Japan has always been cautious about firearms among the public. It may be the first country in world history to implement a buyback program to ban guns from civilians. Its strict gun control measures rank second among modernized countries, with its neighbor ranking first. The neighbor is even stricter, banning even toy guns. Japan's gun ownership is a troublesome matter. According to the Firearms and Swords Control Law, in order to own a long-barreled hunting gun, one must first obtain a recommendation letter from a shooting club or hunting team and find a guarantor.

Next, one must participate in full-time study, pass strict written tests, live ammunition shooting, and firearm maintenance assessments, and submit a mental health certificate to prove that they do not have violent tendencies, anti-social tendencies, or suicidal intentions.

Furthermore, they must pass a strict background check, have no criminal record, and not be associated with extremist groups. It is best to avoid neighborhood disputes and economic disputes.

Finally, they must purchase firearms and ammunition at designated locations and submit all personal information to the relevant police department, as well as provide the location of firearm and ammunition storage at any time.

Only then can an ordinary person legally own a long-barreled hunting gun, but this is just the beginning of the trouble. The police will require annual inspections of hunting guns and conduct random checks. The gun license needs to be renewed every two to three years, and each renewal requires payment. Even in places like Hirayama Ranch, where there is a high demand for hunting guns in daily work, the restrictions are not relaxed. The Japanese police are very concerned about people illegally modifying firearms, even sawing off the gun stock is considered a crime. They always want to take a look when there is nothing else to do.

The gun inspection is more troublesome than vehicle inspections and cannot be outsourced. It takes time and money. Therefore, unless it is necessary for work or a genuine hunting enthusiast, ordinary people generally do not want to go through the trouble and expense of owning a gun. There are not many people who own hunting guns.

And Matsuchi Yūto is an art columnist for a magazine. Among the people he has recently come into contact with, there are no ranch owners, forest rangers, or professional hunters. Comparing them, there are only hunting enthusiasts left. Among the list of over seventy people, only two of them own hunting guns.

One is named Tokiyoshi Kenshi, 37 years old, a somewhat famous painter who is enthusiastic about socializing. He can be considered a socialite and often gives opinions in newspapers. He once criticized and insulted the deceased in a small circle because he was dissatisfied with the coverage of his new work.

The other is Uchii Tatsuo, 40 years old, an art dealer who runs a large gallery. The deceased had interviewed him two days before the murder, but according to the police investigation, it was a normal interview and nothing was wrong.

Both of these individuals have some suspicion, so they were included in the investigation list by the police headquarters. However, they have both provided sufficient alibis. Tokiyoshi Kenshi has his student as a witness, testifying that he was working in his studio that evening. Uchii Tatsuo has an employee as a witness, stating that they went to an izakaya for drinks and discussion after work, then went to a bathhouse and received a massage. They didn't have a good time, so they went to Uchii Tatsuo's house to continue drinking, and the employee stayed overnight at Uchii's house.

The Investigation Headquarters also conducted investigations into these alibis, interviewed relevant personnel, and found a series of evidence to confirm that they were not lying. In addition, the motives of these two individuals are not sufficient. It is common for painters to criticize and insult journalists and critics behind their backs. There are plenty of people who wish for their deaths. They wouldn't have to wait until today. Uchii Tatsuo and the deceased had a casual relationship, only knowing each other through work, and it was the deceased who took the initiative to approach him.

Therefore, these two individuals were excluded from suspicion by the Investigation Headquarters at the first opportunity, and no more police resources were wasted on them.

Kiyomi Ruri was excited about this and felt that the case was finally heading in the right direction. It was starting to resemble the detective novels she was familiar with. It was a classic choice between two options, and there was no problem. In detective novels, these were just small cases at the beginning, perfect for beginners.

And she now believed in Nanahara Takeshi's "Hunter Theory." One of the alibis of these two suspects must be forged. Breaking the alibi was also a classic plot in detective novels. She was looking forward to it and was curious about what kind of trick it would be.

