Wisdom

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Several days have gone by, and I've dedicated my entire week to tracking down "that man." I managed to personally hack into city cameras, although this approach isn't particularly efficient.

Information brokers within the deep web are scarce; they often focus on selling illegal goods or engaging in human trafficking. However, that doesn't concern me; after all, the majority of them came from foreign lands.

Information brokers remain highly prized within the realm of the underground. That's why I was able to save so much funds until now, illegal money, then launder them via a third party.

Maintaining my anonymity, I observed that a significant portion of my clients are, in fact, government cyber operatives on the hunt. They're attempting to trace my activities, but I swiftly took action and eliminated all traces of my presence.

Several days later, they launched an assault on my personal server, prompting me to abandon it swiftly, even if it meant dealing with the fallout of explaining to Mom and Miyako-san how I "accidentally" dropped my laptop into the pond...

The situation was already dire, yet fortunately, they remained oblivious to my concealed laundering bank account.

Well, in the event that the police were indeed dispatched to the scene, I could simply claim that the laptop belonged to someone else, considering I'm presently inhabiting the form of a 5-year-old girl.

But enough of that.

At this moment, after school hours, I find myself perched upon the rooftop of a deserted building, my laptop before me.

This vantage point seems perfect to initiate my investigation into these files. If our father is around the same age as our mother, it's possible their paths crossed during their middle school years or a similar time frame...

With some adjustments to my laptop settings, I adopt an anonymous identity and manage to navigate through the PSIA's citizen records.

While I can't access the complete archive of everyone's past records due to their more secure location, merely scanning through the citizenship IDs provides me with ample material to narrow down my search to a specific name...

Hikaru Kamiki possesses striking features - blond hair, blue eyes, and, notably, identical black stars in their irises, just like the ones in my own eyes.

*Buzz*

Unexpectedly, the walkie-talkie beside me intercepted a pause in the police radio transmission. Amidst the static-filled voices, I listen intently to their conversation.

"— We've got a situation. We need you to proceed to the coordinates provided – an abandoned building in the 24th district, 3rd block. Reports suggest a renowned cybercriminal has taken refuge there. Exercise caution."

"Copy that. En route to the abandoned building on the 3rd block. ETA 5 minutes. Over."

"Acknowledged."

And that's my cue to leave.

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I strolled casually along the sidewalk, passing by the police vehicles and a group of officers. The PSIA acted swiftly, coordinating with other departments to apprehend me, almost as if they were familiar with me.

The Public Security Intelligence Agency (PSIA) maintains records of Japanese citizens for the purpose of national security and intelligence activities.

(A/N: No, it's not the CIA of Japan)

Out of nowhere, an officer approached me, his title leaning more towards "Inspector" than just a police officer or detective. I glanced up and met his gaze as he crouched down, offering a friendly smile.

Standing before me was a burly individual, boasting a robust mustache and thick eyebrows.

"Hey there, lass... I'm sorry but, have you seen any suspicious persons around this area?" He asked promptly.

Now this is my time to shine...

My face lit up like a shining star, transforming my usual gloomy eyes into a playful and carefree expression.

"No way, mister! But guess what? This super-duper nice guy gave me a laptop and said I could totally play with it!! I wonder if he has some games!"

I noticed his eyes widen briefly, followed by an exchanged glance with the detective next to him. They nodded, as if reaching a conclusion without uttering a word.

Then he says, "Sorry, but... Can we have a look at that laptop for a while? What's your name?"

"Absolutely! I'm Ame. And what might your name be, sir?"

"Haha, just call me Megure. We're from the police. It looks like the laptop you have might have been stolen. Can you let us have it? It will surely help us to catch the baddies. Please?"

"E-ehh~!? Stolen!?" Pretending to be surprised is hard...

Impressive. By avoiding a direct assertion of it being evidence, you tactfully tailored your words, taking into account the young girl's presence.

Had he mentioned he "wants to borrow the laptop," the child before him might have erupted in wails, vehemently claiming ownership. True to his role, the inspector even went so far as to label the wrongdoers as "baddies" to maintain a child-friendly approach.

"Okay then! I hope you can catch the baddies, Inspector-san!!" Kill me already...

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Of course, that laptop was a distraction.

"Inspector! The laptop is a diversion! Its inner workings have been removed, leaving only the casing, now filled with mud!"

I positioned myself a couple of rooftops away, watching their frantic response to the ruse.

The sole significant item is the hard disk, which I had already cracked open earlier.

Embedding a bug on the inspector or the detective had crossed my mind —that's why I approached them earlier—, though it seems unnecessary now.

[Magic Perception is active]

With magic perception, I listen to their voices loud and clear.

"We've lost track of him..."

"Inspector, if you'll pardon me," the detective interjected, vying for the inspector's focus.

"Yes, what is it?"

"We're dealing with a hacker known as Necro. Our pursuit has spanned over a year. Utilizing Interpol's aid is a viable option, given the substantial evidence linking this individual to cross-border hacking activities. Given our current critical situation, why haven't we engaged Interpol's assistance?" inquired the detective.

The inspector's gaze turned grave as he responded, "That would be the PSIA, as per their investigation. Necro has consistently declined any entreaties involving sabotage or fabricating scandals."

He paused a little before he continued, "His fulfilled demands mainly revolve around procuring incriminating data on criminals, which buyers then use to press charges. Remarkably, all the evidence he provides is not fabricated..."

"The PSIA regards this capability highly significant, and intriguingly, they classify cybercriminals who avoid excessive harm as potential recruits. Confusing, I know, even I was taken aback by their words..."

Hold on for a moment, so just because I turned down the idea of uncovering scandals (and peddling them), engaging in blackmail, sabotage, and everything else—except for utilizing cameras to crack homicide cases— did they somehow conclude I could be a decent individual?

Well, that's some major misinterpretation...

It's incredibly vexing; I'd sooner eliminate my father than allow the PSIA to locate me. Not that they stand a chance of ever discovering me...

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To be continued.

(A/N: 1158 Word Count)