Conan: Rice Flower Spring

Chapter 439, Section 433: The "Clash" Between Hondou Emi and Kujo Reiko

"Partners? Ms. Minami and Mr. Taylor are collaborating on filming?" Reiko Kujo asked knowingly.

Now that Robert Taylor is known to have problems, and thanks to Ryoma Hayashi's hint, Reiko Kujo also learns that the Tokyo City Hotel has serious issues.

So, as the manager of Tokyo City Hotel, the former popular host of Nichiri TV chose to resign at the height of his popularity.

Resigning in an island nation is a very rare thing in itself.

When they find it difficult to continue working, they would even consider suicide rather than easily consider quitting.

In their view, the consequences of resigning are even worse than suicide. To say that life is worse than death wouldn't be an exaggeration.

The lifetime employment system is terrifying.

As a result, Rena Mizunashi not only resigned, but also became the manager of a newly built five-star hotel in Tokyo.

Nobody would believe you if you said nothing happened here.

Reiko Kujo was even less convinced.

But Reiko Kujo didn't want to alert the enemy; she wanted to play the long game.

To be honest, she didn't really care how or why Robert Taylor died.

She's a prosecutor from the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office, not America's prosecutor. The Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office sent her to show they value her.

The ones who should truly demand the truth are public security police officers like Kazami Yuya.

As a prosecutor, Reiko Kujo is now more curious about the Tokyo City Hotel, which uses gold coins as admission tickets.

This appears to be a newly established killer platform.

Tokyo is already chaotic enough, with murderers, robbers, jewel thieves, and Beika Town.

Reiko Kujo really didn't want another damned killer platform to appear in Tokyo.

She was already exhausted from constantly scheming against the murderer in Beika Town, and she really didn't want to add to her burden for no reason.

The death of Robert Taylor is a very good starting point.

"No, it's not a collaboration on photography. Although Mr. Taylor is an independent photographer, he has a wide network of connections."

Because our hotel is newly built and doesn't have the backing of a large corporation, I asked Mr. Taylor if he could help us find some high-quality customers.

Rena Mizunashi's response was flawless, provided that Reiko Kujo didn't know what the Tokyo City Hotel actually did.

Her words were nine parts truth and one part falsehood; most of what she said was verifiable and verifiable.

The only thing that is obscured is the most fundamental nature of the Tokyo City Hotel.

This place isn't a hotel at all; it was built as a platform for assassins.

Unfortunately, Rena Mizunashi's brilliant remarks were destined to remain only for Kir's own solitary admiration.

Because her words were interpreted completely differently by Reiko Kujo.

In Reiko Kujo's mind, Rena Mizunashi's words should be translated as follows:

Don't let Mr. Taylor's reputation as just an independent photographer from America fool you; he's actually the best broker I could find.

Our killer platform is newly established, and we lack both killers and orders. So I happily asked Mr. Taylor to find me some business orders.

I don't care what happens in Tokyo, but I'm sure I won't lose a single penny of money.

Most importantly, the more chaotic Tokyo becomes, the busier you prosecutors are, the more money I make!

Calling it a provocation wouldn't be entirely accurate, as it was merely Kujo Reiko's imagination. But the ten gold coins that Ryoma Lin handed to Kujo Reiko felt like a rough, forceful slap.

It was like slapping the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office in the face again and again.

This isn't just a slap on the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office's backside; it's a slap on the face of all prosecutors in this island nation!
"Prosecutor Kujo, may I ask what happened to Mr. Taylor?"

Rena Mizunashi's question was not abrupt; a minor question would at most alert the police but not the prosecutor.

Those who are targeted by prosecutors rarely escape unscathed.

Of course, it's more likely that Robert Taylor was involved in some troublesome case.

Rena Mizunashi thought to herself, "This Robert Taylor is certainly adapting to local customs."

I don't know how good he is at his job, but he's very familiar with all sorts of unexpected cases and the riddle-solving persona in Beika Town.

We don't know where this person is now. Hopefully, he hasn't been arrested as a murderer in some case.

Rena Mizunashi's silent prayers must have truly moved the heavens, because she didn't hear the answer she least wanted to hear from Reiko Kujou.

