Not a detective

Page 142

But as soon as he borrowed a stranger's phone and made the call, he regretted it.

"Yorozuya" should just be a non-governmental organization. They can only handle small-scale incidents at most. Can they really handle such a huge impact?

Besides, even if they could fix it, they charge a fee, which could be an astronomical sum. I'm not one to be taken advantage of; I'm not going to pay that out of my own pocket.

He should have called the police... Just as he was thinking this, he didn't expect that the person on the other end of the phone would remain silent for a long time after hearing what he said.

Then, he said:

"……no problem."

"Hmm... what's the fee..."

"It's alright, Mr. Asakawa, you're my new customer, so I'll give you a free meal."

That flippant tone, I can still remember his voice, and he hung up the phone after saying that.

Only Asakawa Riku was left standing there, bewildered and at a loss.

Ten minutes later, ambulances arrived at the pier one after another, and paramedics took away the unconscious students and teachers. Police also arrived, cordoning off the area and dispersing unrelated personnel and media. Finally, a mysterious man in a black trench coat arrived and took away all witnesses, leaving no one alive.

Their actions were swift and their response was so rapid that it seemed impossible for ordinary rescue and deployment to be carried out; rather, it suggested that they had powerful official backing.

...Non-World Inspection Department.

Asakawa Riku remembered those guys in black trench coats. Although Kirisame Aoi wasn't among them, those people were clearly from the Inspection Department, with cold eyes and expressionless faces.

If I had to say, I had a fight with them just a few days ago, how could I possibly forget it so easily?

It seems I was overthinking it. The "Yorozuya" probably also has a way to contact the Ministry of Supervision. Considering they couldn't handle such a large order, they quickly reported it to the authorities.

Not only did they preserve their reputation, but they also managed to do Asakawa Riku a favor... They really know how to do business.

In any case, the Inspection Department, as expected of an official organization, demonstrated its professionalism without the slightest slackness or delay. They took Asakawa Riku and Hoshino to the hospital as well, to undergo full-body examinations along with the other students. Of course, they would be fine; the so-called coma was not caused by drowning, but rather by the anesthesia of [Magaro] to prevent them from being frightened.

After the students and teachers woke up one after another, they were no longer under the influence of the "brainwashing" and no longer considered themselves to be villagers of the Red Stingray Village. They also forgot what had happened in those few days.

Their memories completely disappeared after the accident at sea, when the ship took on water and they were put into lifeboats; no one remembered what happened after that.

The only ones who remembered were Asakawa Riku and Hoshimi Kou, who displayed excellent acting skills and did not reveal any flaws.

The inspection department didn't seem to investigate the incident at sea too thoroughly, perhaps to protect minors. Without investigation or interrogation, and after confirming their physical health, they were sent home. This allowed the government to give an explanation to the public and the school to appease the anxious and angry parents, albeit at the cost of hefty compensation.

What made Asakawa Riku somewhat uneasy was that, as compensation, the school proposed to replace the original training trip with a "Kyoto trip" and go there again.

However, it is only natural that even without going out to sea, few people dared to go, and the matter was quickly forgotten.

"What an unforgettable summer..."

Riku Asakawa couldn't help but sigh.

Summer of the Crimson Stingray: Summer of the Crimson Stingray AFTER2

The Department of Inspection not only protected the victims, but also eliminated external influences, exceeding Asakawa Riku's original expectations.

After he and Xingyu were discharged from the hospital, they were surprised to find that there was not a single person discussing that matter, whether on the street or online.

It's as if the nearly one thousand witnesses have all collectively lost their memories, and the videos that were once shared and viewed millions of times online have also disappeared without a trace.

Even if a few individuals insist that they have indeed seen a large red fish, it is considered a hoax, a rumor, and a joke, and no one believes them.

How exactly did the Inspection Department manage to do all this? Asakawa Riku had no idea.

He thought about the agents in black trench coats; perhaps some of them were superhumans who could "manipulate memories" or "modify the past."

After all, it is an organization responsible for managing the extraordinary world. If it didn't have the ability to cover up the truth, it would have been known to the general public long ago.

In any case, this matter, which was originally thought to be causing a huge mess, ended quietly.

