Chapter 113 Paths That Do Not Collude
On the rooftop, the sniper who had been waiting for a long time did not get the "big fish" he had been looking forward to. Instead, he was greeted by an uninvited guest.
"Sakakibara?" The sniper was taken aback. Many years ago, when he was still working at the Ministry of Public Security, he had met him once.
"Iori Muga, that's my current name," the long-haired man introduced himself, giving a slight nod. "Scotland, someone wants to see you. May I show you the way?"
Who is it?
"The person you want to see."
"Jibu Taro?!"
Jingguang was shocked and filled with doubt: What is the relationship between Iori and Ikube? Could the person who was talking so loudly about Scotch whisky in the bar be Iori? How did he know I was here?
Last night, Kuroda, the superintendent, said in an email that he had discovered the connections between Ikube and the Woodpecker Society, and pointed out that since Onuki was arrested, "Ikube will send a trusted confidant to meet with the leader of the Woodpecker Society to handle the follow-up matters."
Police found firearms and ammunition in Onuki's home. After days of continuous interrogation and torture by Date and others, Onuki confessed and revealed the entire incident. This trial had a significant impact, as it implicated high-ranking officials in the Ministry of Public Security. Therefore, the Ikube faction, sensing the impending trouble, quickly took remedial measures.
"It seems the intelligence was wrong; the enemy anticipated our actions."
Jingguang's heart sank; he wondered what Yizhi was up to. But the current situation left him with few options, so he decided to play along.
Jingguang was driven by Yizhi to an office building. When they arrived at an office, the person on the other end said, "Please come in, Scotland!"
Jing Guang nodded, steadied his breathing, and pushed open the door to enter.
Inside the room, a middle-aged man, well past fifty with graying temples, sat upright at a large solid wood desk. The room was dimly lit, and the light from the window behind him cast long shadows that seemed to extend from his black suit, creating an invisible sense of oppression.
For some reason, this reminded him of the first time he went to the office of the head of the teaching department at the elementary school: he was so nervous that his palms were sweating.
“Scotland, you’ve finally arrived.” The man’s voice was deep and hoarse, as if he had been waiting for a long time. “Please sit down.”
Jingguang sat obediently in the wooden chair opposite the desk. It was made of wood, without a leather cover or soft core, and was a bit uncomfortable.
"It's like interrogating a criminal."
Jing Guang was in a state of confusion: He was clearly the suspect, so why was I the one being interrogated?
Kibe remained as serious as ever, as if he were the one who held the moral high ground. He said with deep regret, "I value talent. You and your brother are both outstanding individuals in the Metropolitan Police Department, but your performance has been truly disappointing!"
Jingguang wasn't particularly concerned about Jibu's hypocrisy; his focus was on "his older brother."
This is a blatantly obvious threat signal.
"Inspector Ikube, I'm sorry for letting you down."
“Oh no, you don’t need to apologize.” Kibe waved his hand, his tone softening. “I know it’s not your fault.”
Jing Guang felt uneasy at that strange, distorted smile and honestly asked, "Sorry, I didn't quite understand what you meant."
“It’s okay if you don’t understand, but I do. I know why you went there to wait for me, I know why you resigned from the Ministry of Public Security, and I know that you’ve suffered a lot of injustices over the years… Don’t be surprised, I know a lot more than that.”
Seeing that Kagemitsu was getting restless, Ibu calmly began to close the net: "I know that Kuroda made you do all of this. But do you know why?"
"My mission naturally has its significance and value."
“Meaning and value…” Kibe chuckled, savoring the two words. “I never expected you to have such simple ideals. It’s rare, truly rare!”
Jingguang, however, felt that there was an element of contempt in the laughter, and it was simply an insult.
Noticing the change in Kagemitsu's expression, Ibu stopped laughing: "Morofushi, what do you think is the value of your mission?"
Jing Guang didn't understand why the other party was so persistent about this question, but he still answered seriously: "In order to uphold justice, to make the guilty receive the punishment they deserve, and to safeguard the interests and security of the country."
Kibe nodded thoughtfully, then posed an even more perplexing question: "Could you explain why you place justice above national interests?"
"Justice encompasses both law and morality. I believe that upholding justice and safeguarding national interests are consistent, and I have not placed justice above national interests."
"Zhu Fu, do you believe you have consistently and steadfastly maintained your stance?"
"Although you said I disappointed you, I have a clear conscience toward the country."
“Very good, so am I. I have served the country diligently for 27 years, and I have a clear conscience.” Jibu said grandly, his expression proud.
Jing Guang stared in shock, unable to comprehend how this man, who had secretly colluded with the Woodpecker Society and the Karasuma Sake Factory, creating chaos within the Ministry of Public Security, dared to shamelessly claim that he had a clear conscience before the country!
"Superintendent Ikube, how have you been protecting national interests all these years?" Jingguang asked, suppressing his anger.
"I have secured important allies for the Metropolitan Police Department. With their strength and support, our work is thriving, public security management has greatly improved, and our international standing is rising day by day."
"Allies? Do you mean the Woodpecker Society or that gentleman? I never imagined that when discussing the Ministry of Public Security's Superintendent General Police, we would have to seek help from the □□." Jing Guang said sharply.
Ikube didn't take offense at the other party's rudeness, and asked with a smile, "Morofushi, I know you're cooperating with the FBI. Then tell me, isn't it absurd that a Japanese public security officer would secretly seek help from American police? In the end, is there any fundamental difference between your cooperation with the FBI and my cooperation with that gentleman?"
