Tanaka Noriaki's taut nerves had relaxed upon reaching the Nakajima house, and he fell asleep unwittingly in the bedroom arranged by Mrs. Nakajima.

He vaguely heard some voices in his drowsiness.

"Is he asleep?" Nakajima Toshihiko asked.

Mikko answered, "Yeah, he's out cold."

At that, Tanaka Noriaki prepared to get up.

"You go get the knife; I'll check on him again."

Hearing this, Tanaka Noriaki's face changed immediately. Hearing footsteps approaching, he hurriedly pretended to be asleep.

The couple's brief conversation gave him, skittish as a startled bird, endless room for imagination.

Why get a knife? Why check on him again? Were they making sure he was asleep?

Nakajima Toshihiko, tiptoeing gently, pushed the door open, saw that Tanaka Noriaki was still asleep, and prepared to leave. But just as he was about to close the door, he paused, then walked inside.

Tanaka Noriaki slowed his breath, stealthily approached, and a hand reached toward him.

"Snap!"

Tanaka Noriaki, who was feigning sleep, grabbed it in an instant.

"Officer Tanaka..." Nakajima Toshihiko didn't finish his sentence before Tanaka Noriaki covered his mouth and tightly choked him with his arm. His face turned red, his legs thrashed, and he made muffled sounds.

Tanaka Noriaki, too, with bulging veins and a ferocious look, whispered through clenched teeth, "I trusted you so much, the only one I could think of when I was desperate was you. You want to kill me? Want to use me to seek favor with Aoyama Xiu Xin? How can you betray my trust? Why must you all betray me? Why?!"

Nakajima Toshihiko had not stirred when he pushed the door, nor when he entered the room; it was only when he reached toward him did Tanaka Noriaki give up all hope, burning with rage.

His once deeply loved wife had left him.

And now, even the person he had once helped wanted to harm him.

Tanaka Noriaki's eyes were bloodshot with anger.

Nakajima Toshihiko shook his head slowly, looking at him with eyes full of pleading and despair, and struggled to raise his hand.

"You all deserve to die, all of you," Tanaka Noriaki murmured to himself as he continued to strangle him.

Nakajima Toshihiko's effortfully raised hand fell, his body stopped struggling, his eyes widened, and he died.

"Wife, do the killing, I dare not," said Mikko, holding a knife in one hand and a chicken in the other as she appeared at the bedroom doorway, standing stunned at the scene.

Tanaka Noriaki, looking at the knife and the chicken in her hands, was also stunned, as the waves of anger and resentment in his mind suddenly retreated. Looking down at Nakajima Toshihiko, who lay dead in his arms, he realized the hand he had forcefully raised was pointing at the blanket. He felt as if struck by lightning, his face ashen, his mind a chaotic mess.

They were going to kill the chicken, not him.

Nakajima Toshihiko had intended to cover him with a blanket.

He had killed the wrong person, killed the wrong person, killed the wrong person...

"Ahh!" Mikko saw her unmoving husband, screamed in terror, dropped the chicken and knife, and turned to run out without looking back.

She had never imagined her husband would bring a wolf into their home.

Tanaka Noriaki, coming back to his senses and with no time to think, knew he absolutely couldn't let Mikko get out the door. He instinctively chased after her, pouncing forward and knocking her down. He covered her mouth with his hand, trembling as he said, "Listen to me, let me explain."

"Mmm! Mmm!" Mikko, her eyes filled with fear, struggled furiously, beating and tearing at Tanaka Noriaki, uttering indistinct noises.

She couldn't listen to anything now, knowing only that the man before her had killed her husband, and she wanted to escape.

Seeing this, Tanaka Noriaki's heart hardened, and his hand, covering Mikko's mouth, slid down to her neck.

Having made one mistake, might as well go all the way.

Minutes later, Mikko lay on the ground with her mouth agape and eyes wide, lifeless.

Tanaka Noriaki sat on the ground, his eyes vacant, his forehead sweating profusely, his hands still trembling. Innocent people lay motionless on the ground, while the chicken that was supposed to die strutted proudly around the living room.

