Slacker Assassin's Multiverse Daily

Back home, he opened the file attached to the email on his computer. The agency really delivered in bulk—this single file was packed with nearly a hundred resumes of all kinds.

Maybe it was the irresistible treatment Jiang Hang had offered. For an assistant position with zero technical requirements, he could find everything from prestigious university graduates to a girl who had been making her way in Tokyo since high school.

Slowly flipping through the various resumes, one suddenly caught his eye.

"Someone actually wants to work here part-time... Graduated from a voice actor training school, wants to debut as a voice actor, and before officially debuting, hopes to try different jobs to broaden her experience... She even straight-up wrote her goal on the resume," Jiang Hang muttered, intrigued as he looked it over.

"Sakaki Shizuka... That name sounds a bit familiar..." But it wasn't an uncommon name. Glancing at the photo of the delicate-looking girl on the resume, Jiang Hang didn't think much of it.

Finding this aspiring voice actor amusing, he set her resume aside. He absolutely had no weird thoughts about the voice acting profession, and he definitely didn't make this decision just because she was a pretty voice actor.

Continuing down the pile, he set aside one flashy resume after another until another interesting one landed in front of him.

"'I want to become someone special'—is that written on a resume just to invite mockery? Let me see... Koharu Yoshino, university graduate... Aside from that line and her looks, everything else is pretty ordinary... But I'll keep it for now."

Out of nearly a hundred resumes, Jiang Hang picked through several rounds and ended up with only five or six people. He sent their info to the agency, saying he'd hold interviews over the next two days to make the final choice.

The agency's response was still lightning-fast. Probably because Jiang Hang was a VIP user, even though it was already nine at night, they sent an email saying interviews could be held at their office tomorrow afternoon.

Thinking about the interview tomorrow, Jiang Hang decided not to go out exploring tonight. Instead, he took a nice bath and then lay in bed watching this world's new anime.

After all, this was another world. While most things were similar to his original one, there were plenty of changes in the anime lineup. Some famous works from his past life were gone here, but just as many excellent new ones had appeared.

Right now, Jiang Hang was watching a show that didn't exist in his original world. It was set in the animation industry, telling the story of a group of people who loved anime striving hard in the field. It was somewhat similar to an anime called Shirobako from his old world, but the plot was completely different...

As he pondered this, comfortably watching anime in bed, Jiang Hang suddenly felt something was off.

He got up, reopened his computer, and pulled up the resumes he'd browsed earlier, flipping to Sakaki Shizuka's page.

Staring at her photo and the content on the resume, Jiang Hang poured himself a glass of water and fell silent in front of the computer.

After a long moment, he suddenly cursed.

"Damn it, what's an inspirational youth anime doing crashing the Conan scene? Aren't you worried your own company might suddenly have a murder case...? Dog system, come out and explain what the hell this is. You said it was a Detective System—you're not suddenly going to rename it to the Legendary Animation Production System, are you?"

Another silence, and then the system replied.

"Please maintain respect for the system and refrain from crude language. This system has scanned this world. Detective is indeed the profession closest to the world's origin. Please trust this system's capabilities. However, due to a transmigration error, the host has landed in a blank world not recorded by the Space-Time Administration Bureau. Some deviations are normal." (Your anime stuff—how could this system possibly know it all so clearly? It was already hard enough for this system to detect Detective Conan. Don't ask this system about anything else!)

"So, this world still has Conan as the main plot, and Shirobako stuff is just side content? No wait, what other random crap is mixed into this world? System, explain it to me first so I can mentally prepare."

"Please explore on your own. This system is merely an auxiliary system, providing corresponding help on the host's path to becoming a legendary detec... detective. Beyond that, this system will not interfere with the host's life or choices." (Your anime stuff is too complicated. This system doesn't get it either. Do whatever you want and stop asking this system.)

Chapter 9: Koharu Yoshino Wants to Become Someone Special

Originally, he thought it was just an ordinary interview. But after learning this world might not be solely the world of Conan, Jiang Hang's mindset shifted subtly.

If this world also had more anime characters he knew from before his transmigration...

