Chapter 188 186 Unexpected Person

Chapter 188 186. Unexpected People

"Is this all you know?"

Sitting in the lobby of Koizumi Izakaya, Higashino Shuichi took a sip of ice crystal platycodon and looked at Lucia in front of him and said.

"Yes, Mr. Shuichi, I just asked my colleagues in the izakaya, and they only know this."

Rukia said timidly.

Mainly this was the first thing Higashino Shuichi did after he agreed to help her meet her sister, so Lucia naturally associated it as a test.

But for this test paper, my answers can be said to be very poor.

She knew nothing except that Ukitake Suma was a Shinigami of the 10th Division and a lower-level noble.

The same goes for other colleagues in the izakaya.

Guests like Ukitake Sauma and others who usually stay in the izakaya and don't cause trouble and have no special hobbies really don't have any special impression on them.

Not to mention asking for information about Ukitake Zuoma and the others.

But this made Higashino Shuichi feel puzzled.

Because Ukitake Suma and his friends who are still missing, according to the investigation reported by Kisaragi Susuke, are a group of "salary workers" with similar interests. Their daily life trajectory is to go to work on time. , after getting off work at that time, apart from often getting together in this izakaya, I don’t have any other hobbies.

If they hadn't provoked someone in this izakaya, then it couldn't have been a coincidence that they were targeted, right?

Higashino Shuichi didn't believe this kind of thing, because Ukitake Sauma was killed after he alerted the guards at the south gate of Seireitei.

For ordinary unpremeditated crimes, there is no need to take such a big risk. In a situation where the god of death may come to check the situation at any time, he still chooses to kill Ukitake Zuoma.

Especially since this is Soul Society, not the real world. As for someone who has the ability and full confidence to kill Ukitake Sauma, a member of the 10th division, before the guards at the south gate react, Higashino Shuichi has reason to believe , he must also be able to take away Ukitake Zuoma's body, thereby delaying the time for the matter to be exposed.

But that person didn't do that.

This is enough to show that that person has his own considerations.

So, no matter what the purpose of doing this, it is enough to show that Ukitake Zuoma and his friends are definitely not targeted temporarily.

But now, according to Rukia, Ukitake Sauma and his friends behaved extremely normally in the izakaya. So, what was the reason why the person who killed Ukitake Sauma was targeting Ukitake Sauma? What?

"Sir Xiuichi, I remember that the man named Ukitake Sauma seems to have a few friends in our izakaya. I can help you ask them!"

Seeing Higashino Shuichi's embarrassed look, Rukia thought it was a sign that she wasn't trying hard enough, so after racking her brains to recall, she asked Higashino Higashikata.

"Does he have any other friends here?"

Higashino Shuichi asked.

This was information that he didn't have.

Didn't it mean that Ukitake Sauma and his friends were all introverts?

Can you make new friends in a place like this?

Then after listening to Rukia's explanation, the corner of Higashino Shuichi's mouth twitched a little.

No, Lucia, the definition of a friend is really not just a casual chat or two with a stranger, that’s when you become a friend.

Higashino Shuichi couldn't bear it.

In fact, according to time, Rukia's age should be quite young, she should be in her teens or 20s, right?

Just because you are like a child compared to the long life of the God of Death does not mean that you are really an ignorant little girl!

Forget it, Higashino Shuichi didn't intend to dampen Rukia's enthusiasm, so he simply let her work hard.

In fact, this matter really needs to be dealt with, as long as Higashino Shuichi can come up with the alibi of Matsumoto Rangiku, Kisaragi Suisuke, and Nagasawa Satomi at the time of the crime. For the current rules of Soul Society Systemically speaking, proving innocence is actually very simple, and most people accept this and don't even delve into its underlying rationality.

But Tsunayashiro Tokinada's attitude made Higashino Shuichi always feel that there was something fishy in it.

No matter how much he looked down on Tsunayashiro Tokinada, Higashino Shuichi still had to admit that the latter's vision was a little bit different.

Therefore, Higashino Shuichi got up and did not intend to waste his time in this izakaya. Since there were some things that he would not understand for a while, he did not force them.

