The Everyday Life of a Salted Fish Assassin in Various Anime - Chapter 45

Aside from the last one, Jiang Hang felt there wasn't much else to comment on.

It seemed Conan hadn't unleashed his full power today, which allowed him to relax a little.

His gaze fell upon a handsome male actor performing a scene with Yoko Okino not far away. He turned to Conan and asked, "Do you know that actor?"

Conan followed Jiang Hang's gaze, then clicked his tongue. "Him? That's Nachi Shingo. He's become popular these past couple of years, but he's also a narcissist. Sonoko, that fangirl, always talks about him until my ears are practically falling off... Did you notice something about him?"

"He doesn't seem to be a major problem. If I'm not mistaken, someone is planning to blackmail him with some photos," Jiang Hang's gaze shifted to another man not far away, who was in charge of filming and had a rather shifty look. He pointed to Conan, "It's that guy in the red hat."

"Blackmail?" Conan was a little surprised.

"It's probably about someone taking pictures of him meeting someone else or having an affair. Nothing new in the entertainment industry. Then, to avoid problems with his image and reputation, the star will likely pay a large sum of money to buy those photos," Jiang Hang looked at Conan. "I'm not interested in this kind of thing, are you?"

Conan quickly shook his head. He already didn't have a good impression of Nachi Shingo, and now knowing the other party might be caught for cheating and blackmailed, he naturally had even less interest. "To think Sonoko fangirls over him so much. She really should know about this."

Neither Conan nor Jiang Hang were interested in celebrity gossip like this.

Since this area didn't seem like a place where a murder would occur, Jiang Hang shifted his attention to the filming of the crew.

He had to admit, occasionally watching actors mess up takes for various reasons was quite entertaining. Before he knew it, dusk had arrived.

With Yoko Okino delivering a brilliant performance, the final scene at the shrine was successfully completed.

While Kogoro Mouri was still diligently handing Yoko Okino a towel, the crew began packing up and cleaning the filming location.

Jiang Hang was about to leave, but the crew's director insisted he join them for a meal. Seeing the director's enthusiasm, Jiang Hang eventually agreed.

Chapter 109: Chapter 108: Has Conan Evolved?

It took quite some time for the crew to clean up the "bloodstains" left at the scene.

While the crew was cleaning up, the cameraman in the red hat stealthily said a few words to Nachi Shingo. Jiang Hang then saw a flicker of shock cross the popular star's face before he was called away by the man in the red hat into a nearby grove for a talk.

As for Conan, he was acting all high and mighty, saying he wasn't interested in celebrity gossip, but his actions spoke louder. With a little effort, he found out who the cameraman in the red hat was.

"That cameraman's name is Anzai Morio. He used to be a thug, but then he got into the crew through connections. He usually speaks very rudely and is unpleasant. I heard the entire crew has a lot of complaints about him, and the director is already planning to fire him," Conan shared the information he had just gathered with Jiang Hang.

He pointed to a couple who looked like crew members not far away and told Jiang Hang, "That couple from the crew is getting married next month. Everyone was happy, but then Anzai Morio came along and made some sarcastic remarks. The guy almost got into a fight with him on the spot, but they managed to stop him."

Jiang Hang looked at the couple Conan pointed out. The man's face still held a hint of indignation, indicating that Anzai Morio had indeed said something he shouldn't have.

It was truly a miracle that someone so arrogant on Conan's set was still alive.

Thinking this, Jiang Hang scanned the grove with his Eagle Vision.

He had been a little worried that these two might not agree on a price and start fighting.

If Anzai Morio had continued to make sarcastic remarks to the rising star, it might have led to bloodshed on the spot.

However, when Nachi Shingo saw the photos of his affair, his face immediately turned panicked, and he unhesitatingly agreed to the blackmail.

Jiang Hang didn't know how much Nachi Shingo was blackmailed for, but judging by his appearance as he walked out of the grove, it was definitely not a small sum.

Could it be that he was blackmailed for a large amount of money and wanted to get rid of Anzai Morio?

Jiang Hang speculated this in his mind, but the pretty boy didn't seem like the type to do such a thing.

Since nothing had happened, after the crew finished cleaning up the scene, Jiang Hang joined the main group of the crew to head to the dinner location.

