the view that gods love humans".By taking such an oath, the person being baptized will become a Christian, just like the mother.
But I still have a question, if there is a god, then where is he?My mother said it was in the "Kingdom of Heaven", but I didn't know where the "Kingdom of Heaven" was.Where is the kingdom of heaven?Could it be the sky?Even if it goes straight up to the sky, at most there is only the universe.If the god is in that generation, then he should have been seen by the spaceship long ago, right?But I've never heard of it.If someone told me that gods that people don't know anywhere love us humans, I would be at a loss.To be honest, if such remarks did not come from the mouth of my mother, I would think that person's head is a bit strange.If this statement is too rude, maybe I can put it another way-too unscientific.
I have no intention of debating this kind of thing, but one day, I inadvertently leaked my thoughts.As a result, my mother didn't get angry because of this, but just thought about it for a while, nodded and said.
"That's right, what A Wei said is right. I think it is correct to say that gods do not exist in terms of physics. If science continues, maybe one day the non-existence of gods can be really proved .No, I believe that day will come."
Huh?What is this?Isn't the mother a Christian?As a Christian, she threatened that one day science would prove that there is no god, okay?Before I could ask any questions, my mother continued: "But, Ah Wei, in other words, the existence of gods and our belief in gods are two different things."
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"For example, what color is the mailbox?"
"It's red, so what's the point?"
"Ah Wei said it was red."
"Anyone would say that, of course."
"So, what if Kenichi—" Mother mentioned the name of my best friend, "he said that the mailbox is green?"
"I think it's ridiculous, I will laugh at him for being stupid."
"But Kenichi is not joking. He said seriously that the mailbox is green. What do you do?"
"What to do, I think there is something wrong with his head."
Strictly speaking, apart from Japan, it actually seems that postboxes are green in some countries, but let's rule that out for now.
"It's not just Kenichi, but other people in the class say the same, what do you do?"
"Mom, what are you talking about? It's impossible for such a thing to happen."
"It's just a metaphor—what would you do if they attacked you like that?"
"Are they?"
"Yeah, everyone is like this. No one agrees with Ah Wei. What do you do?"
"Even if everyone disagrees, yes is yes. What can I do? No matter what they say, the postbox is red and it can't be green."
"But Ah Wei is the only one who says it's red."
"The teacher will know, he will know that other people are wrong."
"But the teacher also said that the mailbox is green."
"Huh? It's cunning to exaggerate things to this extent."
"It's not cunning, it's just a metaphor. Suppose not only the school, but all of Japan say that the mailbox is green, and only Mamoru says that the mailbox is red from the beginning to the end, then what should you do?"
"I can't help it. Because such a strange thing can't happen."
"It happened. From Ah Wei's point of view, you think there is something wrong with the head of the person who threatened that the mailbox is green. Is that right?"
"Ah, I think so, because that's the way it is."
"But in a world where everyone says mailboxes are green, the one with the problem is Ah Wei."
"Ah? Why did it become like this? It's so cunning, it's too cunning to say that."
"Not cunning, Ah Wei is the only one who agrees that the postbox is red. That is to say, it is common sense and a fact that postboxes are green in this world."
"Now I feel like a mess."
"Yeah, it's a mess. Listen, Wei. We humans tend to only accept what we believe is the truth. Even if it's just a lie. No, if you say it to the extreme, everything in this world is fundamentally true. It’s all lies, and if the word lie is taken too far, maybe it can be said that everything is illusory.”
"What are lies and illusions?"
"I'll say everything."
"Everything? Everything in this world?"
"That's right. Everything is a lie. And we believe the lie to be true and live by it. For example, people say that humans are the smartest animals on earth, right?"
"That's not a lie. That's what we learned in school. Human beings are the spirits of creation."
"That kind of statement is actually just to cover up the fact that human beings are the most fragile and stupid animals on earth. When I said Awei, Mom didn't mean that everything was illusory, so it didn't make any sense. You try to think After all, gods are just a lie, an illusory thing. I don’t deny this. But there are also people who believe that gods exist. If you firmly believe in this fact, then it has nothing to do with science. To those who believe in the existence of gods The fact that God exists is neither a lie nor an illusion.”
I somehow understood what my mother said. Although I understood it, I felt that her examples were too cunning.Because if this world is all illusory, then wouldn’t the large iron piece of the plane turn into a lie in mid-air, and become illusory?isn't it?It doesn't mean that the plane flies just because we believe it can fly, and the plane will crash when the passengers don't believe in this fact.I don't mean to be picky, but if mother's words were to be pursued, things would lead to boring results.
"If there is a belief in the existence of gods—" I changed the direction of the discussion, "is there any advantage? Is there any advantage?"
"Benefits? There are no benefits." My mother said something that shocked me indifferently. "It goes without saying that God is God. He is not a human servant or a convenience store."
I was at a loss: "Since this is the case, is it meaningless to believe in gods soon?"
"Of course there is, because God is watching. If you always have this kind of mentality, won't you not do bad things and live a life of justice? If people all over the world think like this, there will be no disputes, and everyone can Live happily and peacefully."
Even as a child, I knew how unrealistic my mother's words were.Relying on gods, which do not actually exist, and attempting to find the meaning of life from them, is not so much an escape as an evil practice.The teacher at the school also said that the history of human beings is the history of wars, and most of the reasons come from the differences in the religious beliefs of the nation.Simply put, people kill each other for the boring reason of "your god is not the same as the main god you believe in".After all, both parties are lies and illusions, but they don't change their faces just because other people's blood is flowing into rivers.That being the case, it would be more peaceful for humans not to believe in such half-gods.This theory should work, right?
When my mother said "It would be great if the whole world could believe in gods", I think he deserves to be a Christian god, right?I take that for granted.But in this world, even if the spirit of people's beliefs is devout, that doesn't mean everyone is a Christian.There are also many people who believe in a god that is completely different from the god who looks down on the mother's words and deeds.This is also understandable.I believe that there should be no shortage of people who hate or other Christians because they cannot accept that others believe lies or illusions that are unacceptable to them?Because from the perspective of our Okogami family, we are very far from the mother's easy theory.
The three of us are a very ordinary family.It's not quite the same as the harmonious and cheerful family of the TV series, but I think we are still quite happy.My father used to be an office worker who worked in a foreign manufacturing company, and my mother used to be a dedicated housewife—the reason why I use the past tense to explain is because everything changed when I entered the fourth grade of elementary school.My father, who used to work until midnight, was already in the kitchen when I got home from school, drinking wine with a flushed face, and the days continued.I remember it was a long time before I found out that my father's company had made significant layoffs because of the bad economy.In a way, the father, who was still cheerful, suddenly became silent, and started drinking when he woke up in the morning.Before long, things began to happen that I couldn't imagine, such as seeing my mother's bruises on my mother's face when I came back from school, or the furniture being broken.My father didn't want to find a new job, so he just stayed at home and drank. Sometimes my mother worried about him, sometimes comforted him, and sometimes scolded him.At first, the father thought it was noisy and ignored it, but soon, every time the mother said something more, he became furious and began to beat the mother.I really can't believe that my father, who was supposed to protect my mother, would do such an extreme thing.
I tried to convince myself that this must be a blip, a bad dream.Just pretend not to know, it will pass soon, and we will return to the peaceful days before.However, the situation just kept getting worse, as if mocking my expectations.The parents who had been avoiding bloody fights in front of their sons finally started to see the scene of my father beating my mother after I came back from school, chasing the sound of my wife roaring all over the room, trying to escape the screams of my husband's mother.Cutlery crumbled, paper door damaged.We lived in an apartment at the time, and maybe the neighbors nearby called the police, and sometimes they often came to care.If things go on like this, maybe my mother will be killed... I tried my best to intervene to appease them, but they pushed me away. I gradually felt my own powerlessness, and I began to fear uneasily, and my hatred for my father grew day by day.Finally one day……
It happened one day when I was in my fifth grade. When I got home from school, my mother choked up and said:
"...Ah Wei, I'm really sorry." The mother said in a hoarse voice, her face must have been beaten by her father, right?Swollen like a weirdly colored biscuit.The corners of the mouth were cracked, and the part where the teeth fell out looked black and ugly, "For a while... really only for a while, you go back to live with your grandparents in Shizuoka first."
"But what about the school?"
"I know it's sad to break up with your friends, but you have to transfer schools. This is the only way to go. Ah Wei, I'm sorry, I'm really sorry. But, but if you don't, your future——"
"Where's Dad?" I felt like something was broken deep inside me.The ever-accumulating hatred for my father broke out of the shell, "Where did you hide and drink again?"
In hindsight, mother worried about me more than her own comfort, right?She was sensitively aware of the growing hatred for his father in the son's heart, and she was moved and terrified by it.At that time, I lived by this determination every day-when I became bigger and fully grown, I must repay my father with the pain that my mother had endured several times.The mother knows that the child who has such thoughts must be separated from the father for a while.
"I went out just now, I think he should come back after a while." Mother nodded feebly, "Go and prepare now."
"Mom will come with me."
"what?"
"Let's go together and find the grandparents together, while Dad is not at home."
"no!"
"why?"
"I can't do that."
"Why?" I didn't expect to be rejected so decisively by my mother, and I almost hated my mother at that time. "What can I do in this kind of house? Mom is beaten every day, and she will be killed one day. While now— —”
"However, Mom still has to accompany Dad."
"Why?" Pushed away by my mother without hesitation, I was almost hit by despair. "Why? Why?"
"Now Dad is not normal, he lost himself temporarily. But, one day, he will recover. So I will stay with him until he wakes up."
"It's so weird. It's counterproductive. Mom just pampers a worthless dad. Isn't it?"
"A Wei."
"The teachers in the school also often say that disobedient children should not be tolerated. The teacher said that the more indulged, the worse the child will be."
"I said Ah Wei."
"Isn't Dad like this now?" Seeing that my mother was unable to refute, I went further, "It's useless to accompany him. If you want Dad to recover, you must at least be able to defend yourself at this time."
"It's true... Maybe it should be like this."
The mother suddenly became expressionless, as if the injuries from the previous beating had all flared up all at once, and she was about to pass out.Her eyes became so empty, as if she couldn't even see her son.
"... If this continues, he will be completely destroyed, right?" She murmured to herself, and it took me a while to understand that the "he" she was talking about was the father. "Not only him, but even me who is with him will be destroyed. If this continues, it will definitely happen. I know, I know. But, no, I can't leave him alone, I can't leave him alone. I can't do it, I can't do this—"
I don't know how long she muttered to herself.I suddenly felt a strong sense of uneasiness. Could it be that my mother couldn't bear such a hellish life, and there was something wrong with her head?However, my mother quickly returned to normal as if she had just woken up from a dream.
"Anyway, Ah Wei." She said with an unprecedented serious expression, "You go to Shizuoka."
"don't want!"
"Listen to mother!"
"If mom is with me, I'll go!"
"Don't be a bratty kid."
"Now dad is like a willful child! You can't leave such a dad, but you want me to go so far away, is mom so cruel?"
"Don't say that—" Mom burst into tears, "Don't say that, please, please, Ah Wei. Mom really doesn't know what to say when you say that. I don't know what to say anymore. How to say it."
It looked like I might have to go to my grandparents alone.I was terrified, and at the same time gave up.This was the first time I saw my mother crying.In short, our mother and son have really been forced into this situation... Now that I have fully realized it, I should not be able to do anything.I had to cry too, the two of us just cried like this.Before we knew it, the sky darkened, and the house was already pitch black, and we were still crying in patches.
Suddenly there was a voice from the entrance.Maybe the father came back?My mother came back to her senses immediately, and turned on the light quickly.The moment we saw our father, we were all taken aback.His face was blue and swollen like his mother's.Hair was disheveled, clothes were crumpled, and coats were torn here and there, stained with blood.
"Husband, what's wrong with you?" Mom ran over with the medicine box and began to treat the wound for father.Judging from the situation, it may be that he was picking on other young customers while drinking in the tavern—yo, these big brothers, are you office workers?I really envy you guys for having a good job. I was laid off. Later, because my father was too stubborn, the two sides finally disagreed. As a result, my father was beaten all over the place.
At the beginning, the mother helped the father to deal with the wound, but the father refused to settle down and uttered wild words.Damn, let me meet those guys next time, I will definitely not let them go.Then gradually, his whole body shrank, and then, just like our mother and son just now, he began to apologize as if he was sobbing and moaning.
"I'm sorry...Weizi...Wei...I'm sorry"
Perhaps it was the feeling of being beaten that forced him to have the idea of repentance.
"It's so useless... Dad himself is useless." He just kept apologizing to my mother and me.As a result, because of this incident, my plan to go to Shizuoka has also come to an end.The next day, I went to class as usual.Who knows, I was immediately taken away from my father and mother who had finally rebuilt the old one.
