Mystery Detective of the Steam World

Chapter 1 On the Foggy Street
I'm alive?

Li Wei stared blankly around him. He was certain that just a moment ago he was lying on the hospital bed, able to hear the cold, urgent alarms of the medical equipment, and perhaps even see a few blurry figures in white coats surrounding him. But Li Wei paid no attention to any of that. He could feel his life force about to be extinguished, like a candle burning out.

But Li Wei didn't consider this place to be heaven or hell, because he was standing there perfectly still, feeling the solid stone ground beneath his feet. All around him were dimly lit, towering houses. In the hazy light, the entire street was filled with a light mist, like sauna steam; the cold, moist air filled his lungs.

It's almost like a dream.

Li Wei couldn't even remember the last time he breathed so easily. Since his diagnosis, his health had deteriorated rapidly; even the slightest movement or a breath of air caused him immense pain and a feeling of being torn apart. But now, his body felt so light and healthy, showing no signs of pain or suffering whatsoever.

But what is going on?

Was it a dream I had on my deathbed? If so, the dream was far too real.

Li Wei walked to a nearby window, but the reflection that appeared there surprised him—although it was indeed him, his attire was beyond his imagination. A three-piece suit: vest, jacket, overcoat, white shirt, and top hat.

This struck Li Wei as odd. Why was he dressed like this? It looked more like a cosplay outfit from a comic convention than everyday clothes.

But where exactly is this place? Am I dreaming? A hallucination before I die, or have I traveled through time? Li Wei has certainly read those time-travel novels, but he doesn't understand why he has traveled through time.

Think carefully, what exactly happened...?

Li Wei closed his eyes and began to recall what had happened. He only remembered being in the hospital, with little time left. Then… right, Li Wei remembered, he had a dream.

In his dream, Li Wei wasn't sick; he was still doing his old job as a streamer. He faced his computer and webcam, playing a new game and explaining it to his viewers. Li Wei couldn't remember what game it was; he only remembered creating a character, then several cards randomly appearing on the screen for him to choose from, and then Li Wei randomly picked one…

"Ok?"

Just then, Li Wei realized he was holding something in his hand. Looking down, he saw a black, rectangular card, resembling a tarot card, lying quietly in his right palm. Its back was completely black, with a golden skull drawn on it, while its front…

Before Li Wei could even turn the card over for a proper look, it suddenly burst into flames and vanished completely in the blink of an eye, leaving not a trace of ash.

"Woo..."

Just as the card burned away, Li Wei suddenly felt a sharp pain in his head, like being pricked by a needle. Immediately afterward, a strange message appeared out of nowhere in front of him.

[Occupation selection complete]

[Generating character data]

Li Wei

Occupation: Detective

【attribute】

Strength: 40 (You are not suited to making a living by selling your physical labor)

[Constitution: 35 (Your constitution is somewhat weak)]

Agility: 60 (Your reaction time is better than average)

[Intelligence: 70 (Although not a genius, your extensive reading gives you a far broader knowledge base than many others)]

[Willpower: 75 (Even illness couldn't break you)]

Perception: 75 (Nothing can escape your notice)

Appearance: 90 (Women will faint from excitement just by getting close to you)

[Charm: 85 (Your outstanding appearance, proper manners, and elegant speech make it easy for people to like you)]

【Skill】

[Shooting: 90 (It's not an exaggeration to say that you're a crack shot)]

Disguise: 55 (You must disguise yourself to eliminate your presence)

[Reconnaissance: 70 (You can see in all directions and hear in all directions)]

[Psychology: 70 (For someone as perceptive as you, there are almost no secrets in this world)]

[Allure: 85 (Few can resist your charm, which is adorned with a gentle whisper and a stunning appearance)]

[Detailed Information]

Lifespan: 10 days

Credit score: 45 (Your assets are fairly substantial)

Address: 312 White Oak Street, Fuller District

what is this?
Staring at the thing that appeared before him, resembling a character attribute table from a game, Li Wei was dumbfounded. He even wondered if he was dreaming. Indeed, Li Wei was somewhat aware of his own abilities. Before his illness, he had played shooting games as a streamer for a while, participated in competitions, and, given his decent appearance and good skills, had gained some online fame. He had also participated in shooting range training activities abroad during a trip. But Li Wei had never imagined that his antics could be connected to numerical values.

"Da da da………"

Just as Li Wei was about to figure out what had happened, he suddenly caught a sharp whiff of footsteps. Not only that, he also heard a faint clattering sound. And along with these sounds, an image gradually appeared in Li Wei's mind.

