Not a detective

Page 190

In that instant, just that instant, it felt as if we had returned to the bubble economy era of the 1980s, to the golden age of Kabukicho.

The noisy crowd was incredibly dense. Except for people like Asakawa Riku, most people could only be pushed and shoved forward slowly, with the flashes of cameras and the neon lights overhead creating a chaotic scene.

It's almost impossible to tell the difference between night and day.

Only Asakawa Riku stood out from the crowd. He remained silent, hands in his pockets, moving freely through the throng with a fluid, evasive style.

While it was nice to be immersed in the lively atmosphere, upon reflection, he seemed to find that something else excited him more.

That is, the destination of this trip.

It's that cult building again.

Shinonome Yutaro must have chosen this meeting place carefully. Asakawa Riku walked around it but did not find any obvious traps or ambushes.

He can notice obvious killers or snipers, but he can't confirm the presence of a bomb planted in a building in a short time.

But now the surrounding area is crowded and packed with people, so that guy probably wouldn't be that crazy.

Asakawa Riku had a backup plan: if he didn't find Shinonome Yutaro, he would immediately jump out of the window and evacuate; if Shinonome Yutaro was also there, it meant he was safe.

Unless it's a high-yield area bombing, ordinary assassinations can't pose a threat to Asakawa Riku. As long as the other party is here, there will be no problem.

After getting ready, he entered the hall.

There are no guards at the entrance now, and the manager "Murayama Jun" and those burly men should have been arrested and investigated.

The security check equipment became a mere decoration, and nobody paid any attention to it.

Strangely, the police officers who should have been on duty here were nowhere to be seen, leaving only a few empty police lines. The road was clear and unobstructed, and there was no need to sneak around.

Asakawa Riku suspects that Shinonome Yutaro is behind this; he must have dispersed the police officers on duty here for some other purpose.

Instead of taking the elevator, he climbed the stairs carefully, listening and sensing for any potential ambushes.

But strangely enough, there was absolutely no sound... except for the top layer, it was too quiet.

Is that guy really that careless? Not even bringing a bodyguard?

Aren't you afraid of losing it, or is it just blind confidence?

Regardless, Asakawa Riku was cautious but not timid, and confidently walked upstairs to the last floor.

The text message from Shinonome Yutaro only mentioned the building but not the specific room, as if he knew the meeting place by default.

There is no other choice.

The tenth floor, the patriarch's room.

The room was still forced to be open to the outside; what was originally a secret, hidden room was now the most conspicuous, how ironic.

The smell of blood wouldn't dissipate so quickly, and there was a living person sitting inside.

The middle-aged man in the suit, a high-end custom-made outfit that was clearly not something an ordinary office worker could afford, and the watch on his wrist was also gleaming, indicating its considerable price.

He held a glass of red wine between his fingers, seemingly unconcerned about Asakawa Riku's approach, and sipped it elegantly and slowly, gesturing for people to sit down.

It's obvious that he's used to ordering his servants around.

Asakawa Riku ignored him and instead walked into the room, looking down at him from his elevated position.

"Yutaro Shinonome, what do you want with me?"

Yutaro Shinonome is one of the older brothers of Sueki Shinonome, and also the eldest, who is the eldest son of Kosuke Shinonome.

In this family business, he naturally occupies a very important position, holding the second-in-command position in more than 7% of the family's institutions and departments.

Many people take him for granted as the successor to the local tyrant, and with his numerous followers, it's no exaggeration to say that they're investing in the "crown prince" in advance.

Asakawa Riku did indeed meet him once, at last year's Christmas party, where he saw him fawning over the old man.

I never expected him to act so arrogant and aloof in private; he was just opportunistic.

He was probably in his forties, but because of his thinning hair, he was probably younger. He was quite handsome, probably because the old man always dated beautiful women.

Yutaro put down his wine glass, faced Asakawa Riku, and said slowly:

“Besides my father, you are the first person who has ever dared to speak to me like this.”

"If you keep talking like a villain from a third-rate urban novel, I'm leaving right now."

Asakawa Riku frowned.

I thought they all came from the same father, but I didn't expect Mo Yue's older brother to be so boring. It seems that his eccentric soul is truly unique.