After all, when an anime character appears before you, and you can witness the development of their story firsthand—that feeling, he believed, few could resist.

Conan was naturally a classic anime, and some of its cases were even childhood nightmare material for Jiang Hang. But Conan had been serialized for over twenty years, and the main plot had only advanced about half a year in that time. Cases kept popping up constantly, making it hard to feel that satisfying sense of witnessing the story unfold.

Shirobako, on the other hand, was an anime that had been popular for a while back then. With its beautiful art style and being one of the rare industry pieces depicting animation production, Jiang Hang was quite familiar with it.

He hadn't thought in that direction at first, so he didn't recognize her immediately. But now that he remembered, he quickly retrieved all the relevant info about her from his memory.

Shirobako's story wasn't complicated—five girls who loved anime chasing their dreams. In the plot, each girl took a different path.

Sakaki Shizuka's dream was to become a voice actor. Her screen time wasn't much in the early part, and most of it was about failing auditions. Almost her entire arc in the anime was about constantly taking hits until the very end, when she finally debuted successfully. A bitter-sweet payoff, you could say.

"Hmm... This resume says she just graduated from a voice actor training school and hasn't signed with a formal agency yet. Looks like there's still a long way to go before the story starts..." Jiang Hang muttered to himself.

He remembered that when he was following the series back then, he'd posted comments like "Feeling sorry for the redhead." Who would've thought that a few years later, he'd be meeting her in person and even interviewing her?

That feeling was... quite... strange.

His head full of all kinds of thoughts, Jiang Hang finally managed to fall asleep with the help of the Meditation Method.

The next day, before the system's alarm even went off, he was already up.

He carefully checked his appearance in the bathroom mirror, then spent ages picking out what to wear for the afternoon interview.

He was busy all morning without a break. Jiang Hang felt like he wasn't the one doing the interviewing—he was the one being interviewed.

Finally, at the agreed time, Jiang Hang arrived early at the agency and waited patiently in a meeting room for the interviewees.

The first to arrive wasn't Sakaki Shizuka, but another girl named Koharu Yoshino.

When this girl walked into the meeting room looking nervous, Jiang Hang didn't pay much attention.

In truth, he'd already decided to hire Sakaki Shizuka as his assistant, but going through the motions was still necessary.

Besides, he remembered the line on this girl's resume: "I want to become someone special."

At first glance, her background had nothing special about it. An ordinary country girl got into an ordinary university in Tokyo, finished her ordinary studies, and then, like anyone else, wanted to find a job to stay in Tokyo.

If there was anything truly notable, it was probably that she'd been rejected by over twenty companies in a row. Of course, she hadn't written that on her resume—it was in the personal info the agency had provided.

Sure enough, probably due to the pressure from over twenty failed interviews, Koharu Yoshino seemed overly nervous when Jiang Hang questioned her.

She even almost stumbled over the most basic self-introduction.

Jiang Hang was a bit disappointed. Was this girl, who'd boldly written "I want to become someone special" on her resume, only this much?

"I saw you wrote on your resume that you want to become someone special... What kind of person do you think counts as 'someone special'?"

Jiang Hang asked this girl his final question.

He actually no longer held any expectations for this girl, but what he hadn't anticipated was that upon hearing Jiang Hang's question, she seemed to sink into a recollection of her own.

"It's a memory from my childhood... In some unknown palace hall, many of my people offered me their blessings, a sparkling crown placed upon my head—that feeling of happiness and joy... even now I can't tell if it was a dream or reality," the girl said in a blissful tone as she recounted her memory, as if she had completely forgotten this was still an interview.

Only after finishing her recollection did this girl named Koharu Yoshino notice the young interviewer sitting across from her staring back with an odd expression.

"???"

Oh no, she'd accidentally blurted out her inner thoughts again—this interviewer must think she's a weirdo now!

It's over, she'd blown this interview too!

Koharu Yoshino let out a silent wail in her heart.

This was already her thirtieth interview. Yesterday her family had called to say they wouldn't be sending her living expenses next month, and right now, including what was in her bank account, she had less than a thousand yen. If she couldn't find a job, forget about becoming someone special—she'd starve to death in this city first.

