Chapter 100
Officer Shimo gave a brief account of what had just happened.
He didn't mention much about the content of his self-criticism, otherwise it would seem too much like complaining. His purpose was not to complain, but to prevent the situation from getting worse.
“…I said something like he wasn’t suited to be a policeman,” Officer Shima said with difficulty. “For Kankawa-kun, that assessment might have been a bit too much, and its meaning is completely different from how it is for others, isn’t it?”
Kenji Hagiwara's voice, which was always tinged with laughter, sounded somewhat cold at this moment: "I understand. You were just upset by his self-criticism. You are a very responsible police officer."
Although the other party said they understood, Officer Shima still sensed Kenji Hagiwara's disapproval.
Think about the answer that Shinryu Samakawa gave during his police academy interview.
The person who said those things to Hanchuan Shenliu when he was a child could at most cause Hanchuan Shenliu some resentment, but this person who said those things to Hanchuan Shenliu when he was already a policeman could potentially lead Hanchuan Shenliu down a completely different path.
Just then, Ibuki Ai returned.
Ibuki Ai, who is always as cheerful and happy as a golden retriever, frowned at this moment and shook her head at Officer Shima.
Officer Shimo felt even more regretful and said into the phone, "I'm sorry..."
But Hanchuan Shenliu's way of doing things is really not suitable for being a policeman! These days, you can't even speak the truth, because speaking it will only lead to internal conflict. How can this be!
Officer Shimo is questioning the meaning of life.
Kenji Hagiwara politely replied, "I will pass on your message."
Soon, Usui received a call from Kenji Hagiwara.
If Kenji Hagiwara hadn't been unsure of his current location, he probably would have come knocking on his door.
Usoya Saiki answered the phone with a relaxed attitude: "Hello?"
Kenji Hagiwara knew perfectly well that this wasn't the time to agonize over what kind of apology to write, so he went straight to the point: "Fukaru, Inspector Shima just called me. He thinks what he said..."
"He's quite right."
Kenji Hagiwara felt a chill run down his spine.
Oh no, the situation seems more serious than he thought. Could it be that Inspector Shima's words have truly disheartened him and he's considering giving up being a policeman?
There have always been illegal organizations contacting Xiao Shenliu, and it's unclear what they've been saying and doing. If the police don't provide support, it's not entirely impossible for Xiao Shenliu to side with the other side...
Sometimes, it's the last straw that breaks the camel's back.
“Shinryu, listen to me!” Kenji Hagiwara said urgently, “Inspector Shima said that he might be a little angry with you because of his former partner’s situation, but he doesn’t really think that everything you did was wrong. In any case, you did save someone. If he weren’t a policeman, he would only thank you and think you did the right thing. But he’s in the police system, and he can’t completely ignore those violations…”
After rattling off a long explanation for Inspector Shima, Kenji Hagiwara continued, "Inspector Shima was probably worried you wouldn't answer his calls, so he had me relay the message. Fukami, no matter what others say, I believe that if you're willing, you can become a great police officer, so..."
So, don't go that way.
I don't want to one day have to point a gun at the friend who once saved me.
"...I understand. I will ask Senior Zhimo myself."
Having received such a vague yet unwavering answer that didn't completely dissuade him from becoming a policeman, Kenji Hagiwara, who had been sweating profusely with anxiety, breathed a sigh of relief.
That's great, there's still room to salvage the situation. Now it's up to Officer Shima to perform. Hopefully, Officer Shima has calmed down by now and can use the same emotional intelligence he displays when dealing with the victim's family to handle Kofuka Ryu.
...To be honest, of all the friends he's had, none have caused him as much worry as Hanchuan Shenliu.
The feeling of being constantly on edge, knowing your friend might commit a crime if you're not watching them for even a second, is incredibly captivating.
After stirring up some suspicion about Kenji Hagiwara, Saiki Usui wisely stopped there: "After all, he's a friend; it wouldn't be good for Kenji to get a heart attack at such a young age."
