novelraw Chapter 72 : Try It and You’ll Know
Chapter 72 : Try It and You’ll Know
Chapter 72: Try It and You’ll Know
“Game?”
When everyone was summoned by Levi’s phone call, they were all utterly dumbfounded.
And when they heard Levi describe that game, they were even more bewildered.
“Do many people play it?”
“Probably every child in the Mist City is playing it.”
“This……….”
Hearing this, everyone was stunned.
After searching for so long, after investigating so many rumors and pieces of information, Levi turned around and told them that the culprit behind all of this was actually… a street children’s game?
No wonder their investigation had yielded no results for so long—who would have thought a children’s street game would be connected to this?
Those children themselves probably hadn’t thought of it either.
“This game is very interesting.”
Anthony tried it out, and his eyes immediately lit up.
“I remember that on the day of the ceremony, Her Majesty the Queen will pass through the middle of the Imperial Bridge by ship, right?”
“Because they want to show the people the design essence of the Imperial Bridge.”
Henry spoke up.
The idea of raising the bridge deck sounded simple, but seeing it in person was truly shocking.
It was also meant to inspire a sense of national and ethnic pride among the citizens.
Since it was the opening ceremony, naturally the people had to witness this special feature with their own eyes.
“In other words, the designer of this game very likely knew about this.”
Levi frowned.
“And the wording is also very professional.”
Anthony shook the slip of paper where Levi had written the lyrics.
“Things like bricks and mortar—ordinary children wouldn’t think of that.”
“And they’re all the materials used for building the Imperial Bridge, not a single one missing.”
Henry carefully checked the lyrics again, and his expression immediately grew serious.
Although the Imperial Bridge was a confidential project, the materials could not be kept secret.
The constant transportation back and forth could be tracked by anyone with intent.
“So the game corresponds with the opening ceremony. When was the ceremony procedure finalized?”
“Half a year ago? A year ago? It must have been a long time—ask the Secretariat.”
Something like an opening ceremony would never be decided only after construction was nearly done.
It was always prepared in advance and pulled out when needed.
In MI7, no one was a fool.
Since Levi had found a clue, everyone naturally began to move, starting to investigate this intelligence.
But Levi did not care about that.
“As for the source of the intelligence, we can investigate it later—or simply hand it over to someone else.”
Levi preferred being on the scene.
Internal investigations like this, he was too lazy to do, and unwilling as well.
“Our problem now is to figure out how exactly they intend to turn this song into reality.”
Levi spoke, pointing again at that model.
“From what we can see, this nursery rhyme is clearly aimed at the opening ceremony, and the procedure matches—right, Henry?”
“Yes.”
Henry held another document and nodded.
“According to the ceremony procedure, Her Majesty the Queen will board the Empire’s newest battleship, the Blade of the Throne, and depart from the Tylesis River. Upon reaching the Imperial Bridge, Her Majesty will stand on the deck to conduct the opening ceremony. Then the bridge deck will open, the battleship will pass through—that’s roughly the process.”
“Envoys from other nations and guests will watch from the auxiliary bridges on both sides.”
Anthony added.
“Then according to this game, if Her Majesty passes under the Imperial Bridge aboard that battleship and the raised bridge decks suddenly come crashing down…”
Levi lifted his arm, then let it fall.
“Mm, then it’ll be fun.”
“That would be anything but fun.”
Hearing Levi’s words and picturing the scene, Henry broke out in a cold sweat.
If it truly happened, it would be a catastrophe.
Not to mention it would happen under countless eyes.
If the enemy really succeeded, then the Empire……… the Empire would truly explode.
“So, can the ceremony be changed?”
Levi turned toward Anthony.
“Let the Queen conduct the ceremony on shore instead? Just not board the ship?”
“Now? Impossible. These things are arranged in advance with all the guests, and it’s already been announced.
Changing it now would cause even bigger problems.”
Anthony shook his head, rejecting Levi’s suggestion.
“So if I resign right now, is it still in time?”
Levi was serious.
“No.
The paperwork alone would take a week.”
Anthony was serious too.
“Then it seems too late.”
Levi sighed.
Without a formal resignation, there’d be no compensation, no pension……… besides, he still had a mission.
“Then let’s go through the process once ourselves.”
Thinking of this, Levi made his decision.
“What do you mean?”
“A rehearsal. You understand rehearsal, right? We take a boat and follow the same route as the ceremony. Let’s see how exactly this thing comes into play.”
