The Spider Mansion's Series of Suicides / Miwako Sato and Wataru Takagi Have Gone Missing?

He quickly took the Hidden Blade from his hand and handed it to Miyano Akemi, letting her try it on and see if there was any difference between reality and practicing the Hidden Blade using Altair's body in her memory.

One is a traditional hidden Hidden Blade from a thousand years ago, which still carries the risk of cutting the ring finger. The other is a blade that has been improved after being modified, with its safety greatly enhanced. Jiang Hang and Professor Agasa have also added many new features to it.

With the addition of Tranquilizer Darts, Rope Dart, and smoke bombs, Miyano Akemi felt that Jiang Hang's Hidden Blade was much more compact and heavy when she held it in her hands.

At the same time, using the Hidden Blade function requires more wrist muscle strength, and it took Miyano Akemi quite a while to get used to this change.

While Miyano Akemi was practicing, Jiang Hang continued to give Miyano Akemi advice, "If you really want to become a female assassin, you should focus on disguise and impersonation for now. You can also learn about hacking techniques later. After all, we live in the internet age, and hacking is basically like a second means of stealth for assassins."

Jiang Hang was actually waiting for the system to give him a hacking skill. After all, Ubisoft's Watch Dogs series, which focuses on hacking techniques, has been nicknamed the modern version of Assassin's Creed. Hackers use techniques to bypass firewalls, control monitoring devices, and steal the data they want on the network, which is indeed the most common method used by modern assassins.

Right now, what Jiang Hang needs most is computer talent. Although Professor Agasa and Miyano Shiho are both skilled in computers, they are not proper hackers. Kaito Kid's hacking skills are not bad, but he hasn't officially joined the team yet. It's fine to ask him for help occasionally to get some freebies, but he can't ask him to work for him for free every time he has something to do.

It's a pity that the system keeps giving him skills that increase his combat power. Once he masters Bajiquan, he'll probably be able to go and hang out in the neighboring lunar world.

In non-combat situations, all he can currently offer is disguise and poison.

As a result, he can only learn hacking skills at a "snail's pace" in the learning space, and even after studying for a while, he still hasn't been able to add it to his skill panel.

However, Jiang Hang remembered that both Miyano Akemi and her sister had advanced computer skills in their talent panels. If Miyano Akemi this idea, he could give her the speed-up effect of this skill and a few months. She might actually be able to make a name for herself in this area.

Chapter 408: Chapter 404: The Serial Suicides at the Spider Mansion

After thoroughly experiencing Altair's memories at the art museum, and briefly letting Miyano Akemi feel the thrill of being an assassin, Jiang Hang left the museum by the time he left; it was already completely dark.

To his surprise, when he returned to the office after having dinner at a random place outside, he found that Shizuka Sakaki and the other girls were still there, making phone calls to check on things.

Upon seeing Jiang Hang return, they immediately explained to Jiang Hang the intelligence they had gathered that afternoon using every method they could think of.

"What? Hattori also received a letter of commission from the same location, and just like us, he included a commission fee in the letter?" Jiang Hang scratched his head upon hearing Shizuka Sakaki's words.

However, upon closer reflection, it's not too strange. Tottori Prefecture is very close to Osaka, and Heiji Hattori is quite famous there, so it's normal for people to seek his Heiji Hattori.

Since even Heiji Hattori, the second Grim Reaper, has received the request, Jiang Hang is almost certain that something strange will happen during this request.

Shizuka Sakaki frowned slightly and told Jiang Hang what she had learned from Kazuha Toyama: "Although the letter of request from Hattori is indeed at the same address as the letter of request we received, the content of the letter of request he received seems to be a bit stranger."

As she said this, she showed Jiang Hang the photo of Hattori Heiji's letter of authorization on Heiji Hattori phone.

The letter of commission that Jiang Hang and his team received only asked them to go to the Takeda Family at Puppet Peak next Saturday. Although it did not specify what they were to investigate, the letter was signed by a man named Takeda Shinichi. This man's identity could be found out. According to Shizuka Sakaki, he is the eldest son of the current Takeda Family and a well-known puppeteer in Tottori Prefecture.

The letter of commission that Heiji Hattori received contained only a simple sentence. "Please arrive at the Takeda family's Takeda Family Puppet Peak before sunset next Saturday, otherwise another live puppet will become bait for the spider."

There wasn't even a signature on it, and coupled with its cryptic content, Jiang Hang immediately sensed a conspiracy.

"It seems this isn't a letter of authorization from the same person... In fact, the person who sent the letter to Heiji Hattori looks like a 'murderer' who hasn't yet officially carried out the crime." Jiang Hang muttered to Seiji Aso. Back during the Moon Shadow Island incident, he had used a similar method to lure Asagi and the others to Moon Shadow Island.

