Zongman, working as a teaching assistant in Trasen

Frowning, he glanced around at the three Uozukas, perhaps understanding the commotion. The old housekeeper, accompanied by a group of Mejiro horse maidens, shouted, "The banquet officially begins in a quarter of an hour, and Patriarch Kitano will arrive at the Mejiro residence in another five minutes... Master Kuroki, what's the reason for your intrusion?"

"Tsk, need I even explain that?! Of course I'm annoyed by these barbarians!"

After guzzling the entire bottle of wine, seemingly certain that the other party was on his side, the rich second-generation boy abandoned his two bewildered followers and ran to the old housekeeper, pointing at the three of them and saying, "Quick! Get these three stray dogs out! Don't desecrate the sacred temple of the Mejiro family residence! I don't know how these lowly people got in, and they're right there..."

Whoosh——bang!

"......Eh?"

"..."

"..."

"...!!!"

Good leg technique!

His body barely moved, but his legs flew up at an astonishing angle and speed, and the tip of his gold-rimmed leather shoes hit the opponent's temple, blocking his nervous system with incredibly precise force and causing him to fall into a coma.

They didn't even understand what was happening. The rich second generation who had been picking on Uozuka Saburo and others for a long time just rolled his eyes, foamed at the mouth, fell to the ground and started twitching.

He is a master!

Uozuka Saburo and Kiryu Kazuma thought of this at the same time, looked at each other with burning eyes, and nodded imperceptibly.

"I'm very sorry. Every guest invited by the Mejiro family to this banquet has been carefully selected and screened by the head of the family. As the butler, I naturally remember each of their names firmly in my mind."

Pulling out a napkin, he wiped the tip of his shoe, then tossed it aside as if he had just stepped on a nasty insect. The old man, Night Walker Princess Koichi, looked coldly at the young man lying at his feet and said indifferently, "I remember all three of your names, but you, Kurokida Haru... I don't even remember seeing you on the invitation list."

"..."

"...Oh~ I'm so sorry, I forgot you've been suffering from epileptic seizures lately, right?"

With a light snap of her fingers, a doctor in a white coat and expressionless face suddenly appeared beside her. Without turning around, Ye Xing Fei Gu Yi looked down at the rich second-generation youth and said, "Take him down and give him a good treatment. Make sure that Mr. Hei Mu leaves the same way he came in. Do you understand?"

"Yes, I will follow your instructions."

He raised his hand to call a few servants, who carried the man down and cleaned up the remaining traces on the floor in the blink of an eye. Then, Yagyūki Guyi stood in front of the horse girls and all the guests and walked slowly. She stood 1.4 meters in front of Uozuka Saburo who was at the front. Her sharp eyes, which were not like those of an old man at all, stared straight at the three of them.

...Gu.

A heavy, unimaginably heavy aura emanated from this elegant old man who looked to be over sixty years old. It made Uozuka Saburo's heart beat wildly, and he couldn't help but tense all the muscles in his body to cope with the impact.

This old man... From a distance I only thought he was an old man with some kung fu skills, but I didn't expect him to be so scary when he got closer...

This kind of momentum, although of a different nature, is undoubtedly comparable to that of his elder brother!

The chaebol is something that cannot be underestimated...

"...So, have you two made up your minds?"

"......Um?"

"Think about it, what?"

"Of course... have you thought of the terms for the emotional compensation you would like the Mejiro family to provide?"

“…Huh?”

In an instant, the terrifying pressure, like a mountain, disappeared, and the ferocious beast that preyed on humans instantly degenerated into a kind and handsome old man. He leaned forward slightly with one hand on his chest and said politely and kindly, "I heard the ladies explain the cause of this incident on the way here. The inconvenience caused to you two is entirely due to my failure to discipline you strictly. I am truly sorry for letting such a vicious beast in and causing trouble for you all."

“…Um, I…”

"You've been saying 'you two' from the beginning, but there are three of us being scolded by that guy, right?"

Interrupting the taciturn Kiryu Kazuma, Uozuka Saburo stepped forward, locked eyes with the old man, and said, "Compared to the rest of us, this young man is the one most affected. As a host, don't you think it's extremely rude to ignore him like this?"

"Oh~ This is really..."

Nightwalker Gu Yi lowered his head and twirled his beard. After a moment's contemplation, he nodded slightly and replied seriously, "You're right. While Patriarch Kitano hasn't arrived, I have an obligation to make every distinguished guest feel at home. Even neglecting one of them would be an absolute dereliction of duty and warrants punishment. However, if that person is merely a disciple disguised as one of my 'hosts', and has, by rights, been allowed to slack off at the whim of a young lady, then this rule doesn't apply at all."

"......Eh?"

"Eh??"

Kiryu Kazuma and Uozuka Saburo, who were about to say something, were stunned on the spot. They turned around in confusion, only to see that his legs were shaking uncontrollably, but he still forced a flattering smile. He touched his head and said with a silly smile: "Yes... I'm sorry, Master, I was wrong... Please have mercy..."

"..."

"..."