And if the girl's heart was a desolate wasteland, then Jiang Hang's was a raging storm at that moment.

When he first heard her recollection, he felt the words were strangely familiar, and by the time she finished, it finally clicked.

Koharu Yoshino—the name wasn't very distinctive; he'd almost missed it again. Wasn't she the protagonist of Sakura Quest, the youth anime about "working girls" that P.A. Works produced after Shirobako?

Compared to Shirobako, though, Sakura Quest had fallen far short in both reputation and popularity. Basically, once its broadcast period ended, hardly anyone talked about it anymore.

Jiang Hang had liked P.A. Works' art style and had followed Sakura Quest when it aired, but after a few years, he couldn't immediately recall the protagonist's name. Fortunately, her mention of the "king" memory jogged his memory.

Chapter 10: Secretary Koharu Is About to Become Assistant Koharu~

The plot of Sakura Quest wasn't complicated—a girl desperate to stay in Tokyo suddenly receives a commission, heads to a once-thriving but now-declining tourist town, becomes its "king" (promotional ambassador), and works to revive the local economy.

Jiang Hang remembered that when Sakura Quest was airing, a popular Chinese drama called In the Name of the People was also on TV. The meme about Secretary Dakang caring about GDP had spread, so Koharu Yoshino, who went to the countryside to boost the economy, earned the nickname "Secretary Koharu." Back then, the danmaku often floated lines like "Secretary Koharu, you need to think about our village's GDP!"

Looking back now, it was pretty amusing.

But memories aside, for Jiang Hang at this moment, this was undoubtedly a choice he'd never dared to imagine before.

After recalling Koharu Yoshino's identity, he used Eagle Eye to confirm it. As expected, from Eagle Eye's perspective, she too emitted a red glow, though compared to Conan's dense crimson, hers was much dimmer. He had no idea what the difference meant.

He was certain that if he didn't interfere with Koharu Yoshino's life, she would naturally follow the path of "Secretary Koharu" from the anime. But what would happen if he chose to hire her as his assistant here?

With that thought, Jiang Hang propped his chin on his hand and asked her a question.

"Miss Koharu Yoshino... do you know what position you're applying for?"

Koharu Yoshino, who had just assumed she was out of luck, latched onto Jiang Hang's words like a lifeline.

"I know—it's the assistant position at the Pathfinder Detective Agency. I, I, I usually enjoy reading detective mystery novels like Sherlock Holmes. I'm also very... interested in mystery. And being a detective is a very 'special' career for many people..."

Even Jiang Hang could tell at a glance she was lying. Koharu Yoshino probably only knew the name Sherlock Holmes. He was sure that if he casually asked her a couple of questions about Holmes, she'd slip up.

But he didn't. Instead, he chose to take her words at face value.

"Are you mentally prepared for this?"

"Mentally prepared...?" Koharu Yoshino froze, then quickly nodded vigorously. "I'll do whatever needs to be done!"

In a normal interview, saying "I'll do anything" was basically telling the interviewer "I can't do anything." That kind of suicidal statement would have doomed her if the interviewer weren't Jiang Hang.

"It's not about doing anything. Your job is simple. What I'm saying is, yesterday I helped the police solve a robbery case worth 600 million yen, and the three arrested suspects were from the Italian Mafia—they had real guns..."

Jiang Hang watched the girl across from him turn pale.

"And as a detective, I'll frequently deal with all kinds of murder cases. Getting close to crime scenes is normal. As my assistant, you'll follow me to face various murder scenes. Do you think you can handle it?"

The girl's face went completely white.

She'd never thought about this before. She'd just received the interview notice and came on a whim to try her luck. She never expected to hear this from Jiang Hang.

So this was a detective's life... How terrifying! Didn't most detectives just handle cases like finding lost cats and dogs or gathering evidence of cheating? Why was this guy talking about Mafia robberies and murder cases?!

"I... I'm fine. My adaptability... is actually pretty good. With a bit of effort, I'm sure... it'll be no problem."

Koharu Yoshino said this with complete uncertainty.

