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Yuki Takada remained unmoved and simply waited quietly.
He knew that the first breach in Kobayashi Kenji's psychological defenses had been ripped open by the fatal questions he had just asked.
"We've discovered that you recently had a record of a sum of money with an unknown source." Yuki Takada stared at Kenji Kobayashi and said calmly, his words carrying a chilling quality that constantly sent shivers down the other's spine.
Seeing the other party pause in surprise, Yuuki Takada continued in a low voice, "The amount is not small, and the timing... is exactly after Shoyu Matsui was arrested and before his accidental death."
"Is this your reward for your hard work? Money to buy your life? Or... hush money?"
Kenji Kobayashi was jolted, as if struck by an invisible electric current.
His bloodshot eyes stared intently at Takada Yuuki, Kobayashi Kenji's eyes a cacophony of fear and resentment.
Even the sound of swallowing saliva could be heard coming from his throat.
"You...you...how did you manage to find it?" Kenji Kobayashi became agitated, his voice trembling as if he were on the verge of collapse. "It's impossible! They told me that as long as the money was transferred from overseas, you wouldn't be able to find it! How could this happen!"
"is it?"
Yuuki Takada's lips curled into an extremely cold smile, his face flashing with an extremely confident judgment:
"Bank transfer records, anonymous accounts, overseas transfers, and even the routes of underground banks... as long as they exist, they will inevitably leave traces. If our police officers want to investigate, they can naturally find them through technical means."
"You think that by transferring money overseas, our police won't be able to find the records? You're dreaming! Kenji Kobayashi, you're underestimating our police."
"This money is one of the ironclad pieces of evidence pointing to you and your organization! It seems that your organization really doesn't treat you like human beings. Look at Matsui Shoyu, who was only arrested by our police for less than 24 hours before we had to do everything we could to shut him up!"
"And now you're also in our police's hands. Do you think you'll send someone here to silence you?"
"Shut up! What do you know!" Kenji Kobayashi suddenly became agitated and immediately yelled at the man in front of him.
His body then began to struggle violently, the handcuffs clashing violently against the metal chair, producing a deafening clang that echoed repeatedly in the small interrogation room, making one's eardrums ache.
"That bastard Matsui Shoyu! He deserved it, he betrayed us!"
"He thinks he can use us as stepping stones after climbing the social ladder? He thinks he can get away with betraying us after being arrested by the police? Dream on! He has to die! Only the dead can't talk! Only when he's dead can we be safe!"
"Us?" Yuuki Takada caught the key word again, suddenly raising his voice and asking seriously, "Kenji Kobayashi! Answer me, who exactly is the criminal gang behind you?"
"Who ordered you to murder Matsui Shoyu to silence him? And who gave you that money? What shady business are you hiding behind this?!"
A flash of white light appeared in Takada Yuuki's eyes, almost piercing Kobayashi Kenji's soul: "Or is it that Matsui Shosuke has enough evidence to uproot your entire criminal network? Does he know the core secrets of your criminal gang?!"
The words "core secret" pierced deep into Kenji Kobayashi's consciousness the moment they were uttered.
The solemn expression on his face vanished instantly, replaced by a deathly pallor.
As if his throat had been grabbed, all the hysterical roars came to an abrupt halt, leaving only rapid and fearful gasps.
His eyes became extremely confused, his pupils darting wildly from side to side, as if he were being violently torn between immense fear and some deep-rooted taboo.
"No... I can't say it..." he murmured, his voice barely audible, filled with the despair of death, and shook his head: "If I say it... I'll die... Everyone... will die..."
He suddenly lowered his head, his greasy hair hanging down to cover his face, his body trembling violently like a leaf, and he curled up into a ball, trying to hide himself in the chair and disappear.
All the previous madness and provocation vanished, leaving only utterly crushed fear and complete collapse.
An even more oppressive silence fell over the interrogation room.