Nanahara Takeshi glanced at the information of the two individuals and the previous interrogation records, then looked at the clock and decided to work overtime today. He turned to Nakano Eri and smiled, "Miss Nakano, while it's still not dark, let's go meet these 'former suspects' and have a chat with them."

This was expected, and Nakano Eri had no objections. She instructed Okuno Taiji and Hidaka Tsukasa to continue with the handover, organize the large amount of information at the Investigation Headquarters, and tidy up the place. They were to listen to instructions while guarding the phone. If there were any discoveries that required an arrest, they would be called. Then, she set off with the two high school students.

On the way, she observed silently. She found that this high school couple had a really good relationship. They were deeply in love, and Nanahara Takeshi was constantly worried about his girlfriend's safety. He reminded her that the killer's combat power might be high and told her not to wander around, but to stay by his side. He even waited at the door when he went to the bathroom. On the other hand, Kiyomi Ruri seemed a bit shy but also very warm-hearted. She obediently nodded and seemed quite cute.

Indeed, high school relationships were so pure. It was rare to see such scenes in society. Nakano Eri couldn't help but sigh and had to adjust her glasses several times.

.........

Nakano Eri drove and marveled at how fast and stable she was. The three of them quickly arrived at the residence of the first suspect, Tokiyoshi Kenshi.

Hmm, Tokiyoshi Kenshi was a professional painter who worked from home. His studio was on the ground floor of his house.

It was already past 5 pm, and Tokiyoshi Kenshi wasn't busy. He immediately received them, but he wasn't particularly enthusiastic. Especially when he heard that they were here for the murder of Matsuchi Yūto, he seemed to be in a slightly unpleasant mood. He almost said, "You bunch of idiots are here to waste my time."

Of course, he didn't refuse to cooperate with the police investigation. After a brief exchange of greetings, he quickly called one of his students and pointed at him, saying, "Ichitani Uno can testify for me. I was at home that night, working in the studio."

Ichitani Uno, full name Ichitani Uno, looked to be around 25 or 26 years old, wearing black-framed glasses, and had a gentle demeanor. He was the kind of student who lived with his teacher and worked as an assistant when he was working and as a babysitter when he wasn't. He was the natural alibi witness in the murder case.

At Nanahara Takeshi's signal, Kiyomi Ruri began to excitedly question Ichitani Uno, secretly comparing his answers with the previous police records to see if there were any suspicious points. But that night, Tokiyoshi Kenshi was working in his dedicated small studio, until a little after 11 pm when he took a break. Around 9 pm, Ichitani Uno even brought him some tea and saw him in person. At that time, Tokiyoshi Kenshi was in a bad mood due to creative difficulties and scolded him for being meddlesome.

Overall, Tokiyoshi Kenshi's alibi was not flawless. After all, there was no one with him the whole time. However, it was difficult to find any doubts.

After thinking for a moment, Kiyomi Ruri began to question Ichitani Uno about his movements that night, trying to find any contradictions. But Ichitani Uno answered smoothly without any hesitation. That night, he was doing organizing work in the main studio, and another classmate was also there, able to testify for him.

Well, now the alibi was even more airtight. Kiyomi Ruri couldn't find any problems. However, Tokiyoshi Kenshi seemed to be interested in her. He interjected, "This... Miss Kiyomi, right? Miss Kiyomi, are you interested in being a model? Your skin is good, and your features are deep and profound. The light and shadow on your face are very spiritual. When I saw you, I suddenly had a lot of inspiration..."

Kiyomi Ruri looked at him in surprise and found that this guy was indeed a painter. He had a good eye and could see that she was as cute and beautiful as a Tibetan Fox at first glance. She exuded a sense of spirituality all over her body, which was quite remarkable. No wonder he looked refined and easygoing. However, she wasn't interested in being a model. Her dream was to become a famous detective or a police officer. She politely declined, saying, "Thank you for your kind offer, but I have something I prefer to do."

