Dice In The Darkness: Cthulhu Calls

Chapter 262: The Return of Juri Sonoda

As Liu Xing pondered, he didn't think introducing Juri Sonoda to Oko Hayato would be considered overstepping any boundaries. So, with a smile, Liu Xing turned to Oko Hayato and said, "Officer Oko, I just remembered someone you might have heard of, Juri Sonoda."

Oko Hayato nodded, a hint of curiosity in his voice, "Juri Sonoda? Of course, I know that name. She's a respected journalist. Recently, she fearlessly reported on the local gang issues in Ziwu City, even going undercover to gather evidence, which ultimately allowed the police to take down those troublemaking gangs. But why do you bring up Juri Sonoda all of a sudden, Ryusei? Do you know her?"

Liu Xing smiled and retrieved Juri Sonoda's contact information from his phone, which he had obtained during their time on the Yueshihao cruise ship. "This is Juri Sonoda's number. She was also on the Yueshihao cruise ship at that time and was with the two Chinese individuals who are still unconscious. They all worked together to thwart the evil ritual of the Deep Sea Gospel Society. That's how we got in touch with her. What's more, Juri Sonoda was a student at Morimoto Academy. Given her age, she should be acquainted with Higashi Meizi, and it's even possible that they were classmates."

Oko Hayato nodded once more, took Liu Xing's phone, copied Juri Sonoda's contact information, and said, "Alright, then I'll contact Ms. Juri Sonoda on behalf of the police. Hopefully, we can obtain some useful information."

Liu Xing nodded in agreement, knowing that if Juri Sonoda were aware that the police were investigating Higashi Meizi's death, she would likely share any information she had with Oko Hayato.

But then, something struck Liu Xing. He recalled that when he triggered the world mission tied to Juri Sonoda, she had mentioned that Higashi Meizi had recently broken up with her boyfriend before her death, which left her heartbroken. So, could it be that the cherished item Higashi Meizi wanted to reclaim was a photo of her and her ex-boyfriend or perhaps a gift from him?

After all, people who have just experienced a breakup, especially high school girls like Higashi Meizi, often cling to memories of their past relationships.

However, Liu Xing soon questioned his own theory. Juri Sonoda had also mentioned that Higashi Meizi had already recovered from her breakup on the day of her accident, suggesting that she was in a stable emotional state.

With a sudden insight, Liu Xing considered that the cherished item might actually be something given to Higashi Meizi by Juri Sonoda herself. After all, Juri Sonoda was Higashi Meizi's best friend, and the world mission originated from Juri Sonoda.

Unable to contain his thoughts, Liu Xing turned to Oko Hayato and said, "Officer Oko, what do you say we contact Ms. Juri Sonoda now? It might be best if I use my phone because, as you know, Ms. Juri Sonoda made enemies with the gang back then and is currently hiding in the Cosmic Country. If she receives a call from an unknown number, she might become suspicious and refuse to answer."

Oko Hayato considered this and handed his phone to Liu Xing, saying with a smile, "Alright, Ryusei, you can make the call now. If you pass a luck check, you'll get through. If not, Juri Sonoda won't answer for half an hour."

Liu Xing made the call, and the result of the luck check was 39/70, indicating success.

As soon as the result came in, Juri Sonoda answered the phone. "Ryusei, do you need something?"

Hearing Juri Sonoda's voice once again, Liu Xing couldn't help but feel a wave of emotions. Most importantly, he was now assuming a different identity, which felt somewhat strange.

Taking a deep breath to steady himself, Liu Xing began, "Juri Sister, I recall you mentioning that you attended Morimoto Academy, right?"

Juri Sonoda chuckled and replied, "That's correct, I did attend Morimoto Academy for high school. Why do you suddenly bring that up? By the way, you can just call me Juri."

After organizing his thoughts, Liu Xing continued, "Well, you see, I was wondering if you're aware of the recent events at Morimoto Academy regarding the Red-Clothed Female Ghost. Just now, Mr. Honda's body was found near the abandoned swimming pool next to the Old Teaching Building."

There was a moment of silence from Juri Sonoda on the other end of the line, and then she spoke, "I didn't expect Mr. Honda to meet such a fate... I've come across rumors of the Red-Clothed Female Ghost online, given my profession as a journalist. But, Ryusei, are you suggesting what I think you are? That the Red-Clothed Female Ghost is merely a diversion created by the Deep Sea Gospel Society, and these so-called suicides are actually murders committed by members of the society?"

Indeed, Juri Sonoda's sharp instincts and knowledge of major Island Nation news events were evident. She had already guessed the truth behind the events.

With that in mind, Liu Xing continued earnestly, "Yes, that's what I believe. However, I have reason to think that the Red-Clothed Female Ghost is not a mere distraction but an actual entity. I have also made some preliminary progress in uncovering the true identity of the Red-Clothed Female Ghost. It turns out she is a girl who was killed by the Deep Sea Gospel Society five years ago..."

"Wait a minute. Are you saying that the Red-Clothed Female Ghost is real and was indeed killed by the Deep Sea Gospel Society five years ago? Are you not joking, Ryusei?" Juri Sonoda interrupted Liu Xing, her tone filled with tension.

Liu Xing knew that Juri Sonoda had likely deduced that the Red-Clothed Female Ghost was Higashi Meizi. After all, if she still sought justice for her close friend, Higashi Meizi, she would undoubtedly remember what Higashi Meizi was wearing when she was alive...