At this point, Levi had no other solution.
“But haven’t there already been patrols under the bridge? Why wasn’t it triggered?”
“Because they were all men. That song is obviously directed at the Queen.”
At this time, superstition still lingered—like women boarding ships being bad luck.
Of course, the Queen was an exception: she was the Queen, ruler of all lands, free to go wherever she pleased.
But for repair or transport ships below, no one would bring a woman along just for trouble.
And clearly the song had accounted for that, with every verse ending in “my beautiful lady.”
Passenger ships aside, the women qualified to board a battleship were very few.
So who the rhyme was aimed at was self-evident.
“I’ll go, I’ll go, I want to go with you!”
Katie excitedly raised her hand high, like a student eager to be called on.
“Then you come.”
Levi had no one else to turn to anyway.
Besides, in terms of fighting strength, this young lady surpassed even him.
As a special department, MI7 certainly held authority, especially for extremely important cases.
Soon Anthony, as representative, coordinated with the construction bureau of the Imperial Bridge.
Of course, they did not mention rumors or mysterious events, only saying that for safety’s sake, they wished to rehearse the ceremony process in advance, checking for any oversights.
The bridge officials did not object.
They too feared mishaps, but had no authority to propose such a thing.
Now that MI7 had given them this pretext, they eagerly agreed.
“Chug chug chug……………”
The little steamship was far smaller than a tall battleship, but it sufficed as a stand-in.
The only issue was—it was already night.
Levi hadn’t even managed to eat lunch, and Irene had to cancel dinner with regret.
The Tylesis River was pitch-black at night.
Luckily gas lamps lit the surroundings, though the river’s center remained obscured.
Levi steered the steamship forward while Katie stood at the bow deck, mimicking the ceremony procedure.
“Looking at it at night, this bridge is really beautiful.”
Gazing at the Imperial Bridge illuminated against the darkness, Katie couldn’t help but murmur in awe.
The entire bridge was ablaze with light, even the two massive towers in the river shone brightly.
From afar, it looked like a bridge forged of pure light, brimming with romance.
“Beautiful, and very dangerous.”
Levi stared at Katie, face solemn.
“Are you really going to do this? To be honest, I’m not close to the Queen, but I can tell you—the danger this time is very great, extremely great.”
From Levi’s investigation of the children’s game, anyone “hit” was immediately eliminated—without even a chance to struggle.
It was purely rule-based.
Which meant that avoiding the game’s effect relied solely on luck.
No other option.
Of course, one might try speeding up or slowing down, but that would break the rules—and then no one would play along.
So if Katie was unlucky enough to be “hit,” her only path was elimination.
“I want to do it.”
Katie nodded eagerly.
“Because this is really fun. A little scary, but very thrilling, isn’t it?”
“Thrilling, yes—but sometimes thrills can be deadly……… Remember to hold on to that model box.”
Since Katie had decided, Levi would not oppose her.
To be safe, he also brought the model, stored in a box for Katie to carry.
In case it proved useful, better to have it than not.
As they spoke, their steamship approached the bridge.
Levi glanced back and saw Henry piloting another ship behind them, just in case.
If Levi and Katie really were struck, Henry could pull them from the river.
Levi lifted the intercom and gave Anthony at the bridgehead the order.
“Ready. Start.”
“Understood, boss.”
“Thud thud……………”
The next moment, with a deep rumble, the heavy bridge deck before them began slowly rising.
Levi stared at it, then at the two towers.
In his eyes, they looked just like the two little girls in the game, the bridge itself their arms.
At this moment, they were slowly lifting their arms, and beginning to sing.
“Imperial Bridge is falling down, falling down, falling down, Imperial Bridge is falling down, my beautiful lady……….”
“………………….”
Levi said nothing.
Once the bridge deck was raised, he steered the steamship forward.
With a steady “chug chug chug,” the ship drew closer to the underside of the bridge.
Looking up, the massive bridge deck loomed overhead, even blocking the starlight.
Levi grew more tense.
The steamship entered beneath the bridge, pressing on.
“Boss, run!”
Just as they reached the center of the bridge, Anthony’s voice suddenly crackled through the intercom.
Before he even finished, Levi had already leapt from the cabin, lunged at Katie, grabbed her, and the two plunged straight into the water.
Almost at the same instant, the heavy bridge deck came crashing down, slamming hard into the river!