Conan: Chief of Rice Flower's Science Points

Chapter 290 Corpse in the Fire
"Huh? There seems to be something under the fire tower..."

“Is it a dummy?”

"Do you smell it...it smells so good."

"what!"

Kala Kala——

……

As people in the crowd gradually saw the figure below, screams... and the sound of collapse were heard!
Normally, the construction of a fire tower requires skill. It will not collapse when burning, but will burn from top to bottom. However...

This time, the fire tower had obviously been tampered with at the base!

Not only did a "human-shaped object" appear inside, causing screams, but as the "human-shaped object" fell, the fire tower, which was already unstable due to being moved, collapsed...

Immediately, the side that collapsed was filled with chaos among the onlookers.

The people in the front row were already screaming because they saw a "human-shaped object", and now the people in the back row also started to panic.

But just then...

I saw a huge figure rushing over quickly from the crowd opposite!

In the chaos, people were crowded and falling. The girl who first saw the "human-shaped object" and screamed was so scared that she sat down on the ground, watching the burning stakes fall down...

At this moment, a huge figure suddenly stood in front of her, with his arms outstretched and his back facing the Toppling Fire Tower...

Ka-ka-ka-ka-sizzle!
The collapsed fire tower was leaning on his back, and was being held up by this "giant"!
Although Bai Shi's back was bent due to the blow, he still held on.

Immediately, due to the change in force, the originally collapsed fire tower became a loose hemp rope, and the wooden stakes spread out in all directions...

Although it was still rolling everywhere, the original "Optimus Prime falling" posture was stopped and it became "falling apart on the spot", with the burning tree stump rolling in all directions.

The range is larger, but it is much easier for the people around to dodge.

at the same time……

It also avoided the burning fire tower, which kept burning Shiraishi's back and arms!
……

That night, the southeastern part of Gunma Prefecture, including the northern part of the neighboring Saitama Prefecture, was filled with the sirens of ambulances and fire trucks...

Fortunately, the fire festival was originally held in an open space, and the scattered burning stakes did not cause a secondary disaster. Moreover, because Shiraishi stepped forward to hold the fire tower, the injured people around were basically bruises and sprains caused by falls and crowds, and no one else was burned.

Half an hour later, the Gunma Prefectural Police also arrived at the scene, led by Toki Miyuki, the managing officer of the Criminal Investigation Division's First Investigation Division.

The management officer of the Gunma Prefectural Police Headquarters, Criminal Division, Investigation Division 1, was only a "sergeant" police rank, and he was unlucky during his investigation. He was a semi-professional police officer in his thirties and was exiled from the Metropolitan Police Department...

(Chashi Miyuki, from "Destroying the Alibi", male, no more pictures.)
"Thank God, there are not too many casualties." A detective with a kappa mouth sighed after asking the firefighters at the scene.

Upon hearing this, Cha Shi said, "Don't thank me, we are in trouble." Then he looked at the covered body.

On the way here he knew...

This body has been burnt!

This is undoubtedly bad news for the police's search work.

At this time, the leader of the fire brigade came over and seemed to know Chashi. He specifically called out, "Inspector Chashi, you can go meet the one who saved everyone at the collapse site."

"Eh? I'm not needed here, right? If anyone should go, it should be the head of this department..." Cha Shi thought that it was to reward the "legendary warrior".

"No, I just asked him... He is a police officer from Dongdu, and seems to be a senior police officer at the rank of superintendent. Maybe he has some clues." The fire brigade reminded.

"Supervisory? Wait... I remember it was a 'giant', right?" Cha Shi seemed to realize something.

After all, he was recently sent here from the Metropolitan Police Department...

Who is the big police officer? How could he not know?

"Giants or something... they are very tall anyway." The fire brigade leader gestured above his head with his hands.

Upon hearing this, Cha Shi hurried over to the ambulance.

Bai Shi was seen sitting on the edge of the ambulance, asking the medical staff to bandage him, apparently refusing to go to the hospital for treatment...

Bai Shi also knew it in his mind - this level of burns was completely within the range that he could heal himself!

If Ayako hadn't been watching worriedly, Shiraishi wouldn't even have needed a bandage.

"Officer Bai Shi, it is indeed you." When Cha Shi saw Bai Shi, he came over to greet him - his tone was respectful, but also helpless.

"You are...Inspector Toki, right?" Shiraishi also recognized him at this time.