Tokyo has once again returned to its usual fast-paced routine, and those who once cared about the kidnapped students have once again donned masks of indifference.

Even now, during summer vacation, only Asakawa Riku still feels immersed in the afterglow of that time and hasn't been able to recover for a while.

...

"me too."

Hoshino brought over the freshly brewed coffee and placed it on the table in front of Asakawa Riku before saying, "I'm still thinking about what exactly happened to the crew on that ship."

The coffee was steaming hot. Asakawa Riku didn't add sugar or creamer; he just stirred it with a spoon.

"Yes, that's one of the unresolved mysteries as well."

The cruise ship's captain, Yasuo Tamura, and the other seven crew members had planted time bombs and firearms on board beforehand, indicating that they had planned to blow up the ship from the beginning.

Asakawa Riku initially thought they were also underlings of the mastermind, brainwashed followers of the Red Ray, but later discovered that Hoshimi Kouyu's suspicions had been cleared and that she was the one who was saved.

This suggests that the identities of those crew members are highly suspicious.

It could even be argued that they were the real culprits behind this maritime disaster.

"I couldn't save them then, and they drowned in the sea. They're probably just skeletons on the seabed now."

Xingyu said regretfully, but her regret was not for not saving them: "If I had known, I would have spared their lives to interrogate them. Maybe I could have gotten some information out of them."

Asakawa Riku shook his head; he didn't think so.

"Judging from their fanatical and devout appearance, even if we could control them, they would probably try to commit suicide. We definitely wouldn't get anything out of them."

He still remembers the crew's bloodshot eyes and fanatical expressions in the seconds before the ship was detonated, shouting words like "God," "sacrifice," and "death."

Were these people also brainwashed...? If so, then perhaps there is another god lurking in the shadows.

“Those people must be cultists. They originally planned to sink that ship and kill the teachers and students on board to make them sacrificial offerings for their god.”

At that moment, the door to the inner lounge was pushed open without warning.

Wearing loose pajamas, Shinonome Suetsuki walked out with her long legs, making it seem like she wasn't wearing anything except a base layer on her lower body.

She rubbed her eyes, stumbled to the table, picked up the scalding hot coffee, and drank it down.

...Is it an esophagus made of iron?

To what extent has this guy's sense of pain deteriorated?

Asakawa Riku frowned in displeasure. His coffee hadn't even been touched before it was snatched away: "You sleep during work hours, but wake up when you get coffee. Is that how you behave?"

Xingyu gave an apologetic look and quickly made another cup of tea.

The culprit, Mo Yue, didn't seem to care at all, stretching out with a big yawn and relaxing his body.

"I haven't been sleeping well lately, so I naturally have to make up for it. Seriously, how can you talk to your boss like that? I'm going to deduct your salary."

"up to you."

Asakawa Riku sneered; he finally stood up for himself for once.

It's not because of anything in particular, but because I received compensation from the government and the school some time ago, so I'm quite well-off now.

"Hum..."

Suezuki's threats had no effect, and she sat down grumbling like a child, seemingly pondering how to deal with Asakawa Riku.

She was right. You could tell from her dark circles a while ago that during the time Asakawa Riku and Hoshino disappeared, she wasn't as carefree as she seemed. Instead, she frantically searched for their whereabouts, using money and intelligence networks to find the mastermind behind the kidnapping. You could tell from the fact that she was the first one to come to the rescue by helicopter.

The fact that a guy who loves to sleep and a guy who is too lazy to move could stay up all night searching shows that in Mo Yue's heart, the two of them are actually quite important.

But that's just her personality, Asakawa Riku knew. Even if he called her out, she would stubbornly deny it, so he had no choice but to steer the conversation back to the main topic:

"The 'cultists' you're referring to, are they the real identities of those crew members?"

"That's all we can find out. It seems to be some kind of new religion that has emerged in Tokyo, but we don't know anything about the gods they worship or their doctrines. They are very mysterious. Perhaps there are some high-ranking members. Even the Shinonome family's intelligence network can't penetrate it. The clues end with those crew members. The source is unknown, and the rest of the information is also unknown."

Mo Yue shook her head, and judging from her expression, she seemed to be experiencing a rare sense of frustration.

