In Christmas restaurants, the window seats are filled with costumed men and women enjoying a romantic dinner.They could barely see the night view of tall buildings from above their heads, and no matter how much they stretched their necks, they couldn't get a full view. I kept hopping on tiptoe in the hall, trying to see the scenery outside the window, when suddenly someone pulled the hem of my coat. It's Kyoko Kiri.She raised her head and looked at me with cold eyes, as if she was silently blaming me. "I kept you two waiting for a long time, please go this way." Led by the waiter, Wuqiri and I walked into the hall.

On the way we passed a big tree.The fir-tree was said to have been brought from abroad, and it was decorated with lights and stars that shone as brightly as the lights in the street outside. We were taken to a spacious single room. On the table covered with a snow-white tablecloth, there are classical candlesticks, and candles are lit on the candlesticks.Napkins and tableware for three people have been placed on the table. The inner wall of the single room is a glass wall, and the night view behind the glass belongs to us. "Wow, that's great." I couldn't help rushing to the window, looking at the street lights shining brightly in the cold night.

"Sister Wuqie also come to see." Wuqie who was behind me seemed a little hesitant, so I beckoned her to come too. She met my gaze with a troubled expression, and then came to the window.She looked down at the night scene, her cheeks were slightly flushed, and she stared intently at the light of the street lights. "Isn't it beautiful?" I asked Wuqie, and she nodded. "Can you say it clearly?" "……nice." At this time, the belated seven-inch comet walked into the room. "Miss, I kept you waiting for a long time. The Christmas present I gave you two must be in your favor."

The gift he was talking about probably meant the night scene. I suddenly felt ashamed, like a hooked fish, and had been foolishly excited for so long, so I quickly backed away from the window. Nanamura pulled the chair away deftly, and I nodded humbly while sitting down on the chair.I have absolutely no idea how to behave in a place like this. But Wuqie was no stranger to this.She sat on the chair like a princess, and thanked Nanamura calmly. Although Kyoko Kirikiri's character is always unexpected, I think she is basically a noble and frank girl.When encountering matters related to incidents or detectives, she will show a calm and repulsive temperament, but she grew up in a family whose ancestral business is detectives, and I think this is also related to her Related to life experience.

Nanamura put the Christmas hat on her own head on Kirikiri's head, and sat on the seat opposite.He didn't explain why he put the hat on Mistkiri's head, and Mistkiri didn't respond. Anyway, it's cute, so don't get too deep into it... "It was a real pleasure to have dinner with two beautiful ladies on Christmas Eve." After Nanamura sat down, she propped her arms on the table and supported her chin, and suddenly looked straight at me. I was overwhelmed by his meaningful gaze. "What, what's wrong?" I couldn't help but embarrassed to say.

Nanamura is a handsome man with a sharp silhouette, he has the appearance of a stage actor.He was impeccable for Christmas dinner—"12,000, 9,800, 23,000." Qicun suddenly reported several mysterious numbers. "what?" "The price of your glasses, the price of your coat, the price of your shoes." "Eh, eh? Why do you..." knew?Almost all of the numbers he gave were correct. "There are several ways to observe a person, and among them, quantifying the price of the other person's belongings is one of the most effective methods. Grasping the value of an item can be said to be the fastest way to see the essence of things."

"oh oh." "May rain - for example, you seem to be very confident in your legs and feet, and spend a lot of money on shoes. However, from the wear and tear of your shoes, there is no characteristic of playing a specific sport. Although naturally strong feet Extraordinary, but you chose the path of a detective. You want to be a detective at this age, presumably because you used to—” "I, I know." I stretched out my arms to interrupt Nanamura's words.Who knows what he will say next. Nanamura smiled contemptuously, and pointed a finger at the window. "——74.45 million. This is the price of the night view seen here, the sum of the electricity bills of all the buildings in this direction. The essence of things is so beautiful."

Nanamura squeezed her eyes pretentiously.Detectives are such incomprehensible creatures. Nanamura Comet——Double zero-level detective, detective library DSC (Detective Library Classification) number "900".He has the number "9" which means that he mainly deals with homicide cases, and the number "0" which proves that he has reached the pinnacle in this field.Although there was one detective who achieved a level of "3" by creating an incident and solving it himself, he has not been able to get a "0" in his career of more than two decades.Comet Nanamura got these two figures at the age of thirty-seven. To be honest, this is quite remarkable.This kind of honor cannot be obtained by ordinary ability.

"Okay, let's talk while eating." Qicun snapped his fingers. The waiter standing by diagonally behind him poured red wine into the glass.Two other servants stood beside him respectfully, as if they were servants of a king. Since Wuqie and I were still minors, they brought us a special drink list.I ordered orange juice and Mist cut coffee. "Cheers to congratulations on our meeting—as much as I want to say it, but let's forget it for now. In our world, a toast is not for the opening, but for the curtain." Qicun took a sip of red wine. The waiter began to place the plates in front of Nanamura.Generally speaking, French dishes should be served in order, but for some reason, he was the only person in front of him, and the dishes were served one after another.

