Chapter 44 Don't you have any ulterior motives...?
Chapter 14 "Don't you have ulterior motives?"
Before the Noah set sail, Albert spotted that figure on the deck—Charles Milverton.
Even amidst the glitz and glamour of the world, this young media mogul attracts all eyes like a magnet.
He was young, possessing a delicate balance between youthful naiveté and mature sharpness. His skin was also in better condition than his peers, as if it had never been ravaged by anxiety, sleepless nights, or a cheap lifestyle. Such physical attributes made it immediately clear that he was a product of immense wealth, a top-tier environment, and absolute control, prompting one to instinctively keep their distance from him.
He wears suits most of the time, but he prefers casual wear. His wardrobe is mostly filled with Vicuna vicuña or top-quality cashmere loungewear sets. At home, he might even walk around on the marble floor without slippers. This time, he was also dressed casually. Although the brand was hard to discern, the clothes felt extremely comfortable, making acquaintances and friends feel a sense of warmth yet maintaining a sense of distance.
The only conspicuous luxury was a pair of expensive photochromic sunglasses. They were being worn on the face of a kitten of unknown pedigree. Due to the kitten's posture, the sunglasses eventually slipped down to form a bow around its neck, before being kicked away and rolling into a corner. Milverton seemed oblivious to this.
As he walked up the gangway, Albert could see the sunlight lingering on his face.
His eyelashes were long, and when he lowered his eyes, they always concealed the sharp calculation in them. He was certainly cold and aloof when silent, with the refinement of a work of art, but when he spoke, especially when he revealed that cunning or provocative smile, he was like a velvet-wrapped knife, stripping away all unease and awkwardness, leaving only a composed sharpness.
Albert recalled Moran's words: an employee had once secretly filmed Milwaukee singing, which, though quickly deleted, continued to circulate within the industry, attracting the covetous eyes of countless talent scouts. Upon hearing this, Milwaukee burst into laughter.
Moran also said that they later started singing along the way.
This is completely like living within a different set of social rules.
Albert watched the figure disappear at the end of the gangway, his fingertips unconsciously tapping lightly on the railing, as if to put a period to this brief observation. Then, he put his gentle mask back on and walked toward William, who was talking with Patton and Michelle.
The academic salon under the sunlight remained elegant.
However, this commission is ultimately inseparable from the "extortion" in Milverton's hands.
Two weeks ago, Fred, acting as a criminal consultant, received a commission from Durham University.
The person who initiated the commission was a mathematics PhD student named "Barton".
In Professor William Moriarty's memory, Patton was not an unknown figure.
Throughout his undergraduate and master's studies, he consistently ranked at the top of his class and published papers in journals. One of his most notable papers discussed the Fibonacci sequence and the golden ratio in plant morphology, causing quite a stir in the academic community.
I later heard that Barton's doctoral research focused on "morphology and fractal geometry." This field, situated at the intersection of mathematics and natural sciences, attracted considerable attention. Strangely, however, Professor William almost never heard his name again after he officially became a doctoral student.
When I noticed him again, the news came that he had postponed his graduation twice.
When discussing this matter privately with other professors, many expressed regret and speculated about the reasons behind it.
Some say that his complicated family background and life problems hindered his studies;
Some people say that he had a relationship during his doctoral studies, which distracted him.
A few people also mentioned in hushed tones that he had a tense relationship with his mentor, Professor Belfa, and that the two had a long-standing feud.
Regardless of the truth, 31-year-old Barton will likely still have difficulty graduating this year.
However, this time, his name did not appear at the academic conference or on the postponement list, but in a letter of authorization delivered directly to Fred's desk.
And that's what's truly unsettling.
The letter of authorization was short, but remarkably restrained.
Barton did not directly accuse anyone.
He was simply stating the facts. Over the past three years, his research findings have appeared in various forms in other people's papers, reports, and conference presentations, but his name has never appeared in the authorship list.
At first, he thought it was just a coincidence.
Until six months ago, he noticed the paper by his new junior classmate, "Michelle".
