Chapter 186
This incident couldn't stir up much of a reaction in the Criminal Investigation Division.
After hearing that the bomber who harassed Samukawa Shinryu had been blown up, everyone habitually went through a series of experiences: what a coincidence → suspicion → self-convincing → guilt, before accepting this fact.
Very skillfully.
Some people even privately felt heartbroken: Samukawa even helped me! When he tortures criminals, it's always above board—he'd never do such things! Without even evidence, how could I keep suspecting him! I'm really not human!
Others frantically complained about that bomber.
With just that level of skill, you still ran to provoke Samukawa Shinryu—it's like picking a fight way above your weight class!
Hagiwara-kun even worriedly accompanied Samukawa-kun for two days, really giving him too much face. Facts prove such jumping clowns don't need attention at all!
Look, without access to such dangerous materials in prison, the moment he got out he started jumping around and got himself killed!
When you think about it, when Samukawa-kun caught that guy and directly sent him to prison, maybe it actually extended his life by two or three years!
This bomber didn't know gratitude at all! He even wanted revenge against Samukawa-kun! His death is truly heaven opening its eyes!
When Usuha Izuki went to get hot water and heard such discussions in the break room, even with his thick skin, he felt a bit embarrassed for a moment.
Everyone was being way too biased...
[Actually, that bomber's skills were decent.] Usuha Izuki could only quietly mutter to the system.
System: [His skills were indeed decent, but after your manipulation, his reputation has forever become that of an idiot...]
[What else then? Wait for him to finish his arrangements, then follow his plan to defuse bombs and get slapped in the face? That's giving him too much face.] Usuha Izuki sighed. [It's just a pity I couldn't see his regretful and fearful expression before death. I actually considered going to observe the scene. Someone actually wrote me a threatening letter—it was my first time seeing one, and I wanted to chat with him...]
This mindset was very problematic. The system speechlessly reminded him: [Take it easy, don't act like a villain who has to talk too much when they could finish things cleanly...]
[I know, and bomb-related matters are too dangerous. It's not good to get too close—what if I got caught in the blast? Besides, I didn't know when Plamia planned to make her move... cough cough, engage in academic exchange.] Usuha Izuki still remembered his previous act of innocence and quickly corrected himself.
System: [...........]
Stop making excuses! Everyone knows you were just redirecting trouble!
This bomber was used as a suspicion value tool while alive, and even his reputation gets ruined after death. Your heart is truly black!
And this casual way of disposing of people... He was at least an important criminal from the original Police Academy group who killed two people, yet he died without any dignity at all.
The system even suspected Usuha Izuki did it on purpose—just didn't want to drag it out too long, and didn't want to let this bomber become famous again, letting him die quietly like a clown.
Everyone in the Criminal Investigation Division discussed it for about two days before moving on. After all, new cases happened every day, and there was no need to allocate energy to a dead bomber who only knew how to talk big. Probably only Hagiwara Kenji and Matsuda Jinpei still had it on their minds.
Matsuda Jinpei even rarely took the initiative to invite Usuha Izuki for drinks after work.
Usuha Izuki pondered for a moment and cautiously said: "I didn't do it, so you don't need to thank me."
"If I thought you did it, I'd have found evidence to send you in long ago." Matsuda Jinpei rolled his eyes and complained. "I just noticed that guys who mess with you seem to never end well. I always feel this time might also be thanks to your luck."
Very mystical, but looking at just the results, it was indeed true.
Usuha Izuki was dissatisfied: "...Meaning I'm very vindictive?"
Matsuda Jinpei snorted: "You are very vindic—"
Hagiwara Kenji coughed: "Little Jinpei means he thinks you're very lucky."
After speaking, he glared at Matsuda Jinpei—everyone knows Little Shinryu is vindictive, so don't make trouble for yourself! Did you forget about last time when your nicotine addiction kicked in but you couldn't find your lighter anywhere?
Matsuda Jinpei was in a great mood. So what if he was a police officer? Police officers also had personal feelings. He'd already been very true to his police identity by not personally killing that criminal. Now that the guy died on his own, wasn't he allowed to be happy?
So Matsuda Jinpei, who usually controlled his drinking because the precision required for his work needed steady hands, rarely decided to drink until he dropped.
Hagiwara Kenji naturally knew that Matsuda Jinpei's behavior showed he'd been brooding over nearly dying years ago... But after today, Little Jinpei should finally be able to let that matter go.
Thinking this way, Hagiwara Kenji also became happy.
Although they'd felt the impact of that incident gradually fading with time, only with this bomber's death did they realize what true refreshment was, what truly letting go meant.
Even their mood for viewing the world felt different.
The two inexplicably got excited and drank cup by cup. Only Usuha Izuki, who didn't like alcohol, kept drinking juice but stayed with them, even reminiscing together about those terrifying few minutes that day.