"10 hours, 28 minutes and 49 seconds." Qicun suddenly said a series of numbers. "This is the time since I opened the challenge book. The 'Black Challenge' will be held within 168 hours after unpacking, and the winner will be determined. In order to make the time limit more concise, I am at ten o'clock this morning. Order unpacked." Nanamura said with a serious expression, but he did not stop eating.Only then did I realize that there were not many dishes left on his plate. When did he eat it... A plate with food was placed in front of me and Wuqie.If you follow the rhythm of Qicun, the rare good food will be gone in an instant.

"Mr. Nanamura, how many times have you accepted the 'Black Challenge'?" "This is the fifth time." "All, all five times?" "It can only be said that it is unlucky. Among the detectives, there are also people who are completely unaware of the existence of the 'Black Challenge'. No, it should be said that the vast majority of people do not know." Of course, we know about "Black Challenge".Not long ago, Kyoko Kirikiri and I were involved in it. "Black Challenge" refers to a game run by an organization called the Crime Victims Relief Council.This game should be said to be a duel between the detective and the prisoner. The detective who receives the challenge letter from the prisoner must immediately solve the ongoing incident. The Crime Victims Relief Council is not the charity its name suggests.They approach crime victims under the guise of relief and instigate them to participate in the game.When they pick victims of crime as game challengers, they seem to be limited to those who already have vengeance in their hearts.To put it simply, they use those who have murderous motives to make them criminals among the game participants. At the same time, the detective who is hostile to the prisoner among the challengers is selected from the detectives registered in the detective library. About 65,500 detectives are registered in the Detective Library and their information is made available to the public.The Crime Victims Relief Committee selects the detectives to call based on the difficulty of the Black Challenge.They seem to refer to the DSC level division of the detective library when choosing. "As the level gets higher and higher, the number of detectives as the denominator is getting smaller and smaller. From a probability point of view, it is easier to be selected by the 'Challenge of Blackness'. It is a matter of course." Nanamura put the fork on the plate, wiped his mouth with a napkin, then crumpled the napkin and threw it back. One of the waiters didn't panic at all and caught the napkin firmly.Then Nanamura pushed away the already empty dinner plate, made a space on the table, and placed his hands and fingers on the table. Nanamura looked at me and then at Kirikiri, as if observing us. "I've looked at the files on the incident you solved, and it seems like it would be a good introduction for newcomers." The murder at the Sirius Observatory was a beginner's entry? To this day, whenever I think about that day, I get a sense of desperation and he says it was just the beginning. "But next time things won't be that simple. Judging from the content of the challenge book, the prisoner this time has a full understanding of the content of the 'Black Challenge' and came with the confidence to win. The most troublesome It's the other party's mental state, he seems to be enjoying the game. Presumably the audience will also be in high spirits." "audience?" "Gee, didn't you know? 'Dark Challenge' was released as a video, with viewers eating, drinking and watching on an event known as 'closed-circuit television,' aka live cinema." Speaking of which, the prisoner of the last incident seems to have told us. He said the Crime Victims Relief Council didn't just hold the games, but offered them as a show to a segment of the audience. "It's unbelievable... What kind of person would watch 'Black Challenge'?" "I don't know exactly who, but there is no doubt that they can spend a lot of money. It is said that to participate in 'closed circuit television', you need to pay the money to build 10,000 schools in developing countries." This analogy is incomprehensible and unsympathetic... after all, rich people's entertainment. Watching other people fight each other... The earliest origin is the gladiatorial activities in the Roman era. When I think about it, I don't think it is incomprehensible.Of course, I don't want to actually see someone get killed. "By the way, why are you going after the Crime Victims Relief Council?" Nanamura asked. "That's