"Should I maybe try an audition first?" Giovanni hesitated for a long while, but in the end, he made up his mind. He planned to deliberately fail the audition later so that he wouldn't be selected and thus wouldn't have to actually participate in the filming.
"Sure, then take a look at this first." Edward handed over another script. This one was from a project he was still working on—still in the process of creation. The script only contained a single, original mini-scene that Edward had personally rewritten and adapted.
The confrontation between Moriarty and Holmes wasn't depicted in much detail in most versions. Usually, Holmes solved cases involving Moriarty's subordinates, indirectly dismantling Moriarty's operations. Moriarty, for the most part, operated from behind the scenes, engaging Holmes in a battle of intellect from the shadows.
But this setup didn't sufficiently portray how difficult Moriarty was to deal with. Therefore, Edward planned to adapt the plot slightly by adding a scene in which Moriarty and Holmes bump into each other by chance on the street while waiting for the bus. During this encounter, they casually play a deduction game. At that time, Holmes was deeply engrossed in another case, so he was slightly caught off guard and ended up at a disadvantage.
This scene would showcase the intelligence and logical reasoning skills of both characters. However, as anyone familiar with the genre knows, writing compelling logic-based duels is notoriously challenging.
If the writing isn't sharp enough, it stops being a duel of brilliant minds and becomes two fools spouting nonsense.
Many films and shows have failed spectacularly in their attempts to portray genius-level intellect in both protagonist and antagonist—especially detective and suspense dramas, where such failures are particularly common.
Edward had no intention of joining those ranks. Yet he also didn't know how to write a few short dialogues that could truly demonstrate high levels of intelligence and deductive reasoning.
So, he chose to use a classic logic riddle he remembered from his previous life:
The Three Gods Problem.
This was a famous logic puzzle proposed in his previous world. It was so difficult that, at first, many people thought it couldn't be solved—only later did some theoretical solutions emerge. The Three Gods Problem also gave rise to a simpler variant: the Two Gods Problem.
In the Two Gods version, there are two deities: one always tells the truth, the other always lies. The solver can ask one yes-or-no question and must figure out which god is which. This type of puzzle was very common in logic problem circles in his previous life.
The Three Gods Problem is significantly more difficult.
"This problem…" Giovanni looked a little confused. The script described it as a "simple little game," but to him, it was anything but simple. He had no idea how one was supposed to solve it.
…
Script Excerpt:
Moriarty: "Sir, while we wait for the bus, shall we play a simple little game?"
(Holmes flips through his newspaper, then glances at Moriarty and studies the man in front of him.)
Narration: "Though his clothing was simple, it was clearly refined. The calluses on his wrist indicated he often wrote, and the marks on his fingers suggested he may be a university professor."
Holmes: "Of course, I don't mind."
Moriarty chuckled softly.
Moriarty: "Human history has always been full of little amusements. One day, we stand before three deities. One always tells the truth—the Truth God. One always lies—the Liar God. And one answers however they feel—the Random God."
Moriarty: "As weak and ignorant mortals, we may ask these gods three yes-or-no questions in total. Each god will respond only with 'da' or 'ya,' but we don't know which one means 'yes' and which means 'no.' After asking, we must determine which god is which."
Holmes stops flipping his newspaper, his eyes showing signs of deep thought.
Moriarty: "And of course, humans cannot comprehend the divine tongue. The gods' answers are only 'da' and 'ya.'"
Holmes: "So not only must we deduce their identities within three yes-or-no questions, but we must also decipher whether 'da' means yes or no?"
Moriarty, surprised, claps his hands with joy.
Moriarty: "Brilliant. Exactly!"
…
Because this was a very rough draft, many details were left out, but Giovanni understood enough—and it made him deeply ponder. Was this riddle actually solvable? Giovanni was no fool; in fact, he was highly intelligent—after all, running Team Rocket required cunning and competence. A simpleton could never hide in the shadows for so long.
But this Three Gods Problem… it left him tangled in thought.
Three yes-or-no questions. One god lies, one tells the truth, and one answers randomly. On top of that, the gods don't use comprehensible words—they only reply with "da" or "ya," and the solver doesn't even know which is yes and which is no. The difficulty instantly escalates to an unimaginable level.
This made Giovanni incredibly curious: How would Holmes and Moriarty go about solving this?
…
"So, what do you think?" Edward asked.
The Three Gods Problem didn't exist in this world. It was a completely new logic riddle he had introduced, and Edward planned to use it as a moment to blow the audience's minds early in the show.
This scene would appear in Episode 1, while Holmes was investigating the "Study in Scarlet" case. Lost in thought, Holmes would be heading home by bus when he unexpectedly encounters Professor Moriarty. The bus is delayed due to traffic, and Moriarty proposes this game to pass the time.
This setup served multiple purposes: it planted the seed in the audience's mind that both Holmes and Moriarty were intellectual giants; it piqued curiosity about who this mysterious man who could challenge Holmes might be; and it built anticipation for Moriarty's future appearance.
In short: one scene, many benefits.
"It's brilliant," Giovanni admitted. "But I'm really curious—how does the plot solve the riddle?"
Edward smiled. "That's a secret."
Actors doing screen tests never receive full scripts. Maintaining secrecy is critical—some actors are chatterboxes and might accidentally spoil the plot during interviews, which could become a huge hassle.
Although some productions exploit leaks as a form of marketing…
Edward took confidentiality very seriously—especially for a detective thriller. If the plot gets spoiled, the suspense is lost, and the whole experience suffers.
…
[Note from the Author:]
The Three Gods Problem is a real-world logic puzzle first proposed in 1996. If you're interested, feel free to look it up.
(End of Chapter)
(TN: A new start after a long break of translating this novel, so you guys might see some inconsistency or errors.)