Manager Inoue immediately said:
"The police have already considered that possibility as well. If we're talking about who would benefit the most from Sapphire's disappearance, then naturally it would be Dream Cat Cafe on the next street.
"But the police have investigated them too. Everyone there has a solid alibi and no time to commit the crime."
Yukino Yukinoshita added:
"Besides, the owner, Mr. Matsushita, is also a cat lover. He probably wouldn't do something like this."
Yin Kong glanced at the black-haired, long-haired girl, wondering if she really knew every cat cafe around here like the back of her hand.
"Do you have photos?"
Cats were not people. No matter how valuable it was, the police could not possibly leave the scene untouched forever.
At most, they would keep photographs and other evidence.
"Of course."
Manager Inoue immediately brought out several photos of Sapphire, along with pictures taken at the crime scene.
As expected of the cat cafe's star attraction, it was unbelievably adorable.
Even someone like Yin Kong, who did not particularly like small animals, could not help feeling the urge to give the cute little thing in the photos a good pet.
Unfortunately, that adorable and beautiful little creature had now been completely transformed.
Yin Kong gently shook his head and lifted his gaze from Sapphire's photos, his eyes quickly landing on the cat cafe's only "evil spirit."
It was a feline demon with scarlet eyes, its entire body wrapped in black flames.
Unlike the monsters Yin Kong had encountered before, it did not go around asking passersby whether they could see it. Its only action was hissing at the bespectacled, seemingly honest office worker standing before it.
The saying that murderers and lovers both liked returning to the scene afterward really did make sense.
Lv8. Sapphire's Vengeful Spirit.
Even without the system cursor's guidance, the evil spirit's name and behavior alone were enough for Yin Kong to identify the culprit.
"Ah? How strange."
Yin Kong withdrew his gaze and deliberately let out an odd cry of surprise.
Manager Inoue froze for a moment before quickly asking:
"Strange? Have you discovered something?"
Yin Kong casually pulled a photo from the stack and placed it before him.
"Of course. Look at this photo. Isn't it very strange?"
This photo was strange?
Manager Inoue lowered his head in confusion and carefully examined the scene in the photo again, but no matter how he looked at it, he could not find anything unusual.
Yukino Yukinoshita, standing nearby, also lightly furrowed her brows, equally unable to find anything.
Manager Inoue said helplessly:
"Detective Yin Kong, you're the professional here. Please don't keep us in suspense. Could you just tell us the answer?"
"No way. It's this obvious, and neither of you noticed?"
Yin Kong immediately adopted a disappointed tone and shook his head.
"This is extremely important evidence. It's enough to deduce many of the culprit's characteristics from the side."
Manager Inoue looked completely baffled.
"Deduce... the culprit's characteristics?"
Yin Kong looked as though it were only natural.
"First, the culprit must be an adult man, and he wears glasses."
At first, Takashi Matsubara had not thought much of it and had even wanted to sneer.
After all, even if Sapphire was only a cat, the killer had used such a brutal method as disembowelment. A strong adult man would naturally be the primary suspect.
However, when he heard the words "wears glasses," the coffee cup he had raised to his lips suddenly stopped. His confident expression froze as well.
How had he figured that out? Was there really evidence in the photo?
Manager Inoue was filled with the same question.
He looked at the photo from every angle, yet he could not see any evidence that could support Yin Kong's conclusion.
Yin Kong had no intention of explaining and continued his analysis.
"Then, let me think. He's about one meter seventy-five tall, not particularly muscular in appearance. Oh, and he should also be wearing a ring on the ring finger of his left hand..."
Every sentence Yin Kong spoke made Takashi Matsubara's pupils tremble.
By the end, he was completely dumbstruck, his mind nearly blank.
Manager Inoue might have considered that description vague and unclear.
But how could Takashi Matsubara himself not know that Yin Kong's description perfectly matched his characteristics?
If the glasses had merely left a tiny possibility that Yin Kong was guessing, then now he was completely certain that Yin Kong had truly found some decisive evidence in the photos.
What should he do now?
At this moment, Takashi Matsubara had completely lost his earlier composure.
Just as Yin Kong had said, killing a cat was not murder, but it was more than enough to send him away for a few years to pick up soap.
Hearing Yin Kong's increasingly specific description, Yukino Yukinoshita finally asked:
"Mr. Yin Kong, could you be more specific? Which items in this photo support those deductions?"
"Of course, it's right here—"
Seeing Takashi Matsubara's body unconsciously lean forward as he tried to hear more clearly, Yin Kong gave a slight nod inwardly. Knowing the timing was right, he abruptly stopped, looked around, and shook his head.
"Manager Inoue, we should change locations. As the old Chinese saying goes, 'walls have ears.' It would be bad if the culprit overheard us, realized what was going on, and secretly destroyed the evidence."
