The company's turnaround

The 40th anniversary celebration banquet of Dapeng Construction Company was held on

Thursday, April 26th, at 6:30 PM in the "Peacock Hall" of the Orion Hotel in Akasaka

. It

was truly a grand banquet.

The banquet hall, which could accommodate 1,500 people, was filled with dignitaries, showcasing Dapeng Construction's strength.

On that day, Tanizu Shohei attended the event as a representative of the invited committee members.

Fortunately, Kenmochi, Nirasaki, and Yanase were all involved in the banquet preparations, so they didn't see Tanizu's face in the hall, thus preventing him from causing a commotion. Tanizu

obtained the conference materials from the registration desk, stood in a corner for a while, watching the crowd come and go. A large billboard

with "40th Anniversary Celebration of Dapeng Construction Company" painted in gold on the front wall of the banquet

hall shone brilliantly under the bright lights.

Finally, the scheduled start time of 6:30 PM arrived, and the band's music began loudly.

On the central stage stood a portly man in a black tuxedo—the president of Daiho Construction Company… Washio Ryutaro. He began his speech: "...Today is the 40th anniversary celebration of Daiho Construction Company. On behalf of the company, I thank you all for attending!"

"Looking back, Daiho Construction Company and I struggled together during the chaotic post-war period, establishing a private company in Tokyo. I worked alone, overcoming numerous difficulties, and finally, in 1950, we officially established Washio Construction Company. Afterwards, with the economic recovery and development of Tokyo, the company was fortunate to experience stable growth alongside the high economic development. With the mission of building up Japan, we eventually changed the company name to Daiho Construction Company, resulting in the prosperous company we see today."

"To express our gratitude for your support and patronage over the years, we have specially invited you to this evening's party. Simple food and drinks are provided as a token of our appreciation. There will also be some entertainment and a charity sale. We hope you all have a great time!"

Thunderous applause erupted in the hall.

Then came the sound of everyone toasting, one after another.

As the toasting subsided slightly, an elderly man with white hair appeared on the stage; he was Atsunori Tanabe, the president of the Japan Construction Industry Association.

After a brief speech, Tanabe called out to the guests, "Come, everyone, let's raise our glasses again to this celebration!"

So everyone raised their glasses and toasted in celebration.

"Cheers!"

the hall echoed loudly.

Before another guest spoke, the organizers prepared a program: opening a huge wooden sake barrel.

"Now, after our toasts, it's time to begin the first entertainment of the evening—we will open the extra-large sake barrel donated by the Kanto Suiming Club to congratulate Dapeng Construction Company on its rapid rise to prominence!"

Two sake barrels were placed side by side on the stage.

This sake barrel was about three times larger than a regular one.

President Washio and Chairman Nomura of the Kanto Suimeikai held wooden mallets for one sake barrel, while Vice President Takamatsu and Director of the Construction Bureau of the Ministry of Construction, Tokuoka Kameo, presided over the opening ceremony for the other.

"Ready? Time to strike!"

...The master of ceremonies loudly began counting: "One, two, three!"

"One, two, three!"

...Bang!...Bang! When the mallets struck the barrels twice simultaneously, both barrels instantly shattered.

Then, screams erupted

from the hall. The barrels didn't contain sake; instead, a blood-like liquid flowed out, and from them jumped Tsuruta Kosuke, the bidding section chief, dressed in a black tuxedo and presumably dead

, rising from the spotlight under everyone's gaze. From the other barrel stood Funakoshi Kazumi, the president's secretary, dressed in a white evening gown and also presumably dead, smiling before everyone.

"What...what exactly happened?"

Washio Ryutaro dropped his gavel in surprise and demanded loudly.

"Shouldn't you have died in the car accident in Sado? How could you still be alive?"

"That's right, you ordered us to be killed in Sado to silence us..."

"What nonsense are you talking about?"

Washio suddenly realized something was wrong and changed his story.

"What nonsense are you talking about? What do you mean I ordered you to be killed to silence us?"

At this moment, the entire audience erupted in commotion.

The guests, who had initially dispersed, now rushed closer to the stage because of the conversation, wanting to know what had happened. The person near the sake barrel began to say things that shocked everyone.

"Aren't they human?"

"They're just wax figures that look like humans!"

"What a prank! These guys are just dolls that look like humans!"

At this point, the guests in the venue all thought that the people in the sake barrel were not real people, but dolls or wax figures. They had all heard Washio and the man's conversation, and it was possible that the conversation had been recorded.

"Everyone! Please be quiet! Please be quiet!"

