Tokyo: I'm really not a killer

After the banquet ended, everyone helped each other out of the izakaya and said goodbye at the door.

Yamamoto Koji had drunk the most and was walking unsteadily, being supported by Yoshioka Akio: "H-Hara-kun! You've had a hard day! Get some rest!"

Yusuke Nishio patted Hara Masao on the shoulder: "Hara-kun, be careful on the road! See you tomorrow when we hand over duties!"

With a perfectly balanced flush on his face, Yuan Zhensheng responded to each of them: "Section Chief Yamamoto, Director Nishio, Inspector Yoshioka, you've all worked hard. Please be careful on your journey."

Yuan Zhensheng watched them leave one by one. After they had all gone far away, the slight alcohol on his face quickly faded, and his eyes regained their clarity.

He walked in the opposite direction from where he came, and after confirming that no one was following him, he turned into a small alley.

Deep in the alley, he equipped himself with the "Face of the Fickle One," and his face and body began to change, eventually transforming into the appearance of Shinya Suzuki.

He took out another set of civilian clothes from his bag and changed into them, carefully folding the patrol officer uniform and stuffing it into the bag.

After doing all this, he walked out of the alley and blended into the sparse crowd of people at night.

Instead of going directly back to the safe house in the port area, he took a tram that circled several blocks, changing trains twice along the way, and finally got off three blocks away from the safe house.

During his walk, he stopped several times, pretending to tie his shoelaces or look at shop windows, while glancing behind him out of the corner of his eye.

Only after confirming that it was safe did he turn into the street where the old apartment building was located.

The television in the administrator's room was still humming. Yuan Zhensheng held his breath and stepped onto the iron stairs of the outer corridor, trying to walk as quietly as possible. But when he reached the door of room 201, the door of room 202 next door was opened.

Komi Yui leaned against the doorframe, listening intently, her unfocused, gray eyes asking, "Mr. Suzuki, you're back... Have you been drinking?"

Her nose twitched slightly.

"Yes, it's work-related socializing," Yuan Zhensheng replied briefly, taking out his keys to open the door.

"Would you like some hangover tea?" Komi Yui asked softly.

"A drink, please," Yuan Zhensheng said, entering the next room with practiced ease. "Excuse me."

The room was pitch black, but he could hear soft breathing and the rustling of fabric coming from the tatami mats—Shinomiya Rin was not asleep.

He walked straight to the low table and lit the warm yellow lamp.

Under the light, he saw Shinomiya Rin sitting on the bedding with her knees drawn up, staring at him with eyes that showed no sleepiness, only anxiety and impatience.

Komi Yui followed her in. She walked to the low table with practiced ease, sat down, and began preparing tea.

"How's the case going?"

Shinomiya Rin spoke impatiently, her voice low but rapid, "Didn't you say you went out to investigate how I was framed, and about the Swamp Man? How come you have time to leisurely go drinking?"

Yuan Zhensheng didn't answer immediately. He sat down across from him at the low table, rubbed his temples, and looked tired and somewhat helpless: "I investigated, but the trail went cold."

"Broken? What do you mean?" Shinomiya Rin pressed.

Yuan Zhensheng said, half-jokingly, "I was drinking with Section Chief Yamamoto and the others who are in charge of the case. They said the case is basically closed, and they caught a member of the Yamamoto Construction Group named Shiraishi Hideaki, saying he was the one who did it."

"Hideaki Shiraishi?" Rin Shinomiya looked blank; she didn't recognize him at all. "Why would he frame me? And kill...and do those things?"

"The police's version is that he wanted to rise to power, so he assassinated Kuwata Kenkichi, then assassinated Representative Shinomiya, and framed you along the way, trying to muddy the waters," Hara Masaki repeated the official conclusion he had heard at the dinner table.

"This is absurd!" Shinomiya Rin simply couldn't believe it. "How could a yakuza member be capable of planning so much, especially in a place like the Imperial Hotel..."

"The police need to give their superiors an explanation," Yuan Zhensheng interrupted her, his voice calm. "The Special Investigations Unit has been disbanded; they think they've caught the real culprit."

Rin Shinomiya opened her mouth, wanting to refute, but didn't know what to say.

That's how the police used to handle cases, and everyone's gotten used to it. They all have their own reasons, like incompetence, too much pressure from their superiors, or the criminals being too cunning... But when it actually happens to them, they know how painful it is.

She looked at Kojimi Yui, who had her head slightly lowered, her hands folded on her knees, her face expressionless, but her lips were pursed tightly.

Silence fell over the room. Only the faint hum of the lamp could be heard.

Looking at Hara Masaki's tired face and then at Komi Yui's silent expression, Shinomiya Rin felt a tightness in her chest.

She had hoped that Hara Masaki could uncover the truth, clear her name, and help Komi Yui find her father's killer. But now it seems that even Hara Masaki is helpless.

"Then... what do we do next?" she asked reluctantly, her voice carrying a hint of barely perceptible dependence.

This is exactly what Yuan Zhensheng was waiting for.

Hideaki Shiraishi has been arrested by the police and is being held at the Metropolitan Police Department. This guy saw himself in a patrol officer uniform in the interrogation room, and although he hasn't dared to confess yet due to fear and torture, he remains a huge potential threat.

The Special Investigation Division has now been disbanded, the case is closed, and Hideaki Shiraishi is the murderer. However, the legal process is not yet complete, and Shiraishi remains in custody.

This means that as long as Hideaki Shiraishi is still in the hands of the police, especially in the interrogation room or detention center in Tokyo, he could break down at any time due to a new interrogator and reveal clues about the Numa or Shinya Suzuki.

Hara Masaki recalled the desperate, pleading look in Shiraishi Hideaki's eyes in the interrogation room; the risk had to be eliminated.

The most thorough method is to silence them.

However, the Metropolitan Police Department is heavily guarded, especially now that Hideaki Shiraishi is a key suspect, making it extremely difficult to silence him and very easy to expose oneself.

So, another option is to get him out.

Shinomiya Rin is eager to clear her name, while Komi Yui wants to know the truth about her father's murder.

They all harbored doubts about the police's conclusion that "Hideaki Shiraishi is the real culprit."

We can make use of it.

"There is a way...." Yuan Zhensheng spoke slowly, his voice very low, making sure that only the three people in the room could hear him.

Shinomiya Rin's eyes immediately lit up, and she leaned forward: "What method?"

Komi Yuiya slightly raised his head and looked in the direction of Hara Masaki.

Hara Masaki didn't answer directly, but instead looked at Shinomiya Rin: "Do you remember Shiraishi Hideaki? The one who came to report a case before, saying he was looking for a friend."

Shinomiya Rin frowned, recalling, "That... guy who stutters and seems a bit dim-witted? He reported himself missing, looking for some friend...?"

She suddenly realized, "Wait, he's Hideaki Shiraishi? The one who was suspected of being the murderer?"

"Yes." Hara Masaki nodded. "I've inquired about it. He's currently being held in the Metropolitan Police Department's detention room, awaiting transfer to the prosecutor's office. The police believe he committed these crimes to climb the ranks, but he seems to be constantly proclaiming his innocence, saying that he was also looking for the Swamp Man."

"You mean..." Shinomiya Rin understood the implication.