The Salted Fish Assassin's Multiverse Daily Life

Chapter 47: The Mysterious Moonlight Sonata

After handing off the task of inquiring about Keiji Aso to the two girls, Jiang Hang didn't press further on the matter. He trusted that Koharu Yoshino and Shizuka Sakaki could handle it well.

His current goal was to understand the island's present situation.

Twelve years had passed since Keiji Aso's death. The details described in the case files from back then might have changed considerably by now.

His first stop was the Moon Shadow Island village office, which would make it easier to learn about the island's current state.

The office wasn't very busy—after all, this was a small island with few residents. Even the staff member on duty was openly slacking off during work hours, quietly doing other things.

When he saw a stranger walk in, the employee's attitude remained somewhat lackadaisical.

"Hello, may I help you?"

Jiang Hang directly handed over a business card.

"I'm looking into investing on Moon Shadow Island and would like some information. Is the person in charge of these matters here?"

The employee took the card with a mix of skepticism and doubt. It read "Investment Manager, The Pioneer Foundation," which gave him pause.

This staff member probably never imagined that anyone would consider investing in a place like Moon Shadow Island. Although he couldn't find any information about this foundation online, after making a phone call, his attitude shifted completely. He hurriedly and respectfully said he would notify the person in charge, then eagerly invited Jiang Hang to wait in the meeting room nearby.

Even though the foundation was just a front—and he couldn't actually access the money in it—this facade could still be pulled out to bluff people occasionally.

A few days ago, after communicating with his system, he had this identity forged as well.

In less than ten minutes, a middle-aged man in a suit and glasses, with a very amiable appearance, strode quickly into the meeting room.

"Hello, hello, Mr. Jiang Hang. My apologies for the poor hospitality. I am Hirata Kazuaki, secretary to the mayor of Moon Shadow Island," he said, a fawning smile on his face as he bowed deeply and extended his hand toward Jiang Hang, who was sitting on the sofa. "I heard you're interested in investing on Moon Shadow Island and wanted to learn about its current situation, so I rushed over."

"Jiang Hang" was, of course, a pseudonym he'd casually picked. After all, he had a bit of a reputation in Tokyo now, and being discovered under his real name would be somewhat awkward.

Moreover, Jiang Hang had used his disguise skill to make some adjustments to this identity.

In terms of hairstyle and facial features, outsiders would see him as about ten years older than his actual age. Even if someone connected him to the detective he was, he could explain it away as a distant relative.

Seeing the man's obsequious demeanor, Jiang Hang didn't pay it much mind at first. But when he habitually activated Eagle Eye, he unexpectedly spotted something alarming on the other person.

As the man bent down to extend his hand, the movement pulled up his sleeve slightly. Though a normal person wouldn't notice, Eagle Eye keenly detected several faint, half-hidden needle marks on the man's forearm beneath the cuff.

As a poison master who had been killed by poison 305 times and was intimately familiar with almost every common toxin, just one glance was enough for Jiang Hang to determine that the man's likelihood of being involved with drugs was over eighty percent!

He hadn't expected to stumble onto such a big fish right away. Even if this matter had nothing to do with the case from twelve years ago, it wouldn't stop Jiang Hang from dealing with this one on the side after finishing his main business.

With that thought, Jiang Hang withdrew his gaze and shook the man's hand with a smile. In his eyes, this secretary was no longer just a secretary—he was a walking twenty million yen.

After that, the two communicated normally. As an investor, Jiang Hang naturally had to act like someone scoping out a place he was considering putting money into.

He straightforwardly brought up the acquisition of Beika Art Museum as an example of a recent investment by his foundation. Although it had cost several billion yen, he still had funds available for this trip.

Now that he was on Moon Shadow Island, he found the environment pleasant and had developed the idea of investing.

As for the investment amount, he kept hinting that as long as the other party gave him a satisfactory answer, money was no issue at all. One hundred million was a small target, one billion was nothing, and if everyone was happy with the discussion, going even higher wasn't out of the question.

After all, it was all just bragging. In a few days, you'll be in prison picking up soap, so let me make you a little happy for now.

Jiang Hang's words made Secretary Hirata even more enthusiastic toward him. He answered all of Jiang Hang's questions without holding back.

After putting in some effort, Jiang Hang had gathered a fairly complete picture of the island's situation.

"So, you're saying that Moon Shadow Island is currently holding a mayoral election?"

Jiang Hang deliberately brought this up as a topic of inquiry, because from the man's explanation, he had found it to be a good entry point.

The current mayor of Moon Shadow Island was a man named Kuroiwa Tatsuji. According to the information Jiang Hang had gotten from Officer Takagi, he was one of the four witnesses to Keiji Aso's self-immolation twelve years ago.

From Secretary Hirata, he also learned that another witness from back then was running in this election—a wealthy man on the island named Kawashima Hideo.

With his massive financial backing, Kawashima was currently the most likely candidate to become the next mayor.

"If there's going to be a change in mayor, won't that affect my investment?" Jiang Hang deliberately furrowed his brow, feigning concern.