Manager Inoue understood as well.
"Ah, right. There are indeed too many people in the shop."
Yin Kong immediately said:
"Let's go to the back alley where the body was found. We might find more direct evidence there."
Manager Inoue naturally nodded repeatedly.
"Of course. Please, quickly."
Yin Kong took the lead in leaving the cat cafe through the back door. After confirming that no one was around, he immediately switched Fischl out from the backend.
"Ohoho, so the Prinzessin must personally take action after all?"
Suppressing his laughter, Yin Kong said:
"A petty thief like this is not worthy of Your Highness's personal intervention. I merely need Lord Oz to lend me a hand."
By the time Manager Inoue and Yukino Yukinoshita followed them outside, they naturally did not notice that a black night raven had silently appeared above their heads.
Unlike a certain blank-slate Stand with an A in speed, Oz was not only an excellent launcher for the Holy Judgment Thunder, but could also share Fischl's vision.
Thus, even within Mondstadt's Adventurer's Guild, Fischl's scouting ability ranked among the best.
The elevated vantage point allowed Yin Kong to take in everything around the entire cafe.
Naturally, that included the culprit's every move.
"Mr. Yin Kong, why have you suddenly stopped here?"
Seeing that Yin Kong had not headed toward the back alley as he had said, Manager Inoue asked in confusion.
There was naturally no need for Yin Kong to keep acting. He smiled and explained:
"Because we're waiting for the fish to bite."
Manager Inoue was still confused, but Yukino Yukinoshita had already caught on and said in realization:
"Mr. Yin Kong, do you mean that the person who killed Sapphire is in the cafe and is eavesdropping on our conversation?"
If that was the case, then their actions would indeed attract his attention, and he might very well follow them out.
No wonder they could not find anything unusual in the photos earlier. Yin Kong had merely been making things up.
But soon, even more doubts arose in Yukino Yukinoshita's mind.
Because even if such a possibility existed, Yin Kong's actions seemed a little too rash.
Since they had found no substantial evidence at the scene, that meant the culprit had acted rather cautiously.
Would someone like that really fall for Yin Kong's baseless words?
Rather than suspiciously following them directly, perhaps he had already seen through their intentions and was sitting in the cafe, drinking coffee while watching their futile efforts.
As if seeing through the black-haired girl's doubts, Yin Kong immediately chuckled and explained:
"Not possibly. Definitely, because he has already followed us...
"He really couldn't keep his cool. I thought I'd have to put in a bit more effort."
Still, it was not hard to understand.
He was ultimately just scum who only dared to prey on small animals. Even in Beika Town, a place overflowing with talented people, it could not be so absurd that every criminal was like the Black Organization—able to kill without blinking and calmly think under any circumstances.
He really took the bait?
Hearing Yin Kong's words, Yukino Yukinoshita was naturally astonished.
Could it be that she had overestimated the culprit's caution and intelligence?
Manager Inoue asked curiously:
"Mr. Yin Kong, how did you know?"
They had not noticed any suspicious stalkers nearby.
Yin Kong casually explained:
"Because I have a reliable assistant. Follow me."
Yukino Yukinoshita and Manager Inoue both came to a realization and quickly followed Yin Kong to the back alley where the crime had occurred.
With Oz's guidance, Yin Kong soon found a shadowed spot suitable for hiding.
After the three of them waited there for a while, Yin Kong suddenly raised his index finger to his lips and gestured for them to remain silent.
Manager Inoue and Yukino Yukinoshita immediately understood. Sure enough, a few seconds later, a furtive figure appeared at the entrance to the back alley.
It seemed this culprit was not completely foolish. Rather than following right behind them, he had deliberately taken a long detour and approached from the other end of the alley.
Unfortunately, he could never have guessed that a pair of sharp eyes in the sky had already seen his every movement clearly.
Why couldn't he hear any discussion at all?
Hadn't that damned detective said he was going to search for evidence at the scene?
As Takashi Matsubara cautiously approached the back alley, he quickly discovered that the alley was completely silent, without even the faintest sound of voices. A bad feeling immediately rose in his heart.
The next moment, a voice that nearly made his heart stop sounded behind him.
"Sir, may I ask what you are doing here? Don't tell me you're looking for us?"
As Yin Kong slowly emerged from the shadows, with Manager Inoue and Yukino Yukinoshita standing to either side and glaring at him unfriendly, Takashi Matsubara was so frightened that he staggered several steps back.
Damn it, he had been set up!
The moment the three of them appeared, he completely understood.
Yin Kong did not have any evidence at all. Everything had merely been an act to lure him into the trap.
Takashi Matsubara forced a smile at the three of them.
Before you continue