The beginning of a new year.That's what the guy said.Maybe what we are facing is not just the new year on the calendar, but also the end and beginning of a great era. On January 7th, the winter vacation ended and the new semester began. Beside the window, where the soft sunlight shines, are the sleepy faces of the students.After the class bell rang, the classroom was still full of a tired atmosphere, only the sound of the chalk in the teacher's hand scratching the blackboard was lively and disturbing. During recess, I went to the junior high school classroom to take a look.Kyoko's seat was empty.

I asked nearby students and learned that she did not come to school—she has been missing since that day. On that day, we cracked the "Black Challenge" held at the Normanz Hotel and witnessed a weird ending.From that place, the two of us fled hand in hand, trembling. Now that I think about it, it was a mistake for me to separate from her after that.I probably shouldn't have let go of her hand then. She was going home and I didn't stop her because I thought it was the safest place.After sending her home, I went back to my dormitory room. For the next week, I lived every day without any connection to the murder case or the "Black Challenge".

Yet while I was doing my homework, in the shower, and lying in bed, those dead people haunted me, and I couldn't get them out.Probably because my heart has not come out of the incident. For me now, the ordinary and peaceful days are even more unreal and unusual. I once called Wuqie's house to talk to her, but no one answered the phone.Not to mention her, even her grandfather and the servant who she said lived at home didn't answer the phone.I have called numerous times with the same result. I found it suspicious and even went to her house.I pressed the videophone, but there was no response, and the surveillance camera just stared in my direction, motionless.The houses behind the high walls can't see lights, and can't even feel anyone's breath.

Did the fog cut something? After hearing that she wasn't coming to school, I could finally be sure. It was as if Kyoko Kirikiri had disappeared from this world. Maybe it's the Crime Victims Relief Council that's finally getting into action.The leader of this organization, Xinxiandi, seems to have some relationship with his grandfather, who was a detective, and Kyoko was involved in the struggle between them. If she was indeed kidnapped by the organization, then it would be my turn as a detective who was classified as "88" in the Detective Library classification-specialized in kidnapping cases.

I must rescue her. ——Having said that, it is not yet known whether Kirigiri was really kidnapped. I don't think she will fall into the hands of the enemy so easily.The Wukiri family has been engaged in the detective business for generations, and the only daughter of their family has amazing talents, which I know very well. Where did Kyoko Kirikiri go?Finding missing people should also be the job of detectives. In order to follow her footsteps, I decided to go to the detective library, maybe there are some messages or clues left there. The Detective Library holds the intelligence files of about 65,500 detectives. These files are open to the public, and anyone can read them at will.When you want to know information about detectives, you should come here first. This is the most basic principle.

I got off at the stop "in front of the Detective Library" and walked through the old-fashioned door.Go up the historic western-style porch and you will come to the entrance of the detective forest. I've been to this place several times before, and not long ago I just came with Wuqiri.However, if you take a closer look at this detective library now, it is not only full of mystery, but also full of bottomless darkness. Probably because I have already experienced the "Black Challenge" twice, I can't help but feel that behind the detective library is lurking the creepy shadow of the Crime Victims Relief Committee.

On the surface, the Detective Library has expressed its neutral attitude and will not have anything to do with any organization. Is this true? The founder of the Crime Victims Relief Council is said to have been one of the members involved in founding the Detective Library fifteen years ago.Moreover, "Black Challenge" also refers to the DSC level to select the detectives to be summoned.In addition, the detective with the highest-ranked "000" number in the DSC classification seems to be working with Xinxian. With so much evidence of the situation, it's fair to say that it wouldn't be surprising if the Detective Library and the Crime Victims Relief Council were secretly colluding.

And, if this is true, I am now alone in the heart of the enemy. It's okay, it's not scary at all— No wonder. Still, trying not to show my fear, I walked up to the counter with my chest out.But I think I can't hide my bad face. "Do you have a message for me?" I showed the Detective Library registration card to the gray-haired, approaching old age staff.Could he actually be part of a criminal organization too? The staff checked my name on the card and immediately shook their heads. "no." "Then... Please update the card information for me." The staff walked slowly to the computer and inserted my card into the terminal at hand.

"No updated information." "Huh, really?" The staff member nodded silently and returned the card to me. In the last "Black Challenge", I really didn't come in handy, but I still hoped that I might be able to advance to a higher level. It seems that there is no such good thing in reality. I left the counter and walked toward the room where the bookshelves were. Numerous files are placed on neatly arranged bookshelves.It was empty and quiet, except for the sound of my footsteps echoing under the high ceiling.I walked between the bookshelves and came to the number "9" bookshelf.

I found the file of Kyoko Kirikiri and pulled it out from the bookshelf. When I opened it, the content inside was the same as last time, without any changes, and there was no mention of the incident that happened at the Normanzi Hotel. It wasn't Kirikiri who was selected as a detective in the previous incident, so no records were left. No, but the incident at the Sirius Observatory was recorded in the files, and it wasn't Kiriki who was acting as a detective at that time. Could it be that the incident at the Normanz Hotel was not made public, so no records were left?In fact, I didn't see any reports of this incident on TV or in the newspapers.

