Chapter 10 8. Another homicide

Must change the original strategy - I deeply feel the necessity of this matter.At first, I thought that it would be enough to stop the couple of Luna sister and Fujitaka brother, and I followed the plan like this, but Mai sister broke out halfway like an ambush.If this doesn't work, then restrain the actions of the first two and sister Wu.However, this time, he once again encountered an unexpected surprise attack by Shi Shifu's brother. Let me summarize all the "repetitions" of "January 2" so far.All the people who were with the grandfather in the attic at the scene of the incident, and their actions can be summarized and speculated as follows:

(1) The first round - it was I who drank with my grandpa, and my grandpa did not suffer any harm in that round. (2) The second round - Luna and Fujitaka.In order to persuade their grandfather to let them inherit the EDGE-UP Group, they visited their grandfather in the attic.According to my conjecture, the motive is probably—one was discussing the issue of heirs with the grandfather, but the negotiation process was not smooth, which made them angry.The murder weapon used was a vase with Phalaenopsis in it, which was a gift from Yuri-san to Aunt Huruno.The body was discovered by Aunt Ye Liuming.

(3) The third round-dancing.After she found out about her sister's relationship with Fujitaka, she planned to temporarily hide in the attic in order to calm down her frenzied emotions.Therefore, meeting her grandfather was also unexpected.The motive is probably - a grandfather said something that didn't think about it, but it angered Wu even more.The murder weapon was the sake bottle that grandpa drank from.I was the one whose body was found. (iv) The fourth round - Shi Shifu.My guess is——Grandpa was looking for someone to drink with him, and he was asked to be a companion by chance, or Shi Shifu saw his grandfather carrying a wine bottle, and maybe he suggested him to accompany him.The finder of the murder weapon and the body is almost the same as (I).

After sorting it out in this way, the situation can be seen at a glance.In order to prevent grandpa from being killed, the method of tying up the previous round of "prisoners" seems to be unworkable.This pattern is evident as new inmates emerge to commit crimes while previous rounds of inmates are stopped.I don't know why.Since the grandfather was not killed in the first round, there is absolutely no reason for the "repeated" occurrence of the grandfather being killed.However, in the following reality, the killing of grandpa has become a pattern, and it continues to happen repeatedly.

According to my inference, the cause of the whole incident is that I have never had a drink with my grandfather since the second round.Rather than saying that this is an obvious thing, it is better to say that such an inference is logical.Therefore, as long as I am the same as the first round, drinking with grandpa and staying by his side all the time (as long as I don't suddenly become a prisoner), the murder will never happen.However, I still haven't changed my mind and don't intend to use this method as a last resort or strategy. What puzzles me the most is that in situations (ii) and (iii), it is possible to deduce their motives for killing people, but in (iv), it is impossible to deduce the motives for the murder of Brother Shifu.Even so, Shi Shifu's brother chose the murder weapon, which was still the same as (ii).What's more, calling Aunt Ye Liuming who was looking for grandpa to discuss the issue of heirs, and telling her grandpa to go in the direction of the main house, and then creating the part of the discoverer, are all exactly the same as (ii).Although I don't quite understand Shi Shifu's brother's motives, why are the crime methods so similar?It's incredible.Undoubtedly, since (ii) has been eliminated due to the "reset", it is impossible for Shi Shifu's brother to refer to the crime methods of sister Luna and the others!This really baffles me.

Could it be that Brother Shi Shifu killed Grandpa according to his own will?This amazing idea popped into my head.Could it be... that he was manipulated by some unknown force beyond human intelligence, so he committed murder? In short, none of the previously used methods will work to prevent the event from happening.I had to wake up to this and have to completely change my strategy.As I waited for the seemingly endless interrogation, as before, I made up my mind to keep this thought firmly in my heart, and greeted midnight.After midnight, January 2nd "resets", time and space enter the fifth round.As in the previous rounds, I woke up in the dark with an unbearable thirst in my throat.The first few times I thought about getting up and going downstairs to the kitchen for a drink of water, only to fall back asleep again.But this round I captured that moment, trying to force myself to get up from the bed.In a half-dream and half-awake state, I struggled desperately, twisted my legs hard, and finally woke up.

The pain in my leg made my consciousness gradually clear, and I tried to get up from the bed.If I'm still asleep and I have the illusion that I'm awake, then things are in trouble.So I pinched my cheek again, and a strong pain followed.very good!I am wide awake.I got up from the bed and moved my hands and feet gently.The hands of the alarm clock were just past three o'clock in the morning. Immediately after turning on the light, I went to the stairs and investigated the treads in my memory.Yes, those are Luna's sister's earrings.It turned out that at this point in time, it had already fallen here.In this way, the time when Sister Luna came to the main house can be narrowed down to the period between eleven o'clock in the evening on January 1st and four hours before three o'clock in the morning on January 2nd.Unfortunately, the scope cannot be narrowed down any further.Since after the "reset" the wake-up time is "set" to 3:00 am, it is impossible to intentionally wake up earlier than that.In any case, the moment my consciousness returned to midnight, I was already doomed to wake up in bed, so there was nothing I could do.