The hissing sound of the air conditioner was particularly jarring, and under the bright lights, Kenji Kobayashi's violently trembling figure appeared incredibly small and fragile.
He no longer looked at Yuki Takada, nor at anyone else, but was simply immersed in his own boundless abyss of fear.
Inspector Megure glanced at Yuuki Takada beside him and advised, "Brother Takada, how about we just call it a day for today's interrogation?"
"I don't think we'll get any useful information out of them in the short term."
Yuuki Takada smiled at Juichi Megure and said, "No! It's a rare opportunity to break down their psychological defenses step by step. If we continue like this, tomorrow we'll only make them more arrogant."
Yuuki Takada slowly leaned back in his chair, his interlaced fingers still resting steadily on the table.
But his inner world was far less calm than his outward appearance suggested.
Kenji Kobayashi's reaction confirmed his speculation—Shosuke Matsui's death was not a simple revenge killing or cover-up; it involved a large and dangerous criminal gang and might even involve some other issues.
After all, it's no easy feat to assign Kenji Kobayashi to the meal delivery team.
He glanced at Inspector Megure beside him.
Inspector Megure frowned, his face grave, clearly sensing an extremely dangerous atmosphere from Kobayashi's words and state before his breakdown.
He nodded slightly to Yuuki Takada, his eyes showing both confirmation of the major breakthrough in the case and deep concern, but he still agreed with Yuuki Takada's idea.
Yuki Takada turned his sharp gaze back to Kenji Kobayashi, who was almost curled up in a ball.
The other party's psychological defenses have collapsed, but to get them to talk and obtain the specific information the police need, one final blow is still required.
“Kenji Kobayashi…” Yuki Takada said slowly, his tone still carrying an unquestionable authority, further guiding the other party, “Since they want you to kill Shoyu Matsui to silence him, how can you be sure that you won’t be silenced by the criminal gang if you are caught by our police?”
"How could you possibly know if you're going to be the next Matsui Shoyu?"
Chapter 25 Chairman Mishima (Please continue reading)
Kenji Kobayashi's body stiffened abruptly, his trembling seemingly pausing for a moment.
Yuki Takada stated his own speculation:
"If they could silence someone like Matsui Shoyu so quickly, what do you think they would do if they found out you were arrested?"
"Are we waiting for you to tell everything? Or... like we did with Matsui Shoyu, are we going to make you disappear forever due to some accident? In prison, there are many ways to make someone disappear."
Kenji Kobayashi suddenly raised his head, his face filled with extreme terror. In a daze, he saw death beckoning to him.
Yuki Takada's words precisely struck at his deepest fear—to be silenced!
We will never let a member who has been arrested and whose psychological defenses have collapsed escape justice!
"No...no..." Kenji Kobayashi cried out in a low voice, his eyes unfocused.
Yuuki Takada caught this moment of utter collapse and gently soothed him, "Tell me everything you know. Who are you? Who is the mastermind? Who gave you that money? What evidence does Shoyu Matsui possess?"
“Right now, only the police will protect your safety. You have a chance to survive if you cooperate with the police and wipe them all out. This is your only way out, Kenji Kobayashi.”
He stared intently into Kenji Kobayashi's eyes and asked, enunciating each word clearly, "Now, tell me, who do you work for? Who is behind this?"
Kenji Kobayashi stared intently at Yuki Takada with bloodshot eyes, his lips trembling violently, and sweat pouring down his face.
An immense will to survive clashed fiercely within him amidst his utterly destroyed psychological defenses.
The air in the interrogation room was so tense it felt like a single spark could ignite it.
Finally, after a few suffocating seconds, a broken sound escaped from Kenji Kobayashi's throat, a whimper like that of a dying beast.
He opened his mouth.
"It's...it's Mishima...Chairman Mishima!"
"Chairman Mishima?" Yuki Takada's pupils suddenly contracted, and for a moment he found it hard to accept the truth of the matter.