At this moment, the famous entertainer invited to be the emcee... Tetsuya Tono, in order to control the chaotic scene, spoke up: "What you just saw was purely a prank! This program was designed to celebrate the company's continued success and prosperity. Please continue to raise your glasses and let the program continue..."

And so the party continued amidst the commotion.

Since many of the guests were not in the construction industry, most of them did not recognize Kosuke Tsuruta and Kazumi Funakoshi, and therefore did not pay much attention to the program.

However, those in the industry who knew that the two had died in a car accident found the terrifying atmosphere created by the two grotesque puppets extremely enjoyable.

"President, how about it? We don't want to cause a commotion, should we go to another room to talk?"

Although Washio was angry about who had played the prank and made him lose face in front of everyone, and was sweating profusely, Sales Manager Saito, who was in charge of the program, quickly stepped forward to defuse the awkward situation in order to cover for others.

"The party will proceed without disruption, please don't worry. It would be best if the president rests in the lounge for a while!"

Washio had been warned by his doctor to be particularly careful about his high blood pressure, so he followed his manager's advice and went to the president's private lounge.

Sales Manager Saito escorted Washio to the lounge door and respectfully said to the open door, "Please rest assured that I will handle all the remaining programs! If a speech is needed, I will ask the vice president or directors to speak on behalf of the president!"

He then closed the door and left.

Washio, still sweating profusely from the earlier performance, quickly took out a handkerchief from his pocket to dry himself. Just as he was about to sit on the sofa, he suddenly stopped.

Two figures, a man and a woman, slowly rose from the shadows of the sofa and appeared before Washio.

It was the real Tsuruta Kosuke and Funakoshi Kazumi, lying in wait for their chance.

"President! Long time no see!"

"President! We missed you so much!"

... The two, dressed in black and white suits respectively, greeted Washio, who looked as if he'd seen a ghost.

"You...you..."

This time, he finally realized that what was before him wasn't a doll.

"President, getting too excited will hurt your health. Let's have a quiet chat! Mr. Tanizu, could you please lock the door? And Sergeant Moriyama, please sit with us too!"

Tanizu Shohei and Sergeant Moriyama, who had come from Sado, were also in the lounge at some point.

Tanizu locked the door and took out a recorder from his pocket, pressing the record button.

Sergeant Moriyama sat on the other side of the sofa, waiting to unravel the mystery before him.

Tsuruta Kosuke sat quietly in the corner with a smile, his expression one of leisurely anticipation of disciplining someone.

The battle-hardened Washio Ryutaro was now frozen in place, unable to utter a word.

"President, weren't you just asking us how we're still alive? Now we'll explain it to you slowly! But before that, could you explain why you wanted to kill me and Kasumi?"

2

To prepare for the 21st century, the Tokyo Bay project was being developed. Daiho Construction, a large construction company, was vying for the main project of the Tokyo Bay Bridge. Therefore, they were preparing to secure the Tokyo Bay Renaissance Building project as a preliminary step in their bid for the main project.

"Tsuruta! This project must be won!"

... This was a personal order from President Washio, who also secretly instructed them.

Usually, government project tenders involve ten construction companies, but this bay project attracted considerable attention from many construction companies, making the bidding extremely competitive.

Before the formal bidding process, Tsuruta Kosuke negotiated and bargained with many construction companies, finally reaching agreements with nine other larger companies. Taiho would coordinate the bidding process, and once the government determined Taiho was the winning bidder, he and the previously agreed-upon companies would share the project work.

Meanwhile, Washio Ryutaro, the company president, liaised with the Kanto Suimeikai, gathering information on the operations of various companies to analyze what was most advantageous for Taiho, and enlisted the help of influential politicians to mediate.

At this time, Taiho's subsidiary, Tsukishima Construction Consulting, collected the government's minimum bid prices, and the bidding section chief was responsible for instructing the other alliance companies on their bid prices.

When the formal bidding process began, Taiho Construction mobilized fully to accurately estimate the total cost of the project in order to secure a construction permit. The other privately allied construction companies, however, were only involved in the bidding phase and therefore did not put as much effort into estimating the project's costs.

Because Dapeng Company had already secretly allocated the bid amounts required by each company, and each company's bid was slightly higher than Dapeng Construction Company's, Dapeng was able to win the construction rights at an overwhelming price.

Tsuruta was responsible for negotiating all of this, and even preparing the estimated reports for each company.

Through Tsuruta and Washio's covert operations, each company also gained a vested interest, so everyone was willing to cooperate with Dapeng Construction's arrangements. In the end, Dapeng Construction won the bid with a total project cost of 23 billion yen.

