Chapter 142

Each of Hoshikawa Kazuaki's aliases has its own unique skills, which are manifested as personal talents. Just like Hoshikawa Kazuaki's own observation and reasoning and control over the script; Kagano Satoshi's excellent hacking skills and incurable naivety. And the newly awakened police alias Nishihara Tadahiko, in addition to his innate sense of justice and excellent fighting ability, is left with a strong desire to protect the people he cares about.

Before awakening, his desire to protect his missing brother, Nishihara Shunya, turned into an obsession to find his brother because of a kidnapping. After awakening, his desire to protect his other aliases prompted him to detect the impending danger of Hoshikawa and Akira from his past experiences and the plot in just half a day, and quickly found the most suitable way to avoid Hoshikawa and Akira.

Unfortunately, although he had laid out a set route for Hoshikawa and Akira, he could not stop Hoshikawa and Akira's brains from being too uncontrollable. Once they got serious, they still analyzed what Nishihara Tadahiko was trying hard to hide with only the few clues in their hands.

Hearing the incredible exclamations of Hoshikawa Kazuaki in his consciousness, Nishihara Tadahiko couldn't help but smile bitterly.

"Hoshikawa, you really are worthy of being the most watched high school mystery comic artist. I spent the whole night yesterday deciding what to hide, and you figured out the truth in just a few words. Your guess is correct. The reason why Date Kou was in such a hurry to find Amuro Toru is indeed related to the only remaining fourth copy."

Xingchuan Heming also heard the helplessness in Nishihara Tadahiko's words, and glanced in the direction of the coffee table with a guilty conscience. Seeing that Nishihara Tadahiko was still stirring the coffee, he lowered his head and grinned awkwardly:

"Well, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to ruin your plan. It was just that my brain was acting on its own and I couldn't stop it even if I wanted to."

Seeing that Nishihara Tadahiko didn't seem angry, Hoshikawa Kazuaki continued to ask:

"However, since it is a clue related to the fourth instance, if we can grasp it in advance, can't we find a way to trigger the instance in advance and activate the hood vest as soon as possible? This will be beneficial to our mission, and you don't have to try every means to stop me."

"Benefits? If it really is to speed up the triggering speed, why would I stop you? But as far as I know, that clue is not prepared for the current 'Xingchuan Kazuaki' at all, and it may even mislead you after you enter the dungeon in the future. So just in case, I will try my best to stop you from exploring."

Xingchuan and Ming frowned when they heard this:

"So, you have experienced the plot of the fourth dungeon? In other words, you actually know what happened at that time, which is why you are so sure that I would be misled by the clue brought by Date Kou?"

Unexpectedly, Nishihara Tadahiko directly denied it:

"On the contrary, since I woke up, my memory of that time has been blocked, so I have no idea what happened at that time. I can't even do a side investigation because I always forget the purpose of the investigation and end up diverting to other things. However, as a police officer who has been strictly trained in both memory and action, it is absolutely impossible for me to make such a mistake under normal circumstances."

"Blocked? Could it be the comic book's doing?" Xingchuan Heming lowered his head in thought, "Could it be that the comic book is worried that I will get the detailed plot in the copy from you, so it blocked your related memories and restricted your actions? But why would the comic book do this? If I can know the plot in advance, it will only be beneficial to my next script design."

"This is one of the reasons why I stopped you. Once you know what happened in the past, you will inevitably analyze the pros and cons and look for a better solution, then the script of history will inevitably be rewritten. But for the comic world we live in, the current timeline is the cornerstone of everything. Once history is rewritten, the established content of the current timeline will be changed, and the stability of the world cannot be guaranteed.

Comics will never allow such a thing to happen. If such a situation really happened, in order to ensure the stability of the world, comics will most likely solve the factors that undermine the stability of the world from the root. "

Nishihara Tadahiko's words were very subtle, but Hoshikawa and Akira broke out in a cold sweat. What is the variable that causes instability in the comics world? Of course, it is these vests that have been jumping back and forth on the timeline.

Judging from his attitude towards the comic book publishing mission and the degree of maintenance of the world, he even has to pay for and settle the troubles caused by the child of destiny, Edogawa Conan. If such a thing really happened, in order to maintain the stability of the comic world, the comic book may really do something like directly eliminating variables to maintain stability from the source.

For the sake of their lives, Xingchuan and Ming turned 90 degrees and turned their backs to the table where Amuro Toru and Date Kou were sitting, so as to avoid accidentally seeing something they shouldn't see. The first three copies were all passed safely, and if they accidentally stepped on a minefield because of the clues left by the fourth copy, it would be too unfair.

Fortunately, Nishihara Tadahiko discovered this in time. After realizing that all memories related to the copy were blocked, he immediately thought of avoiding related clues for himself.

Huh? Wait!

Since all of Nishihara Tadahiko's own memories were blocked, how could he know that the reason why Date Kou came to see Amuro Toru was related to the fourth copy? Shouldn't he remember it?

Unless, the channel he learned about it was not from his own memory, but from his memory as "Xingchuan Kazuaki"! It was his memory before he triggered copy three!

