Traveling back thirty years to Conan, intercepting Princess Eri

Faced with Takeshita Matsufumi's questioning, Ichikawa's face turned deathly pale, and he shoved the other man away abruptly.

"...Old man, what nonsense are you talking about! The police have already investigated and clarified what happened back then!"

"What did you call me?" Takeshita Matsufumi's wrinkled face instantly turned bright red.

With trembling hands, he raised his veined hand and delivered a resounding slap to Ichikawa's oily face.
"I am your teacher!"

Ichikawa was knocked to the side, and a clear handprint quickly appeared on his left cheek.

He instinctively covered his face, a fierce glint flashing in his eyes, but quickly slumped down when he met the old man's piercing gaze.

A ray of setting sun shone through the window at the end of the corridor, casting long shadows of the two people. One stood straight as a pine tree, while the other hunched over like a stray dog.

".teacher,"

Ichikawa's voice suddenly lowered as he stared at the gleaming tips of his shoes, as if something there was something alluring about them.
"So many years have passed, and the matter from back then has long been settled. What's the use of you holding onto it now?"

After saying that, Ichikawa walked quickly toward the hotel entrance as if being chased by something.

His men hurriedly followed, and as they were leaving, one of Shimadzu employees nearly tripped over the threshold in his panic, which drew laughter from the children at the door.

The bad guy escaped!

"Serves them right! Let's see if they dare to bully us again!"

The children's cheerful laughter echoed through the streets.

The residents of the shopping street stood in twos and threes at the hotel entrance, each with a different expression.

The shop owners who insisted on not selling their properties exchanged victorious glances, unable to hide their smiles.

Those who were already preparing to sell their houses were frowning. Some kept rubbing their hands, while others anxiously bit their nails, all worried that offending Ichikawa would affect the subsequent transaction price.

In the midst of this chaotic scene, no one noticed that Takeshita Matsufumi's body suddenly swayed.

Seeing that he was about to fall, Lin Xiuyi, who had been keeping a close eye on him, quickly stepped forward and helped him up: "Teacher, are you alright?"

“I’m getting old,” Takeshita Matsufumi sighed deeply, his sharp eyes now appearing somewhat cloudy beneath his graying eyebrows.

He ordered matter-of-factly, "Help me home."

Although Lin Xiuyi didn't want to be alone with this stubborn and headstrong old man,

But as their student, he couldn't find a reason to refuse, so he nodded to Mrs. Orikasa and Mr. Kojima and carefully helped the old man out of the hotel.

The sun had already set, and Lin Xiuyi helped the old man walk slowly down the street covered with fallen petals. Every step Takeshita Matsufumi took was extremely difficult, as if his legs were weighed down with lead, completely unlike his energetic self at school.

“Turn left,” the old man’s hoarse voice rang out in the twilight, “Turn right at the third intersection.”

Following instructions, Lin Xiuyi helped Zhuxia Songwen to a three-story building.

This building is quite similar to the Maori house, but the paint on the exterior walls has peeled off, revealing the dark cement underneath, indicating that it has not been repaired or maintained for a long time.

The first floor is a small stationery store with all kinds of notebooks and pencils displayed in the window, while a sign for "Piano Classroom" hangs on the second-floor window.

The third floor, with its plain-colored curtains drawn, was exceptionally quiet; this was where Takeshita Matsufumi lived.

The stairs were narrow and steep, and Takeshita Matsufumi had to stop and catch his breath after each step. Hayashi Hideichi patiently accompanied him, and could clearly hear the heavy breathing coming from the old man's chest.

When he reached the second floor, a drop of sweat slid down the old man's wrinkled forehead and landed on the wooden floor with a thud.

Finally arriving on the third floor, Takeshita Matsufumi trembled as he pulled a bunch of keys from his pocket.

The keys clinked together, making a crisp sound. It took the old man several tries to insert the key into the lock.

With a click, the door opened, and a faint aroma of tea mixed with the scent of old books wafted out.

Lin Xiuyi helped the old man into the house, and his professional habit made him subconsciously look around.

On the floor of the entryway, there was only one pair of slippers to change into.

The living room was small but spotless. On the low table sat an exquisite white porcelain teapot, next to an upside-down teacup.

The books on the bookshelf were arranged neatly according to height, with even the spines aligned in a straight line.

Several potted green plants on the balcony are lush and green, with water droplets still on their leaves, clearly having just been carefully cared for.

All these details suggest that this is the residence of an elderly person living alone, but it is kept in perfect order by the owner.

Lin Xiuyi couldn't help but nod inwardly; this was indeed very much in line with Takeshita Matsufumi's meticulous personality.

"Don't look around, that's very impolite!" Takeshita Matsufumi suddenly shouted, his voice weak but still stern. "Help me to the sofa."

Lin Xiuyi pursed her lips, too lazy to argue.

Based on past experience, explanations only invite harsher reprimands.

Lin Xiuyi helped the old man to the fabric sofa in the center of the living room. He could feel that Takeshita Matsufumi's body relaxed significantly when he touched the soft cushion.

After the old man was settled, Lin Xiuyi was about to take her leave when her gaze was drawn to a family photo hanging on the wall.

In the photo, young Takeshita Matsufumi is wearing a sharp suit, next to a gentle woman, and in the middle stands a sixteen or seventeen-year-old girl. All three of them have happy smiles on their faces.

The girl has almond-shaped eyes like her mother's, and when she smiles, the corners of her eyes turn up slightly, exuding youthful vigor.

Following Hayashi Hideichi's gaze, Takeshita Matsufumi's wrinkled face softened with a rare gentleness.

"Naoko," the old man murmured to himself, "Dad saw that bastard who hit you again today."

Seeing the old man lost in his memories, Lin Xiu could only sigh inwardly and awkwardly stand to the side, examining the awards and certificates next to the group photo.

Those are all testaments to Takeshita Matsufumi's many years of teaching career: "Outstanding Teacher", "Thirty Years of Teaching Service Award", "Education Contribution Award".
Each one was framed in a simple frame and arranged neatly.

Lin Xiuyi quickly looked through all the certificates and awards.

Seeing that the old man was still staring at the photo, he couldn't help but want to remind him, but Takeshita Matsufumi suddenly spoke up.
"I heard you're quite familiar with the police from the First Investigation Division? Are those people still as clueless as they were more than ten years ago?"

"This..." Lin Xiuyi scratched his head awkwardly. "Teacher, ten years ago I was just a five or six-year-old child. How would I know what the police were like back then?"

"Since you arrived at Teitan High School, you've helped the First Investigation Division solve quite a few cases," Takeshita Matsufumi sneered. "To rely on a minor to solve cases, those useless kids seem to be the same as they were back then!" (End of Chapter)