I suddenly thought of something. I walked to the "900" bookshelf and found the archives of Comet Nanamura.Nanamura is a double-zero detective who was called in during the incident at the Normanz Hotel. His files are filled with his glorious deeds, but there is no page where he ends up.The dead detective should have the year of death written in the profile, but I didn't find any record of this. However, Qicun is dead, this is an undoubted fact.He shot himself through the head, after which his body folded up with the Normans Hotel and disappeared. The new Immortal Emperor folded the handkerchief in front of my eyes, and at the same time, all the scenes in my vision were also folded, which felt like a dream. However, Wuqie immediately told me that this is reality. "Sister Jie, your sight is covered by the handkerchief, so you may not be able to see it, but I can see it clearly with my eyes. The hotel was turned over together with the surrounding ground." "Turn over?" We turned back to the original location of the hotel and found that there was a very small gap between the footing of the hotel wall and the ground.According to her, the entire hotel was originally located on something similar to a thick board, and in the center of the board, there is a rotation axis that runs through the front and back, that is to say, the board rotates like a flipped stage. One hundred and eighty degrees, turned into an open space with nothing, this is the mechanism.In order to hide the eyes and ears, the cracks on the ground were covered with walls. "When the secret room murder happened in the hotel, Sister Jie once doubted whether the wall would be turned over. In fact, it is not the wall that will be turned over, but the entire hotel." The reason why the new Immortal Emperor spread the handkerchief in front of my eyes is to temporarily hide this mechanism, which is a common trick used by magicians and illusionists. "It takes an unimaginably large-scale device to smoothly flip an object of that mass without making a sound. Perhaps the buildings related to the 'Black Challenge' can pass through various The methods disappear from people's sight in an instant, and they are usually hidden, and they will only appear when the game starts." "The surrounding things folded up and disappeared, how do you explain that?" "I think it actually folds up and disappears. Those are basically like set boards or paper models that are ready to be recycled. 'Black Challenge' is essentially a show, so everything including the background It’s a stage set, so there’s nothing surprising about that.” Although Wuqie said so, I still find it unbelievable.Does the Crime Victims Relief Council, which offers all kinds of crimes in all kinds of places, need to install massive installations and set up sets as backgrounds?It feels like no amount of money is enough. Moreover, the problem is not only funds, but also manpower.Setting up and removing the stage requires hands, and the more people involved, the easier it is for secrets to leak out. Even so, the existence of the "Black Challenge" is still unknown...then it can be said that they must be a highly unified organization. How many people are involved with the Crime Victims Relief Council?Maybe several of the people I passed by on the street belonged to them, but I didn't know it. Thinking of this, I felt an indescribable chill hit me. When they left, they were probably showing off their overwhelming financial and organizational power to us.Or is it their execution ability enough to turn unreal nightmares into reality—— If we had investigated in detail at that time, we should have been able to find Qicun's body at least.As long as their bodies are not found, the incident must not be made public. I sighed heavily, and put Qicun's files back on the bookshelf. Of the detectives whose files are on this shelf, there may be several who are affiliated with the Victims of Crime Relief Council. It would be better to say how many serious detectives there are, even the awe-inspiring level 30 detectives are from the enemy. I find everything unbelievable.Even the scene in front of you may be false. The only one I can trust - is Kyoko Kirikiri, but she's gone now.So what do I rely on to tell the truth from the fake? As a result, I couldn't find any clues in the detective library that could point to Kyoko Kirikiri's whereabouts. It was almost closing time, and I hurried to the entrance and exit of the room. Perhaps it was an illusion, but I felt that the surroundings suddenly darkened, and the old-fashioned oil lamp-shaped electric lamp installed on the top of the exit began to emit a dim light. In the dim light, as I walked through the door— A figure suddenly appeared on the opposite side, flew past me, and entered the room. The moment I passed by him, I smelled a sweet fragrance. This kind of