It would have been much better to set up an ambush and have a good fight with him. If I had known this would happen, I would have stayed at the firm and continued to enjoy the feast.

Seeing that he was about to leave, Yutaro also stood up:

"Young people just don't have much patience. I really miss it. I was like that when I was young too."

Despite being only middle-aged, he spoke with an air of maturity, his voice deep and resonant: "Since that's the case, I'll be blunt too. Asakawa Riku, I've taken a liking to your power. Become one of my people."

"...Is this a confession?"

"This interpretation is fine; there's no need to get bogged down in the details."

Yutaro completely ignored Asakawa Riku's sarcasm, spreading his arms wide: "Asakawa Riku, I know you're strong. You destroyed the Dragon Palace last year, didn't you? Of course, I'm not blaming you. That only proves that Ibuki doesn't deserve my approval. I like strong people and respect strong people. Only in this way can one survive in this cruel world."

He addressed Asakawa Riku with unexpected sincerity:

"I know the Inspection Department has been unable to do anything about you. Their assessment is that you can only be won over, and you must not become an enemy unless there are special circumstances. Various forces are surging around you. Haven't you noticed? It's not just us; isn't it the same for the Onmyoji? I'm different from them. Believe me, my price will always be the highest. What do you want?"

"Want endless riches and glory? I can give you that. Want a different beauty to accompany you every day? I guarantee she'll be more charming than Higashino Suetsuki."

"Power? If it were you, I'd even give you the second-in-command position. We're not boss and subordinate, we're partners, how about that?"

God's Winter: God's Winter After 6

What if I wanted to punch you?

Asakawa Riku rolled up his sleeves.

Shinonome Yutaro's eyes darkened, and he lowered his outstretched hand: "It seems you still refuse. Are you choosing to stand on my sister's side?"

He suddenly let out a cold laugh:

"You don't actually think... that getting that will means you've already won, do you?"

"Oh?"

Asakawa Rikuya became serious. Sure enough, Yutaro hadn't called him out for no reason; he already knew that the will still existed.

Dongyun Sueyue's biggest trump card has been exposed to the enemy. I didn't expect the other side to be so quick to gather information. It seems that this guy is not just a simple spoiled brat.

Not to be underestimated.

But Asakawa Riku didn't panic; instead, he responded coldly:

"Are you really as indifferent as you seem? If you didn't care, you wouldn't have been in such a hurry to call me out in the middle of the night, would you?"

He saw through the other party's feigned composure at a glance; the other party was simply trying to sow discord between him and Moyue and dismantle their alliance.

However, Yutaro smiled dismissively: "As expected, young people just don't understand... The greatest legacy isn't a company, shares, wealth, or numbers..."

He pointed downwards:

"But rather, it's about people."

"people?"

Asakawa Riku repeated the emphasized syllable.

“Yes, people!” Yutaro suddenly became excited, clenching his fists so tightly that the veins on the back of his wrists seemed to bulge. “You think this church is only this size, only this building? Let me tell you, there are 25 bases like this in Shinjuku alone, and 1496 in Tokyo! You think this operation has taken in all the believers? Far from it. You can’t even imagine the scale of my painstakingly built cult, how many potential and indirect believers there are. You can find anyone on the street who has heard of it…!”

"Thank you for the information. I will eliminate them one by one."

This time, it was Asakawa Riku's turn to pretend to be calm.

He never imagined that this cult had grown to such a terrifying extent; what he had eradicated today was merely the tip of the iceberg.

What was initially thought to be all the church's high-ranking officials was actually a far cry from the involvement of countless celebrities and politicians... They appeared to have been eliminated, but in reality, it was merely a case of a lizard shedding its tail!

Once this happens, the cult will be able to completely hide and disappear underwater, making it even more difficult to track them down in the future.

Shinonome Kosuke's real plan... Was this what he sacrificed his life for?

Yutaro seemed to see through Asakawa Riku's nervousness and smiled slightly:

"Now you should understand how important our church is as a resource. No inheritance can compare to this true treasure. As long as we control the believers, we will have endless human and material resources, and they will never tire and will always be absolutely loyal. They [people] are the most important wealth. Join me, and we can become [gods]."

