An infinite journey starting from paradise

"A dead bride soaking in a blood-red pool isn't exactly romantic. Reika, stop teasing me. Yuika's still in high school, so it's not her turn yet. And guess who would be the next person my dad would pressure into an arranged marriage with if I really married Inspector Lin?" Nogami Saeko retorted, "There aren't many good men who are handsome, hold high positions, and are wealthy enough to rival an entire nation."

"In that case, should I seize the opportunity and turn my future brother-in-law into my husband?"

"Oh?" Nogami Saeko raised an eyebrow. "Is that what you think?"

"Uh... I'm just kidding. Don't stare at me like that. It's scary."

Nogami Reika exaggeratedly flinched, then changed the subject: "Sister, aren't you going to see Inspector Lin? It seems he's here to set up a new department in the Metropolitan Police Department."

"Establish a new department? What new department?" asked Saeko Nogami.

Nogami Reika replied, "It seems to be called DIE."

"Hmm? Die? The new forensic department? Sounds like a morgue."

"It's Detective Investigation Extension, short for Special Homicide Investigation Division," a police officer who had just entered the office smoothly joined the conversation between the Nogami sisters. "It's a newly established special unit dedicated to investigating old, unsolved cases."

"Uncle Samezaki?"

Nogami Saeko looked at the sturdy, gray-haired old man. His name was Samezaki Shimaji, the former manager of the First Investigation Division, Kogoro Mori's direct superior when he was a police officer, and now retired.

"Don't be so surprised, Saeko-chan. I've been rehired as the head of this new department. Hahaha, maybe my old buddies knew I still had some lingering feelings, so they gave me this job, hahaha."

Samezaki Shimaji let out a hearty laugh. "So, are my two nieces interested in joining my new department?"

"Investigating an unsolved case? I think I'll be on the sidelines. I'd better stay on the front lines," Nogami Reika said without hesitation. After all, Samezaki Shimaji was a good friend of their father, so being a little more uninhibited in front of an elder wouldn't be a problem.

"Benched? The new department's salary and benefits are much higher than other departments! There are also new equipment and other benefits." Samezaki Shimaji explained, "And the entry standards are also very strict..."

"Wait, Uncle Samezaki. These benefits you mentioned, could they be privately funded by Brother Shangren... I mean, Inspector Lin?" asked Saeko Nogami.

Samezaki Shimaji replied, "Yes, this department was established under the leadership of Inspector Lin. I heard that it was originally formed because he wanted to reinvestigate the case in which Sato Masayoshi died in the line of duty eighteen years ago. The Chousilang case."

"The Chousilang case...ah, I remember now. My sister and I attended Officer Sato's memorial service."

Eighteen years ago, a bank robbery occurred in Beika Town. During the robbery, the robbers killed a bank employee and fled with the stolen money. While pursuing the robbers, Superintendent Sato Masayoshi, Miwako Sato's father, was struck by a speeding truck and died on the way to the hospital. According to eyewitnesses, Sato Masayoshi repeatedly shouted "Chou Si Lang" (a Chinese character for "Chou Si Lang") in the direction the suspects fled until he lost consciousness. This case is known as the Chou Si Lang Case.

"Later, the police were unable to determine the meaning of 'Chou Si Lang,' and found no other clues. Over time, the Chou Si Lang case remained unsolved. Even today..." Nogami Reika recalled, "It's already been eighteen years. Doesn't that mean the fifteen-year statute of limitations for criminal cases has already expired?"

"That's correct. However, the statute of limitations for criminal cases will be reformed soon. Murder cases will be subject to indefinite statutes of limitations. The specific documents may take a week or two to be officially issued," Samezaki Shimaji explained. "That's why I agreed to take over this new department, DIE."

"Is that so? Then Uncle Samezaki, have the members of DIE been selected?" Nogami Saeko asked again.

"Well, not yet...but the Chousilang case has been solved," Samezaki Shimaji said. "By now, the righteous daughter Miwako and Inspector Lin should have already arranged their forces and are ready to arrest him, right?"

Chapter 298: Yuanzi's Dinner Invitation

When Hayashi Naoto recalled that he still owed Sato Miwako a request, he thought of the "Chou Silang Case" and recalled many old unsolved cases in Conan's original works, most of which would directly or indirectly lead to new murders in the present.