However, Reiko Kujo's answer did not "forgive her" in the end.

"Mr. Robert Taylor was ambushed by gunmen and was eventually shot dead in the street because he was outnumbered."

Miss Mizunashi, since Mr. Taylor is your partner, do you know who Mr. Taylor's enemies are?

Or did you offend some organization?

When Reiko Kujo learned about the "special services" offered by the Tokyo City Hotel, she wondered if it was a case of underhanded competition among industry players.

The rise of a new platform, if we disregard business growth, will inevitably take away a share of the market share of the old platforms.

Reiko Kujo was also unsure whether there were large-scale killer platforms in Tokyo.

But she believes that establishing a new platform is not so simple. Where there are reformers, there are also conservatives.

Those who have vested interests will not sit idly by and watch their benefits be divided up by others.

Resistance and confrontation are inevitable; the question is whether Taylor died simply because of a vendetta or was caught up in the conflict between the old and new platforms.

"Mr. Taylor's enemies?" Rena Mizunashi looked troubled on the surface, as if she didn't know that Taylor had any enemies.

But in reality, she was also in a state of utter confusion.

No, Robert Taylor is dead? They were talking on the phone yesterday, and now Reiko Kujo says he's dead?
real or fake?

Rena Mizunashi instinctively wanted to deny it, but then she thought that Robert Taylor's death might not be entirely impossible.

Although Robert Taylor is a senior agent of the branch office, the rank of an agent does not necessarily reflect their combat effectiveness.

When agents advance from senior positions to assistant agents or agents, their management skills become more crucial.

Senior agents, who are the highest-ranking frontline field agents, are required to make their own choices at this level.

It's either about focusing on action and choosing to become a sergeant, similar to someone in the military, or about moving towards management, similar to an officer in the military.

Intelligence agencies are different from the military, and almost all agents at the senior agent level will first try to take the management route. They will first be promoted to assistant agent supervisor, and then become agent supervisor, from where they no longer fight on the front lines, but sit in the office reviewing documents.

Everyone knows the advantages of working in an office, but that doesn't mean everyone can get an office job.

Very few senior agents can successfully transition into assistant agents; at least compared to the sheer number of senior agents, there aren't enough chairs in the office.

When there's no hope of transferring to management or clerical positions, most senior agents either retire, take up temporary posts, or use their status as senior CIA agents to find themselves a more respectable job.

For example, becoming a consultant or something.

At worst, they can only risk their lives on the front lines.

Note that these agents who fought until they were "disheartened" were basically nearing retirement age.

Truly intelligent people have already prepared an escape route for themselves.

This means that the elite CIA agents on the front lines are not the senior agents, but rather their own mid-level agents.

This group of people are at their peak in age, energy, and experience, and Rena Mizunashi is one of the best among them.

At least in business, Robert Taylor was no match for Kiel.

In Robert Taylor's own words: "Who really fights and kills these days?"
Whether you're a secret agent or a spy, it's never about fighting and killing, but about understanding human relationships and social dynamics.

Maintaining good relations with the US military stationed in Japan, and working together to grow stronger and achieve greater success, isn't that also a form of good interpersonal relationships?

In short, Robert Taylor's skill set is basically all in management. Even Rena Mizunashi herself has to admit that.

Without Robert Taylor, the Tokyo City Hotel would never have opened so quickly.

However, this also meant that Robert Taylor had little ability to defend himself in terms of physical strength.

In Beika Town, a pistol is certainly sufficient as a weapon for self-defense.

But that's under normal circumstances—that is, when no one is deliberately targeting you. In a country with strict gun control, a handgun can indeed be considered a deadly weapon.

If Robert is targeted, that would be a different story.

In Tokyo, despite the government's strict gun control measures, obtaining a gun license is virtually impossible.

But strict gun control doesn't mean guns are banned. If you can't get them through official channels, there's always the black market, right?

I'm just asking you symbolically when I apply for a gun license. If you don't agree, I can still use other means to own a gun.

As the saying goes, even if I drive without a license, as long as I'm not caught by the traffic police, am I a law-abiding good driver?

