On this late autumn night, the Asahi Shimbun Online published a report on "Sigmund Tokyo Trading Company's Guilty Man K Trafficking and Forbidden Fruit Experiments" in an inconspicuous section of the evening newspaper, and vaguely pointed the finger at a certain member of the Celestial Council of the Upper House of the World Government.

The sharp and objective penmanship, the detailed and simple narration, tells everything that happened that night [exhibition].

Although the signature at the end of the article was "a reporter with interest" and did not have his real name, it still caused a thousand waves with one stone.

You must know that the Asahi Shimbun is not an ordinary third-rate tabloid, but one of the representative newspapers and periodicals in Wano Province that is mainly oriented to the intellectual class and has a style full of liberalism and journalistic professionalism.

In addition, the frequent disappearance of people in New Tokyo has already caused some panic, and in the early days, there were even family members of the missing people who went to the Metropolitan Police Department to protest in protest and ask them to solve the case as soon as possible.

When the celestials enjoyed all kinds of privileges in this world, they endured; When the celestials were above the law and mighty, they endured. Now those celestial nobles actually treat human beings as livestock, imprison, experiment, and even sell!

This time, the people couldn't sit still!

Equally unable to sit still...

And the angry bigwigs.

......

At night, Keita Fumori, who had just poured a cup of coffee in the Asahi press office, made a cup of coffee and enjoyed a break in overtime, Chinese New Year's Eve, who has been divorced for two and a half years and is currently single, just an ordinary migrant worker in the metropolis of New Tokyo.

Jingle bells—!

The phone call of the office pierces the silence of the night!

"Fussen! Are you crazy! That report... You.... You don't know what you're doing? As soon as the phone was connected, the snarl of the Asahi Shimbun's editor-in-chief trembling lips rang out.

Fumori Keita was stunned, took a sip of coffee, and a smile appeared on his face, "Of course I know, you can see that it's me?" ”

"Nonsense! That sharp and sharp style! I'm not the only one who can see it. The editor-in-chief on the other end of the phone lowered his voice and gasped, "Listen to my advice to Fusen, it's too late to stop, you don't need to gamble on your future and life, if it is found out that it is you, those guys may send you to prison for a casual slander without evidence." ”

"I'm sorry, there's something you may not be clear."

Keita Fumori stood by the window of the high-rise building of the company, looking at the brightly lit urban night outside, took a deep breath and said, "I'm a single father, but my daughter disappeared last month, and to this day I still hope that she just went out of the house, but the Metropolitan Police Department called me today to inform the families of the victims, hehehe..."

Hearing the news, the other end of the phone suddenly fell silent.

"Don't worry, I'm fine now." Keita Fushimori smiled and continued, "Slander without evidence? Then let them come. ”

Thinking of the two video recordings that the man sent to his mailbox tonight, Keita Fumori had a pale and cold smile on his face.

"And... Who says I don't have proof? ”

......

Edogawa Ward.

In a brightly lit convenience store.

Higashinohara and the previous grumpy brother counted the goods and handed over the money, and after the shift was changed, they changed into the uniform of the convenience store and came to the bar.

Captain Dragonfly?

Did that grumpy guy just say it was last night?

Higashinohara opened a few portals, and his face was slightly stunned when he saw the hot search list, and when he saw the number one horse beating video on the whole site today, his face was even more strange, and the video was full of various netizen messages in just ten minutes.

"Unbelievable! Something like this happened in New Tokyo, Wano Country?! ”

"Are the young men in the cages ready to be sold? Bastard! It's so damning! ”

"I've heard of Sigmund International Trading Co., Ltd., and the office building of the New Tokyo branch is on the outskirts of Ota Ward in the south! I have a cousin who went to an interview, but I didn't expect it to be such a cave! ”

"Strongly demand that Sigmund get out of Wano Country! Severely punish the mastermind behind the scenes! ”

“......”

"Is that guy wearing the dark gold dragonfly mask the 'Captain Dragonfly' in the news? It's so strong! Neither the Pirates nor the Smiling Tiger are his opponents! ”

"He's talking about justice out of interest? Ha ha! I like it! Is this a satire on the high-ranking officials of Wano Country? ”！

"The Metropolitan Police Department came out and was beaten! Is it not as neat as the 'justice without haze' that you flaunt in the face of sin as the 'justice that comes from interest'? ”

“......”

The comment area is still being swiped by new comments, and a trend of public opinion storm is faintly formed.

Higashinohara looked at the figure wearing the dark gold dragonfly mask in the video, and he didn't think there was anything wrong with that situation.

At this time, from the third perspective, there is some inexplicable embarrassment in my heart, especially the sentence "justice driven by interest" that has caused countless people to discuss in the comment area......

But what does what "Captain Dragonfly" said have to do with me, Higashinohara?