----------

"Wow~ I see, that's how it is."

After giving Yagami a gentle beating, he casually threw him into the arms of Mejiro Alisa, who stood behind him without uttering a word. Yagyuki Koichi listened to Uozuka Saburo and Kiryu Kazuma's speculations, nodded seriously, and said, "Thank you very much for the clues you provided. I will immediately send my helpers to investigate, but..."

"Is there something you're hiding?" Kiryu Kazuma frowned and asked eagerly, "Maybe there are too many important people and it's difficult to investigate?"

"No, the Mejiro family does not need to consider the guests' expressions when searching within their own home. This is also one of the rules set by the head of the family."

With a pensive look, the elegant old man tilted his head slightly, looking towards the banquet hall that had become lively again. He said, "It's just that I have just confirmed that everyone present is here. There is no one more or less than you mentioned, Lord Uozuka."

"......ah?"

Chapter 91: Alerting the Snake

In an instant, several possibilities flashed through Uozuka Saburo's mind, but their meaning was denied, leaving only a few options that needed to be verified before they could be confirmed.

In short...you must keep your personal identity in mind and not do anything that goes beyond your authority and exposes your problems to others.

Especially this old butler!

"Master Uozuka, Master Kiryu, I have a favor to ask of you. Could you please help me?"

"Please tell me."

"Yeah, but it doesn't matter."

"As you two can see, the head of the Kitano family is about to arrive. I must go to the main gate, Weiqi Yinlu, to receive him, and I have no time to take care of the investigation here."

Twirling his well-groomed beard, Night Walker Concubine Gu Yi glanced behind him and said to the others in a voice only audible to a small circle, "Therefore, I hope to entrust the investigation of the truth to the two of you. With the assistance of my evil disciples and the young ladies, we can jointly resolve this 'theft incident'."

"...What if this isn't just a simple case of theft?"

Kiryu Kazuma recalled the incident from over a decade ago, his brows furrowed slightly, and he said with a hint of worry, "My intuition tells me that this matter may not be simple... Also, I did not come to the banquet alone, but was able to enter thanks to the help of President Sera. If you need to entrust this matter to me, please be sure to consult with the president first."

"Please rest assured, Master Kiryu, I, the president of the Tojo Clan, will personally explain the situation and will not make things difficult for you."

Nightwalker Gu Yi nodded, and said lightly with a completely emotionless smile, "As for the more serious situation... if it's not stealing, it must be stealing. At today's banquet, there must not be another incident that brings shame to the Mubai family!"

----------

"Huh~ I'm finally out of that old man's sight. It feels so good~~~"

Walking through the narrow corridors of the Mejiro Mansion, Huang Jinchuan rested his arms on the back of his head and said with a relaxed and cheerful expression, "Every time we meet, he lectures me, either overtly or covertly, saying things like, 'This outfit isn't right, that accessory can't be worn...' It's really, really annoying."

"Tsk, it's because you're always playing pranks and annoying people. Grandpa Ye Xing must be sick of you!"

Walking beside Kakui Yagami, Mejiro Alisa took his arm as if no one else was around and said to the golden ship at the front of the team, "He hates it most when someone breaks the rules and messes up everything! If you weren't a member of the Mejiro family, Grandpa Ye Xing would have kicked you out long ago!"

"Tsk! What do you, a little girl who just came back from England, know? That old man is not as conservative and boring as you think. He and I are the same kind of people. We are very happy to try all kinds of things that break boundaries and rules!"

"Nonsense! You saw what happened to Kuroki just now. He is the guardian of order in our Mejiro family and will never break the rules!"

"Which of the Bai family's rules says you can use a half-moon kick on a guest's temple?! Think about it carefully, you love-brained bastard!!"

"..."

Actually, both of you are quite right.

If he really was the "Night-Walking Princess Gu Yi", he would definitely be extremely protective of the rule system he was in, but also extremely eager to see this system being broken in unexpected ways and to create new rules that were far beyond his imagination.

Uozuka Saburo thought silently in his heart, and the corners of his mouth unconsciously curled up a little.

"Ah! I see you're laughing! What are you laughing at, you stinky old fish aa ...

"...I'm laughing. You two, barely even twenty years old, with your entire life experience limited to family and school, are trying to completely see through a sixty-year-old man in a high position."

No matter how the golden boat swung, he refused to let go. Having thoroughly squeezed her hard head, Uozuka Saburo turned his head and said to the stunned Mejiro Alisa, "That gentleman is much more complicated than you think. If you want to try to understand his existence, you might as well first thoroughly understand the existence of this handsome, pretty boy next to you~"

"...Hey, hey, don't bring me up again, Uozuka-san? I don't want to get involved in this debate at all, okay?"

Rubbing the slightly reddened area on his face, Yagami Kaku, who knew his master's secrets better than anyone else, didn't hesitate to change the subject. "Besides, aren't we here to search for clues about the thief who just took advantage of the opportunity to sneak in? How did we end up listening to two horse girls bickering?"

"A regular search does require boldness and carefulness, filtering everything with absolute rationality and rigorous logic to find the conclusion that best aligns with the facts."

