Anshin studied the man before him. Right now, Kō Kikkyō was still just a small figure, a fish seller struggling to survive. But in the future, this same man would become a true giant of Jinhai, one who could blot out the sky with a single hand.
In later years, the anti-crime campaigns would not only wipe out the obvious underworld figures, but also dismantle the very structures of social unfairness that bred them.
Kikkyō lifted his head and, upon seeing Anshin, his face lit up in surprise.
"Officer An!?"
He had been in the market earlier that day, witnessing Anshin subdue the fugitive with shocking speed and precision.
"Hello, Officer An. My name is Kō Kikkyō. This afternoon, when you caught that criminal in our market, I was there, I saw it with my own eyes."
Anshin smiled faintly.
For now, he had no intention of interfering too much with Kikkyō's life. At this stage, he was just an honest fishmonger, often bullied. Helping him a little would not hurt. After all, in that era, ordinary people still held deep respect for the police.
In these early years, Kikkyō still had some goodness in him. It was only later—when he ordered Lao Mo to take the first innocent life at the construction site—that he truly began to change. That had not yet happened.
…
"Who threw the first punch?"
Together with Rishō, Anshin questioned Kikkyō and pieced together the truth.
It turned out Kikkyō had delivered a television set to market administrator Tō Shōryū, only to be humiliated. A fight broke out.
"I grabbed his collar, then he hit me, so I hit him back…" Kikkyō explained bitterly. Life was simply too hard for a small man like him.
"Officer, today's New Year's Eve. My sister just came home from out of town, and my younger brother's at home too. Could I… could I go cook them a holiday meal and come back after?"
Kikkyō's words carried genuine pleading. At this time, he was still a kind, struggling man, thinking first of his younger siblings.
"Absolutely not," Rishō said coldly.
Anshin stayed silent. He sympathized, but he knew the rules. If they bent them and someone found out, both he and Rishō could lose their badges.
"But your issue isn't too serious," Anshin finally said. "It's just a scuffle. We'll do our best not to escalate the nature of it."
Kikkyō's eyes shone with gratitude.
"Thank you… thank you, Officer An."
For the first time, he felt that this officer was truly different—someone who genuinely wanted to help him.
…
Just then, a guard reported visitors for Kikkyō.
Anshin ended the questioning and went to the station's entrance.
Two young people waited outside: a man in his early twenties and a girl about eighteen or nineteen.
Anshin recognized them immediately. This was the infamous Kō Seiji, and his younger sister—Kō Kiran.
At this time, though, Seiji was still a poor university student, not yet the reckless, unhinged figure he would later become.
"You are…?" Anshin asked deliberately.
His gaze swept over the siblings. Their looks were striking, but it was Kō Kiran who stole his breath. She carried the grace of an orchid blooming in a secluded valley, with fair skin and wide, luminous eyes—an unparalleled beauty.
"Officer, we… we're here for Kō Kikkyō. Is he being held here?" Seiji asked nervously, his voice trembling.
Unlike his later arrogance, the young man was timid and insecure. Poor since childhood, often bullied, always looked down on, he carried it in every word and glance.
"Oh, yes," Anshin replied. "I'm the officer in charge of his case."
The siblings exchanged a surprised look. Fortune was with them.
"Officer An… our brother has taken care of us all our lives. Not once has he missed a New Year's Eve at home…" Their eyes brimmed with tears.
"We made some dumplings… please, could you give them to him?"
Their humility and self-effacing manner seeped from every word.
Kō Kiran's gaze lingered on Anshin. He stood tall in his uniform, straight-backed and sharp-eyed, justice shining from his presence. To the young woman, he looked radiant, and she could not help but admire him.