"Why not just set up a department responsible for investigating old cases, and abolish this backward limited prosecution period system at the same time?" Lin Shangren thought.

After all, he was planning to use this world as his own experimental field and amusement park. All kinds of infrastructure and institutional reforms would have to be implemented sooner or later, so it would be better to use this as an experiment first.

Using the Yaxi Seal to control the politicians and powerful officials who would be replaced by him sooner or later, the implementation of legislative reforms and the establishment of departments soared with unprecedented efficiency. Lin Shangren completed the foundation overnight.

After issuing various orders to various departments, Lin Shangren retrieved the file of the Chou Silang case from eighteen years ago. After reviewing the information, Lin Shangren made a judgment: "This case should not have been delayed for so many years."

Even if they haven't read Conan's original work, the police should be able to determine the truth of the case based on known clues and the most basic reasoning.

"The overall quality of the police still needs to be improved."

Thinking of this, Hayashi Naoto called the office of the First Investigation Division and called Sato Miwako to his office.

A few minutes later.

Miwako Sato knocked on the door of Naoto Hayashi's office.

"Enter."

"Inspector Lin, you need me for something."

When Sato Miwako walked into the office, she found Hayashi Naoto facing the TV screen, holding the black umbrella in both hands and making movements like a baseball batter swinging a bat.

"This is?"

Sato Miwako walked closer and found that the TV screen of Lin Shangren was playing a bank surveillance video. It was the scene in which the robber in the Chou Silang bank robbery was recorded by the bank's surveillance camera eighteen years ago: in the video, the robber was holding the barrel of the shotgun with both hands, swinging the gun and smashing the glass of the bank counter with the butt of the gun.

Lin Shangrenfang lowered his black umbrella and got straight to the point. He told Sato Miwako, "I'm setting up a department dedicated to investigating old unsolved cases, tentatively codenamed DIE. I intend to use the Chou Silang case from eighteen years ago as the first case that DIE will reopen."

"You plan to reopen the investigation into the Chousilang case." Sato Miwako was a little surprised, then asked with some worry, "But the statute of limitations for the Chousilang case expired three years ago. And..."

"Don't worry about that." Lin Shangren interrupted Sato Miwako, "The higher-ups are already working on abolishing the statute of limitations for murder cases. Furthermore, if the murderer of Chousilang left Japan during the statute of limitations, then according to the original law, the statute of limitations can be re-estimated.

Officer Sato, don't worry about the relevant systems and laws; I'll handle them. I asked you to come here because I wanted to learn more from you, the daughter of Officer Sato Masayoshi, who witnessed this case.

"So, now I am a witness." Sato Miwako quickly got into the state.

"Later, you will have the opportunity to personally arrest the murderer who killed your father as a police officer. Even if this is delayed justice, justice will eventually prevail."

"Justice...Inspector Lin..."

Hayashi's words touched a soft spot in Sato Miwako's heart. "There's more to this world than just the survival of the fittest. Justice exists and will be served!" This was her father's motto, and it's what inspired her to become a police officer.

"Let's talk about the case first, Officer Sato," Hayashi said. "Does your father like baseball?"

"Baseball? Dad really loves playing baseball. He was an ace pitcher in both high school and college. But what does that have to do with the case?"

Miwako Sato thought of the scene she saw when she entered the room: "Could it be related to the swing and batting action you just made, Inspector Lin?"

"It's like this. I was just imitating the robber's movements," Lin Shangren explained. "I don't know if you noticed, but the way the kidnapper smashed the counter glass in the surveillance footage looked a lot like a batter's swing, except that his right hand didn't move naturally when he swung."

"It does look very similar... but this alone is not enough to identify the murderer," said Miwako Sato.

"So how did your father identify the robber?" Lin Shangren asked, then he picked up a confession from a bank employee at the time. "According to the testimony of witnesses and your mother's recollection, Officer Sato Masayoshi was on leave the day the case occurred. Upon learning that a nearby bank had been robbed, he went to the crime scene alone, faster than the larger police force. Upon arriving at the scene, Officer Sato Masayoshi only watched the ten-second surveillance video before rushing out of the bank to pursue the robber, who had already been on the run for nearly half an hour. He actually found him and engaged in a chase.

