*Since I have a stock of chapters, I've decided to release 4 chapters in 2 batches throughout the day for a while.*
The ambulance arrived quickly, followed by the police.
Terahara Mari explained to the first responders the details of how Tatsuya Kimura had been poisoned, trying to help them understand the situation.
However, because she knew too much and didn't feel like coming up with some lame excuse like "I'm a part-time detective," she ended up being suspicious. After a bit of questioning, she admitted to her involvement in the poisoning.
Kimura Tatsuya's condition was still unstable, and there was an unsettling murderous aura lingering around him.
Jiangxia took the opportunity to follow the police to the station under the pretext of giving a statement.
Mouri Ran, Suzuki Sonoko, and Conan also tagged along.
After they finished their statements and were finally let go, the three of them trudged out of the station, listless. No one had expected that something like this would happen during what was supposed to be a simple celebration.
Suzuki Sonoko was a bit down, thinking about how one of her idols was teetering between life and death.
But then she had an epiphany. The real reason she had invited Jiangxia out was to help him shake off the emotional baggage from being betrayed by the doctor. Now, though...
Suzuki Sonoko slapped her face in horror. This whole murder thing was going to leave a mark on Jiangxia. Whenever he saw her in the future, wouldn't he think of this depressing case?!
She couldn't let that happen! She had to erase the shadow of murder from his mind by creating new, happy memories.
She would never pass up a chance for close contact with a handsome... Ahem, I mean, she wouldn't let the opportunity slip to help her friend!
Suzuki Sonoko quickly sifted through her recent plans and came up with an idea.
"Hey," she said, bracing herself. "My sister just bought a new mountain villa, and we're having dinner there this weekend. Why don't you come along?"
Jiangxia blinked, surprised.
After a few seconds, Suzuki Sonoko noticed Jiangxia nodding, and his tone was softer than usual. "Okay."
…
Not long after, Jiangxia was pruning his potted plants at home when he received two text messages—one from Mouri Ran and the other from Suzuki Sonoko—telling him that Kimura Tatsuya had been rescued and was now in stable condition.
The messages were bright and cheery, trying to help Jiangxia shake off any "psychological shadow" that didn't even exist.
But Jiangxia already knew the news.
Why? Because of the distinct smell of green peppers. It had quietly been lying in his tattoo.
At the same time, Jiangxia received an anonymous payment from someone he didn't know. As usual, he accepted the money without question.
While he wasn't desperate for cash, Jiangxia had no idea how long this year would drag on, and he often needed to buy various instruments or materials. Money came in handy.
Speaking of which...
Jiangxia remembered the abandoned building on his way to KTV, the one with "Ghost Cherry" written on it. And the bizarre, glowing billboards that had caught his attention before.
If he remembered correctly, that was a path to riches.
Thinking about it, Jiangxia opened the news app.
Before he could even search, a breaking news story popped up.
——The island police had arrested Cabagne, the leader of an Italian bandit group. However, his accomplices were still on the loose, and the 15,000 stolen gold coins were still missing.
The report wasn't very detailed, but as a "prophet," Jiangxia knew the rest of the story.
——After the successful robbery, Cabagne didn't share the stolen goods with his gang. Instead, he fled with the gold coins.
When the angry gang members found him, Cabagne had already reached Japan and hidden the gold coins in a secret location. Bored, he drew a treasure map.
Three of his accomplices couldn't figure out where the treasure was hidden, so they knocked him unconscious and left him at the police station while they took the treasure map and went to find it themselves.
The secret code on the map referred to several striking billboards, with the final destination being the "Ghost Cherry" building Jiangxia had passed by.
Jiangxia recalled that the gold coins had been divided into bags and hung from the roof with steel cables.
Well, this was a pretty easy pick-up.
These robbers were so unprofessional, it was almost like they'd come to deliver the money directly. Not taking it would feel like a waste of their efforts smuggling the gold into the Town.
…
After giving it some thought, Jiangxia decided not to go directly to the "Ghost Cherry" building. He didn't want to attract attention from dangerous people like the robbers, or the officials of the island country who might be after the gold.
Instead, he found a nearby coffee shop.
Once he confirmed the bathroom was empty, he summoned his shikigami and let it fly out into the real world, passing through the crack of the door.
Not long after, Miyano Akemi grumbled from the bathroom and joined the growing puppet, which took on a slender form.
The puppet's appearance and shape were mostly influenced by the ghost's preferences.
The initial costume was generated according to the ghost's favorite style.
Jiangxia moved his consciousness into the puppet and opened its eyes. The puppet was wearing a long black dress and a wide-brimmed sun hat—a mysterious figure.
Jiangxia: "…Really?"
Miyano Akemi liked this kind of outfit?
Wasn't she always in suits?
But then again, Jiangxia remembered her knee-length skirts and looked down at the ankle-length dress the puppet was wearing...
"Never mind, a skirt's a skirt."
At least this outfit was pretty, which fit his taste.
Looking in the mirror, Jiangxia pushed up the brim of the hat.
There was a black flower "Z" tattoo under the puppet's right eye, the same as the one on Miyano Akemi's body.
At first glance, the puppet resembled Miyano Akemi, but upon closer inspection, it was clear something was off.
The puppet's appearance was influenced by both the ghost's and Jiangxia's features, combining them in the most awkward way possible.
For Jiangxia, this was an inconvenience—it made him easier to remember. But the good thing was, the puppet could disappear at any time.
After confirming the situation, the puppet elegantly walked to the window, pushing up the skirt as it climbed over the windowsill into the alley.
Then, the puppet casually adjusted its clothes and made its way to the "Ghost Cherry" building.
…
The building had been abandoned for a long time, and there was no one inside.
Jiangxia led the puppet up to the top floor.
From the expansive roof, he saw the black bags hanging from steel bars in the northwest corner.
After confirming that the gold coins were really there, Jiangxia didn't take them right away.
He surveyed the area and found a quiet corner before releasing the puppet and returning to his body.
Seconds later, the shikigami and ghost spirit returned to their resting place in Jiangxia's tattoo.
Jiangxia left the coffee shop, withdrew some money from an ATM, and then used Miyano Akemi's fake identity to get a new set of documents—driver's license, health insurance card, bank card, and personal ID. Everything was set.
The cost for everything wasn't cheap, but Jiangxia paid for it without hesitation. He also went ahead and paid for the National Health Insurance for this new identity. Even though the puppet wouldn't need medical attention, it might come in handy for others.
Once he had everything in hand, Jiangxia grabbed a ghost mint to refresh the puppet's strength.
Then, he found a place to rent a van and went to buy a few suitcases.
*Goal #1: Top 200 fanfics published within the last 30 days by POWER STONES.
Progress: 16/50(approx) for 10 BONUS CHAPTERS*