The Daily Life of a Salted Fish Assassin in Various Anime

"Huh, Detective, are you that well-informed? I only found out about this a few days ago too," Miyamori Aoi directly called Jiang Hang "Detective," a title that felt quite novel to him.

"I am a detective, after all, and I've been keeping an eye on the industry's situation," Jiang Hang certainly wouldn't admit he learned about Musashino Animation from an anime. Instead, he continued to inquire about industry matters.

Speaking of which, although he had always thought about acquiring an animation company to produce animation specifically for him, he was just a dabbler before his transmigration. His understanding of the Japanese industry, besides a certain director's remark that "the Japanese animation industry can only last five more years at most," was limited to anime that depicted the industry itself.

However, these few people had only just entered the industry, and they didn't know much about the inner workings of the animation world. Even so, it made Jiang Hang feel that the industry was indeed quite bleak.

Animation companies that were supported by major players were doing relatively well. Companies like Musashino Animation, which had no major sponsors and hadn't released new works in years, relying entirely on outsourcing work from other animation companies to survive, faced a problem. If they didn't produce an original work for a desperate gamble soon, it was questionable whether Musashino Animation's thirty-year reputation could continue to exist.

Listening to Miyamori Aoi's complaints, Jiang Hang silently took the information to heart. He didn't have much money right now, but after some time, he planned to visit Musashino Animation.

Setting aside acquisition for now, perhaps there would be an opportunity to invest and become a minor shareholder.

After chatting with the girls about industry matters for a while, Shizuka Sakaki took them to tour the art museum. Jiang Hang, meanwhile, prepared to slack off in his office.

However, just as he turned, he noticed a girl still standing behind him.

"Imai-san, why didn't you go out with Sakamaki and the others? The museum has many branching paths; you might not be able to catch up if they get too far ahead." Jiang Hang looked at her with some curiosity. The one standing there was Imai Midori, the literary girl responsible for scriptwriting among the group of five.

However, upon hearing Jiang Hang's words, Imai Midori seemed a little embarrassed.

"Um… I'm in the literature department, and my goal is to become a scriptwriter. I heard from Senpai Shizuka that you, Detective, are an incredibly skilled detective, solving several cases in just half a month…" Imai Midori nervously fiddled with her fingers. "So, I wanted to try adapting and creating scripts based on the cases you've solved. I hope, I hope you'll agree!"

After stating her idea, Imai Midori bowed deeply to Jiang Hang.

Chapter 58: Chapter 58: Setting Another Small Goal, Earning Ten Billion First

"Ahem…" Hearing Imai Midori's sudden request, Jiang Hang couldn't help but choke a few times.

"Well, I'm still a rookie detective who debuted less than a month ago. It's a bit too early for you to write scripts for me now. How about I tell you some other interesting stories? For example, how about the story of a 'man who was more idealistic than anyone, and therefore more desperate than anyone'?"

"Or I could tell you a dark fairy tale about a magical girl. I have many more interesting stories here; they are much more engaging than my cases. Are you sure you don't want to hear them?"

Upon hearing the two stories Jiang Hang mentioned, Imai Midori's eyes lit up. She seemed very interested in these stories she hadn't heard before. After a moment of hesitation, she still firmly shook her head.

"I believe that since Detective-san mentioned them, they must be wonderful stories. However, I'll have to listen to them another time. Right now, I really want to know more about you, Detective-san!"

Jiang Hang hadn't expected that even a slacker like him would have an admirer.

Looking at her sincere gaze, Jiang Hang couldn't help but sigh.

"I understand. I've always entrusted the case records to Koharu. You can ask her to get those records first."

He paused, then continued speaking to Imai Midori, "But honestly, I'm not the kind of detective you imagine. You'll probably be very disappointed after you see those case records. As for adapting them into scripts, you should make your decision after you've seen the records. Though I suspect that even if you write such scripts, not many people will want to read them."

"Thank you so much!" Imai Midori bowed deeply to Jiang Hang again.