At a hotel not far from Beika Shrine, the crew members, having finished their day's work, had booked the entire hotel for a gathering.

There wasn't much to say about this kind of gathering – just unlimited beer, plenty of grilled meat, and a group of subordinates circling the big bosses with drinks, toasting them in turn.

With the director's deliberate flattery, Kogoro Mouri became the star of the gathering. He was now happily raising his glass and drinking with the crew members, looking particularly pleased with himself.

In fact, Director Gondō Taketoshi actually wanted to curry favor with Jiang Hang, the hidden big shot. However, Jiang Hang wasn't accustomed to such boisterous environments, so he had sat in a corner of the room from the beginning, drinking juice and eating grilled meat with the underage Ran Mori and Imai Midori.

Jiang Hang's action clearly indicated his desire to keep a low profile. As a director who had been in the entertainment industry for over 50 years, Gondō Taketoshi was a shrewd individual. Guessing Jiang Hang's intentions, he decisively drew the attention of the other crew members towards Kogoro Mouri.

He planned to take advantage of the moment when everyone was drinking with Kogoro Mouri to discreetly chat with Jiang Hang and leave a good impression.

Meanwhile, Jiang Hang was listening to Imai Midori talk about some scriptwriting knowledge she had learned from a professional screenwriter that afternoon, while also observing the situation in the room.

Anzai Morio, after extorting a large sum of money in the evening, seemed to be in a good mood. However, what caught Jiang Hang's attention was that after drinking a little, he returned to his room without eating much.

During the gathering, people often left for various reasons, and the atmosphere was lively, so no one paid much attention to an unpleasant person leaving.

Conan then nudged Jiang Hang with his elbow and whispered to him, "That guy left. That's not what someone who just made a lot of money should be doing. I think something's not right."

If Conan hadn't known about the blackmail from Jiang Hang, he wouldn't have paid attention to this. But now that he knew and confirmed it through Jiang Hang, he found it suspicious.

"You want to go monitor him?" Jiang Hang was curious about what Conan was planning to do.

"I'm already monitoring him," Conan pointed to his high-tech glasses. "When I saw him leave just now, I felt something was off, so I pretended to go to the restroom and planted a listening device on him."

Jiang Hang was astonished by Conan's words.

He hadn't expected Conan to have grown this much after being outsmarted by him a few times. Jiang Hang had only expressed a slight suspicion, and Conan had already managed to plant a listening device on the guy, as if he were certain Anzai Morio was going to cause trouble.

If Conan continued to grow like this, how would he be able to show off in front of Conan in the future?

However, at this moment, a woman's departure caught Jiang Hang's attention.

Jiang Hang's heart stirred, and he asked Conan beside him, "Conan, you mentioned this afternoon that a couple was mocked by that Anzai Morio. Was the woman who just walked out one of that couple?"

"Are you talking about Ms. Mamegaki Taeko? She has a good personality. This afternoon, when her boyfriend Mr. Shimasaki heard that guy's mockery, it was Ms. Mamegaki Taeko and the director who stopped him..." Conan was focused on Anzai Morio at the moment, so he only nodded at Jiang Hang's words. "Huh? Anzai Morio is also leaving the hotel now. Should we follow him to see where he's going?"

Hearing Conan's explanation, Jiang Hang had a pretty good idea.

Although Conan had evolved, he was still a tiny bit short of reaching his full potential.

He nodded at Conan, then said to Kogoro Mouri beside him, "Take Conan out to buy some things," before leaving the hotel with Conan.

Chapter 111: Chapter 110: I Kicked You Away to Save You

Conan was monitoring Anzai Morio's movements with a bug, while Jiang Hang had Eagle Vision, so nothing could escape his eyes.

The two of them were now walking near the shrine again.

This was also the first time Conan saw how Jiang Hang tracked people.

Even though Jiang Hang was right beside him, as long as he didn't look at Jiang Hang, he wouldn't notice that there was someone next to him at all.

Walking on a path without streetlights or other pedestrians, even though he knew someone was beside him, he could only hear his own footsteps. Conan even felt like he had walked onto the set of a supernatural film.