Every time I open my eyes in the morning, I think about it.Was what happened before just a dream?This is not a strange foreign land, but Kobe. I am not studying in a weird "school", but an ordinary elementary school?But it's not right.I opened my eyes and saw that it was indeed in the "school" dormitory. The far side of the Y-shaped building, room 106. I washed my face in the simple kitchen as usual, and the first thing that came to my mind was whether the "Principal" and "Dorm Supervisor" came back as planned last night?Ordinarily, they went somewhere to pick up new classmates, but they may also be caught up in local affairs and live there.If this is the case, then Mrs. Cotton will supervise our exams instead of classes today, right?Exams are good, but if you don’t pass the “principal”’s mark, you still can’t get pocket money, and it’s meaningless at all.The last twenty-five cents was used by the "neutral" guy without authorization yesterday, and I still feel angry when I think about it. I was praying that I could get the pocket money today, and I walked towards the restaurant, only to see the "principal" sitting at the dining table, and I couldn't help but feel a little happy.However, this is just an unexpected little surprise, right? "Good morning, everyone." The "principal" smiled and stood up.One by one, she looked at each of us who were divided into the Stella faction and the "Her Royal Highness" faction yesterday.Usually always a bunch of brown hair, but this morning it hangs down on the chest.Maybe it was because I came back too late yesterday and didn't have time to tidy up.Because of this, the seriousness she usually exudes has also faded a lot, making me think of my mother. "Did you behave yesterday? Now please listen to me while eating. You should have heard about it. This time, you can make new friends again." Perhaps there is already some degree of awareness.The students' reaction was not as strong as before, but there was still an invisible tension spreading.The face of the "poet" sitting opposite me was pitifully livid.But I didn't see any new students.At least it doesn't seem to come to the restaurant.Ah, that's right, I didn't see "Housekeeper" either. "The new friend is a boy named Lou Bennett. Let's all get along well." "Excuse me, that child—" I couldn't see anyone wanting to speak, so I asked, "Where is it now?" "He's being educated by Mr. Baggins in another room now, David. He'll be formally introduced at dinner tonight." Introduced only at dinner, so there might be a chance to talk to "The Poet" before seeing the new students.I thought so in my heart, watching "The Poet". "The Poet" seems to have thought the same thing.He nodded slightly to me, carefully as if he didn't want Stella next to him to notice. "Ah, that's right." The "principal" who had already sat down had a soft conversation with Mrs. Cotton next to him, and then stood up. "I also have to help Lu Bennett with the entrance education later, so the morning class is suspended and replaced by a practice class. Have you started to do the practice questions prepared by Mr. Baggins? Very good, then stop here Finish." "Excuse me, may I ask?" I quickly raised my hand, "About Mrs. Cotton's proctored exam yesterday, can't we return the test paper?" "No, I forgot, Ah Wei. I'm sorry, I came back late yesterday and haven't scored yet. Today is also very busy, so it won't be until tomorrow." In other words, you won't get your pocket money until tomorrow at the earliest, and you missed the chocolate bar all day today?well! After breakfast, everyone went to the classroom as usual, and the first group and the second group were immediately assigned.I entered the reception room with "Her Royal Highness" and "Neutral", and discussed the mystery of the label being torn off and the large number of videotapes scattered around. "A Wei's opinion yesterday—" "Neutral" saw that everyone was not interested, so he figured out that "Her Royal Highness" and I started to talk when we started to feel bored. "I don't think it's worth mentioning now." "Opinion?" As the person involved, I couldn't understand what he meant, "What opinion?" "Among your damaged collections—" Of course, he didn't refer to me at this time, but to the male C assigned by the role. "Isn't there a tape from an old TV show showing me in high spirits? Didn't you mention that?" "You mean being named an excellent firefighter and being invited to the White House?" "Neutral" was referring to me, of course, not him, but male B. "You mean that video tape has something to do with the incident?" "Is it? It's a big honor for the average citizen to be invited to the White House. Isn't it?" "It must be? Although I am not an American citizen, I really don't feel it at all." "Of course, I don't think I will go to the banquet alone. Because it is a big stage that is rarely seen in a lifetime! I think the whole family must have gone." "That's a very practical idea." "Her Royal Highness" nodded with crossed legs. "Even as your daughter—" This of course does not refer to her herself, but the female A in the role assignment. "And my daughter, my brother, and him as my husband." She flipped through the photocopied paper, pointing at me. "No matter what, it's natural for all the family members to be invited to the White House as guests. Let alone whether it's a dinner party, but in terms of the main idea, it should be like this?" "That is to say—" "Neutral" pointed his raised index finger at me, and then at "Her Royal Highness". "There's our family on the tape, right?" "There is such a possibility, but there is no guarantee that everyone will be in the camera." "There must be. There is such a meaning in the setting." "Even if each of us is on camera, so what?" "That's the point. But before that—" "Neutral" smiled, looking at the faces of me and "Her Royal Highness". "How is the relationship between the two recently?" Of course he was referring to the relationship between female A and male C, but I fell into the illusion of being questioned about the relationship between me and "Her Royal Highness", which felt so strange. "It must be ordinary." "Her Royal Highness" felt very boring and shrugged, "Because the setting of the plot did not specifically point out quarrels