Forget it, being able to shorten the scope to four hours is quite successful.Maybe Luna sister just came here!As for why she came to the main house in the middle of the night, it may be related to the fact that she first learned that her grandfather's will had not yet been written.In any case, this matter has to be investigated. I turned off the lights, let my eyes get used to the darkness, and went downstairs to the kitchen.Of course, there was no one there, so I walked slowly through the corridor towards the main building with the faint light coming in from the window. First look at the living room.At eleven o'clock in the evening on January 1st, I hid in the main house, but the New Year's party continued.That is to say, at three o'clock in the morning on January 2, it is not surprising that some people are still drinking and making noise in the living room.But contrary to my imagination, the living room was pitch black, and there was no sign of anyone.The drawing room next door was equally lonely.

Then I went to the dining room, and there was only a little light on in the kitchen sink, and sure enough, there was no one there, and it was quiet.At this point, my throat felt thirsty, so I drank a glass of water first. What should I do next?This seems to be a dead end.Originally, I thought that the New Year's party held in the living room would continue, and there must be a lot of people drinking, so I was looking forward to getting useful information, such as the scene where Luna's sister directly announced to everyone that her grandfather had not yet written a will.However, it seems that the New Year's Eve will be over long ago.

Aimlessly, I walked up to the second floor slowly.It's already so late, if someone sees it, they may mistakenly think that I have suspicious intentions, so I wander around nearby, and then get reprimanded by the elders.Moreover, I noticed that this is a corner of a female bedroom, and I deliberately didn't approach it.After that, he naturally walked to the grandfather's study room connected to the library. There was light shining through the crack of the study door, it seemed that grandpa was still awake.I stopped in surprise.Could it be that Grandpa is writing a will?At that moment, I held a glimmer of expectation.But after careful consideration, this is not possible.At this time, the time when Luna's sister announced in the living room that Grandpa's will was not completed has long passed.

Nevertheless, I approached the study door and listened intently.Since the door was not closed properly, it opened inward silently along with my weight. I peeked inside, and my grandfather's face was facing down, and he was lying on the desk, which was about the same size as the small pool.Shouldn't he be dead?I can't help but think so.But when I heard my grandpa snoring soundly, I let go of the big stone in my heart.Maybe he accidentally fell asleep while investigating something.Grandpa still had a blanket over his shoulders, probably Mrs. Juzi or Aunt Hurunai covered him after they found him asleep! I instinctively looked at my grandfather's hand, thinking that it must be work-related materials, but in the end, I found something that was not unexpected.That's because in the past "three days", I have always heard the name of this thing, so even if I see this thing, I am not surprised. It was very ordinary colored paper, about the size of a handkerchief, and it was everywhere.There is also a paper crane folded from two pieces of colored paper, a black paper crane. When I first heard the conversation between my grandfather and Aunt Hurunai and Mrs. Juzi, I thought it was impossible, but now it seems that he does have the habit of origami every night.I don't mean to find fault with other people's interests, but from the grandpa I usually know, it can't help but feel extremely out of place. If you look carefully, you can't find the red colored paper.Grandpa insisted on that color, saying that it would not be folded if the red color was missing, but he still finished the work with black colored paper?This made me a little surprised, and when I looked at the desk, I suddenly noticed something.In addition to the lack of red, not every color is available in the scattered colored paper.Instead, there are only three colors: black, blue and yellow.There is not even a single chip of colored paper in other colors.However, everyone has different preferences for colors. Grandpa insisted on only red plus the other three, so that there are only four colors in total, which is not a big deal.It's just that people can't help but have the bad impression that grandpa is a paranoid. Another curious object was placed on the desk.It was handmade from white slatted cardboard, and at first glance, I thought it was a