A Scientific Urban Detective

Fortunately, there were many people trying to "break out" last night, and Rize Hanai and the other two were mixed in, so they weren't particularly conspicuous.

Although it wasn't to the point where "the law does not punish the masses," the number of prison guards was limited, and it was impossible to "properly teach" everyone a lesson.

Therefore, Rize Hanai and the others were only whipped a few times before it was over—strictly speaking, this was already considered a "lenient punishment."

As for Haru Atatame, she had no intention of "breaking out" from the beginning, so of course she survived this ordeal unscathed.

Because they had all committed the crime of "murder," Haru Atatame and the Rize Hanai trio were held in the same area; also, because they were just harmless little girls when they couldn't use their abilities, and they usually behaved well, no special restrictions were imposed on them.

Their environment was actually the most standard "prison cell." Except for a wall behind them, the other three sides were iron bars, and the Rize Hanai trio were even in the same cell.

Therefore, Haru Atatame, who was in the next cell, could communicate with them so easily.

Half an hour ago, Suzuran Aoboshi suddenly appeared and, using an excuse, called Haru Atatame out. Under the guise of discipline, she briefly explained that Chazuke Tsurigane and the others were preparing to rescue her, and told Haru Atatame to be mentally prepared in advance, and to act according to circumstances and cooperate with her companions.

Although Suzuran Aoboshi had outwardly appeared very "cold and ruthless," in the eyes of Rize Hanai and the other two, they still felt that she was deliberately approaching "Chazuke Tsurigane."

Rize Hanai, who had always been prejudiced against the staff here, immediately reflexively warned Haru Atatame when she saw this scene—"Don't trust the teachers."

Because she was a "neighbor," Haru Atatame had a good relationship with the three of them, almost to the point of being "friends."

At this moment, Haru Atatame was pondering whether to rescue the three of them as well.

"Chazuke Tsurigane! Someone wants to see you, come out here," a prison guard suddenly walked down and said loudly, "You're really busy."

"Who is it?" Haru Atatame asked. Her case had been closed long ago, and no one should be looking for her except for Suzuran Aoboshi.

"Don't ask so many questions! Just come with me!" the prison guard scolded.

"Tch!" Haru Atatame clicked her tongue, dragging the chains on her feet and moving slowly.

Perhaps because she was a "model student" who had not participated in this "breakout," the prison guard forgave her small act of disrespect and just pushed her hard: "Move faster!"

After arriving at the visiting room, the prison guard consciously turned around and left, and closed the door tightly.

Haru Atatame saw a middle-aged man in a suit and leather shoes, and a woman in a white coat standing behind him, on the other side of the thick bulletproof glass.

"I am the president of Alpha Space Research Institute," the middle-aged man introduced himself first, and then pointed to the woman behind him, "This is our company's chief researcher."

The president rubbed his hands and said with a smile, "I believe you have already guessed the purpose of our trip—we are here to take you away from this place and give you back your freedom."

"Regain my freedom?" Haru Atatame raised her eyebrows, unable to help but reveal a mocking smile.

"Of course, there is a price," the president continued. "In exchange, you need to cooperate with our research—that's fair, isn't it, Haru Atatame?"

Haru Atatame's eyes widened as she stared intently at the other side.

You should know that in this juvenile reformatory, her name is "Chazuke Tsurigane," the murderer who slaughtered the "Exploring Frontier" Research Institute.

But this disguise… seems to have been exposed.

...

"We must launch a rescue operation as soon as possible! Haru's true identity has been exposed!" After returning home, Suzuran Aoboshi immediately called the other three.

Chazuke Tsurigane frowned: "Okay, although there are some risks, the situation is urgent, so it's not impossible to try."

The next day, at school, Ryoko Sakurai took the initiative to find Muneless Hayato.

Since getting to know each other during the illegal cram school incident, Ryoko Sakurai has begun to approach Muneless Hayato as a fan and admirer. Although the frequency is not high, she will always show up from time to time to maintain a sense of presence.

Therefore, in the case of a "chance encounter" on campus, taking the opportunity to get closer to her idol and chat a few words would not seem too abrupt.

Although Muneless Hayato is the de facto head of the 177th branch of the Disciplinary Committee, due to his high ability and influence, he is actually directly managed by the chairman of the headquarters within the entire Disciplinary Committee system.

The branch manager of the 177th branch is someone else.

Moreover, Muneless Hayato has his own small group—that is, the girls of the Tokiwadai Middle School Shokuhou faction—so he doesn't often stay at school or the 177th branch after school.

After this period of time, the other members of the Disciplinary Committee of Sakugawa Middle School also know Muneless Hayato's action pattern, so if there is nothing particularly important, they will not bother him after school.

Chazuke Tsurigane had collected information in advance, knowing that the time before leaving school after school was a very rare free time for Muneless Hayato, this "man of the hour" on campus.

The most ⊥ new ⊥ small ⊥ said ⊥ is ⊥ at ⊥ six ⊥ 9 ⊥⊥ book ⊥⊥ bar ⊥⊥ first ⊥ hair!

So, at this moment, Ryoko Sakurai, who aimed for the opportunity and succeeded in a "chance encounter," asked in a purely curious tone—

"Hayato-senpai, good afternoon! I heard that you raided the juvenile reformatory a few days ago. Is there really a problem there? Just like the urban legends say, is it an illegal experimental institution?"

Muneless Hayato has an impression of this girl. Although there is not much contact, he unexpectedly remembered her appearance, despite being face-blind.

"That's a rumor." However, although he recognized this girl, Muneless Hayato still failed to remember her name, so he skipped the greeting and said, "That day, I and several other Disciplinary Committee members patrolled the streets with the security guards to deal with the demonstrations. We didn't go to the juvenile reformatory."

Muneless Hayato was curious about Ryoko Sakurai suddenly raising this question: "What, did you hear similar rumors too?"

"Of course," Ryoko Sakurai nodded, "Recently, there have been very popular news about Hayato-senpai—everyone is looking forward to you taking action again to crack down on illegal organizations!"

As she spoke, the girl clenched her small fist, looking quite excited.

"This… there's really no need to expect so much." Muneless Hayato was also a little helpless. He knew very well that what Ryoko Sakurai said was true.

As a celebrity, Muneless Hayato, who bears the title of "hero," is similar to an idol in many ways. Fans or admirers will always expect him to do more things and create more big news.

Now it seems that this first-year girl is also that kind of person.

"Actually, 'hero' is already a thing of the past," Muneless Hayato still tried to explain, "I'm just an ordinary Disciplinary Committee member now…"

But he didn't even believe his own words, so Muneless Hayato corrected himself: "Okay, not so ordinary—but anyway, I'm a Disciplinary Committee member now, and it's impossible to act without authorization and do those things that aren't so legal…"

—At least in public.