What Makes a Case "Conan-Style" / It Was Just an Accident

From this perspective, it seems quite normal for Shiro Juro Omiya to admit that he made a mistake.

But listening to what Koharu Yoshino had just said, Jiang Hang felt that this case was probably not an accident.

Chapter 326: Chapter 324: What is Conan- style case?

The case is actually quite simple: Shiro Juro Omiya accidentally killed Todo Studios owner Haruhiko Shirota during a rehearsal.

Everyone present can attest to this, and there was even a camera that captured the entire event on film.

Shiro Juro Omiya's attitude also seemed very sincere, directly stating that it was his own mistake and that all the responsibility lay with him alone.

While Koharu Yoshino possesses intermediate-level intelligence capabilities, there's really not much more to say about the scene at the time of the incident. Jiang Hang cannot determine from Koharu Yoshino whether this case was intentional homicide or an accident.

To be precise, according to the prop master, action director, and even the director, this case seems more like an accident.

Having followed Conan for so long, Jiang Hang hasn't been completely without improvement; at least he still has some sense of self-awareness.

In a world where detectives are naturally more likely to encounter cases than ordinary people, the murder cases that he or Conan encounters don't seem like accidents no matter how you look at it!

Generally speaking, it's possible that Shirota Shiro Juro Omiya was intentionally injured by Haruhiko Shirota under the guise of an accident. However, if we look at it from Conan's perspective, it's more likely that someone replaced Shiro Juro Omiya's gadgets without his knowledge and then used some factor that is difficult for a normal person to influence the deceased Haruhiko Shirota's actions.

Although it sounds absurd and the probability of it being carried out is very low, it is well known that the murder methods chosen by the murderers in the Conan world, no matter how low the probability seems, will definitely succeed once they are carried out.

For example, in the recent case of a bank branch manager who killed his wife using a kite string and a bookshelf, in the subsequent experiment conducted out of curiosity by Imai Midori and Shizuka Sakaki, even with the correct positioning, the probability of stabbing her in the back and killing her instantly was quite alarming.

Anyway, let's get back to the case.

If this case was indeed orchestrated by someone in the shadows, then they must have considered the following key points: Shiro Juro Omiya was unaware that the knife in his hand was real; Haruhiko Shirota refused the action director's instructions; how to get Haruhiko Shirota to that position; and of course, most importantly, how to get Shiro Juro Omiya to deliver that final blow.

If someone could accomplish all of the above, Jiang Hang would probably have to call that person the Moriarty of Tokyo. Besides, he didn't find any special traces at the scene using Eagle Eye, so this most Conan- esque choice was thus eliminated.

If this incident was intentional homicide, then there's not much to say; the sentence could be five years or more, up to the death penalty.

Of course, in Japan, the punishment for killing just one person is usually a prison sentence of up to ten years. Even if someone is sentenced to death, the waiting period before execution may exceed ten years.

However, if this matter ends here, Shiro Juro Omiya will face charges of manslaughter.

The Japan Penal Code stipulates that anyone who causes injury or death due to negligence or gross negligence in their work can be sentenced to imprisonment for up to five years.

Given Shiro Juro Omiya's status and his current sincere attitude in admitting his guilt, if he finds a good lawyer to work things out, not only could his sentence be shortened, but his imprisonment could also be changed to jail. That is, although he would have to go to jail, he would not be required to do forced labor in prison, and he could reduce his sentence by voluntarily applying for labor.

Even in the best-case scenario, there's a possibility that Shiro Juro Omiya could be pardoned and only have to pay a fine. After all, besides the main reason that he picked up the wrong knife, Haruhiko Shirota's own positioning mistake was also a very important factor. Of course, this might require a lawyer of Eri Kisaki's caliber to handle.

Of course, Jiang Hang got all this information from Ryūichi Naruhodō, who was studying the Six Codes at Aya's office every day.

"But... did it really be that Mr. Ōmiya who committed the murder? Although it seems a bit unbelievable, if it were him, and considering the ronin movies he's starred in, if Shiro Juro Omiya's personality is similar to the characters he played in those movies, then it wouldn't feel so surprising." After hearing Jiang Hang's brief explanation of the situation at the Todo Studios, Ryūichi Naruhodō couldn't help but say this.

It seems that this person also grew up watching the other's movies, Ryūichi Naruhodō quickly expressed his hope that "this case is just a simple mistake."

"If it's ultimately determined to be manslaughter, Jiang Hang, why don't you talk to Mr. Omiya about hiring me or Ms. Chihiro as his lawyer? It seems Ms. Chihiro is also a fan of Mr. Omiya..."