"Oh, and if I have any questions about the case details later, can I contact you, Detective-san?"

"Please try to email me. After all, I'm a detective and have various things to handle. My phone is likely on silent most of the time. If I see your email, I'll reply," Jiang Hang couldn't help but nod helplessly, surprised by the girl's determination.

"Then I won't disturb your rest, Detective-san. Once the script is written, I'll let you review it." After getting Jiang Hang's consent, Imai Midori's expression seemed to become much more cheerful. "And when that time comes, Detective-san, please remember to tell me those two stories you mentioned earlier!"

With that, she left the office with a lighthearted demeanor, seemingly preparing to find Koharu Yoshino to request the case records.

Watching Imai Midori's departure, Jiang Hang used Eagle Vision to glance at Koharu Yoshino's location and couldn't help but remind his admirer, "They should be at the Hall of the Ocean right now. If you turn left and walk straight out, you'll see them."

After Imai Midori left, Jiang Hang breathed a sigh of relief.

He had never been good at dealing with overly lively and proactive girls.

More importantly, Imai Midori exuded an aura of hard work. Jiang Hang couldn't help but feel that he had become rather lazy since returning from Moon Shadow Island when he compared himself to her.

He wondered if she would still be so enthusiastically writing scripts for him if she knew he was essentially a slacker.

Perhaps he should just modify his case records to be in the style of Conan?

As Jiang Hang thought this, he began to ponder the reasons for his recent laziness. It was probably because he felt his life was already quite fulfilling after earning enough money to buy the detective agency.

"No, my goal is to have the entire industry produce the anime I want to watch. I really need to set another small goal for myself." Jiang Hang muttered. Just then, he saw a news alert on his phone about a bank robbery case involving ten billion yen that had occurred a few days prior.

Tokyo truly was a land of many misfortunes. It had only been half a month since the six-billion-yen Maple Gold Coin Case, and now another ten-billion-yen robbery had occurred.

Jiang Hang clicked on it. The culprit had been on the run for several days, but they still hadn't been caught, and there was no clue as to the whereabouts of the missing ten billion yen.

Seeing this, he simply set a new small goal for himself.

He would aim to earn ten billion yen first. Surely ten billion yen would be enough to invest in an animation company?

Indeed, humans needed something to look forward to.

However, as he set this small goal, he had completely forgotten the main quest assigned to him by his system: "Become a great detective."

But just as Jiang Hang was preparing to work overtime to take on more commissions, an email caught his attention when he turned on his long-silent phone.

It was an email from Eri Kisaki.

Speaking of which, after Jiang Hang took over the Beika Art Museum, he had immediately fired employees with ill intentions. At the same time, to win over the staff, he had given a raise to those who were willing to stay and were genuinely diligent workers.

The museum staff had also heard that their new boss had a powerful background, and at least for the time being, they didn't have to worry about the museum being sold again. Thus, the museum was currently quite harmonious internally.

However, because he had also fired the museum's former legal counsel – a lawyer who was not very capable and reportedly had questionable character – during the employee dismissals, he now had to find a reliable legal advisor for his museum.

The position of legal counsel was quite important. For instance, three days later, when Jiang Hang met with Shiro Suzuki to discuss the exhibition, contracts would definitely need to be signed.

It wasn't that Shiro Suzuki intended to trick him, but it was always good to be cautious when it came to contracts.

In the future, as the museum's industry ranking improved, exhibitions and other commercial activities would only increase. Finding a capable lawyer now would save Jiang Hang a lot of trouble in the future.

Eri Kisaki was naturally the first choice, but Jiang Hang just thought about it and let it go. She usually helped deal with the commercial disputes of major conglomerates, and asking her to serve as legal counsel for his small art museum was indeed a bit of a fantasy.

However, Eri Kisaki seemed to know that he had fired the museum's former lawyer, so she sent Jiang Hang the email he was currently seeing, in which she introduced a junior lawyer she believed to be capable.