Her research subjects, methodologies, and even some inconspicuous yet highly personal intermediate steps in the derivation process are highly consistent with the award-winning paper of "Professor Belfa's nephew." The only difference is that the paper is packaged more maturely and more securely, perfectly catering to the tastes of mainstream reviewers.
So he wrote a letter to Fred.
He didn't seek revenge, nor did he fantasize about a just verdict. He only wanted to know if there was a way to help his junior, "Michelle," escape this sea of suffering with her research, without being completely crushed.
What appeared to be an academic dispute, Fred keenly sensed was in fact a long-running and ongoing plunder.
Fred investigated further and made private contact with "Michelle," the person Barton had mentioned, obtaining more confirmation.
Since the incident involved Michelle, why was Patton in charge of making the contact and carrying out the operation?
What is the connection between Michelle and Patton?
What role did Patton play in this whole affair?
...
Fred only realized the problem after he came into contact with Michelle.
She thought the problem lay with her senior, Barton.
Because she only had her research notes checked by senior student Barton.
After the incident, she could only conclude that Barton had misappropriated her research notes for his own benefit—notes that, even if not yet published, could form the core themes of a complete paper. Michelle suspected that her senior, Barton, had used this for personal gain.
Barton didn't say a word, silently enduring Michelle's coldness and exclusion.
With Fred's help, Michelle learned the truth and that Barton had long been a victim of the academic clique.
Because Professor Belfa's name was prominently displayed in the permission list of senior student Barton's "cloud shared files".
Professor Belfa's permissions include "visual and editable".
The cloud-shared files contained all of Barton's scattered research findings that he couldn't fully document. Because many of these findings had already been published by other researchers, Barton gradually shelved them and stopped using them.
What this means is self-evident.
Michel deduced that Barton's achievements were gradually extracted, reorganized, and transformed under Professor Belfa's long-term manipulation, eventually appearing under someone else's name.
But Patton was not the one who betrayed them.
He was just the first one to be drained dry.
Of course, this "cloud sharing permission" doesn't explain anything. It could easily be a permission configuration error. After all, given the relationship between the supervisor and the doctoral student, this connection can be easily explained.
So the first thing Michelle did, with Fred's help, was to successfully download a history of permissions.
According to the file system's automatically generated logs, Professor Belfa's access permissions were not recently added, but existed for several years and were never revoked. More importantly, the permission type was consistently "editable," not just viewable.
This makes the long-standing explanation of "accidental/permission configuration error" untenable.
Next, she and Fred began to compare the times.
She juxtaposed the dates of several key revisions in the shared files by Barton with the submission dates of several related papers in academic databases. Statistical analysis of this result would have been effortless for a mathematics PhD student.
Michelle discovered that after many of Barton's core papers were rewritten, split, or deleted, a paper with a highly similar direction but completely different authorship would always appear within a few months.
Two of the papers were first authored by their highly respected "Professor Belfa".
Michelle also checked for "trace of alterations".
Professor Belfa did not directly copy the content, but habitually left behind certain technical "writing styles," such as specific symbol choices, the order of lemmas, and the handling of certain boundary cases. These details appeared repeatedly in his past papers, and also in Barton's earliest research notes.
These stylistic features could not possibly be reverse imitation.
Finally, she contacted two former doctoral students who had already left the academy.
Without mentioning specific names, she only described the process of her research being published prematurely, her authorship disappearing, and her graduation being delayed. The reactions from the other party were almost identical: a brief silence, followed by cautious and firm nods after confirming with Michelle that they would not reveal their names.
At this point, Michelle no longer needed to prove anything.
She knew this was not an isolated case of academic misconduct, but rather a system that had been in operation for many years.
Patton was simply the earliest and the one who lasted the longest.
Patton contacted Fred not to settle old scores.
He knew very well that he was no longer in a position to demand justice.
The only thing he didn't want to see was Michelle's talent and genius being devoured by that system that had been operating for so many years, making her the next person to be silently drained.
