Wenhao is my vest

Two months have passed since the "Moby Dick" incident, but Poe is still living in the small port city of Yokohama.

The reason why he left the United States, quit the "group", and settled in Yokohama is of course not because of the good feng shui here, but because of his only friend and old enemy——

"Ranpo-kun!" Ellen Poe pushed open the door of the Armed Detective Agency, and walked to Edogawa Ranpo's desk familiarly, "My new work this time will definitely surprise you, let us use Let it decide the outcome!"

Edogawa lazily pushed away Poe's hand holding the thick paper, and rejected him as usual: "No."

Before Poe's big hit, the green-eyed detective adds just in time: "Today we're racing with something else!"

He reached out his hand to dig through the pile of snacks on the desk, and finally found what he wanted to take out, and spread it out in front of Poe: "It's this!"

Poe followed his movements and saw that it was just an ordinary newspaper.If I have to pick out a special point, it is that the editorial department of this newspaper always likes to publish short articles criticizing various famous writers in order to gain the attention of the world, which is the type that Edgar Allan Poe would never pay attention to at ordinary times.

Poe looked at Ranpo Edogawa suspiciously: "This is...?"

The smile on the corner of Edogawa Ranpo's mouth was suspicious no matter how he looked, he pointed to an article in the newspaper with his finger, and then handed it to Poe without saying a word.

Edgar Allan Poe took it and began to seriously read the article that Ranbu pointed to.

During his reading, Edogawa Ranpo kept squinting his eyes to observe Poe's expression. When he saw the other person's face getting darker and darker, he couldn't help showing a happy smile on his face.

A few minutes later, Poe threw the newspaper back on the table and cursed angrily: "...What is the meaning of this article! It is definitely a psychopath to say that I wrote the murderer's psychology vividly... I think he is the one who wants others to pay attention to the madman!"

While Poe was still angry, Ranpo Edogawa tried his best to fan the flames: "Not only is it a psychopath, he also said that you may have killed someone, so you are so familiar with the reaction of human beings before death."

Edgar Allan Poe was furious: "I have never killed anyone!"

Yosano Akiko, who had been sitting next to her and painted her nails, raised her head with a puzzled expression when she heard this sentence: "I remember that most of the enemies' graves in the [Combination] are two meters high."

Edgar Allan Poe was stalked by her, and most of his anger was vented at once, and finally he recalled the reason why Luanbu showed himself this short article: "Can this kind of article also be used to decide the outcome?"

Obviously, he didn't pay much attention to the newspaper that Ranbu took out.

"Don't underestimate it, Edgar," Luanbu raised his right index finger and shook it in front of Poe, "There are some puzzles in it that even I haven't been able to understand."

Under Poe's unbelievable eyes, he reminded: "Did you not pay attention to the author of this article just now?"

That's right, because he felt that the person who wrote the article that would appear in this kind of newspaper would not be an important person, Poe directly skipped the small line of katakana, and even he only read the content of the article carefully. After reading the first half, the back is just a couple of random glances.

After Edogawa Ranpo's prompt, Poe looked at the name below the title: "Edgar Allan Poe...?"

The moment he realized that the author's name was exactly the same as his real name, his first reaction was: Are you kidding me?

The second reaction was to start to wonder if this was a conspiracy deliberately targeted at himself by someone.

As the top three in command of the "Combination", a not-so-law-abiding supernatural organization, in order to ensure his own safety, Poe certainly couldn't leak his real name out loudly, and that's why , When he wrote the book, he used another pen name uniformly.

An article criticizing himself is fine. As a famous reasoning writer, Poe has long been used to this kind of thing.But the author of the article chose to use his own name, which is not something that can easily ignore the past.

Ellen Poe thought he understood Edogawa Ranpo's good intentions, and looked over with teary eyes: "Please tell us about this, Ranpo-kun...!"

Edogawa Rampo shattered his fantasy mercilessly: "What strange things are you thinking? I told you that this is our game today."

Edgar Allan Poe withdrew his moved tears aggrievedly: "..."

