21st Century Necromancer-Chapter 565 - 561 Criminal Investigation (Please Subscribe, Ask for Monthly Tickets)

A quirky rumor quickly spread through Tokyo's gourmet circles: there was a very important figure at the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department who was a great lover of fine food, demanding that police officers round up Tokyo's best chefs to cook for this elite figure. If anyone could make a dish that satisfied this great personage, they could receive a reward beyond imagination.

At first, everyone thought this was just some far-fetched tale, but the Metropolitan Police Department's efforts to find top-notch chefs to come and cook at their headquarters were no rumor. Added to this, chefs who had been and returned kept tight-lipped about what happened there, making many people go from skeptical to half-believing.

"Speaking of which, boss, you must have heard about that rumor, right? Haven't the police come to ask you to cook?" Inside the small diner, an old customer who had heard the rumor joked with the owner.

The owner had indeed heard about the rumor but didn't really care, "I'm not any famous chef, and this place is just an obscure late-night diner. How would the Metropolitan Police come to find me? I heard that only head chefs of well-known restaurants get picked!"

"Is that rumor actually true? Is there really a big shot in the police department getting the police to round up chefs from all over Tokyo to cook for them?" Another customer, obviously not very familiar with the rumor, curiously asked the joking customer.

The joking customer nodded, confirming the truth of the rumor, "It's true. Yesterday, when I was returning from the company and passed by a Michelin-starred restaurant, their head chef was taken away by the police department people. They carted away everything, including kitchen utensils and ingredients."

"It really is true!" The other customers showed surprise on their faces after hearing what the joking customer said.

Tokyo abounded with urban legends and bizarre tales, most of which were simply distortions of the truth. But now that one of these legends was real, naturally, it stirred lively discussions among everyone.

"So is it actually true that pleasing that big shot will result in an unimaginable reward?" Minami, who was carrying plates, couldn't help but express her curiosity as she listened to the customers' discussions.

As a soul that had returned from the dead, Minami had some understanding of the truths of the world. She thought the powerful figure behind the police department's actions was likely no ordinary person. She was naturally interested in the so-called reward, especially since she had met a young girl who claimed to be a deity at Chen Yu's wedding.

"Not so sure, but it's true that some chefs have received unexpected benefits," said an informed customer, though it was all still hearsay. For these people, it was nothing more than a topic of casual conversation, and the veracity wasn't really a concern.

Just when everyone was enthusiastically discussing the matter, the door to the diner was pushed open again. A middle-aged man wearing glasses entered with two young men in suits.

"Welcome! Officer Noguchi, will it be the usual for you today?" Minami warmly greeted the middle-aged man who had walked in, also regarding curiously one of the young men accompanying him, "Is this gentleman new here? I haven't seen him before!"

"Yes, he's a new officer who's been transferred here. It seems the higher-ups thought we were short on manpower in this area, so they transferred a rookie over," the man Minami called Officer Noguchi explained, "This diner operates from midnight till 7 am, so sometimes we'll drop by to eat when we're on night duty. The boss's cooking is pretty good. You can order whatever you want, as long as the boss can make it."

"Hello, I'm the new officer working under Detective Noguchi. My name is Mitsushima Akira. Please take care of me from now on." The new young officer greeted Minami with a friendly smile, though he couldn't help giving her a somewhat concerned look.

Minami, noticing his gaze, asked curiously, "What's the matter? Is there something wrong with me?"

"Ah! No, it's just that I was wondering about your age. According to the regulations of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, aren't you supposed to be over 20 to work overnight?" The young officer called Mitsushima Akira seemed startled by Minami's question and hurriedly explained himself, also revealing why he was staring.

When Mitsushima Akira mentioned this, Minami's face turned bashfully shy, and she said with some embarrassment, "I came to Tokyo after graduating from high school and am just helping out at my uncle's diner for the time being. It's not really like I'm working, so please let that slide."

Hearing Mitsushima Akira bring up this matter, Detective Noguchi who was nearby gave him a tug, "Let's just turn a blind eye to such things. We're police officers, not folks from the Ministry of Health and Welfare. Why bother with so much?"

Realizing his own indiscretion, Mitsushima Akira quickly apologized.

Minami didn't mind and, after taking their orders with a smile, she got back to work.

"Officer Noguchi, is it true that your department is scouring Tokyo for chefs to please some big shot? Who is that person that needs the whole Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department to do such things?" Noticing a police officer's presence, one of the customers who had been discussing the rumors asked Detective Noguchi. After all, idle speculation couldn't compare to asking a police officer directly.

"Ah... I don't really know much about this. It's not under my jurisdiction... There might be, I guess? It's headquarters' business, and we low-level patrolling officers don't know too much." Detective Noguchi's expression turned a bit awkward as if he was trying to conceal something, but he managed to evade detection by drinking his beer.

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After finishing his meal, Detective Noguchi paid the bill and with a "thanks for the hospitality," left the diner with Mitsushima Akira and the other officer.

As they greeted acquaintances along the way, Detective Noguchi warmly interacted with others. It wasn't until they left the alley and returned to the precinct's office that the friendly and cordial smiles on the faces of the three transformed into a severe demeanor.

"We've seen the person, any clues?" Detective Noguchi looked at Mitsushima Akira, asking the newly transferred intelligence expert from the Public Security Intelligence Agency.

As Mitsushima Akira took out a notebook to jot down the information he had gathered, he explained to Detective Noguchi, "We can't confirm anything yet, so it's best to focus on surveillance for now, not to startle the snake. Thanks for your cooperation these days, Detective Noguchi."

"Yes, understood," Detective Noguchi nodded, assuring him of his cooperation.