Chapter 40: My Uncle Jules

"Tony, so it turns out that Cheng Liansu really died last night!" Early the next morning, Nicole exclaimed while reading the newspaper.

Monet responded with indifference, "Of course, didn't you see how agitated he got during that time?"

"Then do you know how he died?" Nicole asked again.

"Shot to death, obviously!" Monet replied casually.

"Huh? Did you read the newspaper?"

"Do I even need to? He was shot on stage and fell. How else could he have died if not by being shot?"

"Well, that's true. Do you know who killed him?" Nicole pressed on.

Although Monet knew that it was because the gunpowder inside the gun wasn't cleaned in time, causing the bullet to be discharged, he couldn't say that at the moment. So, he simply replied, "How would I know?"

"It's said that it was because he didn't clean the prop gun's gunpowder after his last performance, which led to this unfortunate incident. But there's another theory that this accident was actually caused by his wife and manager colluding to kill him. They've had that kind of relationship in secret for a while!" Speaking of this, Nicole leaned in with a suggestive expression and said, "But, there's also a rumor that this time, the accident happened because his wife and manager conspired to kill him. Apparently, they've been having an affair in secret!"

"Oh? Is his manager's last name Song?" Monet teased.

Evidently, Nicole wasn't familiar with the inside joke. After carefully reading the report again, she said, "The newspaper didn't mention that!"

At this moment, a flash of inspiration struck Monet's mind, and he mumbled to himself, "But it might be worth incorporating this angle!"

Not catching Monet's words clearly, Nicole asked, "Tony, what did you just say?"

"Nothing, I suddenly got an idea. I need to go find Mann and ask, and then maybe even pay a visit to Chief Klein." With that, Monet got up and left.

In truth, Monet's idea was quite simple. He wanted to weave this incident into his ongoing creation, "Detective Dawning." While he could borrow classic cases from Conan and Kindaichi, real-life occurrences would make the audience feel more immersed. Even though the Cheng Liansu stage accident might not have been intentional murder, he could still use this approach to write. However, he couldn't set the perpetrator as the wife and manager, as that would surely lead to legal action.

Regarding Monet's idea, Mann naturally offered strong support. After all, it provided plenty of material. Regardless of the content, just the title alone would attract a considerable audience. The only regret was that they didn't find any useful material at Chief Klein's office, because indeed, it was a pure accident.

Returning from the police station, Monet found Nicole receiving guests in the reception room. Upon seeing him return, Nicole immediately took the initiative to introduce both sides, "Tony, let me introduce you. This is my good friend, Catherine, and this is her husband, Mr. Brown!"

"Hello, Mr. Monet, I really enjoy reading your novels; they're truly captivating!" Brown shook hands warmly.

"Thank you for your appreciation. By the way, we're all friends here, so you don't need to call me Mr. Monet. Just call me Tony!" Monet replied casually.

Surprised by Monet's response, Brown hesitated for a moment and then awkwardly said, "Alright, Tony, you can call me Yule!"

"Yule?" Monet was almost questioning his own ears.

"That's right, my name is Yule, and yes, I'm the Yule you're currently thinking of for 'My Uncle Jules'!" Yule replied with a wry smile.

"So most of the time, when Brown introduces himself to others, he doesn't mention his name. Among friends, we all call him Brown," Nicole added.

"Actually, it's because my father doesn't like reading. He doesn't know that Monsieur Maupassant once created a world-renowned character named Yule!" Brown replied frustratedly.

"I can totally understand your feeling. Look at my last name, Monet, and coincidentally, I also paint. So, people often make jokes about me being related to the great French artist Monet." Monet empathized.

"But at least your situation involves your surname, which you can't change. So, no one can blame you for not being cultured. Whereas, my situation involves my first name. Sigh, if it weren't for the fear of upsetting my father, I would have changed my name long ago!"

"I understand, I understand. By the way, Brown, what do you do?" Monet changed the subject.

This time, Brown answered with a hint of pride, "Oh, I have my own small clinic!"

And it's no wonder he's proud, as being a doctor in the United States not only comes with social status but also an income that domestic peers can't quite compare with or imagine. What's more, there are no instances of medical disputes and moral dilemmas.

Later that evening, as the two were passionately discussing, Nicole suddenly asked Monet, "Tony, do you find Catherine attractive?"

Monet hesitated for a moment and then answered, "Well, she's, she's okay!"

Nicole lightly punched him and pouted, "At a time like this, you're still lying. I noticed earlier that your gaze towards Catherine was off, and you said you weren't interested in her!"

Monet couldn't really argue against Nicole's "lie detection" method; after all, it's the most genuine bodily reaction. The only downside is that it's only useful when testing specific lies, and generally, interrogators don't use this method. So Monet tried to explain, "This, according to Chinese sayings, everyone has a love for beauty. I was just looking, I didn't do anything, and in fact, I haven't even exchanged more than a couple of words with Catherine today!"

"Anyway, I can tell your eyes aren't honest. By the way, I suddenly realized, are you specifically interested in other people's wives? Look at me, look at Catherine. Even unmarried girls like Wendy and Shanshan seem to have a crush on you, but you never make a move. I guess if you had done something with Wendy that day, she wouldn't have betrayed Ruth!" Nicole curiously asked.

"What kind of thoughts are those? I didn't pursue Wendy for two reasons. First, when I had just arrived in New York, nothing was settled yet, so how could I have the mind to pursue women? Second, Wendy and I hadn't grown close enough at that time. As for Shanshan, she's just too young, not in line with my aesthetics, and I couldn't bring myself to make a move on such a vulnerable girl. And as for you, well, you're the one who got me drunk that day and basically forced me, so how can you blame me?" Monet explained.