Chapter 23 Intertwined Fates
Ling retrieved the takeout from the doorway.
This is a special sample for Uncle Miao, only one of its kind, for his exclusive enjoyment.
Today's dessert is cheesecake.
Its rich and sweet aroma is enough to satisfy the taste buds' cravings with just a small bite.
There's also a small combination lock box at the bottom of the takeout box.
The password is not complicated; zero can easily crack it.
The purpose of the combination lock box, besides preventing accidental takeout or theft, is more like a fun little game between partners.
But Zero wasn't in much interest today.
He knew it was a reinforced phone inside. And after a while, the other party would make him a video call as usual.
Zero knew without even thinking that the first topic of discussion would inevitably be—
Shinichi Kudo.
"Help! How am I supposed to explain this to Jing?"
The golden retriever looked up at the sky and sighed, its face full of sorrow.
The organization's plan was to seize ownership of the building under Sakai's name; more precisely, the organization wanted the land.
Bourbon, who was usually only responsible for intelligence gathering, was assigned to be in charge of the operation this time. Therefore, this mission was of great significance to him.
He not only had to complete the task, but he also had to do it beautifully.
In fact, Bourbon did just that.
He not only forced Sakai to hand over the building at an extremely low price, but also had a firm grasp on Rum's psychology.
That fire really burned into Rum's heart!
Bourbon originally thought he had the script in his hands and was in control of the whole situation.
Unexpectedly, the young detective repeatedly surprised everyone:
First, they stumbled upon Matsuda by accident, and then they easily saw through Kazami's stalking.
He gets furious whenever he thinks about it.
Before halftime was even over, that simpleton was sent off with a red card.
It's astonishing that a member of the Public Security Bureau was detained by the First Investigation Division, and he had to personally intervene to resolve the situation.
However, Zero really had no right to criticize his subordinates this time.
Because he soon suffered a major setback in his life:
I thought things were going to end well and I was planning to buy some celery to celebrate, but I was chased all over the street by a junior high school student.
Not only did the four-wheeled vehicle fail to outrun the two-wheeled one, but it was also stopped by the traffic police and had to send out mass text messages for help in order to escape successfully.
As a result, the class reunion that night, which was supposed to be two out of five, turned into a roast session with Zero Furuya.
"What a disgrace!"
In Zero's vision, Kudo will always be hovering on the edge of the truth, never getting close to the real danger zone.
When the mission is over, the files are declassified, or even sometime after he retires, he will go to the other party's detective agency for a cup of tea and reminisce about the past.
However, he now feels that this is probably difficult to achieve.
Even though they were doing something righteous, they inevitably got their hands dirty.
Zero's peers could understand this struggle and helplessness. But he didn't expect a 15-year-old to understand.
"That's the crux of the problem..."
Zero let out a sigh.
Just then, my phone rang.
A cat's head appeared on the screen.
It's necessary to explain here that one of our beloved male protagonists, Uncle Miao, also known as Jing Guang, put a lot of effort into creating his persona as a food blogger.
Even though Uncle Meow never appears on camera, he specially made a cat chef outfit to match his image.
So now he's wearing cat-ear chef hats semi-permanently.
Jingguang even made a chef's uniform for the dog for Ling.
However, Zero felt embarrassed wearing such a strange hat, so he only ever wore dog aprons.
"Zero, is the cheesecake delicious?"
"tasty!"
The first question wasn't really a question; it was more like small talk.
The next problem is really tricky.
"How's our little detective doing?"
"Ah..." Zero racked his brains but couldn't come up with a good answer, and finally only said, "Is the injury almost healed?"
"Huh? Kudo-kun is injured?!"
Ling sighed helplessly, and under the patient guidance of her childhood friend, she finally revealed the truth.
Naturally, he simplified the part where he was chased all over the street by Kudo.
Jingguang's facial expressions changed rapidly as the plot unfolded.
Hearing the last part, he asked worriedly, "How is Matsuda?"
"Hmm... According to Hagi, he drank a lot at the class reunion, got really drunk, and even yelled that he was going to beat me up. The next day, he didn't seem to say anything more, only that he wouldn't hold it against me this time because the chestnuts were delicious." Zero's expression was somewhat indignant. "Listen to what he said?"
"Does Matsuda know who I am now?" Kagemitsu asked.
Jingguang bought the chestnuts. He bought a lot in bulk, so he asked Ling to deliver them to a few of his colleagues.
However, during their time at the police academy, whenever Zero and Matsuda had a conflict, the phrase they would most often say when making up was, "I'll let it go for Morofushi's sake."
Therefore, Kagemitsu suspects that Matsuda may have seen through Uncle Meow's true form.
"Probably not? I didn't tell them, and most people wouldn't make such unfounded connections. But it's quite a coincidence that they've all started following Jing!"
Jingguang was also surprised by this amazing coincidence, and smiled knowingly, saying, "Then let's keep this little secret!"
"Ling, have you finished that pack of cigarettes?" Jingguang asked with a hint of concern.
"Yeah, I'm done smoking. I really don't understand why Matsuda likes this kind of stuff!"
This pack of cigarettes is the price for asking Matsuda for help.
"I did something against my principles for you, so you have to go against your principles too."
Zero couldn't understand the curly-haired bastard's thought process, but since he needed a favor, he had no choice but to agree.
"Oh, by the way, how did you do with learning how to make hawthorn cake last time? I haven't asked you yet. Why did Ling take the initiative to learn this?" Jingguang asked.
Zero had no choice but to tell him about Kudo's loss of appetite as well.
"However, because my own version wasn't very good—it was too hard—I gave Kudo the sample that Kei had made," Zero said apologetically. "I really have to thank Kei this time!"
