Conan: I'm a zaibatsu in Tokyo

The news of Tetsuya Morikawa's formal imprisonment was like a boulder thrown into a calm lake.

In the newsrooms of major news organizations, reporters, like sharks smelling blood, race against time to devise the most impactful reporting strategies.

Local media outlets still harbored some fear of the power of the Toyota Group, and their reporting was relatively restrained in its wording.

They often use euphemistic expressions such as "a major automobile manufacturer".

However, the Tokyo media, with the tacit approval of the Justice Group, went to great lengths to sensationalize the story.

The King of Japanese Detectives Became a Lackey of Toyota

The headline on the front page of a major newspaper was particularly eye-catching, accompanied by a close-up photo of Morikawa being escorted away.

Ichiro Toyoda angrily slammed the newspaper onto the mahogany desk, causing the teacup to tremble slightly.

Morikawa was just a moderately famous detective. When did he become the King of Detectives in Japan?
Was this title arbitrarily bestowed by the newspaper?

Absolutely ridiculous.

What angered Ichiro Toyoda even more was the report titled "Tokyo Enters Its Darkest Hour".

When has the sky in Tokyo ever truly been bright? What does this have to do with the Toyota Group?
This is clearly a deliberate frame-up!
As the incident continued to escalate, a deluge of negative reports targeting Toyota emerged.

Some media outlets have dug up past labor disputes within the Toyota Group, while others have delved into environmental issues within its supply chain, and still others have begun to question the quality and safety of Toyota vehicles.

These reports are a mix of truth and falsehood, but even the true parts are deliberately amplified and distorted.

At this moment, Ichiro Toyoda finally experienced firsthand the public pressure that Shoichi had faced back then.

"Immediately file lawsuits against these media outlets," Ichiro Toyoda ordered Takeuchi and Okuda, who stood with their hands at their sides, his voice filled with suppressed anger.

Although he knew perfectly well that these media outlets dared to act so recklessly because they must have powerful backers, the actual effect of the lawsuit might be limited.

But this gesture must be fully executed, otherwise those small and medium-sized media outlets that are still observing will inevitably follow suit.

"Morikawa has never mentioned our group. These newspapers are simply making things up."

Ichiro Toyoda snorted coldly, but at the same time he had to admit that they were indeed lacking in the skills to imitate Shoichi.

He recalled that his initial decision to hire Morikawa as a consultant for the group was solely for the convenience of financial transactions, without considering the possibility of the operation failing.

In contrast, Shoichi, although he also hired Kogoro Mouri, always kept him at a proper distance from the Justice Group.

This arrangement may be precisely to prevent the current situation from occurring.

Thinking of this, Ichiro Toyoda couldn't help but feel embarrassed.

"Isn't this AI system too powerful?" Ichiro Toyoda frowned, expressing his doubts.

He even suspected that a top detective might be pulling the strings behind the scenes with AI.

Has artificial intelligence really developed to such an astonishing level?

This is truly unbelievable.

Okuda cautiously replied, "It is indeed extraordinary. According to our investigation, the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department has fully implemented this system, and it is said that the efficiency of solving cases has increased more than threefold."

More importantly…” he paused, “this system seems particularly adept at detecting elaborate crimes.”

At this time, the media was full of praise for the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department. The police had successfully broken free from their dependence on detectives.

The true guardian of the citizens of Tokyo.

Police and residents work together to build a safe city.

Positive reviews have been plentiful. While the Metropolitan Police Department's public relations efforts have played a significant role, its public image has indeed been steadily improving.

This shift has had a devastating impact on traditional detective work.

Those companies that followed Zheng Yi's example and hired detectives at high salaries are now in a particularly awkward position.

The detective consultants hired at great expense are practically useless in the face of AI.

“What’s even more serious,” Okuda added, his voice tinged with worry.

"In addition to Tokyo, police forces in other regions are also seriously considering introducing the Justice Group's AI system."

Even Osaka has started using it, and the results are said to be quite remarkable.

"Absolutely not!"

Ichiro Toyoda slammed his hand heavily on the table, scattering the documents everywhere.

If all police forces in Japan were equipped with this system, what value would their expensively hired detectives have?
The meeting room fell into a deathly silence.

This AI will not only render those detectives useless, they want to install this AI in their cars.

Damn!

With such powerful AI, why don't you go and build robots instead of competing with car manufacturers?
“We must take action,” Ichiro Toyoda finally broke the silence.

"We must immediately activate our technical response plan, while simultaneously intensifying our lobbying efforts with politicians. This system must not be rolled out across Japan."

Okuda and Takeuchi exchanged a glance.

Our technology is no match for this kind of AI.

Therefore, the only solution is to lobby for its disabling from a security perspective.

Ichiro Toyoda rubbed his head.

I feel like everything is going wrong.

He had a vague feeling that he had been set up.

Seeing Zheng Yi use his detective skills to eliminate so many obstacles, I also want to try Zheng Yi's methods.

They spent a fortune hiring so many detectives, but after only a few cases, one of them was arrested and imprisoned by Zheng Yi.

Not only did it damage Toyota's reputation, but it also wasted a lot of money.

Now, he also wants to promote his AI.

Doesn't this mean the detectives they paid to snatch from other companies have suddenly become useless? (End of Chapter)