Higashino Shuichi himself doesn't have any mental mysophobia that requires him to do things himself, so it would be okay to go to Sosuke Aizen and find something for him to do.

As for Rukia, there was no need to wait for her to finish asking.

Because through Rukia's description, Higashino Shuichi already knew that they were just a group of strangers who had brief exchanges with Ukitake Sauma. What useful information could those people have?

Higashino Shuichi planned to tell the other bartenders in the izakaya to let them tell Rukia that he had left.

However, Higashino Shuichi just walked to the door and was about to open the door curtain. The door of the private room in the corner happened to be opened. Rukia said sorry and stepped out of it.

Of course, this is not the point. The point is that after missing Lucia's figure, Higashino Shuichi saw a familiar figure that should not appear here.

"Why is he here?"

Higashino Shuichi thought in confusion.

Then he took back the hand that pushed the door curtain away.

What's the best way to resolve confusion?

Higashino replied, face it.

So Hideno Higashi walked straight to that room.

"Mr. Xiuyi? Why are you here? No, it can't be done, Mr. Xiuyi! This private room has been booked by that guest."

Rukia was surprised when she saw Higashino Shuichi walking directly over. Then, after realizing that Higashino Shuichi had skipped her and targeted the private room, she immediately nervously tried to stop him.

Let other guests break into the private room without permission. If there is a conflict, she will not be able to get the job at the izakaya afterwards.

But how could Rukia move faster than Higashino Shuichi?

"There's no room outside. I happened to see that your place was quite empty, so I came in on my own initiative. You wouldn't mind, right?"

Ichimaru Gin. Captain~"

Hideyoshi Higashino came directly to sit opposite the silver-haired man in the private room and said with a smile.

"Of course I won't mind. In fact, this position is reserved for you. Show off your sword and hunt skills~"

Ichimaru Gin didn't seem to be surprised at all by Higashino Shuichi's arrival. He narrowed his eyes and said with his usual snake-like smile.

As everyone knows, at the door, Rukia, who was still preparing to apologize to Ichimaru Gin for Higashino Shuichi's sudden intrusion, went numb after hearing the two people in the room calling each other.

She is no longer the ignorant little girl who was still living in District 78. After nearly a year of coming to District 1 of Minami Rukongai with Renji Abarai, Lu Qi Ya is already very aware of the existence of those Shinigami, and even more aware of what the word captain means in Soul Society and among the Shinigami.

Not everyone can be called captain.

As for the Great Sword Karicho, let alone that. Thanks to the tireless propaganda campaign of the Tsunayashiro family after Higashino Shuichi's return, who in the current Soul Society does not know that there is a Kazuo in the Seireitei? What about the Sword Hunters that the Gotei 13th Division can't deal with?

Rukia even heard that many of the big villains in the four major Rukongai areas were clamoring to join the Sword Hunters and fight against the Shinigami of the Gotei 13th Division!

As the captain of the Sword Hunters, the title of Chief of the Sword Hunters is naturally not something anyone is qualified to accept.

And now, what did Lucia hear?

Without Higashino Shuichi's reminder, Rukia immediately slammed the door shut.

"This must be a dream, yes, I am dreaming, otherwise why would there be news about my sister who has been missing for so long?

Otherwise, why would a Shinigami captain and a famous sword hunter leader come to this small izakaya where I am? "

Lucia leaned against the door, one hand covering her flat chest that seemed to be stalling, and whispered.

But it was obvious from her trembling body that even she did not believe the lies she had just instilled in herself.

"So what was I doing just now? Worrying about a big shot like Captain Death?"

Rukia felt that after returning from get off work today, even if she told Renji everything about what happened tonight verbatim, the latter might not believe it.

But Rukia soon realized that her worries were not unnecessary, because didn't everyone say that the Sword Hunters were going to fight against the Gotei 13th Division?

So when the boss of Tokari Cho meets alone with the captain of the Gotei 13th Division, what kind of sparks will arise between these two people?

Lucia swallowed. She found it difficult to imagine that scene with her poor imagination.

The worst case scenario would probably burn their izakaya to the ground, right?

