Conan: The Man Behind the Romance

Chapter 259: Daily Dating between Yingsheng and Xiaolan
Set up a company, give yourself a symbolic salary of one dollar, and pay all daily expenses through the company account in the name of business expenses. It's a very simple trick.

Ordinary companies still need to fool tax audits, but private detectives are a grey area industry that does not even have perfect supervision over illegal activities such as illegal surveillance and invasion of privacy, let alone other aspects that do not need to be taken into account.

Two words: chaos.

Before, Yingsheng didn't pay much attention to the detective profession. He only started to care about it a little after he got together with Xiaolan. Later, when he accidentally discovered the three-faced identity of Amuro Toru, he felt that the title of detective was really a useful signboard.

You can run around wherever you want, sneaking into people's houses, picking locks, and breaking into other people's homes, no problem.

When I was discovered by the police, I said I was acting on a commission and asked who my client was.
Sorry, we have to keep it confidential.

As for not being discovered, hey, isn't that just having no taboos?
In short, as long as I put on the skin of a detective, I will have a legitimate reason to go anywhere, and it doesn’t matter if the financial situation is unclear. I have accepted the confidential commission.

It is absolutely perfect for an undercover agent like Toru Amuro to use this as his public identity, and Hotaru now also wants to cover himself with this useful skin.

"there is a question."

After Xiaolan figured out Yingsheng's idea, she raised doubts: "We are all minors, and it seems that there are restrictions on engaging in commercial activities. To set up a detective agency, we need to register with the police before we can operate it. We can't complete this step at all."

Yingsheng nodded: "Minors are also restricted from signing contracts. Logically speaking, we are not qualified to be Xiaoai and Mingzhi's agents."

"........."

Xiaolan was quite speechless. Did everything they said now mean nothing?

But she knew that Yingsheng would not say so much nonsense, and must have other ideas. After a brief consideration, she said thoughtfully: "Are you looking for an adult to be our rubber stamp?"

"correct."

Yingsheng smiled and said, "I plan to ask Miss Aida for this person. What do you think?"

"Ms. Aida..."

Xiaolan pondered and said, "From what I can see, she is indeed good. She has a very calm personality, and we saved her life. She might be in danger if she leaves you..." Xiaolan paused, with suspicion in her eyes, "Did you have this idea at noon in the gymnasium?"

"of course."

Yingsheng said without hesitation: "Even if there is no detective agency, I have already planned to ask her to come forward for the cooperation with the Suzuki Group.

But I have absolutely no sinister intentions. What I said before was the truth. Adding this part now is nothing more than a deeper bond with us. In return, she will have no worries about food and clothing in this life, and will obtain wealth and status that were never before accessible.

Many people can’t even ask for such an opportunity.”

Xiaolan was silent for a while: "What if she doesn't want to? What if she doesn't want this kind of life?"

Yingsheng smiled slightly: "She will be willing."

There seemed to be some strange charm in these words, which suppressed the interest of everyone in the restaurant in talking. Yingsheng and Xiaolan also ate in silence, and after the meal they walked in silence in the nearby small garden. The atmosphere seemed a little strange, but the two of them were still holding hands and never let go.

Until the warm golden veil in the small garden gently faded away, the shadows of the trees stretched longer and longer on the ground, the light and shadows were mottled and trembling gently.

Xiaolan looked at the dim sunset on the horizon and finally let out a sigh.

"I always feel like I've become the bad guy."

"It's still a long way to go now." Yingsheng said.

After another aimless walk, the sun slowly sank into the horizon, the golden glow gradually disappeared, and the garden fell into a soft twilight.

Xiaolan said softly: "I admit that Miss Aida is the best choice. Under various coincidences, there is no one more suitable than her. Even Suigetsu-kun did not expect that Gin would not die. This is definitely not a pre-planned plan."

Yingsheng retracted his gaze from the horizon: "I am very happy that you can think so rationally."