After a while, Conan finally felt that the atmosphere was too bizarre. Seeing that there was no one around, he broke the silence directly: "Who do you think Anzai Morio is going to meet at the shrine? I think it might be Nachi Shingo."

Conan began to explain his understanding to Jiang Hang: "Nachi Shingo was probably extorted a large sum of money by Anzai Morio during the day, and they agreed to a transaction at this time tonight. The reason Nachi Shingo didn't come to the hotel with us is likely because he went to raise the money."

Jiang Hang listened to Conan's explanation and then directly asked him, "Then what do you think we're doing out here now?"

Conan was stunned: "Aren't we out here to collect evidence of Anzai Morio's crimes? He must have extorted people many times over the years. As long as we can collect the corresponding evidence and find witnesses willing to testify, we can send him to prison."

In response to Conan's words, Jiang Hang directly rebutted: "Whether Nachi Shingo went to raise money or not, I don't know. But I do know that Anzai Morio is likely pushing Miss Mamegaki Taeko to the brink."

"Miss Mamegaki Taeko?" Conan's eyes widened slightly, seemingly surprised that Jiang Hang brought her up again. "Did you notice something?"

"Miss Mamegaki Taeko's expression was already very strange during the dinner party, and I noticed that guy Anzai Morio gave her a threatening look before leaving the dining room..." Jiang Hang explained in a low voice to Conan. "Coupled with what you just said, Anzai Morio inexplicably mocked Mamegaki Taeko and her boyfriend, and Mamegaki Taeko stopped her boyfriend from arguing with Anzai Morio at the time. I suspect that Miss Mamegaki Taeko might also have something on Anzai Morio."

Speaking of this, seeing Conan's incredulous face, Jiang Hang added: "Moreover, this afternoon, when I was at the film crew's set and saw the props team organizing the props, I saw her secretly put the spring-loaded knife used by the crew into her pocket. When she left, the knife was still on her."

"Are you saying that Miss Mamegaki Taeko wants to kill Anzai Morio?"

Jiang Hang shook his head again: "I don't know what she's thinking, but I don't know if you remember, when they were filming, Yoko Okino used two different prop knives. One was a real knife for more realistic close-ups, and the other was a fake knife that automatically retracted after stabbing someone."

"Perhaps Mamegaki Taeko really intended to kill Anzai Morio and took the real knife, or perhaps she just wanted to scare him with the fake knife, or there might be other circumstances. But no matter what, we have to prevent the worst from happening," Jiang Hang paused. "Mamegaki Taeko kills Anzai Morio, or Anzai Morio snatches Mamegaki Taeko's knife and kills her."

After hearing Jiang Hang's words, Conan's mouth was slightly agape. Although he had found it incredible just moments ago, he was now convinced by Jiang Hang's explanation.

"This is all stuff you observed on the film set. What kind of eyes do you have? Why didn't I notice these things when I was right beside you?"

He asked Jiang Hang blankly.

"Now is not the time to dwell on this. Use your bug to listen carefully to what's happening over there," Jiang Hang interrupted Conan and urged him to listen clearly to the situation on the bug, because in his Eagle Vision, Mamegaki Taeko had already arrived at the shrine to meet Anzai Morio.

Soon, Anzai Morio's voice came from the bug.

"You're a bit late, Mamegaki. Did you bring the money I asked for?"

Conan listened carefully to the voice, while Jiang Hang, carrying Conan, quietly approached the location where Anzai Morio and Mamegaki Taeko were talking. If anything happened, he could stop it immediately.

At this moment, Mamegaki Taeko also took out the spring-loaded knife she had taken from the crew and pointed it at Anzai Morio.

"I've thought it all through. Ever since that incident, you've been extorting me. I can't let this happen again. You... you should never appear before me again!" Mamegaki Taeko held the spring-loaded knife, but her tone was somewhat weak and lacked assertiveness.

Upon hearing about Mamegaki Taeko's situation, Anzai Morio couldn't help but show a mocking expression: "And then? You think I'll be scared just because you have a knife in your hand?"

"I'm telling you, if you don't give me the money today, I'll tell your fiancé tomorrow about the crimes you committed back then!"

After saying this, he took advantage of Mamegaki Taeko's momentary distraction and lunged at her, seemingly trying to snatch the knife from her hand!

