Tokyo: The Player Behind the Scenes.

Chapter 292, Section 39: Suspicion Arises

In the car.

"Is it really that delicious?" 12 gripped the steering wheel, glancing at 11 in the passenger seat out of the corner of his eye.

11 froze as he subconsciously licked his sauce-covered fingers. He awkwardly lowered his hand and wiped it on his pants. "It tasted good at first, crispy and sweet and sour. But then the flavor became unique, like... the more you eat, the more you want to eat, just like potato chips."

He smacked his lips, seemingly still savoring the memory.

12 frowned slightly. He clearly remembered that 11 was usually extremely sensitive to the smell of fish and almost never ate fish on his own initiative.

The fact that he was so captivated by that plate of fried sea bass suggests that it must have tasted really good; at least the fishy smell must have been completely removed.

"Check what hotels are around here." 12's gaze swept out the window. The main street of the town was deserted, and many of the houses on both sides were dark. The whole town seemed to be isolated from nightlife, and it was so quiet that it could be described as deathly still.

It doesn't seem like a population of several thousand, but rather a population of over a thousand. Or is this area simply sparsely populated?
11 took out her phone and searched: "The best-rated hotel is the Water Lizard Hotel they just recommended."

He scrolled through the screen, "The latest reviews all say that the sea bass there is especially delicious, the staff is very welcoming, and there is free sea bass every morning for guests." As he read, his throat involuntarily bobbed, and he swallowed.

12 nodded: "Okay, let's go there then."

Following the navigation, the car quickly stopped in front of a hotel at the east end of town. The sign was a neon sign of a green lizard with an exaggerated shape, its head swaying and its tongue flicking out, making it very easy to spot.

The first floor was brightly lit, and the faint sounds of clinking cups and plates and indistinct laughter could be heard, clearly indicating that it was a restaurant.

The two pushed open the door and were greeted by a mixture of fried food, beer, and some indescribable sweet and fishy smell.

There were seven or eight tables of customers in the restaurant, including locals and tourists, chatting and laughing loudly in a lively atmosphere.

A portly man in an apron was carrying a large plate of fried fish and beer, weaving through the crowd with a warm smile on his face.

"Meal or lodging, you two?" The owner greeted them immediately, his fat face jiggling with a smile.

"Accommodation, two rooms." 12. Concise and to the point.

"Oh dear, what bad luck!" The owner rubbed his hands together, looking apologetic. "We've had quite a few guests tonight, and we only have one double room left!"

12 frowned, but still said, "Okay."

The owner quickly completed the formalities, handed over a room key, and said with a hearty smile, "Your room rate includes breakfast. You can come down to the first floor to eat from eight to nine o'clock tomorrow morning. It won't be available after that time; it's a local specialty!"

12 put away the room key and casually replied, "Bigmouth sea bass, right?"

"That's right!" The boss's voice suddenly rose, filled with an almost fanatical pride. "It's the highest quality sea bass sashimi! It's processed and chilled right after it's caught! The texture! The sweetness! You've absolutely, absolutely never tasted anything so delicious!" He patted his chest, spittle flying everywhere.

12 nodded expressionlessly. He had never been a fan of raw food, especially raw fish.

However, he caught a glimpse of 11 out of the corner of his eye. The latter was staring at the plate of fried fish in the boss's hand, his Adam's apple bobbing again, his eyes filled with undisguised longing.

Is it really necessary?

The room was at the far end of the second floor. Pushing open the door, it was fairly clean; one couldn't expect too much.

After a routine check to confirm there were no surveillance devices, they quickly washed up, lay down, and 12 soon fell into a deep sleep from exhaustion.

After an unknown amount of time, the sound of pattering water woke 12.

He suddenly opened his eyes, reached for his phone with one hand and turned on the screen, while placing the other hand under his pillow where his gun was.

In the dim light, 11's bed was empty.

12 felt a sense of relief, rolled out of bed, and followed the sound of water to the bathroom door.

The door was ajar, and it was pitch black inside. He turned on the light and pushed the door open, and saw 11 lying in the bathtub, which was filled with water.

11. With her eyes closed, her head rested on the cold tiles, a relaxed expression on her face, as if she were immersed in some kind of enjoyment.

"What the hell are you doing?" 12 stared for several seconds before muttering angrily, "Why are you taking a cold shower in the middle of the night instead of sleeping? And why aren't you turning on the lights?!"

Startled awake, 11 opened his eyes abruptly and saw 12 at the door. A look of panic and embarrassment flashed across his face: "Ah, I, I felt a bit hot and dry, and my whole body felt restless, so I got up to take a cold bath. I was afraid that turning on the light would disturb you." His voice was a little hoarse.

12 glanced at the air conditioner, 18 degrees Celsius, then looked at 11, who was soaking in cold water. Even with a blanket, the air conditioner was a bit cold, yet he said it was dry and hot.
“I’ve never seen you have any strange quirks before. Come out quickly, don’t catch a cold.” 12 patted his forehead. “If you’re not feeling well, we have medicine.”

"Okay, right away."

11 sighed, responded, and slowly climbed out of the bathtub.

12 didn't say anything more, turned around and went back to bed, but found it hard to fall asleep.

In the darkness, he kept his eyes open, listening to the faint sounds of 11 drying herself and changing her clothes, and a cloud of doubt began to rise in his heart.

Silent all night.

At eight o'clock in the morning, the two went downstairs on time.

The restaurant on the first floor was even more lively than last night, almost full. People sat around the tables, chatting and laughing with anticipation on their faces.

The owner, beaming, carefully placed a huge tray covered in plastic wrap on the central table. He peeled back the plastic wrap to reveal neatly arranged, translucent, and paper-thin slices of sea bass sashimi.