The weight of this name far exceeded his expectations. It was the name of Ryunosuke Mishima, a behemoth with deep roots and a long history of dark power in Tokyo.
Pressing for answers quickly, Yuuki Takada asked clearly and rapidly, "Ryunosuke Mishima? Explain yourself! What exactly are they trying to do? And what evidence does Shosuke Matsui possess?"
Kenji Kobayashi seemed to have used all his strength to utter the name. At this moment, he felt as if his spine had been removed, and he collapsed. Sweat soaked through his work clothes, leaving dark water stains on the chair.
He was breathing heavily, his eyes filled with exhaustion from surviving the ordeal and a deeper sense of lingering fear.
"Yes, it was him..." Kenji Kobayashi sobbed, his words broken as he continued, "The money... was transferred to my account by Chairman Mishima through an overseas account... He made me... He made me make sure Matsui Shoyu... He made him... He made him shut up... Shut him up forever..."
He looked up abruptly, his bloodshot eyes filled with deep-seated fear.
“Matsui, that idiot… he… he stole my backup recording! And… and photos of the ledger! He… he wants to use this… to blackmail the chairman… for more money… He said… he said he hid it… only he knows where it is…”
Yuki Takada's brain was working at lightning speed.
recording!?
A photo of the ledger!?
This is enough to shake the foundation of the Mishima family!?
He immediately realized that this was a more significant breakthrough than expected, but it also meant that Kenji Kobayashi's danger level had soared to its peak.
"Where is it hidden? Where did Matsui Shoyu hide the evidence?" Takada Yuki asked impatiently.
"I...I don't know...I really don't know!" Kenji Kobayashi shook his head frantically, sweat flying everywhere.
"He only said...it was a place no one would expect...not even those around him knew...he...he was very proud of it..."
Kenji Kobayashi's eyes suddenly went vacant, losing their light and filled with despair. He cried out desperately, "Officer Takada! Save me! You have to save me!"
"If they... if they knew I was here... they would definitely kill me to silence me! Just like Matsui Shoyu! You said you would protect me!"
Just then, the heavy door to the interrogation room was suddenly pushed open, and the young police officer who had been in charge of monitoring rushed in, his face pale, even forgetting the proper etiquette of knocking and saluting: "Senior Takada! Emergency! The forensic team's report includes Kenji Kobayashi... Kenji Kobayashi's blood test and the preliminary urine test report that just arrived!"
"There is... there is a toxic reaction! Suspected... suspected ricin!"
"What?!" Yuki Takada jumped up, the chair legs scraping against the floor with a screeching sound.
He immediately looked at Kenji Kobayashi.
The terror on Kenji Kobayashi's face froze instantly, then transformed into an incomprehensible bewilderment.
Immediately afterwards, his body began to convulse violently and uncontrollably, even more terrifying than the previous trembling.
He made strange swallowing and chewing noises in his throat, his eyes rolled upward rapidly, white foam spilled from the corners of his mouth, and he slid off the chair and fell heavily to the ground, his limbs twitching wildly as if he had been electrocuted.
"Call the medical team! Immediately! Seal off all exits!"
"Check everything he's touched since he came in! Quickly!!"
Yuki Takada roared, instantly shattering the deathly silence of the interrogation room and replacing it with an even more chaotic and deadly panic.
He rushed to Kobayashi Kenji's side and tried to hold him down to prevent him from hurting himself.
Upon seeing this, Inspector Megure reacted immediately, roaring into his headset: "Attention everyone! Level 1 alert! Suspect poisoned! Repeat, suspect poisoned! Quickly check if any suspicious personnel have infiltrated our Metropolitan Police Department."
Yuki Takada's heart sank to the bottom.
To silence them!?
Just as the interrogation made a breakthrough!
And in such a swift, secretive, and ruthless way!
How could the other party's hand actually reach into this impenetrable interrogation room?