No one understands the laws of Collider better than me.

Three days passed, and after visiting all the places he wanted to go and taking many nice photos of the places he wanted to see, Kitahara Masaki said goodbye to the First Investigative Division of Shizuoka Prefecture and returned to Tokyo.

"So why are you still following me? Shouldn't you be working in Shizuoka?"

"Hehe, I've already resigned from my job in Shizuoka. My magazine is going to be released in Tokyo soon! By the way, if I walk out of the train station with you and I are carrying hot spring souvenirs, do you think people will think we had a wonderful night in Shizuoka?"

Upon hearing these threatening words, Kitahara Masaki's previously calm gaze, which was no different from that of a passerby, immediately sharpened, and he replied:

"Don't worry, when we get off the bus, I can use the crowd to push you into a corner, and then I'll get off when you can't get off anymore."

"Oh my, even when faced with threats from that wicked woman, Officer Kitahara is still so gentle? Didn't he even consider using violence?"

"It is unforgivable for the police to use violence against innocent citizens."

Even if I did that, do you still think I'm innocent?

"Unfortunately, Japanese law only punishes perverts, and the legal provisions for perverts are not yet comprehensive."

"That's so unfair... but I like it."

As the saying goes, "People are afraid of becoming famous, just as pigs are afraid of getting fat." As for 'Kitahara Maki', he has finally met his match this time (laughs).

Chapter 97 The old man quickly dropped gold coins.

The reporters who wanted to interview me before were generally very well-behaved, so even though I didn't give them any useful information, I still served them high-quality black tea. In this era in Japan, we haven't reached the state of entertainment to the death that I experienced in my previous life. It's fair to say that in this Detective Conan world with its high murder rate, it's hard not to be on edge.

So Hotaru Sometani is truly an anomaly. The fact that she can combine seduction and threats proves that she is indeed a remarkable person.

"So, who is your magazine's target audience?"

"Of course it's the younger generation. I want my magazine to lead the trend, why would I want to please those smelly old men every day?"

Hmm... this woman also has quite a bit of prejudice against older men.

“I can consider accepting your interview, but only after you have shown sufficient sincerity.”

After returning to Tokyo, she was like a ghost, haunting him relentlessly. What was most ironic was that she always maintained a balance, a balance that prevented Kitahara Masaki from getting involved in any scandals while also making him understand the magazine reporter's persistence.

Therefore, Kitahara Masaki decided to give this clever person a chance. If she couldn't handle it, things might not be so clean afterward.

"So, Officer Kitahara—what do you want me to report?"

"good."

If you refuse, I'll hand the rest over to the organization. Tell them there's an annoying reporter here and to send Gin over to make her disappear.

However, since she is willing to cooperate, Kitahara Masaki will have another channel to influence young people without having to personally post on Twitter or Facebook to let others know his attitude on certain issues.

"I will give you some information, and I hope you will report it."

One is that the Fourth Investigation Division of Toriyama Town has corrupt police officers, and the other is that a prince from another country came to Japan to traffic drugs for money.

Although the sources of these two matters have long been blocked, a thorough investigation will surely uncover clues. For example, the large-scale personnel change in the Fourth Investigation Division is highly unusual within the civil service system; and the matter of the foreign prince trafficking drugs is impossible to cover up, as many people in the clubs know the prince who has already been deported and have bought drugs from him.

"Hmm... these are indeed good pieces of information. For a magazine that can fabricate an entire story with just a few clues, these can be used as a selling point. But I need a more sensational news story as the core selling point."

Seeing the almost explicit look in her eyes, Kitahara Masaki told her the whole story of the case in Shizuoka Prefecture.

"The real face of the famous actor is just a sleazy, stubborn old man. I think this case should be enough. And if you're quick enough, you might even be able to say a few words to his wife and have it officially released this month."

Although this isn't news about Kitahara Masaki, Komiyama, as an actor, is still worth reporting on because he's quite famous even among young people. After all, he not only plays the lead role in Taiga dramas but also portrays elder characters who help the protagonists in many romance and crime dramas.

As a result, this highly respected actor on screen was actually hated by those around him in private. The contrast between his public image and the truth behind the scenes was stark. Someya Hotaru thought that this was indeed a potential selling point. After all, the case had only just occurred, and the police had only held two press conferences. If the whole story were published in a magazine now, it would definitely attract everyone's attention!