because...you can't just sit idly by criminal organizations!" I said with my head held high. "Hmm." Nanamura nodded with a deep smile, then turned his gaze to Kirikiri, "What about you?" Wuqie shrank his neck slightly: "There is no reason, and I didn't receive the commission." "I, I said, at this time we should speak in unison." I couldn't help but refute Wuqie. "By the way, aren't you also willing to fight the Crime Victims Relief Council?" "No, I'm only interested in whether my ability as a detective can be recognized." "...Your purpose is to raise the level? Can you really insist on it like this? After being manipulated by them wantonly, don't you feel unwilling?" "...I feel very reconciled." Unexpected answer——she answered me with her usual expression.Should it be said that she is not good at showing expressions, or should it be said that she is just a poker face after all... "In this case, you can fight against the evil organization with me! The job of a detective is not only to deal with the incident in front of him, right?" "If you entrust me with this matter, Mrs. Jie, I will help you investigate." "You are really..." I bit my lower lip, restraining the anxiety in my heart. "Don't you have your own ideas? Are you a doll who can't act without a commission?" Regarding my words, Wuqie slowly turned his face around and gave him a cold look.She is angry? "What's the point of detective work without a client? It's just self-satisfaction." Kirikiri turned his face away as he spoke. "Yeah, maybe it's self-satisfaction. But that's what the truth is, isn't it?" I said, standing up. "Pursue the truth—isn't it. What you said is really childish, my sis." "You are a child!" I raised my voice—— The next moment, a sound that sounded like a siren filled the room.I was startled, and looked in the direction of the sound, and found that Qicun picked up the trumpet at some point. "Okay, okay, don't quarrel, as far as I see, you are all children. No, you are not even children, you are just rookies." Nanamura showed a helpless wry smile, and threw the trumpet behind his back, but the waiter still caught it like last time. "Being a detective is not a means of self-realization, but a detective without principles is not trustworthy. Speaking of it, if you take the two of you on average, you are probably a proper detective." After Qicun said this, he shrugged his shoulders, and Wuqie and I looked at each other silently. "Sorry... I shouldn't have yelled suddenly." I felt embarrassed and sat back on the chair with a blushing face.Wuqie still turned his face to the side, silent. "Then let's get back to the topic." Qicun said. "As far as I know, the number of missing detectives has increased to double digits since the investigation into the Victims of Crime Relief Commission began." "Two, two digits?" "Do you know what this means? This means that as long as they make a move, it will be very difficult for you to get out of your body." "Such a dangerous organization, is everyone watching in silence? If what you said is true, I think they should be eliminated as soon as possible." "You are really brave, Mr. Wuyue Yu. The missing detectives must have said the same thing as you. It's just that the detectives who are better than you have dispatched double digits, but they still can't shake this organization. This shows that this incident It's not that simple. Let me tell you an amazing fact that the Victims of Crime Relief Council has an office in a certain office building as a non-profit organization, and that place is free for anyone to come and go." "Hey, what's going on?" "On the surface, they are just an open volunteer organization. Although it is easy to find information about them, no matter how you investigate, you can only get the part of the information that is open to the public. Presumably this is a means to deal with detectives. Well. They hide what they really want to hide by throwing out tons of useless information to draw attention away from people, which is what 'Father Brown' said very well." "What's their purpose? Is it to treat the process of other people's revenge as a show for people to watch?" "No—" Nanamura picked up the wine glass, stared at the red liquid in the glass and continued. "I've heard from detectives who've been chasing the group that they seem to have other real goals." "The real purpose?" "The detective who told me about it is also currently missing. Is this because he learned the real purpose of the Victims of Crime Relief Council, or..." "Whether relief or not is their real purpose." "Who knows. Mr. Wu Yueyu, although you describe