"Tsuruta! We finally got this project!"

Washio, the president, expressed his reward for the first time regarding this case.

That was last November.

However, in February of this year, rumors circulated that someone had secretly reported their private alliance to the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office.

Subsequently, Washio, the president of Dapeng Construction Company, and the company's directors were all summoned for questioning by the District Public Prosecutors Office.

Although they all insisted during their questioning that nothing of the sort had happened, the district prosecutor's office still launched an investigation into whether any corruption had occurred, causing great anxiety among Washio and the company's executives.

This is because the Government Procurement Regulations explicitly prohibit "illegal companies from bidding on public works projects for government agencies," and the Ministry of Construction has also explicitly stated that "contracts with winning companies can be terminated at any time." For companies that win projects through illegal means or improper conduct, "their eligibility for designated bidding will be revoked for one to nine months."

Furthermore, under the Criminal Code, such lobbying cases are considered obstruction of fair trade under Article 96, Paragraph 3, and Chapter 5 of the same article

allows for prosecution under the charge of "obstructing the performance of official duties. "

Either of these provisions will result in the company being prohibited from designated bidding

.

In addition, if the investigation finds that the lobbying was indeed true, they will be subject to a penalty of being barred from contracting any public works projects for government agencies for two to three years.

Each of these penalties would strip Dapeng Construction of its ambitions for future development, and even threaten the company's survival.

"No matter what, we must prevent the truth from being revealed!"

Washio Ryutaro was determined to cover it up.

Since only the head of the bidding department… Tsuruta Kosuke… knew the whole story

of the bidding incident, if Tsuruta were detained, the truth would likely be revealed in its entirety. Conversely, if Tsuruta fled, no one in the company would know the inside story of the bidding case.

Therefore, Washio ordered Tsuruta to go into hiding for a while.

To make the escape more convincing, Washio even suggested that Tsuruta flee on the grounds of embezzling company funds, so as not to arouse suspicion from the district prosecutor's office.

While Washio was persuading Tsuruta to cooperate, he even offered to have his lover… Funakoshi Kazumi accompany him on his escape, and only then did Tsuruta agree to flee from Tokyo towards Izu.

"Isn't that right, Mr. Washio!"

… Tsuruta said, glancing at Washio Ryutaro for his approval.

This action made Washio panic and hurriedly deny it.

"Lie...lie!"

Washio vehemently denied it. "Hey! What nonsense are you talking about? We didn't have any agreement!" "

This agreement was a private agreement between the two of us, and we both swore at the time that we would never reveal it to anyone! I was supposed to uphold this agreement, but the president broke it himself..."

"Hey! What did you say I broke the agreement? What agreement?"

"You said that after I safely got through this period, you would promote me to sales manager, but from the very beginning of this escape plan, you wanted to kill me to cover it up. Isn't that breaking the agreement?" "Hey! What 　　nonsense

are you talking about?"

"Don't get agitated! Don't get agitated! Let me finish!"

...After Tsuruta had stayed in Ito and Atami for about two weeks, Washio made a mysterious phone call, stating that the District Public Prosecutor's Office had launched an in-depth investigation and requested that Tsuruta Kosuke and Funakoshi Kasumi leave their resort hotel in Atami in a black Mercedes-Benz driven by Nashimoto Tadayoshi. The day was Wednesday, April 4th, and they left the hotel late at night.

After getting into the black Mercedes-Benz, the car sped along the Tomei Expressway, returning to Tokyo that night and spending the night in a business hotel. The next day, the same group and car set off for Niigata, their destination being Sado Island. Their instructions came from the driver, Mr. Nashimoto, that Tsuruta and Kasumi were to meet with representatives from three companies, including Mikamura Construction, on Sado Island to discuss how to explain the events if they faced questioning—in other words, to gather information.

Therefore, they were carrying a large sum of money, approximately ten million yen, in the car.

During the journey, Nashimoto, citing fatigue, spent the night in Niigata. The next day, he set off for Niigata Port to board the "Colonel Ferry"

speedboat, arriving in Ryotsu, Sado Island, in the evening of April 6th.

That night, they stayed at the Kamo Hotel in Ryotsu. Tsuruta and Kasumi, to avoid being discovered, stayed under the names of Naito Sadao and his wife, while Nashimoto also stayed under a false name.

According to Nashimoto, the day after their scheduled meeting, they would meet with representatives from three companies at the "Lakeside Diamond Hotel," Ryotsu's most luxurious hotel,

to discuss countermeasures.

