The Daily Life of a Salted Fish Assassin in Various Anime Chapter 6

"Actually, Negishi and I have been friends since our university days. We've kept in touch for these past twenty years, but just a few days ago, when I met up with him for a gathering, he told me with a wary look, 'I'm afraid someone's got their eyes on me. I might not even keep my life much longer.' At first I thought he was joking, but his expression didn't look like a joke."

Abe Yutaka recounted this on one side, while behind Jiang Hang, the two women Shizuka Sakaki and Koharu Yoshino were startled by what the middle-aged man said. They'd thought it was just an ordinary tailing job—who knew there was such a twist in it? The world of big-shot detectives really wasn't something to mess with.

"Got their eyes on you?" Jiang Hang frowned, then pressed further. "Did he tell you who was targeting him?"

"Unfortunately, no matter how much I pressed him afterward, he refused to tell me. I'm very worried about his situation now, but I have to go on a business trip with my company's employees tomorrow morning and won't be back for three days. So I'd like you to tail him over the next few days and see if you can dig anything up. I think that shouldn't be a problem, Detective Jiang Hang?"

After hearing the other party's description, Jiang Hang had a rough idea of what was going on.

Since Abe Yutaka wanted to use him to establish an alibi, did that mean this man named Negishi Masaki would be found dead within these three days?

Leaving aside why he would want to kill a friend of twenty years, just what method was he planning to use to kill Negishi Masaki while he was away on his business trip?

Was it hiring a killer, or did he have some special means prepared?

Jiang Hang pondered for a while but couldn't figure out what Abe Yutaka was planning. Still, since this case had landed in his hands, he naturally wasn't going to let the reputation slip away from him.

"Of course there's no problem. That's our duty as detectives."

He directly accepted Abe Yutaka's commission, and the other party was quite generous—just the advance payment alone was 200,000 yen.

"Then, starting tomorrow, my friend's safety is in your hands, Detective Jiang Hang. Please make sure to investigate his movements over the next three days. If anything comes up, just contact me by phone." Bowing deeply to Jiang Hang, Abe Yutaka turned and left the office.

After seeing him off, Shizuka Sakaki came back and handed Jiang Hang the notes she'd just taken.

They briefly recorded the conversation from earlier—it seemed Shizuka Sakaki was doing a good job as the front desk assistant.

"Jiang Hang-kun, this looks like a dangerous case. When you tail that Mr. Negishi Masaki, you need to be extra careful yourself."

Koharu Yoshino nodded in agreement with Shizuka Sakaki's words. If something happened to Jiang Hang, she'd have to find a new job, and she didn't want to go through that interview nightmare again.

"But Mr. Abe Yutaka really does care about his friend. He's about to leave on a trip, yet he still remembered to come find a detective."

Listening to the two women, Jiang Hang opened Eagle Eye to mark Abe Yutaka, who had just left the office, while pouring himself a glass of water.

"Don't you two think it's strange?"

"?"

Neither woman understood what Jiang Hang meant.

"Did you find something, Jiang Hang-kun?" Shizuka Sakaki recalled the conversation with Abe Yutaka—nothing seemed off, did it? Had Jiang Hang spotted a clue in that short meeting?

"This Mr. Negishi Masaki said someone was targeting him, even to the point of threatening his life... In a situation like that, wouldn't an ordinary person's first thought be to call the police? Why come to a detective," Jiang Hang pointed at himself, "a rookie detective who's only been open for three days?"

As Jiang Hang said this, Koharu Yoshino also noticed the point and found it a bit odd.

"Maybe Mr. Negishi Masaki has some issue that makes him afraid or unable to seek help from the police? For example, maybe he's actually a yakuza boss with a lot of grudges, and now his enemies have come knocking?" After thinking for a moment, she said this to Jiang Hang.

It was a normal thought for her to have—after all, with Negishi Masaki's looks, he did have a bit of a yakuza boss vibe. At least the gang leaders on TV were usually played by actors who looked like that.