"So you'd better hurry up and go to Shizuoka to do the interview. If the victim's wife is sent to jail, you won't have time to interview her."

Ah!

She was torn between an exclusive news story and staying by the side of her intelligence source, Kitahara Masaki.

"Have you forgotten? This is your chance to show your sincerity."

"Isn't Officer Kitahara a righteous policeman? Wouldn't exposing the corrupt cops in the Fourth Investigation Division bring shame to the Metropolitan Police Department?"

Kitahara Masaki didn't answer, but simply finished the last sip of his coffee and left his seat.

I hope you, Ms. Sometani, will be smart enough not to become someone the organization deals with.

Hey! You haven't paid the bill yet!

Hmm... it seems reporters are always shameless.

----------------

"What do you mean? Are you kidding me? Why are you suddenly making me do this?"

"Yawenyi, is there a problem?"

"Nonsense, killing a congressman is no small matter. The police will definitely come afterward. It's not just the Metropolitan Police Department that will be involved in the investigation, but also the Public Security Bureau!"

"Is there any problem?"

Gin doesn't need you to infiltrate, so of course you're fine.

“I can’t completely clear Pisco of suspicion. If he fired a gun inside the venue, the gunpowder smoke would definitely identify him. If it was poisoning, you’d have to give him an A drug. If it’s found in the autopsy afterward, he definitely won’t be able to escape. And most importantly, Pisco’s public identity is Kenzo Masuyama, the chairman of the car company. Wouldn’t it be a waste to tear off such a high-level identity just to kill a senator?”

"Hmph! The person we're having him kill this time is just a senator who's been cornered by the police. Shigehiko Toguchi is just a pawn we bribed to prevent him from revealing anything troublesome in the interrogation room, which is why we're having Pisco deal with him."

"No, doesn't this just mean that this senator is like a stray dog ​​on the street? Why don't you just shoot him in the back? If you can't get close, find me a sniping spot. Isn't it easy to kill a disgraced old dog?"

Kitahara Masaki's persistent questioning led Gin to reveal the answer prematurely:

“Pisco is too old. The organization doesn’t need someone with seniority but no ability. We’ve also found a suitable successor for the chairman of the automotive group. We no longer need an old and incompetent man like him.”

Slow horse.

Is the only outcome that they'll suffer is being killed and eaten?

Although Kitahara Masaki understood that Pisco was doomed because he remembered the main storyline, the reason he kept asking was to avoid being blamed for shooting his own people in the back later. He decided to leave this kind of treacherous mission that would make his own people resent him to Gin Bar.

"So, Yavin, your task is simply to take Pisco to the right place after he kills the senator. We'll handle the rest."

Sigh, this retired old guy was sent to the coffin shop because he couldn't drop any more gold coins. Who would want to stay in an organization like this?

Chapter 98 Pisco, guess how much longer you have to live?

Kenzo Masuyama, codenamed Pisco, can be considered a veteran of the organization. It is said that he has been working in the organization for nearly fifty years and is now over seventy years old.

Tsk tsk, assigning this kind of task to an old man over seventy years old, and then having to get rid of him in the end, the organization's style of squeezing out every last bit of value from a person is indeed a characteristic.

"Oracle, can you see what's going on inside?"

"It's possible, but the surveillance cameras in the Mihua Grand Hotel are mostly in public areas. They won't be installed in slightly more private places. You could say it's designed to provide a venue for these important people to conduct transactions."

"It's alright, there should be a memorial service being held here today. Let me see what's going on in front of the memorial service."

"Well... we can only confirm what happened in front of the gate. We don't know whether they were holding a memorial service or a shoe-gluing ceremony behind the gate."

The lack of surveillance cameras meant that Pisco chose to kill Senator Tunkou during the memorial service, a fairly standard procedure. What was unexpected, however, was the incredibly elaborate and bizarre methods Pisco used in the original work: applying fluorescent material to the chandeliers, firing shots at them, and then using handkerchiefs distributed at the entrance of the venue to cover the muzzle flash.

It just goes to show that Pisco is really getting old. He actually thought he could fool the police with such a simple trick... No, it might fool the Metropolitan Police Department, but it definitely won't fool the National Police Agency.

"There was a signature area at the entrance, and they were also handing out handkerchiefs. By the way, it seemed that everyone's handkerchief was a different color; there were basically several colors."