Upon seeing the other party's name, Jiang Hang, without much hesitation, set off from the museum for their office.

Chapter 59: Chapter 59: Chihiro Ayasato and Ryūichi Naruhodō

Looking at the sign "Ayasato Law Offices" hanging upstairs, Jiang Hang, who had taken a taxi there alone, couldn't help but show a subtle expression.

After meeting Koharu Yoshino and Shizuka Sakaki, Jiang Hang knew that he might continue to encounter many familiar characters as he lived in this world.

Jiang Hang had even discovered quite a few characters from other anime through various clues, but he had no intention of meeting them at the moment.

What would he say if he met them? "In my original world, you were my XXth wife?"

It had been almost a month since he transmigrated, and Jiang Hang had long been able to distinguish between the characters in the anime and their counterparts in this world.

Characters from school or slice-of-life anime wouldn't encounter any danger. He, a positive little detective, was self-aware and didn't intend to disturb the lives of the characters he liked before his transmigration.

Therefore, when he encountered another character he was familiar with from before his transmigration, Jiang Hang quickly adapted.

Chihiro Ayasato was the very capable junior lawyer introduced by Eri Kisaki. Although she had been practicing for less than five years, she was already a rising star in the legal world, owning her own law firm at such a young age.

According to Eri Kisaki, Chihiro Ayasato was the most insightful junior she had seen in recent years. If the museum matters were handed over to her, Jiang Hang wouldn't have to worry at all.

Of course, that's assuming Chihiro Ayasato wasn't murdered.

Jiang Hang added that sentence in his mind to Eri Kisaki's email.

This was because Chihiro Ayasato was also a pivotal character in "Gyakusatsu Saiban" (Ace Attorney), a classic GBA game Jiang Hang had played before his transmigration.

She was truly a "soul" character.

She only survived the tutorial and the first episode of the anime, and then she died at the beginning of the next case, becoming another victim under the title of "Director."

When Jiang Hang played the game back then, he was still a novice when he saw this mature, older-sister-type woman tragically die before his eyes. The shock left an extremely deep impression on the then-newbie Jiang Hang.

However, Chihiro Ayasato's death didn't mean she disappeared. In the subsequent games of Ace Attorney, she appeared quite frequently, and each time she appeared, she provided important hints or clues to the game's protagonist—not in the form of flashbacks, but as a spirit!

Thinking of this, Jiang Hang couldn't help but get a headache.

According to the game's setting, there were supernatural elements in the world of Ace Attorney. Chihiro Ayasato was a spirit medium, and her family possessed the ability to summon the spirits of the deceased onto themselves.

With such a setting, the originally normal world suddenly seemed magical.

Jiang Hang thought about how the atmosphere of the usually deductive crime-solving scenes suddenly became magical... No, the Conan world was already quite magical.

As if recalling some outrageous plot points from certain Detective Conan movies, Jiang Hang shook his head.

Why think so much? In any case, he was here now and should go meet her.

With that thought, Jiang Hang knocked on the door of her office.

A moment later, a young man with distinctive spiky hair opened the door for him.

"Hello, welcome to Ayasato Law Offices. May I ask if you have a commission?"

Looking at the spiky-haired young man with a bright smile, Jiang Hang sized him up. Naive, with a foolish look on his face. As expected, it was the guy he was familiar with.

Seeing the young man's current appearance, Jiang Hang patted his shoulder and walked into the office.

Speaking of which, compared to Eri Kisaki's office, this one felt much more human.

Upon entering the other office, one was greeted by a full bookshelf of law books. Here, Jiang Hang saw Chihiro Ayasato watering a potted plant at first glance.

Seeing the purple magatama hanging around her neck, Jiang Hang habitually used Eagle Vision to observe it.

Under the effect of Eagle Vision, the magatama continuously emitted golden light, informing Jiang Hang that it was an extremely precious item.

"Hello, I am Chihiro Ayasato. May I ask what you need consultation on?"