After realizing why Ranpo Edogawa valued this article, Poe picked up the newspaper again and read it again.After browsing carefully, the American detective finally saw that the article was wrong:

"This author... seems to know our mood when writing." Poe hesitated for a moment, but tried his best to express his thoughts in stumbling words, "Whether it is a reasoning mode of thinking or some dark concepts , and even made me wonder if I might be another me in the world..."

The effect of different abilities.

Perhaps it was because he had seen many people with unbelievable abilities. Subconsciously, he felt that it was the reason.

However, as soon as this idea came up, Edogawa Ranpo rejected it: "Although it is unbelievable, there is indeed no trace of supernatural power from the beginning to the end of this article."

Poe: "...!"

Of course, he would not doubt Edogawa Ranpo, let alone the conclusion that the other party said in such a firm tone.

So Poe cautiously asked after two seconds of silence: "So, what's going on?"

Edogawa Ranpo complacently said, "If Edgar is willing to admit defeat, the famous detective will tell you generously."

--ah.Indeed.

Only then did Edgar Allan Poe recall that at the beginning, Ranpo seemed to have said that this was a game or something.

Compared with a victory or defeat, of course, the safety of one's own life is more important.

Such a simple arithmetic problem, of course Poe knew how to solve it.He gritted his teeth, and was defeated in front of Edogawa Ranpo's conspiracy: "I admit defeat."

Hearing these words full of unwillingness to show weakness, Edogawa Ranpo's nose almost went up to the sky: "Heh heh heh, let a detective tell you—"

He seemed to be at a large-scale press conference: "—the answer is that I don't know either!"

Poe: "..."

Poe: "...Huh??"

Edgar Allan Poe felt that he was deeply deceived by his friend, and he almost spat out a mouthful of blood: "...Ranbu Lord, are you deliberately playing tricks on me?"

Edogawa Ranpo said confidently: "Of course not, I just don't know how the other party did it, but that doesn't mean I don't know who the other party is."

Edgar Allan Poe's voice was weak: "Can you stop talking so out of breath..."

Edogawa Ranpo pretended not to hear his friend's complaints to him: "After I found out something was wrong, I went to the newspaper office to investigate, so as to find out who wrote this article..."

Yo Xie Ye, who had just finished painting his nails, heard this, and began to disrupt the situation calmly: "Didn't you send Dun Jun to go this trip?"

Edogawa Ranpo pretended to be deaf: "Then I found out that that person had no intention of hiding his identity at all, so I easily got his address."

Poe held his breath, feeling the climax of the story below.

However, Edogawa Ranpo never played his cards according to the routine: "So I hurriedly called you over, so that we can go to his house together!"

Edgar Allan Poe was almost stunned by his coquettish operation: "So this is the reason why Mr. Ranbu contacted us for the first time..."

For some reason, he felt a little depressed.

"That's right!" Luanbu said enthusiastically, "And you can let Edgar lead the way!"

Poe felt deeply that he was Edogawa Ranpo's tool man.

He sighed, and gave up the idea of ​​continuing to pester: "So where is that person's address?"

Edogawa Ranpo replied with a smile: "'British Association'."

He almost thought he heard it wrong: "--what?"

Before Luanbu complained about his hearing problem, Poe also realized that the other party was not joking: "How is it possible..."

Speaking of "Bungo Association", this is a hot topic in Yokohama recently.

The name of this organization sounds like an interest society formed by a group of egotistical people, but something it has achieved is quite remarkable——

——The bases of the "Writer Association" are basically funded and built by famous "groups".

Although he could no longer know more inside stories after quitting the "combination", Poe was still very clear about this level of news.

Before Poe derived more conspiracy theories on this part of the clues, Edogawa Ranpo next to him had already cleaned up and began to urge him to move slowly.

So Poe had no choice but to let go of the doubts in his heart for the time being, and led the idiot detective out the door, heading towards the base of the "Writer Association".

When he was about to arrive at the destination, Poe looked at the semi-finished manor in front of him, and hesitantly expressed his thoughts: "Could it be because the 'combination' is dissatisfied with my withdrawal, so it reminds us not to leave in this way?" Reveal the secret?"

Edogawa tilted his head in confusion for two seconds, then asked, "Do you think the leader of the 'Group' is this kind of person?"

Poe replied, "...no."