"Thanks to you." Matsuda Jinpei was obviously drunk, saying to Usuha Izuki: "Can't imagine what would have happened if you hadn't been there and that countdown continued..."
Matsuda Jinpei wouldn't say such things when sober. He'd only say a dry "thank you"—all heart, no technique.
"So how do you plan to thank me?" Usuha Izuki began fishing for information, preparing to record it to see if he could use it later.
But then Matsuda Jinpei suddenly seemed to sober up a bit: "When you do dangerous things again, I can curse at you a few times less."
Usuha Izuki: "..........."
Couldn't he think of something better!
Hagiwara Kenji just smiled watching the two of them, and unconsciously another cup of alcohol went down.
In the end, it was Usuha Izuki who took Hagiwara Kenji's car keys and drove the two drunks back to their apartment.
However, at this hour, leaving the car for Hagiwara Kenji while getting back to his own apartment would be somewhat troublesome.
After all, Samukawa Shinryu had the "Black Screen Aura." Standing by deserted roadside in the middle of the night with full buffs, taxi drivers would most likely pretend to be blind and not dare to stop...
Usuha Izuki didn't hesitate long and directly switched to his original identity, taking a taxi to one of the organization's safe houses in Tokyo.
Although he was really marginal in the organization, he was still an executive. If he wanted to know something, he could just ask. What he should know would definitely be told to him, like safe houses being within his authority.
He discovered from [Universal Navigation] that Vodka was actually there, so he planned to drop by and see.
Vodka didn't know how to describe his feelings when he heard knocking, looked through the peephole questioningly, and discovered Usuha Izuki.
He felt like this might be what protagonists in horror movies experienced...
The difference was that horror movie protagonists could choose not to open the door, even barricade it, while he had no choice but to welcome that thing inside.
"Why did you suddenly come?" Vodka asked with a bitter face.
Why was the disappearance time so short this time! Why are you so idle? Can't you go find a job?!
Usuha Izuki entered and looked around, then looked at Vodka and sighed: "So what they said was true, you really are..."
Then he stopped talking.
Vodka: "...???"
Wait? Who are "they"? What did they say? What about me? Why don't you continue?!
Forget it, it feels like fishing. He won't ask! He'll endure! Maybe Usuha Izuki will speak up himself.
But Usuha Izuki just wouldn't say, letting Vodka worry while he sat on the living room sofa, gesturing to him: "Why aren't you coming over? Sit."
Vodka dragged his heavy feet and sat across from Usuha Izuki: "What exactly did you come here to do..."
Usuha Izuki said casually: "To work."
Vodka reflexively responded: "Not needed, everyone's here, very troublesome, you don't like it."
Usuha Izuki: "..."
Vodka also realized his reaction might be excessive and laughed awkwardly: "Really, this time it's not fun at all, and there's Rye who you hate most. Big Brother is here too, they just haven't arrived yet..."
Usuha Izuki narrowed his eyes: "Oh—so you know who I dislike, yet you insist on cooperating with them?"
"Well, we have to separate public and private matters. I'm Big Brother's partner." Vodka tried to explain. "Besides, Rye is indeed useful, and the organization is quite short-staffed now..."
Usuha Izuki snorted: "So I came to help."
Vodka: "Uh..."
Are you sure you came to help and not to cause trouble?!
If Usuha Izuki suddenly cared about the organization, he must be dreaming!
"Isn't it just lack of people!" Usuha Izuki said proudly. "I recently discovered talent and am planning to recommend them to the organization!"
Vodka was stunned, then suddenly understood.
This kid Usuha Izuki was supposed to be responsible for finding talent for the organization but had been slacking off. Now suddenly being so proactive... was he stimulated by what he just said about having to use Rye?
Just how much does he hate Rye!
But Vodka definitely wouldn't refuse a talent list delivered to his door. Usuha Izuki might not be good at other things, but his eye for talent was quite good.
"Alright, you're finally starting to work... How many did you find?"
"One."
Vodka: "...Just one???"
You brat, you haven't worked for half a year, and now when you finally provide a list, you only give one person?!
"What do you know? Quality determines everything." Usuha Izuki said with feeling. "The lists I gave you before always had so many short-lived ones who died before the organization could recruit them. So after that, I paid special attention to survival skills. Otherwise, the organization wastes effort investigating, then after recruiting people, they die before being useful—too wasteful of energy..."
Vodka was skeptical.
It sounded reasonable, but would Usuha Izuki really consider the organization this much?
After thinking about it, Vodka felt—this must be Usuha Izuki's excuse for years of slacking off!
So he twitched his mouth corners and said sarcastically: "Just knowing how to survive isn't enough. With a list of only one person, that person must be especially outstanding to prove your eye for people..."
"Don't worry, you've heard of this person. I remember the organization wanted to recruit them before but couldn't find them, so now you can only rely on me!"
Vodka: "...? The organization wanted to recruit them before? Who?"
Usuha Izuki: "International famous bomber, Plamia."