At the award ceremony, Saburo Hanyu publicly announced that the four gems of the "Radiant Starry Sky" would be embedded in the Southern Cross in the corner of the background.
In his speech, Saburo Hanyu openly stated that the original intention was to embed the gems, but because he wanted to participate in the competition, he didn't want people to accuse him of seeking attention by using precious gems.
So, he came up with a compromise, deciding to embed the gems after the competition and give this painting to his most beloved daughter.
This statement immediately garnered applause and praise at the scene, and later, the media also praised Saburo Hanyu for this gesture, calling him a pure artist and an outstanding father.
Some media even referred to it as a work that was truly completed only after winning an award. Saburo Hanyu's act of embedding gems on the self-portrait of his daughter, Sakurako Hanyu, was acclaimed as "highlighting the beauty of his daughter with the starry sky," praising his affection for his daughter.
His depiction of his daughter through imagination and the story of father and daughter recognizing each other became a legend.
"Wow, that person is really amazing. He must love his daughter a lot," said Sonoko, impressed after learning the background of the painting.
On the other hand, Senichi's parents were also marveled at the love he had for his daughter. However, Senichi raised an eyebrow after hearing the entire story.
Although everyone was thinking positively about the artist, as a detective, he always tended to think in the negative direction. After all, suspicion was a professional habit.
For example, the speech before the competition and finding the daughter through a portrait might just be publicity stunts to attract attention and create momentum for winning awards. Who knows, maybe the daughter had already been found beforehand.
Winning the award would then be a way to enhance fame, popularity, and build a favorable "image."
These were tricks often played by future internet celebrities, but in the present day and age, they would still work well.
Looking at Jirokichi Suzuki, did he feel proud to have such a friend?
If we analyze it coldly, from the series of actions taken by the artist, such marketing tactics brought him multiple returns.
Especially for a painter, the selling price of his works depended on his own value.
After this series of publicity, his value skyrocketed, and the worth of both his past and future works would probably increase significantly.
Well, whether it was sincere or fake, it didn't matter much to Senichi. After all, as long as it wasn't illegal, how one lived was their own business.
And his target is still the Phantom Thief Kid.
Although Phantom Thief Kid hasn't sent out the note yet, it might be a bit early to say this, but Senichi has already prepared for the possibility that Phantom Thief Kid will come to steal the "Radiant Starry Sky" gem set.
After all, Jirokichi Suzuki is also a "Phantom Thief Kid case trigger." Whenever he appears, there is a high probability of triggering a case of "Phantom Thief Kid stealing gems."
Well, now it's still the dining period, and after discussing this topic, Ayako and Senichi agreed to go together next week to appreciate that painting. After that, they began to chat.
After being full of food and drink, Senichi made tea to help the big guys sober up. The two mothers sat on the side talking quietly, seemingly discussing engagement matters.
As for why the two fathers were sitting on the side drinking tea...
Do I even need to say? Of course, it's because they have no say in the matter!
The last day of the holiday was spent in such a joyful family atmosphere, and the engagement matters were roughly settled, with further negotiations to follow.
In this situation, Senichi's parents naturally couldn't go back, so they decided to stay temporarily in Tokyo.
Senichi had long considered the possibility of his parents moving to Tokyo. Without any financial constraints, he bought two houses and had his parents move into another Western-style villa.
And since they were in Tokyo, they naturally had to have some fun.
A new week arrived, destined to be an unusual one.
It could almost be said to be a "prediction" or like the "prophetic crow," as Jirokichi Suzuki's words came true.
After returning to Japan, Saburo Hanyu and Sakurako Hanyu found a notice from Phantom Thief Kid at home on the first day.
This news immediately attracted widespread attention in society, and the streets were filled with evidence of Phantom Thief Kid preparing to strike again.
Phantom Thief Kid's fans were even more excited, eager to go to the place where Phantom Thief Kid targeted, anticipating his "spectacular performance."
Unfortunately, the contents of the notice did not spread to the outside world, and the detectives kept it tightly hidden. Clearly, they decided to confront Phantom Thief Kid without being influenced by the outside world.
After all, the more spectators there were, the more chaotic the scene, making it easier for Phantom Thief Kid to escape. These were lessons learned from previous encounters.
Since the other party didn't spread the message, it's natural to seize this opportunity.
As for the content of Phantom Thief Kid's advance notice, it was quite simple, with just a short sentence: "On the day of the sun, I will visit and take away the girl and the starry sky together."
With only a time and a target, it was straightforward, but it made the detectives feel like they were facing a formidable enemy. Ginzo Nakamori, in charge of capturing Phantom Thief Kid, arrived at the scene on Monday and began setting up plans to protect the artwork and arrest Phantom Thief Kid.
It must be said that Phantom Thief Kid truly lived up to being the another world's beloved child; he had quite a poker face.
With the Phantom Thief Kid case coming on Saturday, Senichi had an incredibly relaxing week.
From Monday to Friday, not a single case occurred. While in anime, a week might be a fleeting moment, here it was a completely safe and sound week.
Senichi expressed that Phantom Thief Kid should visit more often, as it effectively slowed down the occurrence of homicides in Tokyo. At most, when he intervened, he could be more subtle. For the sake of people's peace, he should sacrifice a bit of personal interest and contribute some rewards to him.
In this week, Senichi finally experienced the tranquil daily routine of sitting in the office and managed to handle all the pending case files and documents that needed processing.
He left work on time every day, went to pick up Ayako, and spent the evenings on peaceful dates, making life extremely comfortable.
However, peaceful daily life always passed quickly, and soon it was Saturday.
This week happened to be Senichi's workday on the weekend, so there was no need to go through the trouble of swapping shifts with others.
As a detective who had thwarted Phantom Thief Kid multiple times, coupled with the request from the Suzuki family, Senichi naturally could participate.
Early in the morning, Senichi finished breakfast, got in his car, and set off from Tokyo towards the destination.
That's right; this time, the case wasn't in Tokyo but in Aomori, the northernmost prefecture of Honshu.
The Hanyu family mansion was located here.
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