...A cult. Asakawa Riku pondered. This indeed matched his initial conjecture. If that island was a closed "faith experiment," the conspiracy behind these people must be extremely dangerous, even more so than the previous Dragon Palace Palace. After all, it was the power of "gods," which should not be touched casually. If something went wrong, there would definitely be great consequences.

A chill ran down his spine. If even high-ranking government officials had been infiltrated, then that would explain why their rescue efforts had been so slow.

If the detective hadn't used her own resources to forcefully push forward the rescue plan, there might not have even been a rescue, and the incident might have been swept under the rug without any clear explanation.

He hesitated for a moment and said, "Can the Ministry of Supervision... be trusted?"

"it should be OK."

Mo Yue nodded: "Judging from their performance in this operation, we can preliminarily conclude that they also want to deal with that cult, but the time is not right yet. However, the Supervision Department never shares information with the outside world, nor does it cooperate with outsiders. I don't know the extent of the intelligence they have. If you want to investigate, I'm afraid you'll have to use your charm, assistant."

She patted Asakawa Riku on the shoulder, as if entrusting him with an important task.

Asakawa Riku was both amused and exasperated. He knew this guy was still bringing up the matter of Kiri Aoi, but he didn't even have Kiri Aoi's contact information, so he was truly wronged.

He said, "Then forget it, I'd better keep myself pure."

Summer of the Crimson Stingray: Summer of the Crimson Stingray AFTER3

Cultists...

In Asakawa Riku's mind, he had already made those people his targets, not only for the sake of the bigger picture, but also because those people had almost harmed him, Hoshino, as well as his classmates and teachers.

From this perspective, it cannot be forgiven.

Asakawa Riku is used to working alone, and cooperating with the Inspection Department is not his style, especially since the "encirclement and killing" during that cycle had already created some resentment in his heart.

He will uncover the truth about the cult and then carry out his revenge and punish evil, even if he does it all alone.

He secretly made up his mind.

"I...I have one more question."

Hoshino finally finished brewing the other cup of coffee and brought it back to Asakawa Riku. This time, Asakawa Riku quickly protected it and stared warily at Shinonome Suetsuki.

Mo Yue gave him a disdainful look that made him want to punch her, poured out a few pills from the medicine bottle, chewed them up, and swallowed them.

Hoshino asked, "...What I want to ask is, what exactly is the situation with that book, 'Summer of the Crimson Ray'?"

"...!"

This question completely surprised Asakawa Riku; to be honest, he had forgotten about it.

He was so preoccupied with the various things happening on the island that he forgot the book itself was highly suspicious.

"Yes... that book, why is that book called that? And why are the villages, islands, and rituals it describes so similar to the worship of the Red Ray? What exactly happened on the island? What happened to the protagonist in the book after the night of the Red Ray Festival? Why is the ending with those ambiguous lines? What is it all about..."

In an instant, a flood of questions rushed into my mind.

That book with the strange name actually predicted many things in reality, and Asakawa Riku even thought he had traveled into the world in the book.

"That book is very likely a clue to the mastermind behind everything; it must be crucial!"

Asakawa Riku got excited, but Suezuki quickly poured cold water on his enthusiasm.

"But unfortunately, I've already heard Xingyu talk about that book, but the book 'Summer of the Crimson Ray' doesn't exist in reality. I've confirmed that."

"……What!"

He was stunned, completely unable to believe it.

Judging from Dongyun Sueyue's expression, he didn't seem to be joking, so he took out his newly bought phone and immediately started searching.

Searching for the keyword "summer of stingrays" yielded no results.

It's impossible for a bestselling book like that to go unnoticed...

Asakawa Riku changed the keyword to "Asukaui Shi" and found the same entry for the beautiful girl genius writer, just like last time.

There was only one difference: the "Masterpieces" section.

The Reincarnation of the Celestial Maiden (2022)

Horse of Ideology (2022)

Portrait of EBH (2023)

Dizziness (2023)

Dance Wonderland (2024)

With a Pale Face (2024)

The Teacher Who Laughs (2024)

The Master of the Hot Spring Village (2024)

That's it. I refreshed the page several times, but no new content appeared.