[You're so good to your friends...] The system secretly rolled its eyes. [What are you going to do now? Go back and ask Officer Shimo? The atmosphere's gotten this far, it'll be hard not to make up, right? What about your vacation?]
Instead of going back, Bo Ye Saiki called Officer Shima directly: "Senior Shima."
Officer Shima was somewhat surprised to receive the call so quickly, which at least meant the situation wasn't too serious: "Kankawa-kun... I'm sorry, I went a bit too far earlier. When it comes to saving lives, you are undoubtedly qualified, and other police officers might not necessarily do better than you..."
Bo Yezaki asked, "I heard from the second-year graduate student that your former teammate seemed to have made some mistake?"
"...Yes, he committed perjury in order to catch the criminal he believed to be guilty as quickly as possible." Officer Shimo understood that to explain why he had overreacted, he had to explain the matter of his former teammate, so he gave a brief explanation of the situation, "...So I may have been a little overreacted and said something I shouldn't have, I apologize to you."
Ibuki Ai's voice drifted out softly: "Shima has never apologized to me..."
Officer Shima's forehead veins bulged—we're talking serious business here, can you please be a little more serious and stop calling him that!
However, perhaps it was Ibuki Ai's words that had some effect, because Officer Shima could sense that the attitude of Kanakawa Shinryu seemed to have softened a bit.
"It's okay, you're not entirely wrong either."
Hearing this answer, Officer Shima felt both relieved and worried. He was relieved because it turned out that Kanakawa Shinryu was still able to rationally judge that what he had done was indeed problematic. He was worried because he wondered if she thought that his statement "you are not suitable to be a policeman" was not wrong.
As expected, Hanchuan Shenliu said, "I need some time to think about some things, so I probably won't be able to come to my shift today and three days from now..."
Officer Shima hesitated for a moment, gritted his teeth, and decided to trust Kenji Hagiwara's persuasive skills: "I understand. It's okay to take leave from an internship. It's only for two days. No problem. I'll handle things with the captain."
Han Chuan Shenliu always used polite language very well, so much so that it was impossible to tell his true feelings: "Then I'll have to trouble you, senior."
After hanging up the phone, Officer Shima sighed softly and sent an email to Kenji Hagiwara, briefly explaining the results of the communication.
At least he didn't immediately decide to resign, which should be a good thing. Hopefully, Shinryu Hanchuan is genuinely planning to reflect on his actions.
Ibuki Ai suddenly asked, "But he has to hand in his self-criticism today, right? What do we do now?"
Officer Shima: “…………”
Ibuki Ai: "Should I chase after him and get his apology back? I can run very fast."
Officer Shimo paused for a moment, then said, "...No need, I'll write it for him."
Submitting that self-criticism might escalate the situation further, so let's stop here with him and resolve any issues at his level.
With indescribable feelings, Officer Shima spread out the manuscript paper and began to write a self-criticism for Kankawa Shinryu.
What kind of situation is this...?
How did things get to the point where he even had to write a self-criticism for the intern...?
He had barely written two lines when Kenji Hagiwara replied to his email.
[Xiao Shenliu said she wanted to go to the cemetery, but refused to let me go with her; she probably wanted to be alone.]
Tomb sweeping...
Officer Shima suddenly remembered the policeman that Kanakawa Shinryu had mentioned, the one who had passed away and whom he could not understand.
Is it because you want to have a heart-to-heart talk with that deceased policeman?
He probably really went too far, saying those kinds of things to an orphan who can only seek comfort at graves...
Officer Shimo was overcome with guilt again.
However, for Usoppō Saiki, visiting graves was just an excuse to spend a few days alone without being disturbed by anyone.
Carefree and oblivious, he didn't care how others would interpret the excuse or how guilty they would feel. All he knew was that this would achieve his goal.
"See, the holiday's here already? Senior Shima will probably help me write my apology, and he'll also help the captain cover up what happened today, worried that too many people knowing will have too much of a negative impact on me." Usakabe Saiki smugly added, "I've also gained so much suspicion points all at once, it's a win-win situation!"