fragrance is not a chemically synthesized smell like perfume, but the fragrance of flowers blooming in the morning, which is somewhat familiar and refreshing. The figure turned out to be a boy with bright hair. He was wearing a very adult three-piece suit, his jacket was taken off and draped over his arms, and he was wearing a suit vest, walking forward silently.I saw his face the moment I passed by, and I couldn't help holding my breath. I seem to have seen him somewhere. He's not like someone I remember...but something more general, like an angel in religious paintings, or an elf playing with light in legends.He is a beautiful boy who seems not to belong to this world, he seems to have seen it somewhere, but he can only exist in fantasy—— I looked back at his back.However, his figure has disappeared.There is only a lingering fragrance telling his whereabouts. I felt like I saw a ghost or apparition.Did he also ask the detective? Although I was inexplicably concerned, I left the detective library without delving into it.Compared with the unidentified boy, the whereabouts of Wuqie worries me more. Wuqie didn't come to school the next day either. I asked the class teacher and the nun principal, but there was no response. It seems that the adults have not realized the seriousness of the disappearance of Kyoko Kirikiri. What would I do if the fog cut really just disappeared, would I be able to stand up to the Victims of Crime Relief Committee on my own?Or should I pretend not to know and live my ordinary life knowing that they are secretly planning to move? How could I do such a thing. Knowing that evil exists but turning a blind eye to it is no different from being in the same boat as evil.Before Wuqie comes back, even if there is only one person, I will continue to fight, even if she will never come back... The next day, I headed to the detective library again. This was to reconfirm that there was a message for me, an action that, while hopeless, was not without merit.With such a belief in my heart, I got off the bus at the stop of "Detective Library Front" in the light snow. After pushing open the old door and entering the interior of the building, the exhaled breath is still a cloud of white mist.Probably because of the snow, I feel as if it is colder and quieter here than usual.Judging from the empty umbrella stand at the door, there was probably no one visiting. I asked at the counter if there was a message for me and got nothing. Should I turn to a detective who specializes in finding people?However, if a detective is called like this, it is difficult to say whether he will be the enemy.Or call the police?I don't know if the police are reliable. According to my previous experience, the police are not trustworthy. There is a very lonely feeling.No one can be trusted. It is no exaggeration to say that the world I see now is completely different from what it was a few months ago.Before I got involved with "Black Challenge", my world was very simple, but now, even the shadows of high-rise buildings on the roadside in the sunset, I can't help but feel that there seems to be something deep and deep hidden in it. The bottoming darkness is enough to make people lose their minds. If Kyoko Kirikiri was by my side at this time, how relieved I would be... Sister Wuqie, where have you been? You left me alone— I was walking aimlessly among the bookshelves, and inadvertently saw a figure passing by a few rows of bookshelves. --That is?I felt inexplicably concerned, and chased that figure around the bookshelf. The beautiful boy in a suit and vest that I saw a few days ago was about twenty meters away. It was that sweet scent again. He put his suit jacket over his right hand, and stood facing me as if waiting for me. He seems to be a little shorter than Kirikiri, and his age...is not easy to judge, it can only be said that he is very young, a minor. I caught his eye and he smiled. This smile is as innocent as a boy, and as charming as a girl. Metaphorically speaking, he is the genie of the library. Transparent white skin, long eyelashes, and a slender body.Could it be that he is actually a girl?No, it should be a child whose gender has not yet been differentiated. He is neither a teenager nor a girl. Perhaps his existence is similar to a kind of elf.His slightly longer hair and slightly blue pupils further accentuated his inconceivability. He immediately hid in the shadow of the bookshelf. I chased after his afterimage and quickly walked around behind the bookshelf. The boy stopped tens of meters away, as if he was waiting for me again. Then he disappeared instantly into the shadow of the bookshelf. Is he going to play hide and seek with me? "Wait!" I yelled and chased after him. After turning around the next row of bookshelves - the boy disappeared.And there was a small iron door on the