"That's possible. Too bad the office just opened and doesn't have a reliable information network or informants. Otherwise, looking into Negishi Masaki's background might give us the answer." Jiang Hang casually tossed out this remark.

He looked back at the two women. This case was almost certainly a carefully planned murder, but since he was about to tail Abe Yutaka and might run into real danger, it was better not to take them along.

"I'm heading out now. I'll leave the office to you two. If I don't come back tonight, just lock up when you clock out."

With that, Jiang Hang changed clothes in his room. Under the effect of the Novice Disguise skill, he made some simple alterations.

When Jiang Hang reappeared before the two women and asked in a deliberately altered voice, "How is it?" both of them showed surprise.

"Amazing. Just changing your outfit makes you feel like a different person, Jiang Hang-kun. If you stood next to your original self, you wouldn't notice they're the same person at a glance," Koharu Yoshino said in admiration.

Shizuka Sakaki, meanwhile, focused on Jiang Hang's voice.

Although the changed voice wasn't particularly distinctive, it wasn't a forced low tone either—he had shifted his voice into a different style entirely. As someone aiming to become a voice actress, she could naturally tell the difference.

No wonder Jiang Hang-kun had asked her yesterday if voice actors could freely change their vocal tones. She hadn't expected him to have some knowledge in this area too...

Maybe if there was a chance later, she could discuss techniques with Jiang Hang-kun.

Chapter 15: Tailing

Tailing someone without being detected isn't something just anyone can do, but for Jiang Hang, this kind of work was far too simple.

Combining the three assassin skills—Assassin's Footwork, Novice Disguise, and Eagle Eye lock-on—basically eliminated the possibility of being discovered by the target.

No matter how alert you are, if I'm tailing you from a building away and you still spot me, that's practically a battle between superhumans.

Clearly, Abe Yutaka wasn't a superhuman. He also never expected that the detective he'd just hired to tail someone else would turn around and tail him.

He had basic vigilance, but against Jiang Hang, who could track him from two streets away, that vigilance was far from enough.

The other party's residence wasn't too far from Jiang Hang's office—about half an hour's walk.

That was only natural. It would be strange if someone traveled all the way across the city to a small detective agency.

After confirming that Abe Yutaka had entered his home, Jiang Hang noticed it was almost dinner time. He found a nearby restaurant, ordered a meal, and ate while periodically checking the target's movements with Eagle Eye.

But until eight in the evening, Abe Yutaka didn't make a move. Just as Jiang Hang was about to get closer to his location, Koharu Yoshino sent him a message.

Jiang Hang opened the email and found it was some basic information about Negishi Masaki.

He called Koharu Yoshino and discovered that after he left, she had been trying to investigate the other party. He didn't know how she'd done it, but she'd actually managed to figure out his identity.

Though it was just basic intel—recording Negishi Masaki's occupation, age, and family background—and didn't seem directly tied to the case, it was clear that Koharu Yoshino had put a lot of effort into organizing it.

And it also showed that Koharu Yoshino might actually have some talent in this area. By snatching her away, on the very first day, she'd already given him a pleasant surprise.

Maybe in the future, she really could become a decent assistant.

Jiang Hang thought this as he earnestly expressed his gratitude and appreciation to Koharu Yoshino. Upon learning that she and Shizuka Sakaki had been at the office searching through records and hadn't even left work yet, Jiang Hang generously promised that once this case was over, he would properly reward them.

When nine o'clock rolled around, Jiang Hang saw Abe Yutaka head out again. But what caught his attention was that the man chose to drive—a move that made Jiang Hang's mouth twitch.

A miscalculation. He hadn't gotten a driver's license since arriving in Japan, let alone bought a car, and he hadn't expected the other party to drive off.

He'd have to get a license and buy a car as soon as possible.

With that thought in mind, Jiang Hang wanted to hail a taxi like they did in TV dramas to tail Abe Yutaka. But reality wasn't a drama—just because someone drove off didn't mean a taxi would conveniently pull up for you to chase them.