So the question is, how did Officer Sato Masayoshi confirm the robber's identity and possible escape direction from such a short surveillance video? And why didn't he first notify the main police force and tell other officers about his suspected robber's identity?

"This……"

"I think Officer Sato Masayoshi recognized the robber based on his distinctive batting motion. He didn't notify anyone else directly, but chose to pursue the robber himself in order to persuade him to surrender," Hayashi said. "Turn yourself in."

"Go and turn yourself in...Shuusiro...So that's...how it is?" Sato Miwako was stunned.

"I think it's because Officer Sato Masayoshi's lungs were severely damaged after being hit by the truck, and he could no longer pronounce the 'ji' sound normally. But he still wanted to persuade his friend to go to the police station and turn himself in. So until he completely lost consciousness, he kept shouting 'Go and turn yourself in' in the direction the robbers fled."

Lin Shangren paused and continued, "So the robber is likely a baseball player of Officer Sato Masayoshi's. Now we need to narrow down the suspects and then check their alibis and financial records from that year... uh... Officer Sato."

"Ah! Sorry..."

The mystery that had troubled her for eighteen years was finally solved by Hayashi Naoto. For a moment, Sato Miwako felt that it was a little unreal.

"The job of identifying the real culprit is now up to you." Lin Shangren pushed the file on the table towards Sato Miwako, "The justice that was left unfinished back then is now up to you to uphold."

"Yes!"

Miwako Sato stood up excitedly and saluted Naoto Hayashi.

"DIE's director, Samezaki Shimaharu, should be here soon. Bring this information to his new office on the third floor. Once everyone on the tentative list of members arrives, we'll dispatch police to reopen the investigation."

"Yes."

Miwako Sato picked up the document on the table.

Just as she was about to leave the office, Lin Shangren stopped her again: "There's one more thing. When we arrested Kidd, didn't I promise to fulfill one request from your Investigation Section's top hero? In the end, we decided to give you this opportunity to make a request of me. Officer Sato, have you decided what you want to ask of me?"

“This…I…”

Sato Miwako suddenly remembered a secret vow she'd made: to grant any request from anyone who could solve the Chousilang case. But... in this situation... why would she bring it up?

"What's wrong? Haven't you thought about it yet?" Lin Shangren asked.

After Lin Shangren asked this, Sato Miwako became even more embarrassed.

If someone who was originally straightforward becomes shy because of someone else, it's probably because they're attracted to someone. However, Sato Miwako didn't have such feelings for Hayashi Naoto at this point. She just felt a little embarrassed. After all, he had already given her the opportunity to bring the indirect murderer of her father to justice. If she asked for anything more, she would feel a little embarrassed.

Finally, Sato Miwako said reluctantly, "Then... I hope Inspector Lin can continue to lead and guide our Investigation Division!"

"This is my job, why don't you find another one?" Lin Shangren asked.

"I... this is what I want. Inspector Lin, I..."

"Alright then, go handle the case first. Leave this request for now, and bring it up to me when you've made up your mind."

"Ah... yes."

……

On the other side, the karate club of Teitan High School.

It was club activity time, and the female members of the karate club were practicing combat in pairs.

"Ran, cheer up. Don't get carried away just because you won the Kanto regional championship!" Tsukamoto Kazumi, the former ace of the women's karate club, shouted to Mouri Ran like an older sister.

This wasn't some kind of school bullying incident, but rather that Mao Lilan's mental state was truly poor today, and she seemed distracted during practice. While she hadn't lost in today's sparring match due to her superior physical strength, anyone with a discerning eye could tell she was completely listless as she approached practice today.

"I'm sorry, Tsukamoto-senpai. I've been in a bad mood lately." Ran Mouri said reluctantly.

"Could it be because of that Kudo Shinichi guy again?!"

Since the police have not publicly refuted the true identity of Kaito Kid, there are still many students in Teitan High School who believe that the famous detective Kudo Shinichi is Kaito Kid. This has made Kudo Shinichi, who is already very popular, gain a lot of fans, and also made Ran fans like Tsukamoto Kazumi and some Shinichi and Ran CP fans want to rush into the prison and skin Kaito Kid, the two-faced and ungrateful man, alive.

