Tuesday, September 10, after school. Pen ~ fun ~ pavilion www.biquge.info

With a bang above my head, I reflexively looked up and saw a black object flying out of the third-floor window and falling directly above me. I dodged in a hurry, and the black object smashed into the place where I had been standing, shattering.

It is a pot with geraniums planted on it.

This happened after school when I was walking past the school building. The sound of the piano wafted out of nowhere. For a moment, I stared blankly at the ceramic pot, not understanding what was happening, until the sweat oozing from my armpits reached my arms.

The next moment, I rushed into the school building and ran up the stairs with all my might.

I stood in the third-floor hallway, panting. The rapid heartbeat was not only due to the fierce running just now, but the fear in my heart had reached its peak. What would happen if you had been smashed by a flower pot just now? The red color of geraniums suddenly appeared in front of me.

Which classroom would that window be? I stopped in front of the science lab, and there was a smell of medicine wafting from it, and when I looked closely, I didn't see a slit of about five centimeters.

I pushed the door open hard, and a crisp breeze blew in, and the window facing the door was open, and the white curtains fluttered.

I walked down the hallway again. I don't remember how long it has been since the flowerpot was dropped, but I always think that the people who are still flowerpots are hiding in the classrooms on both sides of the hallway.

The building was L-shaped in the middle, and I stopped around the corner. There was a sound of talking in the classroom with a sign that read "Class C of the Second Grade", and I did not hesitate to open the door.

There were five students inside, gathered around the bed and writing something. They were taken aback when they saw someone break in, and they all looked at me.

I had to say, "What are you doing?"

The student at the front replied, "We are from the Art Society...... I'm making a poetry collection. ”

The tone was affirmative, like a follow-up "Don't bother".

"Has anyone been here?"

The five looked at each other and shook their heads.

"No one passed through the hallway?"

They looked at each other again, and one of them muttered "No," and the student who spoke just now replied, "No." ”

"Oh...... Thank you. ”

I looked around the classroom and closed the door.

The sound of the piano came again, and it seemed to have been ringing all the time. I don't know much about classical music, but I've listened to that piece and think it's pretty good.

There was a music room at the end of the hallway, and the sound of the piano could be heard from there. I opened the classrooms one by one, checking to see if there were any, and the music room was all that was left.

I rudely opened the door and made a noise. Just as the calm water has been disturbed, and the beautiful buildings have been destroyed, the piano sound has come to an abrupt end.

The player looked at me timidly. I have the impression that she is a student in Class A of the second grade, and her fair skin is eye-catching, but her face looks a little pale at the moment. I didn't just say "I'm sorry".

"Has anyone been here?"

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

She had broken the law and shook her head. She plays the grand piano and looks quite old.

"Really......"

I walked behind her, went to the window, and saw the students running around the campus.

There is also a staircase to the left of the music room, from where the murderer probably escaped. He had plenty of time to run away, the question was, who exactly?

I noticed that the girl playing the piano was staring at me, with a somewhat uneasy expression.

I squeezed out a smile: "Let's play it, I want to hear it for a while." ”

Her expression melted, and she glanced at the score, moving her fingers nimbly. A calm and fiery melody...... By the way, it's Chopin's famous song, even I know it.

Listening to Chopin while looking out the window was an unexpectedly elegant time, but I didn't find it pleasant, and my heart was still depressed.

-- With the above as the dividing line, the editor-in-chief Tsukamoto said, "I believe that all of you, like me, are unsure about who the murderer is. Judging by the plot that the author is currently writing about, it is nothing more than three situations. ”

This is a very simple fact, so Tsukamoto spoke directly: "Either the murderer is the five girls in class C, they were ready immediately after finding out that 'I' was fine, and when 'I' broke into the classroom, they became very tacitly traditional." Either the murderer is the girl in the music classroom, the author uses her gentle and good at literary image, in contrast to the forcible attitude of the girl in class C, to induce ordinary readers to suspect those five people, but in fact the murderer is her. ”

"Or, the killer did run away, but I personally don't tend to this conclusion, because it would make the most crucial part of the plot nonsense. Alice Wong isn't really a rookie writer, and I don't think she'd make such a low-level mistake, don't you think?"

