Jiang Hang set down the invitation in his hand and looked at Koharu Yoshino.
"Koharu, look into Keiji Aso. Search for everything you can find, from online information to newspapers that reported on those events back then."
Seeing that Jiang Hang seemed to be getting serious, Koharu Yoshino nodded and went to one side to start searching online.
She was quick at finding things. Or rather, this Keiji Aso had been somewhat famous to begin with.
Twelve years ago, he had been a moderately well-known pianist who had won quite a few awards in Japan.
But one night, for some unknown reason, he seemed to have gone mad. He killed his wife and daughter with a knife, then burned down his own house, causing a huge sensation at the time.
"What... what is this? Keiji Aso from Moon Shadow Island... died twelve years ago?" Koharu Yoshino cried out in shock, not just because of the brutal crimes committed by the man with the same name back then.
She carefully compared the Keiji Aso on the screen with the Keiji Aso mentioned in the letter. The names were indeed identical.
"Moon Shadow Island... that's right. Could it be someone with the same name?" The thought gave Koharu Yoshino a headache.
What intelligence gatherers feared most was not being unable to find information, but discovering that their target shared a name with someone else—and that the namesake was even more famous than their target. That was truly annoying.
At a glance, Koharu Yoshino found nothing but reports about Keiji Aso killing his wife and then burning himself to death twelve years ago. The occasional unrelated articles were all about that same Keiji Aso winning prizes in competitions held somewhere or other.
"This is troublesome," she muttered, only for Jiang Hang to cut her off.
"Just investigate this Keiji Aso first. The person who sent the letter may be planning to do something under Keiji Aso's identity." If Jiang Hang had not remembered the motive earlier, it was obvious now. There had to be something wrong with the case from twelve years ago.
"You can do that?" Koharu Yoshino looked astonished. "So we really don't need to look into other people with the same name? Moon Shadow Island may not be big, but there could still be namesakes. Should we just go to the island and ask the residents?"
"Using a dead person's name to do something is not particularly unusual. There may have been some hidden truth behind that case, which is why the other party sent a letter to our agency. In any case, investigate it first. Just follow your own approach."
"As for going to Moon Shadow Island, there's no rush for now. The time mentioned in the letter is a week from now. Going there now probably won't accomplish anything, and Queen of Lawyers could contact me at any time over the next few days to discuss the art museum. It'll probably be today or tomorrow. We should deal with what's on hand first, gather the information, and then go there."
Some time ago, Eri Kisaki had told him that matters with the art museum were nearly settled and asked Jiang Hang to arrange a suitable time. So, for the past few afternoons, Jiang Hang had basically been slacking off while waiting for Eri Kisaki to contact him.
More importantly, he remembered the Moon Shadow Island case quite clearly. It was one of the few cases where he actually remembered the killer's identity.
As long as he went there a day or two early and untied the killer's emotional knot, such a tragedy would not happen.
As for the victims... honestly, when watching Conan, people either focused on Conan showing off while solving cases or on the killer's motive. Even if the killer left a deep impression, few people remembered the victims. Jiang Hang could not remember who those victims even were.
He could only make a better judgment after gathering enough information and personally going to Moon Shadow Island.
While Koharu Yoshino was still gathering information on Keiji Aso, Jiang Hang quietly sent a message to his tool, Officer Takagi.
The murder case from twelve years ago would obviously have left case files at the police station. It would naturally be best if he could get his hands on the files from back then.
Of course, he only asked Officer Takagi to keep an eye on the case from twelve years ago. If it was not possible, there was no need to force it.
Koharu Yoshino might be hurt if she found out, but there was no need to explain the importance of intelligence. Information from the police would definitely be far more crucial than what a rookie like Koharu Yoshino could gather... at worst, he could just keep her from finding out.
With that thought in mind, Jiang Hang secretly glanced at the still-hardworking Koharu Yoshino.
Keep it up, girl. Even if the information you gather turns out not to be very useful, you still look great working so hard right now.
With that thought, Jiang Hang looked at his phone.
What a coincidence. He had just said that Eri Kisaki might contact him at any time, and only a few minutes later, his phone received an email from her.
At four o'clock this afternoon, at some coffee shop, Eri Kisaki and the art museum's former owner would be waiting for him to discuss the museum's future.
Jiang Hang replied, then looked at Shizuka Sakaki, who was practicing her voice nearby.
"Shizuka, we're going out. The art museum matter is finally wrapping up."
Turns Out I'm Also a Big Boss?
A rather inconspicuous coffee shop on a street corner.
Since it was a workday, there were not many customers in the café. Jiang Hang quickly spotted Eri Kisaki waiting in a private booth, along with a middle-aged man around thirty or forty beside her.
He was probably the former owner who had sold the art museum because of bankruptcy.
"Hello, I am Taro Matsuno, the former owner of the Beika Art Museum." The moment they met, the middle-aged man gave Jiang Hang a deep bow, appearing extremely respectful.
