Dimensional Codex System: I'm really not a cultist!

A few days later, Fang Zheng received a call from Ran.

”Mr. Fang Zheng, everything is over. Mrs. Yoshino... no, should say Ms. Koguchi sold her house and opened a flower shop and floral design company with her friends. She even sent me a postcard, and she seems much better now!”

”So, has your problem been resolved too?”

”Yes, it has. Thank you, Mr. Fang Zheng.”

”You’re welcome. These are the kinds of issues that tend to arise during your adjustment period... By the way, what’s that Kudou kid doing now?”

”He’s attending school. Haha, the thought of him having to start over from elementary school makes me find it amusing.”

”Is that so? By the way, Ran.”

”Hmm?”

”Let me ask you a question. If Kudou can’t revert back, what do you plan to do?”

”...........”

Faced with Fang Zheng’s question, Ran fell silent for a moment before speaking softly.

”Well... Mr. Fang Zheng, I’m only telling you this, so you can’t tell Shinichi.”

”Rest assured, I won’t tell anyone.”

”Actually, it doesn’t matter if Shinichi never returns.”

Although it was over the phone, Fang Zheng seemed to see Ran’s smile.

”I will always wait for him.”

”Haha, you two really are a loving couple.”

”Honestly, Mr. Fang Zheng, stop joking...”

”Well then, I wish you all the best. I have work to attend to, so I’ll hang up now.”

As he spoke, Fang Zheng hung up the phone and lowered his head to look at the woman near his feet.

”Really, all women, how can there be such a difference? Don’t you agree?”

”Mmm... mmm...!!”

The woman with cloth stuffed in her mouth desperately twisted her body, glaring wide-eyed at Fang Zheng, who shrugged his shoulders and then wrapped a strip of cloth around her ankles.

”Don’t worry, your friends are waiting for you below. It’s just business, don’t blame me.”

As he spoke, Fang Zheng reached out, lightly patted her head, and in the next instant, the woman’s eyes rolled back and she was silent. Fang Zheng then hoisted her up, walked to the edge of the cliff, gazed at the turbulent waves, paused for a moment, and swiftly extended his hand, throwing the short-haired woman down.

Accompanied by a perfect arc, the woman bound with a stone fell into the sea with a ”splash” and disappeared without a trace.

”Alright, target eliminated.”

Fang Zheng opened his notebook, glanced at the names and information, and nodded.

The reason he asked Ran about Conan was to prevent that little kid from interfering with his job.

Indeed, what Fang Zheng was doing now was his work as the administrator of ”Hell Correspondence.”

A day earlier, Fang Zheng’s ”Hell Correspondence” website received a message from a user named ”Kimie Shima,” telling a sad story. She claimed to be a Shrine Maiden living in a place nicknamed Mermaid Island. On the island, there’s a legend that eating mermaid meat grants eternal youth and immortality. But in truth, the elders supposedly immortal from eating mermaid meat were merely the facade of her family, mainly maintaining the island’s belief to attract numerous tourists to keep the island surviving.

However, three years ago, Kimie’s mother, who played the role of the Old Lady Changming, died in a warehouse fire. After that, Kimie replaced her mother in this role.

Unexpectedly, not long ago, Kimie accidentally learned from her three friends that the fire three years ago was not an accident but set intentionally to confirm whether the Old Lady Changming was truly immortal!

This left Kimie furious and heartbroken, so she turned to ”Hell Correspondence,” writing down her anger and resentment.

Admittedly, compared to other stories on the website like ”husband cheated on me” or ”my wife had a child that’s not mine,” this story genuinely intrigued Fang Zheng, prompting him to secretly visit the island.

Confirming Kimie’s story was simple. Fang Zheng infiltrated the personal data warehouse, obtained the phone number of one target, Monshaku Saori, and lured her out before shocking her. Based on Kimie’s claims on the website, this Monshaku Saori had the weakest spirit, as otherwise, she wouldn’t have been frightened enough to spill everything to Kimie over losing a keepsake.

And indeed, when Fang Zheng threatened her, Monshaku Saori was scared enough to reveal everything from three years ago. With the truth confirmed, Fang Zheng naturally tied her with a rock and sunk her into the sea.

Even three years ago, these three were all adults. It’s one thing for adults to believe in superstition, but to commit murder for it... then blood for blood.

A life for a life, debts settled, that’s the natural order.

