[Classic Literature Crossover] The Countess of Baker Street

Forensic trace examiner An Ni opened her eyes to find herself in Victorian London. The good news: her brother was the famous detective Sherlock Holmes, renowned throughout Britain! The bad news: her brother was Sherlock Holmes, arrogant, cold, and old-fashioned! “A lady should not be going in and out of filthy, dangerous crime scenes.” Faced with this sort of “well-meaning” remark, Annie Holmes flipped the table and walked out. The next day, she rented 222A Baker Street, and a delicate little plaque appeared by the door. Miss Holmes Detective Agency But her business venture was on the verge of collapsing before it had even gotten off the ground. On opening day, not a soul came in. By the end of the first week, the place was deserted. That is, until a ragged little girl collapsed badly injured outside the agency. The gears of fate began to turn, and cases started pouring in for Annie. 1. Children of the Abyss: The Dye Case 2. The Voynich Manuscript: The Diamond Case 3. Pemberley Manor: The Blizzard Case 4. The Madwoman in the Attic: The Witch Case 5. Frankenstein: The Aristocrat Case (tentative; may be adjusted later) One rainy night, Sherlock appeared at 222A beneath a black umbrella. After hesitating for a long while, he finally lowered his proud head and raised a hand to knock. “...” “Wait, are you kidding me?” When had the plaque been changed to “The Countess of Monte Cristo Detective Agency”??? * From the treasure of Monte Cristo, hidden in plain sight, to being personally decorated by Queen Victoria, from fashionable, lavish Paris to the elegant, tranquil country estates of England, she was the mystery Sherlock Holmes could not solve, even after a lifetime of trying. A few notes for readers: 1. [Important] The characterizations are primarily based on the original stories by Arthur Conan Doyle, though they have been adapted to some extent. “Arrogant, cold, and old-fashioned” is just the initial stereotype, not Sherlock’s true personality. 2. The story is set around 1878 in a loosely imagined Victorian era, with historical events and classic literary plots all thrown together. The heroine is 23 before she transmigrates and 19 afterward; Sherlock is 24. They are not related by blood. 3. The main focus is on solving cases, with romance as a secondary storyline (70:30). Other classic works make appearances in the standalone cases (including references to or adaptations of Pride and Prejudice, Frankenstein, and The Three Musketeers). The Count of Monte Cristo is part of the heroine’s background. You can enjoy the story without having read the originals. Apologies in advance for any out-of-character moments. 4. Every setting detail serves the plot. The author’s abilities are limited, so friendly discussion is welcome~ Advertisement Break Upcoming novel: Can a Horror Movie Director Solve Crimes? [Hong Kong, 1990s] Zhou Yingtong transmigrates to Hong Kong in the 1990s, where she is a struggling novice director. Halfway through filming, the actors suddenly quit, and the investors pull out soon afterward. She can’t even afford the rent, and she is facing a huge penalty for breach of contract. One day after filming, she stares at the old monitor on set, trying to figure out how to sell it to pay off her debts, and finally discovers the real reason: A woman in red drifting around, a little girl with twin ponytails hugging a doll, and a neurotic man, soaked through, crouching in a corner. Nobody else can see them. They only know the set is haunted, and they all flee in terror. Only Zhou Yingtong realizes that they are all victims of unsolved cases who never received justice. Inspector Chen from the West Kowloon Major Crimes Unit has recently encountered a lunatic. She claims to be a horror movie director and insists on inviting him to watch some video, swearing it is important evidence. At first, he finds her unbearably annoying, until a victim’s bones, buried for twenty years, are unearthed at Lai Yuen Amusement Park, and blood seeps from a freezer at a roast meat shop in Causeway Bay during a power outage. He can’t help thinking to himself: This lunatic might actually know what she’s talking about. One cold case after another is solved, and one ghost after another gets to rest in peace, becoming regular “actors” on Director Zhou’s set. Zhou Yingtong’s movies hit theaters one after another, stirring up discussions across Hong Kong and filling cinemas to the brim. Her fellow filmmakers are completely baffled: Why are your horror movies so scary? Zhou Yingtong: It’s hard to explain. Zhou Yingtong soon becomes Hong Kong’s biggest box-office director, and Inspector Chen is a regular on her set. He drives her to investigate cases, and she treats him to a boxed lunch on set. Until one day, Inspector Chen happens to see in the newspaper that she is getting married, and the groom isn’t him. Inspector Chen becomes the lunatic this time. Upcoming novel: Center for Abnormal Yokai Research After graduating from university, Wen Yin takes the civil service exam for three years, failing again and again, and trying again after every failure. At last, she finally makes it to an interview. But a string of absurd questions leaves her CPU fried. “Have you read The Classic of Mountains and Seas?” “Do you think androids dream of electronic sheep?” “Do you have faith? Do you believe in ghosts and gods? No matter what happens, will you uphold the core socialist values?” “One last question: Do you think I’m a normal person?” With the desperate determination not to fail the interview, Wen Yin has no choice but to play along. The interviewer stands up, removes their disguise, and reveals a head of white hair and two horns. “Great! Congratulations, you’re hired!” Wen Yin: What the heck? Have I gone crazy, or has the world gone crazy?! If spirits aren’t allowed to take form after the founding of the country, what about those who took form before it? Welcome to the Center for Abnormal Yokai Research! To keep the world from being destroyed, and for the sake of love and peace, we have to be ready at all times. As long as the Earth doesn’t explode, we don’t get a day off! What? Overtime pay? No, we work for love! Nuwa: Head of the research center, still stuck working overtime at her age. Honestly, I’m crying for her. Bai Ze: The earliest programmer in history, once a database expert, now a librarian. Yazi: Guitarist for the death metal Nine Sons band. Bad-tempered and not to be messed with. Every year, the guitars he smashes could stretch around the Earth. And a fox spirit makes a successful career change into a romance scammer: What did I do wrong? I just want to give everyone in the world a home! The rat spirits cut costs, boost efficiency, upgrade their industry, and turn into cyber copyright thieves: I-isn’t what scholars do different from stealing? And then there’s the fact that this world has gone completely mad! Mice really are bridesmaids for cats! Wen Yin: Is it still too late to run? Whoever wants this civil service post can have it! Theme: Even in an era that isn’t your own, you can still make your life shine.