The time period before the triggering of copy three was related to Date Kou, to Hoshikawa Kazuaki, and to a plot that he didn't know about. Hoshikawa Kazuaki's pupils suddenly contracted - the painting in the welfare home!

When visiting the exhibition room of the welfare home, Date Ko was shocked by a comic strip that Hoshikawa Kazuaki had drawn three years ago. He immediately took the painting away and even told Hoshikawa Kazuaki not to let anyone know the content of the painting.

Combined with the fact that he hurriedly came to find Amuro Toru right after the case was over, and that Nishihara Tadahiko's behavior, although intended to be an obstruction, actually served as a reminder to some extent, Hoshikawa and Ming almost didn't need to reason and immediately understood what the so-called "clue related to the fourth copy" was.

Hoshikawa Kazuaki and Nishihara Tadahiko looked at each other in confusion. They were speechless and had a sense of caution and laughter in their hearts, as if they had finally stepped on a landmine.

Nishihara Tadahiko smiled bitterly and said, "Hashikawa, are you using your brain too much? You know that some things cannot be explored in depth, but you still can't help but analyze them?"

Xingchuan and Ming scratched their heads awkwardly and said, "Uh, sorry, Officer Nishihara, I didn't know either. This secret is so easy to guess. I didn't even have time to delve into it before the answer popped out of my mind."

Nishihara Tadahiko rolled his eyes helplessly and said, "Are you apologizing or showing off? I'm really sorry for not making the secret more difficult to guess."

Xingchuan and Mingxin felt extremely guilty, and changed the subject with a wry smile:

"Then Officer Nishihara, I have already thought of this. If according to your previous conclusion, if it really has a negative impact on my completion of the fourth copy, then the current timeline has also been affected. But you see, we are all safe now, so, were we too nervous before? In fact, the matter is not that serious?"

Nishihara Tadahiko said unhappily:

"We are just lucky this time. But who knows what secrets you will dig out next time your brain is 'too good'? I think you should be more cautious in the near future and stop being curious about Amuro Toru and the others, so as not to cause trouble for ourselves."

Xingchuan and Mingli were embarrassed and could only agree reluctantly.

At this moment, the comic strip from three years ago, which Xingchuan and Ming had avoided but accidentally deduced the answer to, was placed on the coffee table where Date Kou was sitting. The general content of the painting: a gunfight, a policeman, an exploding car, and a young brown-haired man collecting blood samples.

When Toru Amuro saw the contents of the painting, his eyes became fierce and he immediately reached out to destroy the painting. However, Date Kou was prepared and grabbed Toru Amuro's wrist as he reached out, stopping his movement.

Toru Amuro's expression changed several times, but he finally withdrew his hand and signaled Date Kou to explain.

Date Kou was using Amuro Toru's shield to point at the brown-haired man in the picture and said:

"The color of the hair is probably due to the pigment changing over time. The original color should be golden."

He moved his finger toward a building in the background of the painting and tapped it, saying:

“The Fujimoto Building is easy to recognize from its main exterior. Only the sign on the roof is also brown. But in reality, the sign on the roof of this building has always been gold since it was built. The reason why it is brown is because of the quality of the pigment, which will change color over time. I have already checked this with the e-commerce company that sells painting pigments.”

Date Ko's gaze towards Amuro Toru became sharp.

"Golden hair is rare. The person who ended up doing that three years ago was you, right? So, you were actually hiding in the same organization as the others back then, right? Are you still there now?"

However, Toru Amuro did not intend to answer his question, but said seriously:

"All the details about that incident are confidential. Captain Ida, I cannot tell you anything that is not related to you. This painting must be destroyed immediately. In addition, you must explain the origin of this painting. Who else knew about that incident?"

Seeing that he had no intention of answering, Date Kou did not press him any further. In fact, avoiding the question itself was a kind of answer, and Date Kou did not necessarily want to explore the secret that Amuro Toru wanted to hide. He just wanted to find out what kind of danger this colleague who was too strict with him was in.

After what happened three years ago, Date Kou could already feel what kind of danger Morobushi Kagemitsu had to face to survive. Now that he suddenly knew that even Amuro Toru was facing the same danger that could swallow his life at any time, Date Kou's heart was far from being as calm as he appeared. The worry about his close friend of the same period quickly occupied all his thoughts. He took a lot of effort to calm down, frowned and said in a deep voice:

"That's the second thing I want to tell you. I brought this painting out from the orphanage where Xingchuan lived when he was a child."

Amuro Toru's eyes suddenly widened, and he stared at Date Kou in disbelief:

"The orphanage where Hoshikawa lived as a child? How come there is... Wait, are you telling me that this painting was actually painted by Hoshikawa and Akira himself?"

Date Ko nodded seriously, briefly explained the process of discovering the painting, and then added:

"I then asked the teachers at the orphanage about this. Hoshikawa often draws comic strips based on his own stories. The teachers and children at the orphanage are used to it, so not many people care about the content of this picture. But there is one thing I am more concerned about. Hoshikawa drew this picture three years ago, which is even earlier than that incident. He moved out of the orphanage not long after he finished drawing it."