Jiang Hang pondered for a moment, then continued to ask Shizuka Sakaki, "What about Heiji Hattori's answer? Is he planning to go this time?"

At this point, Shizuka Sakaki became somewhat uncertain. "Kazuha told me that Hattori originally intended to return the money, but after learning that you, Jiang Hang, were also involved in the case, he seemed to hesitate. It's unclear what his final decision will be."

It seems that Heiji Hattori Yusuke Sakata and make everyone have a completely new impression of him when they met again, but only a few days have passed and the two of them have bumped into each other again. Not only Heiji Hattori embarrassed, but even Jiang Hang thinks this is too much of a coincidence.

Regardless of Heiji Hattori Heiji's final decision, Jiang Hang will definitely not let go of this request, which is at least four-star.

After finishing talking about Heiji Hattori's matter, Shizuka Sakaki began to talk about the Takeda Family involved in this case, as well as the mysterious Puppet Peak and Spider Mansion.

First, there's the legend about the Spider Mansion.

It's always a classic story about a spider monster harming people and then being subdued by them.

However, this time the person who subdued the monster was a puppeteer. He used the puppets he made to burn the spider monster to death in its lair. Afterwards, the people living nearby built a small temple at the site of the spider's lair for worship, and named the mountain Puppet Peak in memory of the puppeteer who destroyed the spider monster.

The Takeda Family are descendants of the legendary puppeteer, and have been engaged in puppet making for hundreds of years.

The location linked to this legend is the site of three "suicide" incidents that have occurred in recent years.

"I found the contact information of a resident living near Puppet Peak, and then, as a reporter for a paranormal program on TV, I carefully inquired about the legend. Only then did I learn from that resident that the temple used for rituals had been demolished and expanded into a warehouse by the current head of the Takeda Family five or six years ago."

"These suicides all occurred in this warehouse." As if to create a more eerie atmosphere, Shizuka Sakaki deliberately controlled her voice while speaking, giving it an exceptionally chilling quality.

"A warehouse built on the legendary spider's nest turned into a place of suicide, which does have a very eerie feel to it. It could also be a deliberate disguise by the murderer," Jiang Hang nodded slightly, signaling Shizuka Sakaki to continue.

Seeing that her performance had absolutely no effect on Jiang Hang, Shizuka Sakaki had no choice but to honestly tell Jiang Hang about the specifics of the Takeda Family.

"The Takeda Family's current situation is relatively simple."

"The eldest son, Takeda Shinichi, inherited the family's puppet business, and since he took over, the Takeda Family's situation has been steadily improving. I did some research and heard that a puppet he makes by hand can now sell for over one million yen."

"However, his marriage and family life are not so good."

"The two people who committed suicide in the warehouse a few years ago were his daughter Takeda Misa, who was found hanging in the warehouse three days after she was discovered. Shortly after, his wife, Takeda Kinuyo, also hanged herself in the same place shortly after her daughter's death. The police have not yet found the reason for their suicides."

"The second son, Takeda Ryuji, is currently working in Tokyo because he did not inherit the family business. However, he, his wife, and their two daughters have been taken back to their hometown in Puppet Peak and have not yet returned to Tokyo."

"The third brother, Takeda Yuzo, used to run a company, but it went bankrupt three years ago due to poor management. After that, he returned to Puppet Peak and made puppets with his eldest brother."

"Including their mother, the Takeda Family is now comprised of just these few people."

"As for the third person who recently committed suicide in the Takeda Family warehouse, his name is Negishi Toshihiko. He was a businessman who had always maintained a cooperative relationship with the Takeda Family and was usually responsible for helping to sell and transport those puppets."

"As with the previous two cases, although the police still could not find out the reason for the victim's suicide, they could only treat it as a suicide because no traces of other people were found at the crime scene."

Chapter 409: Chapter 405: Miike Sato Takagi Wataru disappeared?

After listening to Shizuka Sakaki's account of the current situation of the Takeda Family, Jiang Hang pondered for a moment.

"In other words, in the three suicide cases that have occurred in the past three years, the victims were all people who had close relationships with Takeda Shinichi?"

The first victim was his daughter, the second was his wife, the most recent victim was his business partner, and now this Takeda Shinichi personally sent a letter of request to ask him for help. No matter how you look at it, the deaths of these people are all inextricably linked to this man.

As for this commission...

Jiang Hang rested his chin on his hand and continued to express his thoughts, "And I have a question. After his wife and daughter committed suicide three years ago, did he hire a detective to investigate their affairs during that time? If so, I would like to know about the detective he hired back then."

"If he didn't hire a detective three years ago, then there are probably a lot of problems... Why didn't he hire a detective when the police couldn't find anything about his wife and daughter's accident, but then suddenly thought of hiring a detective to help him investigate three years later after his partner died? I think that's probably the most important reason for this case."