After pondering for a moment, Junko spoke first: "That's right, but Alice has never written a mystery novel after all, and besides, I don't think many of you here have read her two books, right? Maybe this is a failure? Or did she write some superfluous plot?"

"This is the most unlikely situation, Chun Zi-san should not dwell on it. ”

Koji leaned back comfortably in his chair and shook the copy, "I prefer girls who play the piano." Just like the editor-in-chief said, the average reader will never go back to suspect her, but stare at the five girls who reacted more violently, so Alice Sang is likely to really press the murderer on this cute cutie. ”

Qingzhi pondered for a moment and said: "I also think it may be the piano girl, the piano sound is written at the beginning of the article, and then when the protagonist continues to look for the situation in the article, the author mentions the piano sound again, and finally ends with the girl playing the piano." Since you have made this kind of foreshadowing, foreshadowing, and re-appearance of the writing technique, it will definitely not be in vain, right?"

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

Yamamoto didn't answer immediately, but kept his eyes on the manuscript.

In fact, many readers have an urge to turn the last page directly when reading a book, which is especially reflected in mystery novels. When the author throws out one mystery after another, many people who are not very determined will not be able to hold back their curiosity and turn the last page.

After all, it's so easy to do. What's more, the last page of any book is particularly eye-catching, and the thickness of this mystery novel is not so thick that it is difficult for people to grasp, and the last page is really just a thumb of the right hand holding the book, such a simple thing.

Seeing Yamamoto's expression, Tsukamoto immediately thought of this possibility: "Peng Yejun, you can't help it, right?"

There was an impulse of excitement among the people around them, an urge to explode. Their feelings are not very obvious, but Yamamoto is a veteran of the nearly 20 years of working in the Dandansha industry, and most importantly, ...... He is none other than the most prestigious editor in the world of mystery fiction!

Last year's Edogawa Ranpo Award, Mori Masahiro's "Mozart Doesn't Sing Lullaby", the previous year's award, Kanako Torii's "The Descendants of the Shrine Maiden", and then pushed back to Takahashi Katsuhiko's "Writing Music Murder" in 83, and even the Edogawa Ranbu newcomers in the past seven years, were carefully selected by this senior. Even if the quality has declined in the last two years, it can't hide his talent!

If even Yamamoto's predecessors can't help their curiosity and want to "turn the last page", then the potential of this rookie writer naturally needs not be said!

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

"It's a great work, it should be an authentic undergraduate reasoning, but it's also connected to campus life, which is very refreshing. ”

After pondering for a moment, Yamamoto said, "I don't doubt Alice's strength, in fact, I just bought her Jurassic Park last month. After all, it's a new book that has been on the New York Times bestseller list for months, and it's still the same genre...... To be honest, I bought the original English version. ”

Yamamoto continued, "This kid isn't very old, but he's clearly a master storyteller. Jurassic Park is such a genre, first striking with the title "Beasts Devouring" in a separate volume, and then opening with a separate plot of a 'mysterious creature' attacking a worker, and only after many words does the theme of the story appear. ”

"I haven't seen 'Scarlet Fairy Tales', but judging by the current plot of the book, she may be doing it again. ”

As soon as the connoisseur spoke, it gave people a different feeling, Tsukamoto nodded with satisfaction, and said, "That's good, let's hold the meeting here first, and everyone will return to their posts and continue to work." As for this manuscript, after all, it is a novel of more than 100,000 words, and you can't waste your whole day reading novels.

Obviously, Tsukamoto is going to directly include this novel in the nomination list of this year's Edogawa Ranbu Award, Hongji stood up happily, nodded and said: "The editor-in-chief has worked hard! I will definitely hand over the feelings after reading it to you immediately, please rest assured!"

Qingzhi kicked him in the ass: "For the sake of what you said, hurry up and make coffee for Lao Tzu, double the strength, do you hear it!?"

Everyone walked out of the conference room quickly in response to Hongji's repeated voices, and Tsukamoto walked last, and he walked out of the room slowly, just walking side by side with Yamamoto.

"Peng Yejun, this "After School" doesn't have many words, it seems to be Alice San's attempt in the world of mystery novels, what do you think her development potential will be?"

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