[You won twice by yourself, right?] Despite its teasing, the system was just as happy as Usui Saiki to see so many doubts. [Speaking of which, you've accumulated quite a few points. It's not like you won't earn more in the future. Isn't it a bit of a waste to wait to exchange them all for lifespan? Why don't you buy something now and enjoy it sooner...?]
Bo Yezaki is ruthless and cold-blooded: [Refuse door-to-door sales.]
Everything is useful!
[That's useless to me. What do you think I'm lacking right now?]
system:【……】
If you have a smile maintainer or something, I might consider it; maintaining a smile all the time is quite tiring...
System's comment: [Being expressionless is tiring, and smiling is tiring too, right? Your acting is truly the worst I've ever seen!]
So what? I haven't given myself away yet. Isn't that better than Rei Furuya?
"How dare you compare yourself to a three-faced (referring to having three identities) actor?" the system retorted, then added, "Really not buying? Christmas is coming soon, there's a promotion!"
Usoppei: [I refuse. I don't like celebrating Christmas.]
system:【……】
What kind of weird excuse is this?! Usaku Saiki, you have no heart!
Because Usoppei used the excuse of visiting graves, he successfully spent several days undisturbed, and finally, on Christmas Day, he went to the address given by Vodka.
The location was an abandoned warehouse. When he opened the door, the dim light inside illuminated several tall figures, some sitting and some standing, which made Bo Yezhaiji momentarily disoriented.
Lots of resources... He meant, lots of people!
Among those who had arrived, there were people whom Bo Yezhai knew and people he didn't. The group of people gathered together in silence, and the atmosphere was very heavy. When they saw Bo Yezhai walk in from the door, they all looked at him strangely.
Ignoring the stares of strangers, Usoppei exclaimed with great emotion, "My goodness, it's Christmas, everyone! Why are you all so serious? Give us a smile!"
Those who don't know Usui Saiki: "...???"
Who is this young man?! So arrogant!?
Vodka was speechless: "Potnis, look at the atmosphere before you speak."
"I saw it, that's why I felt the atmosphere wasn't Christmas at all."
"I didn't call you here to celebrate Christmas!" Vodka pressed his temples, tilted his head slightly, and gestured for Usoppei to look in that direction.
Bo Yezaki took a few more steps inside and finally realized something was wrong: "What's going on over there?"
A dying man was tied to a chair, with a pool of blood beneath him. Gin stood in front of the man, smoking a cigarette, seemingly still considering where to continue his attack.
Vodka explained, "He was a traitor. He was trying to send intelligence out, but the eldest brother found out."
The atmosphere here is so serious because the older brother just made an example of someone.
As it turns out, that kid Usakabe Saiki has absolutely no sense of atmosphere. He came in shouting about how it's Christmas and everyone should have a laugh... Laugh my ass! All the atmosphere that my brother worked so hard to create is gone!
Bo Yezhai was stunned and stared blankly at the person.
Vodka noticed his unusual reaction and asked, "What's wrong? Do you know him?"
Bo Yezaki frowned, looking reluctant, and turned his head to hide his expression: "...It's nothing."
Vodka watched the drama queen silently, not wanting to say anything.
Those who didn't recognize Usuha Saiki: "...???"
Are undercover agents' acting skills really this bad these days?! Their reluctance to betray the traitor and their dissatisfaction with Gin are practically overflowing! What kind of intelligence agency trained these rookies?!
He doesn't think that just because he says "it's nothing," Gin will really act like nothing happened, does he?!
Everyone looked at Gin, waiting for his reaction.
—It wouldn't make sense if Gin didn't fire a shot, would it?
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Officer Shimo: What he said was all correct, but after apologizing, helping him get leave, and even having to write a self-criticism, he still feels like he deserves to die from time to time. He is very puzzled by the way society works.
Thin Leaf: The answer is that this orphan went to sweep the graves.
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