Conan: I'm a zaibatsu in Tokyo

"Hiroki, help me investigate who this Councilor Takada has offended," Masakazu said calmly.

"Ok."

Hongshu responded promptly and deftly retrieved the data.

In less than ten minutes, a detailed list appeared on the phone screen.

From political rivals and business opponents to subordinates who were publicly humiliated by Representative Takada at the hearing, and even a small business owner who went bankrupt because he vetoed the budget.

At the top of the list was Sumitomo Shoichi.

Of course, this name can be ignored.

Zheng glanced at it casually, a slight smile playing on his lips, and then pushed the phone aside.

It seems they aren't interested in this information.

But Ai watched it very seriously.

Could it be... that the Zhengyi sect's "ultimate skills" are hidden in this list?
He didn't do it himself, but instead found those who harbored deep hatred for Representative Takada and subtly ignited the anger that had long been buried in their hearts.

With a few words, a hint, a chance encounter, or even an anonymous letter...

Let that person embark on the path of murder on their own.

Zheng Yi, on the other hand, merely gave a gentle push from the shadows, providing just the right amount of help.

A gun that no one was tracking, a blurry surveillance video, a loophole in the alibi...

When the case was solved, the "murderer" caught by the police was filled with remorse or obsession, but never realized that he was just a pawn in someone else's game.

The real manipulator didn't even leave a fingerprint.

Ai's heart beat slightly faster.

She felt that she had grasped the essence of Zhengyi's teachings; she could almost hear the sound of her own blood flowing.

Thinking back to those 'murderers' who were previously arrested and imprisoned, none of them admitted to being Zheng Yi's subordinates, and very few of them cried foul.

Ai Haibara felt that this was the truth.

She looked up at Zheng Yi.

So, what should you do next?

Ai watched silently.

I want to see how Zheng Yi sets up his strategy.

Having lived together for so long, Ai suddenly felt that she and Masakazu were no longer familiar with each other.

The two were quite far apart.

Zheng Yi said, "I remember this celebration party; there were event invitations, and the organizers gave me some too."

With the event invitation ticket, you can go inside and get free food and drinks, and even meet some celebrities or important figures.

He shouted at Curaçao, who was watching TV.

"Have someone organize a lottery event, and the prizes will be invitations to the celebration party."

“Okay.” Curaçao nodded.

He paused for a moment and then added, "It's a family admission ticket, which allows you to bring your whole family in, but only family members."

“Understood,” Curaçao replied.

Ai frowned, still pondering the deeper meaning behind Zheng Yi's actions.

Before she could even figure out who Zheng Yi would use to kill someone, Zheng Yi had already begun making arrangements.

Ai felt like she couldn't keep up with Shoichi's pace at all.

Then, Zheng Yi instructed Curaçao, "Make sure Xiao Lan participates in this lottery."

"it is good."

Curaçao didn't ask why; she just did whatever Zheng Yi told her to do.

After receiving Zheng Yi's orders, Kuraso turned off the television and went out to do something for Zheng Yi.

Ai's eyebrows were all furrowed into a knot.

What does this mean?
What is the purpose of this lottery? And what is the purpose of having Xiaolan participate in the lottery?
Could it be... that Xiaolan is the murderer?

impossible!
No matter what, Xiaolan will never be the murderer.

Having spent so much time together, Ai knows Ran's personality.

Even when she's angry, Xiaolan wouldn't kill someone in a fit of rage.

Moreover, Zheng Yi still retains some humanity and would not use Xiao Lan to kill.

But if it's not her, what's the point of involving her?
Ai was completely baffled. She couldn't connect these seemingly casual actions with a meticulously planned murder.

Zheng Yi seemed to see through her anxiety, walked over, gently rubbed her furrowed brows, and said in a gentle tone:
"Sit down and think it over slowly. Don't rush."

Ai was pressed back into her chair by Masakazu, but her mind felt like it was tangled with countless threads, becoming more and more chaotic the more she tried to untangle them.

Time passed by minute by minute.

The knot between her brows gradually smoothed out, but the doubts in her heart continued to rise like a tide.

Zheng Yi looked at Ai and asked with a hint of amusement:

"Have you learned it?"

"what?"

Ai blinked, then gently shook her head.

I have absolutely no idea what Zheng Yi did.

She immediately understood how a struggling student felt. She hadn't even grasped the first step, and the more complex operations that followed seemed impossible for her to learn.

Zheng Yi sighed, crossed his arms, leaned back on the sofa, and looked at the sofa with a sense of helplessness that he could not be changed.
"You haven't learned anything?"

Feeling embarrassed and annoyed by that gaze, Ai pouted.

I really wanted to just leave, but I was also really curious about Zheng Yi's purpose in doing so.

"No." Ai shook her head, a slight blush appearing on her cheeks.

She doesn't even want to look at Zheng Yi's eyes anymore.

After calming her chaotic emotions, Ai asked, "What are you going to do next?"

It must be because Zheng Yi did too little that she couldn't see anything.

Once Zheng Yi tells her everything he wants to do, she'll definitely be able to connect the dots and figure everything out.

"The knife is drawn, the blood has been spilled—my 'performance' is over."

"what?"

Ai blinked in confusion.

"Don't you understand?" Zheng Yi gave Ai a disdainful look for her lack of education and switched to plain language:

“I have completed all the necessary steps to kill him. I just need to wait at home for the news of Representative Takada’s death.”

Ai blinked.

"Have all the steps been completed?" Ai asked in surprise.

“Yes.” Zheng Yi nodded calmly.

He acted nonchalantly, putting on the airs of a wise and sage.

"They just held a lottery event and had Xiaolan participate?"

Ai's slender fingers gestured, as if measuring the insurmountable distance between these two simple actions and a human life.

"Is this your entire plan?"

She looked at Zheng Yi in disbelief.

"correct."

Zheng nodded.

At that moment, Curaçao brought over a cup of tea.

Zheng Yi picked up his teacup, the rising steam blurring the curve of his lips.

After burning his lips, he placed the teacup on the coffee table and pushed it towards Ai.

Ai didn't notice the teacup.

Instead, she asked in a trembling voice, "That's it?"

"That's it."

Zheng nodded, then said with a smile:

"Sometimes, the most ingenious traps are hidden in the most ordinary daily life."

But isn't this too ordinary?

Ai Haibara couldn't connect Ran with Representative Takada, nor could she connect murder with a lottery.

If this can kill people.

How could a hitman earn so much commission?
Would those large conglomerates and companies really pay such high prices to hire detectives? (End of Chapter)