Robert Taylor's death was sudden, yet reasonable.

Rena Mizunashi was getting anxious; she needed to quickly report this information to the branch office so they could make plans as soon as possible.

The matter of Taylor's death will certainly be investigated. But they cannot openly state that Robert Taylor was a CIA agent, let alone a high-ranking one.

Although it is an undeniable fact that Langley sent spies to countries all over the world.

But projects that are good for appearances still have to be at least somewhat acceptable.

For example, the deceased Robert Taylor could not have been a CIA agent and senior operative in the island nation.

But he could be an FBI agent who came to the island nation exclusively and, fearing trouble, claimed to be an independent photographer.

Anyway, when they were in America, the CIA would use the FBI's name to enforce the law, so it's no big deal for them to borrow the FBI's identity again now.

As for the FBI's reaction, it's not important.

Didn't the FBI agents overstep their bounds and come to the island nation a while ago?

Unfortunately, this group of people hadn't been in the island nation for long when they apparently ran into trouble and slunk away.

This infuriated the leaders of the CIA's island nation bureau—they hadn't even started to sabotage them yet, so how did those little bastards from the FBI run away?
When it comes to making things difficult for each other, both the CIA and the FBI share an unspoken understanding.

We're from the same company, what's wrong with doing each other a favor?
So all Rena Mizunashi could tell Reiko Kujo at this moment was: "Mr. Taylor is a very good person, as for his enemies, I really don't know much about them."

Perhaps Mr. Taylor incurred the wrath of other hotels in Tokyo because he helped me find high-quality clients?

Rena Mizunashi spoke with an air of importance, almost as if she were instructing Reiko Kujo to investigate other five-star hotels in Tokyo.

As expected, when Reiko Kujo heard Rena Mizunashi say that, a hint of disdain flashed across her face, and she ultimately chose to take her leave.

Rena Mizunashi personally escorted Reiko Kujo out of the hotel. As Kir watched Reiko Kujo's departing figure, he sneered inwardly.

Sitting in the car with both hands on the steering wheel, Reiko Kujo was well aware that Rena Mizunashi had just deliberately performed in a way that she didn't like.

As a former popular host on Nichiri TV, Rena Mizunashi could not possibly be so ignorant.

Such blatant, shrewish attacks are never considered formal leads in investigations.

When an investigation reaches a stalemate, bring it up and discuss it, drawing parallels to other similar cases.

Otherwise, how many five-star hotels are there in Tokyo, and how many interest groups are behind them?
How many corporations, conglomerates, and families are there?
Reiko Kujo must be insane to investigate in the direction Rena Mizunashi "instructed".

She knew Rena Mizunashi was doing it on purpose, but she still gave in. The main reason was that Reiko Kujo's scenes with Rena Mizunashi were already finished.

She had achieved her goal; now it was time to verify what the gold coins Lin Longma had given her could actually be used for in this hotel.

After Kujou Reiko left, Mizunashi Rena immediately contacted her contact via email to report that Robert Taylor had been shot and killed.

The shooting death of a field intelligence agent in the street is no small matter for the island nation's branch office.

Whether or not they should avenge the intelligence agent is another matter; they at least need to find out why Robert Taylor was killed.

Did they inadvertently obtain some intelligence? Or did Robert Taylor secretly provoke some troublesome organization behind their backs?

Or perhaps you unintentionally made an enemy of someone.

Robert Taylor, as a senior agent of the division, was quite influential among the frontline operatives.

Perhaps such field staff are just a signature and a string of numbers in the hands of office workers.

Robert can die, but he cannot die under mysterious circumstances. Even as a risk warning for their precinct, the entire precinct must find out why Robert died.

Was the gunman targeting only Robert, or was the entire precinct within the reach of these madmen?
The already busy Langley Police Station is now truly busy with a clear objective.

Soon the American embassy received intelligence from the CIA that an FBI agent had been shot and killed in the street while on a solo trip to the island nation.

Then the embassy received a note from the island's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

They're talking about the same thing, except the American isn't an FBI agent, but an independent photographer.

(End of this chapter)