It was only then that Michelle finally understood.
When choosing a doctoral advisor, why was it that only that senior student, Barton, maintained an almost indifferent, even sarcastic, attitude towards me?
That indifference was really unsettling.
She was unwilling to work with a difficult senior student and even considered giving up on Professor Belfa because of this.
But reality quickly made the choice for her.
Professor Belfa's reputation is too high. Many of his students have already established themselves in academia and industry. For a doctoral student just starting out, such resources and endorsement are almost impossible to refuse.
In comparison, a cold-hearted senior seems like a minor, tolerable price to pay.
So Michelle chose to be patient.
But now she understands that Barton's indifference and aloofness were all meaningful reminders to her, and he even stood up for her, wanting to give her a chance to "escape from danger".
With Fred's intervention, Patton and Michelle finally cleared up their misunderstandings and were able to reconcile.
However, the real problem has only just begun to surface.
With their current strength, it is impossible for them to shake the leading figures in academia.
In terms of procedures, discourse power, reputation, and connections, everything is on the other side.
What's even more cruel is that they are not in equal positions.
Michelle, as a direct victim, still stands on the side of morality and institutional leniency. Barton, however, had been tacitly, or even semi-tacitly, assisting others in completing and obtaining numerous academic achievements for many years. Even if those "exchanges" were forced and at the cost of survival, the numerous bank transfer records clearly demonstrate that his actions constituted academic misconduct.
This is one of the ways Professor Belfa completely binds to and controls Barton.
Once the truth is fully revealed, Michelle might still be seen as a victim.
Patton, on the other hand, will only become the target of elimination.
He knew this better than anyone else.
Therefore, the only thing Patton could do was to distance himself from all of that as much as possible.
He never touched a single penny of the bonuses stored in his bank account.
The money lay there, like indestructible evidence, and like a verdict that could be brought up at any moment.
He didn't expect to overturn the verdict, nor did he crave to expose the system. He didn't even want his past to be re-examined. That would mean he would have to stand in the spotlight again, which was exactly where he wanted to avoid the most.
His only request was almost humble.
He was willing to sacrifice his future if he could help Michel escape Professor Belfa's control.
But if the consequences didn't have to be so drastic, if there was still some room for maneuver, he just wanted to graduate smoothly.
This wish, so realistic it was almost insignificant, made Michelle both angry and amused.
"You can be so tough for others," she couldn't help but say, "but when it comes to your own affairs, are you so weak?"
As soon as the words left her mouth, she couldn't tell whether they were accusations or expressions of heartache.
Barton stood there, stunned.
He opened his mouth, but found himself unable to utter any words of defense.
...
This commission was not the kind that Professor Moriarty and his colleagues usually took on.
Even if this matter were made public, the damage to Professor Belfa's reputation might not be as devastating as outsiders imagine. As long as his research abilities remain strong, the academic community will not easily abandon him. History has already proven that what is truly scarce is not morality, but results.
Moreover, he has many truly capable mathematicians and researchers under his name. Their papers, projects, and positions are not all based on malpractice. If the entire network is condemned, those implicated will not necessarily be the perpetrators.
In the end, it was not fair to anyone.
Simply put,
If the whistleblower process is initiated, Barton will be the first to be eliminated.
If you apply for an anonymous internal appeal, it is entirely possible that it will be ignored.
If it's just a simple academic shift, Michelle might be suppressed or exploited again.
They are even less likely to simply kill "Professor Belfa" and let the matter rest because of this.
That's why this case is so particularly difficult.
At this point in the discussion, a sense of oppression and hesitation filled the air.
It was in this silence that Albert's calm voice pointed out the only unorthodox path.
"Charles Augustus Milwallton".
The moment the name was uttered, the atmosphere in the room paused slightly.
Strangely, the tension quickly dissipated.
Milvolton has a well-known reputation in the black market and dark web: "The Napoleon of extortion."
He may be the only breakthrough, the only person who can help them find a way out for Barton and Michel without shaking the entire academic ecosystem or sacrificing themselves.
