"In fact, Masaki and I had been good friends since our college days. We'd kept in touch for the past twenty years, but a few days ago, when I met up with Masaki, he told me with a wary look, 'I think someone's watching me. I might not even be able to keep my life much longer.' At first, I thought he was joking, but his expression didn't look like a joke at all."
Abe Yutaka recounted this from the side. Behind Jiang Hang, both Shizuka Sakaki and Koharu Yoshino were frightened by what the middle-aged man had said. They had thought this was merely an ordinary surveillance job. Who would have expected such twists? The world of master detectives really wasn't something to be trifled with.
"Someone's watching him?" Jiang Hang frowned and continued asking, "Didn't he tell you who was watching him?"
"Unfortunately, no matter how I pressed him afterward, he refused to tell me. I'm very worried about him, but tomorrow morning, I have to leave on a business trip with my company's employees. I won't be back for three days, so I hope you can keep an eye on him over the next few days and see if you can find anything. That shouldn't be a problem, should it, Detective Jiang Hang?"
After hearing the man's account, Jiang Hang had roughly grasped the situation.
Since Abe Yutaka wanted to use him to establish an alibi, did that mean this man named Negishi Masaki would be found dead within those three days?
Leaving aside why he wanted to kill a friend he had known for twenty years, how was he planning to kill Negishi Masaki while he was supposedly away on his business trip?
Would he hire a killer, or had he prepared some special method?
Jiang Hang considered it for a while but could not figure out what Abe Yutaka intended to do. However, since this case had landed in his hands, he naturally would not watch reputation slip away from him.
"Of course there's no problem. It's our duty as detectives."
He directly accepted Abe Yutaka's commission. The man was also quite generous; the advance deposit alone was 200,000 yen.
"Then from tomorrow onward, my friend's safety will be in your hands, Detective Jiang Hang. Please make sure to investigate my friend's movements over the next three days. If anything happens, just call me directly." Abe Yutaka gave Jiang Hang a deep bow, then turned and left the office.
After seeing him out, Shizuka Sakaki returned and handed Jiang Hang the notes she had just taken.
They contained a simple record of their conversation. It seemed that Shizuka Sakaki was indeed doing a fine job as a receptionist assistant.
"Jiang Hang, this looks like a very dangerous case. When you're following Mr. Negishi Masaki, you have to be extra careful too."
Koharu Yoshino nodded in agreement with Shizuka Sakaki. If anything happened to Jiang Hang, she would have to look for work all over again. She did not want to experience that nightmare of job interviews another time.
"Still, Mr. Abe Yutaka really values this friend of his. Even when he's about to leave town, he doesn't forget to hire a detective."
As he listened to the two girls, Jiang Hang activated Eagle Eye and marked Abe Yutaka, who had just left the office, while pouring himself a glass of water.
"Don't you think that's strange?"
"?"
Neither girl understood what Jiang Hang meant.
"Did you notice something, Jiang Hang?" Shizuka Sakaki recalled the conversation with Abe Yutaka. Nothing seemed particularly strange. Had Jiang Hang already found a clue during that brief discussion?
"Mr. Negishi Masaki said someone was watching him, and that his life might even be in danger... At a time like that, shouldn't an ordinary person first think of telling him to call the police? Why hire a detective instead?" Jiang Hang pointed at himself. "A rookie detective whose office only opened three days ago."
After Jiang Hang said that, Koharu Yoshino noticed the issue as well and immediately found it rather strange.
"Maybe there's something wrong with Negishi Masaki himself, so he doesn't dare—or can't—ask the police for help? For example, perhaps he's actually a Mafia boss, with all kinds of messy grudges attached to him, and now one of his enemies has come for him?" After thinking for a while, she gave Jiang Hang her speculation.
It was normal for her to think that way. Given Negishi Masaki's appearance, he really did look a little like a Mafia boss. At the very least, television shows usually chose actors who looked like that to play Mafia leaders.