However, the other party did not show up that day, so Tsuruta and his companions explored the island on their own. This led them to suspect something was amiss. It all started when their driver, Nashimoto Yoshi, suggested, "Oh dear! They might not be able to come. Let's reschedule the meeting! How about this? I'll lend you my Mercedes so you can enjoy yourselves on the island today."

"That sounds good!"

Unsuspecting, Tsuruta and Kasumi readily accepted Nashimoto's suggestion and borrowed the Mercedes that afternoon to visit the Noh stage at the Honma residence, Nichirenji, Nemoto-ji Temple, Mano Imperial Mausoleum, and Myōsen-ji Temple.

But around 2 PM, as they were preparing to return from Myōsen-ji Temple, Tsuruta realized something was wrong—the brakes had suddenly failed.

"What do we do! Danger!"

Thinking he was doomed, Tsuruta gripped the steering wheel.

Whether it was fortunate or unfortunate, they happened to be on a downhill section of road, and the car was accelerating, making it impossible to stop. As the car accelerated and plunged into a dense forest of huge cedar trees, they slid through the grass for nearly twenty meters before slowly crashing into the trees and coming to a stop.

When Tsuruta got out to check the car, he discovered that the braking system had been sabotaged during their trip.

"Look! The brakes aren't working at all..."

As he explained the situation to Kasume, he noticed her face growing increasingly pale.

"Hey! What's wrong?"

"It seems they want to kill us to silence us!"

"I think you've been suspecting this for a while!"

Even now, Tsuruta still couldn't believe what he was seeing.

"Cheer up! Mr. Tsuruta! Because you're the only witness to this bidding case, Washio ordered you to hide for a while, actually to find an opportunity to eliminate the only witness..."

Indeed, without Tsuruta, no one else knew the whole story of the bidding process.

"I see! But dragging you down to be a wronged victim isn't too much!"

"No! Actually, Washio's motive for killing me is probably greater than his motive for killing you, which is why he sent me on this trip with you, and then found an opportunity to kill us both..."

Kasume suddenly said loudly.

"What do you mean by that?"

"After you finish speaking, please don't be angry!"

Kasume said as if she was about to reveal a secret.

"We were almost killed just now, what could be more surprising than what just happened, and make me angry?"

"I went to report it!"

"What?"

Upon hearing this, Tsuruta Kosuke was indeed startled.

"You said you went to report it? Reported what?"

"It's the Gulf Project! It's about me describing your bidding process in secret, and after I finished writing it down, I sent it to the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office to report your project.

In order to get revenge on Washio Ryutaro, I had no choice but to report it!"

In the dark cedarwood cup, the voice rang out like a demon.

Completely ignoring Tsuruta's furious glare upon hearing the devastating news, Kasumi recounted the hardships behind her upbringing. Kasumi's parents had run a downstream company of Washio Construction in Funabashi City, Chiba Prefecture. However, during her second year of high school, Washio Construction framed her, causing the company to go bankrupt, and her parents died in despair. Those

familiar with the division of labor in the construction industry know that large construction companies usually have downstream partners, and Kasumi's father was running "Hoso Construction Company" at the time

.

However, one year, an accident at a construction site caused the company's operations to decline. To compensate the victims, her father wanted to ask the upstream company, Washio Construction, for a loan to help the company overcome its difficulties. Moreover, the accident was caused by Washio Construction's flawed engineering design, but Washio refused to lend a hand, citing delays in the project's progress.

After several unsuccessful requests for assistance, when her mother finally pleaded with him alone, Washio, who had long coveted her mother's beauty, feigned willingness to help the company while revealing his true, sinister nature. When she refused to become his lover, he refused to lend money to her parents, causing them to collapse. To express their remorse for the deceased, when Kasumi was in her second year of high school, the couple committed suicide by poisoning themselves.

For the seventeen-year-old girl, this news was a devastating blow, planting the seed of revenge against the president of Washio Construction Company in her heart.

"From that time on, I was a witch. I studied diligently every day. After graduating from university, I joined the secretarial department of Dapeng Construction Company. At first, the president seemed very wary of my original surname, but my desire for revenge was completely hidden. Coupled with my willingness to cooperate, I gave him the illusion that I was a trustworthy person. In fact, I was waiting for an opportunity to act. Secretly, I began to collect evidence against the company to seek revenge. After I secretly gathered all the details of the Gulf Project, I reported it to the Tokyo District Public Prosecutor's Office."

After listening to her narration, Tsuruta Kosuke felt a mix of emotions. Looking up at the sky, he thought about how the alliance plan he had worked so hard to secretly operate had been thoroughly investigated by this woman. He felt incredulous.