Jingguang retracted the "Of course there's a difference" that he had almost blurted out, and after thinking it over, replied, "No."
In some ways, the FBI, as a foreign power, is a more threatening force than the homegrown gentleman.
"Ha! I knew you were a smart person, you get it right away. Much better than Kuroda." Ibe smiled with satisfaction.
"Does Manager Kuroda disagree with your opinion?"
"Yes, that old stubborn man is so narrow-minded! I told him a long time ago not to judge right and wrong with a three-year-old's concept of good and bad. The world is never black and white, but rather a gray area of varying shades. Our power is too weak, and we need strong allies to support us. But the reality is that it's often difficult to change other people's positions. So, in order to seek more allies, the best way is to change ourselves and relax our standards a little. That way, we can find more allies with similar gray areas and aligned interests with ours. You see, it's a very simple principle, but Kuroda, that stubborn guy, can never seem to grasp it."
Even without Ji Bu's explanation, Jing Guang could guess their modus operandi: in order to suppress and exclude hostile forces, the Ministry of Public Security laundered some corrupt officials, transforming them into controllable forces within its own ranks. These groups were active on the vast political and economic stage, operating behind the scenes and fueling the flames.
The two cabinet members murdered 17 years ago are a prime example, and private enterprises such as the Beika car factory and bars are a microcosm of the business cooperation between the two sides.
"So, what was the purpose of Kuroda sending me undercover?"
"To get rid of me and take my place," Ibe frankly admitted. "Perhaps I should have stopped this farce sooner, otherwise you wouldn't have had to suffer so much. But Kuroda is too cunning, and only today do I have the chance to have a proper talk with you face to face."
"Was it a deliberate leak of false information that someone was sent to meet with the leader of the Woodpecker Society?"
Jingguang frowned and asked, "You mean that Chief Administrator Kuroda sent me undercover just to find evidence of your cooperation with these criminal gangs?"
Deep down, he didn't want to face this reality: Was his motivation for being undercover for so many years merely the infighting within the Ministry of Public Security? Were all his sacrifices just stepping stones for his superiors' promotions?
Ibe scoffed, "Morofushi, do you think Kuroda is some upright and honest good person? He's a hypocrite too! I bet he never told you about what happened to Chiki Ryo 17 years ago."
"What happened to Senki Ryo-senpai?"
"Ha! Kuroda, that guy, he was in a coma for 10 years, but it was all an act. The reason was to escape the investigation and punishment for Chiki Ryo's death. He was scared, so he pretended to have amnesia. Once the storm has passed, he'll come out and cause trouble again."
"Since your power is so great, why not eliminate him to prevent future troubles?"
After a moment's hesitation, Ibe replied, "I admit I underestimated him somewhat, both his determination and his ability to flatter high-ranking officials in the National Police Agency. But with you here, we can cooperate well, can't we?"
Jingguang remained silent, still hesitating.
Kibe began to appease him with a friendly tone: "Mr. Morofushi, I've said before that I value talent, and I'm very willing to cooperate with you wholeheartedly. You're a smart man, and I believe you can see that I'm a better partner. Think about it carefully; for so many years, Kuroda has been using you as a pawn, yet he's never told you about his own little schemes, nor has he ever sent anyone to protect your brother. This is truly outrageous! Following Kuroda will only bring you harm and no benefit."
"You bastard, you're threatening me with my brother again!"
Jing Guang finally understands his situation. To summarize, the Ministry of Public Security currently has two groups of people:
The appeasement faction, led by Jibu, advocated for extensive recruitment of talented individuals, win-win cooperation, and tolerance of evildoers.
The radical faction, led by Kuroda, advocates that good and evil cannot coexist and that evil forces must be dealt with with heavy blows.
Originally, Kagemitsu should have naturally sided with Kuroda. However, Kuroda only offered him empty promises, which Kagemitsu foolishly believed.
Kagemitsu initially thought that he was sent as an undercover agent to eliminate the organization. However, judging from Kuroda's eagerness to obtain evidence of Ibe's treason in this incident, his superior's strategy was "to pacify the internal situation before fighting the external enemy."
Is it possible that Karasuma Sake Brewery could be wiped out by the Public Security Bureau, led by Kuroda?
Jingguang believes this is still very possible, but he won't get any credit: his task is only to clear internal obstacles, and he might not be able to deal with external threats. In fact, Kuroda didn't expect him to live that long.
Even some previously questionable matters can now be answered: Why did Kuroda identify three key suspects for the mole so quickly? Because he had been secretly investigating for a long time, but lacked concrete evidence.
The answer to why they were never told about Kawabata-senpai is obvious. If Jing and Ling had known about this earlier, the internal conflicts within the Ministry of Public Security would have been laid bare, and they would have realized the true purpose of their work after all these years.
Thinking of this, Jingguang couldn't help but feel a little sad.
Occasionally, he would envy Conan's purity.
Because the standards and rules for justice are too complex, while there is only one truth.
"I'm so tired!"
Over the years, he has experienced disappointment, fear, and anger. But he has never felt tired.
Because there was a force supporting him, even in the darkest fog, he could follow the light in his heart to find his way forward.
At this moment, however, he was lost and felt utterly hopeless.
Kibe asked from his superior position, casting a shadow over Kagemitsu: "Morofushi, which side do you want to stand on?"
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