CHAPTER 74: CHAPTER 73: CHITOSE, WHO DOUBTS HER LIFE_1

Takahashi Saeko’s mind swiftly raced through the foreign underground and official powers in Japan. She was certain there wasn’t a man named Dio among them. Foreigners over 1.9 meters in height were even rarer; there was only one such individual. However, that individual had very dark skin. Could it be that the CIA had transferred someone over again?

After some thought, Takahashi Saeko’s gaze returned to Emily in front of her, and she said with a synthesized voice, "I can’t think of anyone right now; I need some time to check. Investigating such unknown individuals is very costly."

Emily waved her small hand and said, "The Japanese government will reimburse you. As long as it’s within a reasonable price range, feel free to name your price."

A wry smile crossed Okayama Buji’s face as he interjected, "If the budget exceeds one hundred million yen, please let me know. This is my number."

"No problem." Takahashi Saeko glanced at it and memorized the phone number but did not take the police officer’s business card.

Okayama Buji smiled and reclaimed his business card, feeling somewhat uncomfortable. As a superintendent of the Metropolitan Police Department, his duty was to eliminate figures operating in such grey and black areas. However, in Japan, grey and black often have an inseparably close connection with white. Politicians needed these grey people to communicate with the black ones, to solve some dirty troubles for themselves, matters that couldn’t be publicly disclosed. What exactly those troubles were, Okayama Buji did not understand, as one profession can be as distinct from another as one mountain from the next.

Within the Metropolitan Police Department, only members of the Public Security Bureau were privy to that dark information. Then there was the Special Investigation Department under the Japanese Public Prosecutor’s Office of the United States. Past cases proved this: any politician who attempted to wrestle with the United States would find the Special Investigation Department swiftly gathering and throwing out dirt on them. This would cause them, their family members, or their subordinates to fall into disrepute and ruin.

"I await your news." After saying that, Emily turned to leave, then suddenly paused and asked, "By the way, did anyone approach you to buy my life?"

Takahashi Saeko had a high level of professional ethics and would never divulge any information about her clients. She spread her hands and said, "No."

"Thank you for your answer. Katerina, let’s go." Emily glanced at Takahashi Saeko, whose face was obscured, and didn’t quite believe what she was told. She hadn’t entered the house, but she saw two cups of tea on the living room table, still steaming—proof that someone had visited not long before. The grey industry wasn’t busy every day. At a critical moment in her investigation of Kitazhi Intelligent Company, a Street Cleaner who had done business with the general manager had a visitor. It could be a coincidence, but I will never gamble with my own life, Emily thought.

As she descended the stairs of Hundred Herb Bookstore, she tilted her head and said, "Katerina, we need to be more cautious lately."

Hearing this, Katerina broke her silence. "Is she lying? Should I take care of her?"

Okayama Buji really wanted to complain about them discussing how to kill someone right next to a police officer.

"You don’t need to be so murderous. I’m not too sure. A Street Cleaner is a smart person and probably wouldn’t accept a task to assassinate me. At most, they would introduce someone capable of killing me." Emily touched her chin with her small hand and continued, "If a direct confrontation is difficult, they might introduce an Assassin who specializes in poisoning or staging accidental deaths. Servant number one, do you have any candidates?"

"Please don’t call me that," Okayama Buji offered a slight protest, scratching his head. "I’ll ask my colleagues at the Metropolitan Police Department."

Okayama Buji, born into a family of police officers, had an extensive network within the police community. This had nothing to do with his own capabilities; the Okayama Family was simply born with those connections and relationships.

「May 10, Wednesday.」

Six o’clock sharp. The alarm clock on the nightstand went off on time.

A fuzzy black paw stretched out from under the covers. The moment it touched the nightstand, the sensation felt off.

Sporting dark-ringed eyes, he turned his head. Aozawa saw his fuzzy right hand and then remembered he had gone to sleep as a panda the previous night. No wonder the nightstand had felt strange to his touch.

Aozawa yawned, got out of bed, and tried to stretch, only to find that as a panda, he seemed too fat to find his waist. Pandas are great. No one says anything even if they’re a bit chubby. It’s not like with men; if a man gets this fat, people around him will definitely ’affectionately’ call him ’Fatso.’

Aozawa deactivated his Transformation Ability, reverting to his stark-naked human form, then swiped his finger across the alarm clock. He got up, walked to the wardrobe, and took out his black school uniform to put on.

Aozawa used his Telekinesis to lift his phone, letting it float two meters behind him as he strode to the door. He unlocked it and called out, "Good morning, Chitose." His Transformation Ability activated instantly, turning him into Ah Bao from Kung Fu Panda. He wore pants, and his upper clothing had transformed into a cape.

"Uh, err?!" Morimoto Chiyoda struck a Dinghai Shenzhen style pose, intending to respond with her usual provocative nasal tone, but upon seeing Aozawa at the door, she froze on the spot. A panda?!

Morimoto Chiyoda’s eyes widened. For the first time, her usually composed, melon-seed-shaped face showed a stunned expression, and she couldn’t even maintain her yoga pose.

Time Suspension. A gray filter covered the living room. Aozawa, seeing Morimoto Chiyoda’s expression as if she’d seen a ghost, was secretly pleased. He quickly deactivated his Transformation Ability and used Telekinesis to place the phone in his pocket. Time resumed its flow.

Morimoto Chiyoda stood up in shock, looked at the human-shaped Aozawa, and rubbed her eyes, saying, "Aozawa, you just now..."

Aozawa feigned a baffled expression. "What about me?"

Morimoto Chiyoda rubbed her eyes again, unsure of what to say, and trotted over to Aozawa. The pleasant scent of her perfume drifted into his nose. Her light, delicate lilac yoga outfit looked expensive, its fabric appearing as smooth as a young girl’s skin. Morimoto Chiyoda pinched Aozawa’s arm, patted his belly, and then looked around the room with astonishment, exclaiming, "I clearly saw a Kung Fu panda at the door!"

"Haha, Chitose, you didn’t wake up so early that you’re hallucinating, did you?"

Hearing Aozawa’s teasing, Morimoto Chiyoda began to doubt herself. How could a person possibly turn into a panda? And a Kung Fu Panda, at that!

Morimoto Chiyoda frowned slightly. She had no mortgage or car loan pressures, nor any work stress. Could it be that I woke up too early? Or perhaps holding the head-down Dinghai Shenzhen style pose for too long caused this hallucination? But why a panda? I prefer the more imposing brown bear.

Seeing her bewildered expression, Aozawa chuckled inwardly. He took the opportunity to pat her large rear with appropriate force. His palm registered warmth and softness, mingled with a hint of elasticity. "All right," he said, "you should get back to your exercises and not laze around here."

I really want to pat it a few hundred more times, Aozawa thought. Definitely have to try that in the future. While patting and... hehe.

Morimoto Chiyoda came back to her senses, clenched her right hand into a fist, and said, "Are you asking for a beating?"

"I’m off to brush my teeth and wash my face." Aozawa slipped away.

Morimoto Chiyoda reflected on what had just happened, still uncertain.