If the other party has hired a detective, then start with the detective from three years ago. If they haven't, then this client is probably not entirely clean themselves.

"Did you hire a detective three years ago? I know, but these kinds of things are usually quite private, so it probably won't be easy to find out," Shizuka Sakaki nodded to Jiang Hang, explaining the direction of her current investigation. "We're still trying to see if we can contact people the deceased knew or were familiar with before they died, to see if we can get more information about the deceased from them. Kazuha also said she would continue to help us."

Having worked under Jiang Hang for several months, both Shizuka Sakaki and Koharu Yoshino are now skilled at intelligence gathering. They can casually fabricate numerous identities to obtain the identities they need.

Now that they had already chosen their investigation directions, Jiang Hang didn't say anything more. All he needed to do was patiently wait for their findings.

In the following days, no more cases occurred in Jiang Hang's life.

In the short span of ten days, from the time he was about to return from his trip to Kyoto until his return from Osaka, Jiang Hang encountered several cases in succession.

First, there was the bus robbery during his first meeting with Shuichi Akai, then the Genji Fireflies case in Kyoto, followed by the serial murders in Osaka, and then the stadium threat incident as soon as he returned to Tokyo.

In addition, now that he has become an advisor to the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, Inspector Megure would come to him for help every now and then. Although the frequency of cases involving Conan is just that high, and Jiang Hang can benefit from these cases, if the cases continue to come in so frequently, Jiang Hang feels that he will not have enough time.

Moreover, it is foreseeable that after these few days, the next period will probably be busy again.

One is the Spider Mansion in Tottori Prefecture, another is a memorial service for a famous director that Vermouth will attend, and if the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department gets some more cases, the number of cases Jiang Hang has solved this month will almost exceed the limit.

But to be honest, Jiang Hang hasn't had a particularly leisurely time these past few days.

During the day, besides the small commissions that come to his door, Jiang Hang also has to go with Chihiro Ayasato to meet with the people from the TV station to see what prices they offer. The rest of the time is spent in the art museum using the Animus 1 to explore Altair's memories, looking for memories that can be used as teaching materials for Yusuke Sakata to practice. At the same time, he also has to teach Yusuke Sakata how to disguise himself and Miyano Akemi how to stealth techniques.

In the evenings, when things are a bit more relaxed, I watch one or two of director Akira Kurosawa's films to avoid being completely clueless when asked questions at parties. After going to sleep, I continue learning Bajiquan in the training space.

On the fourth night after Jiang Hang returned from Osaka, while he was playing games and watching a movie, Inspector Megure's call for help disrupted Jiang Hang's plans for the night.

"During the transport of the prisoner, the murderer escaped?" Jiang Hang's lips twitched as he listened to Inspector Megure's anxious voice on the other end of the phone.

This sounds pretty outrageous, but when it comes to Japan police officers, it doesn't seem... too strange.

The problem is that the police officers escorting the prisoners this time were none other than Miike Sato and Takagi Wataru.

"I didn't want to bother you, but when the criminal escaped, Sato was still in contact with me. However, after they chased him to the vicinity of an abandoned building, they suddenly disappeared and didn't contact us for several hours. I suspect that they have fallen into the hands of the murderer, so I came to ask you for help," Inspector Megure's words revealed a helpless and anxious expression.

After learning that Takagi Wataru and Miike Sato were missing, Jiang Hang was still a little puzzled as to how the two of them could have caused the murderer to escape. But no matter what, it was clear that he could no longer continue his game.

After typing "My friend is missing, I have to go find him" in the public chat, Jiang Hang ignored the question marks filling the screen of his teammates and immediately put on his gear and went out to find Inspector Megure.

When Jiang Hang drove to the abandoned building where Inspector Megure was located, police officers from various precincts of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department had already gathered around. At a glance, Jiang Hang even felt that the scale of the search was almost comparable to the number of people investigating Yusuke Sakata in Osaka.

It can only be said that Miike Sato, the "flower of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department," is indeed quite popular. Even the police officers who had already gone off duty have now come back to work overtime to search for her because of the news of Miike Sato disappearance.

Seeing Jiang Hang arrive, Inspector Megure wiped his forehead and began to explain the situation to Jiang Hang in detail.

"So, before entering this abandoned building, Sato and Wataru Takagi were still in contact with you, but after entering the building, the contact was cut off, right?"

"We've already searched this place thoroughly, and the forensic team is currently examining it with their tools, but we haven't found them yet. They've likely been taken elsewhere by that criminal!" Inspector Megure explained the situation to Jiang Hang with a serious expression.

Normally, the escape of a prisoner and the disappearance of the two police officers escorting him would be considered a scandal for the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department. However, Jiang Hang is now practically a member of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, and his abilities are commendable while he keeps his mouth shut. That's why Inspector Megure sought Jiang Hang's help in a moment of desperation.

