The corridor was crowded with people, so Fushimi Roku led her downstairs and sat on a bench beside the cherry blossom tree. Minamoto Tamako swung her feet, her small mouth chattering non-stop, as if she could have written "praise me" directly on her face.
"...And so, after my meticulous reasoning, I pinpointed the general scope of the letter sender."
"Next, Kawai and I divided tasks; she went to find out who issued the announcement, and I went to the security gate to check the list of incoming items..."
Fushimi Roku interrupted, "Just get to the results."
"The process of deduction is important too! Can't you have a little patience?"
Minamoto Tamako grumbled discontentedly, then said:
"There was no red ink on the list of items, but Kawai found a Pilot brand red ink, the same type used in the anonymous letter, at the administrative office. I asked around; all announcements and official documents require enhancement and transcription by a copyist before they can be released. That bottle of Pilot red ink belongs to him."
Fushimi Roku clasped his fingers and pondered for a moment, then casually asked, "Could there be someone else privately hiding the same brand of red ink?"
Minamoto Tamako raised a finger:
"First, the instructors and advisors often conduct surprise checks for contraband. Instead of going through all this trouble to hide red ink, why not simply use black ink or a felt pen from the start to write the letter?"
She then raised a second finger:
"Second, although red writing is common in daily life, borrowing a bottle of red ink is quite troublesome. The vast majority of people wouldn't buy red ink unless they have a specific need for it. This suggests that red ink is a regular item for the letter sender, which is why they conveniently used red ink to write the letter."
Finally, she raised a third finger:
"Third, both the letter sender and the copyist use Pilot brand ink. If it were just a coincidence, the probability would be too low, since most people buy red ink without caring about the brand and choose randomly."
Minamoto Tamako slightly tilted her head, looked at Fushimi Roku, and softly concluded, "While Fushimi is good at understanding people, logic and deduction are not his strengths."
Fushimi Roku was indifferent; he only asked more to ensure nothing was overlooked.
"Well, in that case, we shall assume for now that this copyist is the letter sender... What's his name?"
"Ishizuka Yoshio," said Minamoto Tamako.
She had just been lurking outside the administrative office, hesitating for ages, too afraid to approach anyone. Kawai had just finished her break, leaving Tamako to investigate alone.
She thought she would have to go it alone, fortunately encountering Fushimi.
"By the way," her eyes fell on Fushimi Roku's chest, "why are you sweating so much?"
"Liar!" Minamoto Tamako squinted her eyes.
Fushimi Roku casually brushed cherry blossoms off his body and stood up, "We still have twenty minutes left of our lunch break. Before class starts, let's figure out how to talk to Mr. Ishizuka."
"Oh! That topic shift was so deliberate!" Minamoto Tamako clung to the corner of his shirt, relentless.
"Although it was I who pointed out the direction for the investigation, it was Tamako who ultimately deduced the conclusion. You really are amazing; you'll surely become a famous detective one day!"
Fushimi Roku flattered her with rainbow words, leaving Minamoto Tamako utterly flustered. She bashfully scratched her head, laughing with her mouth wide open in delight, forgetting her earlier doubts.
"Don't be so modest; in deduction, Tamako indeed has the upper hand! It seems I have a lot to learn, and I'll be counting on you for future deduction needs."
Fushimi Roku planned to exploit her as free labor by showering praise.
"Leave it to me!" Minamoto Tamako patted her flat chest, filled with high spirits and a triumphant air.
Secretly, Fushimi Roku recorded in his mind under the "Yuan Yuzi User Manual": "Minamoto Tamako becomes overjoyed when praised." This girl is just too easy to fool.
He used the remaining lunch break to chat with the janitor, the trainee security guard, the cafeteria lady, and others. Minamoto Tamako followed alongside, too shy to interrupt.
Just until the whistle blew on the sports ground, on the way to catch up, Minamoto Tamako couldn't help but ask, "Weren't we supposed to talk to Mr. Ishizuka?"
"I said 'figure out how to talk to him,' meaning it's not yet the right time to talk directly," Fushimi Roku replied while jogging.
"Why?" Minamoto Tamako was puzzled.
"Your emotional intelligence is really low, huh? Don't you have any caution toward strangers? How could he possibly tell things to outsiders so easily? You can only gain an advantage in negotiations if you gather intelligence in advance."
Fushimi Roku recalled his painful experiences as a lawyer; his clients would hide other misdeeds, not telling him, and during trials, the prosecution would spring lethal evidence unprepared — after suffering several setbacks, he learned to habitually understand the situation before talking.
Minamoto Tamako mumbled softly, "You can't even make friends yourself, so what gives you the right to say I have low emotional intelligence..."
Fushimi Roku didn't catch that or care and joined Minamoto Tamako in heading to the sports ground assembly. As they passed Instructor Sakurai, the latter gave him a knowing look that sent a chill down his spine.
He couldn't imagine how torturous tomorrow night's 'special guidance' would be...
The afternoon included regular training, sword training, handgun operation classes, and lectures. The schedule showed it ending at five-thirty, but in reality, it extended by two to three hours, with voluntary night exercises before bedtime. So, the break time was approximately just an hour and a half.
Fushimi Roku, after finishing dinner, continued to 'chat' with people, probing for Ishizuka Yoshio's personal information.
With the criminal system, he could see everyone's "vices," which allowed him to either engage or avoid sensitive topics. Most people chatted with him joyfully, allowing him to unconsciously gather lots of information.
——Ishizuka Yoshio, male, 46 years old, widower, currently residing in the police academy's staff dormitory, with routine duties of transcription and archiving data.
According to the cafeteria lady, he once had a daughter who died in an accident sixteen years ago. No one knows the details, but his wife left him after the accident, and he's lived alone ever since.
"His work is unremarkable, and he is usually silent — practically a transparent person! If you hadn't mentioned him, I would've forgotten about him altogether..."
That's how others described him.
Minamoto Tamako had hoped to accompany Fushimi Roku for intelligence gathering, but he refused, stating, "No one would speak ill in front of a cute girl." Thus, she sat in the cafeteria alone, venting her frustration on broccoli.
When the cafeteria closed, Minamoto Tamako was forced out, and the broccoli bully remained unharmed. She muttered regretfully, missing the chance to eat it; next time, she resolved to defeat the tough foe.
Coincidentally, Fushimi Roku finished his investigation and returned to meet her.
As soon as they met, Fushimi Roku pulled four paper balls from his pocket, letting Minamoto Tamako randomly pick one.
Minamoto Tamako unfolded the paper ball, revealing a line of small text, which she read out unconsciously: