Fog City Detective

Chapter 6: The Butler

As night fell, the butler instructed someone to invite Liang Xi to the dining room. Apart from the people from the law firm, there were representatives from other aristocratic and even royal families. The nobles and royals were scheduled to arrive at the estate for the funeral tomorrow, but those present today were mostly second-generation members of these distinguished families. They arrived at the estate to express their condolences to the relatives.

Liang Xi disliked such formalities. Eating a piece of steak only took five minutes, but the pleasantries during the meal took fifty minutes. Even if no one paid attention to him, he still had to endure five minutes of small talk. Eating with these privileged heirs meant you couldn't leave until you finished your meal. Liang Xi had no problem with that, but he didn't want to bother with it. So, he chose to sit alone on a chair in the backyard, enjoying the food and a cup of lemonade brought by a maid in the night breeze.

This wasn't the first time Liang Xi helped John with a case. In recent years, John had become increasingly lazy, delegating most of the work to Liang Xi. John spent his days holed up at home reading newspapers. Apart from occasional outings with old friends, he only took walks near his home with Mary. Liang Xi didn't mind these arrangements, even though the tasks John assigned him were unpaid and didn't contribute to his income.

Liang Xi was well aware that John was trying to expose him to more people, especially those in high society. However, Liang Xi had no interest in getting to know people from the upper class. He believed that friendships across class divisions were impossible. What? Upper-class people can help you and provide opportunities. If he had to sell his face, he'd rather become a Robin Hood and steal things to help the poor. Who was the poorest? Of course, he was the poorest. Money didn't matter; the key was to adhere to principles like a Robin Hood. Since he only knew himself, why bother making friends with others?

A melodious violin sound reached Liang Xi from the side. Unable to resist, he followed the sound towards the source. The gentle moonlight and the beautiful melody merged perfectly, making people stop and not want to leave. The performer, with closed eyes, was completely immersed in his own world as if enchanted.

No, the performer was not a beautiful girl in a white evening gown, nor a princess. It was the gardener, a middle-aged, chubby man in his forties, wearing work clothes. The soft melody and the image were discordant. Except for Liang Xi, the only audience was the gardener's wife.

As the piece concluded, Liang Xi applauded. He had no idea how good it sounded; he had no sense of pitch. But he could deduce and dare to say that anyone who dared to play the violin on noble territory must have some skills. He clapped first and figured it out later.

The gardener felt embarrassed, exchanged pleasantries with Liang Xi, and apologized for disturbing him. The gardener's wife brought some refreshments, and the two began to chat. After half an hour of casual conversation, Liang Xi had essentially cracked the case. He knew who had stolen the will and even speculated on the accomplice. However, he had no evidence, couldn't confirm the identity of the accomplice, and had no way to be certain if the new will had already been destroyed.

...

The Earl's Manor had two guesthouses and several individual guest villas, specifically designed for hosting guests. For individuals such as royalty or the children of the influential, the butler would arrange accommodations in the guest villas. Nobles' children were assigned to Building A, where the rooms, facilities, and services were comparable to a luxury hotel. To manage the funeral arrangements, the butler had temporarily hired chefs and professional service staff from a large hotel.

The law firm staff resided in Building B, with somewhat simpler conditions, yet still exceeding the standards of an ordinary hotel room. Hotel professionals provided dedicated services for them.

All of this was about maintaining appearances, and such grandeur couldn't be sustained without wealth. Consequently, the disparities between nobles and aristocrats gradually manifested. Nobles who lost their fortunes but retained their titles would adopt a more common lifestyle, appearing down-to-earth. They would use this down-to-earth demeanor to cover up their financial shortcomings. Conversely, those who retained their wealth would strive to maintain all the trappings of nobility, creating an insurmountable social divide between themselves and wealthy business people.

Building C was further away from Buildings A and B and served as accommodation for the estate's staff. The conditions were decent. Individuals such as the butler and maids who served in the main residence had their own living quarters, always ready to respond to the earl's summons. The maids lived on the first floor, and the butler resided in a small but tastefully decorated room on the second floor, lacking any aesthetic appeal. Why was it considered tasteful? This was a genuine noble estate; it surely had some taste, although Liang Xi couldn't fathom what constituted "taste."

As guests began to arrive today, coupled with the numerous arrangements to be made, the butler was kept busy. Liang Xi patiently waited on the first floor, sipping tea until 1 a.m. when the butler returned to the main residence. Liang Xi then approached him, saying, "Would it be convenient to have a chat?"

The butler maintained a standing posture and replied, "Certainly."

Inviting Liang Xi to sit, the butler asked, "Mr. Liang isn't a lawyer from Cook's Law Firm, is he?"

Liang Xi nodded, "No."

The butler inquired, "A detective?"

After some thought, Liang Xi responded, "Not exactly a detective; detectives get paid for their work. I'm just an errand boy, running around without a reward."

The butler, unfamiliar with such colloquialisms, took a while to understand the meaning before bursting into laughter. "Please, have a seat."

As Liang Xi sat down, the butler asked, "What brings Mr. Liang to me?"

Liang Xi inquired, "Is a process necessary?"

The butler replied, "I have an early start tomorrow."

Liang Xi nodded, "Then, let me get straight to the point: please hand over the will."

The butler countered, "The will?"

Liang Xi continued, "You mentioned you need to get up early tomorrow, and now I have to start explaining."

The butler looked at Liang Xi and said, "At first glance, I knew you were a detective. But I don't understand what a will is."

Liang Xi said, "Really?"

The butler responded, "I truly don't understand what a will is."

Liang Xi said, "No way?"

The butler said, "I mean it. I don't understand what a will is."

Liang Xi continued, "No, I meant, do I look like a detective?"

The butler answered, "From your perspective of observing people and objects, judging by my years of experience in reading people: either a detective or a thief."

After a moment of contemplation, Liang Xi said, "Where were we in our conversation?" These eyes were too sharp.

The butler smiled, "The will."

"Right, the will," Liang Xi said. "I analyzed the situation of each person, and I believe none of the Earl's four children stole the will."

The butler asked, "And then?"

Liang Xi clapped his hands in his left palm, "You don't even care that the will was stolen." Gotcha found the right person.

Unconcerned, the butler remained calm. "Since you've come to me, I'll listen attentively."