socalfunplaces Chapter 284 The Solution - The Bottle That Locks Up the Fairy
Chapter 284 The Solution - The Bottle That Locks Up the Fairy
Despite being the champion, she effortlessly completed the detective's reasoning task. Even someone as composed and carefree as Zhu Lan couldn't help but feel a little touched at this moment.
However, she immediately thought of Hugo, that detective, who was even more remarkable, having inexplicably defeated Champion Alder in Unic. The stark contrast caused her nascent sense of satisfaction to vanish instantly, like a bubble in the sunlight.
...Alright, even if it's just to avoid being outdone by that guy, I absolutely have to solve this puzzle.
Rarely, her family stirred up her fighting spirit. Zhu Lan carefully put away the ancient book in her hand, took out her red Rotom phone from her pocket, and glanced at the time.
It was 11 p.m., four hours after the bloodstained head was found on the attic shelf. I didn’t expect it would take so long to sort out my thoughts. There was less than an hour left before Miss Officer Jenny’s final report.
Let Zhu Lan unravel all the mysteries—wait, what?
"Ahem. Everyone, while I wouldn't dare say that all the mysteries have been solved, the reasoning has made some progress... Well, at least we should be able to handle the report before midnight."
Whether by coincidence or not, before the champion of Bamboo Orchid, who was filled with fighting spirit, it was Officer Jenny, dressed in a police uniform, who broke the silence in the hall first, clapping her hands to attract everyone's attention and standing up to speak.
At this moment, everyone was sitting in twos and threes on the first floor of the Forest Mansion. Cynthia, Officer Jenny, and the head that had suddenly appeared were in the reception room; Vinnie, Neil, and Professor Medan sat in the middle of the living room, exchanging silent glances; Zina and the giant vine that hadn't yet retrieved its Poké Ball were hiding in a corner of the dining room; Hayden and Shadow stood far away at the bottom of the stairs leading to the second floor, the former operating his phone and occasionally giving the latter instructions, presumably handling some internal company matters.
Given the recent discovery of a threatening human head, the possibility that a criminal might still be hiding inside the Forest Mansion cannot be ruled out. Therefore, for everyone's safety, Officer Jenny suggested that everyone gather in an area where they could see each other clearly. The task of searching the entire Forest Mansion was assigned to Pokémon familiar with its layout.
With the patrolling elves returning safely to the living room and reporting that no outside creatures had entered the sealed mansion, Medan and the others became increasingly relaxed. Before Officer Jenny gathered them together, everyone had already begun eating the mansion's stored food, and Professor Medan even planned to leisurely have a drink—luckily, her daughter Venetian dissuaded her in time.
Upon hearing the policewoman's summons, Director Hayden, accompanied by Ah Ying, slowly approached and asked calmly and elegantly, "Since you've considered this for so long, Ms. Officer Jenny, are you prepared to accept Professor Medan's testimony or mine?"
Their deep gazes met Officer Jenny's bright, piercing eyes, creating a sense of unfathomable depth.
"Do not."
Officer Jenny denied it outright.
Both of their guesses are unfounded.
After a brief pause, as if she had made up her mind, Officer Jenny, who works in the intelligence department, added: "In fact, the most baffling part of the whole incident is that you two deliberately concealed the truth and used flawed speculations to confuse the public."
"Sorry, I don't quite understand what you're saying."
"Why bother, Director Hayden? Professor Medan is not a skilled liar. In his panic, the excuse he made up was full of holes. But how clever can you be, trying to cover for him?"
Officer Jenny, looking completely confident, spread her hands with an air of self-assurance as she addressed the big boss in front of her—
"Business competitors may use any means necessary, but those business tricks, whether clever or naive, are something that could never be played out in this mansion at this moment."
"Why is that?" Hayden asked, puzzled. "Besides Hayden Pharmaceuticals, the only other organizations that know the secret of this abandoned mansion are those commercial organizations that have also had dealings with Team Galactic. Naturally, the news of my renovation of this mansion couldn't have escaped their notice. How can you be so sure that the model of the head of a Team Galactic member displayed here wasn't made by those organizations?"
"The reasoning is simple. At least in the place where I work, this principle is well-known."
Officer Jenny raised her index finger—
"When intelligence is put into use, not only will the party harmed by the intelligence suffer losses, but the party that actively uses the intelligence to launch a surprise attack will also suffer a backlash due to the exposure of the intelligence. Just like a Kecleon in stealth mode who wants to use a move on an enemy, its own hidden position will be exposed the moment the move is used. Even if the opponent is damaged, its intelligence advantage will be lost. Therefore, before issuing the next command, the trainer commanding Kecleon will inevitably weigh the maintenance of information advantage against the initiative. If the power of the attack is not significant, it is better to keep Kecleon in stealth mode and respond to all changes by remaining unchanged."
"Is the very existence of intelligence itself a form of important intelligence?"
Hayden frowned. Although the metaphor of the dragon turning into a ghost was very difficult to understand, he had vaguely realized the flaws in his logic.
“Yes, that’s exactly right.” Miss Officer Jenny nodded repeatedly.