the Crime Victims Relief Committee as an 'evil organization', do you really think so?" "Of course! Because they instigated good citizens to kill people." "But the people they're going to kill are criminals. You've been through the 'Black Challenge' too, and you should understand that all the challengers have been victimized by some kind of crime, and they just want to be brutalized The life that was taken away is just taken back from the hands of that bandit." In the incident that involved Wuqie and me, the prisoner's family members were brutally murdered.He takes revenge on those who took his family's life in "Dark Challenge". "In this world, there are people who commit crimes with impunity and enjoy a happy life. At the same time, the victims live miserable lives, struggling at the bottom of society, and they complain about this injustice. Weeping for the reality. Have you heard their cries?" "I can understand their feelings. But...revenge and lynching are not allowed by society, and even innocent people are involved in revenge. I don't think this is worth advocating." "This is the detective's point of view. The only thing that can distinguish justice from evil is a difference in standpoint. That's right—for some people, the 'Black Challenge' is undoubtedly a kind of relief, a holy war. Among the challengers, there are also People think that this is an action to eradicate evil and change the world." Are Crime Victims Relief Councils a Necessary Evil?Is this their real purpose? "Even so—the moment they decide to kill, they have deviated from the human path. I think they must be punished." "What a girl with a strong sense of justice." Nanamura smiled calmly. "It's just that although steel is hard to break, once it's bent once, it's hard to recover. People like you might be the most dangerous." "What is the most dangerous..." I didn't expect someone to say that to me. "Don't get involved in personal affairs, marry your elder sister." "Hmm..." I was speechless. Kirikiri usually hides her feelings under the mask of a detective. For her, it is probably a matter of course not to bring her own ideas and opinions into her work. That said, that doesn't leave the Crime Victims Relief Council alone. "No matter what the reason, it is selfish to use the power of the Victims of Crime Relief Committee to change your life situation." I straightened up. "No matter how desperate you are, if you don't overcome it by yourself, it's meaningless!" "I see, it's so beautiful. Shouldn't it be said that your youthfulness is both a wound and a sharp edge?" "Mr. Nanamura...what do you think?" I asked angrily. "Do you think the prisoners of 'Black Challenge' are pitiful victims?" "I do find them pitiful, but that's not important to me." Nanamura replied without thinking, opening her arms. "As a detective, my opponents aren't people—they're mysteries. I'm here to solve the mystery in front of me." "It turned out to be like this..." Great.As expected of a double zero level, there was no hesitation at all. It can be seen from this that his self-confidence is supported by real career beliefs. "Do you think I'm the kind of detective who will show mercy to prisoners? Hehe, I'm not that easy to deal with." "Sorry, I said it as if I doubted you." "It doesn't matter." "Anything else you know about the Victims of Crime Relief Council?" "I don't know much. Only one more thing--I heard it from the detectives who tracked down the organization. The Victims of Crime Relief Board is actually run by a single man." "one person……?" "A man, no-maybe a woman, known as the President, whose origins are a complete mystery. This man founded the Crime Victims Relief Committee almost ten years ago and still chairs the Black Challenge .” "Is he the boss of a criminal organization?" As long as the chairman's true colors can be exposed, maybe the Crime Victims Relief Committee can be accused of being a criminal organization. This organization has been a hazy shadow, began to form the outline of a person, showing the entity.Who is that president? "Could that president be a detective?" Wuqiri said suddenly. Faced with this startling sentence, Nanamura reacted.He rested his chin on the table with one hand, and met Yukiri's sight. "Hmm, why do you think so?" "In the 'Black Challenge', the targets of the challengers are the real perpetrators of unsolved cases and unjust cases. This organization essentially exposes the real culprits that the police have not found, and provides a game targeting them The ones who can do this - only those who are at the level of a great detective." While I was talking, I