Hmm, she would persist in her goal for a hundred years without wavering. She must become Miss Ruri-mes or Officer Ruri.

"That's a pity." Tokiyoshi Kenshi didn't insist. He just looked at Kiyomi Ruri's delicate face and felt a sense of regret for the youthful innocence radiating from her. He took out a business card from his wallet and handed it to her with a gentle smile. "This is my business card. If you change your mind one day or become interested in art, feel free to contact me anytime."

Kiyomi Ruri didn't want to take it. Even if she took it, it would be useless. But the other party didn't have any ill intentions, and it would seem impolite not to accept the business card. She was about to accept it politely when Nanahara Takeshi reached out and took the business card, casually flipping through it, and smiled, "There's no need, Tokiyoshi-san. You don't need to have any ideas about her. It's unnecessary and could be fatal."

He was genuinely surprised. He didn't expect someone to be interested in Kiyomi Ruri, this foolish Tibetan Fox. But no one could touch his housekeeping robot, air freshener, and stab-proof vest. He had put in a lot of effort to obtain them and it would take a long time. How could he be indifferent, especially when he was sitting right there? He couldn't bear it. He had to say something.

He seemed to be accusing Tokiyoshi Kenshi of having ill intentions. Tokiyoshi Kenshi also had some degree of sophistication and didn't directly get angry. He just glanced at him disdainfully and leaned back on the sofa, saying, "What does this student mean? Every artist seeks their own muse. It's a normal thing. Don't think too much and don't be rude. By the way, didn't your parents teach you how to speak to adults?"

Nanahara Takeshi smiled, "They did teach me. You don't have to worry about that. Actually, if you really just appreciate her, I wouldn't mind sending her out to work as a model. Being a model is a legitimate job, after all. But the problem is, you're not just appreciating her. If it were you, you wouldn't let a guy who keeps a mistress near your female friend, right?"

His words became less polite and more direct, very un-Japanese. Everyone in the visitor room looked at him and Tokiyoshi Kenshi in surprise.

Ichitani Uno, who was called as a witness, was initially surprised and was about to rebuke him, but halfway through, he seemed to remember something. His expression changed to a thoughtful one, and he stood there, bent over, in a daze. Kiyomi Ruri instinctively clenched her fist and glared at Tokiyoshi Kenshi. She didn't expect this guy to have ill intentions towards her. No wonder he looked so ugly and sinister. If it were in the past, she would have punched out three of his teeth.

Search "pawread dot com" for the original.

Tokiyoshi Kenshi's face turned completely dark. He didn't expect Nanahara Takeshi to be so audacious and completely disregard the consequences. But he also didn't shout at Nanahara Takeshi. He stared at him for a moment, then directly said to Nakano Eri, "I will call Officer Gotō to complain about this. You can leave now."

Nanahara Takeshi stood up and smiled, "You can complain if you want, but before you go, just in case, can I visit your studio?"

Tokiyoshi Kenshi was already extremely annoyed and waved his hand carelessly. Impatiently, he said, "It's not convenient. You can leave. If you really want to see it, come back with a search warrant next time, if you can get one."

"Alright, I guess it's not easy to get one." Nanahara Takeshi didn't care. "Then I'll talk to your wife later. Making a phone call should be simple."

Tokiyoshi Kenshi sat there, unmoved, not even bothering to see them off. He chuckled, "You're really naive. I've hired many models of all ages. Do you think you can destroy our marital relationship just by saying a few words? Forget it, forget it. Seeing your young face, I won't sue you for defamation. Now, please leave and don't waste any more of my time."

What bad luck. How did he encounter such a sensitive lunatic? How could he be so protective? That girl was a pity.

Nanahara Takeshi didn't leave. He tilted his head and glanced at him, unable to help but laugh, "I've been polite enough to you. I didn't intend to meddle in your affairs. You just need to cooperate properly. But you dare to curse me in your heart..."

At this point, he bent down and whispered a few words in his ear, then straightened up and smiled, "Now you can reorganize your words. I want to see the studio."