The two men, one tall and one short, one fat and one thin, were wearing police uniforms with batons and handcuffs at their waists. Li Wei could even recall the information in his mind to confirm that the sound was the clanging of batons and handcuffs.

Almost at the same time this image formed in Li Wei's mind, he saw several figures emerge from the mist before him. The short, stout man in front of him had a large, protruding beer belly and two well-groomed mustaches under his nose, giving him a very auspicious appearance.

The tall, thin man beside him was a young man, seemingly a newcomer to the workforce. He carried a gas lamp and nervously glanced around. When they saw Li Wei, they paused for a moment, then the tall, thin policeman almost hastily drew his pistol from his waist—luckily, the short, chubby man with a mustache next to him stopped him from doing so.

"Hello, sir."

The man with the mustache, seeing Li Wei, smiled and then asked him a question.

"Excuse me, what are you doing here so late?"

"I……………"

Li Wei stared at the man, his mind racing. He still didn't know his situation. But he understood the circumstances were unfavorable. Late at night, a well-dressed man was wandering the streets alone, being questioned by the police. What should he say?

Although the mustachioed police officer had a smiling, amiable demeanor, Li Wei's experience told him that such people were the most skilled investigators. He had encountered similar individuals while traveling abroad before, and compared to those who adopted a "keep away" attitude, these smiling but treacherous people were the ones to be most wary of; otherwise, you might unknowingly have your entire background thoroughly investigated. Thinking of this, Li Wei immediately recalled the thing that had just appeared before him, something resembling the attributes of a character in a video game.

"My name is Li Wei, and I'm a detective."

He answered decisively.

Since the system has assigned him the identity of "detective," Li Wei might as well just accept that.

"Ah, that's it."

Upon hearing Li Wei's answer, the man with the mustache nodded.

"You're also after that bounty, Detective? Perhaps I should warn you, this isn't an easy task... But before that, please let me see your identification and citizen number."

"…………………"

Li Wei reached out and, almost instinctively, pulled a wallet from his coat pocket. From it, he took out a card that looked slightly larger than a business card and had a plastic-like texture, and handed it over. The whole movement was fluid and effortless, as if he had done it countless times before.

"…………………"

The man with the mustache took the card, examined it carefully, and then compared it with Li Wei's. He took out a notebook, wrote something down in it, and then returned the card to Li Wei. Li Wei took the card, resisting the urge to examine it closely, and put it back in his wallet.

"It's so late, it's too dangerous for you to be alone. How about we give you a ride, Mr. Li Wei?"

"Of course, it's my pleasure."

Li Wei naturally wouldn't refuse the other party's offer, after all, he had just arrived in this world and still didn't understand what had happened. Besides, having a police escort would at least make him safer.

So Levi joined the two and followed them forward. During their conversation, Levi learned that the mustachioed policeman was named Lestrade, and the young man beside him was his partner, Fletcher. Lestrade was clearly a chatterbox, constantly trying to strike up a conversation even while walking.

"So, detective, have you found any clues?"

"not yet."

"I think so too, it's not that easy."

Lestrade laughed when he heard Levi's reply. He walked ahead, his belly protruding, swaying as he went.

"You know how hard it is to find a socialite killer, Detective? Those reporters think we police are useless, but what can we do? It's not our fault we're short-staffed, and those bigwigs would rather put up a bounty in the newspaper than allocate funds to our police station. Thanks to them, things haven't been peaceful anywhere lately. Every day someone reports seeing the socialite killer, but they can't even describe what he looks like..."

A socialite killer.

Upon hearing this word, Li Wei's brain immediately seemed to have triggered a keyword, and the details about it quickly surfaced.

In the streets of this city, there have been a series of cases of women being murdered late at night. Their necks were cut, their bodies were disemboweled, and their internal organs removed. Because these victims were all prostitutes soliciting customers on the streets late at night, the perpetrator of these murders has been dubbed the "Prostitute Killer."

Hmm, this reminded Li Wei of a similar case in his own world. Like that case, no one knew whether the socialite killer was male or female, old or young. But several cases had already occurred, causing public panic. Therefore, the city council also published a reward in the newspaper, stating that anyone who could provide clues about the socialite killer or bring him to justice would receive a large sum of money.

A hefty reward always attracts brave men, and indeed, some people mustered the courage to search for the socialite killer afterward. Others called newspapers and the police station, claiming they had leads on the killer, but unfortunately, all to no avail. Instead, they wasted a lot of the police's time and energy, so it's no wonder Mr. Lestrade was so dissatisfied and complaining.

"ah-------!"

