Chương 274: Chapter : 274

She pulled out a sheet of paper covered in her neat handwriting.

"I have compiled a list of the five largest pharmaceutical companies in the capital. Each one has the resources, the motive, and the documented willingness to engage in industrial espionage." She tapped the first name on the list.

"The Benjamin Group. Largest pharmaceutical conglomerate in the capital. They control roughly forty percent of the medical supply chain in the Iron Rose District alone. Their annual revenue exceeds the military budget of three mid-tier Noble Families combined."

"That is a lot of money," Risa said, her eyes widening.

"That is a lot of motive," Naomi corrected. Sayma moved to the next name.

"Vorath Pharmaceuticals. Specializes in mana-reactive medical treatments. They have been fined twice for unethical testing practices, but the fines were small enough that they treated them as operating costs."

"And the third?" Iris asked.

"Helix Medical. A newer company, but growing fast. They have been aggressively acquiring smaller research firms, including two that had previous partnerships with Carrion."

"Makes sense," Laxmi said, nodding.

"If you could sell immortality, you would basically own the world. That is worth a few murders in the corporate world."

"The pharmaceutical industry is cutthroat," Naomi agreed, her green eyes scanning Sayma's list.

"There are documented cases of companies sabotaging each other's research facilities. A product like this would justify extreme measures."

"But that assumes the killer wanted the formula for commercial purposes," Iris said, frowning slightly.

"What if the motive was not profit at all? What if it was something else entirely?"

"Like what?" Risa asked, setting a cup of tea near Ira, who accepted it with a small, curt nod.

"That is what we need to figure out," Iris said. The discussion continued. Sayma laid out a detailed analysis of the pharmaceutical industry's power structure, complete with profit margins, market shares, and corporate rivalries. It was impressive, thorough, and deeply, profoundly boring to anyone who was not Sayma. Naomi cross-referenced the police reports with Sayma's data, looking for connections between the pharmaceutical companies and the suspicious closure of the Carrion investigation.

She found two possible links, both circumstantial, both worth pursuing. The problem was that none of the connections were strong enough to build a case on. The pharmaceutical industry was a swamp of competing interests, shell companies, and offshore accounts. Proving that any single company had ordered a hit on a scientist would require evidence that, so far, simply did not exist.

"What about the police chief who retired?" Risa asked, pouring herself a cup of tea.

"Chief Morrow. If he was pressured to close the investigation, that suggests someone powerful was involved. Pharmaceutical companies are rich, but they cannot order police chiefs around." If you come across this story on Amazon, it's taken without permission from the author. Report it.

"Not directly," Sayma agreed.

"But they can bribe the people who can. A pharmaceutical executive does not need to speak to a police chief. They just need to speak to the politician who controls the police chief's budget."

"Which adds another layer of separation between the killer and the victim," Iris said, frowning.

"The more layers there are, the harder it is to find the truth." While everyone was on the verge of breaking through something special in their mind… And then Ken ruined it. He let out a long, theatrical sigh that made everyone look at him. Then he reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a brightly colored, cheaply printed paperback novel. Ken slammed the book onto the center of the wooden table with the force and enthusiasm of a man who had just discovered gold.

The impact sent Sayma's notes scattering and made Luna's head jerk up from her semi-comatose state.

"I have cracked the case," he announced. The entire room stared at him. The cheap paperback sat on the table between the classified dossier and Sayma's meticulous notes, looking spectacularly out of place. Its garish cover seemed to mock the serious, professional atmosphere of the strategy room.

"Ken," Sayma said slowly, "is that a romance novel?"

"It is a mystery thriller with romantic elements," Ken corrected, holding up a finger.

"There is a difference. The romance is secondary to the intrigue. Also, there is a sword fight on page two hundred. Very exciting."

"The shirtless prince on the cover suggests otherwise," Naomi observed dryly.

"Do not judge a book by its cover," Ken said.

"That is literally the saying. It exists for this exact situation. Now, listen."

He flipped the book open to a dog-eared page and began to explain with the excited, animated energy of someone who had been waiting all morning to share this information. His dark eyes lit up like a child presenting a school project he was particularly proud of.

"So in this book, there is a prince who gets executed for committing adultery with a nobleman's wife. Public execution. Very dramatic. Lots of crying peasants. A whole thing."

"Fascinating," Ira said, her voice flat enough to sand a table.

"It is, actually," Ken said, missing or ignoring the sarcasm entirely.

"Because the adultery charge was fake." He leaned forward, his dark eyes suddenly sharp despite the goofy grin.

"The real reason the prince was killed was because he had formed a secret pact with devils."

"He was planning to use dark magic to stage a bloody coup and murder the king. The adultery was just a cover story to justify the execution without anyone asking questions about the real conspiracy." Ken looked around the table, his grin widening.

"Get it? The official story is a lie. The real motive is hidden underneath. Just like Carrion." The room was silent. Sayma stared at him. Naomi stared at him. Laxmi stared at him with her mouth slightly open. Luna had fallen back asleep. Zinia's expression did not change, but her eyebrows rose by approximately two millimeters, which for her was the equivalent of jumping out of her chair and screaming. Ira stared at him with absolute, deadpan exhaustion.

She let out a rare, audible groan that seemed to drain the very concept of patience from her body. It was one of the most emotionally expressive sounds she had ever made in front of the team, and it communicated volumes.

"You are," she said, her flat voice somehow conveying the depth of her exasperation, "attempting to base our entire Royal military strategy on a fictional, commercial paperback novel." Sayma pinched the bridge of her nose. Luna briefly surfaced from her sleep, muttered "book report," and sank back under. Risa covered her mouth to hide a giggle. Even Zinia's left eyebrow twitched, which was the earth mage equivalent of rolling on the floor laughing.

"I prefer the term 'alternative investigative methodology,'" Ken said cheerfully.

"It is a book, Ken," Naomi said, rubbing her temples.

"A made-up story with a shirtless prince on the cover. It is not evidence. It is not a lead. It is entertainment for people who like shirtless princes."

"It is a pattern," Ken countered, his voice shifting from goofy to surprisingly serious.

"Stories reflect reality. Why do you think mystery novels are so popular? Because the criminals in fiction use the same tricks as the criminals in real life. Misdirection. Cover stories. False motives."