Chapter 14 chapter 2

The next day, I was drinking coffee after breakfast when Little Green appeared.She was wearing a light green dress, very pretty. "You can go see Hida Shunsuke. Let's go now." "It's really fast." I hurriedly took a sip of my coffee. "A best-selling author probably has a pretty full schedule." "Oh, never mind." I finished my coffee, stood up, and said, "You look beautiful in this dress." "Really? Thank you." Xiaolu spun gracefully, her skirt fluttering. We hailed a taxi in front of the hotel, and Xiaolu told the driver to go to Pilatus, the arts and sciences district.

"Pilatus (Pilatus, the most mysterious of the many mountains in Switzerland, located 15 kilometers southwest of Lucerne.)?" "Shunsuke Hida's residence." "His house... isn't an apartment?" "It's his house." "Oh, it's amazing to have a name for my family." "It's a residential area. Pilatus is not enough to live in his family, and several of his disciples, future writers. For those people, it is equivalent to an apartment." "It's really rich to be able to support disciples." "A best-selling author."

"Yeah." I'm not happy to hear the word "bestselling author." In the middle of a winding ramp, we got out of the car.The surrounding area is full of large and small houses, forming a labyrinth.These houses are all brick and stone structures, none of them are traditional Japanese houses like I used to know.However, I have gradually gotten used to this twisted world.This place, that's it. Pilatus is at the junction of the main road and a side road.Because of its apartment-like name, I originally thought it was taller, but I didn't expect it to be just a two-story building surrounded by stone walls.

Through the closed iron fence door, you can see the atrium directly opposite.Surrounding the atrium is a zigzag-shaped corridor, and behind it are rooms.Although the scale is smaller, but in terms of structure, it is very similar to a city university.Perhaps this is the traditional architectural pattern of the small town. There is a call device on the doorpost, and I reached out and pressed it.Soon, a very unhappy answer came from inside, like the voice of a young man.I announced my name and identity into the microphone. Soon, a young man appeared through the gate.He is tall and thin, wearing a pair of high-prescription glasses, and his complexion is not very good.The sweater hangs empty on the thin shoulders, just like the repeat students who failed the exam.

He watched us warily. "Is this the only one you use?" "Yes." I looked back at Xiaolu and replied. The thin young man took out a bunch of keys and opened the lock on the side of the door.After we went in, the young man locked the door again. "Is the door always locked?" I asked. "It's basically like this. Some people want to visit, and they always barge in casually and without saying hello." "Being a celebrity is hard work." "Celebrities are my teachers." "Are you his disciple?" "My name is Qingye." He bowed slightly and led us forward.

The stairs are in the center of the corridor.We went up to the second floor, where there is also a corridor, and on one side are rooms side by side. "This house is really big, what is the layout of the rooms?" "There are eight rooms on the second floor for teachers and family members. Our disciples' rooms are on the first floor. There are four rooms in total, but there are currently only three people, and there is one vacant room. In addition, there are bookstores and a common kitchen on the first floor. Teacher All rooms have kitchens.” You are just sojourning disciples, so there is nothing wrong with sharing a kitchen—I muttered to myself.

"It's so quiet. Are you all in your own room?" Xiaolu asked in a low voice. "The madam and the young ladies have traveled abroad." Qing Ye replied. "Oops." I sighed.This family seems to have endless money. We walked along the corridor for about half a circle, and Aono stopped at the door of a room, and raised his hand to knock on the door.A deep voice came from the room: "Please come in." Aono pushed the door open and went in. "Mr. Tianxiayi is here." "Ask him to come in." Another deep voice sounded. We followed Aono into the room.The light in the room was dim, and only two figures could be seen.One sat in an easy chair, the other stood in front of him.

"Wait there a moment, please," said the man in the easy chair. He is probably Hida Shunsuke.Long hair shawl, beard, still wearing tinted glasses in such a dim environment, making it difficult to judge age.In addition, he was wearing a suit that was so fat that it looked like a black overalls, so he couldn't judge his figure. When he said there, he seemed to be referring to the long bench at the entrance.A bookshelf stands by the wall, and on it are works published by Shunsuke Hida.When the editors came to pick up the manuscript, they were all waiting here, I thought so in my heart.There is a door next to Hada Shunsuke's seat, which is probably where he works.

"Really, how many times have people said it." It was still Shunsuke Hida's deep but slightly harsh voice.This sentence should be said to the young man standing opposite.This young man is different from Aono, he is short and a bit fat, and his back looks round, which should not be just because of depression. "Your novels," Shunsuke Hida threw a pile of paper at the young man's feet, which should be manuscripts, "the characters have no flesh and blood at all, and the strength of the description is far from enough. It is very artificial. This kind of thing cannot be called a novel. , can’t even be called a story. It can only be called a list of words, a list of words without any meaning!”

"But teacher, didn't you say that you can write whatever you want?" the fat young man retorted in a low voice. "I mean, if you can write what people call a novel, you can write anything. But, what you write is not a novel at all. The psychology of the characters is incomprehensible, and their actions are incomprehensible. .The setting of the whole novel is unrealistic, and the existence of authenticity cannot be felt at all. How can it resonate with readers? To be honest, such a novel is painful to read once, and I wanted to throw it away several times.” The fat young man was silent, his back trembling slightly.The little green next to me seemed to be unable to bear to listen any longer, and lowered her head.