innermost wall at the end of the room. Did he escape through that door?I didn't expect that there would be a door in such a place.It's like the entrance to a fairyland. I approached the door tremblingly, and took hold of the cold doorknob. I gently opened the door.The cold wind blew in immediately, and the snow stained my hair. is outside.The slate path stretches all the way to the outside of the hedge arch, probably the back door. I didn't know there was such an entrance here before. I didn't see the boy.It must have been hidden behind the arch. I came out and walked through the hedge arch through the light snow. In front was a car park, surrounded by tall hedges, big enough for almost two cars.Now there is a long car parked in the parking lot. The black body contrasts sharply with the white snow. The boy was standing next to the car just now, and he opened the car door, as if signaling me to go over. "What's going on...? Do you want me to get in the car?" The boy nodded silently. "Are you kidding me," I said with a guarded stance. "Where are you going to take me? Surely you won't be able to come back?" The teenager didn't answer my question, whether he couldn't speak or didn't understand me, he just opened the car door like a doorman and waited. Who is it, and for what purpose do they want to take me away?It would be too polite to say it was a kidnapping, but it would be too suspicious if it was an invitation to a banquet. Such an obvious trap, I would be a fool if I fell for it. But there was also a reason why I didn't turn around right away. Maybe they used the same method to take away the fog cut Kyoko, if that's the case, then getting into the car is also an option.The destination must be the same, maybe after arriving there, I will be able to see Kirigiri again. "Okay, I'll get in the car." I mustered up the courage to speak in a strong tone. The teenager in a suit and vest smiled, and he held out his hand to invite me into the car.It feels a little subtle that a child younger than me is so polite to me. I took his hand, bent down and sat in the dim car.The car door closed immediately, and the sound of closing the door made me startled, and I almost jumped up. A man sat across from the opposite seat, and his face gradually emerged in the dim light of the headlights. I seem to have seen this person somewhere—— I came back to my senses and almost screamed.In fact, before I could scream, my body was already moving involuntarily, looking for the lever that opened the door. I have to run away! "I won't hurt you," said the gruff male voice. "If I had meant it, you would be dead by now. Do you understand?" I couldn't help shrinking my neck and nodded hurriedly. In the dim car, the face that appeared in front of my eyes - a beard around the mouth, slightly long hair combed back, exuding a wild taste.The passion hidden in his sparkling eyes is impressive; however, at the same time, his complexion looks like it has not been exposed to the sun for a long time, with thin shadows on his cheeks and an unhealthy side. .His attitude is very calm, from which one can feel the calmness of a mature man. "Do you know who I am?" Coughing, he took out the registration card of the detective library from the inner pocket of his black cloak-like coat, and threw it to me. DSC number "000" under the month of Ryuzoji Temple This is the first time I've seen three zeros.This proves that as a detective, he is the best of all fields. He is one of the people standing at the top of the detective library, known as the "Earl of the Easy Chair", Ryuzoji Yuexia. I carefully returned the registration card to Ryuzoji. Ryuzoji took the card with slightly trembling hands. His fingers were thin and dry like dead branches. He coughed again, poured the whiskey into a glass on the coffee table, and took a sip like it was his medicine—and the car moved at the same time. Why does he appear in such a place?Is it to wait for me? While the speed of the car was accelerating, the questions in my mind were also shuttling at an extremely fast speed. In this mobile secret room, Ryuzoji and I sat face to face.The boy was sitting behind the partition just now, probably in the passenger seat.The seat is very soft and comfortable to sit on, which relieved my body stiffened by fear a lot. If it weren't for the current situation, it would have been an extremely honorable thing to meet Yuexia Longzhaosi. Where did fate go wrong? "How old are you?" "...Sixteen years old." "That's a good number. Sixteen moons symbolize confusion and hope—" Ryuzoji's eyes fell on the wine glass in his hand, and he muttered as if talking to himself.Although I don't know what he is talking about, but his magnetic voice sounds very enjoyable to the ears. "You don't seem to know what's going on. Feel free to ask questions and I'll give you answers." "Excuse