Chapter 39: Enlightened by Physics—This Is How I Solve

As soon as Aoyama Hidenobu uttered the name "Ken Yamamoto," everyone's gaze instinctively settled on a middle-aged man with a bulging belly and a greasy, shiny face.

Damn it!

Seeing all eyes turn to him, Ken Yamamoto cursed inwardly, but forced a fawning smile as he stood up, bowing deeply and humbling himself, saying, "I am Ken Yamamoto. May I ask what business brings the officers here? I will cooperate fully!"

"I am Ayaka Asai, Inspector of the Shinjuku Police Department’s Firearms Division, and these two are my subordinates." Ayaka Asai threw a rather helpless look at Aoyama Hidenobu, then produced her credentials to confirm her identity before continuing, "Everyone else, please step outside."

The men and women in the private room, hearing this, acted as if granted amnesty, scrambling to leave in a panic. Even the young man lying on the floor, his head bloodied, clambered up, clutching his head as he stumbled out, courteously closing the door behind him.

"Ah, so it's Inspector Asai! I've only ever seen you on the news. What an honor, truly an honor, to meet you in person today." Ken Yamamoto immediately recognized Ayaka Asai, his attitude becoming even more obsequious. Beads of sweat broke out across his forehead, convinced that one of his shady dealings had been exposed and that he was about to be hauled off to jail.

Aoyama Hidenobu seated himself unceremoniously on the sofa, pouring himself a drink and sipping leisurely as he watched the exchange between Ayaka Asai and Ken Yamamoto.

Ayaka Asai's expression was cold, her tone rigid. "Enough with the word games. I know exactly what you're up to behind closed doors. I heard you made quite a significant deal recently. I want the buyer’s information."

"This... Inspector Asai, I don’t quite understand what you’re talking about," Ken Yamamoto replied, visibly relieved now that it wasn’t a direct arrest, and growing bolder as he feigned ignorance. "What, is the police department thinking of getting into the slaughterhouse business too?"

Since they weren’t here to arrest him, it meant the police had no hard evidence of his gun trafficking, so why on earth would he be foolish enough to admit it?

"You—" Ayaka Asai’s anger flared as she caught the shift in his demeanor.

"Ken Yamamoto."

A languid voice sounded.

Ken Yamamoto turned instinctively toward Aoyama Hidenobu, only for a glass bottle to appear in his field of vision, growing larger and larger until, with a crash, it smashed down on his head, glass shards flying everywhere.

"Ah!" Ken Yamamoto screamed in pain, taken completely by surprise. He clutched his head, staggering backward several steps, nearly collapsing to the floor.

Aoyama Hidenobu grabbed a fistful of Yamamoto’s gel-laden hair and yanked him down, slamming his plump, fleshy face hard onto the coffee table. With his other hand, he casually picked up bottle after bottle, smashing them over Yamamoto’s head.

Crash! Crash! Crash!

In just a few seconds, three bottles shattered in rapid succession atop Ken Yamamoto’s skull. Shards of broken glass scattered, and blood flowed down, soaking his hair and pooling scarlet on the glass table before dripping steadily to the floor.

Ayaka Asai turned pale at the sight, instinctively wanting to intervene, but a single glance from Aoyama Hidenobu froze her on the spot.

"Hand me the gun," Aoyama Hidenobu said, sweeping a heap of glasses off the table to the floor, then sitting down on the coffee table. He beckoned to Shinichi Nakamura.

Without hesitation, Shinichi Nakamura handed over the firearm.

Aoyama Hidenobu removed the bullets, shoved the empty gun into Ken Yamamoto’s hand, then drew his own gun and pressed it to Yamamoto’s forehead, his tone airy and casual. "From now on, you answer my questions. If you don’t cooperate, I’ll shoot you dead."

Feeling the icy muzzle against his brow, Ken Yamamoto’s mind, previously dazed from the beating, snapped instantly awake. His hands began to shake, the gun slipped from his grasp and clattered to the floor. He stared up at Aoyama Hidenobu, terror etched across his face.