Liu Xing sighed and said earnestly, "That's right, Juri, Nobita and I conducted various investigations, and we are convinced that the Red-Clothed Female Ghost is indeed real and not under the control of the Deep Sea Gospel Society. Most importantly, we have identified the Red-Clothed Female Ghost's true identity. Given the rarity of female students who committed suicide wearing red clothes in the Old Teaching Building, and considering Mr. Honda's description of the Red-Clothed Female Ghost's appearance when I met him recently, I'm now more than 80% certain that the Red-Clothed Female Ghost is actually a girl named Higashi Meizi. I checked the timing of Higashi Meizi's death, and it seems that you and she were in the same grade, or perhaps just one or two years apart. So, Juri, I wanted to ask if you have any information about Higashi Meizi?"

Silence.

Liu Xing anticipated how Juri Sonoda might react to his inquiry about Higashi Meizi and patiently waited for her response.

After a long pause, Juri Sonoda finally spoke, "Are you sure it's Higashi Meizi?"

Without hesitation, Liu Xing replied with just one word, "Certain."

Juri Sonoda let out a long sigh and said with a hint of melancholy, "I see. Ryusei, it seems you've come to the right person. If the Red-Clothed Female Ghost is indeed Higashi Meizi, then I never thought I'd have a female ghost as a close friend. Yes, I know Higashi Meizi, and we were not only classmates but also very close friends."

Liu Xing pretended to be surprised and said, "What? Juri, you're actually Higashi Meizi's close friend? That's incredible! Juri, have you seen the news about Higashi Meizi lately? It mentions that she's trying to find something very important to her. In my investigation, I also discovered that after her body was taken to the mortuary, her parents noticed that she had lost some personal belongings. So, I believe that what Higashi Meizi is trying to find is among the items that went missing. Could you please provide any clues or information about it?"

Juri Sonoda thought for a moment and then replied, "If you can investigate whether Higashi Meizi still had those items with her at the mortuary, I might be able to deduce what she lost. Right now, I can recall three possible items. First, a pure silver bracelet that her ex-boyfriend gave her on her birthday. Second, a protective amulet given to her by her grandmother before her passing. And third, a coin purse I gave her during our trip to Tokyo. It had a design of a magical girl named Wizard on it."

"As far as I remember, Higashi Meizi used to carry these three items with her at all times, and they were her favorites. So, I think what she's trying to find should be among these three. When you investigate further, we should be able to determine exactly what it is. By the way, I've already purchased a plane ticket back to Island Nation. If all goes well, I should arrive in Kyoto tonight. We can meet and discuss further then."

With that, Juri Sonoda hung up the phone.

Liu Xing raised an eyebrow, surprised that Juri Sonoda had chosen to return to Island Nation. It seemed her emotional attachment to Higashi Meizi ran deep.

However, a new problem emerged. With Juri Sonoda's sudden return to Island Nation, what would happen to "Liu Xing"?

Liu Xing couldn't help but feel a bit despondent at the thought of his "body" being left alone in the Cosmic Country.

On the other hand, Oko Hayato, sitting across from Liu Xing, grinned and said, "Looks like we got lucky. We've found the key player."

Liu Xing nodded and said in all seriousness, "However, Officer Oko, the next steps will rely on your efforts. I hope you can investigate Higashi Meizi's records from back then, ideally finding out what she lost during her time at the mortuary. This will help us determine what we need to look for."

Oko Hayato patted his chest confidently and said, "Ryusei, rest assured. My father is a vice bureau chief, and investigating this kind of matter should be no problem. But I must admit, I'm quite curious about your skills, Ryusei. You seem to have some impressive methods to gather information."

Liu Xing knew that Oko Hayato was hinting at something, so he replied with a smile, "Well, gathering this information was actually quite straightforward. Nowadays, the internet is very advanced, and you can find a lot of information online. In addition, my friends and I bought a lot of old newspapers and magazines from secondhand bookstores. We also managed to gather useful information by offering money to the employees at the mortuary. With these resources, we pieced together the puzzle."

Oko Hayato nodded thoughtfully, and the two of them continued chatting about various topics, ending their lunch on a cheerful note.

After finishing their meal, Liu Xing and Oko Hayato went their separate ways.

As Liu Xing watched Oko Hayato walk away, he couldn't help but sigh. He realized that although Oko Hayato might appear to be a "spoiled" cop who got his position through family connections, he was astute enough to sense that something was amiss. It seemed that Oko Hayato had more potential than he initially thought.

However, this also posed a dilemma for Liu Xing. He had hoped that Oko Hayato would provide him with information and assistance without being too clever. Now, it seemed that he and Oko Hayato were drifting apart.

Back at home, Liu Xing shared the events of the afternoon with Honekawa Suneo and the others. He emphasized the need to avoid revealing their true identities in front of Juri Sonoda and to refrain from mentioning the Worshipers of the Yellow Sect. After all, Liu Xing didn't want to recruit Juri Sonoda into the sect.

However, Liu Xing couldn't help but worry about "Liu Xing" and Yin En, who had likely been sent back to China for treatment. Since Juri Sonoda would arrive in Kyoto tonight after only half a day's travel, it indicated that "Liu Xing" and Yin En were most likely in a coastal area.

Liu Xing needed to determine their exact location because different locations often influenced the modules that occurred. After all, reality modules could differ between Western and Japanese settings.

At 9:40 in the evening, Liu Xing arrived at Kyoto Airport, where a plane from China was about to land in just ten minutes.

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