Thinking about it this way,

He was immediately relieved again.

......

A young teenager is reflecting.

At the same time, the "big shots" who saw the video on the Internet fell into deep thought.

Wano Province is separated by more than a dozen countries to the west and is located at the junction of the northern and southern continents of the Eastern Hemisphere, which is the seat of the world government, the Kamikyo metropolitan area, that is, a giant metropolitan area centered on Ukyo.

It is said to be a metropolitan area, but the actual area covers three small countries with a land area of 100,000 square kilometers, and there are ten large and small airports in the metropolitan area, and the headquarters of the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund and countless oligarchic enterprises in the world are located in this huge metropolitan area, which is the world's most prosperous and convenient transportation and economy.

Shangjing Tianren Special Zone, the top floor of the building of Sigmund International Trading Company.

Congressman Hope, who had just left work from the Capitol building in the center of the city, known as the "Blue Palace", turned off the ultra-thin light screen on the wall, took a glass of scarlet wine, stood up and walked to the floor-to-ceiling window to look at the crowd at his feet outside the transparent curtain wall.

What he was thinking about was in the Shangjing District... No, there must be many celestial beings and human beings in more than 300 countries in this world who, like themselves, saw the video footage that his subordinates had just transferred to him.

Wano Country?

Mankind... What a nuisance, dirty bug.

That "Captain Dragonfly"?

Is it some bullshit role-playing game?

He took a soft sip of his liquor, trying to convince himself to remain calm and not let the anger inside dominate his nervous brain.

Because Councillor Hope knows, as the latest member of the House of Lords as the noble people of today.

His enemies are not only those humans who regard him as a brutal anomaly, but also those Celestial families who watch from the dark and watch all this.

For example, the World Bank headquarters, a towering building closer to the center of Shangjing, a dozen kilometers south of the Sigmund Trading Company building, and the old fox of the Bart family on the top floor of the bank building, and the chess piece that was planted next to him a few years ago.

He knows all these very well in his heart, but the chess games of the big guys obviously can't lift the table, and he, as a newcomer, can only try to keep up with the "pace" of the big guys, and then insert the chess piece into the country of Wano, but he didn't expect to cause such an "operational accident".

Councillor Hope took a small sip of his drink, his face lost in thought.

The "Nine Masters of Heaven and Man" withdrew from the world stage in the human revolution a hundred years ago - although Hope has always vaguely felt that "that revolution forced the Nine Masters to withdraw from the stage of history" is a bit of an unknown trick.

But it is undeniable that since then, the Celestial Race has made a certain degree of concession in various matters facing human beings in the past hundred years, trying not to cause pressure on the Celestial Clan by world public opinion, which has gradually become a certain consensus at the top of the Celestial and Noble Clan.

So yourself...

Do you want to back down again?

Councillor Hope's amber pupils shone with an unusual brilliance, and after a moment of contemplation, he walked over to the desk and dialed the phone of one of the ministers of the Wano Cabinet.

It's okay to back down.

But as a successful businessman, superficial concessions are sometimes meant to clear more obstacles.

Including the guy under the mask of the dark golden dragonfly, who dares to try to provoke the majesty of his new councillor.

There is only one dead end!

After hanging up the phone, Councillor Hope threw his head back from his glass and drank it down.

......

The next day, November 22.

Wano Country Labor Thanksgiving.

Early this morning, the entrance of the Metropolitan Police Department was surrounded by a large group of reporters, and every person who walked out of the police department was chased by countless media reporters like frenzied bees and butterflies.

In the conference room at the top of the Metropolitan Police Department building, the heads of the Security Department, the Ministry of Communications, the Ministry of Crime, and the Department of Organized Crime Countermeasures sat around the conference table with tense faces on this rare national holiday, and the noise of reporters outside could be faintly heard outside the floor-to-ceiling windows next to them.

At the top of the conference table, Shin Takagi, the only person wearing a charter, glanced at Tsukada Masa, who was sitting in the corner of the conference table as the acting leader of the first team of the Third Investigation Group, who was attending the meeting, and said slowly:

"Who revealed those two videos to the media, there is no point in pursuing them now, what we have to do now is how to deal with these messes in front of us, the good news is that the foreign minister called today and expressed his determination to agree that we will deal with the Celestial staff of Sigmund in Wano Province and seize the office building of Sigmund in New Tokyo and all other properties in Ota Ward."

Speaking of this, Takagi Shen paused and continued:

"But Ryunosuke Kamiya, the captain of the second detachment of the Sakamoto Dragon Pirates who was captured together, will also publicly execute the death trial to the whole world on the artificial island of the Rising Sun in the East China Sea to set an example."

Public death penalty?

The faces of the ministers of various departments present were a little delicate.

