The Goddess Shines on America

Tuesday, September 10th, after school.

With a bang above my head, I reflexively raised my head and saw a black object flying out of the window on the third floor, falling directly above me. I hurried away, and the black object hit the place where I stood just now and broke.

It is a flowerpot with geraniums.

This happened after school, when I was walking by the teaching building. I don't know where the piano sound comes from. For a moment, I stared at the ceramic flowerpot blankly, not understanding what was going on, until the sweat oozing from my armpit dripped onto my arm, and I came back to my senses.

In the next moment, I rushed into the teaching building and ran up the stairs.

I was standing in the corridor on the third floor panting. The rapid heartbeat is not only because of the rush just now, but the fear in my heart has reached its peak. What would happen if I was hit by a flowerpot just now? The red color of geranium suddenly appeared in front of us.

Which classroom will the window be? I stopped in front of the science laboratory, a smell of medicine wafted out of it, and when I looked closely, I didn't see a seam of about five centimeters.

I pushed the door open hard, and a refreshing breeze came in. The window facing the door was open, and the white curtains were fluttering.

I walked along the corridor again. I don't remember how long it has been since the flowerpot was dropped. I always feel that the people who still have the flowerpot are hiding in the classrooms on both sides of the corridor.

The middle of the teaching building was L-shaped, and I stopped when I passed the corner. There was a voice in the classroom with the sign ○◎long○◎wind ○◎wen ○◎study, ww▲w.c←fwx.n︾et "Second Grade Class C", and I opened the door without hesitation.

There were five students in it, gathering by the bed and writing something. Seeing someone suddenly break in, they were startled and looked at me together.

I had to speak: "What are you doing?"

The student at the front replied: "We are from the Literature and Art Club... We are working on a collection of poetry.

The tone was very positive, as if to say "Don't bother".

"Has anyone been here?"

The five looked at each other and shook their heads.

"No one goes through the corridor?"

They looked at each other again. Someone whispered "No," and the student who spoke just now replied as if to represent everyone: "I didn't pay attention."

"Oh... thanks."

I looked around the classroom and closed the door.

The piano sound came again, and it seemed to have been ringing just now. I don't know much about classical music, but after listening to that piece, I think I can play it pretty well.

There is a music classroom at the end of the corridor, and the sound of piano comes from there. I opened one of the classrooms one by one to check if there was anyone in it, and the last thing left was the music classroom.

I opened the door rudely, making noises. As if the calm water was disrupted and the beautiful buildings were destroyed, the sound of the piano stopped abruptly.

The player looked at me timidly. I have the impression that she is a second-grade student in Class A, her fair skin is eye-catching, but her face looks a little pale at the moment. I not only said "sorry".

"Has anyone been here?"

I asked and looked around. There are three rows of benches in the room, two pianos by the window, and portraits of composers in the music industry on the walls. It can be concluded that there is nowhere to hide.

She has violated the law and shook her head. She is playing the grand piano, which looks quite old.

"is it……"

I walked around behind her, walked to the window, and saw the students from the club running on the campus.

There is also a staircase on the left side of the music room, from where the murderer probably escaped. He has enough time to run away. The question is, who is it?

I noticed that the girl playing the piano was staring at me, her expression a little disturbed,

I forced a smile: "By playing it, I want to listen to it for a while."

Her expression merged, glanced at the sheet music, and moved her fingers flexibly. Calm and warm melody... By the way, it is Chopin's famous song, even I know it.

Looking out the window while listening to Chopin, it was an unexpectedly elegant time, but I didn't find it happy, and my heart was still frustrated.

Taking the above content as the dividing line, the editor-in-chief Tsukamoto said: "I believe that everyone is the same as me. I am uncertain about who the murderer is. Judging from the plot currently written by the author, there are nothing more than three situations."

This is a very simple fact, so Tsukamoto said directly: "Either the killer is the five girls in Class C. They are ready immediately after discovering that'I' is fine. When'I' breaks into the classroom, It became a tacit understanding of the tradition. Either the murderer was the girl in the music classroom. The author used her gentle and literary image to contrast with the forced attitude of the girl in Class C, inducing ordinary readers to doubt the five people, but actually The murderer is her."

"Or, the murderer did run away, but I personally don't incline to this conclusion, because it makes the most critical part of this plot nonsense. King Alice is not a true newcomer writer, I don't think she will make such a low-level mistake, what do you think?"