was taken aback by my own words, talking about high-level words... Wuqie nodded, and continued: "I heard that there were four detectives numbered '000' in the detective library, that is, level 30 detectives. They can be said to have reached the peak of detectives, but one of them Records expunged. If there was anyone who could have been the head of the Victims of Crime Relief Council - could it be this one." "It's great." Nanamura applauded Kirikiri. "Thanks to you, I don't need to explain. Omitting the wasted time is equivalent to getting a fortune. Mr. Kirikiri, maybe you can keep up with my speed." "Then, who is the detective whose records were erased?" Wuqie ignored Qicun and asked. "Unfortunately, I don't know." Nanamura opened his arms while watching our faces. "It's true. Because before I registered in the detective library, that person's file was gone. If there is anyone who knows him, there are probably only three other detectives who also have the title of 30... and those The person who founded the Detective Library. I heard that this former detective has something to do with the establishment of the Detective Library." Speaking of the founders of the library, I remember hearing that Wuqie's grandfather was one of them. ——Could it be that Kirikiri's grandfather was the detective whose records were erased? No, no, maybe I was thinking too much.I secretly observed Wuqie's reaction, and she really wasn't moved at all. "Since it can be concluded in this way, why has no one acted?" Wuqie put down the knife and fork, crossed his arms and asked. "Because all of this is just speculation. Having said that - even if the disappearing former detective at level 30 is the president, no one would dare to touch him." "Why?" I asked. "There are gaps in this world that cannot be filled with time, money, or talent. This is the gap between us and Level 30. If they have degenerated into criminals, then a national response is needed. It's not a joke, it's a fact of life. It's not something we can control." This is undoubtedly a declaration of admitting defeat. For me, Qicun is an unattainable double zero level, and he is also a very proud person, even he easily surrendered. Is the opponent I want to challenge far beyond my imagination... "However, there is a way to approach the Crime Victims Relief Committee." "what?" "That is the prisoner who caught the 'Black Challenge'. The prisoner has contacted the top management of the organization, and at least got the game instructions from them. In other words, the existence of the prisoner is one of the few clues. As long as we can Winning the 'Black Challenge' and extracting information from the prisoner's mouth is progress for you, right?" "Yes!" I nodded. "However, we couldn't lose to the prisoners!" "That's really inspiring." Nanamura looked at his watch and stood up from his chair. "It's time." "Huh? Are you leaving?" I mean, we haven't finished our meal yet... "Time is money, and money is also time. I use money to buy time and use time to earn money." Nanamura said while gesturing to the waiter. "Okay, let me confirm one thing with you. You will also participate in this 'Black Challenge'. Can I take this as a major premise?" "Yes." I replied without thinking. Wukiri glanced at my face and nodded. "Very well, then let's go through this 'Black Challenge' first." Prisoners who are challengers receive advanced payment from the organization in advance to purchase methods and weapons used in crimes, set them as a 'deck set', and write the content on the challenge letter. This time the prisoner spent a lot of money to buy the murder weapon and tactics, and prepared a good hand of cards to meet the incident.Nanamura commented that the prisoner "came with the confidence to win", which is what he meant.The higher the total amount, the higher the level of detectives that can be summoned. "Next, I want to tell you one important thing in advance." Said Nanamura, excitedly put on the rucksack that the waiter got out of nowhere, wrapped the belt around the chest and waist, and closed the buttons. By the way, what is this person doing all of a sudden? "In 'Black Challenge', there is a rule that the prisoner cannot kill the summoned detective, because without the detective, it cannot be a game. The detective here refers to the detective summoned by the challenge. So According to the rules, you are not detectives, but fellow travelers, so you may also become victims." "B-victim..." The unexpected words made my voice tremble. By the way, if you think about it carefully, we are jumping into the prisoner's trap by ourselves. If