Conan: I'm a zaibatsu in Tokyo

Chapter 153 This kidnapper is a good person
"Does your family really have that much money?"

"Have."

Mary Akai stood beside Curaçao, with Curaçao's hand on her shoulder, making escape impossible.

This man named Zheng Yi chose a shopping mall with a large flow of people as the transaction location.

"You didn't ask your family to call the police, did you?" Zheng Yi asked.

"No."

"That's good. This is a normal transaction, there's really no need to contact the police," Zheng Yi said.

Mary Akai stared blankly ahead.

Whether something is normal or not can be determined by the gun in your hand.

The exorbitant ransom was something that ordinary human traffickers couldn't possibly demand.

"Your family had better have enough money, or I'll detain your family too," Zheng Yi said.

Mary Akai bit her lip.

That's terrible.

Ai yawned.

Is Zheng Yi really going to let this girl go?

If it's true, then she should take a good look.

In a few years, once she has saved enough money, she will also hold such an event.

Familiarize yourself with the process beforehand.

However, this girl's family is really rich, and they can pay off Zhengyi's debt immediately.

"I'm going to the restroom first, you guys wait here," Zheng Yi said.

Xiao Ai nodded, "Lazy people poop and pee a lot."

"Ouch~ Why did you hit me?" Ai said, covering her head.

"Because I felt like you insulted me."

"I do not have."

“This is my prediction,” Zheng Yi said.

Ai covered her head and remained silent.

Zheng Yi is such a bastard, he loves bullying kids.

The first floor of the shopping mall.

Sera Masumi walked in carrying a suitcase. She was wearing a black hat and kept pulling the brim down as she walked.

He was muttering "third floor" to himself.

"Oh~"

"I'm sorry, are you okay?"

"It's nothing, I just wasn't paying attention while I was walking." Sera Masumi was pulled up by the man in front of her.

Masakazu looked at Sera Masumi, then at the things that had fallen out of the suitcase.

"Why did you put so much paper in the box?" Zhengyi asked.

"Oh, this is a prop, a movie prop," Sera Masumi said.

"Oh, it's a movie prop." Zheng Yi nodded.

I thought it was a prop you were trying to fool me with.

Masakazu helped Sera Masumi fold the papers and put them into the box.

A box full of paper, but not a single banknote.

He handed the box to Sera Masumi.

Thankfully, it was just a movie prop, not something I used to fool myself, otherwise it wouldn't have been able to fool anyone at all.

"I have something to do, so I'll be leaving now," Sera Masumi said with a smile.

“Okay, be careful,” Zheng Yi said.

"Bye-Bye."

"Goodbye." Zheng Yi waved to her.

After saying goodbye to Masakazu and walking up the stairs, Sera Masumi rubbed her bottom.

Why is this floor so hard?

After taking the elevator to the third floor, Sera Masumi found the location for the transaction.

Upon seeing the person opposite her, Sera Masumi blinked.

A woman with two little girls.

Is this really not a shopping trip?

"Woo~"

Mary Akai tried to walk over, but Curaçao was already on guard. As soon as she made a move, she grabbed her and covered her mouth.

“The money is right here. Please let me... uh, my sister go,” Sera Masumi said.

Is this little girl really my mom?
She wouldn't have come if she hadn't told her a lot of things that only she and her mother knew.

Even after they arrived, they were still very suspicious of the little girl's identity.

“My boss isn’t here. We’ll talk when he gets here,” Curaçao said.

Curaçao stood there indifferently.

The little girl next to her even went to a nearby shop and bought two ice creams, which she shared with her "mom".

It's just that 'Mom's' mouth was covered, so she couldn't eat.

"Was this little girl also kidnapped by you?" Sera Masumi asked.

Curaçao glanced at Ai and nodded.

That should be correct. This one that was just picked up is the same type, except that Ai has been kidnapped for too long and has gotten used to it, so she won't run away anymore.

Sera Masumi's lips twitched.

Why is it that even though they are all kidnapped children, their degree of freedom varies so much?
One was tightly controlled, while the other even had the money to buy ice cream.

"Ok?"

Sera Masumi loosened her grip, turned her head and saw the man she had bumped into on the first floor taking her suitcase.

"you?"