"That's certainly possible. Unfortunately, the office only just opened, so we don't have a reliable intelligence network or informants. Otherwise, investigating Negishi Masaki might reveal something." Jiang Hang casually made that remark.
He looked at the two girls again. This was almost certainly a carefully planned murder case, but he was going to follow Abe Yutaka now. There was a chance he might really encounter danger, so he had better not take them with him.
"I'm heading out for a while. I'll leave the office to you two. If I'm not back tonight, just lock up when you leave work."
With that, Jiang Hang changed into another outfit in his room. Under the effect of Novice Disguise, he made a few simple alterations to his appearance.
When Jiang Hang reappeared before the two girls and asked, "What do you think?" in a deliberately disguised voice, both of them expressed surprise.
"That's amazing. Just changing clothes makes it feel like Jiang Hang has become a completely different person. If you stood next to your original self, no one would be able to tell at a glance that you were the same person," Koharu Yoshino said in amazement.
Shizuka Sakaki, on the other hand, focused on Jiang Hang's voice.
Although the voice he had changed into had no particular characteristics, it was not simply a deliberately lowered tone. He had changed his voice into an entirely different style. Since she aimed to become a voice actress, she could naturally tell the difference.
No wonder Jiang Hang asked yesterday whether voice actors could freely alter their vocal tones. I didn't expect him to know something about this too...
Maybe if I get the chance later, I can discuss this kind of technique with Jiang Hang.
Following Someone
Following someone without being discovered was not something just anyone could do, but for Jiang Hang, this kind of work was simply too easy.
The combination of the three assassin abilities—disguise, Assassin's Footwork, and Eagle Eye tracking—basically eliminated any possibility of being noticed by the target.
No matter how alert you were, if I followed you from the other side of a building, how could you possibly notice? If you still did, that would practically count as a battle between superpowered people.
Clearly, Abe Yutaka was not a superpowered person. He had never expected that the detective he hired to follow someone else would turn around and follow him.
He possessed a basic degree of vigilance, but against Jiang Hang, who could track him even from two streets away, that vigilance was far from enough.
The man's residence was not too far from Jiang Hang's office, only about half an hour away.
That was perfectly normal. It would be stranger if someone traveled all the way across the city to a small detective office.
After confirming that Abe Yutaka had entered his home, Jiang Hang saw that it was nearly dinner time and found a nearby restaurant to order dinner. As he ate, he occasionally used Eagle Eye to confirm the man's movements.
However, Abe Yutaka did not make any moves until eight in the evening. Just as Jiang Hang was preparing to get closer to his location, he received a message from Koharu Yoshino.
Jiang Hang opened the email and found that it contained some basic information about Negishi Masaki.
He called Koharu Yoshino and learned that after he left, she had been trying to investigate the man. He had no idea how she had done it, but she had actually managed to uncover his identity.
It was only basic information, recording Negishi Masaki's occupation, age, and general family circumstances. Though it did not seem particularly connected to the case, it was obvious that Koharu Yoshino had put considerable effort into carefully organizing the material.
Moreover, this indicated that Koharu Yoshino really did seem to have some talent in this area. He had poached her, and on her very first day, she had already given him an unexpected surprise.
Perhaps in the future, she might really become a good assistant.
Thinking that, Jiang Hang solemnly thanked Koharu Yoshino for her hard work. When he heard that she and Shizuka Sakaki had been searching through information at the office without even getting off work yet, Jiang Hang generously said that once this case was over, he would properly treat them.
After nine o'clock, Jiang Hang saw Abe Yutaka leave home again. What caught Jiang Hang's attention, however, was that the man had directly chosen to drive, making Jiang Hang's mouth twitch.
A miscalculation. He had not yet gotten a driver's license since coming to Japan, much less bought a car. He had not expected the man to drive out.
He needed to get his license and buy a car as soon as possible.
With that thought in mind, Jiang Hang wanted to stop a taxi like they did in television dramas and follow Abe Yutaka, but reality was not television. You could not expect to conveniently hail a taxi the moment someone drove away.
In reality, Jiang Hang stood by the roadside for nearly a minute before a taxi finally arrived.