we get in his way, he probably won't be spared. "Are you scared?" "No, no, it's okay..." I was really being dishonest. Still looking calm, Kirigiri nodded slightly. "The condition for the prisoner to win is to kill all the targets of revenge and not be exposed by the detective within 168 hours. As long as he wins the 'Black Challenge', he can get the amount used in the game as a bonus. If he is willing If you do it, you can start your life again. For those who want to challenge from the bottom to the sky, this is a great motivation." "That is to say...are they putting all their eggs in one basket?" "Exactly. On the other hand, if they lose, they must repay the advance payment used in the game in full. If they cannot pay, they must pay with their lives. This means that the opponents fighting us are desperate died." In terms of risking my life, I don't think I will lose to others. I became a detective because I wanted to answer people's calls for help.As a detective, I am willing to sacrifice my life for righteousness. At the same time, if you want to talk about Wuqie - she is a detective by nature, and she has no meaning or purpose to be a detective.She received detective education since she was a child, and now she is about to become a detective machine that is not afraid of death. But I know that no matter how many detective rules are stuffed in her head, her heart is still just a little girl in the first grade of middle school. "'Black Challenge' doesn't have to be played in a closed space. However, in order to avoid police intervention and also to limit the freedom of detectives, in most cases they will choose a closed environment. This time it was chosen as the game stage The Normanzi Hotel is an abandoned hotel, located in a remote mountain away from human habitation. Presumably we will be quarantined there for at least 100 hours, remember to be fully prepared.” Nanamura glanced at his watch again and raised a hand to bid us farewell. "It's time for me to leave." Qicun was about to leave, but seemed to remember something, and turned around. "Oh, before that, I need to confirm with you about the future arrangements. The time for us to leave for the Normanzi Hotel is the day after tomorrow, because I have a personal matter that I have to deal with tomorrow. The meeting time is seven o'clock in the morning the day after tomorrow, and the location is It’s the turntable in front of the station, and it’s expected to arrive at the hotel at ten o’clock in the morning.” "Excuse me... is it okay to go the day after tomorrow? It will waste a whole day..." Originally, this game had a time limit, and it was so enjoyable. "As long as you have my speed, it's fine. You guys also try not to fall behind me." "Yes, it is……" "Okay, pray we can win—" I thought Qicun would walk towards the exit of the single room, but for some reason, he walked towards the window instead. Could it be that... the thing he spent a lot of time carrying on his back... Qicun suddenly pushed open the window, the window was opened a crack, and the strong wind above the high-rise building poured in.Nanamura jumped lightly and jumped onto the window frame. "Good luck!" He gave us a thumbs up and jumped out through the gap in the open window. "Mr. Nanamura!" I quickly stood up from my chair and ran to the window.I saw his figure with a parachute slowly descending towards the bright street.The stretched seven-color parachute adds another bright color to the night scene. "Are all great detectives like this...?" I blankly watched the seven-color flower fall towards the ocean of neon lights.Even Wuqie's hand holding the fork couldn't help but froze. The waiter closed the window to keep out the strong wind. "...Okay, let's continue to enjoy dinner slowly. No matter how anxious we are, the official performance will have to wait until the day after tomorrow." "Yes." Wuche ate the fish gracefully. "And it might be the last Christmas." "You said it as if it had nothing to do with you." "Of course, it's not that simple to kill me." "Of course! It would give me a headache if you died that easily. There will be many Christmases to come." If that time comes - I will protect you. I didn't say that. I put my younger sister who died in the kidnapping case together with Kirikiri... I don't want her to feel that way. Also, I'm not confident that I'm not trapped by my sister's phantom.Perhaps in the depths of my heart, there is still a kind of atonement psychology. That voice for help—it was always my sister's voice. I will definitely save you next time.must-- "We will work hard next time in the 