Just as a look of panic appeared on Mamegaki Taeko's face, unsure of what to do—

Jiang Hang suddenly appeared from the darkness, rushed in front of the two with astonishing speed, and then delivered a justice-filled flying kick to Anzai Morio's shoulder!

His flying kick sent Anzai Morio tumbling several times on the ground before he stopped.

After Jiang Hang finished, Mamegaki Taeko had still not recovered from her panic.

She only felt a sudden lightness in her hand. For some reason, the spring-loaded knife she was tightly gripping was now in Jiang Hang's hand.

At the same time, Jiang Hang was muttering softly, "Although it's my first time using the Rider Kick, the movements should be fine..."

After muttering, Jiang Hang then looked at Anzai Morio, who was lying on the ground clutching his shoulder and groaning.

It shouldn't be a fracture, at most a hairline fracture or a dislocation.

His control over his strength was still very precise this time.

"I'm sorry, I saw you charge directly at the knife and was worried you were in danger. I had no choice but to do this to save you. Mr. Anzai, you won't blame me, will you?"

Chapter 112: Chapter 111: Stopping the Tragedy

After Jiang Hang kicked Anzai Morio away with a flying kick, Conan also ran out.

When he saw Mamegaki Taeko take out the spring-loaded knife, he almost couldn't resist using a tranquilizer dart on her.

However, Anzai Morio's sudden move to grab the knife also startled him. Fortunately, Jiang Hang intervened in time.

Conan looked at Anzai Morio, who was slumped on the ground. Seeing him groaning with his eyes open and closed, he would probably be lying on the ground for a while longer.

So Conan's gaze shifted to Mamegaki Taeko.

"Miss Mamegaki... do you have something important that Anzai Morio is holding over you?" Conan's gaze was somewhat complicated. He had already confirmed that the spring-loaded knife in Jiang Hang's hand was real.

Perhaps Mamegaki Taeko just wanted to scare him with it, but it was also possible that she came with the intention of killing Anzai Morio.

Upon hearing Conan's question, Mamegaki Taeko seemed to recall the secrets she had hidden over the years. She couldn't help but cover her face with her hand and then knelt directly on the ground, letting out a sob.

At that exact moment, Anzai Morio's continuous screams finally attracted other passersby.

As the person approached, Jiang Hang recognized him.

It was Shimasaki Yūji, a set crew member for the film, and also Mamegaki Taeko's fiancé.

According to Conan, the two were supposed to get married next month.

When he saw his fiancée sobbing on the ground and Anzai Morio groaning on the floor, he quickly rushed to Mamegaki Taeko's side.

"Taeko, what happened?" he asked, crouching down anxiously.

At the same time, he looked at Jiang Hang and Conan, wanting to understand what exactly had occurred here.

"Mr. Jiang Hang, what's wrong with Taeko? I saw she wasn't feeling well tonight, so I came to see what was going on."

Jiang Hang shrugged, "We were out shopping and passed by when we saw Miss Mamegaki and Anzai Morio arguing. I saw both of them drew knives, and worried they might be in danger, so I kicked him. As for what happened, it's probably because Miss Mamegaki was being extorted by him."

"Extorted?" Shimasaki Yūji looked at his fiancée in surprise, then glared fiercely at Anzai Morio, who was lying on the ground. "Hey, Anzai, you bastard, what did you do to Taeko!"

Judging by his current demeanor, he seemed ready to give Anzai Morio a few more kicks to feel satisfied.

However, just as he stood up, Mamegaki Taeko pulled him back.

Perhaps because her boyfriend was by her side, her mental state had improved considerably.

Under the watchful eyes of her boyfriend and Jiang Hang, she slowly began to recount her story.

Mamegaki Taeko's grandfather was a priest at Beika Shrine. Ten years ago, she and Anzai Morio were high school classmates.

However, because Mamegaki Taeko's parents died in an accident during her high school years, and her grandfather was old and had to manage the shrine, she fell into a rebellious phase and started hanging out with a group of bad influences, which included Anzai Morio.

At that time, a case of stolen valuable ritual items occurred at Beika Shrine, and the police still haven't identified the culprit.