"Yuri, he asked me to have dinner with him before, but I didn't say yes. He probably thinks I'm the same as those vases in the French opera troupe," Irene said, putting down the teacup in her hand. The songstress put down the teacup in her hand. "I can give you Yuri's address, and I can even help you ask him out. But what's in it for me?"
"What do you want?" Zhang Heng asked.
"Hmm … I haven't thought about it yet," Irene blinked.
"You can tell me when you think about it."
"This proposal sounds good," Irene said, "In that case, Yuri is yours."
…
In the Hôtel Royale, Irene was sitting across from a Frenchman in his forties. The latter was talking about the artistic atmosphere in Paris and how many outstanding artists there were. The female singer looked at him with eyes full of worship, which also made the Frenchman feel very comfortable.
"It's a pity that Bizet is no longer here, but I can introduce you to other playwrights. I have a lot of contacts in the Paris Music Festival. If you get tired of London and want to come to Paris, you can contact me."
"Oh, you think too highly of me. I can only speak a few words of French. If I really go to Paris, it will be inconvenient for me to live, let alone sing."
"It doesn't matter. Languages can be learned," Yuri wiped his mouth with a napkin. "You are very good in all aspects, whether it is appearance or singing skills. Once you master French, coupled with my resources, no one in Paris can be your opponent. Then, you will become one of the few female singers who have achieved success in France and England."
Irene burst into laughter when she heard Yuri's words. It seemed that she also yearned for the beautiful reality described by Yuri. She raised the glass in her hand, "Please forgive me for being rude to you earlier. I didn't know you were such an interesting person. You are completely different from the other men I have met."
"At my age, there is nothing left except a little experience and a sense of humor," Yuri laughed at himself and raised the glass in his hand. Urey mocked himself as he also raised the wine glass in his hand. He had always been polite, and no one could find any fault with him. Only when his eyes swept past the chest of the female singer would a trace of imperceptible heat flash through his eyes.
Based on his past experience, his words had opened Eirinn's heart, and she was completely immersed in the beautiful future he had described. This also meant that he would soon get what he wanted, perhaps tonight.
Yuri was satisfied that Eirinn took the initiative to drink. Once she was drunk, he could … But in the next moment, Yuri felt a wave of dizziness.
He knew his alcohol tolerance very well. He wouldn't collapse after just two sips. Therefore, Yuri deliberately realized that there was something wrong with the wine tonight. His heart sank.
But at this point, he still did not suspect the female singer. He only thought that some other enemy had found him, which was a common mistake made by most men.
— — Underestimating women.
Even someone as strong as Sherlock Holmes had stumbled at the hands of a female singer, and this time, the famous Mr. M was no exception.
Yuri struggled to get the attention of the people around him by calling for help. He was a cautious man, and even if he was on a date, he would bring bodyguards with him in the dark. But the next moment, his head was lying in Eirinn's arms.
"Oh, Mr. Yuri, you look a little drunk, but it's okay. I will send you back," the female singer said gently.
She then called the waiter and asked him to go downstairs to call a carriage. The coachman, disguised as Holmes, walked into the restaurant under the waiter's guidance, and together with Eirinn, they carried Yuri.
The bodyguard at the other table was a little uncertain. He didn't know if Yuri was really drunk, or if he wanted to take advantage of the situation. He didn't follow Yuri immediately, and Yuri was carried downstairs. The bodyguard hurriedly paid the bill, but when he went downstairs, the carriage was already gone.
At this time, someone patted him on the shoulder, and Zhang Heng and the red-haired detective sandwiched him in the middle.
…
It had been a week since the oil painting case, and Holmes' tactic of going straight for the head of the snake had succeeded. All the members of Mr. M's gang were dug out, the viscount found the lost sensitive oil painting in his porcelain vase, and Villard had successfully completed his mission and returned to France.
However, Holmes also had a headache when it came to how to deal with Mr. M.
It stood to reason that Mr. M was a criminal who had committed countless crimes. However, the owners of the stolen oil paintings didn't dare to speak up about them, and no one reported them to the police. Hence, it was difficult for the law to convict him.
When Yuri woke up and realized that he had fallen into the trap, he was also a gangster. Obviously, he knew that Holmes couldn't do anything to him. In the end, Zhang Heng had to step in and interrogate him for information about the other members of the gang.
After Mr. M swore that he would never set foot in London again, Holmes finally chose to release him back to France.
However, Zhang Heng did not come out empty-handed. After this case, a new criminal investigation skill was added to his personal panel. It was a reward for his time spent learning about historical cases and personally participating in the investigation. Other than that, he also received 15 game points after catching Mr. M.
The main mission that he cared about the most, however, was still in an incomplete state.
Zhang Heng originally thought that with Irene's help, he could be the first to find out Mr. M's true identity, and it was indeed the case. However, the system didn't seem to approve of this result.
Zhang Heng guessed that it might be because Holmes was the one who made most of the deductions in this case. In the end, it was also Holmes who deduced that Mr. M was beginning to feel afraid. Then, the two of them thought of the opera company at almost the same time. Therefore, the system didn't seem to think that Zhang Heng was the first to find the criminal.
Zhang Heng naturally felt a little regretful about this, but he wasn't too upset. At least now he had a rough idea of what it would take to win, and he also saw a glimmer of hope. Although this path wasn't easy, fortunately, time was still on his side.
After this case, he finally confirmed that Holmes was also human, and he could make mistakes. Of course, his ability to self-correct was also terrifying. In the oil painting case, Mr. M's defensive method was actually seen through by him.
Finally, Zhang Heng always felt that there was a deeper meaning behind Holmes' decision to let Mr. M go. Zhang Heng consulted Holmes about this issue, and the latter smiled but took out his violin again.
"I went to listen to 'Carmen' again. It's really a good opera, and your friend Miss Adler's performance was wonderful. I especially liked one of the stanzas. I'll play that stanza for you."
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