Chapter 324 Commission from Mermaid Island
"weekend……"
Hearing this, Fujino, who was cleaning up the mess on the dining table, paused.
Under normal circumstances, if you have just finished a two-day vacation, you should wait three days until the next weekend.
But this world...
Two days a day, three days or six days are even possible.
Well, here comes another surprise blind box opening event.
Fujino looked at Ayumi and guessed: "The weekend should be tomorrow, right?"
"Brother Fujino, what are you talking about?"
Ayumi blinked in confusion, "The weekend is obviously the day after tomorrow."
"..."
Well, I guessed wrong again.
A soft smile appeared on Fujino's lips and he scratched the back of his head: "It turns out it was the day after tomorrow. I was so busy that I forgot about it."
"In that case, how about we go together on the weekend?"
At this time, Miyano Akemi walked out of the kitchen and heard the conversation between Ayumi and Fujino: "By the way, we haven't traveled for a while. It just so happens that these two days are off-season, so we can close the door for two days to rest."
"Sister Mingmei, are you going too?"
"That's great!"
"It seems like it's our first time to hang out with Sister Mingmei too!"
The three children seemed very enthusiastic about going skiing with Miyano Akemi.
The cute and gentle big sister is always popular with the children.
Usually when they come to Snow King Ice City, they are taken care of as well.
In the eyes of the three little ones, Miyano Akemi is like a beloved teacher...
Fujino said nothing more and chose to agree.
It’s not bad to go skiing and relax…
But why does this plot feel a little familiar?
Well, probably tomorrow.
Dr. A Li would catch a cold just because he stayed up late watching short videos...
If what he expected was correct.
…………
the next day.
The sky has just turned hazy and bright, and today is another refreshing spring day.
A day in the life of Fujino is simple.
At three or four o'clock in the morning, I would get up as usual, change into my sweatshirt and do morning exercises.
Sometimes I become a lazy person and skip the morning exercise session.
After morning exercise, it’s time to check emails…
After all, sometimes clients make requests through letters.
"Mr. Fujino, there is an email for you!"
Just when Fujino had just returned from exercising and was waiting for the letter, the postman rode his bicycle and handed over a thick brown paper envelope.
"Excuse me, Uncle Postman."
Fujino took the envelope, opened it, and took a look.
The letter reads:
【Fujino Douji's personal message
I'm about to be killed by a mermaid! Please help me!
Menxie yarn weaving: xxxxx]
In addition to the letter, there was also 50,000 yen in cash.
"Fifty thousand yen...is it a deposit?"
"It's a bit less..."
Fujino glanced at the deposit with a strange expression, sighed, and silently put away the money. Then, he looked at the contents of the letter and narrowed his eyes slightly: "Isn't it just a mermaid?"
Logically speaking, such a joke-like letter should be regarded as a prank email...
After all, being killed by a mermaid or something is really outrageous.
But the mermaid, and Menxie Shaori.
This letter evoked some impressions on Fujino.
If he remembered correctly, this should be the plot on Mermaid Island.
Mermaid Island, to be precise, it should be 'American Island'. It is described on the envelope's sending address, but there is no detailed address.
Yes, it is the United States of America. Although it is a bit outrageous, it is indeed called "America", but this "America" is not that America. It should be a beautiful United States, a country of countries.
To be honest, Fujino really doesn't understand what kind of abstract person he is that can come up with such an abstract name.
However, this name is not unfamiliar to him. He still remembers that a few years ago, it was famous here, saying that something like a mermaid was born.
After thinking for a while, he turned back upstairs, took out his notebook, and began to collect relevant information.
Soon, he found relevant reports.
The report says that on a small island in Fukui Prefecture, there is a ‘Mate’ with a lifespan of more than 130 years. In layman’s terms, it is the so-called goddess.
It was mentioned in the report that the goddess surnamed Shimabukuro once ate mermaid meat, so she was endowed with the power of a mermaid and became immortal.
From this legend, the island spontaneously held a mermaid festival led by the goddess. Every time the mermaid sacrifice was performed, the goddess would randomly send out three "dugong arrows" as souvenirs.
Dugong arrows are tied with the hair of the goddess. Those who hold such arrows will be blessed with immortality. However, losing this arrow will also bring misfortune.