"Hehe... A few days ago, Pisco went to the organization to apply for the right to use drug A, but it was rejected on the grounds of insufficient drug supply."

Ai Haibara was stunned for a moment. As a poison that could not be detected, how could the organization not have a large quantity of A drug? It seemed that what Kitahara Masaki said about the organization wanting to get rid of Pisco was true.

"What are you going to do?"

"It's simple. If we stir things up, make the situation more chaotic, and keep Gin busier, we'll have more time and opportunities to develop."

It's obvious that Gin's plan was for Pisco to kill Senator Tonguchi, then for Detective Kitahara Masaki to appear, solve the case, and arrest Pisco on the spot. Thus, given the principle that being caught by the police means certain death, Pisco's death wouldn't be because the organization didn't acknowledge his contributions, but because he exposed himself.

Gin now had a reason to assassinate him on the spot.

So... the simplest way to thwart Gin's plan is to kill Senator Tonguchi beforehand, thus eliminating Pisco's reason to act.

"But wouldn't that be too risky? Killing Tunkou in front of so many people would only make the police search you more thoroughly afterwards, wouldn't it?"

"Don't worry, I won't use any disguise this time. There are plenty of enemies among these politicians who accept bribes. The most important thing is that one of their proposals could cause some ordinary citizens to lose their jobs, and a citizen with nowhere else to turn is just the right person to kill him."

"But when it was investigated later, wouldn't the truth be revealed?"

Kitahara Masaki had already covered his face. Looking back at the man he had found at an internet cafe, his heavy dark circles under his eyes still showed his exhaustion even with makeup. Even after taking a shower, he still had a mixed smell of cigarettes and instant noodles. Even though he was wearing an expensive suit, he was still hunched over, looking exactly like a middle-aged man whose spine had been broken.

"Who said I was going to personally take action? So, have you swallowed your pride and entered the fray yet?"

"They just went in, and there's a group of reporters following them outside the Mihua Grand Hotel."

"That's right, those reporters were able to divert most of the security personnel's attention."

Kitahara Masaki entered the room, and the man sitting in the chair immediately stood up, rubbing his hands as if he wanted to say something, but couldn't think of anything to say.

“Mr. Suzuki, although I approached you, the final decision on whether or not to do it is up to you. We will not force you. If you still feel resistant in the end, it is better to refuse now. Otherwise, you might mess things up and end up going to jail instead of killing the person.”

"You... No! I'll do it! I'll make that bastard Tunkou know just how much I hate him!"

This Mr. Suzuki has absolutely no connection with the Suzuki Zaibatsu; it's just that the surname Suzuki is very common in Japan, so it just so happens that he met someone with the surname Suzuki.

Mr. Suzuki's experience can be described as a fall from heaven to hell, all thanks to Tōguchi. He was originally one of Tōguchi's secretaries, but he was implicated in Tōguchi's bribery scandal. Tōguchi even forced Mr. Suzuki to commit suicide to escape punishment, but because Mr. Suzuki refused to take the blame, his wife and children were constantly harassed. Ultimately, Mr. Suzuki lost his family in a divorce and, because of Tōguchi, was unable to work, spending his days in internet cafes, practically a walking corpse.

So Kitahara Masaki found him and gave him a chance, a chance to kill Tonguchi.

"Also, you must give my wife and children the ten million Japanese yen you promised after this is done!"

Kitahara Masaki tossed him a phone and said:

"If you're worried, you can call your wife now. She's probably received a large sum of money and is wondering whether or not to call the police."

After dialing the number, Suzuki asked his ex-wife:

"Have you received a transfer of ten million in your account?"

"I received it. What happened? Honey, you didn't do anything, did you? Come home quickly, Ryota is still waiting for you! I threw away the divorce papers a morning ago. The matter with the senator Tsubaki wasn't entirely unrelated to you..."

Mr. Suzuki hung up the phone and bowed to Masaki Kitahara.

However, Kitahara Masaki only inquired about this:

"Mr. Suzuki, I taught you, you haven't forgotten, have you?"

"Hmm... but what if Tunkou takes the opportunity to escape after such a long opening speech?"

"Don't worry, he can't escape. Besides, most of the guests here are high-profile public figures. They won't stop you. At most, they'll just stand by and shout a few words."