When the case was exposed, the company's senior management and he himself felt that there might be a mole in the company. Unexpectedly, he had embarked on a long love trip with the mole to Izu, Atami, Sado, and other places.

And now, he was going to be murdered along with this mole.

That's why their relationship developed so quickly—after all, they were both in the same boat! "It must have been Nashimoto who did it!"

Tsuruta said, standing beside the damaged braking system.

"That guy must have been secretly following us, waiting for an opportunity to strike..."

"So, he's been monitoring us all along!"

"Damn it! That guy must have taken the opportunity to get close to the Mercedes and tampered with the brakes..."

"It might not have been just Nashimoto doing it alone.

Because yesterday at the hotel, I think I saw a woman we both know..."

"A woman? Who is she?"

"Her clothes and appearance were different, so I can't be entirely sure, but I have a strong feeling she looks a lot like Saori, the 'maid' who works in Ginza! That woman has also come to Sado!"

"How could it be Saori?"

"While I'm not entirely sure, I think Nashimoto couldn't have accomplished this alone, so he must have had an accomplice. Maybe there's a woman secretly helping him! Think about it, a woman who's quite familiar with Tsuruta, traveling alone, and then accidentally bumping into them in Sado—that's how she could successfully ambush them. If Nashimoto's plan fails, the two of them can conspire for a second, or even a third, murder plot to complete their mission..."

"How could that be? That's such a malicious thought!"

"I have to think that way!"

"That's right, I have to think that way!"

"So what should we do now?"

"First, we have to remain calm!"

Then Tsuruhi said to Rusume,

"It seems we have to fend for ourselves. We need to find evidence that Nashimoto wanted to murder us, so we can't be angry about what happened today. We even have to pretend nothing happened and go back to the hotel to see what his next move is."

That day, the two abandoned the Mercedes in the cedar forest, walked side by side to a nearby shop to borrow a phone, hailed a taxi, and returned to the hotel as if nothing had happened.

When Nashimoto saw the two return to the hotel unharmed, he was truly shocked.

However, while concealing his surprise, he asked,

"Where's the Mercedes?"

"It broke down on the way, so we parked it in the temple's parking lot."

"Wow! That's really inconvenient! We have to go up the Osado Mountain Route tomorrow, so we need to rent a car."

"Why do we need to go up the Osado Mountain Route?"

"Mr. Wakai from Mitamura Construction just called and asked us to meet at the observation restaurant on the main platform at nine o'clock tomorrow morning."

"The observation restaurant on the mountain? There's no need to go up so early!"

"I don't know either, but I heard the sunrise on the mountain is quite beautiful and spectacular!"

Nashimoto explained to himself.

He was probably afraid that things wouldn't go according to plan, so he hurriedly explained.

"Then let's go rent a car, what about you?"

"I already rented a car yesterday, because I thought you two could use the Mercedes while we're on the island."

In the evening, Tsuruta and Kasumi rented a car at a car rental company near the port. After returning to the hotel, they saw a woman in a bright red coat standing in the hotel lobby.

"Hi! Section Chief Tsuruta!"

The woman approached them with a beaming smile.

She really was Nogata

Saori, the "Maiko" (Dancing Girl) that Kasumi had mentioned.

"Wow! That's surprising! What brings you here?"

"I took leave from work and came here on vacation alone! Sado has always been my dream destination! But traveling alone is so lonely. Can I have dinner with you all tonight, Section Chief?"

Nogata Saori was probably genuinely won over, putting on quite a show.

So, the four of them ate dinner together that day.

When they mentioned going up the mountain the next day, Saori innocently and sweetly begged them to take her along.

"And I can be the driver!"

... As a result, she ended up going up the mountain too.

They agreed to depart at eight o'clock the next morning.

Tsuruta and Kasumi shared the first rental car, with Kasumi driving that day, while Nashimoto and Saori shared the second rental car.

Saori was also driving the car for Nashimoto and his group, as she had expressed her desire to drive the entire uphill route herself to conquer the Osado Mountain Trail.

However, the Osado Mountain Trail was shrouded in thick fog, with no other vehicles in sight.

Around nine in the morning, they arrived at the observation restaurant on the main platform. Nashimoto had likely made prior arrangements, as rooms were already prepared before the restaurant opened.

They decided to stay in the restaurant's rooms that night; however, the negotiators from the three companies, including Wakai from Mitamura Construction, were not present.

"How strange! What's going on?"

Seeing Nashimoto's hypocritical expression of "how strange," Tsuruta suppressed his anger. This despicable man was truly a scoundrel.