Shiraishi wasn't very familiar with this man, but at least he knew him. He knew that he was a detective in the Metropolitan Police Department's First Investigation Division. Later... he didn't know where he went. Anyway, he hadn't seen him for a while. Since he wasn't familiar with him, Shiraishi certainly didn't look for him specifically.

Seeing him in Gunma now, Shiraishi could probably guess his situation.

When Inukai fell, Director Hakuba also took the opportunity to clean up the former Criminal Minister who had always been "in the Metropolitan Police Department but with his heart in the Ministry of Justice". Before leaving office, the former minister had been frantically attacking others, resulting in many detectives being implicated.

Although Chashi was not considered a "former minister", he still suffered a setback and was "exiled" to Gunma Prefecture to work as an administrative officer. Although his position was promoted, in terms of career prospects, it was a "mid-life collapse".

"Thank you for your concern." Cha Shi still admired Bai Shi in his heart, but...

Since he was the one who suffered the consequences of the Inukai case, he couldn't help but feel some resentment.

Although Shiraishi didn't know what happened to him before, he could guess what happened since he was an administrative officer in Gunma Prefecture. He comforted him, "Do your best, you will be back in less than a year."

Cha Shi also understood that this was not just consolation - transferring these people away was Director Bai Ma's plan to cut off his financial support.

That was when Shiraishi was in the hospital. It was indeed a critical moment of the struggle among the top leaders, so naturally they would "rather kill someone by mistake than let him go."

However, since the former minister has been cleared out and the remaining poison is gradually being eliminated, those of us who have been transferred out will indeed have a chance to be transferred back gradually. It can even be predicted that most of them can be transferred back, but...

How long it will take and in what order they will be adjusted back depends on your personal performance!
"And it's the same in Gunma Prefecture. The police chiefs in Touto envy your house prices... Your salary here is enough to build a house and raise children, right? In Touto, you have to rent a house until retirement." Shiraishi also joked. "That's really a good thing." Chashi rolled his eyes, obviously not wanting this.

But this is true. The salary of a police inspector in the Metropolitan Police Department is not enough to buy a house in Toto. If you want to buy a house, you can only consider surrounding areas. For example, before getting married, Zi Nasi bought a house in Tokorozawa City, Saitama Prefecture. Even though his fiancée has run away, he still stubbornly enjoys commuting every day...

"what!"

At this moment, a scream was heard, and a criminal policeman in a work suit was seen sitting down on the ground with fear after uncovering the shroud.

Seeing Bai Shi's surprised look, Cha Shi's face immediately darkened, and he went over and grabbed the disgraceful criminal policeman.

"Inspector Shiraishi, this is... Yamamura Sou who was assigned to the Gunma Prefectural Police Headquarters last year... Well, he's in the professional group like you, but he only graduated from Gunma University and is currently a deputy inspector of the First Investigation Division." The police officer introduced.

Hearing this, Shiraishi looked at the Kappa detective in surprise...

Professional team? Gunma Prefectural Police? Investigation Division 1? Gunma University?

For a moment, Bai Shi didn't know where to start complaining.

First, he passed the professional group assessment and was directly assigned to the county police headquarters during the recruitment stage. This incredible situation made Shiraishi wonder if he had kicked the butt of the police chief when he was recruited...

And he's actually a detective from the First Investigation Division?

Shiraishi's case was already a special one, and when he was promoted to "inspector", he would not have been able to continue working as a criminal policeman unless Odagiri wanted him and Shiraishi himself agreed.

If I must give a reason...

It might be "Gunma University". Shiraishi even doubted whether there was a second student from Gunma University who passed the professional group assessment over the years.

Generally speaking, the vast majority of candidates in the professional group are graduates of the University of Tokyo, and as a result, graduates of the University of Tokyo are deeply rooted in the police factions. A few of them come from Kyoto University, and their factions are mainly in the Kyoto Prefectural Police, which are less developed than those of the University of Tokyo, and they basically cannot get into the highest levels of the Metropolitan Police Department and the National Police Agency...

Even if there are very few professional groups that did not graduate from these two, they would be from Waseda University, Tohoku University, Keio University, etc.... Gunma University is a bit too niche.