Ryūichi Naruhodō could finish speaking, Jiang Hang hung up the phone.

If this continues, Ryūichi Naruhodō will probably just come here to meet with Shiro Juro Omiya.

After hanging up the phone, Jiang Hang saw that Koharu Yoshino didn't really need his comfort, so he prepared to go back to the crime scene to see if there were any clues he had missed, and what Takagi Wataru and the others thought about the case.

However, just as he was about to leave, Koharu Yoshino suddenly seemed to remember something and said to Jiang Hang, "There's one more thing, I don't know if it will be useful."

Koharu Yoshino took out her phone and started looking through the photos she had taken at the rehearsal.

Jiang Hang looked at Koharu Yoshino's phone and saw that the photo was taken before the official rehearsal. Shiro Juro Omiya stood alone on the stage that had been set up, holding the real sword, silently looking at the prop moon on the backdrop behind him, as if he was thinking about the next rehearsal moves.

It has to be said that Shiro Juro Omiya was born for this line of work. Even though it's just a casual photo taken by Koharu Yoshino, he actually has a bit of a ronin vibe about him.

"Although I really hope this was just an accident, I always feel that, given Mr. Omiya's personality, he wouldn't make such a mistake at this time," Koharu Yoshino muttered to herself, then shook her head. "Of course, it could also be because the photography studio is about to be demolished, which distracted him."

Chapter 327: Chapter 325: This is just an accident.

After listening to Koharu Yoshino's analysis, Jiang Hang smiled at Koharu Yoshino and sent the photo to his phone.

"You can rest here. If you want to go back, you can go back with Director Mikami. I'll let you know when we have the results."

To his surprise Koharu Yoshino shook her head immediately. "No, I'm going with you!"

"My mother is a big fan of Mr. Omiya, and I want to know the truth about this incident as soon as possible. I definitely won't hold you back!"

Hearing what Koharu Yoshino said, and seeing the determination in her eyes, Jiang Hang naturally had no reason to refuse.

He nodded, then led Koharu Yoshino the crime scene.

However, the situation at the photography studio seemed somewhat delicate. Jiang Hang only glanced around with his Eagle Eye and realized that the studio was already surrounded by reporters who had rushed over after hearing the news.

Even Inspector Megure had a conflicted look on his face at this moment.

They seemed to breathe a sigh of relief when they saw Jiang Hang approaching.

Takagi Wataru walked over quickly and asked Jiang Hang in a low voice for his assessment of the case.

"Jiang Hang, have you made any discoveries yet?"

Jiang Hang pursed his lips, indicating that he hadn't discovered anything, and then he inquired about the group of reporters outside the photography studio.

Takagi Wataru sighed.

"After all, this accident happened during rehearsals, in front of everyone. There are always some people in this photography studio who want to make money off this. Those reporters probably found out about it even faster than we did. Plus, the killer was Shiro Juro Omiya, a fairly famous actor in the entertainment industry. We had only been here a short time when a lot of reporters had already surrounded us. The higher-ups' idea is to deal with those reporters briefly first."

"However, those reporters aren't so easy to deal with. They keep asking us about the truth of the matter, and since they're gathered outside the studio, we can't just kick them out. Inspector Megure is currently struggling with this issue."

Takagi Wataru looked at Jiang Hang: "But since you haven't found anything either, it seems quite likely that this case was an accident."

Jiang Hang did not give a direct response, but after changing his clothes and cleaning the bloodstains off his body, Shiro Juro Omiya appeared in front of them in formal attire.

Unlike his ronin-like appearance when he wears a kimono, carries a long sword, and has his hair tied up, Shiro Juro Omiya usually wears glasses and looks like a scholar.

"Officer Takagi, Mr. Jiang Hang, I apologize for keeping you waiting," he said, giving a slight bow to Jiang Hang and Takagi Wataru, and then smiling at Koharu Yoshino behind Jiang Hang.

His attitude remained quite sincere, and he went straight to the point with Jiang Hang, saying, "I have no intention of exonerating myself, nor do I need any explanation. All the problems lie with me, and I am willing to bear all the corresponding culpability."

His gaze lingered on Jiang Hang, whose expression remained unchanged. "Although I shouldn't be saying this, I still want to convey it to you. I will only say this once. This was indeed an accident, and I hope you are aware of it."

After Shiro Juro Omiya said those words, Jiang Hang's eyes met his.

Two sharp gazes collided in mid-air.

Jiang Hang first asked the other party, "Mr. Omiya, I saw a petition in Mr. Shirota's office. If I'm not mistaken, you were the one who handed that petition to Mr. Shirota before I went to his office, right?"

