### Chapter 51: An Unexpected Investigation Request

**[Shock! Famous Writer Chikako Ikeda Revealed as the 'Executioner' — The Untold Secret Behind the Hit Movie "The Blue Kingdom"!]**

The next morning, Fujino sat on the sofa, staring in disbelief at the newspaper in his hands.

It was clear as day who was behind this sensational headline—Goto. There was no one else Fujino could think of who would come up with such a dramatic title.

"However, that company is really pulling out all the stops; their response was incredibly fast."

Although Fujino was well-acquainted with the power of big corporations, he couldn't help but be impressed from a layperson's perspective.

On the very day the news broke, the newspaper began to counter the negative publicity with their own PR campaign against the company behind "The Blue Kingdom."

With Goto in the fray, it was obvious that the newspaper's group had gained the upper hand in this PR battle.

The rumor that Chikako Ikeda was a shameless plagiarist had already spread widely, thanks to Goto's report.

Now, all Fujino had to do was sit back and watch the drama unfold.

As for what would happen to Chikako Ikeda in the end, he had no idea.

He could only wait to see how quickly the company would abandon her and sever all ties.

"Knock, knock, knock!"

The sudden sound of knocking at the door interrupted Fujino's thoughts.

He was momentarily stunned. 

Could it be another case?

Hurrying to the door, he made his way from the bedroom to the front.

Opening the door, he was greeted by an elderly man in a suit with a rather stern appearance.

Fujino invited the old man into the reception room. After a brief exchange, he learned that the man's name was Maru Denjirou, the current president of the Maru Corporation.

Maru Denjirou had come to Fujino not for anything else but to investigate whether his 30-year-old wife was having an affair.

Maru Denjirou was in his late fifties, and his health was clearly declining.

Recently, he had noticed that his wife often went out and returned with a guilty expression.

Upon hearing some gossip, he felt a pang of jealousy and suspicion, leading him to seek Fujino's help.

He wanted Fujino to find out if his wife was indeed having an affair.

"Mr. Maru, I've got a general understanding of your request."

Fujino sat on the detective agency's sofa and nodded at the elderly man.

After a pause, he showed a hesitant expression. "However, this case is a bit tricky. As a professional detective, if word gets out about this type of investigation… I might face some criticism."

"A detective is picky about accepting cases?"

Maru Denjirou frowned and cleared his throat. "If you're willing to take this case and find evidence of that wretched woman's affair, I'm prepared to pay one million yen!"

One million yen?

Fujino perked up at the mention.

Normally, he wouldn't want to get involved in such a messy situation.

But with an offer like that, he couldn't refuse!

"Since Mr. Maru is so sincere, I can't turn it down."

After a moment, he pulled out a POS machine and put on a professional fake smile. "But before we proceed, please pay a deposit of 500,000 yen."

"Hmph."

Maru Denjirou looked at the detective's quick change of attitude with a cold snort.

What happened to the detective's principles? When tempted by money, even that went out the window.

---

**[Detective Professional Task: Antique Collector Murder Case]**

**Task Objective:** Resolve the antique collector murder case by any means necessary.

**Task Location:** Maru Denjirou's residence

**Task Reward:** 500,000 yen, 50 detective reputation points**

"Murder case involving an antique collector, huh?"

After sending the rich man off, Fujino stood on the balcony, examining the system task on his screen, and took a deep breath.

He remembered this case.

Maru Denjirou, the head of the Maru Corporation, was actually involved in illegal money lending.

He often sold valuable items pledged as collateral by people who borrowed money from him.

The reason for his murder was that he had sold an ancestral sword belonging to a kendo master named Yuji Suwa.

---

**In the evening, on the way home.**

"This Mrs. Maru is quite cautious."

Fujino drove his Ford Taurus, reflecting on the day's investigation into Mrs. Maru. He muttered to himself.

Despite a day of investigation, he hadn't found any evidence of her meeting with someone else.

This was expected. People who have affairs don't often meet their lovers frequently. They usually do so intermittently to avoid suspicion.

As for how he knew this, it was simply because he had handled many similar cases before.

"Looks like this affair investigation will take several days."

Shaking off his thoughts, Fujino pulled out his phone and glanced at his contact list. He mumbled, "Looks like I'll have to ask Shizuka Hiratsuka for help this time…"

In a high-rise apartment.

Shizuka Hiratsuka, dressed in a cozy pajama set and lazily lounging on the sofa with a cigarette in her mouth, was reading a shonen manga.

"Ring, ring!"

The phone in the living room rang, and she picked it up with a puzzled look. "Who would be calling me on a weekend?"

She answered the call.

"Is this Shizuka Hiratsuka?"

"It's Fujino?"

"You're calling me so late on a weekend, what's up?"

Hiratsuka was surprised to hear Fujino's voice on the other end of the line.

Her expression shifted from suspicion to something more peculiar.

She glanced down at the shonen manga she was holding, swallowing hard.

"I need to ask you a favor."

She quickly replied, "What is it?"

"Actually, someone has hired me to investigate a certain case."

Fujino continued, "If I go to school, the progress of the investigation will definitely be affected."

"Is it just about the detective investigation?"

Hiratsuka frowned slightly. "You're not planning to dismantle some criminal organization again, are you?"

She wasn't about to trust Fujino's wild stories.

Last time, when Fujino asked her for leave, she agreed.

The next day, she saw on the newspaper that "Detective Fujino Tamotsu Dismantles Criminal Organization."

She had planned to reprimand him when she returned to school, but something came up, and she missed it.

Then, she saw the newspaper the next morning with "Fujino Tamotsu Heroically Defusing Bomb" as the headline.

She was really worried, given the previous incidents. She began to fear that Fujino might be a self-destructive troublemaker.

*End of Chapter*