box.It's just the right size to fit a strawberry cake, and it has a round hole the size of the back of your hand, which feels like a slightly larger tissue box.I shook the side with the hole down and there was nothing in it. Another item in my grandfather's hand caught my eye—it was a diary.Grandpa's fingers were on the edge of the diary cover, and I took care not to wake him up, and slowly pulled out the diary.This is this year's diary, and of course it's brand new.I flipped through it quickly and saw what was written on the first few pages. "January 1st—New Year's party. Hisashi Kashi and her son, Ha Ruina and her daughter came to visit. The husbands of the two families were not seen, and everything went well. Tsutsuya and Yuri came to visit as usual. The New Year's dishes are delicious." This is what was written at the beginning.Next is: January 2nd——Hu Liunai and Juzi asked me to drink in moderation, which is really nonsense.Shen Jiang died of cerebral hemorrhage, of course I understand their worries.However, I'm an old man with few days to come, I hope they don't deprive me of my fun.I want to drink to death, this is the joy! " In other words, Grandpa will continue to drink after the New Year's party.Even so, strictly speaking, the dates are indeed different, but he is describing what happened on the same night, but he deliberately changed the date record, which is really careful.This is also a surprising side of Grandpa. I thought the next page was blank, but when I flipped through it, I was shocked to find something written on it. "January 3rd—it hasn't been decided yet. Since everyone has specially moved in, I decided to postpone the writing of the will until four days later. If the store is not open, there is no other way." It seems that this part was written before Grandpa fell asleep, so January 3rd is naturally the wrong date.Even though it was the same night after the New Year's party, but the date was changed to write it in a regular manner, it would be misleading.Maybe it was because Grandpa was already drunk.However, he insisted on separating the dates and continued to write, only to write on the blank page of the next day's date without noticing. At this point, I finally understood how sister Luna was the first to learn about the unfinished will. She must have secretly flipped through this diary.Another possibility is that she happened to see the contents of the diary when she came to the study to discuss with her grandfather about inheritance.Maybe grandpa was not in his seat at the time, or maybe he was asleep like he is now. While this explanation is reasonable, some details are unclear.For example, there is nothing wrong with the decision to delay writing a will until after January 4th.But, why is the reason "because the store is not open, there is no way"?The so-called shop, what kind of shop?Another part that I can't figure out is that in the content of the diary on January 1, it first mentioned "the two husbands were not seen at the same time", and then wrote "everything went well". I don't know what these two sentences mean.What exactly is going well?Could it be that he was involved in the recent affairs of Da Family's family and Zhong Zhijiang's family, that's why he wrote "everything goes well"? Diary... I quietly put the diary with the lock back beside my grandfather. At this moment, a flash of inspiration suddenly appeared in my mind.If grandpa has the habit of keeping a diary, looking through the old diary may yield something.For example, although I deduced that the prisoner in the fourth round was Shi Shifu's brother, I couldn't find his motive for killing grandpa.But maybe it's just that I don't know the inside story, maybe there was a serious dispute between my grandfather and my brother.As long as you read my grandfather's previous diary, you might be able to understand it. I immediately looked for it on the bookshelf, and unexpectedly, I found the previous diary very easily.The diaries of the past ten years have not only been sorted out, but also neatly arranged, all of which are hardcover books with locks.I didn't care what happened, and took out all the diaries, planning to take them away and read them carefully.Of course, it doesn't matter if I break all the locks.After this round is over, those broken locks will be restored automatically, so you don't need to do it yourself.In addition, it doesn't matter if you place it randomly or just leave it alone, anyway, all the diaries will automatically return to the original bookshelf.Wow!The "reset" property of black holes is really handy in this situation.After taking a dozen diaries with me, I went back to the main house.Originally planned to go back to the attic, but changed his mind suddenly.Because after dawn, grandpa will