To this question, Shiro Juro Omiya nodded firmly. "Most people at the photography studio know about this. It was our petition to him requesting that the studio be allowed to continue operating, but unfortunately it was rejected because Mr. Shirota himself owes a large sum of money."

"Even though we offered to help him pay off the debt, and even proposed that we raise funds to buy the photography studio and make him a shareholder, he ultimately decided to close the studio and build a new supermarket here."

"Even if you wanted to raise funds to buy the photography studio, he wouldn't agree?" Jiang Hang asked curiously.

"After all, the photography studio hasn't been making any money for the past few years, and it can't sell for very high prices. As for the reason, even if you, Mr. Jiang Hang, don't know, I think Director Mikami, who came with you, should know. The investment in period dramas is already quite high, and the more advanced the times become, the more the expenses will continue to increase in order to cater to the audience's tastes," said Shiro Juro Omiya calmly. "And Mr. Shirota has always felt that he has a talent for business and feels that the returns from shooting period dramas are too low, and he can't earn a satisfactory amount. So, in addition to running the photography studio, he is always trying to venture into other industries."

"Perhaps he thought that earning a small amount of money and becoming a minority shareholder in a photography studio that doesn't make any money at all was not as good as opening a supermarket and receiving quarterly dividends from it. After all, he only ever had a casual attitude towards filmmaking."

In his words, Shiro Juro Omiya directly expressed his dissatisfaction with Haruhiko Shirota. Just from what he just said, it was almost certain that this person had sufficient motive to kill.

After all, the photography studio where he had worked for over thirty years and shot countless classic films was on the verge of bankruptcy because of the meddling of a spoiled brat. It would be strange if he could develop feelings for the other party.

But soon, Shiro Juro Omiya shifted the topic directly to Jiang Hang: "I was worried about the future of the old employees of the photography studio after it went bankrupt. After all, although I can retire at any time and don't have to worry about my future, those employees are not as relaxed as I am. But after knowing the purpose of your visit, Mr. Jiang Hang, I feel much more at ease."

"I just didn't expect something like this to happen today." Saying this, Shiro Juro Omiya sighed slightly.

Listening to Shiro Juro Omiya's words, Jiang Hang couldn't help but think that finding the problem in the other party's words was not important. Shiro Juro Omiya had just been talking about his dissatisfaction with Haruhiko Shirota, but then he directly shifted to thanking him. It seemed that he was telling him: Although I did have the possibility and motive to kill Haruhiko Shirota before, because you came, I don't have to worry about the employment situation of the other people in the photography studio after the studio closed down, so there is no need for me to take action against Haruhiko Shirota.

Looking at Shiro Juro Omiya's calm demeanor, Jiang Hang pondered what else might be going on that he hadn't noticed.

Just then, Jiang Hang suddenly noticed the stage backdrop behind Shiro Juro Omiya, and frowned slightly, as if he had discovered something.

Chapter 328: Chapter 326: Suspicious Points Regarding the Prop Moon

Seeing how readily Shiro Juro Omiya accepted the answer, Takagi Wataru, out of his fondness for Shiro Juro Omiya, was naturally more inclined to believe that it was truly just an accident.

But at that moment, he saw Jiang Hang suddenly point to the stage where the tragedy was taking place.

"Excuse me, when was the moon raised?" Jiang Hang asked Shiro Juro Omiya.

Takagi Wataru and Shiro Juro Omiya turned around and saw that Jiang Hang was referring to the moon prop that was originally in the center of the background.

He looked at Jiang Hang with some confusion, wondering why Jiang Hang had suddenly changed the subject. It seemed that the moon had nothing to do with the case.

Jiang Hang, of course, wouldn't ask meaningless questions.

He remembered that before the crew's rehearsal, the photo that Koharu Yoshino had just shown him was of Shiro Juro Omiya looking up at the moon.

Back then, the prop moon was on the backdrop, but now, it has been moved to the very top of the stage, and it's almost invisible unless you look closely.

Even when Jiang Hang was using Revealing Eagle Vision to check his surroundings on the rehearsal stage right after the incident, he didn't look up and see the moon. Naturally, he didn't notice the prop moon above his head emitting a faint light in Eagle Vision.

Upon hearing Shiro Juro Omiya turned his head and glanced at the moon hanging in the sky.

"I'm not entirely sure either. It must have been some staff member who raised it up before the official rehearsal. After all, it's just a rehearsal, so there's no need to be so meticulous. Mr. Jiang Hang, would you like me to ask the props team for you?"

Judging from his appearance, he didn't seem to know anything about this either.

