"And then?" (Chongzong)
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The information from the homeless man unexpectedly held value, prompting Chongzong to continue questioning.
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"Um... and also, the cars they drove all looked pretty high-end, so they must be very wealthy people." (Homeless man C)
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As the homeless uncle said this, there was a hint of bitterness in his tone, revealing his envy.
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If words had a taste, this one would be as sour as a lemon.
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After speaking, the homeless uncle muttered, "Those damned rich people, so rich yet they don't share a single bit with us," and similar complaints.
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—Homeless uncle, such thinking won't get you anywhere.
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—Other people's success is earned through hard work; they have no obligation to share with others.
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—Similarly, one cannot expect others to give freely, otherwise they will forever plummet.
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—It is this very mindset that has made you a homeless person, isn't it?
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Though he thought of these things, Chongzong didn't voice them.
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If it were easy to convince them otherwise, they wouldn't have become homeless.
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Lecturing them might only provoke resentment.
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Hence, the outcome of all things often reveals the reasons behind their current state.
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"Can you remember any other details, like the license plate number?" (Chongzong)
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Ignoring the homeless uncle's grumbling, Chongzong continued his questioning.
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"I don't remember such complex details, young man, your question is all I can recall." (Homeless man C)
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"Okay, thank you all, thank you, sirs!" (Chongzong)
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As Chongzong spoke, he took out his wallet.
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In his periphery, he saw the homeless men's expressions change when he brought out his wallet, but Chongzong pretended not to notice.
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Then, Chongzong took out a 1000 yen bill (equivalent to around 64 RMB, roughly the cost of two to three fast-food meals in Japan), and handed it to the homeless uncle in front.
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"This is a token of appreciation, please share it among yourselves." (Chongzong)
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"Well, I'll be off now." (Chongzong)
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Having done this, handing the money to the homeless uncle, Chongzong didn't wait for their response, and promptly left.
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Chongzong may not be as affluent as Manranyama Souren, but in these challenging times, this one thousand yen meant a lot to Chongzong.
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For the poor, a sudden wealth can be either a blessing or a curse.
It was because of a mere 1000 yen that three people had a falling out, or could they peacefully plan how to use it together... It all depends on their character to see what will happen in the end.
After leaving the abandoned warehouse, Chongzong didn't head directly back to the parking lot. Instead, he carefully observed the area around the warehouse once again.
He was looking for something.
He was searching for the traffic surveillance cameras used by the police.
If he could find them, maybe he could check with the traffic bureau to see which vehicles passed through this area at that time, and then continue the investigation.
However, Chongzong didn't find them.
In this remote place, although there were traffic cameras, they were sparse. Checking them would be like looking for a needle in a haystack.
As a result, the clue that was so hard to come by was broken once again.
"..."(Chongzong)
Chongzong looked up at the sky, the heavy burden on his heart making it hard for him to breathe.
But there was no time to lose hope.
Chongzong forced himself to perk up again, quickened his pace back to the parking lot, and found Van.
"Where to now?"(Van)
As soon as Chongzong got into the car, Van started the engine and prepared to go to the next location as quickly as possible.
"...There's no rush now, the lead's gone cold."(Chongzong)
Chongzong shook his head and recounted the experience in the warehouse.
Then, Chongzong shared his speculation.
"I guess Bai Yaxin's people deliberately chose this remote location without police surveillance to exchange goods with the truck here and then transport them elsewhere."(Chongzong)
"The members of the Kuroda group probably don't fit the characteristics mentioned, like having a luxury car or being as bulky as an Atlas bear."(Chongzong)
"Indeed, and according to Bai Yaxin's nature, once they make a mistake, they won't be trusted or used again, so it's unlikely they would have the Kuroda group carry out this task here."(Van)
"...Sigh."(Chongzong)
The conversation fell silent, and Chongzong couldn't help but let out a sigh.
The clues he had painstakingly followed were actually calculated by Bai Yaxin, easily cut off just like that.
Chongzong felt like he was being toyed with by Bai Yaxin.
"Don't lose heart, Mr. Sugi."(Van)
"It's getting late, feeling hungry? Let's go eat first, then pick up the young lady. Maybe there will be some progress on her end."(Van)
To Chongzong's surprise, Van, who rarely showed an optimistic side, took on the role of a big sister, comforting Chongzong, rather than being her usual expressionless self, just stating the facts objectively.
Van, it turns out you have such a gentle side.
