Traveling back thirty years to Conan, intercepting Princess Eri

"Tch, they're all on our side, what do I have to be afraid of!"

Tomizawa Chikage waved her hand dismissively and put her arm around the shoulder of Orikasa Midori, who was still a little confused.

"Little Green, I know you like to teach those hooligans a lesson, which shows you have a chivalrous heart. It's a good idea to recruit you too. Let's form a phantom thief gang!"

"Yeah!"

Yukiko, who always loved to join in the fun, immediately raised her hand in agreement.
"I've always wanted to experience what it's like to be a phantom thief; it sounds incredibly exciting!"

"The Phantom Thieves?"

Upon hearing this, Lin Xiuyi couldn't help but rub her forehead, feeling a throbbing pain in her temples.

"Do you really think you can make those wicked people repent and reform through theft?"

"Huh?! How did you know?!"

Tomizawa Chikage seemed to have heard something unbelievable, and suddenly froze, then her face lit up with immense joy, and she looked at Lin Xiuyi as if she were looking at a kindred spirit.
"I've kept this grand ideal in my heart for so long, and I've never told anyone! I never expected that you, Shuichi, would be so in sync with me! You really are the one who understands me the most!"

"Just a coincidence." Eri Kisaki immediately snorted, a hint of jealousy in her eyes, and interrupted their eye contact.

“Exactly! It must be a coincidence!” Yukiko quickly chimed in, afraid that something “special understanding” might have developed between Hayashi Shuichi and Tomizawa Chikage.

After saying that, she and Eri Kisaki exchanged a glance, their eyes conveying a sense of "temporary united front," and unusually, they refrained from further mutual mockery.

Lin Xiuyi was completely overwhelmed by the chaotic scene.

He rubbed his temples vigorously, trying to steer the conversation back on track.

"Alright, let's not get off topic. Qianying, what exactly happened? Explain the whole story clearly so I can decide whether or not to help you, and if so, how."

Seeing that Hayashi Hideichi's attitude had become serious, Tomizawa Chikage also dropped her joking expression, took a deep breath, and began to explain.
"Here's what happened... You've probably all heard about the massive fire at the Sennichimae Department Store in Osaka a few years ago, right?"

"Some impression."

Lin Xiu nodded, her brows furrowing slightly.
"I remember the news reported that the fire happened at night. Because the fire exits of the department store were blocked, the fire spread very quickly, and more than 200 people were killed or injured. It was a very serious safety accident at the time."

"Many newspapers reported on this at the time."

Eri Kisaki also began to recall, her tone tinged with heaviness.

“My parents also received many requests from relatives of fire victims, asking them to go to Osaka to sue that department store and demand compensation.”

"However, it seems that the lawsuit did not go smoothly for various reasons later on."

The others listened to the conversation between the three, their faces filled with confusion.

After all, that fire happened almost ten years ago; they were only six or seven years old then and didn't have much memory of this kind of social news. They could only listen quietly, occasionally exchanging a puzzled look.

"Wasn't that matter settled a long time ago?" Eri asked curiously. "I remember that the department store later compensated the victim's family with a sum of money, and things gradually calmed down. Why are you bringing it up again now?"

"Resolved? There's no resolution at all!"

Upon hearing this word, Tomizawa Chikage reacted like a firecracker going off; she angrily clenched her fist and brandished it, her face filled with indignation.

"After the fire, the department store did, under pressure, provide compensation to the families of the unfortunate victims. But what about those injured in the fire? Their compensation was far from sufficient! Or rather, the subsequent compensation was simply perfunctory!"

She took a deep breath to calm herself down and continued,
"Many of those who were seriously injured suffered physical disabilities due to the fire and completely lost their ability to work."

"There are also some people whose lungs have been severely damaged due to inhaling too much toxic gas. Since then, they have been living in the hospital, relying on medical equipment to keep them alive, and can no longer live a normal life."

"But that department store only compensated them with a small amount of medical expenses after the fire, while it kept delaying payment for their subsequent living expenses and rehabilitation costs."

"Later, they simply refused to pay any more compensation, citing 'difficulties in the company's cash flow'."

Tomizawa Chikage's eyes were filled with anger.
“I know a girl whose parents were severely burned in that fire. Her father suffered severe burns to both legs and has been confined to a wheelchair ever since, unable to work.”

"Her mother suffered severe lung damage from inhaling large amounts of smoke and has been hospitalized for a long time, requiring long-term treatment."

“That girl is about the same age as us, but she dropped out of school long ago and works three or four jobs every day to take care of her parents and earn money to pay for her mother’s medical expenses.”

"Even so, the money she earns is only enough to maintain a basic standard of living, and it is far from enough to pay for expensive medical expenses."

Tomizawa Chikage's voice gradually lowered, tinged with heartache.

Six months ago, the girl, along with dozens of other injured victims, filed a lawsuit against the department store, hoping it would cover their subsequent compensation costs.
"The court rejected their lawsuit on the grounds that 'the department store had already been deregistered and the legal entity no longer exists.'"

"But the truth is, not long after the fire, the owner of that department store secretly transferred the company's assets."

"Then he deregistered the original company, used the transferred funds to demolish the old building on the same site, built a new high-end shopping mall, continued to do business, and made a fortune."

Tomizawa Chikage gritted her teeth, her voice filled with resentment.
"Those victims wanted to seek redress through legal channels, but because the other party had long been colluding with the judges, they had no way to proceed. It was impossible to expect the court to uphold justice for them!"

At this point, Tomizawa Chikage raised her head, looking at Lin Xiuyi with a determined gaze.

"So my purpose in going to Osaka this time is to sneak into the home of that mastermind. If I can find evidence of his illegal manipulation of the company, his evasion of debts, or other crimes, I can force him to come forward, take responsibility for what he should have taken long ago, and give the victims the compensation they deserve!"

“If… I really can’t find conclusive evidence, then I will try to get some money from him and distribute it to the victims who are still struggling in pain.”

"At least... at least the girl's mother can continue receiving treatment, and the whole family can see a glimmer of hope for survival..." (End of Chapter)