Of course, even so, they are still a professional group after all. Even if they are "helpless", they generally won't do such extreme things. Bai Shi suspects... he has done something stupid!
Seeing Shiraishi's surprised look, Cha Shi explained with satisfaction: "Inspector Yamamura is quite amazing. It is said that on his first day at work, in front of the National Police Agency Chief and the Superintendent General, he said that he decided to become a police officer after watching the movie "Dangerous Narcotics Investigator". The person he admires most is Fujimine Yukiko. He also said himself... that he wants to be a detective."

Upon hearing this, Yamamura immediately retorted unconvincedly: "It's "Dangerous Policewoman Story", what's the narcotic investigator..."

Shiraishi:……

As expected! He was the one who was stupid!

To be precise, it should be surprising that he could perform so well in the exam and directly enter the professional group!

"It doesn't matter if it's dangerous or not. I haven't seen it anyway... Inspector Yamamura, then this Officer Shiraishi should be your idol. After all... he was also a criminal policeman in the professional group for the previous six years, and now he is a senior superintendent of the Metropolitan Police Department." The inspector said to Yamamura.

Upon hearing this, Shancun's eyes lit up and he said happily, "Great! It's Officer Shiraishi. We are saved!"

Observation: ...

When you check, just hit him with a stick!

"Idiot! When have we ever needed rescue?" Cha Shi said angrily.

"Didn't you say this case is difficult... um, it is!" Shan Zhongcao met Cha Shi's resentful eyes and immediately stood at attention and saluted.

In fact, with his professional status, he would be promoted to police inspector in a few months as long as the "internship" stage was over. After five years, he would most likely be the superior of the inspector. However, he was still timid.

Shiraishi looked at the Kappa's mouth and felt a sense of déjà vu. It seemed like... it was the stupid non-local police inspector in "Detective Conan", right? But it seemed that he was still a deputy police inspector...

The Gunma Prefecture police are really brave and actually put him in the position of criminal police.

"Well, but... Officer Shiraishi, do you know anything about the case or the deceased?" Cha Shi asked after a dry cough.

Bai Shi shook his head and said, "No, I only found out there were people inside after the fire started. After that, the fire sacrifice tower collapsed, so I didn't have time to take care of the bodies."

Compared to solving cases, Shiraishi cares more about the living.

"He was... burned to death in there?" Cha Shi looked in the direction of the charred corpse and muttered half in doubt and half to himself.

"It shouldn't be. Not only was there no struggle in the fire, but judging from the way the body was curled up, it didn't look like he was burned to death." Bai Shi shook his head.

Bai Shi then speculated: "Nine out of ten, someone put the body in there after the death, because there was a curtain covering the bottom of the wooden tower, and no one found it before the fire... The reason why the fire sacrifice tower collapsed was probably because the murderer destroyed the bottom layout when he dumped the body."

Otherwise, since Red Ghost Village had held fire festivals for so many years, it wouldn't make sense for it to collapse this time, and collapse so completely.

"It seems that determining the identity of the deceased is a difficult problem... I hope there are clues on him that can be used for identification." Cha Shi said helplessly at this time.

At this time, Shancun's face suddenly turned pale and he said, "Officer Chashi, could it be that... the people here deliberately used human sacrifices for the fire sacrifice, but they were discovered this time?"

When Cha Shi heard this, he was speechless for a moment - don’t you have a very rich imagination?

"Maybe there really is some evil spirit that needs a human sacrifice..." Shancun trembled, and when he saw Bai Shi, he breathed a sigh of relief and said, "But fortunately, Officer Bai Shi is here. Even if there are evil spirits, you will definitely be able to repel them!"

Shiraishi:……

Bai Shi always felt that he had some misunderstanding about himself, as if he could ward off evil spirits.

"Instead of telling ghost stories, why don't you go visit the scene!" Cha Shi said unhappily.

But it is true that the construction process of the Fire Sacrifice Tower needs to be understood...

At this time, Cha Shi looked at Bai Shi and said, "Officer Bai Shi, we are going to ask the people who built the Fire Sacrifice Tower... Do you want to sit in?"

"I..." Shiraishi was about to answer, but noticed Ayako's worried look, so he shook his head and said, "Not yet, I'm also injured."

"Hehehe... okay." Cha Shi laughed dryly.

He had also seen the scattered wood piles at the scene...

I also wanted to know, how could humans be only "injured" when hit by this thing?
It is even said that it blocked the first wave of collapse, causing the burning stakes to scatter and avoiding greater casualties?
At this time, Cha Shi also felt that if there really was an evil spirit, Bai Shi should be able to repel it...

(End of this chapter)