me, where is this car... going?" "Where the Lamb seeks salvation." "Lamb...?" "They lost their waypoints in the dark, and thousands of them gathered together, chasing the light I brought them." Did he want me to guess riddles? "Could it be...referring to Mr. Ryuzoji's detective agency?" "The answer is correct. My place of work will be arriving soon, and I would like to ask you to come." Among the three 30-level detectives, Ryuzoji is the only one who owns a detective agency and accepts commissions from ordinary customers.It is said that the amount of work he handles every day is astonishing. As far as the number of cases is concerned, some people say that there are one hundred cases, and others say that there are two hundred cases.And all these cases, he was able to solve without leaving his office chair, so people called him "The Earl of the Easy Chair", in comparison with the Easy Chair Detective.As for the count, it seems that it was because his appearance gave such an impression. "Why did you come to me?" "I've seen the 'Black Challenge' you participated in. Although most people think that your incompetence is a highlight, I can't laugh at you. Do you know why?" Ryuzoji seems to be waiting for my answer.I kept silent. I didn't know what to answer and kept silent, so he immediately went on: "Because you are very similar to me before. Not only that, but your sincerity is worthy of respect." What Ryuzoji said was wonderful. I don't think what he said is true, but looks down on me. "……What does it mean?" I said a little unconvinced. "It means it's a pity to lose you like this." "lose?" "Have you ever imagined what it will be like when you are dying? Or have you ever written a suicide note?" "Huh? Huh?" I don't understand what his intention is with this question, I just feel that my head is full of question marks, and the more I think about it, the more terrifying this question becomes. "That... May I ask what this is..." "Sorry, time is up." Ryuzoji suddenly raised a hand to interrupt me, took out his mobile phone from somewhere, and started calling. Before the call was connected, he said to the driver's seat: "Keep at the prescribed speed and never exceed the speed limit." What the hell happened?Then Ryuzoji began to issue orders to the mobile phone. "After 60 seconds, make the light between point A and point C on Line 4 turn red." Next, he took out another mobile phone. "Their purpose is not to hijack the bus to carry out terrorist acts. Their real purpose is to steal the belongings of the passengers. There was an old man with a suitcase in the car, and there was 50 million cash in the box, and there was also a woman. , the bag contained jewelry worth 200 million yen. No, this is not a coincidence, this is also part of the perpetrator's plan. Under the chaos caused by the hijacking of the bus, the passengers will neglect their belongings. I I think the belongings should have been stolen by now, and the suitcases and bags have been swapped. They will hand over the belongings to other accomplices on the road. Their accomplices should drive a convertible car. When driving in this kind of winter, the hood is fully open. Yes. When the bus passed the convertible at the intersection, they would throw their belongings through the window into the convertible, and that was their plan." Based on the content dictated by Ryuzoji, I have a general understanding of the situation.It appears that there is currently a bus hijacking case going on, and Ryuzoji is trying to solve it. "Stop in the middle of the next intersection." Ryuzoji gave instructions to the driver's seat. I looked out the car window.The car was about to reach the intersection soon, but there was a red light ahead, and there were no other vehicles in front of us. "Two seconds...one second...zero." At the moment when the countdown to Ryuzo Temple ended, the traffic lights ahead turned green, and the car drove to the intersection at the same speed. At this moment, there was a convertible car approaching at a rapid speed from the left side of the intersection. Just as Long Zuosi said, although it was snowing lightly, the convertible of this car was fully opened. At the same time, a dedicated bus drove up from the right, and the words SOS were displayed on the electronic screen. They are going to make a mistake here! Both sides seemed to intend to forcefully cross the intersection when the light just turned green. However, the car we were sitting in stopped suddenly at the center of the intersection and blocked the road. Due to its long body, both lanes were blocked. Convertibles and buses approached us from left and right. Continue like this…… "It will hit!" I couldn't help closing my eyes and shrinking into a ball. The sound of sudden braking hurt my eardrums.For a moment I thought I was going to die, and I regretted not writing a