"Sorry, I'm just not used to it yet."

"That's nothing to be sorry about."

"Then I apologize to myself."

"Then tell her again that you are doing great, great, and your charm of growth is unparalleled. The guy next to you is simply fascinated by you."

The sunset glow in the sky had completely dissipated, but at this moment, a hint of crimson inexplicably floated down Xiaolan's cheek.

There was no more words spoken after that. A quiet harmony flowed in the air. Xiaolan's long hair fluttered gently in the breeze, occasionally brushing Yingsheng's shoulders, as light as a feather, yet bringing a gentle touch.

Without the alienating sunlight, the fragrance of the flowers in the garden became purer. When their long shadows passed through the small fountain, Yingsheng was almost intoxicated by this late spring.

the phone is ringing.

A trace of disappointment flashed across his face, and Yingsheng answered the phone. It was a stalker member of the Sumiyoshi-kai reporting that Okino Yoko had returned to Ian's apartment and was getting out of the car.

After hanging up the phone, Yingsheng looked at Xiaolan and said, "I actually think it's not a big deal if I miss the vodka."

"Forget it. I don't want to keep holding you back and delaying your work."

Xiaolan walked towards the park exit first.

Yingsheng was dragged away: "This doesn't seem to be a serious matter. At most, it's to get closer to Vodka."

Xiaolan shook her head: "Interpersonal communication is a serious matter. Shuiyue-kun knows this very well. He is definitely a first-class expert in emotions and social interaction."

She suddenly thought of something and turned back curiously: "Isn't Tianshu dominated by rationality? Why does he care so much about these things?"

Yingsheng smiled and said, "Because reason tells me that everywhere in this world, from ancient times to the present, is a society of human relationships. As long as I want to do something and accomplish something, of course I must follow this rule and strive to do it to the extreme."

After all, human beings are not cold machines. Even if pure interests are enough for many things, it is still too rigid and there must always be some lubrication.

The more courtesy you give, the less blame you will find; it has always been like this.

Especially the Japanese attach great importance to Tateki culture, so you can say that they are hypocritical, but Hotaru is not a rebellious teenager, so of course he has to adapt to the local customs.

As one of the most outstanding students in the home economics class of Teitan High School, Xiaolan is well versed in the etiquette of the Ogasawara school. Of course, she is also familiar with this and nodded in agreement. In addition, combined with her recent experiences, she also has other insights:
"The main thing is 'invisibility', right? What kind of attitude you take depends on what the other party expects. The second thing is to be neither humble nor arrogant, and keep your own self."

Yingsheng chuckled: "I say, you have been completely led astray by me. There is no need to consider so much in ordinary relationships."

"But it is indeed a very efficient method. Firefly is able to succeed in everything with it."

"Why, are you going to be a gigolo?"

"........."

Xiaolan rolled her eyes at him and said, "The example is wrong. When Tianshu is trying to gather information during a mission, this method is also very useful. Of course, I have to learn it well."

"Well, that's true, but it's okay. This kind of thing is very simple. It mainly depends on your appearance. You already have excellent basic grades."

"Oh... so realistic."

Chatting casually, the two took the elevator to the 26th floor of Ian's apartment. Because the elevator floor was determined by swiping a card, they could not go directly to the floor and had to walk up one floor.

There is a latch on the outside of the fire escape staircase, but no padlock.

It was easy to open the door on the 26th floor, but after going down one floor, it became difficult to open the door on the 25th floor. However, this was just a small case for Xiaolan. The fire escape door opened inward. She grabbed the edge and pulled hard, and the pale light from the corridor suddenly shone through the dark door gap of less than half a centimeter.

The latch was already bent, but still tightly fastened. Yingsheng stretched his hand through the gap, and a second later, the door opened. Xiaolan held the door to prevent it from making any sound.

"I think we can probably become thieves."