Perhaps different from other countries' attitudes towards pirates, Wano Country has always been relatively "tolerant" of the "Sakamoto Dragon" pirate group, one of the two major pirate forces in the East China Sea adjacent to the sea - this is not only that these pirates sometimes help some governments intentionally or unintentionally, but more importantly, the ancestors of these pirates were the "warriors" of Wano Country who fought against the invasion of heaven and man thousands of years ago.

If that war is won, then they are undoubtedly the descendants of the heroes of the world, but it is a pity that the king is defeated, and the human high-ranking and celestial beings finally reach a compromise, and they can only live at sea.

Perhaps because of this, as long as they don't go too far at sea, the Metropolitan Police Department rarely targets members of the Sakamoto Dragon Pirates.

But this time...

It turned out to be a death trial.

There are no fools who can sit at today's conference table, and some people quickly think of the trading ships that the Sigmund Trading Company has frequently plundered in the East China Sea in recent years, and the Sakamoto Dragon Pirates are the largest force among them, and suddenly realize in their hearts that the so-called "determination of the cabinet foreign minister" is just a cover for a secret deal.

The seizure of the building of Sigmund's Tokyo branch and all of Shintokyo's properties, and the submission of all employees of the company to the Public Prosecutor's Office for trial seemed to have calmed the outpouring of public anger.

But how could a celestial being sentenced to death?

It may not be long before another company under the banner of a trading company called "East Gmund" will appear in Wano Country doing the same thing, and the Sigmund Company will use this to deter the pirates of the East China Sea.

No!

More than a shock!

In the corner of the conference table, Tsukada Masa, the first team, quickly sniffed out something unusual.

If you want to carry out the death trial, where can't it be executed in Wano Country? Why did you choose the artificial island in the East China Sea? The East China Sea is the base camp of the Sakamoto Dragon Pirates.

Those pirates, the descendants of the heroes of a thousand years ago, would watch the cadres of their own ships being executed? There is also the man on the dragon ship of Sakamoto, who is known as the "strongest swordsman in the East China Sea" in this era.

The general who got on his ship and drank a glass of wine with him, would he watch the other party be executed in the East China Sea under his nose?

Tsukada was faintly uneasy in his heart, frowning, wanting to say something.

At this time, there was a sudden noisy noise downstairs.

Everyone looked out through the floor-to-ceiling windows next to the conference room, and was stunned to find that the street on the west side of the Metropolitan Police Department had been congested by the crowd of people marching at some point, and at a glance, dense black dots rushed towards the building where the Metropolitan Police Department was located.

The chief of the conference table, Takagi Shen's face sank, and he spoke very quickly:

"That's it! The captured pirates will be executed early next month! Right now! All of them! Start seizing all of Sigmund's properties in New Tokyo immediately, and we have to give an account to the people! ”

"Yes!"

Everyone nodded yes.

Tsukada was stunned and sighed in his heart.

......

The headquarters of the Metropolitan Police Department.

Taku Morita was dressed in civilian clothes, wearing sunglasses, holding a stack of files and videotapes in his arms, and looked at the reporters who were surrounded by the main entrance of the Metropolitan Police Department, and secretly cursed the unscrupulous master in his heart, turned around and quietly touched the side door and wanted to slip out.

Unexpectedly, as soon as he went out, several reporters who were squatting on the marble steps eating breakfast next to him flew up and stopped him like wild dogs that saw bones.

"Mr. Police—" came up with a microphone.

"I'm not a policeman..."Morita Taku was frightened, and quickly waved his hand to cover his face.

When the reporter heard this, he immediately laughed and said, "You can really joke, you look like a police officer like this." ”

"Huh?" Morita Taku was stunned.

Another reporter next to him came up and interjected, "Hey, it's not a bad policeman, who wears sunglasses when they go out in this weather and wraps them so tightly." ”

"......" Taku Morita.

That makes sense!

"Well, what's wrong with you."

"What will the Metropolitan Police Department do to deal with this case of missing persons and human trafficking K's crimes against celestial beings?"

"This... I don't know yet, but I think it's going to be satisfying. ”

"Really? If the public is still not satisfied with the protests, will the Metropolitan Police Department continue to pay attention to them? ”

Morita Taku thought to himself how I knew what the people above thought, but he laughed dryly, "The happiness index of New Tokyo is among the best in the world, and public security has always been good. Not really..."

Before he finished speaking, he found that the eyes of several reporters at the door were no longer on him, but they turned their heads one after another, and their glowing eyes seemed to see some fresh bones.

Taku Morita glanced at the line of sight, and suddenly couldn't help but gasp.

Under the dark and gloomy sky, the streets on the west side of the Metropolitan Police Department were no longer filled with the noise of vehicle engines and horns, and were replaced by a dense crowd of heavy footsteps.

