"You... you two—"
The young man was none other than Fujie Akiyoshi, Ono Yoko's former boyfriend.
He was also the one Yin Kong remembered as the person who was originally supposed to commit suicide in Yoko's apartment.
Clearly, Fujie Akiyoshi had believed that as long as he could clear up the misunderstanding from back then, he would surely be able to reconcile with Ono Yoko.
Yet only now did he suddenly realize that he had completely overlooked the most crucial factor: in this world, no one would remain in the same place forever, foolishly waiting for a relationship that had long been abandoned.
"You're... Fujie? Fujie Akiyoshi?"
After recognizing the man, Ono Yoko wore an equally shocked expression.
She instinctively looked at Yin Kong beside her, afraid that he would guess the man's identity.
Only when she saw that Yin Kong's expression remained unchanged did Ono Yoko unconsciously let out a sigh of relief.
Still, everything she had experienced today had truly overloaded her mind.
Fortunately, compared to what she had gone through not long ago, Fujie Akiyoshi's sudden appearance was surprising, but nothing more.
So after being stunned for a moment, Ono Yoko quickly composed herself and asked calmly,
"Fujie, why are you here?"
"I... I was just passing by."
Facing Ono Yoko, who now treated him like a stranger, Fujie Akiyoshi seemed to have all his strength drained away in an instant. He lowered his head weakly and did not dare look at her again.
However, the police officer who had brought him upstairs suddenly said,
"Just passing by? I don't think so."
This officer had coral-shaped bangs and looked about the same age as Takagi. Yet his expression was extremely haughty, and the admiration in his eyes when he looked at Sato Miwako was completely undisguised.
"Officer Shiratori, do you suspect that he's the stalker?"
Shiratori Sansaburo gave Takagi Wataru a disdainful look before saying unhurriedly,
"That's right. Mr. Fujie, since you claim that you happened to pass by here, you should still remember why you passed by here, correct?"
"I... I..."
Seeing Fujie Akiyoshi stammering and completely unable to speak, Officer Shiratori's expression became even more smug.
"Can't say it? Then the answer is obvious. You're the murderer who sent the threatening letters and brutally killed the two victims!"
Fujie Akiyoshi froze for a moment before finally reacting. He hurriedly shook his head.
"No! I didn't kill anyone! I was just passing by... I came nearby to buy cigarettes!"
Shiratori Sansaburo seemed to have expected that answer. He immediately sneered.
"Stop trying to argue, Mr. Fujie!
"We've already questioned the nearby residents. Someone said they saw you wandering around here more than once. Yet both your home and your company are very far from here. How do you explain that, Mr. Stalker?"
Shiratori immediately gave Sato a smug smile and continued pressing him.
"So tell me honestly: how exactly did you kill the two victims?"
Fujie Akiyoshi had no way to defend himself. He could only repeat weakly,
"I didn't! I really didn't kill anyone..."
Just as Fujie Akiyoshi was about to be taken away for questioning, Yin Kong suddenly spoke.
"Officer Shiratori, I don't think Mr. Fujie is the murderer."
Fujie Akiyoshi froze. No matter what, he had not expected Yin Kong to speak up for him.
As for Shiratori Sansaburo, someone had interrupted his performance before the woman he liked, so naturally he was extremely displeased. He shot Yin Kong a sidelong glance and demanded rudely,
"And who are you?"
Yin Kong did not answer his question. Instead, he raised his hand and pointed at the overturned coffee table.
"Look here."
What was there to see about a coffee table?
Shiratori Sansaburo had just been about to mock him when he heard Sato Miwako say in realization,
"I see! Yin Kong, you mean there were actually more than just those two victims in the apartment at the time?"
Hearing the words of the woman he liked, Shiratori Sansaburo's expression instantly froze. He could only force the words in his throat back down.
Takagi scratched his head and asked,
"So, Yin Kong, Officer Sato, what riddle are you two talking about?"
Yin Kong explained slowly,
"Officer Shiratori believes that the two victims unfortunately encountered the stalker and were killed.
"But did you notice that there were originally four teacups filled with tea on this overturned coffee table?"
Takagi Wataru finally understood.
"You mean that besides Mr. Yamagishi and Miss Yuko, there should have been two other people in the room at the time?"
Yin Kong lowered his gaze and exchanged a look with Ono Yoko before nodding.
"I believe so."
Sato pondered,
"So the two missing people were very likely the real murderers?"
"I see! I understand now!" The silent Shiratori suddenly pointed at Yin Kong and Ono Yoko, saying excitedly, "You two are actually the missing people, aren't you?"
Feeling Ono Yoko's body tremble almost imperceptibly, Yin Kong sighed helplessly.
"Officer Shiratori, being so vindictive is not a quality an outstanding detective should possess."
Takagi nodded as well.
"That's right. Miss Yoko is so delicate. How could she possibly be the murderer?"
"Delicate? Not necessarily."
Shiratori sneered. Unlike Takagi and Sato, he came from the Shiratori Group and did not hold any particularly rosy assumptions about idol stars like Ono Yoko.