"Ah, you can't want something like this anyway. You can either rewrite it or pack up and leave. You decide for yourself. But, after you get out, please give up the idea of ​​being a writer. If you still write something, it will only tarnish my reputation." "I rewrite!" the youth shouted. "Really? I think it's better for you to go back to your hometown quickly. However, if you want to stay and continue to work hard, it's up to you. But, if you show me this kind of rubbish work next time, I will let you go Here!" Huo Tian said, and kicked the manuscript he had thrown on the ground just now. The fat young man bent down clumsily and picked up the manuscript at his feet.From where I could see the muscles in his face twitching, it was poignant. "After picking it up, tidy up the library for me." Huo Tian said indifferently, "I have listed the materials I need for my next work in a note before. You can organize them according to the above list. Finished in two hours." "Two hours..." The fat young man seemed a little surprised. "Yes, it won't be finished, right? I told you about this a long time ago. Listen, two hours, I'm going to start work in two hours." "……understood." "By the way, Aono," Shunsuke Hida said again, "Didn't you say you were alone?" "Ah? Ah, that being said..." Qingye glanced at us and said, "The other one is the mayor's daughter, so it's okay..." "No matter who it is, I can't violate my principles. During the interview, there can only be one person on the other side. Otherwise, all of them will be rejected." It seems that I brought Xiaolu here, which made him very dissatisfied.Moreover, he seemed so proud that he even said that the mayor's daughter was in the way. "Ah, then... I'll take my leave first." Xiaolu couldn't bear it anymore, and said, "Anyway, I can't help much." An embarrassing silence enveloped the room.Qing Ye and the fat young man didn't seem to dare to talk, they just stood silently.I wanted to help Xiaolu very much, but I didn't dare to speak out when I thought that this would annoy Hada Shunsuke. At this time, Shunsuke Hida seemed to be a completely different person, and said to Xiaolu in a very gentle tone: "Miss, do you like books?" Suddenly hearing such a question, Xiaolu was taken aback, and immediately replied with a smile: "I like it very much. Not only do I like reading, even looking at the cover, I am very happy." "Then can you help him?" He said, pointing to the fat young man. "Ah, it's not a big job. It's just finding out the qualified ones from many books and putting them together." "I am willing to help." Xiaolu replied energetically. The novelist seemed satisfied when he heard the words, nodded, then turned to the fat young man, and said, "Let her help you, don't let her carry heavy things." Xiaolu and the fat youth walked out of the room together. "Serve tea to Mister Tenkaichi." Shunsuke Hida said. "Yes." Ao Ye stood up and went to boil water in the small kitchen located in the corner of the room. "Then," Huo Tian turned his gaze to me, no, to be precise, he turned his colored glasses to me, "what do you want to do, sir? I heard from the mayor on the phone that it is about the memorial hall." "Yes, but before that I have a question." "what?" "About Yuichiro Mizushima." "Ah." Huo Tian looked up at the ceiling and shook his head slowly, "I heard that, and I was shocked. Life is really illusory. It can be said that reality is more fantastic than fiction. By the way, I heard that you were there at the time. I I heard from the mayor that you handled this incident perfectly. It's not easy." "It's all luck. Let's not talk about this..." I looked directly at the other party and said, "I heard that the day before Mizushima was killed, you met him and went to his room on purpose." The moment he heard the question, Hida Shunsuke had a trace of uneasiness on his face.This scene did not escape my eyes.Sure enough, he answered very unnaturally. "It's... right. Ah, I have a lot of things recently and I am very busy. I really forget things like where and who to meet." "But it's only been a few days." "My principle is to forget what should be forgotten, no matter how many days it is." Hida eased his nervousness, and then said, "I remembered. Indeed, I met Mr. Mizushima. It's about preservation We met on the matter of the committee." "But according to the mayor, there's nothing for the two of you to meet alone." A smile appeared on Hida's face. "Mr. Hino thinks he is our leader, but we don't take orders from others, but make our own decisions." "I want to hear your thoughts." "Excuse me, I can't say that. Just say it so casually, I can't be in the Memorial Museum Preservation Committee. Hey, isn't the tea ready yet?" He looked at Ao Ye in the kitchen and urged. "It will be fine soon." Aono came to me with a teacup on a tray.The scent of tea with mint flavor lingers in the room.I said "thank you" and reached for the glass. "Have you ever heard of the term murder in a secret room?" I asked after taking a sip of mint tea, looking up at the fire field. Huo Tian repeated, shaking his head. "I don't know, I haven't heard of it at all. What do you mean?" "The murder occurred in a room that was impossible to enter and exit. There were corpses in the room, but it is not known how the murderer escaped." "Magic." "Oh, so to speak. You really haven't heard of it?" "No. What's the matter?" Huo Tian took a sip of tea and said to Qing Ye with a calm face, "Why is it so bitter?" Aono said "I'm sorry", held the saucer, and lowered his head. I coughed and got Huo Tian's attention back. "Yuichiro Mizushima knew of one of the magic tricks that the killer used to kill him. I wondered who told Mizushima about the magic. So I checked his calendar and found out that you name." "You mean I told you? Sorry, no. I'm not