Chapter 111
This sudden shout instantly drew the attention of everyone in the shop.
This shop's decor was quite old, and the space wasn't very large, with only a row of counter seats around the kitchen. Before the Mobile Investigation Unit entered, there were at most three people inside.
A middle-aged man, a girl who looked to be in her early twenties, and someone dressed like a budget version of Usuha Izuki—a street punk.
It had to be said that with similar color schemes, when Usuha Izuki wore it, even Vodka could only admit that while he couldn't accept it personally, some people would definitely find it fashionable.
But this person's outfit—if you asked anyone, they would tell you decisively: An eyesore!!!
This proved that the difference in temperament and appearance really affected others' perception.
Anyway, if it were Usuha Izuki himself sitting here now, the other two wouldn't be sitting so far away from him.
Since the shop could currently only seat six people, and they were sitting so spread out, the three Mobile Investigation Unit members who came together were forced to separate. So when Usuha Izuki walked toward that street punk, the punk thought he just wanted him to change seats and even considerately stood up directly, planning to give up his seat.
No help for it—someone like him, dressed garishly with tattoos visible on his arms when wearing short sleeves in summer, could only intimidate others through external equipment. He was just small fry.
But this person in simple black and white, whose single glance could make his liver tremble, who walked into such a shabby shop yet instantly filled it with the intoxicating atmosphere of a Las Vegas casino—clearly a big shot!
The other two also looked like bodyguards, either somewhat fierce-looking or coldly expressionless. Either way, they were all people he couldn't afford to provoke.
So this street punk didn't even dare make eye contact. He didn't want his unfinished noodles anymore and just wanted to pay and leave.
Forget about this being a good opportunity to network with a big shot... Who knew if this was one of his own or from a rival organization? Besides, with such a big shot sitting next to him, he couldn't eat at all. Better to leave quickly!
However, just as he stood up trying to give the big shot his seat, the big shot suddenly grabbed his arm.
This person was already extremely nervous, and when this action that clearly shouldn't occur between two strangers happened, his mind instantly filled in the logic that his recent activities had been discovered and the big shot was here for him.
So his panic instantly broke through reason, and he almost reflexively shouted in a broken voice: "What are you trying to do?!"
The shop owner looked over and immediately showed a troubled expression—was this internal gang conflict? Could they please not choose his shop...
Although Officer Shima was also startled, he still felt Samukawa Shinryu must have had a reason, but this habit of taking action without warning really wasn't good, so he disapprovingly shouted: "Samukawa!"
He was clearly trying to stop him, but unfortunately, under the shop owner's expectant gaze, the big shot didn't listen to him. He even twisted his wrist and directly pressed the street punk to the floor, the angle of the other's shoulder making onlookers wince in pain.
"Ahhhhh—!!!"
The victim screamed, the sound so penetrating it even reached outside the shop, startling a passing girl. She glanced into the shop where the door hadn't had time to close and immediately quickened her pace.
Within seconds, Ibuki Ai, who had good hearing, heard among the intermittent screams a phone call voice growing more distant: "Hello? Police? I want to report..."
Ibuki Ai immediately remembered their group being mocked by other units for a month and quickly rushed outside: "Wait, don't call the police! I am the police!"
However, the girl hadn't expected him to chase after her. Seeing Ibuki Ai's face, which looked somewhat fierce when serious, plus the Mobile Investigation Unit wearing plain clothes, she didn't believe Ibuki Ai at all and became even more frightened. She quickened her pace forward while running and saying: "Sorry, can you come quickly? There's someone here impersonating police and chasing me..."
"Wait, don't run! You've misunderstood!" Ibuki Ai hurriedly chased after her.
Everyone else in the shop was dumbfounded.
The girl even moved closer to the middle-aged man somewhat fearfully: "Dad..."
The middle-aged man nervously protected his daughter, hesitating whether to leave—his sense of justice wouldn't let him pretend not to see, but with his daughter beside him, if his momentary impulse hurt his daughter...
"...Don't be afraid, go hide in the bathroom." The middle-aged man instructed. "Lock it tight!"
After pushing his daughter into the bathroom and confirming the door was locked, the middle-aged man turned around, planning to say something to the person committing violence in broad daylight.
