Chapter 19 Four

"But—" Chitanda, who had been silent all this time, muttered unexpectedly after I finished speaking.This word is like opening a hole in the embankment, and the following words rush in like a tide: "But, but, but, that's impossible. It can't be justified in terms of emotion and reason. It can be said that it is full of flaws and it is a disaster!" Seeing that Chitanda was about to kick the chair and grab me, I moved the chair back without thinking.This is probably how it feels to appease a frightened horse—I was thinking about all these things, and at the same time I gestured for Chitanda to calm down: "Chi, Chitanda, calm down first. Ah, yes, think about it, this It’s just a game, right? Why are you so serious.”

"No, but, it's impossible, Oreki-san!" Well.Not "unbelievable" but "impossible"? I narrowed my eyes slightly and asked, "Why do you think it's impossible?" Chitanda, who was desperately spreading her arms in front of the table, finally put down her hands.Embarrassed, she turned her gaze away and coughed, then returned to her usual attitude and said, "The counterfeit banknotes circulating recently are 10,000 denomination notes. Oreki-san also said that 'X spent 10,000 yuan' because he knew this." A counterfeit currency of the Japanese Yen'."

I nod. "But as a mere high school student, X can't get that kind of counterfeit money. No, even if he got it, he should be able to find a chance to change it." "……how do I say this?" Maybe it's because I haven't turned my head around, I don't understand what Chitanda said is wrong.She continued a little anxiously: "As a high school student, it is impossible for X to do business, so how did he get the 10,000 yen counterfeit money?" Without thinking too much, I blurted out: "Usually through an ATM, right?" "Counterfeit banknotes that can completely fool ATM machines and banks are very rare! And the counterfeit banknotes have to be so well-made that X can detect it, but it is unreasonable."

"That's the found money..." I shut my mouth as soon as I spoke halfway.It's a blessing that Ibara is not here, otherwise God knows how she would tease me.After all, Chitanda was not Ibara, so she didn't utter bad words, but smiled and said, "That's right, you seem to have noticed too... It's impossible to use 10,000 yen banknotes as change. , 10,000 is the largest denomination of cash in Japan.” I also gradually understood the "problem" Chitanda mentioned. If X illegally used counterfeit banknotes, how did he obtain the counterfeit banknotes themselves?After being produced by the manufacturer, counterfeit banknotes are used in shops.After entering the store, it is impossible for the counterfeit banknotes with a denomination of 10,000 to flow into the hands of customers.Even if it changes hands from store to store, that money will eventually find its way to the bank, where it will end up.

I frowned, and nodded a few times: "Well, I understand what you mean. Could it be that: X's father runs the store by himself, and after receiving the counterfeit bills, he gave them as pocket money X..." After listening, Chitanda nodded heavily with a satisfied face: "Then X should explain to his father and ask him to replace the counterfeit note." Although Shenshan High School prohibits part-time jobs, even if X really violated the regulations and went to part-time jobs, he would have to go to the same end in the end. If the wages were paid through bank transfers, it would be impossible for X to get counterfeit money; Of course, you can also ask for a replacement.As long as the employer is not bad to the bone, this kind of request must be acceptable.If you take into account the possibility that your employer or father is ridiculously bad, it's the same as the "food poisoning at the teaching office" just now.

So…… "Could it be picked up?" "Picked up...? You mean someone dropped the counterfeit money by the side of the road?" "Perhaps the manufacturing gang threw it away because they thought it was troublesome to deal with?" Although this is absurd, the starting point of the discussion is conjecture, so I said it casually. However, Chitanda shook her head, "That's still weird." Just as I was about to ask why, I also noticed something strange. If it is based on the premise that X goes to school normally, then the time for him to send the letter of apology should be after school yesterday and before class today.Even if X didn't go to school normally, the time for him to write the letter of apology was only from yesterday after school to just before the broadcast.The time interval before and after is too short.

When he first used counterfeit money, X felt guilty.Otherwise, he wouldn't have regretted it so quickly and written an apology letter.People who would exchange the counterfeit money they picked up at the old couple's store for change should not have such a sense of guilt. "Hmm, the way to get counterfeit money..." "If you can't find it, Oreki-san's reasoning is nothing but castles in the air." He also said that I like to quote uncommon words, don't you do the same. Thinking about it, even though I was still talking and laughing on the surface, I had to admit that what Chitanda said was correct in my heart.Although it is only an insignificant point, as the saying goes, the embankment of a thousand miles is destroyed by ant nests. How did X get the counterfeit 10,000 yen note, and why would he use it?

Is it true that as Chitanda said, all the inferences just now are full of loopholes? I subconsciously muttered, "Ten thousand yen..." Although it is not an astronomical figure, it must feel distressed if it evaporates out of thin air. ...that's right.With such an amount, it would be a shame to throw it away for nothing.I crossed my arms: "Chitanda, do you like money?" Although a little confused, Chitanda replied, "Well... If you like it or hate it, you should like it." "If you were asked to throw 10,000 yen into the ditch, would you be merciless?"

"Probably not." However, Chitanda leaned forward again, and added emphatically and cautiously: "...But, the premise is that the money comes from a proper source." Sure enough, it's the rich lady, Chitanda.Nowadays, even in Japan, it is not uncommon for people to kill people for less than 10,000 yen. That being said, it's not that I don't understand Chitanda's logic.As long as it is "one's own money", 10,000 yen is definitely worth cherishing.Even if I accidentally fell into the ditch, I'm afraid I will go to fish it back.But if the money came from something wrong—like found money, stolen money, or winnings from gambling—I would feel that it was just a windfall anyway, and it was fine to lose it.The so-called "ill-gotten wealth cannot be saved", presumably there is a meaning in this regard.

