Not a detective

Page 180

The Golden Treasure Chest will be updated with 20 more chapters.

Starting from the current time, the count will be settled every night, and an extra chapter will be added if the conditions are met.

Sometimes I forget to settle the bill, but I'll make it up the next day. You can also remind me in the group chat.

This bounty has no time limit or upper limit. As long as you are willing to contribute, I will update it for you without delay.

I hope you can support me.

Winter of the Gods: Chapter Seven - The Cult's Lair

The following weekend, Asakawa Riku left home early in the morning and took the train to Shinjuku.

He didn't prepare much, but went into action lightly, since this was just a preliminary search, not a battle.

As long as the cult's headquarters doesn't have nerve gas, automatic rifles, or armed helicopters, it's relatively easy to deal with.

Emerging from the complex station and crowded streets, the familiar Kabukicho streets come into view.

...Here again.

Asakawa Riku suddenly realized that perhaps nothing was without reason; there had been many signs from the very beginning.

The last time he came here was to handle the "Idol Rika Otsuka Underground Plastic Surgery Clinic Murder Case." At that time, he certainly couldn't have imagined that one day he would return to this street.

Here, all the clues come together again.

In that incident, Rika Otsuka's true cause of death was that her unborn child broke through her body, and she was subsequently dismembered.

The child was possessed by the monster "Nekomata," but ordinary babies are not possessed by monsters because they do not have many impurities or negative emotions, making it difficult for them to be possessed.

However, during the subsequent search, it was discovered that Rika Otsuka's home contained a large number of cult texts, audio and video recordings of unknown meaning, and various strange and unsettling items.

It was this terrible "prenatal education" that caused the unborn baby to be infected with the symptoms of a monster and become a deadly murderer.

What was originally just an unfortunate tragedy now seems to have been more complex than it appears.

The incident in the spring also revealed elements of a "cult".

...Perhaps, all these masterminds are from the same organization?

The cult we're investigating today may also be the culprit behind the tragedy that befell Rika Otsuka.

"I'm really looking forward to it..."

Asakawa Riku stood under the sign for "Kabukicho Ichiban-gai" and watched the bustling crowds. It wasn't exactly lively during the day, but it was already beginning to take shape.

He glanced at the address Xingyu had sent him on his phone and quickly walked along the road.

From there on, things started to feel off, and more and more things became apparent, including the subtle changes in the atmosphere of Kabukicho that I had mentioned at the time...

Even the thugs who surrounded and provoked Asakawa Riku at the time, including those from the underworld, exhibited an abnormal level of aggression and fanaticism, which may have been influenced by a cult.

In any case, we should get a result today.

Asakawa Riku navigated through the streets and alleys, following the signs on the address, and soon found his destination.

Looking up, you'll find that there are indeed some unusual things about this building.

It's not about some vague concept like "atmosphere." It's quite obvious that there are no signs on the building and no people soliciting customers downstairs.

This might be normal elsewhere, but this is Kabukicho, where every inch of land is precious. On this bustling commercial street, there are bars, hostess clubs, and nightclubs everywhere.

Perhaps only a cult's headquarters and the Shinonome Detective Agency could afford such exorbitant rents but do nothing of substance.

Asakawa Riku walked expressionlessly toward the building entrance, but was quickly stopped.

"This is a private area, sir, please do not go any further in."

There were burly men in black bodysuits guarding the empty lobby on the first floor. There were more than one, about five or six of them, standing or sitting in twos and threes.

Aside from not having any weapons and having a smile on their face instead of a fierce one, they're practically indistinguishable from a gangster's office.

"I have come to pay my respects to His Holiness the Pope."

Asakawa Riku spoke calmly, showing no fear.

He was also very curious: this cult might have placed so many door gods to prevent trouble, but weren't they also afraid of scaring away their followers?

Upon hearing his words, the burly men guarding the gate exchanged glances, seemingly surprised by Asakawa Riku's age:

"you……"

"Young man, this is too early for you."

At this moment, a slightly shorter man stepped out from among them. He wasn't muscular, but rather a thin man wearing glasses and a business suit, looking like a secretary.

He adjusted his glasses, then smiled at Asakawa Riku:

"Are you still in school? I'm sorry, minors cannot join our church. Although the great deeds of our founder are very attractive, you are easily distracted by other things and cannot make rational judgments yet. There's no rush to make a decision to join the church. It's not too late to learn more about it later when you're more mature."

It seemed that the bespectacled man was in charge here, and these burly men seemed to listen to him. They still came closer, trying to drive Asakawa Riku out.

That sounds nice... Perhaps if you only heard that, you might think that this is a church with a conscience, at least it doesn't cheat minors, right?

But in reality, Asakawa Riku knew very well that cults had no conscience; they just didn't have the value of deceiving underage students.

Especially since he was dressed very simply and didn't look like a rich person, why would a cult bother to exploit a little kid's pocket money?

If Higashion Suetsuki were to stand here wearing those luxury brands, even if she had a youthful appearance, she would definitely be treated like a fat sheep and treated well.

However, it seems that Asakawa Riku does not yet qualify to be a target.

what can we do about it?

The burly men surrounding him seemed to be smiling but were making gestures to shoo him away; they were about to reach him.

Breaking through is not difficult, but starting by tearing apart relationships and overturning the table seems like moving too fast.