"Y-yes! Please, ask anything—I swear, I’ll tell you everything, absolutely everything!"

"See, a little enlightenment goes a long way." Aoyama Hidenobu glanced up at the ashen-faced Ayaka Asai with a laugh, then looked down at Ken Yamamoto. "Now that you’re enlightened, you should have no trouble understanding the question my superior just asked, right?"

"Yes!" Ken Yamamoto dared not pretend otherwise. He hurriedly confessed, "Yes, three days ago I moved a batch—three handguns, two rifles, and three hundred rounds of various ammunition. The buyers were two men, both around thirty. I just supplied the goods, I had nothing to do with anything else. I surrender myself, I’ll turn myself in!"

"Can you still reach the buyers?" Aoyama Hidenobu asked.

"No, I can’t," Yamamoto replied, shaking his head emphatically. Fearing disbelief, he quickly added, "I’m telling the truth! They weren’t local, just outsiders making a one-off deal. Once the transaction was done, they cut all contact."

Aoyama Hidenobu picked up the gun from the floor and tossed it back to Nakamura, then holstered his own weapon. He stood and bowed to Ken Yamamoto. "Thank you for your cooperation. Sorry to disturb you."

He had already mastered the Japanese art of etiquette: although he had just beaten the man, a bow and an apology meant the matter was settled.

"You’re… you’re welcome," Ken Yamamoto managed to squeeze out a smile more wretched than a grimace. Only after the door closed behind them did his tense body finally collapse onto the coffee table, his heart pounding with the joy of surviving a close call.

No sooner had they stepped into the corridor than Ayaka Asai, her face icy, vented her displeasure. "Aoyama Hidenobu! How could you lay hands on someone just now? Aren’t you afraid of a complaint? That’s completely against protocol and police regulations!"

"Madam Inspector, were your previous methods any more by-the-book?" Aoyama Hidenobu replied with a half-smile. "But tell me, how many cases did you actually solve?"

"You—" Ayaka’s face flushed red at his words, her anger barely contained as she glared at him.

Shinichi Nakamura quietly edged away from the two of them.

Aoyama Hidenobu remained perfectly composed. "I’m helping you earn merit and make a name for yourself. As for the methods, that’s not your concern. Any complaints, just call in a favor and have them buried, right?"

Having powerful backing was truly liberating—if the sky fell, let Ayaka Asai bear the brunt; he could act as he pleased.

After all, the two of them were now deeply tied together.

Don’t ask how deep—twenty centimeters.

Besides, he knew exactly whom he could rough up and whom he couldn’t. People like Ken Yamamoto, who wouldn’t withstand even a cursory investigation, would never dare cause him trouble.

"You…" Hearing Aoyama Hidenobu speak so brazenly, Ayaka Asai was livid, gritting her teeth in frustration. "That’s not how a police officer should conduct an investigation!"

Aoyama Hidenobu merely shrugged and smiled. "But that’s how I operate."

With those words, he turned and walked away.

Ayaka Asai, exasperated and helpless, stamped her foot in anger before hurrying after him, changing the subject. "Do you think the people who bought guns from Ken Yamamoto might be connected to Ichiro Takeda?"

"It’s possible," Aoyama Hidenobu ventured. "Perhaps Ichiro Takeda deliberately exposed himself to draw police attention, giving his accomplices in the shadows a chance to act?"

He felt this was the most plausible explanation.

Otherwise, there was no way to explain why Ichiro Takeda would openly reveal himself under the police’s nose.

"Of course, it’s also possible I’m overthinking it—there’s no evidence yet," Aoyama Hidenobu added, hedging his theory.

"Even if there’s only the slightest possibility, we must prepare for it," Ayaka Asai said seriously, her face grave. "I’ll report your theory and recommend that police presence be beefed up at all Tokyo banks in the coming days, in case Ichiro Takeda tries again!"