come here to drink.While it's a good idea to stash your journal in the attic, it can become a hassle if you don't have a chance to get it out.Exhaling white breath, I came to the courtyard and headed towards the annex.Hide all diaries behind the closet in the annex, and then return to the main building I plan to hide in a place where I can overhear the conversation in the restaurant before Mrs. Juzi starts preparing the dishes.Although it is not certain whether we will be able to hear useful information, in order to take effective countermeasures, it is necessary to grasp the situation on January 2, even if we only have a little information.The people involved in the murder case will come to the restaurant at least once, so this is the most suitable place to collect information. While thinking over and over like this, it seemed that it was almost six o'clock, but I couldn't find a suitable place to eavesdrop.It will be dawn soon, and just as I didn't know what to do, the sound of slippers came from the direction of the corridor.In desperation, I had to hide in the secret place between the sideboard and the spare table. It is not a good hiding place, but it can only hide temporarily, but if someone sits at the spare table I'm out.Although it is meal time now, everyone's time is different, so this situation will not happen.However, if it is discovered, it will be useless to use any excuses to prevaricate.never mind!Everything will be "reset" anyway, so I guess it's reassuring. The lights came on in the dining room, and I peeped out from behind the sideboard. It was Mrs. House in an apron.It was the day after the New Year's party, and he woke up so early.While I was in awe, she quickly got to work preparing everyone's meals.During this process, Aunt Hu Yunai also came. Of course, she was still wearing a green sportswear and began to help Mrs. Juzi.Soon, after the preparations were finished, they had breakfast first. "Mrs. Juzi..." That was the voice of Aunt Hu Liunai.If I took the liberty to peek, she could see me from where I was, so all I had to do was listen. "how do you feel?" "Are you referring to the adoptive son?" Mrs. Juzi ate very elegantly, she never made a sound before swallowing the food in her mouth, and always delayed for a few seconds before replying. "Miss?" The so-called miss in her mouth, of course, refers to Aunt Hu Liunai.Because Aunt Hu Liunai is still single, she cannot be called Mrs. "Are you serious?" Aunt Hu Liunai asked. "What's up?" "It's the one to be announced this afternoon! What do you think? Do you think my dad is serious?" "According to my thinking... I think, although I can't say that it's completely meaningless, in the end... isn't it postponed again? And the store didn't open." "That's it! If the store is not open, there is no other way." It's the topic of "shop" again. Although I am eager to know the answer to this topic, I am concerned about other information that my aunt said, which is what my grandfather will announce this afternoon.The so-called "thing to be announced" of course refers to the announcement of who is the heir!When I first heard the conversation between sister Luna and brother Fujitaka, I was still confused about this matter.It turned out that my grandfather said that before his death, he would not disclose the content of his will, but he had already made a change.Inferred, it was probably the conclusion reached when everyone continued to drink after I hid in the attic of the main house on the night of January 1st. "Please tell me the truth, who do you think is the best adopted son for me?" "Does Miss mean what's best for you, or what's best for the master?" "Actually, Dad thinks that it doesn't matter! It doesn't matter who inherits it. In any case, it doesn't matter if the company expands to its current size with free money. Even if the company fails because of the incompetence of the second generation. Doesn't it matter? You don't think he wants the heir to take down the company instead of him, and let everything return to zero." "Then follow the lady's wishes! As I said before, why didn't the lady choose the candidate according to her own wishes?" "I can't make a decision! If I choose someone who is a better adoptive son, in terms of the company's management, it will definitely be a less reliable successor. If I choose someone with good ability as my adopted son, I don't know what will happen. How. Because of this, I can only entrust my father to make the final decision." "Which one is the candidate in your mind? If you don't mind telling me——" "If you are talking about the company's successor, it must be Ms. Youli. Although she is a woman, she is the most trustworthy. However, looking at it the other way around, because she is too capable, if she is her