The fish meat has an almost transparent pinkish-white color with beautiful silver edges, and it shimmers with an enticing luster under the light.

"Everyone! Today's top-quality sashimi is here!"

The crowd erupted in cheers and applause, eagerly picking up their utensils and staring intently at the plate of sashimi.

The boss started distributing the food quickly. Everyone at every table received a plate.

Those who received the sashimi almost immediately began to devour it without hesitation.

Their faces beamed with satisfaction and delight at the food, as if they were savoring the most delicious ingredients in the world.

The only sounds in the restaurant were chewing and swallowing, and the occasional satisfied sigh.

11 He picked up a piece of sashimi and eagerly put it in his mouth. He closed his eyes, letting out a muffled groan. He ate quickly and hastily, as if he hadn't eaten in ages. 12 He still didn't want to eat sashimi, but he had to admit that it looked really good, and he couldn't smell a trace of fishiness.

"Are you sure you don't want it?" 11 asked vaguely, her eyes still fixed on what was left on the plate, while reaching for 12's portion.

12 shook his head: "You eat slowly, I'll go check the car."

After he finished speaking, he walked out of the restaurant, walked to the Saabban parked on the side of the road, opened the trunk, and took out a can from the supply box.

He leaned against the car, silently eating his canned food, his eyes scanning his surroundings warily.

The town was eerily quiet in the early morning, the streets deserted, a stark contrast to the bustling atmosphere inside the restaurants.

He took out his phone.

"Hello? Help me look up information about Okechobi Town. I need detailed information, not AI, but the original information that hasn't been corrupted by the internet."

Okay, I expect to give you an answer tonight.

"so long?!"

"Sigh, it won't be long. You don't know about the church gunmen in Texas, and there have been confirmed cases of supernatural beings in California. Plus, with the people we arranged to assist Ms. Muramasa, guess how many people we have left? God, I have a huge stack of requests on my desk that are difficult for AI to handle."

"Okay, I understand."

12 hung up the phone silently, got into the car, lit a cigarette that he rarely smoked anymore, and waited patiently for 11.

A dozen minutes later, 11 came out looking satisfied, her eyes still a little dazed: "Shall we go?"

Nodding at 12, he started the car and drove 11 back to Mike's house.

Although it wasn't the agreed time yet, Mike and Jess were already waiting at the door, still with their usual warm smiles.

Without much small talk, the four drove to the crime scene in the North Shore Swamp.

It was a muddy area near Lake Okechobi, with a wide-open view and only low bushes and aquatic plants.

The murky lake water lapped against the muddy shore, and a strong, fishy smell filled the air. In the distance, the vast lake appeared as a hazy gray in the morning mist.

“The incident happened right here.” Mike pointed to the approximate location on the muddy ground and began to have 11 and 12 play the police officers, while he and Jess played the alligator and the victim, reenacting the scene.

Their descriptions are largely consistent with those from last night in the house and in the report.

12. While recording, he observed his surroundings.

He increasingly felt that this town was a bit strange, as if someone was secretly watching him, but he couldn't very well say that there was something wrong with the local specialties. Maybe... he had just made a wasted trip?
On the contrary, he hoped so; for them, the most terrifying thing was what they might discover during the investigation.

They're not superhuman; if they really encounter a supernatural event, they'll just be cannon fodder.

He was well aware of his own limitations.

After finishing the record, 12 suggested going to the lakeside for a look.

The group waded through the slippery mud to the water's edge. The lake water was murky, and near the shore, a thick layer of green algae covered the surface, resembling a disgusting sludge layer of oil.

12 frowned, squatted down, and glanced at the murky lake water.

Swamps have always been full of legends in Ami, and perhaps it is those legends that have created a strange filter in his mind.

Although he knew he shouldn't do this, he couldn't erase those memories.

Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of something moving beneath a patch of turquoise about ten meters from the shore.

He immediately looked around.

The murky green algae were pushed aside, and half a human face emerged from the dark green water. The other half of the face was unusually pale, with wet hair clinging to the scalp. The face was expressionless, except for a pair of vertical brown pupils like glass beads, which stared straight at him.

12's heart seemed to stop beating instantly. He gasped, his finger pointing sharply in that direction: "There! What's that?!"

"What?" 11. Mike and Jess looked in the direction he was pointing.

On the lake's surface, only ripples slowly spread across the murky water. Where that face had just appeared, there was only floating green algae and murky lake water.

"What's wrong with you?" 11 asked, puzzled.

"A person! There's a face in the water!" 12 stared at the water's surface, trying to find the scene he had just seen.

"A face?" Mike leaned over to look, then chuckled. "Agent, are you seeing things? That's a fish! A big fish just flipped over! Look!"

He pointed to a spot not far away, and sure enough, a rather large fish leaped out of the water and then plunged back in with a splash.

11 nodded: "Yeah, if it's going that way, I just saw it too, it's a big fish. Where's the human face? Didn't you sleep well last night?"

12 stood there, his face pale.

That fleeting glimpse was so clear and real. But they all say it's an illusion. Was it a hallucination? Was it a misperception caused by last night's doubts and the eerie atmosphere before us?
He forced himself to calm down, closed his eyes for a while, and then opened them again, his sharp gaze sweeping across the lake.

A few minutes later, he saw several more fish leaping out of the water in the distance, splashing water. It seemed... really just fish?
"Perhaps I'm seeing things."

12's voice was low and weary. He took one last deep look at the murky, algae-covered lake, shook his head, and turned to leave.

Mike and Jess glanced at the lake and followed 12.

The vehicle started again and drove away from the lake area.

Behind them, beneath the thick green algae of the murky lake that 12 had just pointed to, one by one pale, plaster-like heads silently pushed aside the covering.

They surfaced with half their faces above the water, silently watching the vehicle drive away.

(End of this chapter)