Next, Naoko Kuroe and Urazoji Kazumi met the same fate. Fang Zheng lured them out under the guise of wanting to discuss the incident from three years ago, then shattered their skulls with a palm strike and bound them with stones, sending them off. From the state of their bodies, if discovered, people would only guess their heads were smashed or hit by something.

That’s why Chinese martial arts are disallowed in detective novels. Laozi doesn’t need a hammer to give you effects more impressive than a hammer; scared now?

Of course, normal criminals would leave traces during such acts. For example, if you want to kill someone, you must investigate them first, and on such a small island, any stranger investigating the residents leaves an impression, hence clues and hints.

But Fang Zheng doesn’t need that. He can completely retrieve data by hacking into the government population database, obtain photos and personal information, and then eavesdrop on communications networks to acquire the information he wants. He doesn’t even need to take the island’s cruise but directly sail a small boat himself to climb the most inaccessible cliff of the island and then hide in the forest, waiting for the prey to walk right into the trap.

From start to finish, Fang Zheng doesn’t even need to show himself in front of the island’s residents, nor does he leave any of his own information. Even Conan won’t be able to find any clues about him.

By the way---because he possesses the strength to smash a person’s head, this kind of deduction that the victim’s head was smashed by him is not supported in court (laughs).

Honestly, Fang Zheng really wants to place a corpse killed by Soft Bone Palm or Nine Yin White Bone Claw in front of Conan, and then see how he solves the case. That would definitely be super interesting.

Next is the final step.

Fang Zheng opened his personal terminal and then dialed a number. Soon, a clear and pleasant voice rang out.

”Hello, this is the Shima Family.”

Fang Zheng rotated his personal terminal slightly, changing his voice into that of a certain Hell Girl.

”Miss Kimie, your wish has been granted.”

”Eh? May I ask what you mean? You are......”

”They will flow to Hell with your resentment.”

”I, I don’t understand, what exactly......”

”Lies, ultimately, are lies, just as the truths they conceal will eventually be exposed, Miss Kimie.”

After saying this, Fang Zheng hung up the phone, turned his head, and looked toward the other side of the sea. Over there, pitch-black clouds gradually emerged, sweeping in this direction.

It’s about time to head back. If it gets any later, the boat might capsize.

For Fang Zheng, this was just an ordinary task, finish it quickly and then directly go home. However, just after he got home and hadn’t even had time to take off his coat, he heard a knock on the door. Immediately, the door opened, and Ran and Conan walked in.

”Ah, Mr. Fang Zheng, you’re at home.”

”That’s great.”

”What’s up?”

Glancing at the two, Fang Zheng curiously asked. Faced with Fang Zheng’s inquiry, Ran showed a slightly bitter smile.

”Actually......”

”Yo, sorry to intrude.”

However, before Ran could finish speaking, a tanned person led a girl into the room from outside, waving casually at Fang Zheng. The girl then tugged at the tanned person.

”Wait, Heiji, what’s with this attitude!”

”Oh, it’s Hattori. It’s rare for you to come looking for me. What’s up?”

Fang Zheng casually hung his coat on the rack and then asked, to which Heiji Hattori laughed heartily.

”Actually, this time I originally wanted to find Uncle Maori, but since I heard Kudou......Conan said you knew about it too, I just went ahead and invited you as well. So, Mr. Fang Zheng? Do you have time to go on an adventure with us? Plus, I’ll cover the expenses for food and lodging round-trip.”

”Don’t worry about the money. I’m not short of that little cash. What exactly are you going to do?”

”Well, I received a very strange commission.”

While speaking, Heiji Hattori took out a letter.

”The letter was sent from a place called Mermaid Island, and it only contains one short sentence. It’s clear the sender was very panicked. It reads: ’If this continues, I’ll be killed by mermaids. Please save me.’

”..........”

Hearing this, Fang Zheng raised an eyebrow.

”Mermaids?”

”Yes, and even stranger, although the letter was sent to me, the envelope was addressed to ’Mr. Shinichi Kudou, Hello.’”

”Yo-ho, this is really interesting.”

Upon hearing this, Fang Zheng became intrigued. The letter to Heiji Hattori was addressed to Shinichi Kudou, which made it even more intriguing.

”So, who sent the letter?”

”It was sent by a woman named Monshaku Saori. Although I called her, she didn’t pick up.... Honestly, I have a bad feeling about it.”

”.........”

Damn, are you playing with me, fate?