Taro Matsuno's attitude left Jiang Hang rather confused. He was just an ordinary detective with a little money. There was no need for the other man to be so respectful toward him, was there?
People in Japan did value etiquette, but this seemed excessive.
Still, Jiang Hang did not show anything on his face. He returned the bow and sat down on the café sofa.
As Jiang Hang's assistant, Shizuka Sakaki stood somewhat awkwardly behind him. She was still unaccustomed to situations that felt like negotiations.
"I had heard of you long ago, Mr. Jiang Hang. It's just that I was busy dealing with the company's bankruptcy recently, so I never had the chance to meet you."
Taro Matsuno's attitude remained strange, and Jiang Hang responded with a few polite remarks.
"Queen of Lawyers, did you call me here today because there has been some new progress with the art museum?" Jiang Hang asked first.
"Yes. Over the past few days, we have spoken with several parties. Boss Manaka's family is still busy dividing his assets, but they have reached a consensus regarding the art museum. They hope to transfer it as soon as possible, and the price will be kept within a range where they do not take a loss."
"Over the past few days, I also contacted several collectors and wealthy individuals interested in acquiring a private art museum. They have not agreed yet, but if negotiations continue, the chances of reaching a deal are high." Eri Kisaki laid out a document listing the names of people interested in buying the museum.
Jiang Hang had never heard of any of the people listed, but he still picked it up and looked through it.
"Then it seems the art museum matter will be resolved soon. But since you came here in person, Boss Matsuno, there must be something else you want to discuss with me face-to-face."
Taro Matsuno sighed, glanced at Eri Kisaki, and she gave him a slight nod.
"There are some things I've kept buried in my heart. I never dared tell Director Ochiai after he went to prison. When it comes to this case, I also bear part of the responsibility."
Jiang Hang adjusted his posture, making himself look more properly seated.
"From the beginning, I knew that Boss Manaka bought the art museum to turn it into a hotel."
Shizuka Sakaki, standing behind Jiang Hang, opened her mouth in surprise. She knew about the course of the case, but she had not expected even this owner to have been involved.
Jiang Hang's expression, however, did not change.
How should he put it? The answer had not actually surprised him.
If Boss Manaka had truly promised to preserve the art museum, any competent lawyer would have required that condition to be written into the contract. Since it had not been included, either Matsuno's lawyer had been incompetent, or the two sides had already agreed on it beforehand.
It now seemed that the latter was indeed the case.
Jiang Hang took a deep breath. No matter how much he had expected it, hearing this still left him with a suffocating frustration he could not vent.
"Couldn't you have told Director Ochiai beforehand?"
Deception had clearly been the main cause of the tragedy. If they had honestly explained their intentions to Director Ochiai from the start, or if Boss Manaka had later said that the artworks would be properly handled, things would never have reached this point.
But according to what Director Ochiai had told him while they waited for the police that day, Boss Manaka had no regard whatsoever for those artworks. He had even called them "a pile of junk" more than once in front of Director Ochiai, leading him to make that irreversible choice.
"Although the Beika Art Museum belonged to our Matsuno family, Director Ochiai had worked there for fifty years and eventually became its director. When I was young, my father gave Director Ochiai a portion of the museum's shares. It wasn't much, but if Director Ochiai disagreed, we could not have sold the museum..."
"From childhood until adulthood, I always treated Director Ochiai as my uncle and respected him deeply... But in my generation, my poor decisions left the family business unable to survive. We also owed Boss Manaka a huge debt, so we could only declare bankruptcy and sell the art museum to him." Taro Matsuno's voice was low, as though he felt guilty over his own incompetence.
"So in the end, you deceived Director Ochiai into selling his shares?"
Taro Matsuno nodded bitterly, then shook his head again.
"Besides us, there were Director Ochiai's children. They felt he was getting old and should retire and enjoy his remaining years at home. I grew up alongside Director Ochiai's children, and we were close friends. When they learned about my situation, they joined us in deceiving Director Ochiai and made him sell his shares... I just never expected Director Ochiai to make such a choice. If I had known, if I had known it would turn out like this..."
Taro Matsuno seemed unable to continue. He covered his eyes with both hands, his body trembling slightly as soft sobs escaped him, as if he could no longer control his emotions.
Jiang Hang looked at him coldly, but his feelings were particularly complicated.
He had expected deception, but he had not expected such a relationship to be involved.
He opened his mouth, wanting to say something.
But the truth shocked him even more than seeing Director Ochiai kill someone in front of him that day. He could not say a word.
After a long while, he leaned back against the café sofa and slowly asked, "Director Ochiai still doesn't know about this, does he?"
"We never dared tell him. But I think Director Ochiai... probably figured it out."
At that moment, Taro Matsuno suddenly rose from the sofa, walked over to Jiang Hang, and dropped to his knees. He assumed a full prostration posture and slammed his forehead heavily against the floor.
"Now, Mr. Jiang Hang, you are the person Director Ochiai trusts most. If you continue running the art museum in the future, I think the old man would surely be comforted when he learned of it."