'Challenge of Blackness'! Right, sister Wukiri." "In order to improve the level, there is no way." Wuqiri said in an adult tone with an immature face. For us, this is the second "Black Challenge", what kind of event will it be... "Here's your bill." The waiter suddenly leaned over and handed me something that looked like a thick notebook.I opened it and it said the cost of dinner tonight. ￥62248 "Huh...huh? Didn't Nanamimura...help us pay the bill?" The waiter shook his head with an indisputable smile. "Woo, woo woo." I quickly glanced at my wallet, and there were only two thousand yuan bills in it... "What should I do?" I whispered to Wuchee. "That stupid detective tricked us! That man is rich, but a cheapskate, for sure!" "Don't panic, my lord." Wuqie took out the card from his wallet and handed it to the waiter. "Pay in full." "OK." The waiter retreated inside. "Sister Wu, Wuqie sister...you are so chic..." After dinner, we walked out of the building.The neon lights that were just under our feet have surrounded us unconsciously.Walking side by side with Wuqie on the cold street, it feels like we have come to a paradise in the deep sea. The hours of Christmas Eve are ticking by. On the brightly lit boulevard, the mysterious light shines on the pedestrians passing by. "Goodbye, I'll go this way." Wuqie pointed to one side of the branch road. She left a cloud of white gas in the cold night air, turned around and walked forward alone. "Wait, let me take you home, it's getting late..." "It's not necessary." Wuqie turned around and said, flicking the three-strand braid on her shoulders. "Not to mention in a foreign country, at least in this country when walking at night, there is nothing that can threaten me." "You speak so loudly. If a man really attacks you, what will happen to a baby-faced little girl like you? For example, like this—" I made a posture to attack Kirikiri from behind, and reached out to her slender neck. The next moment—her figure disappeared from my field of vision. At some point, she had already stood obliquely behind me and twisted my right hand instead. "It hurts." "If you want to prove it, I hope you can control it within the scope of reasoning." Foggie let go of my hand and said. "Sister Jie, you have to be careful, you can't beat a man who attacks you with just a high jump." "Woooo... What kind of trick was that just now? Self-defense? Teach me too!" "Not today, I have to go home." Kirikiri said while watching the clock on the street. "I said, in short, let's go home together. Can't you feel that I still want to talk to you? You are very dull in this kind of place." Wukiri frowned slightly, looked up at me, and walked forward silently. I walk beside her. "About the topic just now..." "Self-defense?" "No, a little earlier, about the chairman of the Crime Victims Relief Committee." "What's wrong?" "I used to be a detective with a high level, which has something to do with the establishment of the detective library... Could it be your grandfather?" "It would be very dramatic if that were the case, but it's impossible." "Why are you so sure?" "Because grandpa has not registered in the detective library, he told me before. Since he has not registered, it will not be level 30, and the record will not be erased." "Although it's a bit impolite to say so...but is it possible that your grandpa lied to you?" If Wukiri's grandfather was secretly operating as the head of a criminal organization, then it would be impossible for him to confess his identity to his granddaughter. “爷爷对于雾切的姓氏怀有无上的骄傲……所以他不可能容忍自己身为一个侦探被划分等级。关于DSC制度的采用，听说他也是唯一一个表示反对的人。” “对于雾切这个姓氏的骄傲……是吗。” 对我来说，这件事听起来简直属于一个我难以企及的世界。 雾切的祖父是一个伟大的侦探，这一点从孙女响子身上就可以一目了然。她能够以十三岁稚龄在侦探领域崭露头角，想必正是因为有雾切的血脉和历史在背后推动。 然而在我们之前遇到过的侦探当中，没有一个人对雾切这个姓氏表现出任何反应。就连双零级的七村，他对雾切的看法似乎也不过是一个“有点小聪明的小姑娘”。 雾切家的侦探想必并不称许公开的行动，而是一直生活在暗处。因此一般的侦探并不知道雾切这个姓氏。 如果真是这样，那么为了维护雾切的荣耀，雾切的祖父自己没有在侦探图书馆登记，这也是有可能的。 ……what? 这样的话，雾切响子为什么要在侦探图书馆登记呢，她以前好像说过是祖父让她登记的吧。难道这不是背叛雾切家荣耀的行为吗……“本来爷爷基本上是在国外生活的。他在工作上经常跟海外各国打交道，就他看来，犯罪受害者救济委员会说到底也只是一个国内的小规模犯罪组织，他没有工夫管这种小事。” “果然不在一个次元上啊……” 雾切响子的祖父又一次让我感到了畏惧。这样一个大人物在跟那些不为人知的犯罪作斗争，什么社会评价，什么公众地位，都跟他没有关系。 “不过，至少你的祖父应该认识那个犯罪受害者救济委员会的会长啊？他们以前是同事吧？” “谁知道呢。”雾切露出严肃的表情，往冻僵的手指上呵了口气。“不管他认不认识，我们也不能怎么样。” “如果问得到那个人的名字，就可以到办公室去把那个人叫出来啊，搞不好他很轻易就会现身哦。” “就算他现身，之后要怎么办？你要怎么控告一个志愿者团体的会长？” “总会有办法的啦！像阿尔·卡彭那样，不管是用逃税还是什么别的罪名，总而言之先把那个人抓起来就好了，最重要的是不让他继续举行'黑之挑战'。” “结姐姐大人，极端的正义跟邪恶没有什么区别。” "Well……" “总而言之，关于会长的话题就先放到一边，现在我们专心处理眼前的事吧。” “……说得也是。”被比我小的女生教训了。 由七村担任侦探角色的“黑之挑战”已经过了将近十二个小时。The game has started. 正因为是现在这个时候，我们才必须要保持冷静。要想打倒组织的大魔王，等到这场'黑之挑战'结束后也不迟。 如果……我们能平安归来的话。 我胡思乱想，一面烦恼不已一面往前走，雾切突然停下了脚步。 "Huh? What's the matter?" “我到家了。” 