Artem's Sweet Chapter 02-09
Overview
- Stage Cost: None
- First Clear Rewards: None
Guide
- Hover to view spoiler content.
Script
The case seems to have attracted huge attention.
A heated discussion over the case between Fiona and Lamont Russo created a huge buzz on the internet.
As the authenticity of Fiona's article is still pending a review, it is banned temporarily, and SCPD has issued a statement.
These actions were interpreted by the public as a cover-up, which only ramped up speculation about the case.
You: This case has generated substantial attention...
You flip through the discussion of the case.
Some believe that Lamont Russo is awful, while others believe Ronan isn't innocent. Some people don't side with either one of them and claim the world is to blame...
What's more, there are long discussions that speculate this is an internal power struggle within Stellis University... however...
You: Many netizens are siding with Ronan...
Artem: Due to the uneven status of mentors and students, public opinion tends to sway in the favor of the disadvantaged side.
Artem: And they prohibited the circulation of the article, which makes it seem like they're protecting the accused.
You: Do you mean the netizens are only supporting Ronan because of their own stereotypes that have nothing to do with the truth?
Artem declines to comment, probably having grown accustomed to this phenomenon.
Artem: Breakfast is ready. Let's eat.
You: Coming!
You sit down at the dining table and receive the utensils Artem passes to you.
The bread is toasted to golden perfection, exuding a creamy scent with bacon and vegetables. It's quite a sight to behold.
Except...
You: How... did you make this? It's adorable!
You pick up the carrot pieces cut into the shape of cherry blossoms, looking at Artem with surprise.
Artem: This.. was cut from a mold.
You: I didn't know you would buy those kinds of adorable molds...
Artem inspects the carrot intently.
Artem: I was watching a foodie video earlier and bought it because I thought it was cute.
Artem: I noticed the mold when I was organizing ingredients today, so I thought I'd try using it.
You: What kind of foodie video was it?
Artem: That's not important. If you like it, I can... make more dishes like these in the future.
You immediately shake your head, seeing Artem reach that decision.
You: You don't need to go through the trouble... I do like it, but it seems like a hassle to do it every day...
Artem: It's not a hassle, as long as you like it.
You: How about this... I'll be responsible for making coffee in the morning.
Artem doesn't refuse, nodding at you with a smile.
After eating, you're about to put the empty dishes and chopsticks in the dishwasher. Just then, you notice the mold, which has been cleaned.
Artem was talking vaguely about it earlier, which piqued your interest.
You take a photo of the mold and try to find it online through an image search.
The search results take you by surprise.
You: ("Make these for your girlfriend every day, and she'll love you to death!")
You: ...
At this moment, you suddenly hear Artem's voice behind you, and you scramble to put your phone away.
Artem: Captain Morgan just contacted me. He wants us to go down to the police station.
You: Is there progress on the compliance review of Lamont Russo's cases?
Artem: Yes, he will fill us in when we get to the police station.
You: ...Alright, let's hurry then.
You try very hard to control your expression.
Artem: What's wrong? Are you not feeling well? What's with that expression...
About to be exposed, you pretend to hurry over to the entrance, putting on your shoes.
You: I'm fine, I just really want to know what Captain Morgan found. Let's hurry.
Artem: Sure.
Police Station
Check the investigation progress at the police station.
Pushing open the doors of the interrogation room, you hear a loud voice reproaching someone.
Lamont Russo: What an absolute disgrace! An absolute disgrace!
You: !?
Captain Morgan sees you and Artem and nods.
Professor Russo glances in your direction, then continues.
Lamont Russo: I have never been subjected to such vile slander in my thirty years in the business!
Lamont Russo: Countless people are on the internet spreading false information about me, which is a considerable violation of my character and reputation!
Lamont Russo: My dignity, both as a professor and an attorney, has been greatly offended in this incident!
Lamont Russo: As a victim, I request the police to investigate as soon as possible, punish the main perpetrator, and restore my reputation.
Darius Morgan: I understand how you feel. We will investigate as soon as possible.
Lamont Russo: Hmph!
Professor Russo is so furious that he loses his usual solemn appearance. When he sees you and Artem, he leaves without saying hello.
You: I didn't expect the strict Professor Russo to have such a temper.
Darius Morgan: Professor Russo has a traditional mindset. He might not be able to face the onslaught of internet rumors and gossip.
Artem looks in the direction where Professor Russo had left and doesn't comment on this subject.
Artem: Captain Morgan, did you call us here because there's been a new discovery in the review of Lamont Russo's cases?
Darius Morgan: The situation may be more complicated than you think.
Captain Morgan waves as he takes a document out of the drawer, placing it in front of you and Artem.
You: This is...?
Darius Morgan: A report by a criminal law expert.
Artem picks up the document and looks over it, his expression unchanging.
Artem: So the cases where Lamont Russo was the criminal defense lawyer had lighter sentences?
Darius Morgan: Yes, Stellis Procuratorate has filed appeals for the controversial cases.
Darius Morgan: But even so, we still can't find evidence to prove that Lamont Russo falsified evidence or accepted bribes.
Darius Morgan: Any progress on your end?
Over the past few days, you and Artem have worked together to investigate the case that has taken the internet by storm.
Artem's focus was on the details of Ronan drinking alcohol, investigating the most conflicting aspect of the case.
And you were responsible for verifying the teacher-student relationship between Lamont Russo and Ronan, described in the article.
Artem: I did a thorough investigation into the inconsistencies in Ronan's statement.
Artem: Unfortunately, there's not enough to tell us what really happened the night Ronan told Fiona everything.
Artem: The incident happened so suddenly that Fiona didn't retain any evidence of the scene. The same goes for Lamont Russo's dinner party.
You: I did a thorough assessment of the chat logs between Lamont Russo and Ronan.
You: Although Ronan often submitted documents to Lamont Russo late at night, there were no signs of coercion.
You: The article alleges that Lamont Russo exploited his student and stole the student's research. There is no evidence in the chat logs to prove that.
You: Only that Lamont Russo applied for Ronan's leave of absence from school without his consent.
You: One more thing... the conversation between the professor and the student feels very unnatural to me.
You: All in all, I still have my doubts, but there's no evidence. Whether they were as close to each other as they claim remains to be seen.
Lamont Russo is slippery as a mudfish. Days of investigation yield no significant progress.
All the clues are pointing back to him, but neither of you can find any concrete evidence.
Artem: I have an idea. Maybe we can get a breakthrough in the case from Ronan.
Artem's words set off ripples like a stone in water, bringing life back into a case that's been stalled.
You and Captain Morgan both look at Artem, waiting to hear his plan.
Artem: Lamont Russo just demanded that the main perpetrator be punished.
You: The main perpetrator... Fiona?
Artem nods, continuing with his idea.
Artem: From Fiona and Lamont Russo's reaction, Ronan must have evidence of Lamont Russo's wrongdoing.
Artem: But Ronan won't cooperate with our investigation. He wants to pretend everything is going well and maintain his fragile relationship with Lamont Russo.
Artem: Now Lamont Russo, angered by public opinion, is intent on punishing Fiona. Will Ronan still remain silent under these circumstances?
Artem analyzes the stakes, and the solution to the dilemma seems obvious.
You: Yes, Fiona is the most obvious contradiction between the professor and the student, and it cannot be resolved.
You: Captain Morgan, let us try to get a breakthrough in the case through Ronan.
Darius Morgan: The police will help you investigate if you need it.
You: Ronan won't be easy to convince without proof...
You: Captain Morgan, can we have a copy of the transcript of Lamont Russo's communication with the police? Just the latest one.
Darius Morgan: No problem.