He's here today for a preliminary search, mainly to find out the truth about this cult. He'll only intervene if there's an emergency.

We haven't even met the real "patriarch" yet. If we alert him now, we might let the real mastermind escape.

Asakawa Riku was momentarily troubled. He thought that he should either retreat now and sneak into the building from another place.

...If I had known, I would have asked the detective to apply for more funds for the operation, so I could pretend to be a tycoon for once.

Just as I was hesitating, a piercing shriek suddenly came from behind me.

Bah——!

It was like the sound of chalk scraping across a blackboard, an unpleasant noise. The burly men around were stunned, some even covering their ears and looking over.

Asakawa Riku turned around as well, and he was also surprised, because it was the sound of tires burning as the car braked hard to a stop on the ground.

The eye-catching "Gentian Blue" Porsche 911 was parked at the gate.

Stepping out of the driver's seat with her beautiful long legs, the tall woman emerged like a sword drawn from its sheath, her black trench coat like a cloak, sharp and incomparably striking.

As she walked into the hall, she took off her black sunglasses, slowly folded them up, and as she passed by, they ended up hanging in the center of Asakawa Riku's collar.

"He's with me, can we go in?"

Kirisame Aoi turned her head and smiled at the cult group in front of her.

Winter of the Gods: Chapter Eight - Traveling Together

"This...you are...?"

The manager wearing glasses seemed startled.

Kirisame Aoi just laughed heartily, gently taking Asakawa Riku's arm in hers, as if they had been a couple for a long time:

"Oh dear, I just came with him. He rushed over without even letting me park the car. You're really in a hurry, aren't you?"

"I should have waited for you."

Riku Asakawa's acting was a bit stiff, but he still managed to keep up with the scene.

It was unclear how much the bespectacled man actually believed, but he glanced at the sports car parked on the street in the distance, then looked up and down at Wu Yu Kui, and clearly swallowed.

—This should be a "fat sheep" enough.

"Since you two are together, please follow me. I've delivered the invitations, so let me be your guide."

He quickly changed his expression, put on a big smile, and bowed, gesturing for people to come in.

The rule that minors cannot join a religion, which was just mentioned, has been completely forgotten.

...

The bespectacled man, who introduced himself as "Murayama Jun," led the way.

Behind them, Asakawa Riku and Kirisame Aoi were talking to each other in an extremely soft voice, inaudible to a third person.

This was started by Kiriyu Aoi:

"See? Buying a nice car really works, otherwise you wouldn't have been able to get in today."

The moment Asakawa Riku heard it, he understood that this woman was indeed no ordinary person. Her ability to control such subtle sound waves was something that no ordinary body could do.

Therefore, Rikuo Asakawa answered in the same way:

"...Why are you here too?"

"Was it just a coincidence, or perhaps fate?"

"I don't believe it."

Her flippant tone always made it hard to believe, but after rummaging through her clothes, she couldn't find any tracking devices or anything like that.

The timing of this woman's appearance is too coincidental; she appeared just when it was most needed. What a coincidence!

After a pause, Misty Rain Aoi continued:

"It just so happens that I'm also on a mission to investigate today. We can look out for each other, isn't that great?"

"Your supervisory department has also taken notice of this organization?"

"I can't reveal mission information!"

She laughed sweetly, her body trembling with joy, like a silly girl amused by some joke.

What a difficult guy.

Asakawa Riku was helpless. Although he couldn't figure out Kirisame Aoi's thoughts and goals, she shouldn't be an enemy at least.

In such a dangerous place, her strong combat ability can provide some reassurance. At least for now, forming an alliance and seeing how things go can't hurt.

So he let Wu Yu Kui lead him away, playing the role of a wealthy couple lured into joining a cult.

Murayama Jun turned around in confusion and looked at her.

He could hear the couple whispering, but he couldn't make out what they were saying at all. He could only see them whispering intimately to each other.

"Both of you."

The moment they were called, they stopped talking instantly and turned around at the same time, their movements so swift it was almost unbelievable.

Murayama Jun always felt that he had attracted something extraordinary, but perhaps it was the lure of a big fish that made him unable to simply let go of the rod.

He is indeed a devout believer, and everyone here is a devout believer, but to be able to satisfy one's faith while also seeking personal gain is simply amazing.

"You need to go through a security gate before you can get on the elevator. This is our rule here. Please understand."

But to be on the safe side, Murayama Jun still took extra precautions.

Upon hearing this, Kirisame Aoi immediately began to complain: "Eh—where is this place? We even have to go through security, how scary—"

Her drawn-out syllables were truly captivating, and as she hugged and cuddled Asakawa Riku, she looked exactly like a rich, naive second-generation heir keeping a gigolo.

Junya Murayama, who was being questioned, was momentarily embarrassed, but he quickly remembered his usual line:

"Don't worry too much. It's for everyone's safety. It's also to prove that we really don't have any weapons here. We're all our compatriots, so you can rest assured."

Classic evasive tactics. They think setting up a security check here will prove there are no weapons upstairs? What a joke.

But Asakawa Riku chose to pretend he was fooled, didn't expose him, and readily stepped forward:

"Let them do the test, it's fine."

He spread his hands, stood under the door, and let the scanning light cover his entire body.

Whenever Riku Asakawa sees such a machine, he is always puzzled.