Before Uozuka Saburo could reply, Kiryu Kazuma, walking in the middle of the five-man team with his hands in his pockets, said with a stern face, maintaining a high level of vigilance, "However, given the current situation we're investigating, 'secretly plotting' is worse than 'startling them'. We can proactively make noise to shake the scoundrels out, thus saving ourselves many tedious steps."

"Hmm? You two...are you saying that there are accomplices of the person who returned to the venue on the second floor?!"

"This!? This is impossible??"

Mejiro Alisa couldn't care less about bickering with the Golden Ship. She quickly recalled what Kaku Yagami had just recounted to her, finally catching up with their train of thought. "There are over a hundred guests here today! Including the Mejiro family's servants and hired help, there are nearly two hundred and fifty people! The strictest identity controls are in place, so for an outsider to sneak in and cause trouble, it's generally... not likely, right?"

"No, little girl, you are totally wrong."

Grabbing Huang Jinchuan's face and pushing her away to prevent her from crying and punching him, Uozuka Saburo flashed a smile often seen on famous detectives. He slowly stopped and leaned against a corner and said, "It's precisely because of the large number of people entering this time and the strictest control measures that we can confirm with certainty that the guy who sneaked out and back into the venue has an 'accomplice'?"

"...Huh? Why is that?"

"Ms. Alisa, the truth is actually very simple. You just need to change your mindset a little bit."

Yagami Kaku patted the back of her hand, and said with a gentle and doting expression, "With so many eyes watching and staring at each other, there's actually someone who can leave the venue and come back unnoticed. If there's no one to cover for them, even a few of us wouldn't be able to do it."

“…Ah! I see!”

Chapter 92: Catching a Turtle in a Jar

Uozuka Saburo actually doesn't like detectives.

In other words, all those who have acted in darkness and have seen the light again and walked in the sunshine for various reasons, including Kiryu Kazuma and Yagami Kaku, will not like detectives.

This group of curious, fearless, observant bastards are always keen to investigate all the "weird spots" that appear in their sight, and are determined to make them all public, so that the goal of "everyone in the world should know the truth" can be achieved.

It's really...disgusting.

But at the same time, as mobile manufacturers of "weird points", they undoubtedly have the most opportunities to come into contact with and learn about detectives in detail, sometimes even more than their fellow colleagues, relatives, and police officers.

Because they are opponents, opponents who play games with each other and dismantle each other's methods.

If detectives want to explore their secrets, they must think in advance about what methods the detectives will use to explore their secrets, and use this to make strategic dances, divert, and cover up those secrets. They must also further try to figure out their ideas from the detective's perspective, see through their thinking logic, and deduce effective methods.

Naturally, in the process, they all learned a thing or two of the detectives' routine operations, and with the help of their own experience as members of the dark world, they were sometimes able to see through certain crimes earlier than the detectives, and even the process of finding evidence could be ignored.

For example, this time.

They didn't see any human figure, didn't see the process, and didn't find any props. Just based on a drunkard who provoked them for no reason, a door that slowly closed in a flash, and the inexplicably crowded and oppressive feeling of space, the three of them instantly unified their thoughts and determined that there must be something wrong.

After all, it is too familiar... These details give people a feeling that is too familiar.

Lurking, infiltrating, assassinating, tracking, these are the most basic compulsory courses for people in today's dark world. What to pay attention to, what to target, and what basic action framework to use are all things that can be blurted out without even thinking about them, and they can find the template that matches them reflexively.

If the situation was not so urgent, they would only need to be given twenty-four hours... no, twelve hours at most, to roughly go through this over-beaten mansion. They would be able to easily restore the entire process of the incident to a degree of similarity of 70% to the truth and completely restore the entire scene.

"There are too many people, and there are so many servants and guests moving around privately. If you want to disappear quietly, two conditions must be met."

Uozuka Saburo raised his hand, extended two fingers, and said, "First, create an unexpected incident that will attract the attention of the majority of people and will not stop for a while, muddying the waters so that someone can take advantage of the situation."

"Secondly, you must be absolutely familiar with the complete structure of the Mejiro Mansion, as well as the movements of every servant in the house and the specific functions of every room."

Kiryu Kazuma stood opposite Uozuka Saburo, also leaning against the wall at the corner, and said, "Otherwise, if we go to the wrong location or mistakenly know the appearance time of a certain servant, and someone discovers our whereabouts, then the entire operation will be ruined."

Moreover, I'm afraid that the night steward had already anticipated these things...

Even so, he still acted completely indifferent. Was he trusting their abilities? Or was he... just being fearless?

"Hmm~hmm~I see!"

It was clear from the tone that he hadn't understood at all. The resurrected Golden Ship had a smug look on his face, believing there was only one truth. He folded his arms and snorted coldly, "Not bad! You guys were able to follow my Master Golden's thinking and think this far. You really deserve praise! Mm-hmm!"

"...Has this child always been like this?"

"...You'll get used to it. I'll beat her up later. Let's get down to business first."