or problems between husband and wife." "But he—" "Neutral" who stood up from the bench seemed to walk towards me slowly, and then patted my shoulder vigorously. "So far, I will visit his ex-wife's son every month." "Then what can we do? That's what was written in the divorce agreement back then." "And it's a pleasure to get along with. That can't be ignored." "Why? A father who feels pain when seeing his son is suspicious." "That's not what I mean. My interpretation is that this description is implying that there is a subtle crack in the relationship between your husband and wife. Not only that, for the sake of the future of his son who only sees him once a month, he even considers abandoning his newly acquired son. Wife and family, reconnect with ex-wife." "Wait a minute, wait a minute. Anyway, that's an exaggerated explanation." "It's nothing, only this explanation can explain the strange incident of the destruction of the video tape collection." "Oh? How to explain?" "The important video tapes have all been torn off their labels, he—" "Neutral" slapped me on the shoulder again.Who is so familiar with you? "How will you face this?" "Well——" "Her Royal Highness" paused for a moment with an expression as if she was on guard. "Obviously, this was done by people around him, so I don't think he will call the police. On the one hand, the police may not ask each family member what the result will be. It will only leave a knot in everyone's heart. Judging from this, he Should put the loose straps back in place." "Yeah, he'll take things back. But that's not the end of the matter, is it? There's an order that he has to follow in order to restore the collection to its original state." "For example, put all the labels back in the original way." "That's it. There are a lot of straps, so be patient. This person is inherently collectible. Then comes the important point." "Neutral" paced back and forth in the reception room with dramatic movements, "rearranging Before, it was time-consuming to re-label, and it was not enough to post one piece of paper.” "You have to confirm the contents of the tape first." "Yes." The quick response of "Her Royal Highness" made "Neutral" even more proud. "Yes. The content must be determined first, and this is the purpose of the prisoner." "Is that what you mean?" I interjected. "When relabeling, I will definitely see the video footage of the White House dinner. Then when I look at the happy faces of the family, I realize that I have to talk to my new wife and her. The inmate’s gamble is to stimulate this possibility. This prank is designed to make me rethink that the new family is more important than the ex-wife and son.” "Hey, Ah Wei, this is the most interesting part of solving the puzzle, I was going to say it myself!" "But there's something I don't understand. Who do you think the criminal was for this motive?" "Of course it's his daughter." "what?" "I know, I know." "Neutral" comforted her by pushing back "Her Royal Highness" who stood up from the chair with both hands. "What you want to say is, if this is the motive, then it shouldn't matter whether the prisoner is you, or your brother or father, right?" "It's not just that. Wasn't it you who said categorically that my daughter could not be the murderer yesterday?" "That's because I misjudged your daughter's motives. If it was malice towards her stepfather, then as I said yesterday, she would not take the risk of skipping class and leaking the truth so simply for this kind of thing. It’s a prank. But if it’s well-intentioned, then it’s a different matter if you’re swayed by a sense of mission to improve the relationship between your parents no matter what.” "Nothing else. I can't take it." Perhaps out of anger at the self-justification of "neutrality", "Her Royal Highness" almost lost control, and the whole discussion went on like this, without any conclusion.In fact, I can't fully accept his idea.The biggest bottleneck is that when they were invited to the White House, male C has not yet become a family member, which means that female A may still maintain a husband and wife relationship with her ex-husband, but if I point this out, judging from the atmosphere of the scene, it seems that it will trigger more One more round.I let them argue. "Enough!" Maybe it was too tired, "Her Royal Highness" threw the photocopy on the table roughly, announcing a break without authorization. "Why, what is this for? It's always like this. It's a weird question." "But then again—" "Neutral" seemed to be enjoying her excitement, and said with a malicious smile, "Compared to those people in the first group this time, we may be much better." "how do you know?" "Because I know the content of the first group." "Huh?" The anxious "Her Royal Highness" stopped in her tracks.Because the "principal" stipulates that people in other groups cannot be told about the subject.Not until the final publication of at least two groups. "Could it be that someone over there told you?" "I asked Stella secretly." "Neutral," the guy finished, and winked at me quietly.He must know I like Stella.What a nasty guy. "So what are they?" "I heard that the stage is a residential church school in a certain country. Unexplainable incidents continue to occur in the school." According to the explanation of "neutrality", the content of the first group's topics is roughly as follows.One morning, a student found the back door of the dormitory of a missionary school open.Notify the female dormitory supervisor that after investigation, it was determined that it was locked the night before.The resident students were panicking, but every room was locked and nothing was missing, so the school temporarily believed that someone went out at night and forgot to close the door when they quietly returned to school, so the school did not call the police.Then the next morning, the doors and trunks of the staff cars parked in the dormitory parking lot were all open, and there was another commotion.This time, the car door was only opened, and there was no loss, so no police report was made.Then, however, a third event occurred— "In this way, after several days in a row, when I got up in the morning, I found that the doors of the buildings in the dormitory or the parking