If X spends the counterfeit money with a strong sense of guilt, there can only be one reason: X does not want to waste "his" 10,000 yen.In other words, the 10,000 yen was not ill-gotten gains.Further, X would not be a counterfeiter, nor would he belong to a similar group.That being the case... I sighed softly, and then said, "Even if you say so, I still think X's counterfeit bill was given by someone—" Chitanda, who was looking down at her notebook, raised her head. "And it was through formal channels. Since it will not be wages or pocket money, there is only one possibility left - that counterfeit money is money returned by others.

"X was very disappointed when he found out that the 10,000 yen returned by others was counterfeit. 'It's his own money, how could such a thing happen!' Thinking about it this way, X would use the money in the business of the old couple against his conscience. In a stationery store, it can’t be considered such a heinous thing.” After listening to me, Chitanda put her fist into the corner of her mouth and fell into deep thought.After a while, she finally took her hand away and made a nodding motion—however, before the motion was half done, she shook her head violently as if she suddenly remembered something: "No, I still feel that It’s the same situation. X should still be able to ask the other party to change the counterfeit notes.” I have been prepared for this question: "Really? Counterfeit banknotes are like the king of cards in the draw. No one wants to keep them in their hands. Think about it, isn't this often the case: "'Hey, X, pay back the money you borrowed earlier.' "'Oh, hello Senior Y. I'm sorry for your trouble, but it's okay if you don't have to go so fast.' "'It's ten thousand yen, take it.' "'Yes yes, thank you.' "Then, X suddenly found out that he had received counterfeit notes." Fortunately, I worked so hard to play a one-man show for a long time, but Chitanda didn't even smile. To be honest, it really hurt my self-esteem.Even so, I continued: "For X, the borrower Y has a higher status than himself, so even if Y gave him counterfeit banknotes, he dared not say a word. Either X found out later that Y paid back counterfeit banknotes. But at this time there is no proof, Y can pretend not to know. Under these circumstances, it is possible for X to get counterfeit money, right?" I raised my legs: "Just now there was a question about 'Is X one person or many people', so far we can deduce that X is probably one person. After all, Qiaowentang is just a small stationery store selling cheap items. If there are two Three high school students holding 10,000 yuan banknotes went together, it is too unnatural no matter how you look at it.” Chitanda has fallen into complete silence, and I even wonder if she listened to me. Then there is only one point left to be explored: "...so, who is Y? "Y also got the counterfeit money, maybe it was returned to him by Z with a higher status. But if we go all the way back, we should be able to find out the original circulation channel of the counterfeit money—maybe counterfeiters, stores, or banks, etc. If people after Y are collectively referred to as Y, then who is Y? Maybe it is a black-hearted businessman, or it may be the counterfeiter himself. "Think about it, if you want to solve a counterfeit banknote incident, just arresting a momentarily confused high school student is really not enough. The police probably want to use X to follow the clues and find out the source of the counterfeit banknotes." I breathed a sigh of relief, then shrugged playfully and said, "That's the end of my reasoning." Only then did I realize that Chitanda was sitting on the chair with an unusually straight posture.She put her hands on her thighs, her back straightened, but her expression was a little confused.Maybe I was surprised by my conclusion, or maybe I was just tired of playing games. In addition, it is rare that I have talked so much endlessly, but she didn't even give a response, which is really a bit too much.I looked out of the window with dissatisfaction with Chitanda, and the scenery of Kamiyama City gradually became autumnal.Shenshan Station is over there, and Qiaowentang should be nearby. At this moment, Chitanda looked at my profile and whispered softly, "'Those who have bought things at Kobundo in front of the station on October 31st and know what to do, please come to Shibazaki at the Academic Affairs Office immediately. .'" Seeing me turn around, she said with emotion again: "Looking back, this topic has gone really far." "...Who said it wasn't?" I smiled, and stretched my waist vigorously while laughing. "game over." Hearing the word "game", Chitanda's eyebrows twitched, and her eyes suddenly regained focus. She tilted her head slightly and said, "Oreki-san." "What? It's just a game, don't take it too seriously." "No, that's not what I meant. I just remembered the word 'game'. Oreki-san, you seem to be trying to prove something...? Are you trying to prove something?" what. That being said, I seem to have a somewhat similar impression. I tilted my head so that the angle was exactly the same as that of Chitanda.In the geology lecture room after school, both of them tilted their heads. "I want to prove something..." "What do you want to prove?" "How can I remember things that you don't even remember?" "In that case... Oreki-san, why don't you try reasoning?" As she spoke, the corners of Chitanda's mouth twitched upwards.Although she tried to put on a serious look, those big eyes had already revealed a smile.Oops, there is really no way.I also tried my best to squeeze out a smiling face, and said, "Just forgive me." The next day, I opened the social news section of the newspaper and found this headline: "Person who harbored counterfeit money has been arrested" The subheading reads: "A 23-year-old member of a violent gang, the first person arrested in a series of incidents, Shenshan Public Security Bureau" At the beginning of the game with Chitanda yesterday, I seemed to have quoted some adage.Although we who were too enthusiastic about the game at the time forgot its content, I remembered it now. What I said at the time seemed to be "a blind cat meets a dead mouse". ...I should remember correctly. Well, after all, it is often said that "memory matches the facts, at best it is just luck".