novel-bin Chapter 133 Inquiry in the Backstage Room
Chapter 133 Inquiry in the Backstage Room
Chapter 133 Inquiry in the Backstage Room
Just as the Homiga Gym Leader, his face dark with displeasure, placed his beloved bass guitar on the empty ground behind him, preparing to switch Pokémon and continue the battle, Hugo finally met his target—the current guitarist who had once served as a breeding consultant at the Liyong Power Plant. 👍☺ ❻❾𝕤ĤuЖ.𝓒Øм 🌷★
"Aren't you guys going to watch the gym leader's gym battle? I originally thought the band would play some kind of music to liven things up during the match."
Wearing a slightly worn white suit jacket, Detective Hugo appeared backstage at the underground concert hall, where three band members looked at him with different expressions.
The drummer was surprised, the guitarist looked wary, and the keyboardist seemed somewhat afraid.
"...Our team leader is skilled at using Poison-type Pokémon, and the venue is always a mess after she wreaks havoc...that's why we rushed to hide here."
Surprisingly, it was Martin, the keyboardist who was unusually shy on stage, who was the first to speak. This student-looking musician was exceptionally honest and timidly answered the detective's question.
A deep, muffled voice then rang out—
"And Homiga doesn't like us playing instruments during her competitions, as if it affects her performance or something."
Bald Cook was much more cheerful than he appeared. After finishing his own topic, he immediately launched into a barrage of complaints and questions at the detective, much like a Grass-type Pokémon unleashing its "Seed Machine Gun"—
"Speaking of which, shouldn't we be the ones asking you 'Why did you hide backstage?'? When did you even get in here? Why didn't you stay outside and watch your teammates' matches?"
"Don't you think it's a bit lonely to go to a show alone?" Hugo spread his hands, answering quite frankly.
"As you can see, I just entered the backstage area, but I didn't mean to play any pranks. ✋👌 ➅➈รĤᑌ𝓧.¢ᗝм 🐟🎉 As for the battles in the gym, I'm not particularly interested in Pokémon battles, but I was curious about what was going on here, so I came over."
He's lying.
Hugo's target, the guitarist named Lu, with his long brown hair, which had become somewhat messy during his performance, rudely interrupted the detective's self-introduction.
The woman, with a cold expression, pointed at the stranger and said to her two companions, "That person is a detective; he's here to investigate the Liyong Power Plant incident."
Hugo was momentarily surprised that his profession and purpose had been exposed so quickly. However, after reviewing the people he had met in Liyong City during his trip, he immediately asked, "Did Telt tell you?"
The guitarist crossed his arms and remained noncommittal, seemingly confirming the detective's suspicions.
It's unclear in what circumstances this former trainer encountered his successor, or how he learned of Telt's meeting with the detective. ° 🎀 08M.K.H.E. 🎀 °
"As expected, information obtained in exchange for a beer always comes with additional risks."
Hugo gave a wry smile and simply took a few steps closer to the crowd.
"Yes, I am a private investigator and I also run an agency. This is my business card."
Hugo never thought that being a detective was a profession that needed to be kept secret. Now that his identity had been suddenly revealed by Miss Lu, the rest was actually easier to handle.
The three of them took the business cards from the detective one by one. When they saw the words "Hugo Detective Agency" printed in beautiful serif font, as well as the detailed scope of services, agency address and contact information below, they were even more surprised.
"You're the detective in the business card?" Drummer Cook's expression was unusually rich beneath his bald head. He raised an eyebrow. "Do you often solve mysterious cases and assist the police in catching criminals? Like those famous detectives in comics, can you see through the truth with just a glare?"
"I've seen a few cases, but it's not to the point where people die everywhere. Right now, we're just conducting routine background checks."
Hugo, glancing at the fact that he had seen through the truth, humbly said, "I am here mainly to learn about the causes and consequences of the explosion."
"The exploded Liyong Power Plant... I remember it's pretty far from here, right?" the drummer asked, puzzled. "Why are you investigating our gym?"
"that……"
A somewhat weak male voice rang out; it was Martin, the shy electronic keyboard player.
"This morning when I left home, I thought I heard a huge sound, similar to a power plant explosion... but I was rushing to rehearsal and didn't see any flames or smoke, so I didn't go up to check. Is there any possibility that there might be some clues over there...?"
"What?!" The guitarist and drummer looked at their partner together.
The Liyong City bombing was a major, earth-shattering event in the area, known to everyone. Now, another suspected incident has emerged, and their companion is an indirect witness, causing both of them to be deeply shaken.
However, Hugo remained unfazed and took a notebook from his suit pocket: "Just in case, let me confirm, is your home located in the northern suburbs of Liyong City?"
The slender young man nodded: "Yes...but how did you know?"
"Don't worry about it, it's just a guess. All you saw was a loud noise, no fire or smoke?"
"Well, not entirely. It seemed like a pink cloud rose in the sky at the time, but it quickly dissipated. I'm not sure if it was just a momentary illusion or the morning glow."
Hugo slammed his notebook shut.
"I understand, Mr. Martin. You don't need to worry about what happened this morning at all. It has nothing to do with the truth about the explosion. Just think of it as a powerful trainer practicing moves in that area, which caused a lot of noise."
The three musicians looked at the detective suspiciously, but Hugo offered no further explanation. What else could he do? Tell them that the culprit behind today's explosion was that Miss Azure, who was fighting with their leader outside?
"I heard from Mr. Telt that a former employee of the power plant had joined the poison gas band, which is why I came here to investigate."
Hugo's eyes were fixed on the guitarist: "I want to know something about what happened before the Ryūyū Power Plant was built. What kind of company was it? What kind of people were the employees and the boss? What were their relationships like? How were the Pokémon treated in the factory? I'm here for the answers to these questions."
Martin and Cook noticed Hugo's gaze and simultaneously looked at Rue beside them. As their eyes met, the guitarist sighed and finally spoke—
"Since you were also tricked into drinking by Telt, I'll tell you. Let me make it clear beforehand, I only know what the factory used to be like. I have absolutely no idea what it's like now, or why the explosion happened."
Hugo nodded, and the guitarist began his narration—