Jiang Hang carefully observed his expression, then smiled and waved his hand, "No need, I'm just a little curious."

The matter concerning the moon seemed to have passed, but before Takagi Wataru could even react, Jiang Hang suddenly pulled Takagi Wataru aside and said to him, "Wait here for a moment, and let Mr. Omiya re-simulate the incident."

Hearing Jiang Hang's words, Takagi Wataru was still somewhat puzzled. "Re-simulating the incident means having him demonstrate his actions with the knife?"

Jiang Hang nodded, then made sure that Shiro Juro Omiya wouldn't hear them. "See those two swords over there? The one on the left is a prop sword, and the one on the right is a real sword. You can pick up the prop sword first and make him only be able to hold the real sword. If he recognizes the sword in his hand as a real sword immediately, then it means that he can actually distinguish between the two."

"Jiang Hang, do you still think that Mr. Omiya's act of killing Haruhiko Shirota was intentional?" Takagi Wataru asked Jiang Hang for confirmation.

Jiang Hang nodded. "As expected, there are still too many suspicious points. I have a bit of an idea now. Anyway, you should go and test the waters first. Remember to act well and don't let them see through your intentions at a glance."

Takagi Wataru replied somewhat reluctantly, "I can't guarantee that. She's a top-notch actress. How can I compare to her in terms of acting skills?"

However, he was somewhat interested in the ideas Jiang Hang had mentioned.

"Did you find anything? Is it related to the moon?" he asked Jiang Hang.

"It's just some speculation. I'll go and check it out first. Just do your best here. Contact me if you have any news."

Having received Jiang Hang's reply, Takagi Wataru could only nod helplessly in agreement.

After leaving the crime scene, Koharu Yoshino Kiharu asked Jiang Hang with great concern, "Jiang Hang, what exactly did you find?"

"That prop moon was probably raised up by Shiro Juro Omiya himself, but he lied when I asked him about it."

When facing Koharu Yoshino, Jiang Hang no longer needed to pretend; he directly told Koharu Yoshino about his discovery.

"When he answered, his gaze shifted slightly, but since Shiro Juro Omiya is a famous actor, he quickly adjusted his expression, but I still noticed it."

"If I'm not mistaken, it's probably because my question was too sudden, catching him off guard," Jiang Hang replied, then looked at Koharu Yoshino still seemed somewhat confused.

"I don't know if you've noticed, but if that moon were in its original position, it would be exactly where Haruhiko Shirota was murdered."

Koharu Yoshino blinked, as if she had just realized something. "You mean Mr. Omiya did this on purpose so that the blood from when he killed Mr. Shirota wouldn't splatter on that prop moon?"

But soon, Koharu Yoshino had a new question, "But why would he do that? It was just an ordinary prop, nothing special. There was Mr. Shirota's blood splattered on the stage backdrop and the fake tree."

Jiang Hang nodded, indicating that what Koharu Yoshino said was correct.

"This is what we need to investigate now. If the moon was indeed moved by Shiro Juro Omiya, and he had planned to kill Haruhiko Shirota long ago, then why would he care so much about the moon?"

Although what Jiang Hang is investigating now doesn't seem to have any direct connection to the case, since he has been marked by Eagle Eye, and there are no other clues to investigate, Jiang Hang feels that this might be the key to the case.

He called Daisuke Mikami directly to ask for his current location. Although a murder had occurred at the film studio, this conscientious director was still trying to recruit the people from the film studio to Daibao Films.

However, it's clear that his recruitment efforts haven't been very successful.

At least when Jiang Hang found him in the props warehouse, he was still chatting with the props team and a prop master who looked about his age.

"Yamamoto, I know you've worked at the Todo Studios for over thirty years and are among the most senior employees, but given the current situation, you should face reality," Daisuke Mikami advised the man named Yamamoto.

"I'm not asking you to abandon the photography studio now. I'm telling you to come over together after you've settled everything here."

However, Yamamoto simply shook his head at Daisuke Mikami.

"I don't want to talk about this now; let's wait until this is over before discussing it further."

Daisuke Mikami clearly wanted to say a few more words of advice to the other party, but after seeing Jiang Hang coming over, he gave up the idea.

He smiled somewhat awkwardly at Jiang Hang.

Before coming here, he had confidently told Jiang Hang that he knew many people at Todo Studios, and that as long as Jiang Hang was willing to pay, he could definitely bring a group of people to join Daibao Films.

Daisuke Mikami originally wanted to introduce Jiang Hang's identity to the prop master Yamamoto, but little did he know that Yamamoto had already heard about Jiang Hang.