"I'm sorry, Kono-kun, there was a bit of a delay on the way, so I've kept you waiting!"

Lin Xiuyi hurriedly came to a high-end bar in Roppongi. After finding Shohei Kono near the bar, Lin Xiuyi casually pulled out the chair next to him and sat down.

"What do you need, sir?"

The waiter saw Lin Xiuyi sitting down, and hurriedly stepped forward to ask.

"A charcoal-roasted ginkgo biloba and a glass of Salty dog!"

"Yes sir, please wait a moment!"

Lin Xiuyi didn't look at the wine list and directly reported his needs, and the waiter immediately retreated after noting down Lin Xiuyi's needs, and Lin Xiuyi had an old relationship with Kono-kun, who he hadn't seen for a long time.

"Xiu Yijun, I haven't seen each other for a long time, and you even shirked the last time you were invited to participate in the friendship, have you been busy with some big cases recently?"

"There's no big case, it's just that I went to Iwate Prefecture to recuperate for a while because of my health, but I'm really sorry for the last friendship!"

Lin Xiuyi said to Kono Shohei with a slight apology, and at that moment, the bartender served him a plate of charcoal-roasted ginkgo biloba and a glass of Salty dog!

"Xiu Yijun, I can't hide it, I actually want to ask you for something this time, but I don't know if Xiu Yijun is inconvenient to help me with this recently?"

Kono was silent for a while, and then solemnly asked Lin Xiuyi that his usual cynical attitude was like a judgment between the two!

"Oh, that's okay, I've just finished my vacation, and I haven't officially taken over the job yet, so I wonder what Kono-kun wants to ask me for?"

Lin Xiu generously agreed.

"I wonder if Shuichi-kun has ever heard of Professor Noguchi of Todai?"

"Could it be that Kono-kun is talking about the famous translator Professor Eiji Noguchi? I vaguely remember that I read the news from the newspaper more than a month ago that he committed suicide by burning charcoal in his hometown in Hokkaido! Could it be that Kono-kun wants to ask me to investigate this matter?"

"Hey, I really want to ask Shuicchi-kun to investigate this case, although the Hokkaido police have characterized this case as a suicide, but I still find it a little unacceptable! Professor Noguchi was a teacher I admired very much in college. I visited him when I returned to China just last year. At that time, Professor Noguchi was planning to translate a work on Greek philosophy, so he declined the offer of Todai and prepared to return to his hometown in Hokkaido to spend his old age. To be honest, I was genuinely impressed by his conviction to accomplish this feat, and I never expected him to speak out about such a thing. ”

Shohei Kono sighed and picked up the glass, drank all the wine in the glass, and then asked the bartender for the same.

"Is Kono-kun suspecting that Professor Noguchi didn't commit suicide?"

"Hey, as far as I know, Professor Noguchi has always had a very strong interest in Greek classical philosophy. When I was still in school, he talked to us more than once in class about his retirement and wanting to make this job his last contribution to his translation career. I have the impression that Professor Noguchi is a man of his word, and I categorically do not believe that he would give up his ideal choice to commit suicide by burning charcoal!"

Lin Xiu took a sip of the wine glass, picked up the shell-opening tool at hand and opened the shell of the ginkgo biloba, and then put the fruit inside into his mouth. At first taste, the taste is a little bitter, but after chewing a few times, I taste the sweetness after the bitterness, but this taste can only be experienced by those who are patient with taste.

After putting down the wine glass in his hand, Lin Xiuyi asked Kono-kun again:

"Then let me ask again, does Professor Noguchi suffer from any serious illness?"

"I don't know much about this, but the last time I saw him, he still seemed very talkative, not at all like he was seriously ill!"

Lin Xiu nodded clearly, knowing in his heart that Kono-kun was only suspicious, and there was no evidence in his hand to confirm that Professor Noguchi did not die by suicide. However, this case happened in Hokkaido, and the Metropolitan Police Department has no jurisdiction!

"Kono-kun, because this case happened in Hokkaido, I can't comment too much, so the investigation can only be carried out within the scope of the police department's authority and responsibility. Please understand this!"

"It's natural, I'm just suspicious, as long as Xiu Yijun can help me investigate, I'll be relieved!"

As soon as Lin Xiu saw that Kono-kun understood what he meant, he also had a plan in his heart. After he drank the Salty dog in his cup, he was about to get up and say goodbye to Shohei Kono.

"What, Xiu Yijun, don't you sit for a while anymore?"

Kono said to Lin Shuichi.

"No, my sister Reina-chan is still waiting for me at home, I think it's better to go back early!"

Shohei Kono heard Lin Xiuyi mention Reina, and a long-lost smile suddenly appeared on his face.

"Speaking of Reina-chan, I think of the Sakurako Sakura we met on the train, she's such a beautiful woman, but it's a pity that you sent her to prison like this, by the way, she seems to be out of prison soon, right?"

Hearing Kono-kun mention Sakurako, Lin Shuichi immediately sat back in his seat. Speaking of which, this woman is really a little pitiful, but that's the law. Sakurako's murder can be recognized as legitimate defense, but her act of hiding the body and destroying evidence violated the law, so it seems that Sakurako's imprisonment is actually a pity.

"Sakurako Takudai only has a one-year sentence, so she will probably be released from prison in the winter. But since you mentioned her, I did intend to visit her on the way to Hokkaido......" Lin Shuichi recalled the situation when Sakurako Takudai was in the transfer room, when Sakurako was only one step away from absconding abroad, but in the end, under the persuasion of Lin Xiuyi, out of the new appointment of Lin Xiuyi, he finally chose to accept the punishment of the law.

But for Sakurako Tazui, such a choice is not a bad thing, rather than fleeing abroad and living a life of drifting for the rest of her life, choosing to take responsibility and stay, and after a short sentence to stand under the blue sky and white clouds again to breathe free air, isn't it more worthwhile?

"If you really want to visit her, don't forget to send my greetings to Miss Tajui, Shuich-kun!"

Shohei Kono deliberately reminded. Then a hint of an intriguing smile appeared on the corner of his mouth, which was almost like Sho Kono, who was angry about the death of his mentor just now.

"In that case, it seems that I must go to Hokkaido, may I ask if Professor Noguchi still has any relatives in Hokkaido?" Lin Shuichi thought of Sakurako Takurii and decided that it would be better to go to Hokkaido to investigate in person. Anyway, Lin Shuichi still has to express his trust in Sakurako.

"As far as I know, there should be none, Professor Noguchi's only daughter seems to have married and lived abroad, and I only met her at the funeral!"

Kono said as he picked up the pad paper under the cup, and then wrote down an address and handed it to Lin Shuichi.

"This address seems to be Professor Noguchi's residence in Sapporo, but after all this time, it must have been sold!"