In reality, Jiang Hang stood by the roadside for nearly a minute before a taxi finally arrived.

Can't trust those drama experiences.

Muttering this to himself, Jiang Hang quickly got into the car.

Fortunately, Abe Yutaka hadn't yet left the range of Eagle Eye's detection. Pretending to look at his phone, Jiang Hang told the driver the man's current location.

After reaching that spot, he promptly gave the driver Abe Yutaka's next position.

As it turned out, the exploration tasks Jiang Hang had been doing daily for the past week were paying off—at the very least, he'd memorized the place names around this area, so he wouldn't be unable to say which street the man had gone to.

Though the driver looked a bit puzzled, once Jiang Hang identified himself as a detective and handed over a business card from the office, the taxi driver stopped asking questions about where Jiang Hang wanted to go.

After all, no matter where Jiang Hang went, he'd pay by distance—the driver was happy to have him ride around for extra laps.

After about twenty minutes of driving, they were still within the city limits, but this was clearly a remote industrial zone rather than a residential area. At least, Jiang Hang's exploration hadn't reached this vicinity yet.

Sensing through Eagle Eye that the target had stopped the car, Jiang Hang chose to pull over on a street a few hundred meters away.

But just to be safe, Jiang Hang paid the driver extra, effectively chartering him for the night.

If Abe Yutaka was only stopping here temporarily and the taxi drove off, finding another cab this late in such a remote place wouldn't be easy.

The taxi driver was very polite. After pocketing what amounted to a full day's earnings, he immediately patted his chest and said Jiang Hang could just call him directly if he needed anything else.

Jiang Hang carefully noted the driver's contact information. Networks like these were built bit by bit—maybe one day he'd have reason to call this driver again, or perhaps the driver might run into trouble and come to his office for help.

Getting out of the car, Jiang Hang moved silently through the darkness toward Abe Yutaka's location.

This was an industrial area, and Abe Yutaka was currently in an empty warehouse doing who knows what.

Jiang Hang found a suitable spot to monitor the man's movements.

His Eagle Eye could still only be used intermittently, but after his physical enhancement, the cooldown had shortened considerably. Using it for just two or three seconds at a time, then resting for a minute, no longer put too much strain on his eyes.

For now, the warehouse held only the man himself. But from Jiang Hang's fragmented glimpses, it seemed Abe Yutaka was waiting for someone. He even made a phone call in the middle of it, though who he was calling was unclear.

Jiang Hang guessed it might be Negishi Masaki. Was the man planning to kill him in this warehouse tonight?

But then Jiang Hang felt confused—if he killed Negishi Masaki here, who was he supposed to tail for the next three days?

What method was Abe Yutaka planning to use to create an alibi with Jiang Hang's help?

Jiang Hang knew his own role well—an assassin wearing the title of detective.

He'd read plenty of mystery novels these past days, but that hadn't done much for his deductive skills. What he could do was use the assassin's tools the system gave him to uncover the truth, but he could never become a detective like Shinichi Kudo, who solved crimes purely with his brain.

Time passed slowly. About ten minutes later, another car pulled up not far away, and Jiang Hang's spirits lifted—it seemed the person Abe Yutaka was waiting for had arrived.

Chapter 16: Perfectly Fulfilling the Client's Request

Confirmed through Eagle Eye, the newcomer was indeed Negishi Masaki, the man Abe Yutaka had hired Jiang Hang to tail for the next three days.

Judging by his expression, he didn't seem suspicious about why his friend had called him out so late—clearly, this was something that happened often.

Jiang Hang had no evidence yet that Abe Yutaka harbored murderous intent, so he didn't reveal himself. He continued waiting, planning to step in and save Negishi Masaki's life the moment Abe Yutaka made his move.

After Negishi Masaki arrived, Jiang Hang used Eagle Eye much more frequently. It put considerable strain on his eyes, but to ensure Negishi Masaki's safety, he had to push himself a little.