After a moment of contemplation, Junzi spoke first: "I said so, but Alice has never written a mystery after all, and I guess few of you here have read her two books? After all, it's only two years before and after. It’s only time. Maybe this is a failure? Is she just writing some extra plot?"

"Chun Zisang still don't worry about this most unlikely situation."

Hongji leaned comfortably on the chair, shaking the copy and said: "I prefer girls who play the piano. As the editor-in-chief said, the average reader will never go back to doubt her, but stare at the five and react more. A fierce girl, so Alice San might really put the murderer on this cute girl."

Qingzhi pondered for a moment and said: "I also think it may be the piano girl. At the beginning of the article, the piano sound was written. Then when the protagonist continued to look for the situation in the article, the author mentioned the piano sound again, and finally ended with the girl playing the piano. Now that you have made this kind of preparation, foreshadowing, and re-emergence of writing techniques, surely it won't be wasted, right?"

Tsukamoto looked at Yamamoto and said, "Pengya-kun, what do you think?"

Yamamoto did not answer immediately, but stared at the manuscript.

In fact, many readers have an impulse when reading a book, that is, to turn to the last page directly, which is especially reflected in mystery novels. When the author throws out one after another mystery, many people with low concentration will not be able to bear their curiosity, and then turn to the last page.

After all, it's so easy to want to do this. With a book in hand, which page is not the reader's thought? What's more, the last page of any book is particularly noticeable. The thickness of this mystery novel is not so hard to grasp. The last page is really just the thumb of the right hand holding the book. It's just such a simple matter.

Seeing that Yamamoto's expression was different, Tsukamoto immediately thought of this possibility: "Pengya-kun, you can't help it?"

Several people around have an excited impulse, an impulse to burst out. Their feelings are not very obvious, but Yamamoto is an old person who has been working in the Kodansha for nearly 20 years, and the most important thing is... he is the most prestigious editor in the mystery world!

Last year’s Edogawa Ranbu Award, Mori Masahiro’s "Mozart Don’t Sing Lullaby", and the previous year’s award, Torii Kananko’s "Descendants of the Miko", and then moved forward to the 83rd Takahashi Katsuhiko’s "Spelling Music Killing." "The Incident", and even the newcomers of Edogawa Ranbu in the past seven years, were carefully selected by this senior. Even if the quality has declined in the past two years, it can't conceal his talent!

If it is said that even Yamamoto-senpai couldn't help his curiosity and wanted to "turn the last page", then the potential of this rookie writer naturally does not need to be said!

Although, it seems that Alice Wang has already proven his strength in the American market...

"It's an excellent work. It should be an authentic undergraduate reasoning, but it is connected with campus life, and it gives people a refreshing feeling."

After a moment of contemplation, Yamamoto said: "I don't doubt Alice's strength. In fact, I just bought her "Jurassic Park" last month. After all, it has been on the New York Times best-seller list for several months. It’s a new book, and it’s the subject matter... Honestly, I bought the original English version."

The words caused a surprised voice among colleagues, and Yamamoto continued: "This kid is not old, but he is obviously a master of storytelling. "Jurassic Park" is of this type. First use the sub-title "Beast Eater". "People" catches the eye, and then starts with a separate plot of a'mysterious creature' attacking workers, and the theme of the story does not appear until after many words."

"I haven't read "Blood Fairy Tales", but judging from the current plot of this book, she may be using this technique again~www.readwn.com~ When an expert opens her mouth, it feels different. Ben nodded with satisfaction and said, "That's good, let's start the meeting here, everyone will return to their posts and continue to work. As for this manuscript, after all, it is a novel with more than one hundred thousand words. You can't let you waste a whole day reading novels. As of this weekend, everyone will give me a copy of it after reading it! "

Obviously, Tsukamoto is going to directly include this novel in the nomination list of this year's Edogawa Ranbu Award. Hiroji stood up cheerfully, nodded and bowed his waist and said: "The editor has worked hard! I will give you the feelings after reading it immediately. Do not worry!"

Qingzhi kicked his ass: "I have what you said, so quickly make Lao Tzu coffee, double it, do you hear it!?"

Everyone quickly walked out of the meeting room in response to the repeated responses of Hongzhi. Tsukamoto walked at the end. He walked out of the room slowly, just walking side by side with Yamamoto.

"Peng Yejun, this "After School" does not have many words. It seems to be an attempt by Alice Sang in the mystery world. What do you think of her development potential?"

Yamamoto looked at the manuscript in his hands, but was speechless for a while. (To be continued.)