Just then, a woman's high-pitched scream rang out from not far away. Upon hearing this sound, and almost simultaneously, Lestrade and his partner Fletcher had already darted out like arrows. Seeing this, Levi was stunned for a moment, but quickly followed them, rushing forward.

Inspector Lestrade looked portly, like a walking ball, but even Levi hadn't expected him to run so fast. His legs swung at a rate Levi had never imagined, propelling his ball-like body forward. Even the tall, thin Fletcher couldn't keep up. They traversed streets shrouded in mist, everything appearing dreamlike in the dim gaslight.

Not long after, they saw a person collapse to the ground, sitting there trembling.

"Miss, what's wrong?"

Lestrade approached the woman, a young woman in a worn-out coat, with dry, yellow hair and a pale face. Even before Levi got close, a pungent, cheap perfume wafted towards him. The woman didn't even glance at Lestrade, staring blankly into the dark alleyway before her, saying nothing.

"You stay here."

Lestrade gave Fletcher the order, then stood up, picked up the gas lamp, and walked forward. Levi hesitated for a moment, then followed behind Lestrade—he wasn't sure if it was his natural inclination to watch, a desire to see something interesting, or simply the curiosity that everyone has. But to Levi, the dark alleyway did indeed seem to possess a certain alluring charm.

One step, two steps, three steps.

On the main street, the dim yellow light of the gas lamps dispelled the darkness. Perhaps because of this, the alleyway seemed even more gloomy, as if all the dispelled darkness had gathered in the depths of corners unreachable by light. The gas lamp in Inspector Lestrade's hand also seemed to dim considerably, barely allowing him to see a small patch of ground in front of him.

Under the lamplight, what they saw first was a dark, hard road paved with small flagstones. Then came blood, thick, a large pool of blood spreading. It spread like a river bursting its banks, covering everything in a dim red hue.

Finally, there was a corpse.

It was a young woman; her eyes were wide open, her mouth agape, her gaze almost bulging out of their sockets. Her contorted expression was proof enough that she had witnessed something horrifying. A deep gash had been cut into her neck, leaving only a thin layer of skin separating her from her head. It was as if a pig had been slaughtered, its body cut open, its entrails removed, and its blood drained…

"Damn it..."

Lestrade cursed under his breath, while Levi stared at the corpse. It was the first time he had ever seen a corpse in real life, but surprisingly, he felt remarkably calm. He had seen many television programs, read many novels, and played many games. They all said that many people felt fear, unease, or even excitement when they first saw a corpse. But Levi felt none of that. He looked at the corpse as if he were seeing a word problem in a college entrance exam.

Now, he needed to find a way to break down the equation, solve the problem, and arrive at the final answer. It wasn't difficult; the body wasn't disheveled, there were no signs of struggle, and judging from her expression, she had died almost instantly. She had seen something, and then been murdered—so quickly that she didn't even have time to change her expression.

The cut was clean and sharp, not from an ordinary dagger or kitchen knife. While those might sever a neck, they couldn't cut through a body so easily. So what was inside…?

"Mr. Li Wei".

Lestrade's voice rang in Levi's ears, bringing him back to his senses. Only then did he realize that he was standing next to the corpse, peering inside. It was like a student in an exam hall unconsciously widening their eyes and getting closer to the exam questions.

"I understand your thoughts as a detective, but please don't disturb the scene."

"Feel sorry."

Li Wei took two steps back and straightened his clothes, but his mind was still racing, trying to figure out how to solve the puzzle. He already had a pretty good idea: the woman had followed someone into the alley, who then revealed his true identity. The woman, terrified at the sight of him, didn't even have time to scream before the killer struck—the evidence being the incomplete bloodstains on the wall, meaning the killer was likely standing in front of the woman when he attacked.

Then...the victim fell down, and the latter placed him on the ground, and then...

Li Wei withdrew his gaze and looked again at the woman's face. Her expression was twisted in terror, frozen in the moment of death. What had she seen at that moment?
Just then, Inspector Lestrade approached the woman. He gazed at her, whispered a few words of prayer, and then placed the gas lamp beside her. In the dim light of the gas lamp, Levi suddenly saw a writhing black shadow flash across the woman's hazy, dark eyes.

Over there!
Almost instantly, Li Wei turned his head, his right hand reaching for his waist, grasping the gun handle—Li Wei had never been aware of this gun's existence before, but just like before, this action was exceptionally practiced, as if he had repeated it countless times. The hard, cold ivory handle gave him a strange yet familiar sensation. Li Wei raised the gun, pointed it above his head, and then pulled the trigger.

At that very moment, a dark figure descended from the sky and pounced toward Levi and Lestrade!
(End of this chapter)