Putting down the watering can, Chihiro Ayasato smiled and gestured for Jiang Hang to sit on the sofa.

Jiang Hang used Eagle Vision to scan the entire room.

He found no listening devices, but on Chihiro Ayasato's bookshelf, there was a statue of a thinker.

I see, so it's at this stage now?

He had passed the tutorial, but there was still some time before her unfortunate death.

After confirming the timeline, Jiang Hang felt a little relieved. Then, with a smile, he handed his business card to Chihiro Ayasato.

"You must be Mr. Jiang Hang, whom Ms. Eri mentioned," Chihiro Ayasato formally took the business card, glanced at it, and recalled Jiang Hang's identity, nodding at him. "Then, if I'm not mistaken, you're here to discuss the legal counsel for the art museum?"

She looked at her disciple. "Sōtarō-kun, please get Mr. Jiang Hang a cup of tea."

As if noticing Jiang Hang's gaze on her disciple, Chihiro Ayasato also introduced him to Jiang Hang. "This is my disciple, Ryūichi Naruhodō. Naruhodō is his surname."

In Japanese, the pronunciation of Naruhodō is a homophone for "I see." She seemed to have explained this to her clients many times and was used to it.

"I see, what an interesting surname. I believe your disciple will definitely become an excellent lawyer in the future."

Illegal evidence gathering, bluffing, accusing witnesses, and interrogating a parrot. Your disciple truly has a boundless future.

Thinking of the bizarre actions his disciple would perform in court later, Jiang Hang inwardly complained.

"Well, he still needs about three more years of training. He's just getting started now," Chihiro Ayasato said with a smile, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

Compared to the cold Eri Kisaki, Chihiro Ayasato was much gentler in private. At least, interacting with her didn't put too much pressure on anyone.

"Naruhodō-kun, could you also help me water Charlie-kun a bit more?" After serving Jiang Hang a cup of tea, Chihiro Ayasato directed Ryūichi Naruhodō to water a potted plant nearby.

"Charlie-kun... Speaking of which, Chihiro-sensei, are you really going to give the office's potted plants this strange name?" Ryūichi Naruhodō grumbled as he obediently went to water the plant named "Charlie-kun."

"I'm sorry to have made you witness such a sight," Chihiro Ayasato smiled apologetically, then looked at Jiang Hang. "So, Mr. Jiang, let's get down to business. Regarding the legal matters of the art museum, I've prepared a few proposals. Please take a look and see which one is more suitable for our future cooperation."

Chapter 60: Chapter 60: The Suzuki Family's Eccentric Patriarch

Without much effort, after a brief discussion, Chihiro Ayasato officially became the legal consultant for Beika Art Museum and Pioneer Detective Agency.

Jiang Hang naturally had no doubts about Chihiro Ayasato's abilities in this regard.

The only problem was that his legal consultant might face mortal danger and pass away within the next few months.

Jiang Hang didn't know when the danger would befall Chihiro Ayasato, but since she had now become his legal consultant, Jiang Hang would absolutely not allow such a tragedy to happen again.

As a result, the gazes of the two girls in the office towards Jiang Hang had changed slightly in the past few days.

They naturally knew that Jiang Hang had found a legal consultant for their agency and the art museum, and they had heard that the consultant was an undeniable beauty.

Although Jiang Hang stated that he had work-related matters to discuss with the lawyer, wouldn't it be convenient to communicate over the phone or via email? Why did Jiang Hang have to visit her office every single day?

Did Jiang Hang just like mature, older women?

The two girls thought about Jiang Hang's usual lazy demeanor in front of them, and then thought about how proactive he had become after meeting Chihiro Ayasato. They started to gossip secretly.

"Won't Miss Ayasato become our agency's boss's wife after a while?" Of course, they only dared to whisper such gossip when Jiang Hang wasn't in the office.

If Jiang Hang knew what these two girls were thinking now, he would probably be amused and exasperated.

He had no such intentions at all; he simply wanted to save those people whom he felt shouldn't die.