This Japanese Monogatari Isn't Lame
Chapter 552 - 352. The Truth of Happiness (4000 words)

Chapter 552: Chapter 352. The Truth of Happiness (4000 words)

"There’s a serial killer out there! I saw it with my own eyes! Several of my friends have disappeared! Send someone to search... No, wait! Catch the murderer first!"

The man in front of her was wildly gesticulating with his hands, his face as pale as death. Gangye Yoshiko, chewing on her gum, had an air of impatience written all over her face.

She had received the report at three o’clock in the morning and had rushed to the police station by around four o’clock, only to find this man grabbing the police, tirelessly repeating, "There’s a serial killer."

The entire station had been set into motion, even dispatching several colleagues to check the situation on the ground.

"Gangye Police Officer, this is the account of the incident given by the man involved."

"Mmhmm. Hard work in the middle of the night." Gangye Yoshiko took the record from her colleague and glanced over it.

After looking at it, she spat out her gum and something like surprise flashed in her eyes as she looked at the man.

The man’s name was Koichiro, and as for his occupation... To put it nicely, he was a reporter, but to be blunt, he was actually a paparazzo, the kind that specialized in harassing the regular lives of idols or celebrities for sensational tabloid stories.

And the subject of his stakeout this time...

Near the Beichuan family’s house?

Gangye Yoshiko popped a few more gums into her hand, shoved them into her mouth all at once, then couldn’t help but take another look at Koichiro.

She knew that Nakajima Michika lived with the Beichuan family, had actually met Nakajima Michika in person, and understood the troubles that revealing Michika’s existence could bring to Beichuan Si.

Moreover, according to Koichiro’s description...

A youth clutching a bloodstained metal baseball bat, about one meter eighty in height...

Could it really be?

Gangye Yoshiko pondered for a moment before speaking up, "I have a few questions for Mr. Mihoro, if you don’t mind?"

Visibly pale and apparently terrified out of his wits, Koichiro nodded vigorously, "Ye-yes, that’s fine."

"What were you doing in this area at twelve o’clock tonight?" Gangye Yoshiko asked, holding onto the record.

Koichiro’s expression stiffened momentarily.

He measured his words carefully before responding, "I had some business-related matters to attend to over there."

What he had been doing himself wasn’t exactly aboveboard; in this situation, he could only gloss over it vaguely.

Gangye Yoshiko flicked her fingers, her tone carrying a hint of surprise, "You had work... at such a late hour, still taking care of matters on the street, I must say, Mr. Mihoro, you really do seem dedicated to your job."

Koichiro looked tense, his voice coming out strained, "Why are you asking me these things? I’m the real victim here! Shouldn’t you police be protecting us citizens?"

Seeing him almost straining his voice, Gangye Yoshiko yawned and replied calmly:

"Protecting citizens is indeed what we should do, but before that, I just want to remind Mr. Mihoro that when it comes to malicious and false reporting, we have corresponding measures."

As for this kind of tabloid reporter who disrupted people’s lives, Gangye Yoshiko didn’t have much sympathy.

Leaving that statement, Gangye Yoshiko ignored Koichiro who stood there dumbly and turned to her colleague, "What’s the situation there? Give them a call to ask."

"Yes, sir!"

Waiting for the call, Gangye Yoshiko wasn’t idle either, taking another look at the activity records concerning Koichiro from the past few days.

The man seemed to have been loitering around the Beichuan family’s house; it looked like he really was targeting Nakajima Michika from the Beichuan family.

But this activity log proved nothing.

If Koichiro stubbornly refused to admit he had been watching people coming and going to the Beichuan family’s house, she wouldn’t be able to do much to him.

Just as Gangye Yoshiko was contemplating this, her colleague finished communicating with the scene investigation team on the other end of the line.

"How are things?" Gangye Yoshiko asked.

"Yes!" The officer standing next to her looked at Gangye Yoshiko, then at Koichiro, and simply replied, "We didn’t find anything suspicious at the scene, and ’the friends who disappeared’ that Mr. Mihoro mentioned were all found there. When our folks asked them about the serial killer, they were all just as confused."

At this point, the officer’s gaze towards Koichiro became even stranger: "They also told our colleagues that just before, Mr. Mihoro suddenly started shouting and even assaulted one of them. Under those circumstances, no one dared to approach Mr. Mihoro, letting him... disappear into the street. After that, it seems Mr. Mihoro called the police."

As these words came out, not only Koichiro but even Gangye Yoshiko’s face showed a look of incomprehension.

This... How did Beichuan Si pull it off?

However, Gangye Yoshiko didn’t care; she turned to Koichiro, "Mr. Mihoro, would you please explain?"

"Impossible!"

Koichiro didn’t even answer Gangye Yoshiko; shaking his head, his expression was one of incredible bewilderment: "I don’t believe it! All my colleagues disappeared for sure! Your investigation results must be wrong! That’s right! I get it now! You are in cahoots with the serial killer! It must be so!"

He looked to be in a state of mental turmoil.

In such a situation, Gangye Yoshiko frowned deeply.

Even if Koichiro had been scared out of his wits, he wouldn’t make such delusional claims, right?

This symptom rather seemed like...

Gangye Yoshiko motioned to her colleague, whispering something discreetly into his ear, then looked at Koichiro; "Excuse me, Mr. Mihoro, would you mind cooperating with our investigation a bit? Provide a sample of your blood. We suspect you had been drinking before you called..."