Tokyo: Are you even a proper lawyer?

The atmosphere on the scene became tense again, and everyone's eyes were focused on the boss.

If the hotel has a car, it means that the predicament of not being able to call the police and leave was deliberately created, most likely to buy time and protect the perpetrator.

"Kenichi-kun," Masashi Akiyama suddenly turned his attention back to the culprit, "you know the hotel owner, don't you? Or rather, you have some kind of secret relationship. Otherwise, why would he take such a big risk, lie for you, hide the fact that there was a car, and trap everyone here?"

"You, you're making baseless accusations! I don't know him!" Kenichi denied excitedly, but his eyes involuntarily glanced at the boss.

Under the increasingly suspicious gazes of Masashi Akiyama, Maki Suzuki, and everyone else, the boss's psychological defenses finally crumbled.

He slumped into a chair, clutching his head, and said in a tearful voice, "I...I said...I know him...Kenichi...he's my distant cousin's son...he's my nephew..."

"Husband!" the landlady exclaimed, clearly unaware of this relationship beforehand.

"He suddenly came to me the day before yesterday, saying he was coming to hang out with his classmates and asked me to do him a favor and give him a discount... I didn't think much of it. But, but tonight, he came to me in a panic and said... he said something happened, he impulsively got into a fight with Ah Zhuo, and accidentally... asked me to help him, saying that if the police came, he would be finished... He begged me, saying that as long as I could hold out until tomorrow, his family would find a way... I, I was confused for a moment, so..." The boss was incoherent, but the meaning was clear.

"So, you cut the phone line? You lied and said you didn't have a car? Just to give him time to escape or stall?" Akiyama Masashi asked coldly.

The boss nodded painfully.

The truth has finally been revealed.

Masashi Akiyama turned his attention back to Kenichi.

At this moment, Kenichi's face was ashen, and his eyes, after the initial panic, revealed a sinister, reckless attitude.

He knew that most of the cover-up had already been torn away.

"So, Kenichi, now we can summarize what happened tonight."

"You and your group, including the deceased Azhuo, Yumi, you, and two other classmates, came to the hot springs together. During the trip, you and Azhuo had a heated argument for some reason, which reached its climax tonight."

"After dinner, you were drinking and playing cards in your room. During that time, Yumi and A-Zhu may have had an argument, and afterwards, Yumi left the room to get some fresh air. You found an opportunity, perhaps by calling A-Zhu to his room, or perhaps by following him in."

"In the room, your argument escalated. Perhaps during the argument you saw the fruit knife in the room. In a fit of emotion, you used it to stab Ah Zhuo. Ah Zhuo died quickly after being stabbed. His expression didn't even have time to change from shock to pain, so he looked peaceful."

"You hurriedly left the room and were caught by Yumi, who had just returned from getting some fresh air. Your flustered expression and commanding attitude aroused Yumi's suspicion. After returning to her room, she may have questioned your two companions, but perhaps out of friendship, or perhaps to avoid trouble, they chose to remain silent and even helped you cover up the lie."

"You knew you had to deal with the scene, but time was of the essence. You remembered that you had a relative at the hotel, so you went to him for help. You used your kinship to fabricate the details of the accidental conflict and gain his sympathy."

"The boss mistakenly chose family over law, agreeing to buy you time by cutting the phone line and lying that there were no vehicles, thus trapping everyone in the hotel and giving you a chance to deal with the aftermath before your family arrives the next day. He may even be planning to escape."

"And you, after arranging things for the boss, returned to your companions, pretending nothing had happened, until Yumi went to look for A-Zhu because she hadn't seen her for a long time, and eventually discovered the body, screaming and attracting everyone's attention."

With each word Masashi Akiyama spoke, Kenichi's face grew paler and his body trembled more violently.

Everyone else, whether they knew the truth or not, was terrified.

"No...it's not like that...it's Ah Zhuo! He's gone too far!"

Kenichi suddenly roared, "He stole Yumi! And he kept bragging about it! Laughing at me! He was the one showing off on this trip! I've had enough! I was just angry for a moment, I pushed him, and he ran into the knife himself! It was an accident! It was an accident!"

"As expected, it's because of relationship problems..."

"That's terrifying..."

"Whether it was an accident or not, the fact remains that someone was killed!"

Masashi Akiyama watched his distraught explanation silently, and only spoke slowly after he calmed down.

"Whether it was an accidental collision during a scuffle or a premeditated stabbing requires a detailed forensic examination and further investigation of the scene. But in any case, Kenichi, it is an indisputable fact that you caused A-Zhu's death with a knife, and it is also an indisputable fact that you subsequently sought protection from your boss, cut the phone line, and concealed the vehicle, intending to obstruct the police investigation."

"As for Miss Yumi," he looked at the girl who was slumped on the ground, looking lost and disoriented, "your concealment and hesitation, while not constituting a direct crime, will place a moral and ethical burden on you that will be no easier than legal sanctions."

"And you too," he said, looking at the other two college students and the silent couple.

"Silence when it doesn't concern you is sometimes a form of indulgence."

"Then, what do we do now?" Saionji Ki broke the silence, asking worriedly. "The phone line is down, and although we have a car, the snow seems to be getting heavier, and the road down the mountain..."

Masashi Akiyama walked to the window and looked outside. The snow was indeed intensifying, and a thin layer had already accumulated on the ground.

"Boss, the car keys." Masashi Akiyama turned around and held out his hand to his boss.

With trembling hands, the boss took a key from the front desk drawer and handed it over.

"Maki." Masashi Akiyama looked at Maki Suzuki. "I remember your phone is a satellite phone with enhanced signal. In this weather and terrain, there might be a weak signal. Try contacting the police, report the situation here, tell them we need support, and also explain the weather and road conditions."

Maki Suzuki nodded immediately, took out her phone, and walked to the window where the signal might be slightly better to try.

"Saionji-kun, Arimura, Uchida," Masashi Akiyama continued, "you two help keep an eye on Kenichi and the owners. Don't give them any opportunity to act alone or destroy evidence. Everyone else, please stay in the lobby and do not leave or come to the crime scene again until the police arrive."

After several attempts, Maki Suzuki finally got through to the police and briefly explained the situation.

Police said they would send people up the mountain immediately, but it might take some time due to slippery roads caused by snow. They instructed the officers to protect the scene and the suspect.

The wait felt incredibly long. No one was sleepy; everyone was absorbed in the newly revealed truth and their own thoughts.

After an unknown amount of time, the faint sound of a police siren came from afar, piercing through the wind and snow, growing louder as it approached.

As dawn approached, the police vehicles laboriously drove to the hotel entrance.

The police officer in charge listened to the statements of Masashi Akiyama and Maki Suzuki, examined the scene, and preliminarily confirmed the rationality of Masashi Akiyama's reasoning.

The suspect, Kenichi, was handcuffed and taken away, and the hotel owner was also taken away for investigation.

Yumi and several other college students, as key witnesses, also need to go to the police station.

The couple and the proprietress were also asked to cooperate with the investigation.

Police cordoned off the scene, stating that forensic personnel would conduct a more detailed investigation after daybreak.

At this moment, it is dawn.