He knew very well that Fitzgerald was not such an oblique person.On the contrary, if it is not necessary, he prefers to speak out and warn, using power and money to threaten and oppress others.

It is useless to think too much.Edgar Allan Poe gave up his wild thoughts, and led the chaotic steps to the completed gate of the "Literary Association".

A walkie-talkie was installed at the door, and he pressed the button indicating to notify the owner of the manor.However, before the bell rang, Poe heard a male voice from beside him:

"What are you doing here?"

Edgar Allan Poe, who didn't notice anyone approaching at all, was shocked, and turned his head to look in the direction of the sound.

A man wearing a maroon sweater and a white scarf around his neck was looking at Edgar Allan Poe and Edogawa Ranpo with suspicious eyes.

Edogawa Ranpo also looked back.Two seconds later, he suddenly realized: "Ah! That's the article you wrote!"

Hearing this sentence, the man's eyes suddenly softened.He smiled gently and asked softly: "Yes, I am 'Edgar Allan Poe'. Are you?"

Edogawa Ranpo beamed with joy: "Detective, my name is Edogawa Ranpo! By the way, don't you invite us in?"

After noticing the man's sidelong glance at him, Poe replied with a smile: "Of course I will do my best to Mr. Ranpo of the Armed Detective Agency."

A piece of crow's feathers fell from the sky and landed lightly at the man's feet: "But the gentleman next to Mr. Luanbu, I seem to have never seen it before."

It was only then that Poe noticed that there were dozens of crows standing scattered on the fence of the manor.

The number of crows is indeed not very scientific, but the point is not this now:

"My generation is the mystery writer who you evaluated as a 'psychopath'." Poe replied with a little resentment, "You obviously borrowed my name, but you don't even know the specific appearance?"

After hearing his words, the man was quiet for a few seconds, and then said with a sigh: "So it's you."

After saying this, he turned around, ignored Poe's suspicious eyes, swiped his card and opened the gate of the manor: "Two, please come in."

The two followed the mysterious man, passed the unused fountain in the courtyard and a section of lawn, and finally came to the door of the house.

From the time we met to the present, he has been very polite, and he can't see the shadow of the vicious writer in the newspaper at all: "Sorry, the only place where guests can rest now is the living room here, I can only trouble the two of you to make it up first .”

After the three of them sat facing each other on the sofa, he showed a slightly sharper side: "What do you want to do here? I haven't prepared any food for guests here, please come back quickly."

After he finished speaking, a crow flew in from the window, landed on the table between the three of them, and began to peck at the plate of bread crumbs specially provided for it.

——The attitude of not welcoming the two of them can be said to be very obvious.

Poe said, "About that newspaper article..."

"Wait," the man put on a distressed expression, "Before that, you should ask my name first, right?"

Edgar Allan Poe couldn't help being taken aback.He didn't notice at all—or, he was used to it, the rhythm of the topic was controlled by others: "Then... would you please introduce yourself first...?"

The man crossed his fingers, and responded with a treacherous smile to Poe's cooperative attitude: "Mr. Poe is really troublesome."

"Coincidentally, my name is exactly the same as yours. I don't need to change a single letter."

After he finished saying this, the atmosphere at the scene suddenly turned menacing.

As if to match the strange style of [Ellen Poe], a gust of wind suddenly blew in from the window, blowing the heavy curtains high, and also let a few strands of hair beside his ears flick into the air, completely The handsome face of [Ellen Poe] was exposed.

Just when Edgar Allan Poe pursed his lips, not knowing how to answer him at all, Edogawa Ranpo, who had been silent by his side until now, suddenly spoke out:

"I see." The detective opened those emerald green eyes, "Is that so, you just want to meet the 'Edgar Allan Poe' of this world."

"That's right." [Ellen Poe] raised his chin, and his whole body calmed down again, "I didn't expect it to be such a cute raccoon, beyond my expectation."

Allan Poe looked at Carl, who was obediently lying on his body, and felt that he had been connoted: ...

After Edogawa ranpo smiled gloatingly, as if he suddenly remembered something, he asked the man in front of him: "What about Shuji Tsushima? He must have some 'peer' in this world, right?"