Yingsheng smiled and walked out of the fire escape: "I hope Miss Yoko won't be frightened by our rude behavior..."

He suddenly stopped talking.

Xiaolan also walked out of the stairs, stopped in confusion because of Yingsheng, and looked in the direction he was looking. She saw a blonde woman in a white coat looking at them in shock at the door of apartment 2502 in the middle of the corridor in front of her. Her lips were moving, as if she was about to scream.

Xiaolan's heart skipped a beat. Oh no, she was caught red-handed by her owner!

Her thoughts flashed through the events of last night, and she paused at the scene where they threatened Junerick with guns in the research institute. Xiaolan subconsciously wanted to reenact the classic scene, but before she realized that she didn't have a gun with her, she heard:

"Ms. Yoko, I'm your fan!"

Yingsheng spoke in a fanatical tone.

huh?

Xiaolan was stunned for a second, and then she noticed that Okino Yoko, who was originally full of fear, also had a trace of daze on her face. Combined with her delicate facial features, especially the confusion in her big deep blue eyes, she looked quite cute.

"Ms. Yoko, we are here to visit you!"

Xiaolan, who was a little slow, quickly added.

After all, this prevented Yoko Okino from panicking and hiding in the house, then calling the police to catch the robber. Hotaru and Xiaolan did not rush over, but just slowly closed the door and stood there chatting with Yoko Okino, or rather, confiding in her unilaterally?

Anyway, they just praised how great her performance was and how beautiful her singing was.

Yingsheng's understanding of her is very limited and he can only give a general idea, but Xiaolan knows a lot about her career as an artist. When she told him that she recently participated in a flower arrangement variety show called "Kadoka Genchibo Special", the other party finally breathed a sigh of relief.

But she still looked a little worried. After hesitating for a moment, she spoke cautiously, "Are you the ones who sneaked into my house?"

Yingsheng and Xiaolan were both stunned. They looked at each other with a stern look in their eyes and turned to look at Okino Yoko.

"This is our first time here and we would never illegally invade a private residence," said Xiaolan.

"Are you in any trouble? Maybe we can help." Yingsheng said. Okino Yoko hesitated again and asked a slightly strange question: "Are you a couple?"

"Of course." Yingsheng spoke first.

Xiaolan also nodded: "Don't worry, Miss Yoko, we will never do anything bad to you."

Okino Yoko finally let down her guard, nodded, and gave a polite and gentle smile that idols only know how to smile.

"Welcome, please come in and have a seat."

The girl opposite was prettier than her, so even if the other boy was a fanatic, there was really no chance of him hurting her. And from the previous statement, it seemed that the girl was her fan, and the boy just came here with her.

Yingsheng and the other thanked them. Xiaolan straightened the bent latch, locked the door, and stepped forward first.

Hotaru glanced at Okino Yoko. Well, it was a good thing that he didn't see it due to the limited angle, otherwise he would have been shocked again.

After a while, Yingsheng and the other person sat on the dark brown sofa in Yoko Okino's house. Yoko Okino brought them tea and sat on the red single sofa opposite. Then she talked about her recent troubles, which was also the reason why she didn't dare to enter the house for several minutes after returning home.

She was followed by unknown persons.

Every time I go home, the position of the furniture has changed, I often receive some inexplicable photos in the mailbox downstairs, and I receive silent phone calls every day.

For a weak woman living alone, this is indeed very scary.

Yingsheng looked around and asked, "Which furniture has been moved?"

"The dining table, chairs, coffee table, ornaments on the display cabinet, and the green plants on the flower stand." Yoko Okino pointed out one by one.

Yingsheng stood up, walked to the dining table, held the edge with both hands, lifted it up to feel the weight, leaned over to observe the traces on the rose-red carpet. It was a push, and it was not done all at once. There was a sense of pause in the force.

Checking the seat next to him, the carpet showed traces of being lifted and lowered. Yingsheng asked Okino Yoko for a flashlight and squinted his eyes to carefully examine the top of the backrest.

