The peaceful days continued until Lin Yi's friend arrived, and he sensed trouble on the horizon.
"I never expected you, this old man, to come to the retirement place in the 20th Ward. It's not like you at all. This place is different; there are no rats to catch here," Lin Yi teased the old man with white hair standing before him, accompanied by a young and handsome man.
"Do you talk like this to your former boss?" Kureo Mado asked irritably. He then introduced the young man beside him, saying, "This is Koutarou Amon, my new partner."
Koutarou Amon, dressed in a black suit, adjusted himself and respectfully bowed to Lin Yi upon hearing the introduction.
"I've heard about your achievements, senior, even before becoming an investigator yourself. You defeated a powerful Ghoul with your bare hands."
Koutarou Amon acted like an enthusiastic fan, showing respect, but in reality, he and Lin Yi were probably around the same age.
Lin Yi chuckled and touched his nose.
"Though this old man has a bad temper, he's a good partner indeed. You can learn a lot by following him." Lin Yi couldn't help but recall Koutarou Amon's fate in the original story, so he added a reminder, "But don't get too obsessed with following him. Excessive obsession can sometimes be harmful."
Koutarou Amon felt a moment of confusion, not fully understanding why Lin Yi said those things to him, but he nodded earnestly nonetheless.
"Thank you for your guidance, senior."
Kureo Mado, who got involved in the conversation, spoke with a hint of annoyance, "Alright, even though you're powerful now, I didn't come to the 20th Ward for retirement."
Lin Yi watched him silently, understanding his intentions but refraining from saying much.
"Hmph, if the people at headquarters hear you say that, your special assessment will be postponed indefinitely," Lin Yi joked, reclining comfortably in his chair with both hands behind his head, appearing indifferent.
"As long as I can kill Ghouls, I don't care about anything else," Kureo Mado suddenly turned serious. "But let's get to the point, Lin. Have you noticed anything unusual happening in the 20th Ward recently?"
"Old man, you know my situation here. I'm bored to death every day. How could there be anything happening?" Lin Yi replied with a question.
"Fine," Kureo Mado seemed disappointed. "I'm currently investigating a powerful Ghoul known as Yamori 'Gecko,' who seems to be associated with a Ghoul organization called 'Aogiri Tree.' He was originally active in the 6th Ward, but recent signs suggest he's now in your area."
"In the 20th Ward? That doesn't seem right. Ghouls as strong as him wouldn't come here for food, even if it's scarce," Lin Yi acted surprised but maintained a calm expression, briefly gazing at Kureo Mado.
Honestly, he didn't want Mado to get involved as he did in the original story.
"You know something, don't you?" Kureo Mado, who had worked closely with Lin Yi for months, immediately spoke up upon seeing his reaction.
Lin Yi shrugged.
After hesitating for a moment, he spoke up.
"Old man, I hope you return to headquarters. Just like before, focus on capturing Ghouls and training new recruits. Don't get involved in things here."
As he said this, Lin Yi glanced at Koutarou Amon. "This young man is talented; I think you'll get along well with him."
"Why? Lin Yi, do you plan to let Ghouls run wild? Those despicable creatures should be crushed!" Kureo Mado reacted intensely.
It seemed that this was the first time Lin Yi had seen him lose control like this. Usually, Mado only showed his deranged madness when slaughtering Ghouls.
"Old man," Lin Yi stood up, signaling the end of the meal. "I admit I know something, but... you're too weak. If you rush in like this, you'll die in the 20th Ward."
Lin Yi could only offer this advice to his old partner; there was nothing more he could do.
"Heh, you brat. You're already looking down on everyone after being promoted to a first-class rank. There's still much for you to learn."
Lin Yi turned and left, casually waving his hand in response to Mado's words. Let the old man say whatever he wanted.
"Senior Lin Yi, Senior Mado!" Koutarou Amon felt helpless witnessing their sudden argument. After looking around for a moment, he began to console Kureo Mado.
After leaving the fast-food restaurant, Lin Yi immediately called Ashikaga and asked him to arrange for personnel to monitor the surveillance footage of the entire 20th Ward for the past three days, paying particular attention to the evenings.
If there were any suspicious actions by a woman with purple hair, they should report it immediately.
To find Yamori, they needed to locate Rize Kamishiro. Unfortunately, the original work didn't provide detailed information about her appearance or hiding places, so they had to rely on the available information for the investigation.
However, Rize Kamishiro, unlike ordinary Ghouls, was known as the "Glutton" by the CCG. As the name implied, she had a huge appetite.
Ordinary Ghouls would satisfy their needs by hunting once or twice a month. To avoid attracting the attention of the CCG, they would limit their actions. But Rize Kamishiro would typically hunt two or three times a week, sometimes even more.
With such frequent hunting, no matter how well she hid, diligent investigation combined with her distinctive characteristics would easily lead to information.
"I hope the old man takes my words seriously."
After giving instructions, Lin Yi ended the call and drove to the housing assigned to him by the CCG. Kimi Nishino was still waiting for him to have dinner.
Even if he intervened in the situation with the Hinami Fueguchi family, if Kureo Mado wasn't killed by the people from the Anteiku shop, he would eventually be dealt with by the Aogiri Tree or some Ghoul seeking revenge.
His character, obsession, and strength essentially determined this outcome.
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Thank you, Jimina Sehnen and Yash Kumar for supporting me in Patrèon!