"From Hayden Pharmaceuticals' perspective, the dark history of its dealings with the Galaxy Group is undoubtedly a stain that is difficult to wash away. When this weakness is in the hands of an unknown business rival, you will naturally feel like you have a thorn in your side. However, from the other party's perspective, isn't this secret obtained from the Galaxy Group also a piece of unpalatable treasure that is neither tasteless nor worth throwing away? Even if it can be used to threaten people, it will also expose the fact that your company has colluded with the Galaxy Group."
Despite Hayden's increasingly grim expression, Officer Jenny continued to make her pronouncements with unbridled bravado—
"Therefore, under such a state of mutual restraint, they will not casually bring the android head into this building, nor will they carry out such a bizarre so-called 'framing'."
"You know, Champion Zhulan and I only happened to visit this Forest Mansion today. If we hadn't been there, there wouldn't even be any need for an investigation. Mr. Hayden, you could simply bury this head with blood streaming from its neck right there. Or even better, just throw it into that stinking cesspool of sewage to destroy the evidence and leave no trace. And you could also compile a list of suspicious companies with motives based on the recent business situation and take precautions in advance. Wouldn't that completely waste the intelligence advantage your business rivals originally possessed? They would have absolutely no motive to do such a thing!"
Hayden was pale, while Officer Jenny pressed closer—
"Therefore, in conclusion, Professor Medan and Director Hayden, you two have been vying to provide misleading testimonies regarding this android head, which is clearly a sign of something to hide. Based on my deduction, you two must have known the secret all along!"
"Oh dear, Officer Jenny, you say I'm not a master liar, but you yourself are quite the expert at confusing right and wrong."
A cold, dry laugh rang out behind Mr. Hayden, and the mansion owner, Mei Dan's, thin figure emerged like a shadow from the shadow of Steward A Ying.
"It's absolutely ridiculous. We were just offering you some guesses, and how did it become a malicious attempt to mislead you? And what do you mean by 'having a guilty conscience'? Hahaha! Little girl, I think your bluffing is just as guilty as having a guilty conscience."
The expressions of various provocative people on the old man Mei Dan's face changed like a revolving lantern, and his words were full of sarcasm and ridicule, which was astonishing.
No wonder it has become a popular trend online.
However, Officer Jenny had already seen through the old man's true nature hidden behind the mask, and her gaze towards Medan held a hint of pity—
"Master Meidan, actually... whenever you feel guilty or fearful, you unconsciously make such exaggerated and arrogant statements, right?"
Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.
A deathly silence fell over the mansion.
Suddenly, a hysterical, loud laugh rang out. In the enclosed mansion, the old man's voice, like the "echo" attack of a sonic monster, relentlessly assaulted everyone's eardrums.
"Me? Feeling guilty?"
With a shrill laugh, the owner of the Meidan Pavilion pointed to her wrinkled face—
"I dare point my finger at Medan, whom even the gods spit on, who has no respect for authority, slanders gods and ancestors, and doesn't even care about his own life. And today, it's your turn, a little girl who hasn't even grown her hair yet, to accuse me of having a guilty conscience? Hahaha, it's absurd, laughable, and utterly shameless! A mere scary model, who knows who put it here, what does it have to do with me? I was trying to help you out, and now I'm the one being suspected. Heh, I should have just kept my mouth shut and watched your performance, like Neil and the others. Fine, then I'll ask you too! Why did this accident happen on the very day you two set up my mansion? Why, as police officers and champions, did you sneak around in other people's houses like that? Why, when it's someone else's private matter, did you judge them like you were interrogating a criminal? Why..."
No one responded to Mei Dan's incessant questioning. Officer Jenny and Cynthia had already explained those questions to everyone before the incident; Mei Dan's reiteration of them was merely a distraction. Unfortunately, the Forest Mansion was not a forum for academic debate, and the old man's eagerness to defend himself only served as the best evidence of his guilty conscience.
Zhu Lan had originally planned to ask Mei Dan some questions about the flaws she had just discovered, but given the current situation, those questions were no longer necessary.
Anyone who saw Mei Dan's furious and exasperated expression and heard her increasingly scathing and sarcastic remarks would instantly understand Officer Jenny's seemingly profound pronouncement.
He was getting anxious.
"What's wrong with you guys? Say something! Can't you see this bastard in a police uniform here, blindfolded and making baseless accusations against someone? Isn't that our Sinnoh champion? Aren't you going to stand up for justice?"
Zhu Lan politely turned her gaze elsewhere and did not respond.
"Alright, alright, Medan, there's no need to explain anymore," Mr. Hayden said, putting his hand on his old classmate's shoulder to comfort him.
The latter snorted coldly, tilted his shoulder, and mercilessly flung Hayden's hand off his shoulder, his voice truly stopping there.
Finally, persuaded by his friend, the old man walked to a distant part of the lobby on the first floor and stopped getting involved in the discussion of the incident.
"Please get some rest. I have some things to ask you later." Officer Jenny bowed apologetically to Medan in the distance, then turned back to the group, awkwardly trying to smooth things over in a low voice.
"It can be embarrassing when your true nature is discovered by others. But please rest assured, apart from our investigation into the Galactic Cluster and the clues about the ancient ruins, we will not disclose anything that happens here to the outside world."
"Sigh, although I had a feeling this way, I never thought Dad would actually do it..."
Vinnie, who had come with Medan, clutched her chest and said with lingering fear.