Got nothing.

As I gradually turned to the two sides of the smooth wooden backrest, I finally discovered two palm prints, one on the left and one on the right, which were positioned quite symmetrically.

Yingsheng also used both hands to hold the two palm lines and put the chair back to the dining table. The weight was average. That person needed to move it like this. Was it because his strength was not enough?

Comparing that person's palm print with your own, you will find that it is slightly narrower. If the other person is an adult, it is most likely a female.

Suddenly, a beautiful figure in a blue dress flashed through his mind, and Yingsheng realized that he, who was blessed by the goddess of luck, might have accidentally stumbled upon the answer.

Looking back at Okino Yoko, who was standing beside him with a worried yet expectant look on her face, Hotaru asked directly:
"Do you know Ikezawa Yuko? How is your relationship?"

Okino Yoko was slightly stunned, then quickly nodded and said, "I know her. She's my colleague. We used to have a good relationship, but recently I replaced her as the lead in a TV series together, and our relationship has become a little strained."

At this point, she certainly understood what Yingsheng meant, and hesitantly asked, "Could it be that she is the one who is secretly monitoring me?"

Yingsheng was noncommittal: "Does she live here?"

Okino Yoko hurriedly shook her head: "She lives in Enya Apartment in Beika-cho 1-chome, not here."

"Have you ever lost your keys or other backup keys?"

"I don't have the key with me, but my agent has a spare key..." Okino Yoko paused, her expression becoming a little complicated. "My agent told me that his key was lost yesterday in the TV station's lounge."

"This makes Ikezawa Yuko more suspicious, but," Yingsheng frowned, "the key was lost only yesterday, so how many days has the abnormal phenomenon you mentioned appeared?"

Okino Yoko thought about it and found something suspicious. She hesitated and said, "It's been almost a week."

Yingsheng gave her a strange look: "It's been a week since your house was illegally broken into, and you haven't moved yet?"

"No, the phone calls and letters have been harassing me for nearly a week. The furniture was only moved yesterday and today. I was planning to find a detective tomorrow." Okino Yoko looked at Hotaru hopefully, "Are you a detective too?"

"That's it for now."

Yingsheng thought for a moment and said, "Based on the current situation, Ikezawa Yuko is a high suspect, but it seems that she only wants to torture you mentally, and she has not yet risen to the level of stealing money and killing you. In this way, we have a lot of room to maneuver, and we just need to wait and see."

Yingsheng pointed to a pot of green plants on the balcony facing the door and said, "I plan to install a pinhole camera there. Tomorrow, you should do everything as usual and don't pay too much attention to Ikezawa Yuko. See if she bumps into you."

Okino Yoko let out a long sigh and bowed slightly: "Thank you for your help, Mr. Detective."

"My name is Shuiyue." Yingsheng said with a smile.

"My name is Mao Lilan." Xiaolan introduced herself and added with a smile, "My father is a loyal fan of Ms. Yoko. In fact, he watched all your programs over and over again without missing a single episode. I often hear about them."

"Eh?"

Okino Yoko was puzzled: "So you came here..."

Yingsheng said honestly, "I hope to find Miss Kusano through you. I have a friend who wants to get her autographed photo."

"........."

"Can I have one of your autographed photos?"

“…Am I a bonus?”

"No, it's for Mr. Maori. He's been feeling a little down lately, and he'll definitely be saved after getting the autographed photo of his idol that he's always dreamed of."

The fact that she was not ignored made Yoko Okino feel a little better. However, when she remembered that even Kaoru Kusano didn't know these two people, she felt even weirder.

"Don't you know that she also works at Nichimi TV? We are colleagues."

"Eh?"

Hotaru and Xiaolan looked at each other. Rena Mizunashi, Yoko Okino, and Kaoru Kusano, these three are all from the same TV station?

Haha, this world is really small.