(They're so heartless they'd even try to kill us!) While drinking beer and waiting for them, fifteen minutes later, Nashimoto went to make a phone call. After finishing, he jogged back to the table and said, "How annoying! They're such a waste of our time. The three of them are waiting for us at the Jinshan Memorial Hall down the mountain. It's such a hassle! Let's rest for a bit and then head down!"

Tsuruta, unable to bear Nashimoto's antics any longer, finally said, "Mr. Nashimoto, please come with me for a moment. I have something to ask you!"

He then lured Nashimoto into the back of the restaurant.

Once they were in a secluded spot, Tsuruta grabbed Nashimoto by the collar, slammed his head against the wall, and demanded, "Hey! Mr. Nashimoto, you've been playing us for a fool the whole time! Are you trying to kill us? Just say it!"

His eyes were probably fierce, because he could no longer tolerate Nashimoto's tricks! "What are you saying?"

Nashimoto stammered, denying it.

"Then tell me, how did the Mercedes' brakes malfunction yesterday?"

"I know nothing about that!"

"What are you planning to do, bringing us up the mountain today?"

"I don't know what you're talking about, let me go!"

He began to loathe the shifty-eyed Rimoto before him.

"You murderer, tell the truth!"

Tsuruta asked angrily, completely out of control.

"Tell the truth, were you sent to kill us, weren't you?"

he asked, increasing the pressure on his hands.

Rimoto and Tsuruta were roughly the same size, and Tsuruta had some arm strength, so in his rage, he completely lost his reason.

"Let me go! What nonsense are you spouting?"

"Tell the truth! Did the president send you to kill us?"

"Let go! I didn't receive any orders!"

As they struggled, a fierce brawl broke out between the two.

Tsuruta, having nearly lost his life yesterday due to brake failure, was convinced that Nashimoto wanted to kill them. Enraged and completely irrational, he grabbed Nashimoto's collar and slammed his head against the wall repeatedly. Only when Nashimoto lost consciousness did he panic and stop. Watching Nashimoto

slide to the ground, he anxiously checked Nashimoto's chest, relieved to find he was still alive.

"Hey! Nashimoto!"

He frantically patted Nashimoto's cheeks, trying to bring him back to his senses, while secretly plotting something.

It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say he was plotting murder, but strictly speaking, it wasn't a motive.

After all, Nashimoto had tampered with the car yesterday, forcing him to check the brakes before leaving home today and to be careful whether Nashimoto had laced their morning coffee with sleeping pills.

This was what kept Tsuruta on edge.

Coincidentally, Funakoshi Kasumi had the same thought in the restaurant. Kasumi noticed that Nogata Saori, sitting next to her, hadn't touched her coffee. Could Saori have tampered with it? Especially after Kasumi returned from the restroom and noticed Saori's strange expression, Kasumi became suspicious and also stopped touching her own coffee. Perhaps

Saori had drugged both of their coffees! To completely resolve their current paranoia, they needed to die once to put the Tokyo serial killer at ease. A thought flashed through Tsuruta's mind.

Nashimoto happened to be the same size as Tsuruta, even their clothes and pants were the same size. So Tsuruta took off his clothes and pants containing his wallet, business card holder, and driver's license, and then took off Nashimoto's clothes and pants, swapping their clothes. Since Nashimoto was unconscious, it took quite a while to put the clothes on him.

Then, he dragged Rimoto to the seat next to the driver's seat where he used to be in the car and made him sit down. In order to keep it from Saori, he said to her after returning to the restaurant, "It's time! Let's go! Mr. Rimoto just drank beer, and it all came back to bite him along with the alcohol he drank yesterday. So he's drunk now, and he's been yelling about wanting to wear my clothes and acting crazy. So I had to swap clothes with him! It was quite a struggle to get him back to the car to sleep!"

When Saori heard this, she just said incredulously, "What a weirdo! A grown man playing the swapping clothes game!"

She didn't suspect anything at all. At that time

,

Saori's eyes were already showing signs of sleepiness, and her steps were somewhat unsteady. Kasumi explained to Tsuruta that Saori might have accidentally drunk coffee that she had laced with sleeping pills, which was why she was so sleepy.

They then left the restaurant and headed towards Aikawa.

"Where is Saori's car? We'll follow you this time..."

Since the rental car company's cars all looked similar, Saori, without suspicion, got into the car Tsuruta had mentioned and started the engine.

Tsuruta and Kasumi got into the car behind, and the two cars left the area.

When the cars drove from Taitai to the winding road leading to the accident scene, the distance between them narrowed slightly.

