Tokyo: I'm really not a killer

The applause and cheers from the audience seemed to have been paused.

Immediately following was the sound of bullets shattering against the hard walls of the Empire Hotel—a fraction of a second slower than the gunshot—followed by the muffled thud of liquid and flesh splattering onto the backdrop of the podium.

The camera's red light was still flashing, and the lens faithfully recorded the figure on the podium who had been raising his arms and shouting just a second ago, now leaning backward as if all support had been removed.

"ah--!"

A short, chaotic gasp erupted in the lobby of the Imperial Hotel. Several community representatives and supporters who were closest to the entrance instinctively recoiled, knocking over chairs. The previously enthusiastic atmosphere was instantly torn apart by fear and bewilderment.

"Gun! There's shooting!"

"Member of Parliament...Member of Parliament Shinomiya has been shot!"

After a brief moment of stunned silence, the reporters' professional instincts immediately overcame their initial shock, and flashbulbs went off like a flock of startled birds, aimed at the fallen Masakazu Shinomiya and the chaotic scene.

The audience in the back rows began to stir. Some tried to escape, while others craned their necks to see what was going on. The Imperial Hotel security personnel and Masakazu Shinomiya's entourage struggled to maintain order, amidst shouts, screams, and the clatter of tables and chairs.

Beside the podium, the administrative officer, pale-faced, was the first to rush toward the fallen Shinomiya Masakazu, trying to check on him, but was terrified by the splattered blood and horrifying wounds and was at a loss for what to do.

The cameraman from their own TV station instinctively pointed his lens at the chaotic scene, but it was quickly blocked by the staff who realized what was happening.

The faint sound of police sirens could be heard outside the venue, growing louder as they approached.

Inside the Imperial Hotel, chaos reigned even more intensely, with panic spreading like ripples.

On the rooftop 1,500 meters away, the windmill was still spinning.

Yuan Zhensheng immediately put away his gun, removed the windmill, disassembled the rifle, and put it into a special compartment in his suitcase.

He usually leaves the murder weapon at the crime scene, but this rifle was custom-made. If he leaves it at the scene, it will be easy to trace its origin. If the investigation leads to an information broker, the broker might betray him to protect himself.

"Empire Hotel! Shooting! The senator has been shot—!" A piercing cry came through the police walkie-talkie.

Yamamoto Koji nearly dropped the cigarette from his mouth. He grabbed the walkie-talkie and, looking bewildered, repeatedly checked the channel and content.

"Shinomiya Masakazu... was targeted at the press conference?" he muttered to himself, hardly believing his ears.

Just a moment ago, that man was speaking eloquently at the press conference about the bank hostage situation, and now...

"Boss, what do we do?" Yoshioka Akio asked excitedly. He had just been suspended and was feeling incredibly frustrated. When he heard about this earth-shattering change, his first reaction wasn't fear, but rather wishing he were dead, followed by, "Finally, it's my turn to shine."

Yamamoto Koji spat his cigarette butt out angrily: "Get in the car! What are you all standing there for?!"

He flung open the car door and jumped inside, with Akio Yoshioka following closely behind. The police car, sirens blaring, sped off toward the Imperial Hotel.

Along the way, the sounds of more police cars and riot control vehicles were converging in the same direction.

The entire port area's police force seemed to be activated in an instant.

As Yamamoto Koji drove, he listened to the chaotic updates constantly coming through the walkie-talkie: "The congressman has been shot in the head and is seriously injured... The scene is extremely chaotic, with many media present... Preliminary assessment indicates the shooting originated from a high-rise building to the northwest..."

"Northwest...high-rise buildings..."

Yamamoto Koji squinted, recalling the surrounding terrain.

There are several commercial buildings and luxury apartment buildings to the northwest of the hotel. He used a walkie-talkie to ask the local police officers if they had heard any gunshots, but all of them denied it.

None of the patrol officers heard the sound of a sniper rifle being fired. The area remained peaceful, and apart from the Empire State Building, there was nothing unusual.

"Boss, could it be..." Yoshioka Akio's voice was a little dry as he thought of it too, "that 'swamp man'?"

"Shut up!" Yamamoto Koji snapped, his eyes warning. "Don't say anything now, and don't even think about anything!"

This time, the target is no longer a gang leader or a wealthy businessman's widow, but a genuine member of Congress, and in a public setting with a large media presence!

What a big deal!

This time, Yamamoto Koji couldn't slack off. As a detective, especially one who happened to be on duty in the nearby area, he couldn't avoid arriving at the scene immediately to participate in the deployment and search.

Several police tapes had been put up around the Imperial Hotel, and the flashing police lights created a sea of ​​red and blue. Reporters were kept at a distance, but they still tried to break through the blockade, pointing their cameras and microphones at the hotel entrance and the vaguely visible chaos inside.

The director and higher-level officials looked grim as they worked urgently to coordinate the situation.

One part of the mobile team has already stormed into the hotel to protect the scene and the VIPs, while another part has begun to deploy a blockade and search of buildings in the northwest direction based on preliminary assessments of the ballistic trajectory.

Yamamoto Koji and Yoshioka Akio were assigned to the outermost search and control mission—responsible for sealing off a block that might cover the sniper position, cooperating with patrol officers to set up checkpoints to question suspicious persons, and preparing to conduct preliminary investigations of several key buildings.

Incidentally, no sooner had Masakazu Shinomiya died than the director announced the end of Akio Yoshioka's suspension.

"Damn it, this kind of work is the most tiring and thankless."

Yamamoto Koji grumbled under his breath, but his hands and feet didn't stop moving. He directed several patrol officers to set up roadblocks. "Take two men and go keep watch downstairs at that building. Register everyone entering and leaving, and find out their whereabouts tonight, especially residents and visitors on the upper floors. Keep your eyes peeled!"

At this moment, Yuan Zhensheng had already walked through several quiet backstreets and alleys, changed back into his patrol uniform, temporarily stuffed his suitcase into a public locker, and carefully wiped away the fingerprints on the outside.

He walked at a leisurely pace, looking just like an ordinary patrolman who had just finished his patrol and was preparing to return to Jiaofan.

Suddenly, dense and urgent sirens and engine roars came from the intersection ahead. Several police cars, riot control vehicles, and vehicles carrying riot police officers were seen speeding past on the main road with their glaring red and blue lights flashing.

They happened to be returning to the city after finishing the exercise when they received an emergency order to set up a perimeter. This was an unexpected situation and not part of Yuan Zhensheng's original plan.

Yuan Zhensheng stepped back to the side of the road, raised his hand, and gave a brief salute to the speeding convoy.

The convoy did not stop and sped past like lightning.

Yuan Zhensheng lowered his hand and continued walking forward with steady steps.

The area I just left is probably now surrounded by police search nets.

But all of this was irrelevant to him, an ordinary patrolman who knew nothing about it.

He returned to the station on time and was asked by the station chief if he had seen anything unusual. He feigned confusion and said, "I forgot to bring my walkie-talkie. I only saw a lot of police cars going that way. I don't know the specifics." He easily evaded the question.

"Let's go, the police station is calling for backup. We both have to work overtime tonight."

The station chief put on his coat, sighed, and hurriedly led Yuan Zhensheng out on a police mission.