interested in magic." I wanted to ask what he and Yuichiro Mizushima talked about, but I gave up.It was futile to ask, he would only go around in circles. I took another sip of the mint tea. "Why did you join the Preservation Committee?" "Ah, first, out of curiosity. This is the characteristic of our profession, or it can be said to be instinct. It is purely to know who the ancestor of this small town is." "Is it also to prepare the material for the novel?" "Of course, that's been considered." "In what form will it be written?" "I can't just tell you this, it's a business secret." Shunsuke Hida shook his body and smiled. I decided to change the direction of the question. "Your novel is of the social school, is it not?" "That's what everyone says." "I heard that there was also a murder case written?" "When necessary." "Have you ever thought about writing a novel based on the mystery of the murder itself? For example, a novel that infers who killed and how. I call this type of novel a mystery novel." I thought Hida Shunsuke would answer "no", but he seemed a little at a loss, turned his gaze to Aono, then looked into the distance in a panic, and asked, "Why are you asking this?" "Because there are no such novels in this small town, and there are no such novels anywhere, so no matter how you think about it, it is a bit abnormal. Therefore, I would like to ask you as a writer what you think, and what is going on." For some reason, Hida Shunsuke didn't seem to know how to answer.I can't read his mind. Just then, the phone rang inside.Shunsuke Hida gave Aono a wink.Aono opened the door and entered the back room. "This idea is very interesting." Huo Tian looked at me and said, "How did you come up with it? I'm more interested in you instead." Of course I can't say it's because I'm from another world, so I have to keep silent. Aono's voice came from the back room. "Ah, it's Shiraishi, where are you now? Ah, is that right, wait a minute." The door opened, and Aono poked his head out. "It's Baishi calling, saying that he has something to ask the teacher." Huo Tian said "excuse me" to me, and went into the back room.Qing Ye walked out. "Is this Mr. Baishi also a disciple here?" I asked. "Yes. I, Shiraishi, and Akagi just now, a total of three people, all participated in the university's literature club." It seems that the fat young man is called Akagi. "Ah, it's me. How is it? Did you find it?" Huo Tian's voice came, "Can't find it? It's impossible. You can expand the scope of your search." "Baishi went out to search for materials according to the teacher's instructions." Qingye said in a low voice, "It is to prepare for the next original novel." "Why did you come to be Mr. Huotian's disciples?" "Because we all like teacher's novels, and think that he is the most popular writer, with strong abilities, and with his guidance, it is easier to become a writer..." He scratched his scalp and said, from his expression I can feel a little lost. Just as I was drinking mint tea with my head down, Hida called out loudly. "Ah, what do you want to do!" Then there was the sound of something falling, as if something had fallen to the floor. "Teacher!" Qing Ye opened the door. He didn't run in immediately, but stood at the door, yelled, and staggered back. I walked up to Aono and leaned over to check.I was stunned. The scene in front of me was appalling. Towering piles of books fell sideways, forming a hill.Shunsuke Hida was lying on the pile of books, with an arrow stuck in his forehead, blood gushing like a fountain. "teacher!" "Don't touch it." I stopped Aoye. The glass windows were wide open, and the white lace curtains swayed in the wind.I hurried to the window. There is also a corridor outside the window.Through it, it is possible to reach any room on the second floor.I glanced at my feet, and a small crossbow fell to the ground. Judging from the height, it is impossible for the murderer to jump off the corridor.Speculation is speculation, I still took a look in the woods below, the trees are very sparse, if someone is hiding there, they can be seen at a glance.However, there was no one in the woods. The murderer escaped from the corridor outside the window. I climbed through the glass window and came to the corridor outside.Ao Ye seemed to understand my purpose, and said behind me: "I will go too." "You chase from the right, I'll chase from the left." I said and ran to the left. As I ran along the corridor, I checked the windows and glass doors of every room.The rooms are locked.Shunsuke Hida's wife and daughter are all traveling, and the doors and windows should have been locked before departure. After running half a circle around the corridor, I met Aono. "Ah, Mr. Tianxiayi, is there anyone over there?" "No." I didn't ask him back, but just checked the route Ao Ye ran.There was still no sign of anyone, and all the doors and windows were locked.We finally returned to the original point-the door of the room where Shunsuke Hida was killed. I walked through the room and came to the inner corridor. "What's wrong?" A voice came from below.Akagi appeared in the corridor on the first floor. "When did you stand there?" I asked. "Just now. It's noisy up there, come out to see what's going on..." "See anyone passing by here?" "No." Akagi shook his head. At this time, Xiaolu came out from the library behind. "What happened?" I didn't answer, and checked each door along the inner corridor. Suppose one of the windows facing the outer corridor is unlocked, and the murderer escapes into the room from there, turns around and locks the window, and escapes through the room to the inner corridor... There is no way for him to lock the door. However, all the doors facing the inner corridor are locked. "The murderer disappeared..." I scratched my tousled hair and said.