"...Ah, unfortunately, I'm allergic to cults."

Although Asakawa Riku was somewhat worried, his stance was unwavering, and he replied decisively, "This kind of mental control is the most heinous crime. You're dead."

He had made up his mind that no matter what the other party said, he absolutely could not let this guy leave this building alive today.

"Young people are still young people, too impetuous and too naive. You think too simply."

Yutaro casually ignored Asakawa Riku's threats and murderous intent. It was hard to imagine that someone could remain so calm under such pressure.

He turned around and opened a cabinet in the room, which turned out to be a freezer, from which cold air emanated.

He casually picked out a bottle from a row of exquisitely sparkling champagne and red wine, and twisted it open with the corkscrew next to him.

"Have you ever thought about it? What's the difference between the Church, a system like this, and a Dynasty or a government? In the end, they're all just tools used by the strong to rule the weak. The same goes for tribes and councils. Just because they're in a different form doesn't mean they're not recognized. That's a really weak idea. You're not mature enough yet."

The cork popped out with a pleasant "pop".

All the movements were performed with practiced ease, as if they had been done countless times, without the slightest hesitation.

...at this very moment.

Asakawa Riku suddenly took a step back.

"Oh, you noticed."

Yutaro, holding the bottle of sake, smiled even more broadly: "Then I take back what I said before, which means you're not bad, and I didn't misjudge you."

“You…” Asakawa Riku gritted his teeth, feeling dizzy as an unimaginable thought surfaced in his mind: “You’re not Yutaro…”

how is this possible.

He had considered this possibility, but it was so far-fetched that he dismissed it himself.

But everything now fits the facts of that hypothesis perfectly; everything is so fitting.

Yutaro's strange way of speaking, his old-fashioned tone, his repeated use of "young man" that doesn't match his age, and his condescending attitude.

He said this was the church he founded, and he was so familiar with the wine cellar in the room, and his movements were so fluid, that it didn't seem like he was here for the first time.

Even the most improbable hypothesis can become a true inference if all impossibilities are ruled out.

“We have indeed met once, Asakawa Riku, but let me reintroduce myself. I am Shinonome Kosuke, and I have become the Supreme God.”

Yutaro, in the most calm and understated manner, as if recounting what he had eaten that evening, quietly revealed an extremely terrifying truth:

"Actually, that shipwreck wasn't entirely targeted at you. The church's doctrine advocates 'no illness or disaster,' but illness, disaster, pain, and death can also bring strength. Through experimentation, we've mastered a method to increase the power of faith through 'sacrificing lives.' The dead crew members were one such experiment, and also an accumulation of numbers. Asakawa Riku, in places you can't see, car accidents, fires, diseases, falls, all sorts of accidents are accumulating, much more than in previous years. How many believers have sacrificed themselves for the greater good? I've lost count, but I can guarantee that they all voluntarily gave their lives to awaken the supreme true God, which is what prompted my final performance."

He made a gun gesture with one hand, circled it, and imitated the sound and motion of firing a gun.

"Finally, I killed the few who were in my way. Those ordinary people who want to share the spoils of victory with me, let them dream on."

"And it was because of this that I fulfilled the final condition and received the blessing of divine revelation. At that moment, I ended my withered body and was sublimated."

Yutaro stood in the center of the room, his expression sacred and solemn, the luxurious chandelier shining on him, casting a double silhouette.

One of the shadows is an old man named "Kosuke Shinonome," a sinister hawk.

Another shadow is the majestic and towering "Supreme God," compassionate and serene.

"At this moment, I am a god."

God's Winter: God's Winter AFTER...?

Yutaro Shinonome held the wine glass in one hand and slowly poured the crystal-clear liquid from the bottle with the other.

"Only when you get a certain age will you realize how good your body was when you were young. Look how steady this hand is now; it won't spill the wine anymore."

As he said, his hand was extremely steady, and the wine remained fully on the rim of the glass without wasting a single drop.

It was drunk in one gulp.

Asakawa Riku just stared at him and slowly said, "You... you possessed your son. The body you are in now is inhabited by Shinonome Kosuke's soul."