Countless people poured in from behind the street corners with signs and banners such as "Severely punish the murderers behind the scenes," "Human life is important," and "We are also interested in justice," and in the blink of an eye, they approached the door of the Metropolitan Police Department headquarters building.

Taku Morita recovered from the shock, and while a few of them were not paying attention, he quickly trotted to the side of the street with the file and videotape, and got into a gray silver van.

......

"Ato! The master really didn't misread you! ”

As soon as I got into the car and sat in the co-pilot, I heard the sound that made people have a toothache.

"For the last time! I did! For the last time! Taku Morita stared warily at Satoru Aragaki with a scruffy beard and pipe in his mouth, and clutched it tightly as he pulled out the file and tape from his arms.

"Of course! Next time, by all means... Ugh no! I mean, I won't bother you next time. Satoru Aragaki smiled and raised his hand in reassurance, and the latter handed over the file to the other party in a frustrated manner.

But when he turned his head, Morita Taku was startled, there were still two people sitting in the back seat of the van.

In addition to the high school boy who met Satoru Aragaki once last week and called "his own person", there is actually a strange girl with short silver hair wearing a hoodie!

I'm Gan!

This special purpose is a good secret to carry out?!

Satoru Aragaki glanced at the file twice, and realized that the atmosphere was not right, so he quickly explained, "Don't worry! Xia Li-chan is also her own person, a new employee of the detective agency. ”

"New hires?" Taku Morita was stunned.

Can you still recruit people from your detective agency? He glanced at the short-haired silver girl in the back seat, and Xia Li smiled at him very familiarly.

Stop

It's pretty good.

I don't look blind...

Higashinohara, who was in the back seat, looked at the crowd of demonstrators at the entrance of the Metropolitan Police Department, and when he went upstairs after exercising early in the morning, he was attracted by the part-time conditions offered by Satoru Aragaki - to accompany him to deal with this commission and reduce the rent for half a month again.

Then it means that counting last week's extramarital affair investigation, Higashinohara will not have to pay rent at the end of next month, and the money saved may be able to go to the cold weapon store to pick up two small knives.

And Kame Ryoka is very sure that her mother did not commit suicide, which also makes Higashinohara a little curious, if there is really any problem, find the murderer, maybe you can brush up the guilt value - it is difficult for Higashinohara, who has tasted the "sweetness", not to be moved.

And in this world where there are all kinds of hidden dangers, he also urgently needs to improve his strength, so today's rest will follow.

In the front seat, Satoru Aragaki taunted that the Metropolitan Police Department was hiding in the building in the face of the parade, and the surveillance video tape of the intersection had been put into the car video recorder in his hand.

Taku Morita next to him shook his head and said:

"This case is almost closed, if you want to make money, I advise you not to work hard, I've seen the file, the railroad and tram intersection in Dubetsu Town is a famous accident in recent years, there are one or two suicide cases every year, and I have brought the videos from previous years for you to see."

"You don't know about the suicide siphon effect in our country, it may become a suicide resort in a few years, and the municipal department is now even ready to replan that part of the railway."

Listening to Takushi Morita's nagging, Higashinohara also withdrew his gaze from the window and stared at the car video recorder in front of him.

In the not very clear picture, a woman carrying a vegetable basket was waiting at the intersection when she suddenly looked straight ahead and crossed the life and death fence with a relieved smile on her face.

Bang Bang!

In the next moment, the tram whizzed by, and there were shouts of terror all around.

No matter how you look at it, this is the most common case of suicide among the more than 300 suicides in New Tokyo every year, although it does not occur during the "peak period".

Every year around the spring, winter, and summer vacations of Wano Country, many students worry that they will be excluded and bullied at school and become a "peak period for suicide", and another "peak period" is the beginning of the rainy season in New Tokyo in May, and the continuous drizzle and high-intensity work pressure increase the possibility of office workers jumping off the rails.

Satoru Aragaki didn't notice anything wrong, he pressed down and flipped down, and the tape soon showed a series of suicide videos of the railroad crossing in Twibetsu Town in recent years.

The suicide time is in the morning, noon and evening, and the suicide crowd includes the elderly, young people, office workers and housewives, some of them are smiling, some are sad, and some look like crazy...

All in all, it is very consistent with big data suicide statistics, and there is nothing in common.

......

"That's a little tricky."

Ten minutes later, Satoru Aragaki couldn't help but sigh and raised his hand to turn off the car video camera.

"Please wait a minute."

Suddenly, Higashinohara, who was in the back seat of the van, spoke.

Satoru Aragaki and Taku Morita in the co-pilot turned their heads to look at him at the same time, and the slight light in Higashinohara's pupils flashed.

He leaned over and pointed to the car video camera next to the front rearview mirror, showing two obscured pedestrians waiting at the intersection at the time of the suicide.

"Those two people,

In the suicide videos of last year and the year before that,

It also appeared. ”

......