Weird Rules Rumor: At The Beginning, He Insisted That He Was Not Dead
Chapter 181: Detective Agency No. 9

Tony walked over, took the "Browning" from Bai Liang, ejected the magazine, and looked at it. The ten-round magazine contained only nine bullets.

“Mr. Byrne, I won't hide it from you – your student Will was killed by a "Browning". Do you have anything to say about this?” Tony stared intently at old man Byrne.

Not everyone has obsessive habits, but many people have automatic reflexes. For example, if you have an egg carton, you fill it completely if you have enough eggs.

It's the same with a gun magazine – if it has ten slots, there’s no point in leaving one empty. Unless a person is obsessed with the number nine...

But that's unlikely. The only logical explanation is that one bullet had already been used, and a new one hadn't been loaded yet.

Old man Byrne remained surprisingly calm when the "Browning" was found on him. He merely sneered and said coldly:

“What, Tony? Are you trying to say that I, a ninety-year-old man, killed Will with this pistol?”

“In my opinion, your young mind is more muddled than my aging one. Is it abnormal for a lonely old man to carry a weapon for self-defense?”

“If you're going to call me a murderer based solely on the fact that I own a "Browning", then let’s go ahead and mark down every "Browning" owner in this city as a criminal!”

Tony frowned. Yes, simply possessing a pistol doesn’t prove Byrne is the killer.

The old man was right: it's perfectly logical to have a weapon for self-defense, especially in a city like this. Many people here own "Brownings" – should they all be considered murderers now?

Tony shifted his gaze to Bai Liang. He believed that this brilliant young man wouldn't make empty accusations. If Bai Liang said Byrne was guilty, then he must have evidence.

“Hmm... it seems I was mistaken.”

Bai Liang said with a smile:

“Mr. Byrne is absolutely right. A pistol alone cannot serve as sufficient proof that a person is the true killer.”

“Tony, let’s look elsewhere.”

Tony froze, stunned by Bai Liang’s words. His face clearly read: Are you messing with me?

“Bai Liang... you...” he wanted to curse, but held back.

Smiling awkwardly, Tony returned the pistol to old man Byrne:

“Mr. Byrne, it seems we misunderstood you. I apologize.”

Byrne didn't show much friendliness and snatched the weapon back irritably.

But just as they stepped past the threshold, the old man suddenly spoke:

“If you want to understand the cause of Will’s death, you should go to China Town.”

Bai Liang and his two companions froze at the exit. A barely noticeable smile flickered at the corner of Bai Liang’s lips.

“China Town?”

Tony frowned and turned back to Byrne:

“Why should we look for answers there?”

“Will lived there for a while once,” Byrne explained. “He had a romance with a girl. But after a few months, they broke up, and it was only after that he got a job at the library.”

He paused for a moment, then continued:

“Only now, when you mentioned Will, did I remember this story. After their breakup, he came to me, asking for help to find a job. That's when I recommended him to the library owner.”

“And what does that have to do with his death?” Tony looked puzzled. Young people falling in love is quite normal, and breakups happen even more often than relationships themselves. It seemed there was no connection here.

“Did that girl kill him because of unrequited love?” Tony involuntarily speculated. He had encountered similar cases more than once, so his thoughts immediately went in that direction.

Old man Byrne shook his head:

“That girl died shortly after their breakup.”

“What?”

Tony froze abruptly:

“Died?”

“And she died terribly. They say she was hit by a car.”

“When Will saw her, he couldn’t even find a whole body.”

Byrne nodded, confirming his words.

“If so... No, wait, Mr. Byrne,”

“how do you know about this in such detail?” Tony suddenly grew wary, staring incineratingly at the old man.

If a young man lost his beloved,

no matter how deep his grief, he would hardly tell anyone about it in minute detail.

If Byrne only knew the general event that’s one thing.

But how did he know such details?

“I already told you before.”

“After that incident, Will came to me and spoke with me.”

“As a teacher, I considered it my duty to support my student. Is that not normal?” old man Byrne calmly retorted.

Tony pondered.

His words sounded logical.

But despite this, his suspicions didn't vanish.

“Well, we won’t trouble you any further, Mr. Byrne.”

“Thank you for telling us so much!” Tony said.

...

After leaving Byrne’s house, Tony and Bai Liang stopped in the street.

Tony looked grim.

Especially when he looked at Bai Liang his gaze was so reproachful that it seemed as if he was about to erupt in a storm of emotions.

“Is something wrong, Mr. Tony?”

Bai Liang looked at him innocently, as if he understood nothing.

Tony took out a cigarette, lit it, took a deep drag, and slowly exhaled the smoke.

“Bai Liang, I think we should be honest with each other.”

“You can trust me completely.”

“I’m your boss, and during this investigation your partner.”

“Some things you could tell me in advance.”

Tony was no fool.

On the contrary, as the lead detective of the agency, he possessed outstanding intelligence.

Moreover, he was one of the smartest people in this city.

As soon as old man Byrne spoke,

Tony immediately understood what Bai Liang had planned.

Whether old man Byrne was the real culprit or not – it didn’t matter. The main thing was that they had no evidence.

And if they hadn’t approached him in such an aggressive manner, he might not have told them about the important clue concerning China Town at all.

Because he was a man who feared unnecessary trouble.

This was evident from his lifestyle: he lived alone, never left his house unnecessarily, and didn’t interact with his neighbors.

But if he were suspected of murder, his life would turn into hell.

Therefore, he needed to urgently divert their attention – for example, by telling them what he knew.

Tony couldn't help but admit that Bai Liang had played it very beautifully.

He even used Tony himself.

But most importantly – he achieved the result.

With his convincing "performance," he made old man Byrne believe the accusations and reveal important information.

But no matter how ingenious his strategy was, Tony still felt annoyed.

He didn't like how Bai Liang silently went about his business, without warning anyone.

This gave him an unpleasant feeling, as if he was being led by the nose.

“Is that so? Well, it’s all clear to me now.” Bai Liang grinned.

“Like hell it’s clear to you!”

Looking at Bai Liang’s smug face, Tony was certain – he hadn’t even taken his words seriously.

“Damn it!”

“Why the hell am I so unlucky – to be working with this smart, yet utterly insubordinate guy?!”

Tony forgot that he had literally just been bragging to his colleagues on the street, practically trumpeting to the whole world that his new partner was a true genius.

But he would never admit it.

After all, he was the proud First Detective.

Upon learning about China Town, Bai Liang didn't immediately go there.

Instead, he returned to the agency.

Tony told him that China Town was quite far – it would be best to take a taxi, and the ride would take a full hour.

And if they went right now...

Then they wouldn’t have time for lunch.

And according to the notebook’s third rule – skipping lunch was not allowed.