Television experience really could not be trusted.
Muttering that to himself, Jiang Hang quickly got into the car.
Fortunately, Abe Yutaka had not yet left Eagle Eye's detection range. Jiang Hang pretended to look at his phone while telling the driver the man's current location.
After arriving at the previous location, he quickly gave Abe Yutaka's latest position again.
The facts proved that the exploration missions Jiang Hang had been completing every day over the past week had been quite effective. At the very least, he had memorized the local place names and would not be unable to say which street the target had gone to.
Although the driver seemed a little confused, after Jiang Hang identified himself as a detective and handed over an office business card, the taxi driver stopped asking where Jiang Hang wanted to go.
After all, no matter where Jiang Hang went, he would pay by distance. The driver would be happier if Jiang Hang took him on a few extra laps.
After driving for around twenty minutes, they were still within the city, but it was clearly a remote industrial area rather than a residential district. Jiang Hang's exploration had not yet reached this area.
Sensing through Eagle Eye that the man had stopped his car, Jiang Hang chose to get out on a street several hundred meters away.
However, just in case, Jiang Hang paid the driver extra money to hire the taxi for the night.
If Abe Yutaka was only stopping here temporarily and the taxi driver drove off, it would not be easy to find another taxi in a place like this so late at night.
The taxi driver was also very polite. After receiving an amount equivalent to what he normally earned in an entire day, he immediately patted his chest and said Jiang Hang could call him directly if he needed anything in the future.
Jiang Hang carefully saved the driver's contact information. Connections were accumulated bit by bit like this. Perhaps one day he might actually have a reason to contact this driver again, or perhaps the driver might run into trouble someday and come to his office for help.
After getting out of the car, Jiang Hang silently advanced toward Abe Yutaka's location through the darkness.
This was an industrial area, and Abe Yutaka was currently doing something in an empty warehouse.
Jiang Hang found a suitable position and watched the man's movements.
His Eagle Eye could still only be used intermittently, but after his physique improved, its cooldown had also shortened greatly. If he only watched the target for two or three seconds at a time, then rested for a minute before using Eagle Eye again, it would not put too much strain on his eyes.
There was only Abe Yutaka inside the warehouse now, but from Jiang Hang's intermittent glimpses, the man seemed to be waiting for someone. He even made a call in the middle of it, though Jiang Hang did not know whom he was calling.
Jiang Hang guessed that perhaps he was contacting Negishi Masaki. Did he intend to kill him in this warehouse tonight?
Yet Jiang Hang was also puzzled. If he killed Negishi Masaki here tonight, then who was Jiang Hang supposed to follow over the next three days?
Just what method was Abe Yutaka planning to use to create an alibi through him?
Jiang Hang was very clear about his own role—a mere assassin wearing the title of detective.
He had read plenty of detective novels these past few days, but that did not help his deductive ability much. What he could do was use the assassin methods granted by the system to uncover the truth, but he could never become a detective like Shinichi Kudo, capable of deducing a killer's method through brainpower alone.
Time slowly passed. About ten minutes later, another car stopped nearby, and Jiang Hang's spirits lifted. It seemed that the person Abe Yutaka was waiting for had arrived.
Perfectly Fulfilling the Client's Commission
After confirming with Eagle Eye, the newcomer was indeed Negishi Masaki, the very man Abe Yutaka had commissioned Jiang Hang to follow for the next three days.
Judging from his expression, he did not seem confused about why his friend had called him here so late. Clearly, Abe Yutaka had often called him out at such hours before.
Jiang Hang had no evidence yet that Abe Yutaka harbored murderous intent, so he did not reveal himself and continued waiting. The moment Abe Yutaka made his move, he would appear and save Negishi Masaki's life.
After Negishi Masaki arrived, Jiang Hang used Eagle Eye much more frequently. Though it put considerable strain on his eyes, he could only push himself a little for the sake of ensuring Negishi Masaki's safety.