However, Abe Yutaka's patience clearly wasn't that great. After leading his friend into the warehouse, he simply checked that no one was around, then quietly pulled out an iron rod and brought it down hard on Negishi Masaki's head.

"Detected a murder incident occurring near the host. Please proceed to the scene immediately to prevent the incident. Successfully stopping this incident will grant corresponding system rewards." The system's prompt rang out at that moment.

The moment he saw Abe Yutaka pull out the iron rod, Jiang Hang had already dialed Inspector Megure's number. In the fastest possible time, he relayed the location of this murder—which he'd gotten from the taxi driver—and then charged into the warehouse.

By then, Abe Yutaka had produced a can of gasoline from somewhere and was pouring it over the unconscious Negishi Masaki—he was planning to burn him alive!

Hearing the sound at the warehouse entrance, his heart jolted. Forgetting the gasoline still in his hand, he quickly grabbed the iron rod, the murder weapon lying nearby.

He hadn't expected this. Abe Yutaka, who had just steeled himself to knock out his longtime friend, was also stunned. His months-long murder plan had been stumbled upon just like that.

He'd been about to proceed to the next step, but now that he'd been discovered, malice surged in his heart again.

The intruder had now come before him. Seeing the scene on the ground, the man seemed frozen in shock, standing there "dumbfounded."

In the dim light, he didn't immediately recognize the man as the detective he'd hired that afternoon. He assumed it was just a passerby who happened to hear the noise.

Gripping the iron rod tightly, facing an unarmed stranger, he decided to go all the way—he'd take care of this guy too. As for the alibi, he could figure that out after dealing with the current problem.

"Ha... ha..." Having just struck down his longtime friend and now about to take out another person, Abe Yutaka's eyes turned savage. Breathing heavily, he swung the iron rod toward the head of the "terrified" passerby!—

But the next moment, before the rod could land, he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his abdomen.

Then, his body uncontrollably flew backward!

Only then did he realize the other man had kicked him squarely in the stomach.

Abe Yutaka was sent tumbling across the ground in a miserable roll from that kick, pain forcing tears to well up in his eyes.

"Ugh..." He curled up on the ground, back aching, the iron rod in his hand flung somewhere unknown.

Not far away, watching Abe Yutaka, who had completely lost his combat capability, Jiang Hang was quite satisfied with his own performance.

The Novice Combat Skill he had earned last night in the training space, after being brutalized by the system-simulated Ezio all night long, had proven somewhat useful.

It was all instinct honed from getting beaten black and blue by that opponent—when he saw Abe Yutaka still trying to attack him, he had subconsciously kicked out just now.

From the look of it, the result was pretty good.

Still, he didn't let his guard down. After flipping Abe Yutaka, who was curled up on the ground, into a one-handed restraint, Jiang Hang also confirmed Negishi Masaki's condition.

Thankfully, though his head had taken a heavy blow from the iron rod, he was still breathing—probably still savable.

Jiang Hang made another call to the taxi driver waiting on the street outside, telling him to wait for the police who would arrive shortly, and also to call an ambulance.

After doing all this, Jiang Hang felt that Abe Yutaka, whom he had pinned down, was starting to get restless again.

Jiang Hang applied a bit of force to the other man's joint without hesitation, and only when the man couldn't help but beg for mercy did he finally settle down.

"You... you... just who are you?"

Until he was humiliatingly restrained, and judging by the other's tone, it seemed he had already been on this person's radar for a while.

Abe Yutaka still couldn't figure out how his meticulously planned murder scheme had been exposed before it even got started, and who this sudden young man was.

"Just an ordinary detective, Mr. Abe. No need to dwell on it. After all, as a detective, it's enough to properly complete the client's commission. What do you think, Mr. Abe?"

Jiang Hang had already reverted his voice to normal, and upon hearing the word "detective," Abe Yutaka's expression changed sharply.

Jiang Hang had made it so obvious—how could he not recognize Jiang Hang's identity now?

"It's... you!?"