Amuro Toru frowned and thought:

"The painting was completed even before the incident happened? Are you sure?"

Yidahang nodded and said:

"According to my research, this is indeed the case."

If it was someone other than Date Kou who came to this conclusion, Amuro Toru would have immediately suspected that the other person was just messing around with the investigation. However, the person who came to this conclusion was Date Kou.

Toru Amuro is well aware of the investigative skills of his friend of the same period, and that is why he finds it even more unbelievable at this moment.

There are people who can accurately predict what will happen in the future before it happens, and can even draw it in the form of a comic strip. What is this? A special ability? The hand of God?

Amuro Toru suddenly thought of something, his blue-purple pupils suddenly shrank, and he looked at Date Kou and asked anxiously:

"You mean, when Hoshikawa and Akira were little, they started drawing comics out of their made-up stories?"

Ida Hang nodded.

"That's right, that's what the teachers at the welfare home said. They've long been accustomed to Xingchuan's strange ideas, so no one takes the content of this painting seriously. This may be good news for us when we come here."

Amuro Toru's expression changed several times. After taking another deep look at the comic strip on the table, he suddenly reached out and picked up the drawing paper with a serious look on his face. This time, Date Kou did not stop him, but continued:

"I told Xingchuan afterwards that the content of this painting must not be disclosed to anyone, and he agreed. But I can see that he himself can't remember why he painted such a picture, so he must have no idea."

Amuro Toru nodded, folded up the drawing paper and put it in his pocket. When he looked up again, his expression had completely returned to the sunny and handsome waiter look he had before. He showed Date Kou a cheerful and energetic smile and said in a gentle voice:

"Then please enjoy our specialties. The sandwich you want to bring to your girlfriend has been packed. If you need anything else, please feel free to order."

Once again, Date Ko was shocked by his enthusiastic service and his tears broke on the spot. Then, under Amuro Toru's murderous gaze, he struggled to pull the corners of his mouth and made a stiff smile.

Only then did Amuro Toru return to the kitchen with the empty tray in his hand. However, once he was out of sight, he immediately took out the drawing paper, tore it into pieces, and threw it into the sink to soak the pieces. He then glanced at the seasoning area, casually poured half a bottle of soy sauce into the sink, dyeing the paper scraps completely black, and then flushed them down the drain with confidence.

After doing all this, Amuro Toru took off his apron and walked out of the kitchen, smiling apologetically at Enomoto Azusa and Hoshikawa Kazuaki:

"The soy sauce in the kitchen is all gone, so I need to go to the supermarket. I'll let you two take care of this for now, is that ok?"

While speaking, Toru Amuro's gaze vaguely swept across Hoshikawa and Akira's faces, and then naturally retracted his gaze before Hoshikawa and Akira noticed anything.

Azusa Enomoto said with a smile, "Thank you for taking the trouble, Mr. Amuro. I and Hoshikawa will take care of the store, so please rest assured, Mr. Amuro."

Hoshikawa Kazuaki also nodded with a smile, and at the same time pointed to the clock at Amuro Toru and said:

"It will be time to get off work soon. The store won't be very busy. Mr. Amuro, just go ahead and relax."

Toru Amuro paused, remembering that Hoshikawa and Akira had agreed to discuss something with Officer Nishihara after get off work. He smiled and nodded to Hoshikawa and Akira. Before leaving, he glanced at where Nishihara Tadahiko was sitting, and lingered for a moment on Matsui Naoto who was sitting opposite him, then walked out of the cafe without stopping.

After the door of the cafe was closed, Hoshikawa Kazuaki immediately said to Nishihara Tadahiko in his mind:

"As expected, Amuro Toru tilted his head towards the customer area before leaving. He must have noticed your abnormal behavior today."

"I always pick you up when you get off work, but today he suddenly came to talk to you as a stranger. It's impossible to avoid him with such abnormal behavior. But today's plan was changed temporarily for Matsui Naoto, and the reason was the chance encounter at the bomb site yesterday. These are all reasonable. So you don't have to be so wary of Amuro Toru. After all, he is also a policeman, and he won't doubt your purpose of approaching him just because you drew a picture."

Tadahiko Nishihara took a sip of coffee, his posture relaxed and his expression calm, as if he was waiting for his friend to get off work.

Hoshikawa Kazuaki put down the coffee cup in his hand and looked out the window, seemingly observing the people coming and going, but in fact his eyes were empty. A forum comic appeared in front of him, and his fingers moved in the air by placing the coffee cup, and the pages of the comic turned. However, when it came to the last page, there was no content after Amuro Toru left the coffee shop.

Hoshikawa and Akira closed the forum in disappointment, but they didn't bother Kagano Satoshi to eavesdrop on this little thing. First, Amuro Toru was too alert, and important things would definitely avoid surveillance cameras. Second, if they used mobile phones or other methods to eavesdrop, they would inevitably be discovered by Amuro Toru.

Xingchuan Kazuaki sighed in consciousness:

"Now we can only rely on your judgment. Morobushi Jingguang has enough trust in you two, so that we can find the right entry point when we integrate into the red team next time."