The Bizarre Detective Agency

Chapter 175: The Final Question

"A cup of coffee. One sugar, not too hot."

Tesla, his throat dry from the lengthy conversation, removed his top hat to reveal a head of chestnut curls. He turned to old Pick. "Don't you want to stay and hear another story?"

Even if old Pick had wanted to, he felt too awkward to remain under such a teasing gaze. He shot Tesla a disgruntled sideways glance, then rose and made his way to the counter.

Tesla watched him go, a smile never leaving his face. He turned back to Lu Li. "You have another question, I presume?"

Lu Li wasted no time on pleasantries. "Was that story fiction, or did it actually happen?"

"A bit of both... In time, you'll understand," Tesla replied, his smile turning enigmatic. He had answered all of Lu Li's other questions, but he chose to leave this one unanswered.

"You are a cautious one..."

Tesla sighed. He was certain that, given a few more days, Lu Li would have researched the ruins exhaustively before setting foot inside.

"This was me being relaxed," Lu Li replied.

"What do you mean, 'relaxed'?""Exactly what I said," Lu Li said, meeting Tesla's gaze. "The death of 'me' in the story wouldn't affect the real me, so I could afford to act with relative freedom."

"You mean you could have been even more cautious?"

"Yes."

Lu Li was a man both cautious and bold. It sounded contradictory, but the explanation was simple. He prepared meticulously for every move, striving to eliminate any potential surprises. Yet once he stepped inside a ruin or a building, he acted with absolute resolve. He had suspected Remi time and again, sensing a secret hidden behind her strange behavior, yet he had continued to trust her all the same.

"Perhaps you'll go further than I anticipate," Tesla said, offering his assessment of Lu Li.

As the saying goes, those who fear death live the longest.

The same applied to caution.

"Before old Pick gets back, let's finish the trial."

Half an hour had slipped by, and Tesla didn't want to waste any more time.

"There's more?" Lu Li asked, thinking the trial had already concluded.

"I haven't used the drawing board yet."

Tesla tapped the board lying on the table. "I prepared this in advance. Since we're similar in some ways, I had a rough idea of how your mind works. That's why I saved this for the final test, to be given after you completed the introductory investigator trial. I also wanted to teach you a lesson."

"Although the process and results of the trial differed somewhat from my expectations... this will still be useful. You see, kindness alone isn't enough. It can even be a dangerous trait. You might feel compassion, but your enemies won't. They are far more vicious and indifferent than you can possibly imagine. Your kindness could one day lead to a horrible death during an investigation..."

This was the point Tesla wanted to make. As one of the leaders of the Investigators in Belfast, he had seen plenty of novices, many of whom showed compassion and kindness toward anomalies.

Their fates often ended tragically. Those who survived learned to change their views after what they'd endured.

This was precisely why Tesla valued Lu Li: he was kind, yet cautious enough. Even after encountering so many strange creatures, he hadn't lost that quality.

"And so, the final question."

Tesla slowly turned the board so Lu Li could see the drawing. "Here is the scenario," he began. "You're investigating a ruined city. As you walk down a derelict street, you come to an intersection and see a little girl clutching a doll. Surrounding her are four hideous monsters. The situation is critical, and you have to act. Fortunately, you're powerful enough to kill any one of these monsters with a single shot. The catch? One of them is also capable of killing you just as easily. You have three shots to eliminate the threat and guarantee your safety. You raise your Spirit Gun, ready to fire at one of the monsters."

On the board was a crude drawing: ruined buildings flanked the street, a girl with two pigtails held a doll at the intersection, and four huge, terrible monsters circled her.

The first monster was massive, with short legs and a ferocious face, somewhat resembling the monster from the trial. The second looked like an overgrown bush with a dozen eyes peering out from its leaves. The third was a strange humanoid creature with gills, webbed feet, and a harpoon, looking like a cross between a fish and a frog. The fourth was a distorted specter.

"Remember, you can only shoot. No talking."

This question tested Lu Li's observation skills and his decisiveness in the face of a threat.

It was only a test, of course, not a real kill.

Lu Li quickly made his choice—the distorted specter.

"The specter?" Tesla commented. "Not a bad choice. Incorporeal beings often have unusual abilities and could indeed kill you easily. You have two shots left."

Lu Li decided to use his second shot on the enormous bush.

"The unknown monster? Good. The unknown often means danger. You don't know its method of attack. You have one shot left."

Lu Li reached out again, his finger pointing to the center of the board—at the little girl.

"You want to spend your last shot on... the girl?" Tesla couldn't hide his surprise. "Did I hear you correctly?"

"Yes," Lu Li answered calmly.

"Why would you kill her? She's just an ordinary little girl."

"An ordinary little girl wouldn't be taking a stroll with her doll through a ruined city."

"Perhaps she's looking for her family, buried under the rubble."

"I don't see any fear on her face."

"Maybe I'm just not a very good artist."

Scratch, scratch...

"There. I've added an expression."

"She could be pretending."

"...You'll need stronger proof than that to convince me. Otherwise, your final score might take a hit."

"Those four monsters are all different species and would move at different speeds, yet they've all gathered around the girl in a circle. They aren't attacking each other, nor are they attacking her. That's enough to suggest they're her subordinates. Her minions."

"...And why did you leave the other two?"

"Because I only have three shots."

"I'm asking why you chose to spare them."

"The first one has short legs, which means it's slow and couldn't catch me. The second is holding a harpoon. Using a tool implies intelligence. It might be possible to negotiate with it."

It was sound logic.

Tesla couldn't find a single flaw in it.

"So what's the right answer?" Lu Li asked.

Tesla looked at Lu Li with a strange expression, feeling as if he no longer understood this young man at all.

"There is no right answer. This question tests your powers of observation. But I suppose your answer may as well be the correct one now."