"???" The sudden development seemed to frighten Jiang Hang. He had just been caught in inexplicable sadness, but this move made him instinctively leap up from the sofa.
He completely failed to understand Taro Matsuno's logic.
"Mr. Matsuno, what... do you mean?"
From the look of it, Taro Matsuno seemed to want him to buy the art museum?
Good grief. If he had enough money to buy an art museum, why would he still be solving cases? He would just buy two or three famous animation studios and watch whatever anime he wanted in the future. Wouldn't that be much better than buying an art museum?
And where exactly had this guy gotten the idea that he was rich!?
At that moment, Eri Kisaki, who had been calmly drinking coffee beside them, set down her cup and looked at Jiang Hang.
"Mr. Jiang Hang, if you are unwilling, there are very few people in this world who can force you. You only need to make the decision you want to make."
"?????"
At that moment, Jiang Hang nearly flung the question marks all over his face straight at her. Why could he not understand anything these people were saying?
"My apologies. I looked into your family a little and learned about this from an Italian friend. But as the sole heir of The Pioneer Foundation, with a future net worth approaching one hundred billion dollars, I assume you would not care much about such matters." She looked at Jiang Hang without the slightest trace of apology on her face. There was an indescribable undertone in her voice, as if she were not saying this solely to Jiang Hang.
Hearing Eri Kisaki describe such an absurdly high-profile setting, Jiang Hang's eyes widened slightly.
He was only a wholesome little detective who could not even afford to buy his own agency yet. Why did she open her mouth and elevate him straight to the level of the ultimate big boss!?
You damn system, come out and explain this to me. What the hell is The Pioneer Foundation!?
The System Was Suffering, but It Couldn't Say So
After being called a damn system by Jiang Hang once again, the Legendary Assassin System was also dumbfounded.
It did not even immediately argue back, because it had no idea what was happening either.
The Pioneer Foundation? What the hell was that? This system had never even heard of it!?
But it knew this had to be connected to that damned 2D Patch Pack.
So it hurriedly began searching the world's source, then ran self-diagnostics on its various sub-systems and plugins to see whether some new malfunction had appeared.
At last, after opening the system logs that it had rarely touched since becoming an experienced system, it found the source of the problem.
"Yen Generation Plugin" "Source: 2D Patch Pack (this plugin was proudly provided by the Behind-the-Scenes Tycoon System and organized by the 2D Life Winner System)." "Specific effect: After using this plugin, it will automatically provide money to the system host according to system requirements." "Optional settings (the system may choose whether to disable the corresponding functions): Provide the host with a more reasonable source of money (enabled by default), anti-inflation setting (enabled by default)..."
There were many different settings among the optional functions, most of which did not need attention. As for overly extreme functions, options such as "One-Click Richest Man" and "Final Property Owner," which granted the wealth of an entire planet, were disabled by default.
The problem lay with the seemingly ordinary reasonable money source setting. It had never noticed that beneath this setting were several subcategories. One of them automatically created a behind-the-scenes organization in the host's world to provide money for the host after the plugin was activated.
Furthermore, this effect directly acted upon the world's timeline. Through modifications to the timeline, the organization had begun developing quietly decades ago, spending decades reaching its present state.
Of course, more complicated things like worldline interference were involved, but in short, to the people living in this world, the organization truly existed. It simply remained low-profile because it had been provided by a behind-the-scenes system, so ordinary people would not know that such an organization existed.
Sure enough, all systems that played this behind-the-scenes game were dirty at heart. A money plugin actually used such a scheme. Did they really like silently making a fortune that much?
When it had inspected this plugin back then, it had completely failed to notice this.
Even worse, this function had been enabled by default!
The Transmigration Sub-system had suffered a huge malfunction because of it, and now this new mess had appeared. If it could, it truly wanted to uninstall the patch pack immediately and leave the system that published it a huge negative review.
But saying all that was useless now. The Legendary Assassin System had to admit that it had been somewhat lax recently.
Because it had been jealous of those 2D systems that were thriving, when it installed the 2D Patch Pack, it had only glanced over the instructions and thought it completely understood everything inside. It had installed it without paying much more attention.
As a result, all sorts of problems had appeared frequently since installing the patch pack. Even now, it could not be certain whether the 2D Patch Pack contained any more system-screwing traps.
Still, once a problem appeared, it had to find a way to solve it. The Legendary Assassin System began considering solutions.
Should it disable the behind-the-scenes force option?
That would not work either. The plugin had already been activated, and forcibly shutting it down would have a major impact on the world.
One wrong move could even cause the timeline to reset. Although reversing time was not an especially difficult task for a system beyond worlds, it had once reversed time five times to help a host successfully complete a final assassination mission.
But resetting the timeline was an advanced operation that required it to apply to the System Management Bureau. It did not even dare apply for a punishment mission for Jiang Hang in its current situation, so how could it possibly apply for a more serious timeline reset?
But should it admit its mistake to the host and offer compensatory rewards?
Before you continue