Whether he was interested in Professor Belfa out of personal interest or already had leverage over him, the situation has taken on a different possibility.
However, some people still raised questions.
Fred frowned, and asked cautiously, "So, do we really have to cooperate with Milverton?"
He instinctively looked at Albert and Moran, who worried him the most.
A few months ago, Moran thought being Milverton's driver was a chore. But now? He not only chats and laughs with Milverton during pick-ups and drop-offs, sharing all sorts of interesting stories, but also lavishes praise on him for being able to freely borrow those luxury cars for a spin.
"You can't even imagine, the sound of those luxury car engines is simply indescribable!"
Moran would even meticulously maintain the car, instructing Fred, who was in the passenger seat, "not to get the car dirty." At his most outrageous, he even said that if Milwaldton were a woman, given her generosity, "I would have been willing to offer myself to her long ago."
Because of these absurd and nonsensical remarks, Albert criticized Moran several times and warned him not to befriend Milverton.
This warning is actually more important than any action plan.
After all, Milverton is not an ordinary person, nor does he need ordinary friendships.
No matter how close they are, Moran must maintain a distance. The more joking and relaxed her attitude, the easier it is to draw people into an intimate and relaxed state, which could affect future missions at any time and may also lead her into situations she cannot handle.
Albert has also maintained close ties with Milwald recently.
To better monitor and control Milverton's actions, he even considered buying the villa next to Milverton's. This arrangement would allow Albert to stay informed and make Milverton's movements more controllable.
However, this control is also two-way.
Therefore, if someone were to proactively propose a collaboration with Milwald now, it would be very easy for them to expose their identity as a criminal consultant.
His thoughts change much faster than the passage of time.
Professor William Moriarty spoke first, before anyone else could, saying, "There is no need for cooperation."
Professor William took out another letter of authorization that had been set aside a month earlier.
The client is "Ivy Blackwell".
Her goal was to hire a criminal consultant to figure out how to kill Milvolton. Through his investigation, Fred discovered that she was one of Milvolton's long-time victims of blackmail. However, she herself was far from entirely good. Now, she had become a tool they could use.
"As long as there is a fishy smell in the air, Milverton can follow the scent and begin to locate his prey."
Professor William, acting as a crime consultant, arranged for Blackwell to host a mathematics salon on the Noah, and also invited Milwaldton aboard.
The cruise lasts for seven days.
This period of time is more than enough for them to arrange the situation properly.
Without alerting Milvolton, the entire operation was orchestrated.
As arranged by the crime consultant, Blackwell was to have at least one formal meeting with Milverton before 8 p.m. on the first night in order to lower Milverton's guard against her.
But Milton had already crossed paths with Blackwell during his time at the Mathematical Salon.
It was obvious to the naked eye that Blackwell was terrified of Milvolton. As long as she didn't see him in person, she could come up with all sorts of decisions and action plans to deal with Milvolton. But as soon as Milvolton himself appeared, her ability to act became virtually zero.
Professor William still needs to find a way to push Blackwell to ensure that he is indeed showing signs of cooperating with his client.
At 8 p.m., Blackwell invited Milwallton to meet again.
This time, the two will have a formal discussion about the terms related to extortion.
But Milwaukee did not show up as requested.
Because Albert had taken the initiative to befriend Milverton in the afternoon, it wasn't unusual for him to bother him again in the evening.
However, after knocking on the door, the person who came out was Sherlock Holmes, the detective known as Detective 221B for "A Study in Pink".
Albert and Holmes locked eyes, neither speaking easily.
The standoff between the two did not last long. Prince Mitchell, drawn by Albert's scent, ran over, lay down to expose his belly, and demanded to be touched.
This little male cat, pampered and clingy, became bold and adventurous after recovering from its illness. It would cling to anyone it encountered, and if ignored, it would gently pat them with its paw to attract their attention. At this moment, it chose Albert without hesitation.
Albert watched as the kitten approached, and naturally bent down to scoop it into his arms. "This is the first time I've ever seen an owner leave their kitten alone in the room."