Tsuruta sat in the driver's seat, while Kasume drove, her heart filled with mixed emotions as she watched the car ahead. Just as they had predicted, Saori's car gradually accelerated. When they reached the most winding and treacherous section of the road, Tsuruta felt an indescribable tension; his heart pounded. He knew he had to step in and help her.

But fate seemed to have made its decision.

It was all too late.

As the car approached the fourth sharp turn, Tsuruta and Kasume witnessed Saori's car plunge off the guardrail and down the cliff. They were utterly shocked and horrified, unable to believe what they were seeing.

"But...but...this must be fate! Heaven is punishing them! It's cruel, but we're powerless to stop it!"

Kasume cried out, muttering to herself, while Tsuruta's body trembled uncontrollably.

Upon arriving at the Kinzan Memorial Hall in Aikawa, the two immediately rushed to a nearby business registry, pretending to be witnesses, and reported the incident to the police.

Tsuruta still couldn't figure out whether Nogata Saori's car plunged off the cliff due to a malfunctioning braking system, or because she had drunk a beverage laced with sleeping pills and was driving in a drowsy state.

It was uncertain whether both factors were involved.

4

… An eerie silence enveloped the room.

After Tsuruta Kosuke finished recounting the events of Sado, a terrifying stillness descended upon the lounge of the celebration venue. Washio Ryutaro

, Tanizu Shohei, Moriyama Junsuke, and others remained silent.

Everyone was likely processing the truth of Tsuruta's account and lamenting the cruel twist of fate.

Tanizu, for instance, still couldn't quite believe that Tsuruta and Kasumi had experienced such a brush with death and rebirth.

However, Tanizu felt he should say something to break the silence.

"Then, Mr. Tsuruta, how could you have completely vanished from the island?"

This was the only question Tanizu could think of.

"After returning the rental car to the company, we hid in a hotel in Kogi Port for about three days to avoid trouble.

On the fourth day, we took a speedboat from Kogi Port and escaped Sado Island."

Sitting next to Mr. Tsuruta, the usually silent Kasumi Funako finally spoke up to answer the question.

"After the speedboat arrived in Naoezu, we couldn't return to Tokyo immediately, because if we did, the news that we were still alive might spread quickly. And we, who wanted revenge, thought it would be easier to carry out our revenge if everyone thought we were dead."

Kasumi, having clearly explained their future whereabouts, looked at Washio Ryutaro with a determined gaze.

Tanizu followed her gaze to Washio.

Washio's face showed an incredulous expression. He had probably been furious when he saw the two of them appear before him, and now, after hearing their account, his blood pressure was probably between 190 and 200! He was panting heavily, his face flushed red, and unable to utter a single word.

(Danger! If we don't call a doctor, I'm afraid...) Tanizu thought to himself.

But Tsuruta, as if he hadn't finished explaining, continued, "Mr. Washio, I was furious when I thought about being murdered, so I wanted to expose our secret alliance. Before it happened, to protect myself, I put all the alliance documents and materials in a suitcase and locked it in a bank safe deposit box. But now, I hear the key to that safe is in your hands. Thinking about it now, the most pitiful are Nashimoto Tadayoshi and Nogata Saori; they probably never imagined they'd fall into my hands! In a way, we are all victims, and the culprit is you… Washio Ryutaro, isn't it?"

This accusation was like a thousand arrows piercing Washio's heart.

At this moment, Tanizu stood up, walked to the corner of the room, picked up the phone, and asked the hotel to arrange for a doctor.

"I…I…I didn't give such an order!"

Washio finally blurted out these words in anger.

"Besides you, who else would dare give such an order?"

"I... I don't know!"

Washio continued, "What evidence do you have to prove what you're saying is true?"

"There's plenty of evidence! Like the president's car placed in the cedar forest near Myōsen-ji Temple, the briefcase deliberately placed in the safe of the Ryōtsu Hotel, labeled with Kasumi's name and containing 12 million yen in cash, and Nashimoto Tadayoshi driving the president's car from Atami to Sado without any reason. All this evidence shows that all the actions were ordered by the highest leader of Taiho Construction... Washio Ryūtaro."

"There's no solid evidence for what you're saying, and the Nashimoto incident wasn't my order!"

"Mr. Washio, you're disgusting!"

Tsuruta continued cruelly, "Now the person is dead, there are no witnesses.

You're lucky to have easily escaped the charge of instigating murder, but you won't escape the influence-peddling case! Because I, the witness, am still alive! That was your order! Don't you think so?"

"I won't deny it, because making this decision was unavoidable. I'm not just doing this for the company, it's for... for..."

"For the entire industry, right?"