suicide note. But the impact never came.I opened my eyes and saw... Both the convertible car and the bus stopped next to the car. The convertible car was near the front left, and the bus was near the rear right. The fronts of the cars almost touched each other. The siren sounded, and the police cars came around.The convertible and the bus turned around and tried to run, but were immediately surrounded by police cars. The mobile team carried out a raid and rescued the hostages safely.It seems that all this can only be seen in movies, but now it is really happening before my eyes. "Okay, so amazing..." Seeing this scene outside the window, I couldn't help murmuring. Unknowingly, he was involved in the incident, and before he knew it, everything was over.Although it is not the first time for an ordinary person like me to be confused by the great detective, Longzouji Moonlight seems to be a little different. When the fighting was mostly over, the officers saluted our way. As if this was a sign of the resolution of the matter, the sedan moved again. "I thought I was going to die..." "Don't worry, no one will die in my case-solving chapter," Long Zuosi said while holding the phone in one hand, coughing desperately. "Ah, I'm sorry, I was talking to someone else. Presumably the murderer transported the entire soil warehouse away on a trailer, opened the warehouse when he got there, and killed the victim inside. After that, the murderer returned to the original warehouse. place……" He's already started solving the mystery of another case.This is the "Earl of Easy Chair" Longzuo Temple under the moon... A genius at parallel thinking and multitasking, he has solved the largest number of cases among the many detectives registered in the Detective Library. "Okay, is there anything else you want to ask me?" As if casting a spell, Long Zuosi didn't know where the phone was received all of a sudden, and said with his fingers crossed on his knees. "Did you take Sister Wuqie away? Where is she now?" "Unfortunately, I don't know where she is. I'm not lying, a person's whereabouts are out of our hands, which would have been impossible, but since no one has found her whereabouts, it means, She used her detective skills to hide herself, so she should think in this direction." "Sister Wuqie hid herself...?" "Did you think of anything? It's impossible to escape from under our noses. You should warn her and let her give up doing this kind of useless work." It appears that the Crime Victims Relief Council is also looking for Wuqie, and she has not yet fallen into their hands.As long as you know this, this trip is not in vain. I would love to go back as soon as possible if possible.I sank into the car seat dejectedly. "Don't worry," Longzhaosi said with a calm smile. "As I said just now, we have no intention of hurting you. We invited you as a princess in a fairy tale, and we will send you away as a princess." "What is your purpose?" "I did it for personal reasons." "personal reasons……?" "Yes, you are here now and have nothing to do with the Victims of Crime Relief Committee, it is entirely because I preempted the action out of my own will." It's getting more and more inexplicable. I was full of doubts. "This is an internal secret... The committee is preparing for the next 'Black Challenge' and plans to select you as a detective." "what……" As shocking as this incident was, I somehow couldn't feel the shock. My mind just couldn't keep up with the sudden turnaround in front of me. "Your challenge book is in my hands. Although it is easy to hand it over to you, I appreciate you very much. As far as I am concerned, I don't want to lose you." The sweet talk made me a little drunk. If possible, I really hope that this sentence comes from someone else. "So I decided to make a bet. Unfortunately, my life has always been far away from gambling, but this time I suddenly wanted to seek answers from fate," Ryuzoji stared at the window of the car where snowflakes were beating , it took a while to turn my gaze back. "Mr. Wuyue Yujie—would you like to play a game with me?" --game? Are you going to be forced to play that boring game with him again? "There are no complicated rules in this game. From now on, I will ask you to make two choices, and you only need to choose the answer you believe in. However, the content of my two questions is the same." "Just choose one option?" "That's understandable. Do you agree?" I confusedly nodded in agreement.It should be an easy game... "Then I asked." Ryuzoji took out a pitch-black envelope from the inner pocket of his coat.On that loathsome envelope the Victims of Crime Relief Council seal was glowing as if it had just been printed. In addition to this envelope, he produced another envelope, this time pure white, but with the same wax as the previous one. Ryuzoji held a black envelope