adopted daughter, she cannot To be deeply emotionally invested in her is not good." "A person with good abilities, how about Mr. Tsutsuya?" "That person is not good! He has indeed made no mistakes and is quite intelligent, but it feels like he will be the weakest one when facing strong winds and waves. Like that The type who can't get things done without someone's guidance, and even acts like a baby to her mother. Although this is just my intuition." "Oedipus complex? It's really disturbing!" "That may be my personal prejudice. Also, he likes Luna!" "Is there such a thing?" "It seems so. He has a bad eye for women." "Then who is more suitable as an adopted son or adopted daughter?" "Probably Wu. For some reason, as long as I see that child, I will think of me in the past. She is a person who hides in the shadow of her sister and cannot be free. Of course, Wu also has many shortcomings, but she is the most capable person. The person I want to adopt as my adopted daughter." "If you don't mind whether the successor has the ability to take over, why don't you accept Miss Wu as your adopted daughter!" "That's not okay! For Dad, it doesn't matter who inherits, but it's definitely not the case for me. For now, EDGE-UP is the whole of my life!" "That's it...that's going to be tricky!" "So I have to leave it to my father to judge! But..." The sound of setting the tableware and the sound of sighs intersected each other. "I didn't expect him to do this... actually use that method." "That's because the master likes to gamble!" "Even if you gamble, you should have some measure, don't you? You use that method. Even if you want to gamble, there should be other ways! Why do you use that method... I really don't understand. He will really take it seriously." Decided?" "What's that sentence called? It's that sentence!" "what?" "Rejuvenate! Isn't there such a saying? So-" A sudden "Good morning!" interrupted Mrs. Juzi's words. Although I couldn't see the speaker, I could tell it was Miss Youli. "Chairman, I'm so sorry! I've already bothered you at your house, and I overslept brazenly." "What are you talking about! It's only seven o'clock! Only Juzi and I get up! You can go to bed later." Although I know that there is no irony in Aunt Hu Liunai's words, but to Ms. Youli, when she comes to the chairman's house, she is a guest.There was a hint of shame in her voice for not being able to help with breakfast. After Aunt Hu Runai and Mrs. Juzi left the dining room after breakfast, Ms. Yuri began to eat breakfast quietly. "Morning!" Judging by the voice, it was Tsutsuya-san who came in to say hello. "You got up really early." "No, the chairman and Mrs. Juzi have already finished breakfast." "Well, then... what about the president?" "I haven't seen it yet." "Probably still sleeping! That's okay, if the secretary wakes up later than the president and eats slowly, wouldn't that be a joke? Ah! No, I didn't mean to ridicule you!" "Don't worry about me." "Can I have breakfast together?" I've never heard Tsutsuya-san's tone so relaxed and intimate.Could it be that because the other party is Miss Youli, he is much more relaxed than usual?If this is the case, then his scheming is just like this!When I heard Aunt Hurunai's negative evaluation of him, I was quite surprised, but now I can fully understand it. "Did you know?" Mr. Tsutsuya's tone became more oily, his mouth was stuffed with food, and his voice was indistinct. "The president hasn't written a will yet!" "Really?" I don't know if it's my illusion, but the closer Mr. Tsujiya's tone is, the more serious Ms. Yuri will be. "I didn't know about it." "You don't seem to be interested!" "Because it has nothing to do with me." "It's a big relationship, isn't it? After all, they are all candidates for the adopted son of the chairman!" "One day, I will officially resign. I have already planned to ask the chairman." "It will be too late at that time! The chairman has confirmed everyone's wishes! If you want to refuse, you should refuse at that time. " "I'm already reflecting on my recklessness." "I don't think it's necessary to think so much. Anyway, it's not a big deal. If you're not named, it's just maintaining the status quo. If you're really named, then treat it as extra money!" Miss Youli didn't say a word. "I've been meaning to say that before. Don't you think our relationship should be better?" "What's the meaning?" "Does it need to be said? We both shoulder the future of EDGE-UP Group! Shouldn't we cooperate more closely?" "I never wanted to shoulder the future of the company. I just wanted to work hard to do what I was entrusted to do well." "Oh, it seems to make you angry." He said with a dry smile.Perhaps from the tone of Ms. Yuli's tone, I know that she is completely unmoved, so I am a