“I am her boss,” Zheng Yi said.

He handed the suitcase to Curaçao and pushed her subordinate, Akai Mary, towards Sera Masumi.

"I trust your integrity, so I won't check the quantity inside," Zheng Yi said.

"This……"

Sera Masumi's mind was completely blank.

"The money and goods are settled, you can leave now," Zheng Yi said.

Mary Akai tugged at Masumi Sera's sleeve.

Come on, what are you doing staying here if you're not leaving?
She knew her family definitely didn't have that much money, and there was definitely counterfeit money in the suitcase Shi Liang gave her.

It's a good thing that guy didn't check it.

If you don't leave now, he'll leave you here too.

“Oh, oh, thank you,” Sera Masumi said.

Mary Akai patted her head.

I feel like my daughter has gone crazy. Your mother was kidnapped and only left after a ransom was paid, and you're actually thanking them.

Mary Akai pulled Sera Masumi away.

"Wait a minute," Zheng Yi suddenly said.

Mary Akai didn't want to stop when she heard the voice; in fact, she quickened her pace.

Even though she quickened her pace, she couldn't walk any further.

Because she was holding her mentally challenged daughter's hand, she really stopped.

The simple-minded daughter asked blankly, "Is there anything else?"

"Here's a photo for you to keep as a memento." Zheng Yi handed over a photo.

Sera Masumi took it and looked at it; it was a photo of her "mom" and the little girl next to her.

The two women had the same expression, and even looked very similar, like sisters.

“Okay, I will save it,” Sera Masumi said.

"Then goodbye."

"Goodbye."

Mary Akai finally left with her daughter.

Ai looked at the two figures as they walked away, then glanced at Masakazu.

Will she have to go through this process in the future?
Holding her sister's hand, she walked further and further away, completely getting rid of that bastard Zheng Yi.

What are you daydreaming about now?

Zheng Yi squatted down and tugged at Xiao Ai's face.

"I wasn't thinking about anything." Ai grabbed Shoichi's hand and resisted him.

As he pulled Ai's mouth, his fingers were covered in her saliva.

He wiped Ai's body with disgust.

"I didn't expect you to keep your promise like this," Ai said, quite surprised.

They actually let the person go after paying the money. I didn't expect Zheng Yi to be such an honest person.

"I keep my word," Zheng Yi said. "So you should work hard. After you pay back the money, I'll definitely let you go."

Ai grinned at Masakazu.

She mentally calculated how much money she owed Zheng Yi.

Although it was a huge sum of money due to Zhengyi's special algorithm, there was still a chance for him to repay it one day.

With a goal in mind, she felt more motivated.

Masakazu smiled and ruffled Ai's hair.

“If you work hard, I can forgive all the debts you owe me after you only work for me for two years,” Zheng Yi said.

"Really?"

Ai looked at Zheng Yi with suspicion, seemingly not quite believing that Zheng Yi could be so generous.

“Of course it’s true, I’d be a dog if I lied to you,” Zheng Yi said.

Ai blinked.

The puppy is much cuter than you.

Masakazu said to Ai, "Think about it, if I'm only given two years to work, you'll only be twenty years old in two years."

Most people are older than this when they graduate from university, so you have plenty of time to squander and enjoy yourself.

How wonderful!

Ai nodded.

The future is bright.

As long as she gets rid of Zheng Yi, she and her sister will travel the world and enjoy a life free from Zheng Yi's oppression.

Just thinking about it feels wonderful.

Seeing that Ai was starting to be happy, Masaru decided to make her even happier.

"Didn't you always complain that you were tired from having to go to school and work at the same time?" Zheng Yi said.

Ai nodded.

So you've decided to make me give up my studies?

"I'll give you a bonus," Zheng Yi said.

"Ok?"

Ai looked at Masakazu in disbelief.

bonus?

What is that? Is that really something that Zheng Yi could give us?

Zheng took the suitcase from Curaçao's hand and placed it in Ai's arms.

“Consider the ransom for that little girl your bonus,” Zheng Yi said.

"really?"

Ai clung tightly to the suitcase, feeling that nothing could make them leave.

She had previously thought she wasn't interested in money.

But after being captured by Zheng Yi, his desire for money grew stronger and stronger.

What she's holding onto now isn't money, it's the future.