"Then get your body in shape first! Don't worry about your mood, just have a good fight. Come, spar with me!"

Tsukamoto Kazumi got ready for Maori Ran.

The two of them quickly attracted the attention of all the members of the karate club, including the karate club's cheerleaders, and members of the judo and kendo clubs who shared the same dojo activity room.

"The former ace versus the current ace, it's going to be a good show to watch."

"Didn't Tsukamoto-san already get special admission to the university based on her status as a professional athlete? Would second-year Mori be able to take on her?"

"I bet on Mao Li to win. Senior sister's body is too thin. The two of them are not in the same weight class."

"Come on, Xiaolan, let Tsukamoto-senpai know how powerful you are!"

"Garden..."

Looking at her best friend cheering for her in the crowd, Mao Lilan smiled helplessly.

"This is a sparring match, what are you looking at?"

"ah!"

Taking advantage of Ran's distraction, Tsukamoto Suzumi suddenly launched a sneak attack. Originally, she just wanted to use this opportunity to practice sparring to wake Ran up, and had no intention of practicing martial arts ethics.

"This kick will help you regain your form. Keep calm and avoid arrogance."

Tsukamoto Kazumi used a tricky-angled mid-kick to hit Ran Mouri's shoulder, which happened to be Ran Mouri's weakness. In the Kanto Karate Tournament, Mouri Ran lost the first point when fighting against Haido High School player Wada Haruna because of this move.

This sudden attack caught Ran, already off balance, completely off guard. She had no time to react. However, before her mind could react, her body instinctively counterattacked: her right leg pulled sideways, her body pressed downward, and, having dodged the kick aimed at her left shoulder, she suddenly burst forth, pressing forward while using the explosive force of her right foot and her rising and twisting waist to deliver a punch to Tsukamoto Kazumi's chest.

It was just an instinctive dodge and counterattack, but it unleashed a force even greater than a normal full-strength punch. Not only was Tsukamoto Kazumi, whose sneak attack failed and was sent flying by the punch, but even Maori Ran herself was also affected.

"Senior!"

"I'm… fine."

Tsukamoto Suzumi managed to stand firmly. Fortunately, Mouri Ran was wearing protective gear on her hands, otherwise her sternum and Mouri Ran's wrist would have been fractured under such a powerful impact.

However, although it was not serious, Tsukamoto Suzumi still grimaced in pain - her chest was too flat and there was no buffer at all, so she took a solid hit from the punch.

"Tsk...Luckily I don't have much flesh on my chest, otherwise it would have been swollen."

Thinking of this, Tsukamoto Suzumi forced a smile. "Okay, next time I face that woman from Haido High School, I'll use this trick on her. Come on, let's continue!"

"Yes!"

Mao Lilan finally cheered up a little. In the following combat training, she was surprised to find that her strength, reaction speed, and even her ability to withstand blows had improved significantly.

"Is this also the effect of the hot spring?" thought Mao Li Ran.

"Xiaolan, thank you for your hard work."

After the practice, Sonoko ran to Xiaolan with a towel and a cup of water, as usual.

"It's okay, I'm not in a good mood today... because..." Looking at Sonoko's energetic smile, Xiaolan finally decided not to impose the negative energy caused by her parents' divorce on her best friend.

Xiaolan forced a smile and said, "Because I'm really looking forward to the party with Sonoko tomorrow."

"Ah... well... I was just about to tell you. The party's canceled..." Sonoko said apologetically, "My sister said a member of their film club was accused of plagiarism, and it was also related to the death of a friend who committed suicide. In order to deal with these things, the party has been canceled at the last minute. I'm sorry for making you wait so long in vain."

"Ah...it's okay."

At this moment, Sonoko suddenly changed the subject: "However, there is an interesting banquet tonight! It is said that a famous French chef and a famous magician have been invited. And..."

"and?"

"I heard Mr. Lin was invited too! Hey... Ran, do you want to come with me? Oh, Grandpa Nagato really loves detectives, so how about inviting Uncle Mori and that little detective brat along? Let's all go have a good meal together."