little anxious! "I regard you as an important partner!" "what?" "You are very capable, and you are an indispensable talent for the company. Isn't it? Besides, although it has not been officially decided, I think it is very likely that I will be in charge of the company in the future. Of course, there are still many things that I can't do. So I need partners, and not just business partners, both professionally and personally." "what does that mean?" "That is to say, after I am named as the adopted son of the chairman, I will marry you as my wife, and then the two will work together to work hard at work and family." Mr. Tsuchiya means that if he is chosen as the heir, he will marry Miss Yuri as his wife.But on the contrary, if Ms. Youli is selected, let me be her husband-what he wants to say should be a "countermeasure for losing the election"!Even I, who has always been dull, guessed it, and Yuri-san should also interpret it ironically. "What if Mr. Tsutsuya and I are not chosen? Ah, ah! By the way, if Miss Luna is chosen, you will marry her!" "I wish you could listen sincerely to what people say! Did I ever say that?" Tsutsuya-san's voice gradually became serious, but Yuri-san's voice became more relaxed. "Although I didn't tell you clearly, Mr. Tsutsuya, I already have someone I like." Even though I couldn't see the expression on Mr. Tsutsuya's face, I could feel his enthusiasm from the atmosphere of the scene. receive a blow.However, it would be better to say that I was even more shocked. "I intend to marry that man." "It's useless for you to lie. I've never heard that you have a boyfriend." If I don't know, it's all lies—this kind of inference is really sharp! "Let me declare in advance, I'm not saying that you don't have the hard work as a woman! If you misunderstand, you will be in trouble. It's just that you are so focused on your work that you don't have time to hang out with men. I think my judgment can't be wrong , in fact, you don’t have any close boyfriends at all, this is just your excuse. It can’t be true.” "It's true that the relationship is not deep, but I have always liked that person. As a result, a while ago, to my surprise, he wanted me to think seriously about the future. Although I haven't answered him directly, I have accepted it. His plan." "So... this, is this true?" Mr. Tsutsuya's voice trembled slightly.His proposal may not be just a "lost election" strategy, maybe he really likes Yuri-san. "The kind of stranger who can't figure out the details, I advise you to give up early. You are not the type of woman who would rather be ordinary and get married. Please stop saying such things and reconsider!" "Whether you want to say that I am conservative or can't keep up with fashion, it is my dream to get married in an ordinary way, to be an ordinary housewife and mother. I don't have any attachment to work, please don't interfere with me. I want to leave first gone." "You will definitely regret it!" Mr. Tsutsuya's tone was not so much reluctance, but rather telling himself the sentence "she will definitely regret it". "I will definitely inherit the EDGE-UP Group. Really, other people besides me don't have that qualification at all, and the president knows it very well, so it's better for you to reconsider. Hey! I'm calling you!" After Yuri-san left, I poked my head out and took a sneak peek.Tsutsuya-san stared blankly at the sky with an expression of no appetite.He must be too confident, which caused him to be hit so hard after being rejected.But in a flash, he seemed to have re-drawn his strategy——since Ms. Yuli couldn't do it, there was Luna.He ate his breakfast, whistled, and came back to life again. I haven't come back to life yet, but I've lost my love like a fake.Because the blow was too great, I suddenly felt that the incident of grandpa's killing seemed to be indifferent.Yuri-san is such an imaginative woman.Although there is no basis at all, I arrogantly thought that I was the only one who understood Yuri-san's charm.In fact, looking back, the world is very big, and there will be other men who notice her charm and want to date her, and they should do so in an adult way.ah-ah- In the first round, the incident where I confessed my feelings to Ms. Yuri has been completely "reset".In order to prevent my grandfather from being killed as a priority, I had no choice but to give up letting that happen again.Having said that, in fact, I also think that it is fortunate that the "repeated" phenomenon of the black hole did not happen rashly at that time, and I am also glad that the incident can be buried in the dark for a long time because of the "reset".If she remembers me expressing my heart to her, she might think to herself, "You little brat...you're just a dead high school student, and you