lot were opened. But no matter how hard I checked, there was still no loss. The question is, who is the prisoner? What is the purpose? That's an interesting question, isn't it?" "I don't think our subjects are easier than theirs, but their problems are indeed suspicious." "I still want to find some time to think about it. I want to ask Stella for more detailed settings such as role assignments." "Her Royal Highness" looked at me with a meaningful look without any concealment.I knew very well what she was trying to say.The problems in my own group can't be solved, what does this guy want to do?There must be a limit to madness, right?Is that what she means? "But then again——" "Neutral" didn't pay attention to our small actions, and began to mutter to himself inexplicably, "There must be some reason for this, right? Hmm——" "His Royal Highness" looked too lazy to pay attention to him, and glanced to the side.I had to ask "what's the matter?" "I've been taking recitations for some time now, and it just occurred to me recently. Mr. Baggins's questions seem to have something in common every time." "Substantially distorted content." "No, that's not what I meant. Ah Wei, haven't you noticed? Among the related characters, almost 100% of them will be old people with a little dementia." "yes?" "It's the same this time. Our group is my male B, right? And in the first group, there seems to be an old woman who has a little difficulty in recognizing other people's faces." "Ok." "Hey, that's the only way you react?" "Even so, I don't think it's weird. It's not so much a commonality as Mr. Baggins's hobby that the same person writes the questions every time?" Perhaps because the hatred for "neutrality" has not disappeared, "Her Royal Highness" clapped my hands at me like a teaser. "Ah—" However, "Neutral" still shrugged leisurely, "Is it really just like this?" “你是说还有其他因素？” “直接说，就是暗号。” “暗——你说什么？” “巴金斯先生在每天的实习课当中，悄悄地把这个共同点套进假设当中，以不同于课题的方式来测试我们的推理能力。他想测试我们是否注意到了共同点，而且也想知道我们是否能推理出那代表什么意义？” “我说霍华德啊。”我真不知道该说他异想天开还是细心聪明。“对了，你昨天说过。” "Huh? What's the matter?" “你不是说，这里是秘密侦探培育中心。难道你是当真的？” “你说难道？喂喂，我是说真的。因为没有其他可能的想法了呀！” 我窥探着“王妃殿下”的反应。她虽然也表现出有些兴趣的样子，但是似乎也不知道该如何判断“中立”的说法。 “你所说的秘密侦探是什么样的侦探？是私家侦探或什么的吗？这种人经常出现在电影或连续剧里面，对不对？披着大衣，叼着一根烟，和委托人进行对话。” “才不是这么肤浅的事，”很难得的，“中立”不悦地站起来“是格局更大、更特别的侦探！” “你这样说我还是不懂。” “那我也没办法。具体的要席华德博士他们告诉我们才行。不过，我可以做某种程度的想像。” “就算想像也好，说给我们听听。” “从实习的内容就可以知道了吧？我们接受的是将来从事某种需要有这种能力的职业的英才教育。” “确实——”也许是觉得有一听的价值，“王妃殿下”顶着严肃的表情，抱着双臂“经你这么一说，我觉得这个可能性很大。” “确实——”姑且不说是不是侦探，关于这点我也点头称是。“上午的课程都是为了我们将来回到普通学校时能赶得上进度。而下午的实习就好像是专业课程了。” “就是这样。”也许很中意我的结论吧，“中立”心情整个大逆转。喜滋滋的开始打开话匣子。“没错。现在总该明白了吧。有谁会为了培养一些只是调查外遇的普通侦探而准备这样的设施？你们看！这里的一切都是大费周章设置的。这是为了格局更大的任务呀！我们是为了这样而接受训练的。” “就算不是私家侦探，难道侦探也有格局大小之分吗？” “与其说是侦探，我想应该算是情报工作人员之类的吧。” “工作人员是？” "spy?" “没错。先不管正式的名称什么的，就是为国家的秘密机关效力的职业。” 话说格局又未免太大了。我不禁提高警觉，但“中立”却一本正经。开玩笑也得有点节制。“可是霍华德啊，我不懂的是——”我决定先就理论提出反驳。“如果是为了如此远大的目的而设立的培育中心，这里又未免太小气了。当然建筑物本身是经过彻底的改装，漂亮是漂亮，但就设施来看，实在看不出有国家机关这种大格局的后盾存在。” “是啊。”“王妃殿下”也加入我的阵营。“而且这的学生才六个，怎么都嫌少。” “往后会慢慢增加的。现在不就有新生来了吗？” “不管怎么增加，宿舍区只有十个房间呀。” “职员宿舍区那边应该还有多余的房间。” “那边一共也只有十个。席华德他们就占了三个，两个房间被当成跟仓库。空房间只有5个。就算客满，顶多15个人。以国家机关参与的培育中心而言，这个太简陋了。” “学生不是越多越好。重点是，虽然人数少，但是一定要优秀。采用的是少数精锐主义。” 优秀？站在不认为自己是其中一元的立场，我有很多事想提出反驳，但是“中立”又继续说到。 “再说，你们仔细想想吧！这里学生都是十一二岁，但是你们不觉得在这里的学生都是一些有着与年龄不相符的思考方式和说话方式的人吗？” “那倒也是。”“王妃殿下”看着我点点头“之前我就想过同样的事。你们看，阿卫刚到这里时完全不懂英文，可过了半年，他的英文就进步到这种地步，我甚至觉得他的英文比我们都好。” “太高估我了。”姑且不说史黛拉的夸赞了，被像“王妃殿下”这种类型的女孩称赞，我却怎么听都觉得不舒服。“我的英文只是让我在日常生活方面不会感到不方便而已。英文文法的测验只考个位数。” “但是你思路井然的说话方式连当地人都要臣服呢。阿卫是个知性极高的孩子，这绝对错不了。” “没错。”“中立”一副深得我心的样子，激动地说，“不只是阿卫。只有IQ极高的孩子才会被选来这里，这绝对不是一种偶然，一定有什么相对的理由。” 我也不得不承认，大家的说话方式的确都比实际年龄要成熟，但是“中立”竟然厚颜无耻地自以为是，我就觉得有点那个了。连“王妃殿下”也一样，即使被说是高材生也没有一丝羞涩。她只是顶着认真的表情点着头。 “我的说法绝对不是空穴来风。” 即便有人以过度的反应斩钉截铁地说很有可能，我却没办法相信这种连续剧般的戏剧正发生在我身上。 “再说，有国家级的巨大后盾的说法不是我胡说的，我有确实的证据。” 即昨天之后，今天又有证据来？我不知他怎么找出的，不过他倒是个勤快的家伙。我真的深刻地感觉，也许他真的有侦探的素质。“哦？什么样的证据？让我看看。” “嗯，这个嘛——”出乎我意料地，“中立”竟然支支吾吾地。“这次要给看证据有点困难。因为那个房间上了锁。” "which room?" “120号房。” 那是职员宿舍区域最靠近中央大厅一侧的房间。一般称，据说是这个“学校”的唯一一具电话。所谓“据说”是因为我没有亲眼看过电话，但是不只是我没看过。学生们向来就被严格禁止使用电话，也不能进出120号房。 “等一下！”“王妃殿下”很惊讶“霍华德，难不成你进去过？” “中立”笑吟吟地摆着架子说：“只有一次。” “骗人！你怎么进去的？” “只是偶然。以前我看过巴金斯先生从那个房间里出来，要是只是这样也就罢了，偏偏那次他好像很着急，忘了锁门。加上他又没注意到我，所以我突然就产生了好奇心。” “那是当然吧。” “我等巴金斯先生走了之后，就——” “中立”以动作做出他进入的样子，结果“王妃殿下”竟然以她个人的风格而言非常难得一见的充满孩子气的动作又叫又跳。“霍华德，你好厉害！真是大功一件。然后呢？然后呢？” “有机会进去固然是好事，但我也不知道巴金斯先生什么时候回来。”也许听众的反应太好了吧？“中立”得意起来，“而且柯顿太太能四处巡视，我没办法仔细看清楚，不过也够了，实在太惊人了！” “什么太惊人？” “我是说室内的设备。”“中立”的眼神就像做梦一样。“到处都是只有在间谍片或诸如此类的虚构影片当中才能看到的电子仪器。” 听着听着，我不自觉也开始兴奋起来。 “不对，应该说比电影里的还要惊人。跟那种低价建造的廉价品不同，是夏普制作的顶尖的设计呢。” “哦？”“王妃殿下”打心底感到羡慕似的催促道，“我问你，那么那些东西到底是什么？做什么用的机器？” “不知道。总之就是很高科技感的机器，摆满了整个房间。当然我这种人不懂它们的用途和使用方法啦。” “这么说来，说是电话亭，事实上也不是普通的电话吧？” “不，也有像是电话的东西。不过，设计得更帅气。我很想好好操作看看，但又怕有人来，所以匆匆瞥了一眼就跑走了。我好想再进去看一次。但应该很难有机会了。” “也许现在就是机会。” “王妃殿下”淡然道，我不禁吓了一跳，“中立”也瞪大了眼睛。 “因为现在席华德博士他们正在为新生进行入学教育，而柯顿太太开始准备午餐了。现在不是最好的机会吗？” “那得打开锁才行。”也许是被“王妃殿下”的气势所压吧，“中立”表现出畏惧的模样，“可是，我不认为那么容易就有那么幸运的偶然。” “窗户那边呢？也许他们也会忘了上锁。” “怎么可能会有那么好的事？” “你们，没注意到吗？巴金斯先生好像是个非常粗心大意的人，他经常把东西忘在教室里啊。” “啊……经你这么一说……” “有一次他甚至把一个莫名其妙的东西忘在桌上——”不知为什么，说完她就咳了一声，连让我问“莫名其妙的东西”是什么的时间都没有，继续说“总之，刚刚霍华德说120房没锁是因为巴金斯先生太匆忙，但我认为他就常常处在心不在焉的状态下。我想对他来说室内禁烟很难熬，导致他心浮气躁，注意力难免就会变得散漫。” “中立”看向我，“阿卫怎么说，想试试看吗？” “那还用说？”“王妃殿下”以不管我们做何决定都不会改变初衷的气势，朝着门口走去。“听了那么多，怎么可能什么都不做就收兵呢？” “好吧，我知道了。啊，凯特跟阿卫先待在这里，我先去看看。如果太多人同时在走廊上活动反而容易让人起疑。” 说的有道理，我跟“王妃殿下”看着“中立”蹑手蹑脚地走出接待室。只剩我们两个人后，她对我盈盈一笑。这是我头一次看到言行这么孩子气的“王妃殿下”。这也许就是所谓的即将要一起破坏规则的同志连带意识吧？我也难以控制自己的兴奋情绪。我们默不作声地跟着彼此，偷笑了好意阵子。 过了一会，“中立”回来了，却不断摇头，看来锁上了。 “那么我们去看看窗户吧.” “王妃殿下”走在前头，我们悄悄地从接待室溜出来。还好玄关就在前面不远处。 为了避免被柯顿太太撞见，我们弯着身体穿过餐厅的窗户下方，来到120房的窗口。不只是这个房间，职员宿舍区域的窗户都是拉上窗帘的。“王妃殿下”伸出手去，企图打开窗玻璃，但是窗户一动也不动。 “真的不行。偶尔忘了上锁的幸运事情并不总那么容易——” “阿卫。”“王妃殿下”的眼睛盯在窗户上，对我招招手，“你来看看” "what?" 仔细一瞧，窗帘之间的缝隙可以看到一小部分，而造成的冲击非常之大。隐约可以窥见的室内的景象着实就如同“中立”所说，不对，或者应该所和科幻电影的世界一样。室内整齐地排列着许多设计款式前所未见，可能是先进电子仪器之类的设备。 “好、好惊人啊。” “那到底是什么机器啊？” “不知道呀，也许是电脑之类的吧？” 大家小声地兴奋地交谈了一会，但是如果在外头待太久，事情恐怕就不妙了。我们一如来时一样，快速回到接待室。 “——怎么样？”“中立”脸颊泛着红晕，得意地说。“两位都看到了吧？这样就很清楚可以证明我所言不差吧？那样顶级的设备，没有顶级的后盾是弄不来的。喂，凯特？你有在听吗？” “咦？”仍在兴奋地思索的“王妃殿下”回过神来，“啊，我当然在听啦。太惊人了。霍华德，你想正经做事的时候不也有两把刷子吗？” 也许是对她的称赞相当满意吧，“中立”连连点头。却突然打个哈欠“啊，觉得好累哦。都是因为一大早就想那么多事情，又说了那么多话。那，我说两位，怎么样？距离吃中饭还有一段时间，要不要继续实习？” “不了，我不想再来了。” “我也一样。不只是上午这段时间，就一整天的成果而已，我觉得已经够了。” “说的也是。那么我就先告退，我要去睡个觉。” 有道理，真是不错的点子。我也回去小憩一下吧？我心里这么想着，正想跟离开接待室的“中立”后头走人之际，突然被“王妃殿下”抓住手臂。我一头雾水，她对我使了使颜色，充满了某种意味的眼色。 “干嘛？”我问她，但是她也只是把食指抵在自己的嘴唇上，等着“中立”完全消失于宿舍区域那边。 “怎么了，凯特？” “那，坐下来，阿卫。”刚刚的喧闹好像不曾发生过似的，“王妃殿下”恢复了一如往常的悠然态度。“我有话跟你说。”