in his left hand and a white envelope in his right hand, and handed it to me. "The black envelope contains the challenge letter. This is not the first time you have seen it. This is prepared by the committee. The detective who was summoned is you, May Yujie. As long as you open this envelope, the 'Black Challenge' will begin." Ryuzoji turned a blind eye to my suspicious gaze, and continued: "Inside the white envelope is a letter of recommendation recommending that you become a member of the Victims of Crime Relief Council. Normally, a person who wants to be on the Council needs a letter of recommendation written by a council officer, and I will sign this for you Got a name." Ryuzoji looked at me tentatively. I finally understand the intent of this game. Is it white or black. Either obey them or resist them. "You also have a third choice, which is to choose neither side, but in my opinion, you should not choose this path. Well, it's time, let's make a choice." The car stopped at a red light. At the same time, the time in the car also stopped.I couldn't move an inch until the car moved again. "Don't be so nervous. As I said just now, you have two chances to choose. It's not too late to give me a conclusion when you choose the second time." "So what's the point of this first choice?" Ryuzoji didn't answer this question, he just handed out the two envelopes, as if telling me that there is a time limit for the choice. To be honest, there is nothing to hesitate about this question. But I still couldn't help being puzzled, because Ryuzoji surprised me by inviting me to join the committee.I don't have any special talents, and I don't have any great achievements. What good is it to him to win me over? "Have you figured out the answer?" "All right." ——Does that need to be said? Without hesitation, I pointed to the black envelope.Who would join forces with criminal organizations? "Very good," Ryuzoji smiled with a confident smile, and put the two envelopes back into the inner pocket of his suit. "Take it easy." "Is this the end?" "Continue later, my place of work will arrive soon, and there is something I want you to see. Would you like to go?" "……yes." Although I was so scared that I wanted to run away immediately, but on second thought, this might be a good opportunity to scout the enemy's fortress, and anyway, I should collect some information about them, or it would be useless. The scenery outside the window gradually changed from high-rise buildings in the city to fields and mountains covered in silver. "I joined the Crime Victims Relief Committee six years ago—" Ryuzoji began his monologue suddenly. “在那之后，我一直在编写'黑之挑战'的手法。在大多数情况下，'黑之挑战'的形成一般要经过好几个人的创作和调整，最终则由新仙帝把关。” 他的口气就像在拉家常一样平平淡淡的，不断向我揭露内幕。看来他应该相当有自信，他相信就算让我知道了这些秘密，自己的地位也不会有丝毫动摇。 俨如天神的大侦探们都堕落了—— 又一次从龙造寺本人口中了解到了这一事实，这令我深受打击。 “你可能觉得犯罪受害者救济委员会只是一般的犯罪组织，这个地下组织面向那些有特殊爱好的大人物，为他们提供杀人节目。” "Is not it?" “这只是维持组织正常运作的集资体制，其中是不存在任何理念的。假如委员会不过如此，那么我从一开始就不会与其合作。” 理念……是吗。 难道说他们也有他们自己的正义？ 轿车穿过一道砖砌的拱门，开上一条只有枯树的林荫道。 “从这里开始都是私人所有的土地了，”龙造寺望着外面说。“那些寻求侦探帮助的声音，你听得到吗？” 我看向窗外。 这里不是闹市区，走在林荫道上的人影却不少，有一家大小一起走的，也有情侣。不知道为什么，走在路上的孩子们向我们挥着手奔跑起来，好像在追这辆车；但是他们跟不上车速，距离渐渐拉开，最后终于消失在我的视线之中。 车继续往前开，人数也越来越多。最后人群渐渐形成了整齐的队伍。这是在排队做什么啊？ 轿车开到林荫道尽头，再次穿过一道砖砌的拱门，出现在前方的是喷泉和种着蔷薇的庭院。虽然冬季这里的景色一派寂寥，但仍然给人以壮丽的感觉。人们排成的队伍绕过喷泉庭院，向前延伸而去。 轿车沿着队伍继续向前驶去。 终于可以看到龙造寺的侦探事务所了。 这栋建筑物称其为城堡也不为过，高高的围墙旁挖有深沟，上面架设着古色古香的石桥。走过石桥，就可以看到城门、圆塔上无数的窗口和天台上的锯齿形雉堞，简直就是一座中世纪城堡。自从踏进这片私人土地以来，我眼中所见的风景都有点脱离现实。 轿车在铺着大理石的门厅前停下了。 穿西装马甲的少年从外面把车门打开，他把手伸给我，我牵着他的手下了车。 我发觉一直排到门厅前的队伍有点乱了，人们簇拥在轿车周围，他们当中男女老少都有，在稍稍隔开一段距离的地方，向车里投来充满期盼的目光。 轿车自动伸出一道梯子，龙造寺坐着电动轮椅沿梯子下车。 周围的人群立刻沸腾起来，像在欢呼一样，快乐地大喊： “龙造寺先生，欢迎回来！” “您辛苦了，龙造寺先生！” “上次多谢您的帮助！” 大家都在欢迎龙造寺，场面之热闹颇有些偶像或是电影明星出场的架势。龙造寺默默地举起一只手，示意他们不要激动。 穿西装马甲的少年立刻绕到龙造寺身后，推着轮椅开始往建筑物入口的方向走。 我被这场面惊呆了，还没回过神来，浑浑噩噩地跟在他们后面。 入口处的门自动打开了。 城内的一楼设计得就像酒店的大厅一样，前台里面站着好几个穿西装的孩子，看样子应该是接待员。大厅里有柔软的地毯和候客沙发。 令人惊讶的是，为了迎接龙造寺，孩子们从入口到对面的电梯之间排成了一列，他们身上穿的像是工作人员的制服。 “预备起……” “龙造寺先生，欢迎回来。” 孩子们一起行礼。他们问候的声音稍稍有些不整齐，的确是小孩子该有的样子。 人们排成的长队从外面进来，穿过大厅，向着里面的门延伸而去，想必他们就是那些前来向龙造寺求助的迷途羔羊，那扇门后的房间应该是咨询案件或者倾诉烦恼的地方。 穿西装马甲的少年按下了电梯按钮。门立刻打开了，他们把轮椅倒着推进了电梯。 “你也进来吧。”我按龙造寺说的进了电梯。 在电梯门合上的前一秒，两个身穿工作服、手拿拖把和水桶的孩子匆匆忙忙地跑进来。 “啊，龙造寺先生，欢迎回来。” “欢迎回来。”两个孩子齐声说。电梯门关上了，电梯开始上升。 “大扫除完了吗？”龙造寺向少年们询问。 “是的，窗玻璃和地板都擦得闪闪发亮了。” “擦得闪闪发亮了。” “很好。”龙造寺的话让孩子们非常得意。 孩子们在三楼下了，电梯继续上升，我们在五楼下了电梯。 铺着红地毯的走廊笔直向前延伸。 穿马甲的少年慢慢推着龙造寺的轮椅往前走。 “想必你正在奇怪这是演的哪一出，”龙造寺好像看穿了我的想法一样。“或许你还有种误入了邪教组织的感觉吧。只不过，这一切就是我的日常生活，没有任何伪装。” 对龙造寺先生满怀尊敬，纷至沓来向他求助的人们。 对他满怀信任，在他手下工作的孩子们。这就是一直以来解救无数人于水火之中的大侦探看惯了的景象—— 难道他想让我看的就是这个？这就是成功的侦探从椅子上看到的世界，同时也是他所创造的和平的永无乡。 长长走廊的尽头，是一扇双开门。我们一走近，门就有所感应，自动打开了。 只不过，门后的景象却与永无乡那样纯洁美好的世界形成了鲜明的对比，那里是英雄孤独的战场。 档案和文件堆积如山，资料书摆得乱七八糟，到处贴着照片和纸条。这个房间大概有三十张榻榻米那么宽，四处堆放的书本形成了山脉，散乱的纸张形成了海洋，简直是一个大自然的庭院。也许可以说，这个房间就是把龙造寺头脑之中的模样原样呈现出来的结果。 进房间之后，龙造寺灵活地自己操纵着轮椅，一头钻进了房间一角，勉强可以辨认出那边是一张桌子。 之前推轮椅的那个穿西装马甲的少年鞠了一躬，退出了房间。 只剩下我和龙造寺两个人了。 龙造寺痛苦地咳嗽了好一会儿，把某种药片扔进嘴里，就着威士忌酒瓶口猛灌了一口。 “我雇佣孤儿在这里工作，他们都是见习侦探，如果有必要，我也会让他们进行侦查工作。