平缓的坡道上，有一道有点夸张的日式建筑大门，它紧紧关闭着，严阵以待。路灯就像是通往那扇门的路标，一盏一盏向着山坡之上延伸。白色的围墙遮住了墙内的景象，看不到理应坐落在前方的大宅。 “该怎么说呢，跟我想象的一样……”我用羡慕的眼光望着雾切。“你果然是个千金大小姐啊。” “门禁时间已经过了。”雾切垂头丧气地说。“就算我说是去跟侦探见面，要是爷爷知道对方是男人，肯定会生气的……该怎么办啊。” 雾切说话的时候很少见地表现出了不安。 “有门禁的话你就早点说啊，那我就会早点让你回来了。” “就是跟姐姐大人一起走我才回来晚了。”雾切撅着嘴很不耐烦地说。“因为我迎合气氛陪你讲话……” “抱、抱歉，是我的错。”我一个劲儿地道歉。“我来解释的话有用吗？” “那就帮了我大忙了。”她的语气比平时软化了不少，让我一不小心有点心跳加速。 雾切走上坡道，在门前停下。厚实的木门上镶着粗糙的铆钉，并没有欢迎来访者的意思，反倒透出几分拒绝的意味。乍看之下，门口没有挂名牌，只有着一台镜头大得显眼的可视电话。 “你不进去？” “只有外人才从这里进去。”雾切拐了个弯，沿着围墙往前走。“家人出入都是走后门的。” “感觉……很正式啊……” 围墙后面种着杉树，杉树的后面还藏着什么东西。虽然勉强可以看到一栋庄严住宅的轮廓，但感觉不到里面有人。 对于不知内情的人来说，围墙里面的这块地方大概相当神秘吧。 “你跟爷爷两个人住在这里？” “嗯。不过还有三个佣人，他们轮流换班，保证至少有一个人住在这里守夜。” “佣人？这种人现实中真的存在？” 我们上的学校是贵族学校，我听说过有极少数学生家里雇了女仆或是保姆。原来雾切响子也是她们之中的一个。 只不过要说她的家庭很幸福，看来也不尽然，她的父母似乎都不在。因为我没有特意问过她详细的情况，所以不大清楚事实究竟如何，不过这对她来说肯定是个大问题。 “说起来，听说你不久之前还住在国外？” “是啊。差不多两个月之前，我搬到这里来住了。在此之前，差不多五年的时间里，我跟爷爷一起来来去去跑了海外的很多地方。不过因为不能荒废学业，趁着这次工作告一段落，我就一个人回国了。” “我越来越觉得你跟我真不是一个世界的人。” “是吗。”雾切一脸若无其事地说。 沿着围墙走了一会儿，雾切终于站住了，指着围墙上的一个地方。那里有一扇可供一个人出入的小门。 雾切从口袋里摸出钥匙，插进门上的钥匙孔。门马上打开了。 “什么啊，你不是有钥匙吗。” “钥匙不算什么，问题是这之后该怎么办。” “偷偷回房间不就行了？” “肯定会被发现的啊。”雾切有点生气地说。 “那我该做些什么？” “在这里等着，爷爷会来叫你的。” "Okay, I see." “我马上回来。” “啊，雾切妹妹，等一下。” "What's up?" “你头上那个东西，是不是取下来比较好？” 我指着雾切头上顶着的圣诞帽，她默默地把帽子扫了下来。 她露出一脸不可思议的表情注视着落在脚边的帽子。 "what is this?" ——原来她一直没发现啊。我捡起帽子，催促雾切。 “好了，你赶快去吧。” “啊，嗯。”雾切消失在门后。 我送走雾切之后，两手插在大衣口袋里，靠在围墙上。 我很少见到雾切这么慌张的样子，想必对她来说祖父是绝对的权威吧。还是说，她只是单纯的很依恋爷爷呢。对于无父无母的她来说，毫无疑问，祖父就是她的心灵支柱。 不管怎么说，只要一想起她刚才慌慌张张的样子，我就不由自主地想笑。没想到冷静如她，居然会因为门禁这样一件小事方寸大乱……我不经意间抬头一看路灯，看到天空中有什么东西在闪闪发光。 是雪——这是个白色圣诞节啊。 在这样的夜晚，我一个人自顾自傻笑……到底是在干嘛呢。我心头涌上一股无从排解的孤独。 但是今年跟往年不一样，我遇到了雾切响子这位少女。我在侦探生涯中感到的孤独和虚无因她而有所减轻，这是毋庸置疑的事实。 来年我们还能不能在一起呢。 我想象着我们共同的未来。不知为什么，我能够想象出的，只有一片暗无天日的黑暗。这难道也是侦探注定的命运吗—— “结姐姐大人。”听到这个声音，我向门看去，发现门打开了。 雾切一个人带着困扰的表情站在那里。 “咦？你爷爷呢？” 我一边把大衣扣子扣上，一边从墙上直起身。我向雾切走过去，看了看她背后，那里没有人。 “就是你要拐走我家响子吗！”这个声音是从我头顶传来的。 一个穿着和服外褂的老人正立在墙上，背后是飘着雪的夜空——等我发现的时候已经太迟了。 老人落到我背后，用手上的手杖一敲我的膝窝，手在我肩膀上一拍。我完全来不及抵抗，一下子就被撂倒在地。 等我反应过来，我已经仰面朝天倒在地上了。 老人的手杖落了下来。我只能眼睁睁地仰望着—— “等等，不是这个人！”雾切赶紧上前阻止。 手杖一下子定在了半空中。我仰躺在冰冷的水泥地上举起双手。 “我、我认输……” “爷爷，您仔细看看，她是女的呀。” “什么？”老人仔细盯着我看，然后毫不客气地在我胸部抓了一把。“嗯……的确……” "Hey, hello!" 老人的手意外地很有力，我把他的手打开，一个鲤鱼打挺跳了起来，赶紧离他远远的。 “这是五月雨结姐姐大人，她是跟我一个学校的侦探。” “啊，原来是你。”老人抓着白发苍苍的脑袋说。“抱歉抱歉，因为我收到消息说孙女跟男人一起出去吃饭，有点误会了——” 从哪里收到的消息啊。话说回来，这个人—— 外表看起来相当年轻。一头银发很有光泽，皱纹也浅，腰挺得很直，眼睛里闪烁着充满活力的光辉。他右手拄着手杖，但是他怎么看也不像腿脚不灵便需要靠手杖支撑的样子。想必这根手杖对他来说是一种武器吧。 “那个……您、您好，初次见面。”总而言之我先低下头。“呃——……那个，雾切妹妹……响子妹妹在学校还有其他的一些地方都对我很好。” “你是之前打过电话来的那个人吧？”老人像是换了个人一样，露出了沉稳的笑容。“我的孙女响子才是承蒙你照顾了，真是不好意思。响子好像不大习惯这里的生活，总是独来独往的，我也不知该怎么办，一直很担心。不过，现在她有了你这样一个好伙伴，我总算可以松口气了。对吧，响子？” “是的。”雾切藏在老人背后，稍稍把头低着表示同意，感觉好像比平时更拘谨一些，完全是一副听话小绵羊的样子了。 在爷爷面前就这么温顺啊…… “我跟响子妹妹谈了一会儿事件，结果就到了这个时间了……我不知道她家有门禁，实在非常抱歉！”我又鞠了个躬。“下次我一定会让她准时回家的，今天……就请您不要责罚她了！” “哈哈哈……我还以为把响子带来的人是谁呢，原来如此，原来如此。五月雨君，不管什么规则都是有例外的，比如说，只要是跟侦探工作有关的事，不管发生什么，我都不会怪响子的。” "So……" “门禁这玩意儿……狗屁都不是！” 啊……太好了，他没我想象的那么不讲道理。 他一下子把我撂倒而且还摸我胸部，我一时之间还以为会怎么样呢，还好，他没我想得那么坏，看来是个心胸宽阔的人。还是说，这只是因为他宠爱孙女的缘故？ 我之前还捏了把冷汗，担心会不会冒出来一个凶神恶煞的倔老头，现在可真是发自心底地松了口气。 “哈哈……你是不是以为我是个凶神恶煞的倔老头？你都写在脸上啦。” “对、对不起。” “在雾切的名下，侦探才是至高无上的。'先去完成侦探工作，再送家人最后一程'——响子啊，这是雾切家传下来的一句祖训对吧？” “是的，爷爷。” “唔嗯，我也真心希望响子能成为一流的侦探。为此废除门禁也是可以的！” “真的吗？”雾切一脸惊讶地问。 “只要响子能独当一面，我马上就废除门禁。” “是的，我会成为一名出色的侦探。”雾切眼睛闪闪发光地回答。 “好、好，真是乖孩子。” 祖父抚摸着孙女的头，雾切开心地眯起眼睛。 该怎么说……虽然他们的关系有点非同寻常，不过看起来很幸福。 “顺带一提。”我有点煞风景地插了一句嘴。“从后天开始，为了解决'黑之挑战'的事件，响子妹妹可能要在外留宿……啊，当然我也跟她在一起的。您同意吗？” I asked. “啊，可以。”对方很干脆地表示许可。 把自己的孙女送到一个视情况可能会有生命危险的地方，他对此似乎没有丝毫犹豫。而且对于“黑之挑战”这个词，他并没有什么特别的反应。 雾切的祖父对于犯罪受害者救济委员会，究竟了解多少呢？至少他应该从雾切口中听说过“黑之挑战”的有关情况，也有可能知道更深层次的内容。 既是大侦探，又跟侦探图书馆的设立有关，符合这些条件的人应该并不是很多。还是说另有其他符合条件的人呢？我不知道该不该问起这件事。 正在我犹豫的时候，老人先开口了。 “那么五月雨君，你也应该早些回去为事件做准备了，今晚很冷啊。我开车送你吧？” “啊，不用了，没关系的。” “是吗。那么——响子就拜托你多照顾了。” “好的。”我深深低下头，下定了决心。“那个，我还有一件事想问……” 我抬起头一看，老人的身影已经不见了。 “咦？”我看一看周围，也没有找到。消失了…… “你在干什么呢，结姐姐大人。如果你是在找爷爷，他已经回家了。”站在门旁边的雾切说。 “我完全没发现。本来还有些事情想问他的。” 我不由得重重叹了口气。紧张感一消失，疲劳感就一下子涌了上来。 “对不起，姐姐大人，给你添麻烦了。” “真是倒了大霉……哎，不过如果是你的话，让你摸一下胸部倒是无所谓。”我拍打着大衣上的灰尘说。“不过你爷爷这么通情达理，这不是很好吗。他倒是跟我想的一样很重视对你的教育。” “我说，结姐姐大人。我问你一个问题可以吗？” "what?" “'先去完成侦探工作，再送家人最后一程'，这很奇怪吗？” “咦？唔、唔——嗯……”我歪着脑袋想。“与其说奇怪，不如说是不近人情吧。” “不近人情？” “这句话的意思就是叫人一门心思去完成侦探工作对吧？” “不，不是这样的。对于雾切家的人来说，侦探工作比家人的死更加重要。这不是打比方之类的修辞手法，而是必须遵守的教条。” "yes……" "Is it weird?" “虽然可能有点不太寻常……不过我觉得很厉害啊。这就是说，侦探这个身份让你们引以为豪对吧？” “不太寻常？”雾切不依不饶。她是怎么了，难道对雾切家的家训有疑问？ 对于自己侦探的身份，她怀有无比的自豪。她会对自己自小被灌输的家训有疑问吗。 “你是怎么想的？”我这样问她。 雾切想了好一会儿，这才开口说：“我觉得……不奇怪。” “是吗。你能够这么说，果然很潇洒呢。” “但是……这可能只是我自己盲目的想法。”雾切别开脸说。“要不然，我就会觉得自己内心空空荡荡的……” 她以侦探的身份而活着。对她来说，活着跟当侦探是一回事。这就是她的一切。but-- “没事的啦。只要有我在，你的内心就不会空空荡荡，我也不会让这种事发生。” 我拉着她的手，把她一把扯进怀里，轻轻拍着她小小的后背。 “我可以保持现在这样？”她仰头望着我说。 “当然。在这个世上，你是最酷最纯粹的侦探，对吧？从明天开始，我们一起努力吧。” “……嗯。”雾切挣脱我的怀抱，伸手去推门。 “再见。”我挥了挥手，雾切有些害羞地垂下眼睛，消失在了门后。 说起门禁……宿舍的门禁时间已经过了很久。 为了不被宿舍管理员发现，我是偷偷跳窗子回房间的。 我居然在圣诞之夜违反门禁……相当不错嘛。

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