Every time I open my eyes in the morning, I think about it.Was what happened before just a dream?This is not a strange foreign land, but Kobe. I am not studying in a weird "school", but an ordinary elementary school?But it's not right.I opened my eyes and saw that it was indeed in the "school" dormitory. The far side of the Y-shaped building, room 106. I washed my face in the simple kitchen as usual, and the first thing that came to my mind was whether the "Principal" and "Dorm Supervisor" came back as planned last night?Ordinarily, they went somewhere to pick up new classmates, but they may also be caught up in local affairs and live there.If this is the case, then Mrs. Cotton will supervise our exams instead of classes today, right?Exams are good, but if you don’t pass the “principal”’s mark, you still can’t get pocket money, and it’s meaningless at all.The last twenty-five cents was used by the "neutral" guy without authorization yesterday, and I still feel angry when I think about it. I was praying that I could get the pocket money today, and I walked towards the restaurant, only to see the "principal" sitting at the dining table, and I couldn't help but feel a little happy.However, this is just an unexpected little surprise, right? "Good morning, everyone." The "principal" smiled and stood up.One by one, she looked at each of us who were divided into the Stella faction and the "Her Royal Highness" faction yesterday.Usually always a bunch of brown hair, but this morning it hangs down on the chest.Maybe it was because I came back too late yesterday and didn't have time to tidy up.Because of this, the seriousness she usually exudes has also faded a lot, making me think of my mother. "Did you behave yesterday? Now please listen to me while eating. You should have heard about it. This time, you can make new friends again." Perhaps there is already some degree of awareness.The students' reaction was not as strong as before, but there was still an invisible tension spreading.The face of the "poet" sitting opposite me was pitifully livid.But I didn't see any new students.At least it doesn't seem to come to the restaurant.Ah, that's right, I didn't see "Housekeeper" either. "The new friend is a boy named Lou Bennett. Let's all get along well." "Excuse me, that child—" I couldn't see anyone wanting to speak, so I asked, "Where is it now?" "He's being educated by Mr. Baggins in another room now, David. He'll be formally introduced at dinner tonight." Introduced only at dinner, so there might be a chance to talk to "The Poet" before seeing the new students.I thought so in my heart, watching "The Poet". "The Poet" seems to have thought the same thing.He nodded slightly to me, carefully as if he didn't want Stella next to him to notice. "Ah, that's right." The "principal" who had already sat down had a soft conversation with Mrs. Cotton next to him, and then stood up. "I also have to help Lu Bennett with the entrance education later, so the morning class is suspended and replaced by a practice class. Have you started to do the practice questions prepared by Mr. Baggins? Very good, then stop here Finish." "Excuse me, may I ask?" I quickly raised my hand, "About Mrs. Cotton's proctored exam yesterday, can't we return the test paper?" "No, I forgot, Ah Wei. I'm sorry, I came back late yesterday and haven't scored yet. Today is also very busy, so it won't be until tomorrow." In other words, you won't get your pocket money until tomorrow at the earliest, and you missed the chocolate bar all day today?well! After breakfast, everyone went to the classroom as usual, and the first group and the second group were immediately assigned.I entered the reception room with "Her Royal Highness" and "Neutral", and discussed the mystery of the label being torn off and the large number of videotapes scattered around. "A Wei's opinion yesterday—" "Neutral" saw that everyone was not interested, so he figured out that "Her Royal Highness" and I started to talk when we started to feel bored. "I don't think it's worth mentioning now." "Opinion?" As the person involved, I couldn't understand what he meant, "What opinion?" "Among your damaged collections—" Of course, he didn't refer to me at this time, but to the male C assigned by the role. "Isn't there a tape from an old TV show showing me in high spirits? Didn't you mention that?" "You mean being named an excellent firefighter and being invited to the White House?" "Neutral" was referring to me, of course, not him, but male B. "You mean that video tape has something to do with the incident?" "Is it? It's a big honor for the average citizen to be invited to the White House. Isn't it?" "It must be? Although I am not an American citizen, I really don't feel it at all." "Of course, I don't think I will go to the banquet alone. Because it is a big stage that is rarely seen in a lifetime! I think the whole family must have gone." "That's a very practical idea." "Her Royal Highness" nodded with crossed legs. "Even as your daughter—" This of course does not refer to her herself, but the female A in the role assignment. "And my daughter, my brother, and him as my husband." She flipped through the photocopied paper, pointing at me. "No matter what, it's natural for all the family members to be invited to the White House as guests. Let alone whether it's a dinner party, but in terms of the main idea, it should be like this?" "That is to say—" "Neutral" pointed his raised index finger at me, and then at "Her Royal Highness". "There's our family on the tape, right?" "There is such a possibility, but there is no guarantee that everyone will be in the camera." "There must be. There is such a meaning in the setting." "Even if each of us is on camera, so what?" "That's the point. But before that—" "Neutral" smiled, looking at the faces of me and "Her Royal Highness". "How is the relationship between the two recently?" Of course he was referring to the relationship between female A and male C, but I fell into the illusion of being questioned about the relationship between me and "Her Royal Highness", which felt so strange. "It must be ordinary." "Her Royal Highness" felt very boring and shrugged, "Because the setting of the plot did not specifically point out quarrels