他们是我的耳目，也是我的手脚，用夏洛克·福尔摩斯的话来说，就是贝克街小分队吧。我们能从前人那里学到很多东西。” 龙造寺一边说一边浏览文件，在上面写了些什么，然后拿起了另一份文件。看来在这期间，他手上也在一项一项处理着案件。 “那些孩子也参与了犯罪？”我问。 龙造寺嘴角边浮现出了笑容，摇了摇头。 “他们只负责侦探工作。” “……也就是说，他们并不知道您在背地里干些什么勾当。”我将自己心中的恼怒说出了口。“身为一个侦探，您既得到了地位，也得到了名声，并且一直都在尽力解决案件，我实在想不通……您这样的人为什么要与犯罪组织同流合污。侦探的身份，和犯罪受害者救济委员会成员的身份，难道彼此之间能够共存，不会产生矛盾吗？” “那你觉得又会产生什么矛盾呢？” 如此坦然的口吻，令我不由得哑口无言。 “不管是侦探还是委员会，救人这个目的都是一样。当然，手段不一定是正当的。我手上已经沾满了鲜血，但是，从事实上来说，我这双手救过的人不计其数，我为此感到骄傲。并且正是因为心怀这种骄傲，我才能继续当侦探。” 龙造寺一边不断处理文件一边说。 “但是，想把犯罪行为正当化，这是不行的，”我情不自禁地说。“侦探更加不行！……更何况，我们还必须站在犯罪的对立面，跟那些不讲理的对手作斗争。” “呵呵……也许如此吧，”他翻着文件的手静止了一瞬间，眼睛看向我。“但是你不要误会了，我们也是站在犯罪的对立面，在跟不讲理的对手作斗争。反倒是你，你只会说些漂亮话，不愿弄脏自己的手，而我们却站在血雨腥风的战场上，真正在战斗的人到底是谁呢。” “唔唔……但是……”我不知道该说什么。 侦探这个行业我不过才涉足数年，怎么可能说得过这位在前线摸爬滚打了十多年的侦探。 “当侦探的时间长了……就时常会遇上正当的方法解救不了任何人的情况。不管在法律上还是在逻辑上，我对于规则这种东西的态度一直很严肃，对于自己要求也很严格，因此也有过好多次失意的时候。我向神祈祷过很多次，希望神能够拯救更多的人。” 正因为他是出色的侦探，所以才会有这样的祈祷—— 也许这个世界是太狭小了，狭小得容纳不下他的才能。 “这就是……你投身犯罪受害者救济委员会的理由？” “简单说来就是这样。'黑之挑战'毕竟是在公平的规则下进行的，我在新仙帝身上看到的闪光点，就是这种公平的精神。如果他单纯只是个恐怖主义分子，那么我首先就不会放过他。” “为了复仇牵连那些无辜的人，这也叫做公平？” “在纯粹的救济面前，牺牲是不可避免的——这就是我得出的结论。” “这、这……这不是本末倒置吗！” 在经验和能力上，我都远远及不上他，但唯有一点我非常清楚，那就是把杀人这种行为正当化，并且对此没有任何疑问的话，这种人只能是邪恶的。 “不能放过我们——你是这么想的，”龙造寺慢慢从桌子后面出来，向我靠近。“你和我是一样的，我也不能容忍邪恶的存在。所以，为了消灭邪恶，我决定要得到比他们更强大的武器。” “不……我跟你不一样。” “不，你只是还没有下定决心。” "no!" 真的不是吗？ "I……" 我想要维护正义。想要帮助那些求救的人。所以我选择了侦探的道路。现在再一想，突然觉得自己很可怕。 我理想中的侦探形象，不就是龙造寺月下这个样子的吗。 “也难怪你会犹豫。我就是喜欢你这种性格，你就是从前的我。” 不是的……我不是这样的。 “你身为一个侦探非常重视自己的尊严，我认为这就是在侦探这条路上走下去的唯一的、绝对的条件。” 不知什么时候，龙造寺已经近在我眼前了。 他的眼睛闪着锐利的光，几乎可以把我穿透。 “来，仔细听听吧，你应该听得到，那些向你求救的声音——” 姐姐…… ……结姐姐大人。 啊……又响起了呼唤我的声音。那是妹妹呼救的声音。是雾切妹妹的声音。我要为了什么而战呢。 “我知道，从本质上来说，你是我们这边的人。你会为了那些向你求救的人，不惜弄脏自己的手。” 侦探的正义到底是什么？ 话说回来——我到底想做什么来着？ “好了，让我们继续游戏吧。”龙造寺突然提出。 这句话让我一个激灵，一下子回到了现实。 “还记得规则吧？你只需要做出选择就可以了，不过这个选择肯定会是你人生的一个重大分歧点，一定要慎重。” 在我不知所措的时候，龙造寺从外套内袋里取出了两个信封。 一个信封是漆黑的。一个信封是雪白的。 “拿到其中一个信封后，立刻向右转，离开这个房间，”龙造寺指了指房间的出口。“到了那个时候，门外就是你自己所选择的新世界了。” 白与黑。 哪边才能真正拯救别人呢。 I have no idea. 我应该选哪边？ I have no idea. 我唯一清楚的是—— 她的呼唤声。 也许答案就在其中。 向前走吧—— 我拿到了其中一个信封。 ——走上自己所选择的道路。 龙造寺露出了满意的微笑，把轮椅转了个圈，背朝着我。 “看来打赌是我赢了。你的决定让我感到很骄傲。” 我也背对着他，走向房间的出口。 我打开门，离开了这个战场。在红地毯的尽头，那个穿西装马甲的少年正立在电梯前，他一只手臂上搭着外套，抱着胳膊。他等我走到跟前之后才开口： “你选了那边啊。” “什么啊，原来你会说话？”我吓了一跳。“我还以为你是会动的洋娃娃呢。” 我半开玩笑地这么说，他默默地抓住了我的右手，拉到自己的胸前，让我的手碰到他的胸口，透过西装马甲的布料，能够感觉到他小小的心跳。我突然觉得不好意思起来，下意识地缩回手。 他一副满怀疑问的表情抬头看着我。 “好了好了，你不是洋娃娃，这个证明非常完美。” 听到我这样说，他微微一笑，按下了电梯的按钮。电梯门立刻打开了。 在他的引导下，我跟在他后面走进电梯。 在这个小小的箱子里面，只有我们两个人，这少年身上仍然散发出好闻的香味。 “能否告诉我为什么你要做出这样的选择？” 少年没有回头，注视着电梯的按钮面板说。 “这才让我能够昂首挺胸地去见自己最重要的朋友。” 我经验不足，也没有那么成熟，没办法从什么侦探的哲学或是职业道德中寻求答案。 但是，我还是知道有些东西是不能放手的。那大概就是他口中的“骄傲”。 我重新将视线投向手中的信封。黑色的挑战书—— 感觉好像比上次收到的要厚，也许在这一次“黑之挑战”的游戏之中，所需要的规则比上次还要复杂。 即使如此，我也不能输。 “真是有气势，”少年好像是在表达自己的感想。“不管你选择哪个信封，我都会为你提供暂时性的帮助，请多指教。” “……请多指教。你的名字是？” “有这个必要吗？” "Ok?" “我是说名字。” “要是不知道你叫什么名字，那我怎么称呼你呢。” “那就请你叫我利科尔内吧，这里的人都是这么叫我的。” 这说法真是奇怪，难道这少年就像一只四处流浪的野猫，在不同的地方还有不同的名字吗。 “利科尔内君是吧。” 我说了一遍，向他确认。 “可以简单一点叫我'利科'。” “好，就这么说。” 电梯到达了一楼。一般顾客的队伍仍然看不到尽头，那些小小的工作人员都已经不在大厅里了，大概是回去工作了。 我和利科穿过大理石门厅。 “我马上就有问题想问你了，你也跟犯罪受害者救济委员会是一伙的？龙造寺先生说那些孩子没有参与犯罪，不过你好像知道这个黑色信封的内情。” “我跟委员会没有任何关系，只是知道事情原委而已。” “是吗……但你跟龙造寺是一起的吧？” “嗯，所以我才会来帮助你。” 简单来说就是负责监视我的吗？ 还是说他真的只是来帮助我的呢，说不定这就是龙造寺口中的公平行事。 “你是什么时候开始在龙造寺手下工作的？” “大概半年前。” 他歪着脑袋，一边想一边说。这个动作非常地孩子气，但他整个人的气质却很成熟，这孩子真是越来越让人觉得不可思议。 轿车仍然停在建筑物入口处，可以看到驾驶席上司机的轮廓，看来不会连司机都是小孩子。 利科打开后车门，牵起我的手让我上车。 “需要把你送到哪里？侦探图书馆还是自己家？” “把我送到宿舍就行了。” "OK." 利科绕到车前，向司机嘱咐了几句，然后立刻回来了。 “今天我也要跟你告别了，最后请你收下这个。” 我接过一个系着丝带的细长木盒子。这个盒子的大小差不多可以用双手捧住，相当地轻。 “这是龙造寺送给你的，不过只能在必要的时候打开。” “必要的时候啊……” “再见。”利科关上车门，向后退开一步鞠了一躬，车很快开动了。 轿车绕过有着喷泉和玫瑰花的庭院，沿着求助的队伍逆向而行，逐渐加快速度，车窗外利科的身影渐渐看不到了。 穿过那道砖砌的拱门，轿车行驶在林荫道上。四周已经完全暗了下来，在零零星星的路灯光中，可以看到纷飞的小雪。 半路上，我看到有两个孩子在路灯下拿着扫帚打扫。 “司机先生，麻烦停一下。” 我赶快对着驾驶席叫了一声，因为中间有一块隔板，所以我看不到驾驶席，不过轿车对我的声音做出了反应，马上停了下来。 那些正在打扫的孩子不知道发生了什么事，过来往车里看。 我打开车窗，把脸露出来。 “喂，你们两个。”我向着那两个孩子打招呼。 他们俩差不多是上小学的年纪，一脸不可思议的表情看向我。 “龙造寺先生这个人怎么样？” 两个少年面面相觑，然后露出了率真的笑容。 “他是个很好的人。” “不过生起气来有点可怕。” 两个人七嘴八舌地说。 “我的梦想就是成为像先生那样的侦探。” “我也是，长大以后要像先生那样！” “是吗……谢谢你们，加把劲继续打扫吧。” “好——”我跟他们挥手告别，轿车再次开动了。 那些孩子看起来不像在说谎，至少他们的表情不是一个受到强迫或是洗脑的人会有的。 然而一想到犯罪受害者救济委员会的可怕力量，我就觉得今天我所看到的一切，也许都是事先布置好的假象。我觉得自己仿佛在梦中一样，那种漂浮在空中的感觉挥之不去。 我呆呆地望着车窗外，外面的景色逐渐变成了我熟悉的都市。 我把黑色信封举起来对着车窗，想借着路灯的光看看里面到底有什么，不过什么都看不见。 轿车终于在校门前停下了。 司机什么都没说，我打开车门下了车。我对着司机鞠了一躬，轿车好像什么事都没有发生一样，开回车道上，在我的视野中消失了。 我有种终于回到了现实的感觉。远远可以看到宿舍的灯光，感觉非常亲切。 我走进宿舍，走廊上有一大群人。感觉有点吵闹。不知为什么，我心中有些忐忑不安。 住在其他寝室的女生看到了我，大叫起来。 “啊，结！大事不好啦！” "What happened?" “别问了，赶快过来！” 我被她们拉着沿走廊往前走，看来人群聚集的地方是我房间的门口。 “有个可疑的人想撬你房间的门锁。” “撬门？” 我从舍友之间穿过，来到门前。 有个女孩子背靠我房间的门，抱着膝盖坐在地上。 即使在宿舍的旧日光灯的照耀下，她的头发看起来仍然光滑柔软，白皙的脸颊几乎看起来都有点惨白了。她一脸不服气的表情瞪着对面，不过一看到我，神色一下子变得容光焕发。 “结姐姐大人！”原来是雾切响子。她站起来，一下子扑过来把我抱住。 我接住了她纤细轻盈的身体，她的衣服上到处都是污渍，散发出泥土和灰尘的味道。这好像是她第一次像这样靠在我身上，我抱着她的脑袋，觉得她很脆弱，就好像随时会摔碎一样。 宿舍里的学生们不知道发生了什么事，看到我跟雾切这样，她们不知道为什么突然鼓起掌来，大概是因为目睹了一场令人感动的重逢吧。 “不报警吗？” 舍友问我。 “嗯，没事，我认识她，谢谢大家，”我一边说，一边打开门，把雾切推进我的房间。“好了，大家晚安，接下来就交给我吧。” 我进了房间，反手把门关上，把那些叽叽喳喳的声音和好奇的目光关在外面。 我把门锁上了。雾切一脸尴尬地抬头看着我。 “我本来是想偷偷溜进来的，结果不小心被发现了。” “谁都有失败的时候，”我把背包往床上一扔，让雾切在我旁边坐下。“话说回来，你打算从正门溜进来的时候就已经失败了吧？” “一开始我本来是想打破窗子进来的，但是我想要是窗子破了个洞，你会冷的。” “你在为我着想啊，谢谢你。” 我拍了拍雾切的脑袋，她一脸不服气的样子，拼命摆头。 我在书桌的椅子上坐下，跟她面对面了。 “为什么你要偷偷溜进我的房间？”