While Xiaolan and Okino Yoko were chatting, Yingsheng went downstairs to contact the Sumiyoshi Association to install a pinhole camera. He returned not long after. After the installation was completed, Yingsheng carefully examined it from different angles and found that it was perfectly hidden in the dark gaps between the green plants. He nodded with satisfaction.

"It can't be connected to the Internet, and the data is stored independently. Miss Yoko, you don't have to worry about me peeping." Yingsheng explained to Okino Yoko, who looked a little embarrassed.

Okino Yoko felt relieved and thanked him repeatedly. After contacting Kusano Kaoru, she signed three autographed photos and wrote on each of them:
Presented to Mr. Kogoro.

Although the visit was a little strange, it was a complete success. Before leaving, Yingsheng reminded: "Just in case, Miss Yoko should stay in a hotel tonight."

After thinking about it, Yoko Okino simply took her handbag home, turned off the lights, closed the door from the outside, and explained to the two with a smile:

"I haven't spent the night with Xiaoxun for a long time. Let's go together."

Of course, Hotaru and Xiaolan would not refuse. With the introduction of an acquaintance, the subsequent visit went smoothly. In order not to disturb Okino Yoko and Kusano Kaoru's overnight party, Hotaru and Xiaolan did not sit for long and left. They walked to the street, looked at the dim sky, and breathed a sigh of relief.

The time is 8:10 pm.

"Ms. Yoko is really gentle, and doesn't have the airs of a celebrity at all. No wonder my dad likes her so much." Xiaolan took out three autographed photos from her pocket and snorted, "I can't give them to my dad so easily. I have to tell him that he can only get them after he performs well."

Yingsheng nodded approvingly: "That's a good idea. We still have plenty of time. Let's leave an autographed photo for Vodka and then go to the hospital."

Yingsheng also picked up the autographed photo in his hand and took a look. It was a still from a TV series. The girl was wearing a light green kimono, looking back and smiling, but there was a hint of sadness in her eyes. She was about the same height as Okino Yoko, but her body was a little thinner, and she had short brown hair.

Yingsheng sighed: "Vodka actually likes this type, under his sturdy body, he must have a pink girl's heart."

Going to the roadside to get a taxi, Xiaolan asked curiously: "I haven't seen Vodka yet, what does he look like?"

"A typical Slavic man who wears a black hat and sunglasses everyday, he doesn't look like a good person." Yingsheng touched his chin, "But considering the high water content in the winery, he might actually be a former KGB undercover."

"...Not really. There are always loyal followers in the winery."

"Their boss is definitely loyal to them, but who knows what the others will be like until the last moment."

Not long after I got in the taxi, Huiyuan Ai called:

"Ms. Mizunashi Reina wanted to interview me face to face, saying that she could better understand my true feelings that way."

"So?" Yingsheng asked doubtfully, "You can't possibly agree to it."

"Of course I refused. She also said that what I revealed was too heavy and she needed to sort it out carefully and list the questions one by one before interviewing me in depth.

I didn't want to talk to her too deeply, and told her that this was enough. She then said that there must be some solid evidence for such things, at least a complete logical chain, otherwise it would be regarded as sensational fake news and screened out by the editorial department. "

Huihara Ai explained.

Yingsheng nodded approvingly: "It sounds like she has a strong sense of public responsibility. She won't blindly follow hot topics and make up fake news. But we don't seem to need her to be so responsible. Should we change to a more casual reporter?"

"As long as the editorial review standards remain unchanged, this will still not be approved. If it is another tabloid, the scope of dissemination will be too small."

"What do you think?"

"Did you catch any fish today when you went out Mingzhi?"

"Not at all. That guy covered himself up like a vampire who couldn't stand the sun. Is he next to you? Hey, Mingzhi, the temperature today is over 30 degrees, aren't you feeling hot?"

"It's... not bad."

Junerick said weakly.

(End of this chapter)