Jiang Hang nodded slightly, and at the same time activated his Eagle Eye to begin inspecting the building from top to bottom.

Chapter 410: Chapter 406: It would be normal if Conan were involved.

This abandoned building actually only has four floors, and because it is about to be demolished, the entire building is basically empty, with nowhere to hide.

Such a place should have been quite easy to search. In fact, Jiang Hang only took a short walk around before confirming that Miike Sato were indeed no longer in the building.

The problem was that the building was full of police officers searching for Miike Sato. When Jiang Hang activated his Eagle Eye, even the messy footprints on the ground were beyond his ability to Eagle Eye.

Therefore, Jiang Hang could only try to find clues left by Miike Sato in places with fewer footprints.

After searching the first floor, Jiang Hang and his group quickly arrived at the rooftop.

After scanning the area, Jiang Hang's gaze quickly fell on the old, detached drainpipe on the side of the rooftop.

Perhaps because the building had been abandoned for a long time, the police officers only did a brief inspection of the drainpipes before paying little attention to the area.

Jiang Hang hadn't paid much attention to the crooked drainpipe until his Eagle Eye swept around it and he suddenly noticed a number of unusual footprints. He immediately went over to examine them closely.

These footprints are special because among a large group of messy adult footprints, the sudden appearance of a few children's footprints naturally makes them stand out.

As for the identity of these children's footprints, Jiang Hang's first thought was that they belonged to the group of mischievous kids from the Detective Boys —after all, in Jiang Hang's memory, the only group of children who would appear at various crime scenes were the Detective Boys.

He compared them carefully again and found that there were four children's footprints that he could distinguish, three boys and one girl, which actually matched the number of Conan and his friends.

After seeing these familiar things through the Eagle Eyes, Jiang Hang could even imagine part of the plot:

After school, the mischievous Detective Boys members were thinking about where to go on an adventure, so after Conan's protests were ignored, they went to this long-abandoned building.

Then, by sheer coincidence, the police car Takagi Wataru the prisoners stopped nearby. The prisoners seized the opportunity to escape the police car, stormed into the building, and in the chaos, took Ayumi...

As for the drainpipe, Jiang Hang activated the Revealing Eagle Vision, which has a stronger search capability than the regular Eagle Eye, and sure enough, he found a trace of human damage on the drainpipe.

To be precise, someone used this drainpipe as a means of transportation to jump directly from this building to another building that is only two or three meters away.

Following the direction of the drainpipe, Jiang Hang, with his Eagle Eye, even saw a sign of damage on the side entrance of the safety passage of the building opposite.

In other words, the assailant escaped directly from the rooftop of this building into the building across the street, and it's highly likely that Miike Sato followed after him.

Thinking about this, Jiang Hang touched his chin. At first glance, this part seemed to have many flaws, but it wasn't strange at all when it happened to Conan.

The fact that Miike Sato and Takagi Wataru disappeared without a trace is really strange. Their fighting power is above average, so it's impossible that they just died so easily. There must be a reason for their disappearance, and the addition of Conan, the "Shinigami Elementary Schooler," is the best reason.

Jiang Hang pondered for a moment, but there was still something he didn't understand.

Logically speaking, Miike Sato have been missing for several hours now. If it were really related to Conan, with Conan's incredible efficiency, the culprit would have been forced to kneel down and weep in repentance several times over. It wouldn't have escalated to this point.

Jiang Hang wanted to take out his phone to call Conan and ask if the Detective Boys was up to their old tricks again, but then he thought about it. The culprit in this case was someone Conan had spent so much time trying to defeat but hadn't been able to. What if Conan and the others were secretly following the culprit?

There are many similar scenes in various works: you're chasing someone and are about to find out the truth of the matter, but you forget to put your phone on silent, and a phone call comes in and alerts the culprit.

Now that Jiang Hang can't get through to Miike Sato and Takagi Wataru by phone, even if Conan has his phone, he's not going to be that useless teammate himself.

But regardless, this is at least a breakthrough.

Jiang Hang pointed to the building across the street and asked Inspector Megure for a question.

"What is that building? Have you searched it?"

"Ah, that's the Haido Art Museum, but it's closed now. It seems they're planning to demolish it and turn it into a supermarket in the next few days. The area around the museum is currently sealed off, so it's not normally possible to get in."

"However, just in case, we have sent people to communicate with the construction company several times, and they have confirmed twice that there is no one else in the art museum."

"Brother Jiang Hang, have you noticed any problems?"

Art museum?

Jiang Hang, who owns an art museum, couldn't help but take another closer look at the building across the street.

It has to be said that compared to the Beika Art Museum, the Haido Art Museum looks much more shabby; from the side, it's just an old, ordinary building.

However, it turns out that art museums are indeed not profitable.