He knew very well that these glamorous celebrities and entertainers might not be clean behind the scenes.
"Since we're talking about making tea, think about it. If the two victims were meeting in secret, why would they go out of their way to make tea?
"But if Miss Yoko was the host entertaining other guests, wouldn't everything make perfect sense?"
As expected of an elite from a financial conglomerate. At least when it came to deduction, he was far stronger than Takagi.
This analysis was logical and well-supported. Even Takagi could not help showing a suspicious expression.
Unfortunately, let alone Shiratori Sansaburo, even if the genuine Shinigami Elementary School Student himself came, he could never imagine that something like a Teleport Waypoint existed in this world.
So his smugness did not last long before it was ruthlessly interrupted once again.
"No, Officer Shiratori." Fei Yingli walked in through the door and said with certainty, "I can testify that Mr. Yin Kong and Miss Yoko could not possibly be the murderers."
Noticing everyone's gazes, the great lawyer's expression stiffened for a moment.
After all, although no one had heard her previous confident inner thoughts, she alone had failed to hold them back and spoken them aloud. That was indeed difficult for the fiercely proud Fei Yingli to accept.
Looking at Fei Yingli, whose presence was overwhelming, Shiratori frowned.
"And you are?"
Sato immediately introduced her.
"This is Fei Yingli, Lawyer Fei."
"Lawyer Fei?" Shiratori paused, then asked hesitantly, "Could it be... the Unbeatable Queen of the Legal World?"
Not only Sato and Takagi, but even Ono Yoko could not help showing surprise. That title alone sounded extraordinary.
Seeing Ono Yoko's body relax again, Yin Kong looked at Fei Yingli curiously.
"Lawyer Fei can testify for me?"
Fei Yingli nodded lightly and began explaining.
"Perhaps it was fate. I just questioned the officers outside. The neighbors heard a loud crash and screams, then called the police. The time was 1:42 in the afternoon. But less than ten minutes later, at 1:49, my assistant accidentally bumped into Miss Yoko.
"Because we had an appointment, that time cannot be wrong.
"However, we just tested it. Driving here from that location takes at least twenty minutes. Therefore, these two naturally cannot be the murderers."
Hearing that, Takagi also let out a sigh of relief.
"I knew it. How could Yin Kong and Miss Yoko possibly be the murderers?"
However, Officer Shiratori was clearly unwilling to admit defeat so easily.
"No. 1:42 was only the time the police were called. Perhaps Mr. Yamagishi and Miss Yuko were both killed long before that..."
Fei Yingli shook her head lightly and said slowly,
"I naturally considered Officer Shiratori's concern. But unfortunately, at 12:30, Mr. Yamagishi took Miss Ikezawa's photo to the security office to ask about her. At the same time, Miss Ikezawa was attending a banquet.
"She did not hurriedly leave until 1:08, after receiving Miss Yoko's call.
"And according to estimates, driving from the banquet venue to this apartment really takes around half an hour, which basically matches the time the police were called. Officer Shiratori, do you have any further questions?"
Fei Yingli truly deserved her reputation as a renowned lawyer. Her deductive ability might not have matched the top detectives of this world, but her logic was nearly flawless.
In just a few words, she had rendered the arrogant Shiratori Sansaburo speechless.
"Officer Shiratori, do you have any further questions?"
Faced with Fei Yingli's seemingly calm yet utterly flawless question, Shiratori finally blurted out in his panic,
"This is all just your side of the story, isn't it? What if you're actually—"
"Officer Shiratori!"
The moment Fei Yingli heard that doubt, her previously gentle gaze became sharp and imposing.
The Unbeatable Queen of the Legal World slowly took a step forward. Though her hands held nothing, Yin Kong felt as if she were raising a sword.
"Are you accusing me of giving false testimony for these two? Officer Shiratori, are you certain you are willing to take responsibility for your words?"
Shiratori was completely speechless.
He knew very well that Fei Yingli was not an ordinary person like Fujie Akiyoshi, someone he could manipulate as he pleased.
If he carelessly allowed this great lawyer to seize any weakness, she could truly make him pay dearly.
She could even easily cause his police career to take several unnecessary detours.
Looking at the utterly silent Shiratori, Yin Kong could already imagine how the "Unbeatable Queen of the Legal World" had once forced her opponents into desperate corners, step by step.
Sato coughed lightly and helped her colleague out.
"Cough, Lawyer Fei, I think Shiratori merely spoke without thinking. He wasn't truly doubting you."
"It had better be that way."
Fei Yingli also understood the importance of stopping while ahead and did not continue pressing him.
Having hit a hard wall, Shiratori had no desire to remain there any longer. After finding an excuse, he left with the dejected Fujie Akiyoshi.
From behind, the two of them looked strangely like kindred sufferers.
"Come to think of it, compared to the two missing people, I'm more curious about the murderer's method."
Since she had already vomited once, seeing the remains of the two corpses again still made Fei Yingli intensely uncomfortable, but not enough to make her lose composure.
She carefully examined the crime scene, and her expression grew increasingly strange.
"What kind of method could leave behind such bizarre corpses?"
Before you continue