or problems between husband and wife." "But he—" "Neutral" who stood up from the bench seemed to walk towards me slowly, and then patted my shoulder vigorously. "So far, I will visit his ex-wife's son every month." "Then what can we do? That's what was written in the divorce agreement back then." "And it's a pleasure to get along with. That can't be ignored." "Why? A father who feels pain when seeing his son is suspicious." "That's not what I mean. My interpretation is that this description is implying that there is a subtle crack in the relationship between your husband and wife. Not only that, for the sake of the future of his son who only sees him once a month, he even considers abandoning his newly acquired son. Wife and family, reconnect with ex-wife." "Wait a minute, wait a minute. Anyway, that's an exaggerated explanation." "It's nothing, only this explanation can explain the strange incident of the destruction of the video tape collection." "Oh? How to explain?" "The important video tapes have all been torn off their labels, he—" "Neutral" slapped me on the shoulder again.Who is so familiar with you? "How will you face this?" "Well——" "Her Royal Highness" paused for a moment with an expression as if she was on guard. "Obviously, this was done by people around him, so I don't think he will call the police. On the one hand, the police may not ask each family member what the result will be. It will only leave a knot in everyone's heart. Judging from this, he Should put the loose straps back in place." "Yeah, he'll take things back. But that's not the end of the matter, is it? There's an order that he has to follow in order to restore the collection to its original state." "For example, put all the labels back in the original way." "That's it. There are a lot of straps, so be patient. This person is inherently collectible. Then comes the important point." "Neutral" paced back and forth in the reception room with dramatic movements, "rearranging Before, it was time-consuming to re-label, and it was not enough to post one piece of paper.” "You have to confirm the contents of the tape first." "Yes." The quick response of "Her Royal Highness" made "Neutral" even more proud. "Yes. The content must be determined first, and this is the purpose of the prisoner." "Is that what you mean?" I interjected. "When relabeling, I will definitely see the video footage of the White House dinner. Then when I look at the happy faces of the family, I realize that I have to talk to my new wife and her. The inmate’s gamble is to stimulate this possibility. This prank is designed to make me rethink that the new family is more important than the ex-wife and son.” "Hey, Ah Wei, this is the most interesting part of solving the puzzle, I was going to say it myself!" "But there's something I don't understand. Who do you think the criminal was for this motive?" "Of course it's his daughter." "what?" "I know, I know." "Neutral" comforted her by pushing back "Her Royal Highness" who stood up from the chair with both hands. "What you want to say is, if this is the motive, then it shouldn't matter whether the prisoner is you, or your brother or father, right?" "It's not just that. Wasn't it you who said categorically that my daughter could not be the murderer yesterday?" "That's because I misjudged your daughter's motives. If it was malice towards her stepfather, then as I said yesterday, she would not take the risk of skipping class and leaking the truth so simply for this kind of thing. It’s a prank. But if it’s well-intentioned, then it’s a different matter if you’re swayed by a sense of mission to improve the relationship between your parents no matter what.” "Nothing else. I can't take it." Perhaps out of anger at the self-justification of "neutrality", "Her Royal Highness" almost lost control, and the whole discussion went on like this, without any conclusion.In fact, I can't fully accept his idea.The biggest bottleneck is that when they were invited to the White House, male C has not yet become a family member, which means that female A may still maintain a husband and wife relationship with her ex-husband, but if I point this out, judging from the atmosphere of the scene, it seems that it will trigger more One more round.I let them argue. "Enough!" Maybe it was too tired, "Her Royal Highness" threw the photocopy on the table roughly, announcing a break without authorization. "Why, what is this for? It's always like this. It's a weird question." "But then again—" "Neutral" seemed to be enjoying her excitement, and said with a malicious smile, "Compared to those people in the first group this time, we may be much better." "how do you know?" "Because I know the content of the first group." "Huh?" The anxious "Her Royal Highness" stopped in her tracks.Because the "principal" stipulates that people in other groups cannot be told about the subject.Not until the final publication of at least two groups. "Could it be that someone over there told you?" "I asked Stella secretly." "Neutral," the guy finished, and winked at me quietly.He must know I like Stella.What a nasty guy. "So what are they?" "I heard that the stage is a residential church school in a certain country. Unexplainable incidents continue to occur in the school." According to the explanation of "neutrality", the content of the first group's topics is roughly as follows.One morning, a student found the back door of the dormitory of a missionary school open.Notify the female dormitory supervisor that after investigation, it was determined that it was locked the night before.The resident students were panicking, but every room was locked and nothing was missing, so the school temporarily believed that someone went out at night and forgot to close the door when they quietly returned to school, so the school did not call the police.Then the next morning, the doors and trunks of the staff cars parked in the dormitory parking lot were all open, and there was another commotion.This time, the car door was only opened, and there was no loss, so no police report was made.Then, however, a third event occurred— "In this way, after several days in a row, when I got up in the morning, I found that the doors of the buildings in the dormitory or the