Jingguang said, half-laughing and half-crying, "It's just a snack, I didn't do anything!"
"What do you mean? It was clearly Jing who completed the most important part of my plan! If you hadn't discovered the body of that homeless old man and written that news report, 'The Ghost of the Perilous Building,' how could Sakai have given in so easily?"
Being a food blogger is Jing Guang's main job, but he also has many side jobs, one of which is being a media writer.
Of course, it's not some reputable newspaper or authoritative institution; they wouldn't pass the identity hurdle.
However, third-rate tabloids have their own unique vitality and reach, and Jingguang recognized this.
"So Rum should be fine now, right? What happened to Akai after that?"
"Rum is quite satisfied with the task I completed. Although Ray escaped, he didn't suspect me. The main responsibility lies with Gin, it has nothing to do with me!"
"That's good." Jing Guang nodded in relief, then hesitated for a moment before saying, "Ling, I want to tell you something."
Seeing the other person's serious expression, Ling asked somewhat uneasily, "What happened?"
"Zero, don't be nervous. I just haven't figured out how to tell you yet. But I feel like now is the time to say it. So..."
"It's okay, I'll listen carefully to whatever Jing says."
Upon hearing this, Jingguang no longer hesitated and said, "Do you still remember Yuki's kidnapping case last year? At that time, Mr. Miyazaki said that Yuki was not his biological son."
"I remember, so what?"
"I exchanged some information with Akai and discovered..."
"When did you exchange information?!" Zero interrupted Jing Guang rudely before he could finish speaking.
Seeing this, Jingguang quickly comforted him, "Zero, don't be angry! Akai and I have only exchanged emails twice, and the discussion was limited to this one case."
"I never imagined you two had such a good relationship behind my back?" Zero said sourly.
"My relationship with Akai is very casual. We've never chatted, never voice-chatted, and never video-chatted!" Jingguang vehemently defended himself.
The golden retriever's expression softened a bit as he said, "Alright then! I won't pursue this matter for now. So, what did Jing discover?"
"I think I've found a clue about Zero's father..."
Jingguang spoke slowly, carefully choosing his words.
"dad?!"
Zero was stunned, her mind blank, unable to piece together any image of anyone.
Because the role of "father" was absent in Rei Furuya's life.
No name, no photo, not a single word.
He never knew who his father was.
He grew up relying on his mother, but she passed away when he was a little over three years old.
Zero, nothing at all, all alone.
It wasn't until he met Jingguang that he found a sense of security in his life.
"What clues did Jing find?" Zero asked, trying to calm himself down.
"Take a look at this photo. Although the original pixel resolution was very low, it has been processed and enlarged..."
Something that looked familiar suddenly appeared on the screen.
"What... what is this?"
"I remember Zero showing me her mother's belongings. They were supposedly a gift from your father?"
“Teeth, a lucky charm that Dad gave to Mom,” Zero replied calmly.
"Yes, although the tooth hanging from the necklace around this person's neck is clearly not the same tooth as yours. But I've never seen this kind of piercing and knotting method anywhere else. So I guess perhaps the two teeth are related? Because you wouldn't usually use human teeth as ornaments, would you?"
"Hmm, that's certainly suspicious. Who is this person?"
"A human trafficker is still at large and has not yet been apprehended. It is said that his nickname is Octopus because he has two missing toes."
"Jing, what do you think this person might have to do with Dad?"
Ling was in a state of confusion, finding it difficult to associate her father with a vicious-looking human trafficker.
"Perhaps there's some indirect connection? I've read some FBI files about Octopus. Apart from missing two toes, he had no other physical disabilities, and I've never heard of him wearing dentures. So the tooth on his neck is very likely from someone else, and I think the one your father left behind might be the same."
"A tooth that can be used as a talisman? What kind of person was the owner of that tooth?" Zero muttered to himself blankly.
“I don’t know, so… does Zero want me to continue investigating? I haven’t told Akai about your father. If Zero feels I’ve overstepped my bounds, I can stop.”
"Huh? What do you mean by crossing the line? Wasn't Jing helping me?"
Jingguang took a deep breath and answered with difficulty, "Yes, my intention was to help you. But we don't know what the final result will be, do we? We might spend a lot of effort and end up with nothing. Even if we find him, perhaps Zero's father doesn't want to acknowledge you, or perhaps he's already dead. If we encounter these situations, would Zero still be willing to continue the investigation?"
To be honest, Zero wasn't ready to accept a "father".
Jingguang noticed the other party's hesitation, so he comforted him, "It's okay, Ling, think it over carefully. Tell me when you've made up your mind, and I won't investigate anything until then."
"Jing is always so considerate."
Hearing this, Zero felt a warmth in her heart: "Thank you, Jing."
"I feel that having you is enough for me. As for my father, who cares! He's never cared about me anyway, has he?"
"Alright, then I'll stop investigating here." Jing Guang replied with a smile. "By the way, there's one more thing I don't understand. Why is the organization so determined to acquire that piece of land?"
"Ah, there are many issues involved in this. Actually, the organization originally planned to buy it through conventional methods, but Sakai used his personal connections to cut in line. In addition, the organization was in a hurry, and other locations were not suitable, so they just snatched it by force."
What does the organization want the land for?
"There are many different opinions on this, but I think there's a strong possibility that it's a rumor."
"oh?"
Zero squinted and said, "I heard they're going to build a laboratory. Sherry will be back from America in a year and a half."
If Zero knew what kind of evil would be brewing in that laboratory two years from now, he would stop the organization's plans at all costs.
However, who can predict the future?
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