It's just that not many people care about the mermaid festival. What really made this matter popular was the fire three years ago...
During the Mermaid Festival ceremony, a warehouse suddenly caught fire, and a body was found in the warehouse.
It’s just that the skeleton of the lower body of the corpse is very strange. It has no legs, just like a mermaid.
But after police identification, the skeleton was indeed human.
Coupled with the legend on the island, this incident has attracted widespread attention from the society, and many media have taken notice of it. The fact that there are mermaids on the American Island has basically become a hot news.
If this was placed in Approaching Science, it would definitely last ten episodes.
But as the heat passed, it was never mentioned by the public again.
But the name of the island "American Island" and the legend of the mermaid are not the focus.
The point is, on this small island, a serial murder case will occur, and the dead include the client who is going to be killed by the mermaid.
In Fujino's impression, the so-called legend of the 130-year-old mermaid goddess on Mermaid Island is actually just a disguise that the women of the Shimabukuro family have made for generations.
The mermaid corpse three years ago was pretended to be the mother of the previous goddess, the current mermaid girl Shimabukuro June.
As for the reason why the corpse turned out like that... it starts with the client this time, Monkyo Saori.
At the mermaid festival three years ago, Menxie Shaori and her two friends were full of expectations, praying for the mermaid arrows and hoping to gain the power of immortality.
But things didn't work out as they wished, and none of them got a draw, so they were very depressed.
After getting drunk at night, they were unwilling to see the mermaid walking into the warehouse.
In order to retaliate and confirm the mermaid's statement, they locked the warehouse and set it on fire.
The mother of Shimabukuro Kimie, who played the last goddess, died in this fire. The fire burned for a day and a night, and in the end only the bones were left.
Because before her death, she called her daughter to tell her that she wanted the mermaid festival to continue, so this matter was not disclosed.
As for why the body became like that... it should be an illusion caused by the legs being smashed by falling beams in the fire.
And just recently, Menxie Shaori lost her mermaid arrow.
After experiencing that incident, she has become a loyal believer in mermaids.
In order to prevent herself from being killed by the mermaid in revenge, she ran to seek help from Shimabukuro Kimie and asked for help from the goddess. Later, she told what happened back then and wanted to eat the "mermaid's ashes" to obtain the mermaid's power. force.
She wasn't imagining this, after all, someone had tried this before.
As a daughter, Shimabukuro Kimie was very angry when she discovered the truth about her mother's death.
After learning that Menxie Shaori not only burned her mother to death, but also wanted to dig her mother's grave, she was extremely angry.
In order to avenge her past, she was so angry that she personally killed Menxie Saori and the other two friends who participated in the arson.
"Feudal superstition kills people..."
After withdrawing his thoughts, Fujino took a deep breath and sighed secretly in his heart.
It's just that I pity Jun Hui's mother. After she dies, she will be dug out and her bones eaten.
I can only say that this is all a sin caused by feudal superstition...
If it weren't for the mermaid's lies, nothing would have happened.
But now that it has happened, it can only be said that those three girls are really beasts.
"I don't know if her murder plan has begun..."
Fujino thought for a moment, then took out the phone from his pocket.
He remembered that Hattori Heiji should also be involved in this case.
Just after he received the letter, Menxie Shazhi was killed.
I don’t know if the plan has started yet.
The call was quickly connected, and a young girl's voice came from the other end of the phone: "Excuse me, who are you?"
The phone can be connected, it seems that the person is not dead yet...
Fujino then tightened his throat and said in a strange tone: "I am a mermaid."
"ah!!!"
There was a scream on the other end of the phone.
"Ahem."
Fujino coughed lightly and reintroduced himself: "Just kidding, I'm Fujino. I should have sent you a letter earlier, and the phone number was left in the letter."
"call……"
Menxie Shaori on the other end of the phone took a deep breath, calmed down, and then said resentfully: "Really, please don't make such a joke..."
"Well, I'm sorry, I just think mermaids and stuff are fun."
Fujino said calmly: "But it was also mentioned in the letter. You said you were going to be killed by a mermaid. Can you tell me specifically what this is about?"
"That's an arrow that can make people immortal..."