Generally, guests will help explain where the host is.
Holmes simply said, "Perhaps it's because the visitor is someone who rarely sprays catnip perfume around his trouser legs."
These words are incisive and resounding.
Albert merely raised an eyebrow slightly, without making any further expression: "So you have no ulterior motives?"
Holmes bluntly stated, "He is indeed one of my targets."
This caused the scene to fall silent instantly.
In fact, in Holmes' mind, there are still many mysteries surrounding the Jeff Hope case that have not yet been solved.
That is, when Jeff Hope used the deceased's cell phone to hint to detectives and police to investigate the truth of a case from years ago, he lacked the ability or willingness to clean up the crime scene. Despite having so many professionals present, no one could find footprints that appeared at the same time as the deceased.
Meanwhile, how did such an ordinary driver gradually get close to those high-ranking and powerful figures?
Holmes had always suspected that the driver's actions were being guided and assisted by others.
And this person might be Milverton.
Therefore, Holmes also hoped to gain a deeper understanding of Milverton's true nature and identity by accepting Milverton's invitation to this cruise.
"I'm afraid that won't work, Mr. Holmes."
He certainly hadn't forgotten that one of the core aspects of the renowned consulting detective's career was to send figures like Milverton, who operated in the shadows of the law, behind bars.
This is exactly the opposite of his goal.
At this moment, Albert simply and slowly, with his well-defined fingers, accustomed to holding pens and guns, gently rubbed them into the soft fur on the back of the kitten's neck, in a tenderness completely out of place with the current topic.
The little guy quickly softened into a fluffy ball of trust in his hands, even purring contentedly.
"He's not to be touched."
As he spoke, Albert's fingertips never left the warm, downy fur.
Holmes's gaze swept over her, carrying a hint of intriguing coldness: "It seems you know Milverton's identity very well, yet you still approach him... It seems your intentions are even greater than I imagined."
Albert's expression remained perfectly composed, revealing not a trace of emotion.
Holmes paused, recalling the low grumbling he'd overheard Milverton to Watson in a corner of the salon that afternoon, and a faint smile curved his lips: "Unfortunately, Milverton doesn't like you that much. Your efforts are probably still a little lacking."
Before he finished speaking, he reached out and gently scooped Michael II from Albert's arms.
"No matter how affectionate a cat is, it still has to go back to its real owner."
Albert paused, then, seeing Michael II nestled unceremoniously into Holmes's arms, raised an eyebrow slightly: "..."
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Author's Note: Thank you for leaving a comment! 20 lucky winners will receive a small red envelope!
Go to bed early!! Thank you.
Oh, if anyone is interested in my article on "The Progression of Character Relationships and Interaction Methods":
You could actually check out my book, "Looking at the Good Neighbor at 221B Baker Street Through Comics".
(Through the balancing and clashes between multiple characters, how the protagonist makes friends with everyone and forges increasingly deeper friendships, each with their own unique way of interacting, is arguably the best, most complete, and most well-developed aspect of my character relationships series. It's also the first time I've seen multiple characters simultaneously experience different emotional developments with the protagonist due to the same event.) [Detective Series]
Next up is "Clearly a Stranger," where the protagonist's personality leans towards that of a good neighbor (a Conan fanfic; everyone has their own way of interacting, and I don't think I can ever write this kind of story again, especially the protagonist and Matsuda Jinpei); [Detective stories related to psychology].
The protagonist of "A Certain Detective Conan's Lazybones" is similar to the protagonist of this book, but his style and words are more biting, and his interaction with Hagiwara is the best in that book. [Honest/Social Mystery]
"Yokohama Ayanokoji" also marks the beginning of the exploration of character interactions, building upon tension and warmth, and showcasing a growing skill in depicting relationships with different people, each with their own thought processes and expressive styles. [Focusing on intellectual battles and plot twists]
You can take a look if you're interested, but the story in "Yokohama Ayanokoji" might be a bit naive and stream-of-consciousness.
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