"Don't blame me, don't blame me," he sobbed, holding his head and crying low. Tormented by guilt for mistakenly killing the Nakajima couple, he suddenly raised his head, his eyes full of rage and bitterness, "Aoyama Xiu Xin, it's all his fault. It's all because of him that I killed you, and I will avenge you!"

Calmly, he began to think about what to do next. First, he couldn't stay here long, as neighbors or colleagues would definitely come to check if they couldn't contact the Nakajima couple after daylight.

Since night had already fallen, Nakajima Toshihiko must have already spread the news, so all he had to do next was wait for those interested in the evidence, which he didn't actually possess, to find him.

He believed those qualified to oppose Aoyama Xiu Xin would certainly have ways to find him.

As for whether Aoyama Xiu Xin's minions would find him first or someone else would, that was a matter of fate.

A gamble for survival, for that slim chance of life.

Without gambling, even that slim chance wouldn't exist.

Tanaka Noriaki found something to eat in Nakajima Toshihiko's house, took some money, cleaned up any traces he might have left with available tools, and staged the scene to look like a burglary turned homicide before leaving.

...

After being promoted to Senior Police Director, Asai Ayumi spent most of her time in the office. She had less fieldwork and more talking to do, becoming more eloquent and a better guide.

However, sitting in the office for too long had clearly taken a toll on her physical condition. Her face turned red and she broke out in a sweat after just a few minutes. Aoyama Xiu Xin, sitting by the bed, gently tidied the strands of hair sticking to her forehead.

"Ring, ring! Ring, ring!"

The cordless phone on the bedside started to ring.

"Moshi moshi." Aoyama Xiu Xin answered the phone with one hand while touching Asai Ayumi's smooth cheek with the other.

"Xiu Xin, are you looking for someone named Tanaka Noriaki? I heard a rumor..."

"Brother Xianyou," Aoyama Xiu Xin cut him off directly, smiling as he said, "I know, don't worry about it—that rumor is not true. Tanaka Noriaki doesn't have any leverage on me, just rumors."

He didn't take the rumor to heart; it was just Tanaka Noriaki's pathetic, desperate attempt to struggle for survival, thinking he could somehow turn the tides—a joke indeed.

"That's good then," Yanchuan Xianyou said, then suddenly changed the subject, "You're back and you haven't visited grandfather?"

"Brother Xianyou, I just arrived yesterday. Give me some time to breathe. It wouldn't be proper to see grandfather in such a hurry and disheveled," said Aoyama Xiu Xin in a tone of helpless resignation.

"There isn't that much to fuss about among family members. Have you become estranged after staying so long in Hokkaido?" Yanchuan Xianyou feigned displeasure, then continued, "Join grandfather for dinner tonight. I've already told him. If you don't come, he won't be angry with me, that's for sure."

"Since Brother Xianyou has already taken action without waiting for consent, even if I had urgent matters, I'd have to put them aside and rush to have dinner with grandfather," Aoyama Xiu Xin chuckled lightly.

Yanchuan Xianyou laughed heartily, "See you tonight."

After hanging up the phone, he looked towards Yanchuan Shilang.

"It's nothing to worry about, hmph, let those with ill-intentions search all over the world," Yanchuan Shilang snorted coldly and took a sip of his millet porridge.

As he said, indeed, many people were searching the world over for Tanaka Noriaki, each with their own motives.

"You've ruined my makeup again." Asai Ayumi threw a few balls of tissue into the trash can and glared at Aoyama Xiu Xin with annoyance, "All the makeup I put on this morning was for nothing."

"You are naturally beautiful, even without makeup you're stunning, so what's the use of wearing any? Just take it off while you're at it," Aoyama Xiu Xin said cheerfully.

Asai Ayumi flipped him the bird and went to remove her makeup.

Aoyama Xiu Xin also got out of bed to dress and freshen up.

After breakfast, Asai Ayumi headed to Police Headquarters for work, while Aoyama Xiu Xin started his social rounds, making plans to meet up with old friends and acquaintances.

The Nakanoshima couple's death was discovered in the afternoon.

When Nakajima Toshihiko's father-in-law couldn't contact his daughter and son-in-law, he went to check on their home and, using a spare key, opened the door, only to find the dead bodies of his daughter and son-in-law. He immediately called the police.