just want to say that kind of stupid thing because you are the grandson of the chairman and the chairman of the board." My nephew, so I can’t embarrass you face to face. In order to cover up the past beautifully, I have to spend a lot of effort...” As I thought about it over and over again, I felt so ashamed that I couldn’t bear it, and I wanted to roll on the ground in pain.It would be nice to be able to "reset" time. After Tsutsuya-san left, I crawled out from behind the sideboard.The shock of breaking up my relationship has weakened my endurance, even if I maintain the same posture, I find it very hard.Besides, I kept eavesdropping on the diners all the time, and I felt extremely hungry. "Oops!" After I climbed out, I stretched, just as my sister Luna walked in. "Morning! Little Q. Are you okay?" "Huh? Ah, it's okay, I'm fine. I'm really sorry to make you worry." "You drank a lot yesterday, do you want breakfast now?" "um, yes." "Well, let's eat together! I just met Xiao... No, it's Brother Fujitaka. I asked him to eat with him, but it seems that Brother doesn't eat breakfast, right?" "Yeah!" Elder sister Luna, who is half-living with Brother Fujitaka, must be very clear about his eating habits.But she has to express this matter with the feeling of knowing for the first time, or chatting, should I say it is too deliberate, or is it sympathetic? "Then, brother wants you to go to the annex later, right?" "Huh?" Because of the excessive shock, sister Luna sprayed out the miso soup she had just contained in her mouth, and continued to cough hoarsely like a man.Could that sexy and hoarse voice be the voice that she would become more coquettish after she became a mature woman in the future?I even thought about it. "Why, why you... No, no, what did you just say?" "I was near the stairs just now..." Probably because Yuri-san gave me such a shock of broken love, I lied casually without caring, and even I was taken aback. "So, I heard something." "You, your ears... your hearing is really good, really good!" We were obviously talking softly—the expression on her face seemed to say so, and she stared at me.Could it be that sentence... If it was said in sister Luna's or brother Fujitaka's room instead of in the corridor, then no matter how good her hearing is, she would never be able to hear it on the stairs, so she felt uncomfortable. The solution is also reasonable. "That, Xiao Q...he just said, the sentence telling me to go to the other building didn't...that, uh..." "Do you have something to discuss? About the heir." "You..." Her eyes became as if she saw a monster, "You really know it!" "Then... it's because... the urgent matter that must be discussed between the cousins ​​as soon as possible, and this is the only thing left!" "Yes, yes!" She, who was supposed to be pestering me for questioning, showed a reassuring expression after I gave a reasonable explanation. "That's it! This is the only thing now. Really, every time we get together, this is the topic." "That's right, that's right, I picked it up at that time." I took out the earrings and put them on the dining table. "This should belong to sister Luna, right?" "Ah, yes, it's mine. Where did you find it?" "On the stairs of the main building. By the way, can we discuss it in the annex as well?" "Little Q also wants to...? Huh? Wait, what do you mean by 'we'?" "There are still Shi Shifu and Wu sisters. There are many things to discuss, so this is a good opportunity." "But, but... Xiao Q, um, I understand what you said, and I know very well what it means. But, but, that, the two of us...that... that is to say..." "In short, this is a very important matter. Please convey it to Brother Fujitaka for me." My tone was neither polite nor responsible, and even I was surprised.It turned out that the shock and pain of losing Ms. Yuri did not show signs of diminishing, but intensified instead.However, in this case, it has brought good results.Seeing my appearance, Luna sister knew that there must be something important to discuss, so she nodded incredulously. "Brother Shishifu and sister Mai will be notified by me. Ah, and, about Brother Fujitaka, it's better to keep it a secret for the time being." "What? Huh? What, what... I don't know what you mean? I don't understand." "Be very careful not to let Sister Wu know about it!" "So, that's why I said, I don't understand what you are talking about Xiao Q, I don't understand at all." "If two sisters fall in love with the same man at the same time, you can imagine what kind of tragedy will happen to sister Luna? I think you have to tell Mai sister好一点。在那之后，你们再向爷爷或是其他人说明也不迟。或许这么说报冒昧，但这是我的忠告，请你考虑一下。” “讨、讨厌啦！小Q，你在胡说些什么啊？我听不懂啦！还一副欲哭无泪的脸，好像失恋了一样。” “就在刚才，我失恋了。” “咦？啊，哎、哎呀，是这样啊！”瑠奈姊姊的表情透露出些许怜悯，急急忙忙地站起身来。看样子，我脸上的表情大概让人感到可怜又凄惨。