Men Xie Shaori's tone on the other end of the phone became a little unstable: "But I lost it not long ago. If I can't find it, I will definitely be convicted and killed by the mermaid!"
"Um...just calm down."
Fujino was speechless for a moment, and then said: "I have already investigated the specific situation. If I guess correctly, the purpose of entrusting me to you is to find the dugong arrow, right?"
"That's right!"
Menxie Shazhi's tone was affirmative: "As long as I can find it, I can spend all my money on it! As long as I can find it!"
"Um……"
Fujino groaned and glanced at the time: "Since it is a commission to find something, let's meet first. Do you have time?"
"Just today!"
Monkyo Saori said hurriedly: "I just have to go to the dentist this morning, and I should be able to take the Shinkansen to Tokyo in the afternoon."
"Well, let's meet in the afternoon. As for the address... let's choose the detective agency. I'll text you the location later, and you should know it."
Fujino sent the address, took back the phone, and took a deep breath.
He has a new understanding of religion, ghosts, legends and culture.
Sure enough, this thing makes money quickly.
A bunch of idiots giving away money.
But that's fine, it just so happens that you can seduce the other party to come over and make a fortune, and at the same time give him a good education.
…………
In a blink of an eye, the time came to afternoon.
"Dong dong dong!"
There was a knock on the door of the detective agency.
Facing me were two young girls.
One of the girls has long, soft black hair and wears a gray-black suit jacket and slim-fitting trousers, which accentuates her slightly outstanding figure. She looks gentle and cute, and even looks vaguely like Miyano Akemi. Very similar.
The other girl had short brown hair, wore a white shirt, a blue knitted sweater, and khaki shorts, revealing her white thighs and a round frame hanging on her cheeks. Glasses have an intellectual air to them.
"Miss Menxie Saori?"
Fujino looked at the two of them curiously and asked.
"Well... I am the Kadoko Saori whom I spoke to on the phone... earlier."
One side of Menxie Saori's face was red at this time. It seemed that she had just visited the dentist and was a little awkward when speaking.
She nodded, turned to look at the girl next to her, and introduced: "This is Jun Hui... who is coming to the dentist with me this time..."
"Hello, my name is Shimabukuro Kime."
The other girl bowed slightly and said hello.
"Well, please sit down."
Fujino invited the two of them to sit down on the sofa in the office and poured him a cup of black tea. However, after considering that Kabuto Saori had just seen a dentist, he poured another glass of water and handed it to them.
After all, we are now customers, and we should go where we should.
As for non-working hours...
Fujino sat on the sofa and turned his eyes to Kabuto Saori: "So, the thing you want to entrust me with this time is to find that dugong arrow, right? According to my investigation, that arrow is said to be able to make people People can live a long life, but if they lose it, they will be punished..."
"That's right, it's that arrow. It suddenly disappeared a while ago. No matter how you look for it, you can't find it!"
Menxie Saori nodded repeatedly, very satisfied with Fujino's investigation of the origin of the arrow.
Fujino briefly asked what happened.
Men Xie Shazhi also quickly answered truthfully, fearing that she would not be able to find the arrow due to delays.
"Well, I almost understand the specific situation. If my guess is not wrong..."
Fujino crossed his hands on his chest: "The next step is to go to the island to investigate what happened, and then help you find the arrow... But before that, we still have to talk about the commission money."
"Of course there is no problem with the commission fee!"
Seeing that Fujino was already confident, Menxie Saori quickly said: "As long as we can help find that arrow, half a million yen is no problem."
"Shazhi..."
On the side, Shimabukuro Kimie whispered: "Let's forget it. It's just an arrow. It would be a waste to spend half a million yen to find it..."
"If I can't find it, I will be killed!"
Men Xie Shaori couldn't listen to the advice at all, she just grabbed the last straw of accusation and seemed unwilling to give up.
Shimabukuro Kime sighed upon hearing this.
In fact, she was not worried about her good friend's money.
Instead, he was worried about whether his murder plan would be exposed.
After all, standing in front of her was a famous detective who had solved many major cases, even destroyed several criminal organizations, and prevented several major disasters...
To be honest, this inhuman performance made her feel a little intimidated.
If we really go to the island to investigate...
She'll probably be caught soon.