parking lot were opened. But no matter how hard I checked, there was still no loss. The question is, who is the prisoner? What is the purpose? That's an interesting question, isn't it?" "I don't think our subjects are easier than theirs, but their problems are indeed suspicious." "I still want to find some time to think about it. I want to ask Stella for more detailed settings such as role assignments." "Her Royal Highness" looked at me with a meaningful look without any concealment.I knew very well what she was trying to say.The problems in my own group can't be solved, what does this guy want to do?There must be a limit to madness, right?Is that what she means? "But then again——" "Neutral" didn't pay attention to our small actions, and began to mutter to himself inexplicably, "There must be some reason for this, right? Hmm——" "His Royal Highness" looked too lazy to pay attention to him, and glanced to the side.I had to ask "what's the matter?" "I've been taking recitations for some time now, and it just occurred to me recently. Mr. Baggins's questions seem to have something in common every time." "Substantially distorted content." "No, that's not what I meant. Ah Wei, haven't you noticed? Among the related characters, almost 100% of them will be old people with a little dementia." "yes?" "It's the same this time. Our group is my male B, right? And in the first group, there seems to be an old woman who has a little difficulty in recognizing other people's faces." "Ok." "Hey, that's the only way you react?" "Even so, I don't think it's weird. It's not so much a commonality as Mr. Baggins's hobby that the same person writes the questions every time?" Perhaps because the hatred for "neutrality" has not disappeared, "Her Royal Highness" clapped my hands at me like a teaser. "Ah—" However, "Neutral" still shrugged leisurely, "Is it really just like this?" “你是说还有其他因素？” “直接说，就是暗号。” “暗——你说什么？” “巴金斯先生在每天的实习课当中，悄悄地把这个共同点套进假设当中，以不同于课题的方式来测试我们的推理能力。他想测试我们是否注意到了共同点，而且也想知道我们是否能推理出那代表什么意义？” “我说霍华德啊。”我真不知道该说他异想天开还是细心聪明。“对了，你昨天说过。” "Huh? What's the matter?" “你不是说，这里是秘密侦探培育中心。难道你是当真的？” “你说难道？喂喂，我是说真的。因为没有其他可能的想法了呀！” 我窥探着“王妃殿下”的反应。她虽然也表现出有些兴趣的样子，但是似乎也不知道该如何判断“中立”的说法。 “你所说的秘密侦探是什么样的侦探？是私家侦探或什么的吗？这种人经常出现在电影或连续剧里面，对不对？披着大衣，叼着一根烟，和委托人进行对话。” “才不是这么肤浅的事，”很难得的，“中立”不悦地站起来“是格局更大、更特别的侦探！” “你这样说我还是不懂。” “那我也没办法。具体的要席华德博士他们告诉我们才行。不过，我可以做某种程度的想像。” “就算想像也好，说给我们听听。” “从实习的内容就可以知道了吧？我们接受的是将来从事某种需要有这种能力的职业的英才教育。” “确实——”也许是觉得有一听的价值，“王妃殿下”顶着严肃的表情，抱着双臂“经你这么一说，我觉得这个可能性很大。” “确实——”姑且不说是不是侦探，关于这点我也点头称是。“上午的课程都是为了我们将来回到普通学校时能赶得上进度。而下午的实习就好像是专业课程了。” “就是这样。”也许很中意我的结论吧，“中立”心情整个大逆转。喜滋滋的开始打开话匣子。“没错。现在总该明白了吧。有谁会为了培养一些只是调查外遇的普通侦探而准备这样的设施？你们看！这里的一切都是大费周章设置的。这是为了格局更大的任务呀！我们是为了这样而接受训练的。” “就算不是私家侦探，难道侦探也有格局大小之分吗？” “与其说是侦探，我想应该算是情报工作人员之类的吧。” “工作人员是？” "spy?" “没错。先不管正式的名称什么的，就是为国家的秘密机关效力的职业。” 话说格局又未免太大了。我不禁提高警觉，但“中立”却一本正经。开玩笑也得有点节制。“可是霍华德啊，我不懂的是——”我决定先就理论提出反驳。“如果是为了如此远大的目的而设立的培育中心，这里又未免太小气了。当然建筑物本身是经过彻底的改装，漂亮是漂亮，但就设施来看，实在看不出有国家机关这种大格局的后盾存在。” “是啊。”“王妃殿下”也加入我的阵营。“而且这的学生才六个，怎么都嫌少。” “往后会慢慢增加的。现在不就有新生来了吗？” “不管怎么增加，宿舍区只有十个房间呀。” “职员宿舍区那边应该还有多余的房间。” “那边一共也只有十个。席华德他们就占了三个，两个房间被当成跟仓库。空房间只有5个。就算客满，顶多15个人。以国家机关参与的培育中心而言，这个太简陋了。” “学生不是越多越好。重点是，虽然人数少，但是一定要优秀。采用的是少数精锐主义。” 优秀？站在不认为自己是其中一元的立场，我有很多事想提出反驳，但是“中立”又继续说到。 “再说，你们仔细想想吧！这里学生都是十一二岁，但是你们不觉得在这里的学生都是一些有着与年龄不相符的思考方式和说话方式的人吗？” “那倒也是。”“王妃殿下”看着我点点头“之前我就想过同样的事。你们看，阿卫刚到这里时完全不懂英文，可过了半年，他的英文就进步到这种地步，我甚至觉得他的英文比我们都好。” “太高估我了。”姑且不说史黛拉的夸赞了，被像“王妃殿下”这种类型的女孩称赞，我却怎么听都觉得不舒服。“我的英文只是让我在日常生活方面不会感到不方便而已。英文文法的测验只考个位数。” “但是你思路井然的说话方式连当地人都要臣服呢。阿卫是个知性极高的孩子，这绝对错不了。” “没错。”“中立”一副深得我心的样子，激动地说，“不只是阿卫。只有IQ极高的孩子才会被选来这里，这绝对不是一种偶然，一定有什么相对的理由。” 我也不得不承认，大家的说话方式的确都比实际年龄要成熟，但是“中立”竟然厚颜无耻地自以为是，我就觉得有点那个了。连“王妃殿下”也一样，即使被说是高材生也没有一丝羞涩。她只是顶着认真的表情点着头。 “我的说法绝对不是空穴来风。” 即便有人以过度的反应斩钉截铁地说很有可能，我却没办法相信这种连续剧般的戏剧正发生在我身上。 “再说，有国家级的巨大后盾的说法不是我胡说的，我有确实的证据。” 即昨天之后，今天又有证据来？我不知他怎么找出的，不过他倒是个勤快的家伙。我真的深刻地感觉，也许他真的有侦探的素质。“哦？什么样的证据？让我看看。” “嗯，这个嘛——”出乎我意料地，“中立”竟然支支吾吾地。“这次要给看证据有点困难。因为那个房间上了锁。” "which room?" “120号房。” 那是职员宿舍区域最靠近中央大厅一侧的房间。一般称，据说是这个“学校”的唯一一具电话。所谓“据说”是因为我没有亲眼看过电话，但是不只是我没看过。学生们向来就被严格禁止使用电话，也不能进出120号房。 “等一下！”“王妃殿下”很惊讶“霍华德，难不成你进去过？” “中立”笑吟吟地摆着架子说：“只有一次。” “骗人！你怎么进去的？” “只是偶然。以前我看过巴金斯先生从那个房间里出来，要是只是这样也就罢了，偏偏那次他好像很着急，忘了锁门。加上他又没注意到我，所以我突然就产生了好奇心。” “那是当然吧。” “我等巴金斯先生走了之后，就——” “中立”以动作做出他进入的样子，结果“王妃殿下”竟然以她个人的风格而言非常难得一见的充满孩子气的动作又叫又跳。“霍华德，你好厉害！真是大功一件。然后呢？然后呢？” “有机会进去固然是好事，但我也不知道巴金斯先生什么时候回来。”也许听众的反应太好了吧？“中立”得意起来，“而且柯顿太太能四处巡视，我没办法仔细看清楚，不过也够了，实在太惊人了！” “什么太惊人？” “我是说室内的设备。”“中立”的眼神就像做梦一样。“到处都是只有在间谍片或诸如此类的虚构影片当中才能看到的电子仪器。” 听着听着，我不自觉也开始兴奋起来。 “不对，应该说比电影里的还要惊人。跟那种低价建造的廉价品不同，是夏普制作的顶尖的设计呢。” “哦？”“王妃殿下”打心底感到羡慕似的催促道，“我问你，那么那些东西到底是什么？做什么用的机器？” “不知道。总之就是很高科技感的机器，摆满了整个房间。当然我这种人不懂它们的用途和使用方法啦。” “这么说来，说是电话亭，事实上也不是普通的电话吧？” “不，也有像是电话的东西。不过，设计得更帅气。我很想好好操作看看，但又怕有人来，所以匆匆瞥了一眼就跑走了。我好想再进去看一次。但应该很难有机会了。” “也许现在就是机会。” “王妃殿下”淡然道，我不禁吓了一跳，“中立”也瞪大了眼睛。 “因为现在席华德博士他们正在为新生进行入学教育，而柯顿太太开始准备午餐了。现在不是最好的机会吗？” “那得打开锁才行。”也许是被“王妃殿下”的气势所压吧，“中立”表现出畏惧的模样，“可是，我不认为那么容易就有那么幸运的偶然。” “窗户那边呢？也许他们也会忘了上锁。” “怎么可能会有那么好的事？” “你们，没注意到吗？巴金斯先生好像是个非常粗心大意的人，他经常把东西忘在教室里啊。” “啊……经你这么一说……” “有一次他甚至把一个莫名其妙的东西忘在桌上——”不知为什么，说完她就咳了一声，连让我问“莫名其妙的东西”是什么的时间都没有，继续说“总之，刚刚霍华德说120房没锁是因为巴金斯先生太匆忙，但我认为他就常常处在心不在焉的状态下。我想对他来说室内禁烟很难熬，导致他心浮气躁，注意力难免就会变得散漫。” “中立”看向我，“阿卫怎么说，想试试看吗？” “那还用说？”“王妃殿下”以不管我们做何决定都不会改变初衷的气势，朝着门口走去。“听了那么多，怎么可能什么都不做就收兵呢？” “好吧，我知道了。啊，凯特跟阿卫先待在这里，我先去看看。如果太多人同时在走廊上活动反而容易让人起疑。” 说的有道理，我跟“王妃殿下”看着“中立”蹑手蹑脚地走出接待室。只剩我们两个人后，她对我盈盈一笑。这是我头一次看到言行这么孩子气的“王妃殿下”。这也许就是所谓的即将要一起破坏规则的同志连带意识吧？我也难以控制自己的兴奋情绪。我们默不作声地跟着彼此，偷笑了好意阵子。 过了一会，“中立”回来了，却不断摇头，看来锁上了。 “那么我们去看看窗户吧.” “王妃殿下”走在前头，我们悄悄地从接待室溜出来。还好玄关就在前面不远处。 为了避免被柯顿太太撞见，我们弯着身体穿过餐厅的窗户下方，来到120房的窗口。不只是这个房间，职员宿舍区域的窗户都是拉上窗帘的。“王妃殿下”伸出手去，企图打开窗玻璃，但是窗户一动也不动。 “真的不行。偶尔忘了上锁的幸运事情并不总那么容易——” “阿卫。”“王妃殿下”的眼睛盯在窗户上，对我招招手，“你来看看” "what?" 仔细一瞧，窗帘之间的缝隙可以看到一小部分，而造成的冲击非常之大。隐约可以窥见的室内的景象着实就如同“中立”所说，不对，或者应该所和科幻电影的世界一样。室内整齐地排列着许多设计款式前所未见，可能是先进电子仪器之类的设备。 “好、好惊人啊。” “那到底是什么机器啊？” “不知道呀，也许是电脑之类的吧？” 大家小声地兴奋地交谈了一会，但是如果在外头待太久，事情恐怕就不妙了。我们一如来时一样，快速回到接待室。 “——怎么样？”“中立”脸颊泛着红晕，得意地说。“两位都看到了吧？这样就很清楚可以证明我所言不差吧？那样顶级的设备，没有顶级的后盾是弄不来的。喂，凯特？你有在听吗？” “咦？”仍在兴奋地思索的“王妃殿下”回过神来，“啊，我当然在听啦。太惊人了。霍华德，你想正经做事的时候不也有两把刷子吗？” 也许是对她的称赞相当满意吧，“中立”连连点头。却突然打个哈欠“啊，觉得好累哦。都是因为一大早就想那么多事情，又说了那么多话。那，我说两位，怎么样？距离吃中饭还有一段时间，要不要继续实习？” “不了，我不想再来了。” “我也一样。不只是上午这段时间，就一整天的成果而已，我觉得已经够了。” “说的也是。那么我就先告退，我要去睡个觉。” 有道理，真是不错的点子。我也回去小憩一下吧？我心里这么想着，正想跟离开接待室的“中立”后头走人之际，突然被“王妃殿下”抓住手臂。我一头雾水，她对我使了使颜色，充满了某种意味的眼色。 “干嘛？”我问她，但是她也只是把食指抵在自己的嘴唇上，等着“中立”完全消失于宿舍区域那边。 “怎么了，凯特？” “那，坐下来，阿卫。”刚刚的喧闹好像不曾发生过似的，“王妃殿下”恢复了一如往常的悠然态度。“我有话跟你说。”