"Of course it's true, this money is your bonus." Zheng Yi placed his hand on Xiao Ai's head.

Ai looked down at the suitcase, and for the first time, she wasn't so resistant to Shoichi's big hand.

She silently calculated whether, with this money, she could break free from Zhengyi sooner.

From two years to one and a half years?

"Let's go back to the hotel."

While in the car, Ai was feeling very happy, glancing at the box every few seconds.

Back in her hotel room, Ai couldn't wait to open her suitcase.

But once the box was opened, Ai's smile vanished completely.

"Zhengyi! You've been tricked!"

Ai rushed outside, pulled Masakazu into her room, and pointed to the box on the bed, saying:
"There's no money inside, just paper, all of it is blank paper!"

Zheng Yi grabbed a handful and said in a low voice, "They all seem to be blank sheets of paper. How could that person be so wicked as to lie to us?"

"Are you an idiot? Why don't you check it!" Ai said to Shoichi.

She was so anxious that she paced back and forth in the room, unable to calm down at all.

Ai grabbed Shoichi's arm and asked pitifully:

"Do you still consider the bonus you mentioned?"

“Of course it counts. Didn’t I already give you the bonus?” Zheng Yi said.

“But the money is fake,” Ai said.

"Oh." Zheng Yi nodded. "How could that person be so wicked?"

……

"That guy was clearly not a good person. I didn't expect him to leave so easily."

“I think he’s a good person,” Sera Masumi said.

"Are you out of your mind?" Mary Akai said. "Can a kidnapper who's trying to extort money be a good person?"

She frowned, not understanding why her daughter would have such thoughts.

"But……"

"There are no buts, by the way."

"You still have so much money at home? How much counterfeit money did you put in the box?" Mary Akai asked.

Sera Masumi extended one index finger with her right hand.

"half?"

“It’s a box,” Sera Masumi said.

Mary Akai took a deep breath.

The whole box is fake. Did you know all along that the other party wouldn't open the box to check?

“I wasn’t entirely sure of your identity before, which is why I used a fake one,” Sera Masumi said.

"Well, at least they didn't open the box to look inside," Akai Mary said.

“Actually,” Sera Masumi said softly, “the other party actually knew that there were only blank sheets of paper inside.”

I bumped into that man on the first floor, and all the white paper inside fell out. He was the one who picked it up for me.

Mary Akai took another deep breath.

Blank paper? They wouldn't even use counterfeit money.

And why did that man named Zheng Yi go to the first floor to use the restroom?

Sera Masumi said casually, "Actually, he's a good person and didn't want any ransom at all."

I was just joking with you because you're a kid.

She took the liberty of pinching her mother's cheek, and it felt quite nice to pinch.

Mary Akai glared at Sera Masumi, who awkwardly withdrew her hand.

“That guy doesn’t seem to be joking,” Mary Akai said.

He still has that IOU.

Sera Masumi pursed her lips, completely ignoring it.

They rescued you from the river, took you to the doctor, bought you new clothes, and took such good care of you.

This is the epitome of a good person.

He's just a nice guy who likes to joke around.

"Speaking of which, the little girl in this photo looks just like you. I feel like she should be your daughter."

They share the same signature short haircut, and their eyes, facial features, and facial contours are very similar.

"You didn't secretly have another baby sister behind my back, did you?" Sera Masumi said.

“Don’t talk nonsense,” Mary Akai said.

She glanced at the photo.

They do look somewhat alike, but there are so many people in the world who look alike, it's not surprising.

She doesn't remember having any relatives of this age.

"Huh? It seems there's another photo here."

The photo was in a transparent plastic bag. Sera Masumi felt something was strange when she saw the words "Ran kicks Conan in heaven" written on the back of the photo, so she shook the photo out.

"Did that person accidentally put in too many photos when they were putting them in?" Sera Masumi said.

Another photo shows a girl kicking a child.

Mary Akai picked up the photo, frowned, and said, "Do you remember the little boy I met at the beach ten years ago?"

"Kudo Shinichi?"

“The boy from ten years ago looks exactly like this boy in the photo,” Mary Akai said.

The date the photo was taken is written on the back.

1996 7 Month 3 Day.

"You mean?"

(End of this chapter)