The police, after checking surveillance footage along the way, discovered that Tanaka Noriaki was taken home by Nakajima Toshihiko and left alone late at night, naming him a prime suspect.

That evening, Aoyama Xiu Xin went to the Yanchuan house.

More precisely, to Yanchuan Xianyou's house, where only Yanchuan Xianyou, his wife, and Yanchuan Shilang were present in the living room.

"Grandfather, big brother, sister-in-law."

After being led in by the nanny, Aoyama Xiu Xin respectfully bowed to the three seated on the couch.

"Xiu Xin, long time no see. Why do you seem tanner? Is the sun that harsh in Hokkaido?" Asakawa Natsu said with a beaming smile as she patted the space next to her, "We're family, don't stand around, sit down."

Beneath her black leggings, her plump buttocks resembled a full, juicy peach. When sitting, her curves looked even more enticing, making one fantasize about how delightful it would be if she were sitting on them.

"Hey!" Aoyama Xiu Xin didn't sit next to her; instead, he sat next to Yanchuan Xianyou, replying, "Thanks for your concern, big sis. Maybe I just spent more time outdoors after moving to Hokkaido, and got tanned."

In reality, it was because he spent a lot of time at the Land Guard base driving tanks, armored vehicles, shooting machine guns, and 'handling' female soldiers.

As a result, he got sunburned and tanned, but the darker skin made him look more rugged and masculine.

"You should let others handle certain matters and not try to do everything yourself. It's exhausting, and you should also give others a chance to perform," Yanchuan Shilang said.

"Hey! Thank you for the advice, Grandpa," Aoyama Xiu Xin bowed slightly, grinning naively as he replied, "I always worry they won't handle things well, so I have to keep an eye on them myself."

"You.. you.." Yanchuan Shilang shook his head helplessly and said, "Let's eat."

"Hey!" The nanny hastily began preparing the tableware.

Everyone rose and walked to the dining table.

No sooner had they sat down than Aoyama Xiu Xin felt a small foot, wrapped in a white sock, rubbing up and down his shin. He didn't need to guess to know it was Asakawa Natsu's doing.

As usual, he pretended to panic and dodged.

Asakawa Natsu enjoyed the thrill of coercion, and the more he evaded, the more excited she became. With the tablecloth concealing them, she skillfully climbed her foot onto his thigh.

In such confined space, with nowhere left to hide, Aoyama Xiu Xin had no choice but to let her play, all the while conversing and laughing with Yanchuan Shilang and Yanchuan Xianyou.

"By the way, Grandpa, I heard from Uncle Asakai that the Xichuan Cabinet's performance has been disastrous, causing widespread discontent. They are very likely to be disbanded next year. Have you considered taking a step further? I think those insects are not in your league at all. If you were the Prime Minister, the country would surely emerge from this trough," Aoyama Xiu Xin ventured, recalling Asai Youki's words and probing Yanchuan Shilang.

Suddenly, Yanchuan Xianyou fell silent, and even Asakawa Natsu, who was busily teasing him, stopped her movements.

Yanchuan Shilang finished his food leisurely before speaking unhurriedly, "Xichuan Hu Xi's performance is indeed poor. If he cannot stabilize the situation next year, then I will consider stepping forward to form a Cabinet and take up the corresponding responsibilities."

This thought was not new; it had been there for a while, or he wouldn't have been able to answer so quickly.

Since Xichuan Hu Xi was showing signs of losing his grip on power, it was no surprise that others would try to take advantage.

"That's how it should be, those inept nobodies should have stepped down long ago. If they had any competence, how could the country have gotten to this sorry state?" Aoyama Xiu Xin looked indignant, then flattered, "I can already see the day when Grandpa stabilizes the political landscape and leads the country out of the slump. Xiu Xin might not be influential enough to help much, but I'm still willing to offer my humble support."

"I appreciate your sentiment, but nothing is set in stone yet, we'll see," Yanchuan Shilang chuckled lightly and shook his head, "Let's eat, focus on the meal first."

"Hey!" No one brought up the matter again after that.

With Tokyo being a place full of hidden dragons and crouching tigers, never lacking in well-informed and resourceful people, Aoyama Xiu Xin was still at dinner when Tanaka Noriaki was found.

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