"If you're worried, you could stay on the island for a few more days. Three days from now, after the memorial service for the late Mayor Kameyama, who passed away two years ago, a new mayor will be elected. You can then discuss the specifics of the investment directly with the new mayor. I'm sure it won't disappoint you."

Jiang Hang's heart stirred. This Mayor Kameyama was also one of the witnesses from back then. Jiang Hang had already known before arriving that this man had died, but he hadn't expected to coincidentally run into his memorial service.

"A man who died two years ago—they're still holding a memorial service now?"

"Mr. Jiang Hang, you may not know this, but Mayor Kameyama's death was somewhat eerie here on Moon Shadow Island."

Secretary Hirata hesitated for a moment before telling Jiang Hang about it. After all, it wasn't exactly a secret on the island.

After hearing the man's account, Jiang Hang learned the cause of death.

He had died of a sudden heart attack two years ago, and the location was the piano room of the Community Activity Center, where the memorial service would be held in a few days.

The reason it was called eerie was that his death expression was extremely twisted, as if he had seen something terrifying.

And according to rumors, passersby at the time had heard the sound of someone playing "Moonlight Sonata" coming from the piano room in the activity center!

Chapter 48: Investigation and Surveillance

After obtaining more detailed information about the witnesses from back then from Hirata Kazuaki, Jiang Hang declined his dinner invitation and returned to the inn.

He also told Hirata Kazuaki that he would stay here for a few days to learn more about Moon Shadow Island, and would discuss the specifics of the investment in detail after the new mayor took office.

Although Hirata Kazuaki seemed somewhat disappointed by this, knowing that Jiang Hang wasn't planning to leave, he still eagerly assured him that if he encountered any problems on the island, he could contact him directly.

To this, Jiang Hang merely offered a subtle smile.

Rest assured, I'll be "reaching out" to you soon enough.

As the sky gradually darkened, the two girls who had been "interviewing" all day returned to the inn one after another, sharing with Jiang Hang the intelligence they had gathered.

"Aside from that Keiji Aso from twelve years ago, there isn't another family named Aso on the island," Koharu Yoshino finally admitted that Jiang Hang's speculation was more reliable. With no other Keiji Aso on the island, the only possibility was that the letter writer had borrowed the name of this Keiji Aso, intending to do something on the night of the full moon.

"I checked too. Keiji Aso's parents passed away many years ago, and he has no other relatives, so it shouldn't be a family member sending letters in his name," Shizuka Sakaki added, pulling out her own notebook and starting to relay the information she had gathered.

After the two girls finished exchanging intelligence, they began discussing their respective theories, eliminating clues that had obvious flaws.

Both sides had issues with their information. Koharu Yoshino had wasted a lot of time heading in the wrong direction from the start, while Shizuka Sakaki had only focused on Keiji Aso's relatives, overlooking the possibility that the invitation might have come from his wife's side. But after this discussion, they wouldn't make the same mistake next time.

Every veteran starts out as a rookie.

Jiang Hang glanced at Koharu Yoshino's intelligence gathering—she wasn't far from leveling up to Beginner.

He was looking forward to the day her clue-collecting skill reached Advanced. By comparison, Shizuka Sakaki had slightly less potential in intelligence gathering, but her focus was clearly on acting. If Shizuka Sakaki could one day master a disguise technique on par with Kaito Kid's, she'd be able to help him in many ways.

After the two girls finished discussing the intelligence they'd gathered today, Koharu Yoshino suddenly remembered something.

"Oh, right, speaking of which, I ran into an elderly police officer today. He said he was involved in the investigation of Keiji Aso's self-immolation case back then, and there are still some of Keiji Aso's belongings left in the warehouse. I begged him for a while, and the old officer agreed to help us look for those items. But they're buried deep in the storage room, so it'll probably take until tomorrow to find them. Maybe there's a clue among Keiji Aso's possessions."

Jiang Hang nodded. Koharu Yoshino getting this information from that officer was worth encouraging.

"Then tomorrow, you two keep interviewing on the island. I'll organize the clues we've gathered today."

Setting aside the matter of Keiji Aso, among the four witnesses from back then, the former village chief, Isamu Kameyama, had died of a heart attack two years ago. According to rumors, right before his heart gave out, he was playing the Moonlight Sonata in the piano room.

That was a potential lead, but investigating it wouldn't be easy.

The other two witnesses were the current village chief, Tatsuji Kuroiwa, and a wealthy merchant named Hideo Kawashima, who was currently running for village chief.

Both men held high positions on this island. Getting them to talk wouldn't be simple.

But Jiang Hang had noticed something from Hirata.

When Hirata mentioned Village Chief Kuroiwa, his expression was normal. But when he brought up Hideo Kawashima, the secretary's attitude seemed a bit off.

This Hideo Kawashima was the strongest contender for the next village chief. Yet Hirata Kazuaki, the current village chief's secretary, seemed very confident that he'd keep his position in the future.