No matter how rough the house was outside, the atmosphere inside the house was always weird. It was like this from the moment Higashino sat down and the door was closed by Rukia.

"Leave it to me? Let me just believe it~

So can I ask Captain Gin Ichimaru a question? Why did you know I was coming? We shouldn't have made an appointment beforehand, right? "

Higashino Shuichi took a wine glass and placed it in front of him and said.

"Then you better not believe it, Chief Xiu Da Da Da Dao, but it would be an honor for me to have you come and have a drink with me. At least, this should be considered the beginning of the misunderstanding between us?"

Ichimaru Gin poured half a cup for Higashino Shuichi in cooperation and said.

Although Ichimaru Gin had planned a few months ago to patch up what happened to him in front of Higashino Shuichi, Higashino Shuichi only showed a relaxed expression in front of the captains on that day. , and did not make any more promises, let alone take the initiative to settle the feud with Ichimaru Gin later.

Therefore, Ichimaru Gin's words may not contain some of his true thoughts.

But, there is only one point.

At least from Ichimaru Gin's tone, Higashino Shuichi did not hear the slightest idea that he wanted to ease up with him.

Because when Ichimaru Gin did that, he just wanted to make it easier for him to ask Higashino Shuichi about Matsumoto Rangiku.

Now that Matsumoto Rangiku has returned, the misunderstanding between him and Higashino Hideichi has become irrelevant.

"Misunderstanding? Is there a misunderstanding between us?"

Higashino Hideichi replied with a fake smile.

This sentence, in the current context, can be interpreted in two completely different ways.

One is that Higashino Hideichi believed Ichimaru Gin's previous explanation and chose to believe that Ichimaru Gin was framed, so saying this now is to give himself a way out, that is, to make peace with Ichimaru Gin;

The second is that Higashino Hideichi did not believe Ichimaru Gin's lies at all. Ichimaru Gin's misleading that day did not play any role for Higashino Hideichi. Higashino Hideichi always insisted that Ichimaru Gin was the culprit of the year, so there was no misunderstanding between the two, and they were all true feelings.

How to understand it specifically, Higashino Hideichi handed the choice to Ichimaru Gin.

"Hmm, delicious~ Is this Ice Crystal Kikyo?"

Hitano Hideichi took a sip of the wine in the glass and sighed.

"Yes, it is Ice Crystal Kikyo. Speaking of which, Hideichiro, you came here to investigate the murder of the noble two days ago, right?"

Ichimaru Gin is also a smart man. He knows that he can never answer such questions. Before Higano Hideichi fully expresses his attitude, no matter which answer he gives, it will be extremely disadvantageous to him, so Ichimaru Gin chose to change the subject.

However, this way of changing the subject is a little bit awkward. Fortunately, Higano Hideichi has received professional training.

"What else can I do? Why can I suddenly visit this izakaya in Rukongai?

It can't be the same as you, right?"

Hitano Hideichi is still pulling.

But Ichimaru Gin turned a blind eye.

"Then I have a little bit of information that I have collected. I hope it can help Shudaiichi. This is my answer. How about it?"

Hideichi Higashino looked at the booklet that Ichimaru Gin handed over. On it were some contents written down by Ichimaru Gin with a pen. This could not be forged temporarily.

So, Ichimaru Gin is also investigating this izakaya?

That's really interesting

Isn't Higashino Hideichi clear about Ichimaru Gin's identity?

For Ichimaru Gin to investigate, either it was Aizen's instruction, or this izakaya is related to Aizen.

But considering that Ichimaru Gin has always adhered to the principle of killing Aizen himself, even if this matter seems to be in line with Aizen's style of doing things, Higashino Hideichi still automatically ruled out the latter.

If it is really related to Aizen, then Ichimaru Gin will never share the information so generously.

So the answer is obvious. Aizen instructed Ichimaru Gin to come and investigate.

What happened to alarm even Aizen?

Higashino Hideichi discovered that the story behind this was not that simple.

No wonder even Tsunayashiro Tokinada, who may have seen some of the original events through the video hall, found it interesting.

Higashino Hideichi felt that he had to find a way to meet Aizen tonight, otherwise he would not be able to sleep well.