But in just this short time, the street punk had already been handcuffed, and the young man in the black military-style coat, under his gaze, efficiently kicked the person over with one foot, then bent down and pulled a gun from the other's pocket.
The middle-aged man who had been about to say something immediately shut his mouth.
Having a gun versus just beating someone up were completely different in nature. If this guy had a gun in his hand earlier, he would have definitely taken his daughter and left without a word!!!
Now he was even considering whether he should also hide in the bathroom.
He began to think that his momentary impulse to believe that person who ran out saying "I'm police" was as naive as someone fresh out of society. How did this look like police behavior at all!
Modern yakuza are really brazen! They even dare impersonate police!
Currently, of the three suspicious people, one was beating someone up here, one went out to chase the person who called police, and one shouted once trying to stop it but didn't succeed and then ran out for unknown reasons. So the shop owner also secretly hid behind the counter and called police.
"Hello, police? I want to report... someone is beating people in my shop... there's even a gun... the address is... yes... please hurry... I'm so worried someone will die..."
At this time, Ibuki Ai returned. Samukawa Shinryu saw his dejected expression and knew he hadn't explained clearly. Afraid of continuing to frighten people, he didn't pursue further.
As soon as Ibuki Ai entered, he was startled seeing the gun in Samukawa Shinryu's hand, then nervously said: "You're going to shoot again? Shima will really get angry! He won't help you write another self-criticism this time! ...Wait, where did you get this gun? Did you take it from the Sumiyoshi Group? You didn't turn it in?"
The street punk whose gun was discovered turned pale.
Because he was too nervous, he didn't really catch Ibuki Ai's rapid-fire string of words, only catching keywords like "shoot," "Sumiyoshi Group," "took it"...
...Wait, Sumiyoshi Group?!
The street punk's mind cleared for a moment and immediately recalled related intelligence.
The Sumiyoshi Group had previously suffered huge losses, reportedly due to police special operations, though others said it was people from other groups infiltrating to kill with borrowed knives. The information was chaotic, and all the real insiders were arrested, so no one knew the actual situation... Now listening to this, it sounded like these people were the culprits who caused the Sumiyoshi Group to regress ten years overnight?!
"Boss! Boss, although I'm from the Nishikawa Group, I'm just bottom-level! If there's anything that offended you, it was all ordered by higher-ups..."
The shop owner and middle-aged man, hearing clearly gang-related terms like "Sumiyoshi Group" and "Nishikawa Group," couldn't help shrinking further into corners.
Sure enough, it was gang conflict! How unlucky they were! Why choose a ramen shop?! Couldn't they go somewhere classier?!
Samukawa Shinryu tested the gun with one hand, spinning it on his wrist with arm-like flexibility: "Not mine, it's this guy's. He has gunpowder residue on him, and two bullets are missing."
Ibuki Ai's expression immediately became serious: "I see! Does Shima know?"
"No, he should be waiting for radio contact."
Ibuki Ai suddenly panicked: "Right, the radio... I'll go tell Shima!"
Shima must be full of misunderstandings about Samukawa-kun right now. He had to quickly go explain! ...Eh? But Shima actually left Samukawa-kun alone here without asking clearly—wasn't that also a form of trust in some sense?
Ibuki Ai didn't think it through completely, but anyway, after saying this, he ran out like a wisp of smoke, and again didn't close the door. The winter wind whistled inside, and the person lying on the ground felt the coldest, but he only dared continue begging for mercy, not even daring to speak loudly for fear of displeasing anyone.
"Boss, the police will come soon. It won't look good for any of us if they see this. Whatever the problem is, can we talk it over properly?"
The dark-haired, red-eyed youth, who had been casually playing with the gun in his hand, suddenly spun it in a gun flourish upon hearing this. The gun fell into his hand with the muzzle seemingly casually pointed at him.
Those blood-pool-like dark red eyes quietly gazed at the person on the ground, asking in a cold tone as if he might pull the trigger at any moment: "What do you think I am?"
The street punk asked fearfully and carefully: "What... what are you? Someone from the Morishita Group? The Tatsui Group? ...You can't really be police, right?"
The other party responded with honorific language, politely.
"I'm sorry, but I really am police."
All the frightened people: "...Huh???"
—From entering the shop until now, except for using honorific language, where exactly do you look like police? Tell us yourself!