Maybe he and Hideo Kawashima had some shady deal going on.

Given the possibility that the other party was involved with drugs, this could also be an angle to pursue.

As for the last witness from back then, a man named Ken Nishiki, Jiang Hang hadn't yet found out what he was doing now, or even if he was still on the island.

When chatting with Secretary Hirata, he hadn't been able to ask about him either.

Sitting on the tatami in his room, Jiang Hang rested his chin on his hand, thinking about his next direction of investigation.

Under the effect of the Meditation Method, he could keep his mind clear enough to think. But honestly, his reasoning ability was at best that of a third-rate detective.

He could take advantage of Conan with the Eagle Eye and bully him, but Jiang Hang knew full well that he was faking it, while Conan was genuinely impressive.

If Conan only needed three useful clues to connect them with wild imagination and solve a case, then Jiang Hang would probably need to find over ten interrelated clues, scribble and sketch on a draft pad for half a day, before arriving at the final answer.

Still, Jiang Hang didn't plan to rely solely on his third-rate detective skills to crack the case.

After nightfall, he intended to do something a little less aboveboard.

Opening his suitcase, he pulled out a black hooded outfit, then took out some drugs he'd recently concocted from a small pocket inside the suitcase.

Ezio's assassin robes were cool but way too conspicuous. Jiang Hang had never considered wearing that outfit for stalking or infiltration.

Close to midnight, the streets were empty of pedestrians.

Unnoticed by anyone, Jiang Hang slipped out of the inn where he was staying.

He headed for the residence of Secretary Hirata Kazuaki.

He had already marked Hirata Kazuaki with the Eagle Eye that afternoon, so it didn't take long to find his house.

Jiang Hang had planned to sneak in while he was asleep, but unexpectedly, on his way to the residence, he spotted Hirata Kazuaki through the Eagle Eye, stealthily changing into an inconspicuous outfit and carefully slipping out of his own home.

Seeing this, Jiang Hang hid in the shadows, suppressing his aura to avoid detection.

As for Hirata Kazuaki, he cautiously looked around and locked the door behind him.

Only after confirming no one was around did he lower his head and hurry toward the eastern edge of the village.

Watching Hirata Kazuaki leave, Jiang Hang kept a safe distance and tailed him.

Though Hirata Kazuaki stopped every few steps to glance around warily, it was useless against Jiang Hang, who was trailing far behind.

Soon, he followed Hirata Kazuaki to a building.

Looking closely, wasn't this the activity center where the former village chief's memorial service was supposed to be held in a few days?

He watched as the other man secretly observed the entrance for a moment, then circled around to enter through a side door. Jiang Hang didn't follow. Instead, he silently tracked his movements with the Eagle Eye.

Under Jiang Hang's gaze, he saw Hirata Kazuaki enter through the side door into the very room the man had mentioned—the piano room where former village chief Isamu Kameyama had died mysteriously two years ago!

Chapter 49: A Detective Is Not So Inconvenient a Thing

Hirata Kazuaki crept into the piano room, pulled something out from his person, and stuffed it under the piano in the dark.

After doing that, he cleaned up any traces of his presence and hurriedly left the place.

He had no idea that every move he made was under Jiang Hang's surveillance.

After Hirata Kazuaki left, Jiang Hang did not immediately follow him. Instead, he waited until the man was far away, then used his Lockpicking skill to open the side door leading to the piano room.

Gazing at the piano, which was at least a decade old, Jiang Hang furrowed his brow slightly.

If his memory served him correctly, this aged piano was undoubtedly connected to Keiji Aso.

He recalled that in the police files, it was mentioned that Keiji Aso had performed at this community center before returning home, after which the self-immolation incident occurred.

This piano had originally been brought by Keiji Aso, and it had remained here ever since his death.

He slowly approached the piano, then crouched down to examine its underside.

Soon, he discovered a concealed compartment. Jiang Hang didn't even need to open it to know what Hirata Kazuaki had placed inside.

This compartment wasn't a recent addition. Based on the piano's structure, it was clearly designed with this hidden space from the moment it was built.

In other words, had Moon Shadow Island been involved in this kind of business for over a decade?

Even Keiji Aso might have been a member of the drug trafficking ring back then.

Looking at the piano, Jiang Hang made a bold conjecture.

Originally, he had only intended to use the drug trail to find the connection between Hirata Kazuaki and Kawashima Hideo, then conduct a deeper investigation. He hadn't expected to stumble upon something so significant.

If Keiji Aso had indeed been part of that drug trafficking ring, then the four people who witnessed his death were likely all highly suspicious.

Due to a dispute over the spoils or some other reason, Keiji Aso might have been killed by the four of them, with the scene staged to look like a self-immolation.

Such a motive was entirely plausible, Jiang Hang thought. He did not retrieve the stash now but quietly left the room and continued tailing Hirata Kazuaki.

This time, Hirata Kazuaki went nowhere else. He chose to head straight home.

Speaking of which, this guy was quite cautious. He had even installed a hidden camera at his own doorstep.