瑠奈姊姊完全不知原因，但似乎察觉到我意图自杀，因此感到惶惶不安，我之后才想到这件事。实际上，她的直觉也还算准确。所以，纵使瑠奈姊姊之后因为过于担心，而将我的精神状态转告给妈妈知道，我也不能责怪她。“那么，待会见了喔！” “待会在别馆见吧！别忘了叫富士高哥哥来。” “知、知道了。我明白了，再见罗！” 瑠奈姊姊离开不久，舞姊姊也来到餐厅，随后世史夫哥哥也跟著进来，情况逐一按著“时送”的顺序进行。我告诉他们，待会一起到别馆来，表兄弟姊妹们有紧急事情商讨。也许他们两人也与瑠奈姊姊同样担心我的精神状态，全都不可思议地应允了我。 将所有表兄弟姊妹集合到别馆，当然也是阻止外公被杀的对策之一。瑠奈姊姊和富士高哥哥这对恋人，然后是舞姊姊以及世史夫哥哥，一口气便限制“历任”杀人犯的行动。不过，在杀人事件发生前，限制前任犯人行动的方法，并非根本的解决之道，直到现在，我仍旧如此认为。然而，即使念念不忘要改变策略，却没想出任何妙计。总之，既然想出能牵制所有“犯人”的借口，那不如尝试看看，或许会意外地顺利也说不定。 我决定好好利用从外公书房里拿来的日记。原本我是打算自己看的，但因为日记有十几本，时间可能来不及。倒不如让哥哥们与表姊妹们一起帮忙，在分工合作的状态下，看完所有日记的时间，便可缩短至五分之一。只要日记里出现了重要的记载，再请他们报告即可。而且，由于时间“重设”，到了下一轮，他们全都会忘记自己看过外公的日记。就结果来说，也与我自己偷看无异，这样还真是乐得轻松。 我还真是了不起的智慧型犯人——不自觉地赞叹起自己的聪明才智。在别馆里，我在哥哥们与表姐妹面前，将外公的十几本日记全部拿出来。“从现在开始，请大家先看这些东西，然后再进行讨论。”我这句话一说出口，在场的其他四人全都面露惊愕神情。 “那、那是，喂！Q太郎，”连个性轻浮的世史夫哥哥，也都严肃了起来。“再怎么说，这样不太好吧！很糟糕耶，这可是严重侵害稳私权的行为。” “受到侵害的，应该是我们吧。”我开始玩弄起诡辩的技巧。“爷爷说了一堆尊重个人意愿的场面话，但实际上真是如此吗？假如尊重我们的意愿，不是应该在与我们商讨之后，再进一步决定继承人吗？让自认有能力的自愿者直接去向外公报告，然后在商谈后、由他做出评价，再选出最后入选，这么做才是最合理的，不是吗？可是，在实际上，不论是本身没有意愿，或是不具能力的人，外公似乎不顾对方的意思，都坚持要他参与竞争。虽说是竞争，但究竟要竞争些什么，感觉上好像很清楚，却又没有具体的评价标准，只是任由爷爷决定。被他选到的人，如果碰巧是有个意愿，又具备能力的人，那倒还好。但如果不是，事情又会变得怎样？被选出来的那个人，不就得被迫背负超出能力的重担吗？相反地，明明有意愿又有能力，却没有被选到，不就得步上无可奈何的人生吗？我说的一点都没错吧？爷爷这样子真的是尊重我们的意愿吗？” “不，我说你啊，就算你说的再有道理，偷看别人的日记还是不对的行为。” “不是有句成语说，知己知彼，百战百胜吗？” “那、那是什么意思啊？”对于典故和谚语之类的东西，原本就不是世史夫哥哥擅长的，他板着脸说：“干么突然说出考验别人学问的鬼话啊！” “只要对自己与敌人的状况都了若指掌……”舞姊姊一板一眼地解释着。 “不管打几次仗都不会落败。就是这样的意思。” “这是一场战争。”我趁机利用舞姊姊的阴郁气息，严肃地说道：“我们的人权被蹂躏了，不是吗？对于这种蛮不讲理的霸道行为，绝对不能默默接受。至于该怎么做才好，我想，也只能让外公收回原本的做法，继承人不能任由他依自己心情好坏来做决定，而是要让真正有意愿和才能的人，去做一场公平的竞争——得让他以这个方式决定才行。”' “可是该怎么做呢？毕竟爷爷那个老顽固，已经下决心那么做了啦！” “所以我才说，要先摸清敌人的底细啊！从这些日记里，或许可以取得重要情报。搞不好在有了重要情报后，可以用来当成与外公谈判时的王牌。” “你在说什么啊？喂！”世史夫哥哥嘴角微扬，意思不明地冷笑着，像是不知该觉得有趣才好，还是该吓得浑身发颤。“当成谈判使用的王牌？那是什么意思啊？” “要现状况而定。这也没办法，因为我们与自己家人的未来，简直像是被爷爷绑架了一样！” “眼前这些东西，都是上锁的吧！”富士高哥哥手里拿著日记本，哺哺自语地说著，他的外表看似镇静，内心却是大大动摇了。他似乎正算计著，不论如何，能掌握外公的弱点，是再好不过的事。“如果要看，那要怎么打开？你手上也有钥匙吗？” “直接弄坏它罗！用这个。” 我拿出预先准备好的螺丝起子，其他人都觉得好笑似地往后退了几步。 “没问题啦，我会负责恢复原状的。看完日记本后，我当然会负责归还，绝对不会让事迹败露。即使真的败露了，也绝不会带给哥哥与姊姊们麻烦，我就跟你们这么约定。不论如何，都请大家相信我。” 众人就这样下定决心。最初是富士高哥哥拿了三本日记本，以螺丝起子撬开锁后，开始默默地看了起来。随后，世史夫哥哥也随着动手了，大概是不想输给富士高哥哥，他一次就拿走五本。最后，连举棋不定的瑠奈姊姊与舞姊姊，也各自拿走了三本，看来是下定了决心。我也不愿认输地取走了四本。 别馆里弥漫着异常寂静的亢奋气氛。对在场的所有人来说，继承人问题竟是如此深切的烦恼。我在窗边端坐下来，开始翻起十几年前的日记。那个年代，正是外公与胡留乃阿姨开设的无国籍西餐厅急速成长的时候。因当时业务繁忙，日记的内容大多空白，即使有写，顶多也只有几行，读起来相当轻松。书写的内容，也多是当天店里卖得最好的料理之类，以不值一提的记事居多。 当我继续翻页时，眼角余光瞥见了一个人影正在移动。从窗户的方向看过去，发现是经过走廊的外公。他提著清酒酒瓶，喜不自胜地朝着主屋方向前去。他当然是独自一人。很好、很好，世史夫哥哥也和我在这里，在这一轮里，绝对不可能发生杀人事件。此时我如此坚信著。 “老哥！”世史夫哥哥翻著日记本，提出了疑问。“河添是谁啊？总觉得在哪听过？” “河添？”原本埋首看着日记本的富士高哥哥，像是突然想到什么，抬起头说：“河添的名字叫什么？” “好像没写——啊！有，等等，嗯……是河添昭太。” “就是那个了，那是老爸公司董事长的名字。是同名同姓吗？还是同一个人？”“是那个人没错。你看！这里连公司的名称都出现了！” “这么说来……外公也认识河添董事长罗？我完全不知道呢！完全没听说过这件事。” “咦？姊姊。”瑠奈姊姊也露出疑惑的神情，缓缓抬起头。'“你听过钓井这个名字吗？” “钓井？对了，这么说来……”舞姊姊难得被自己的妹妹询问，积极地探头看瑠奈姊姊手边的日记。“钓并，钓井……好像在哪里听过呢！” “嗯，就是这样啊，可是怎么也想不起来。嗯，这里写著钓并真由。是个女的。嗯，她是谁啊？” “啊！”舞姊姊忽然大吼一声，让世史夫哥哥连手里的日记本部掉了下去。“留、瑠奈！” “怎，怎么了，姊姊？” “那、那是……”她从瑠奈姊姊手里将日记本抢了过去。“钓井、钓并真由。这、这个人不就是那个、那个啊！爸爸那个，爸爸之前出手酿成大问题的那个女学生的名字……” “啊！啊啊啊啊——”瑠奈姊姊哀嚎，尾音如男性呐喊般拉长。“对、对！没错！姊姊，确实是那个学生。没有错！那个女孩，这里写的是那个女孩啊！可是、可是……” “为什么，为、为什么她的名字会出现在日记本上？那个女孩的名字。为什么？为什么？” 我们几个兄弟也探头过去看看瑠奈姊姊手上的日记。在日记上，外公那熟悉的笔迹写著“与钓并真由意见一致”。我们慌慌张张地分头调查，在其他的日记本里，是否有相同的名字出现。 结果，虽然没有找到相同的名字，却发现在前年的日记本里，似乎有著与那女孩相关的记述。以下为主要内容： “如果是个能用钱解决的女孩，现在要多少都可以。但却有了出乎意料的事。” “从那边得来的情报，据说有个女孩想要有休学的借口。因此决定试探着看。” “她暗示要一百万圆。因此派人传达，说要用分期付款的方式，但她说想要现金一次付清。突然凑一大笔钱，如果被怀疑就麻烦了，因此拒绝了。交涉难以继续。” “她答应一百万分期付款，但是追加了条件，说是想要一份工作。因为自己公司不方便处理，在交涉的时候，顺便委托那边处理。” “名字是钓并真由。她问要着照片吗？她究竟在盘算什么？我拒绝了。” “与钓并真由意见一致。” “正怀疑事情怎么还没爆发，结果就听说流言在学生间传开来了。” "all the best." 只有我一个人想起，“一切顺利”这句话，是写在今年一月一日的日记里。“同时不见两家丈夫的身影”的下一句接的就是“一切顺利。”——如此说来，莫非 “老哥。 "Ok?" “你看这个！” 虽然世史夫哥哥喊的是富士高哥哥，不过瑠奈姊姊与舞姊姊，当然还有我，就好似磁铁被吸引般，全都探头朝著世史夫哥哥手边的日记看。日记上写著“河添董事长致来感谢。他说时机、借口都不是问题，现在是裁减理监事等等伤脑筋的时机，正好趁机解决。不需要酬金，只是约好的事情，请图个方便。应允”。 “河添董事长来电联络。增设了徒有其名的部门，以作为裁员之用。如果名单里只放进道也，或许会遭致怀疑，因此想把其他几名也同时放进名单里。” “这指是那件事吗？也就是说……”世史夫哥哥一副不知该吃惊还是愤慨的表情，他用手指弹了一下日记本。“是爷爷在背后耍手段吗？为了让老爸被迫接下属于闹缺的职位……” “与其这么说……”纵使是富士高哥哥，对于日记里写的事实，也觉得其间的利害关系不易衡量。“最终目的……是想要让他被公司解雇吧？” “我爸也是这样吧！”和态度犹豫不决的男性阵营相比，瑠奈姊姊则显然地被激怒了。“简单地说，这表示是爷爷雇用那个叫钓井的女孩，叫她去陷害爸爸的吧！让她去诱惑爸爸，然后发生关系，再传播流言，最后，爸爸就被学校方面解雇。日记里写的就是所有事情的策画过程吧！” “也可以这么……”富士高哥哥慎重的口吻并未改变。“这么理解。” “不是可以这么理解而且，这是铁一般的事实。”因为未得到恋人的强烈认同而大感意外的瑠奈姊姊，无意中像是在责骂丈夫似地，对著富士高哥哥咆哮。“没有其他可能性了不是吗？” “可是啊……”世史夫哥哥不知所措地把玩著坏掉的锁头。“即使事情真是这样，爷爷做出这种事，对自己到底有什么好处？” “这还用说吗？”舞姊姊看似平静，但明眼人都看得出来，相较于妹妹，她的恼怒有过之而无不及。“为了让继承人争夺战变得更加有趣啊！一旦丈夫失魂落魄地失业了，我们的妈妈，以及加实寿阿姨，就不得不拼命地将自己的孩子们推销出去。让她们死命地奉承自己，陷入疯狂的丑态，这也是爷爷的乐趣啊！” “爷爷的乐趣真有那么低级啊！”世史夫哥哥虽然这么嘟嚷著，却完全无法否决舞姊姊的说法。脸上的神情，反倒像是支持她的说法是唯一可能的解释。 我不知该说些什么。我原本没有期待日记里面会出现什么有趣的事。但是，老实说我连想都没想过，居然会有这么大的爆点。外公对我们的家人，难道真的设下什么阴谋吗？ 难不成……我的脑海里忽然浮现奇怪的想法，难道说这或许就是动机。即使不是直接的动机，但或许这与外公之所以被杀有关。直到目前为止，我始终认为，外公究竟遭到谁的怨恨，这件事依然不明确。但万一这些阴谋被亲戚里的某个人知道了—— 但我的思路在这里暂时停住了。原本就已经处于惊愕状态的我，却又目击到窗外走过一个无法置信的人，让我的脑袋霎时一片空白。穿过走廊的人影是…… 那是妈妈、妈妈从本馆朝着主屋方向走了过去。但是为什么……这真是让我瞠目结舌，我只能痴痴地继续望著窗外的身影。为什么妈妈要到主屋？那种行动并未被排入“时程”里啊！不应该发生这种事的，明明就是绝对不会发生的事。 不知时间过了多久。妈妈朝著本馆的方向走了回去。正如我预料的，不久，妈妈又再度朝着主屋的方向走去，她双手捧著插满了蝴蝶兰的花瓶。 --