"Yes, yes, it's because of the industry that we have to form an alliance first. If everyone's roles aren't clearly defined beforehand, delays are likely to occur once the project starts. This wastes taxpayers' money and damages the image of the entire industry. So, clearly defining everyone's roles beforehand is very important."

"You're wrong! What you're saying about the industry is utter nonsense! What I know now is that behind your alliance is a series of dirty and despicable things.

The industry should be moving towards fair competition now so that taxpayers can be convinced!"

"Enough! You two gentlemen!"

...Sergeant Moriyama, who had been sitting to the side, finally stood up from the corner.

"Mr. Washio is no longer fit to speak; it's more important to get him to see a doctor first. As for what Mr. Tsuruta said, Mr. Tanizu will report it in the newspaper. The District Prosecutor's Office should begin a thorough investigation into its veracity, and we will definitely investigate whether there was any instigation of murder!"

Sergeant Moriyama finished speaking in one breath, then scratched his head and said,

"Now, what should we do? I think the matter in Sado has come to a close, but to be on the safe side, I would like to ask Tsuruta and Funakoshi to come to Sado again. We will go to the scene to investigate further. As for whether your actions involve murder, we will have to discuss it with our superiors before we can decide."

When there was a knock on the door, it seemed that the doctor had arrived. At this time, the giant of the postwar construction industry was lying on the sofa, breathing heavily in pain.

5

It was late April, and the Arikawamiya Memorial Park was bathed in the soft afternoon sunlight.

Tsuruta Shoko arrived at the agreed location as promised, but unexpectedly found no one there.

The park was deserted, so Xiangzi found a chair and sat down. Not long after, she heard footsteps behind her.

Turning around, she saw Xingyou, looking slightly tired and wearing a brown suit, emerge from the bushes and silently walk towards her.

"Why aren't you home?"

Xiangzi stood up and questioned him.

"Since we're already here, why did you call me here?"

"Because your home is just that home, not the home I can go back to! I've passed by your door several times, but I didn't have the courage to ring the doorbell, so I thought it would be better to talk near home!"

"So you're not going home anymore?"

"There's no other way. We're not husband and wife anymore. Maybe someone else is more suitable for you!"

"Someone else?"

Xiangzi said suspiciously, "Are you asking for a divorce?"

"Divorce? Hey! Xiangzi, we're already divorced, and by death no less! The moment I was declared dead, my household registration was removed from yours. We're practically divorced now!"

It was indeed as he said.

Shoko asked another practical question: "If your household registration is restored, will you come back?"

"Do you want that?" "

..."

Shoko was stumped by this question.

She could only silently look up at the sky.

"So? Do you want to do that?"

(...I don't know!) Shoko thought to herself, but didn't say it aloud.

Even if she restored her relationship with Yukito, there was no guarantee of happiness in the future; no, it was even highly unlikely.

"After this experience, I'm practically bound to that woman named Funakoshi Kazumi. Originally, our relationship was just that of a man and woman who slept together every day on orders from their superiors. But after the incident where Sado was almost murdered together, we overcame all dangers together, trusted each other, and our love grew stronger day by day..."

Shoko was speechless.

“Kasumi and I have contacted the police. We have a lot of procedures to go through, and now they need to investigate whether our actions constituted legitimate self-defense or excessive self-defense. They might even charge us with manslaughter! We can't predict how the court will rule. So Kasumi and I swore that no matter what happens, we will overcome it together and face it together. I hope you understand our predicament…”

Shoko nodded silently.

Then she said, “I understand!”

“How are things between you and Tanizu? I’ve seen you two together a lot these past two weeks. I think if Tanizu is with you, he will definitely bring you happiness. I really hope you can be with Tanizu…”

That might not be what Kouyu really wanted! Shoko couldn't accept the reality before her.

“Let’s see!”

Shoko replied, looking at Kouyu.

Then she saw Tanizu Shohei slowly walking towards her on the path through the woods, waving at her.

Shoko was wondering how he could have happened to be here so conveniently. "I'm sorry! I called him to invite him here because I wanted you two to stay and talk some more..."

"Stay here and talk? Talk about what?"

"N-nothing!"

"That's strange!"

Shoko finally smiled.

"Just chat, okay? Tomorrow, Kasumi and I are going to Sado Island. Once all the investigation is complete, we might face legal consequences because of the car accident! And regardless of the outcome, Kasumi and I don't plan to return to Tokyo.

So, I wanted to entrust you to Mr. Tanizu's care, because I noticed he takes good care of you. That's all, I think I should take my leave!"

Without waiting for Shoko's reply, Kosuke slowly walked into the park's woods...

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