All-rounder Artist

Chapter 507: 483

March 3rd.

The major bookstores finally started stocking the “Hercule Poirot Series”.

As the book was officially released, Jin Mu, Lin Yuan’s agent, who had previewed much of Chu Kuang’s serialized content, remarked, “The benefits of being the boss’s agent is you get to read the updates earlier than the general reader…”

At this moment, he opened the last story of the Hercule Poirot Series.

This story was called “Curtain”.

Next to it was a bracket, “The Final Case”.

Jin Mu’s mood suddenly became complicated.

Even more so when he read the opening content of “Curtain”.

Poirot invited Hastings back to Styles Court– n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

The place where Poirot and Hastings first met.

Unlike his original vigour, this Poirot was now old and even confined to a wheelchair.

According to the timeline of the story, this was perfectly normal, people get old.

But as a reader, Jin Mu inevitably felt a bit sentimental…

With this sentiment.

Jin Mu continued reading.

Times change.

The estate where Poirot and his assistant first met was now converted into a high-end hotel.

There were a variety of people living in the hotel.

This was a classic opening to a Poirot story—

Arranging a group of people in a fixed space from which Poirot needs to find the murderer, Poirot never misses!

Indeed.

Meeting the assistant Hastings, Poirot took out a stack of clippings reporting on five murders.

Poirot stated:

“There is some connection among these people staying in the hotel and the people involved in the previous murder cases.”

Classic start!

Familiar to the point of intimacy, the following part should also be a classic Poirot-style investigation, right.

This is so Poirot!

Thinking so, Jin Mu felt an expectation which took form as a smile on his face.

But the subsequent development of the story left Jin Mu stunned.

A victim with a suspicious cause of death showed up.

It was clear to discerning eyes that the victim was murdered, but Poirot insisted it was suicide!

This even led to a dispute between Poirot and Hastings.

“Why?”

All familiarity was gone.

Jin Mu suddenly felt suffocated.

Poirot was acting a bit off, to the point it didn’t seem like him.

Could it be because Poirot had gotten old and his mind was not able to keep up?

Jin Mu gritted his teeth.

This story was a bit heavy.

But at this point, the following description made Jin Mu shiver, as if he had taken an unexpected hard blow!

Poirot was dead!

Just as the cases were still shrouded in mystery, Poirot suddenly–

Died!!

Heart attack!!!

At this moment, Jin Mu’s hand holding the book trembled, and he instinctively yelled out:

“Impossible!”

The final case had only just begun and it was still unsolved, and Poirot died?

What kind of bizarre development was this!?

The author actually killed off the main character!!

Feeling numb and rigid, Jin Mu began breathing heavily. He got up and paced for a long while, striving to suppress his emotions—

It’s over!

Jin Mu was clearly aware what it meant to the readers that the boss had killed off Poirot, the super popular main character!

Shock!

The more Poirot fans there were, the more terrifying this shock would be. No one would be indifferent to Poirot’s death!

Even he finds it hard to accept Poirot’s death at this moment!

But Poirot is indeed dead —

No narrative trickery involved, the story straightforwardly tells all readers that Poirot has died.

His body is icy cold!

Even the funeral was held!

Grief swept over Jin Mu in an instant. Not only was he Poirot’s agent, but he was also a fan of Poirot.

He can only force himself to continue reading.

He wants to know if the story will take a new turn —

Indeed, there is a new development.

Poirot’s death may have been a homicide.

Because Hastings realized that Poirot’s heart disease medication bottle had gone missing.

A heartbroken Hastings decides to find out the truth.

The atmosphere is oppressively stifling.

It used to always be Poirot seeking the truth.

But this time, Poirot himself has become the victim.

And Hastings, as Poirot’s assistant, has to find the truth himself.

In the end.

Hastings was unsuccessful.

The one who solved the case was still Poirot himself!

Undeniably, Poirot is dead; this fact cannot be changed. But he left Hastings a will.

This will revealed all the truth:

It turns out Poirot had found out who the real killer was a long time ago.

But this killer was unique, he never killed anyone himself, instead, he manipulated others’ psychological weaknesses and subtly induced them to commit murder.

These crimes were conceived and orchestrated by him.

Yet, he always managed to stay outside the circle of suspicion —

Or rather, he could keep himself out of the circle of suspicion.

The innkeeper, because of a story this man told about a gun accidentally going off, intentionally made it look like a hunting rifle went off accidentally and shot his domineering wife; he just didn’t hit her vitals because he went soft at the last moment.

It was again this man who induced Mrs. Franklin to murder her husband for her own convenience to remarry.

However, because the table was rotated, Mrs. Franklin unwittingly drank the poison coffee. To prevent the innocent Mr. Franklin and Hastings’s daughter Judith from being suspected, Poirot declared the woman had committed suicide…

Yes.

The reason why Poirot argued with Hastings was simply because he wanted to protect his good friend’s daughter.

Then …

This man led Hastings to misunderstand that his daughter had been seduced by a rogue, which almost led Hastings to kill the rogue!

Luckily, Poirot discovered it in time and drugged Hastings to make him sleep early so he couldn’t carry out his plan.

Poirot was furious.

His upright and kind friend was taken advantage of by the killer’s psychological tricks, and almost became a murderer himself!

Poirot felt he can no longer tolerate it!

Unable to bring the killer to justice through legal means, Poirot made a dreadful decision!

He decided to eliminate the real villain himself —

Norton!

After killing Norton, Poirot hid his own heart disease medicine and let himself die from the outbreak of his illness.

He was prepared to accept divine judgement.

Yes, Poirot chose suicide after killing the killer; he killed the killer at the price of becoming one himself.

There was a feeling of suffocation in Jin Mu’s heart.

And when he saw Poirot’s last message to his assistant, his chest felt even more congested:

“Hastings, I’m not sure if what I’ve done is right or wrong. I am confused. I do not believe that a person should hold the law in his own hands… But on the other hand, I am the law. Do remember, many years ago, while I was still a policeman, I once shot a desperate criminal who was shooting at people from the roof. A state of emergency was about to be declared then. By taking away Norton’s life, I have saved other lives — the lives of innocents.

But still, I really don’t know…

Maybe it’s better that I don’t know, I’m always so certain — overconfident even… But now, I feel very inferior. I can only say to you like a child, ‘I don’t know…’ Goodbye, dear friend. I have removed the bottle of amyl nitrite from beside my bed. I would rather leave myself in the hands of God. He might punish, he might forgive, I wish it would come soon! We will not be together to punish criminals anymore. Our first case was here, and the last is here as well… Those were good times. Yes, those were always my best times…”

plop.

Tears fell.

Unbeknownst to him, Jin Mu’s tears have overflowed.

———————

ps: Thanks to the Alliance Hierarch of Sword Dance Sky, here’s the fresh update. Regarding Poirot’s death, Polluted White was also very upset when he read it, so this chapter is a bit more detailed, because it is indeed a sad one.