However, Abe Yutaka clearly did not have much patience. After leading his friend into the warehouse, he merely checked that no one was nearby, then secretly took out an iron bar and smashed it heavily into Negishi Masaki's head.
"Detected a murder taking place near the host. Please hurry to the scene and prevent the incident. Successfully preventing this incident will grant the corresponding system reward."
The instant Jiang Hang saw Abe Yutaka take out the iron bar, he called Inspector Megure. At top speed, he told him the location of this murder case, which he had learned from the taxi driver. Then Jiang Hang charged into the warehouse.
At that moment, Abe Yutaka had somehow produced a bucket of gasoline and was pouring it over the unconscious Negishi Masaki—he actually intended to burn the man alive!
Hearing the sound from the warehouse entrance, Abe Yutaka was startled. He could not even finish pouring the gasoline before hurriedly grabbing the iron bar he had tossed aside.
Abe Yutaka, who had only just hardened his heart and knocked down his friend of many years, was stunned as well. The murder plan he had spent months preparing had been discovered just like that.
He had originally been ready to proceed to the next step of his plan, but after being discovered, malicious intent rose in Abe Yutaka's heart again.
The person who had barged in had now arrived in front of him. Seeing the scene on the ground, the intruder seemed frightened and simply froze in place.
In this environment, Abe Yutaka did not immediately recognize him as the detective he had hired that afternoon. He only assumed he was a passerby who had happened to hear the commotion.
He could not help tightening his grip on the iron bar. Faced with an unarmed passerby, he decided to go all the way and deal with this person too. As for the alibi, he could think about that after dealing with the guy in front of him.
"Ha... ha..." Having just knocked down his longtime friend and now preparing to deal with another person, Abe Yutaka's eyes became vicious. Breathing heavily, he swung the iron bar at the head of the passerby who had been "scared stiff"—
However, before the iron bar could strike the other man, Abe Yutaka suddenly felt an intense pain erupt in his abdomen.
Then his body toppled backward out of control!
Only then did he see that the other man had kicked him directly in the stomach.
Abe Yutaka was sent rolling several times across the ground in an embarrassing heap. The pain even brought tears to his eyes.
"Ugh..." He curled up on the ground in agony, and the iron bar in his hand had been flung into some unknown corner.
Not far away, Jiang Hang looked at Abe Yutaka, who had completely lost his ability to fight, and felt fairly satisfied with his move.
The Novice Combat Skill he had obtained only after being brutalized all night by the system-simulated Ezio in the training space yesterday was actually somewhat useful.
Those were instinctive reactions his body had developed after being beaten up all night. When he saw Abe Yutaka actually trying to attack him, he had subconsciously delivered that kick.
Now it seemed the effect was excellent.
Still, he did not lower his guard. After using one hand to restrain Abe Yutaka, who was curled up on the ground, Jiang Hang checked Negishi Masaki's condition.
Fortunately, although he had taken a heavy blow to the head from the iron bar, he was still breathing. He should still be able to be saved.
Jiang Hang called the taxi driver waiting on the street outside again, asking him to meet the police who would arrive soon and to call an ambulance as well.
After doing all this, Jiang Hang felt Abe Yutaka, whom he was restraining, begin to struggle again.
Jiang Hang mercilessly applied a little force to one of the man's joints. Only when Abe Yutaka could not help begging for mercy did he finally become obedient.
"You... you... who exactly are you?"
Until he had been restrained so humiliatingly, and judging from the other man's tone, it seemed he had noticed Abe Yutaka long ago.
Abe Yutaka still could not understand how the murder plan he had devised had been exposed before it had even truly begun, nor who this suddenly appearing young man was.
"Just an ordinary detective, Mr. Abe. There's no need to worry about that. After all, as a detective, I only need to properly fulfill my client's commission. What do you think, Mr. Abe?"
Jiang Hang had changed his voice back by now. Upon hearing the word detective, Abe Yutaka's expression abruptly changed.
Jiang Hang had made it so obvious. How could Abe Yutaka possibly fail to realize Jiang Hang's identity?
"It was... you!?"
Before you continue