"Alright. Come to the agency tomorrow to sign the contract. One-month probation. I assume you know the agency's address. If there's no issue, you can head back now. If you can't handle it and want to quit, just let me know." Watching the nervous girl, Jiang Hang made his decision.

After all, the system had said yesterday he could do whatever he wanted. He'd have to reveal Conan's true identity to Ran sooner or later anyway, so rewriting another anime's plot from scratch wasn't that strange.

If Koharu Yoshino really couldn't handle the assistant job, he could always send her to that place instead.

As for Koharu Yoshino, she habitually assumed he meant she should go home and wait for results, so she stood up and replied, "Okay, I understand... Wait, I'm hired?"

Koharu Yoshino's eyes went wide. Since when did interviews get this easy? She'd been nervous the whole time, imagined a bunch of terrifying scenarios, and thought she'd failed—only to be hired on the spot?

She replayed Jiang Hang's words in her mind, confirming he'd said "sign the contract tomorrow," not "go home and wait for further notice."

Just like that, she'd inexplicably... found a job with a salary most people her age would envy?

"It's just a probation. If it doesn't work out, you can terminate at any time," Jiang Hang reminded her.

Even with the "probation" label, it was clear that Koharu Yoshino was still floating on air as she walked out of the meeting room.

Jiang Hang didn't mind. In a few days, he'd take her to a crime scene, and then she'd know whether she could handle it or not.

There were still a few more interviews to go. Aside from Shizuka Sakaki's, Jiang Hang decided to speed through the rest.

He'd let the candidates introduce themselves, ask a few routine questions for form's sake, and then jump straight into quizzing them on cases from mystery novels.

These candidates probably never imagined that applying for a front-desk assistant position at a detective agency would require expertise in detective mystery novel plots. After Jiang Hang casually threw out a few questions, one by one they faltered, eventually hanging their heads and trudging out of the meeting room in defeat.

Though it was a bit unfair to the other applicants, Jiang Hang had already gotten to know Koharu Yoshino and Shizuka Sakaki through the screen years ago.

Chapter 11: Feeling Like Life Has Reached Its Peak

When it was Shizuka Sakaki's turn, perhaps because the previous interviewees had all walked out looking dejected, even she, the last candidate, couldn't help but start worrying about the difficulty of this interview.

Shizuka Sakaki, twenty years old, had undergone voice actor training at a specialized school after graduating high school.

After two years, she had successfully graduated from the voice actor school, but unfortunately, she still hadn't signed with any agency.

On top of that, she had to attend a dedicated voice actor training institute every week, so she had no choice but to keep looking for a part-time job to make ends meet.

Originally, she had planned to work at an izakaya, but last night, the agency suddenly called to say that her resume had caught the interest of a certain detective agency, and they wanted her to come in for an interview today.

As a half-baked fan of crime dramas, Shizuka Sakaki was quite interested in the detective profession.

Thinking that working in the unique environment of a detective agency might allow her to see and learn a lot—perhaps even providing reference material for her future voice acting career—she decided to come for the interview.

But the previous interviewees didn't seem to have fared well. The first one, that pink-haired girl, had been so shaken that she could barely walk straight when she came out. The ones after her also wore expressions of disbelief and doubt about life itself. She had no idea what kind of questioning they had faced in the meeting room.

Seeing those aiming for full-time positions fall one after another, even she—who was just trying her luck for a part-time gig—couldn't help but feel a bit nervous.

"Relax... relax, it's just a simple interview, nothing to be afraid of... Just think of it as an audition..." Shizuka Sakaki comforted herself inwardly.

But after imagining the scene as an audition, her anxiety only grew worse.

She had just participated in an audition not long ago, and the result was that she had been utterly crushed by a group of professional voice actors, leaving not even a scrap of her confidence. On top of that, her excessive nervousness had made her nothing more than cannon fodder.

Entering the meeting room, the interviewer was an exceptionally young man.

So young—he looks about my age. To have opened a detective agency in Tokyo at this age, he must be a very capable person.

And his gaze is so sharp, it feels like being stared down by an eagle... Just feeling Jiang Hang's eyes on her made Shizuka Sakaki fidget in her seat.