Conan: I'm a zaibatsu in Tokyo

"Hey, Conan."

"what?"

Without looking up, Conan was carefully wiping the lenses of his specially made glasses with a magnifying glass.

Heiji's lips curled into a confident smile. He walked up to Conan, suddenly squatted down, and aligned his line of sight with the elementary school student.

He even reached out and poked Conan's baby face with his finger.

"I understand." Heiji suddenly spoke, his tone certain: "You're Shoichi's 'assassin,' aren't you?"

Conan nearly dropped the magnifying glass in his hand.

He stopped what he was doing, looked up warily, and a hint of helplessness flickered in his eyes behind his glasses:

"What kind of mystery novel plot are you thinking about now? I'm a detective, not a killer."

"Hey, stop pretending." Heiji waved his hand, with an expression that said, "I saw right through you."

He lowered his voice and leaned forward, as if sharing some earth-shattering secret: "Logically, it makes perfect sense."

He held up one finger and began to list them off like a treasure: "First of all, you're a little kid. Who would suspect that a cute little kid in first grade is a cold-blooded killer?"
This disguise is so perfect, it's even better than a voice changer.

Secondly, you have Kogoro Mouri by your side. After each murder, you can simply attribute the credit to "Sleeping Kogoro," which will completely divert the police's attention and provide a perfect alibi.

Even Inspector Megure trusts you completely!

He got more and more excited as he talked, and even began to analyze Conan's psychological activities:

"Besides, although Zheng Yi is a bastard, he's actually been pretty good to you."

They not only provide you with intelligence, but also help you cover for yourself.

I believe that there is no such thing as good without a reason in this world.

In order to repay him, or to get him to help you deal with that organization, you secretly helped him eliminate those business rivals...

Wow, this plot is absolutely flawless.

Conan's temples throbbed as he listened, and he rubbed his forehead, feeling a rush of blood to his head.

He simply didn't know where to begin refuting it, because although Heiji's logical loop was based on a flawed premise, the derivation process was surprisingly smooth.

"Can you please stop having such wild imaginations?" Conan said irritably, his tone full of helplessness.

"I shrunk because I was given poison, not because I disguised myself as a child to become an assassin."

That's a crime! I'm a detective!

"Oh? Is that so?" Heiji raised an eyebrow, clearly dismissing Conan's explanation.

"Then how do you explain the commonalities among those deceased?"
They all had conflicts of interest with Zheng Yi, and both died tragically.

And you're always there, always showing up 'just in time'.

He leaned closer: "Besides you, Zheng Yi's 'personal assassin,' who else can clear obstacles for Zheng Yi so precisely?"

And how come he can always write a perfect 'detective script'?
Kudo, your acting skills are so good, it's a waste that you don't deserve an Oscar.

Conan was utterly overwhelmed by Heiji's wildly imaginative ideas.

He leaned back in his chair, sighed, and looked at Heiji with the same eyes one would use to look at a mentally challenged child.

"Hattori, it's a loss to the mystery genre that you're not writing novels. You're the next Edogawa Ranpo."

"I just want to be the next Yusaku Kudo."

Heiji chuckled, showing no embarrassment at being refuted; on the contrary, he felt that his reasoning was brilliant.

He leaned back on the sofa, crossed his legs smugly, and put his hands behind his head:
"Hey, hey, hey, Kudo, this is based on rigorous logical deduction."

Look at those guys, they all died so 'coincidentally,' and the ways they died were all so... artistic, full of 'mystery'.

"Besides you, the 'famous detective,' who could create such a perfect suicide illusion?"

Conan rolled his eyes, completely ignoring him.

Could he not know whether he had killed someone or not?

Seeing that Conan wasn't responding, Heiji got bored and leaned closer, nudging Conan's arm with his shoulder.

"Hey, seriously, you're not actually helping that guy Zhengyi do this kind of thing, are you?"
Although that guy is rich and powerful, he doesn't look like a good person; he exudes an aura of a 'villain'.

Don't let him scam you and end up helping him count the money.

He lowered his voice and said mysteriously, "And I seem to have vaguely heard some rumors that some detectives are doing shady things for those conglomerates, such as 'physically eliminating' business competitors..."

Conan looked up at Heiji, his eyes filled with pity and helplessness at Heiji's lack of intelligence:
Of course not.

Although Brother Zheng sometimes does things unconventionally, and even some things that are... well, hard to describe.

But he's not the kind of person who would arbitrarily take someone's life. And…”

He paused, his tone turning low:
"If I really had that ability to kill people at will without leaving a trace, I would have wiped out all those guys in the organization long ago."

If he can truly disregard the law and morality, he could become another "Gin".

He would have already turned his attention to the black organization that was looming over him, instead of helping Zheng Yi resolve some business dispute here.

Heiji scratched his head and chuckled twice, breaking the somewhat heavy atmosphere:

"Yeah, right... If you really became an assassin, the Japanese police would probably be in big trouble."

"I won't become an assassin." Conan picked up the apple on the table again and took a bite.

Heiji looked at Conan's serious little face and suddenly found it a little funny.

"Besides, Brother Zhengyi wouldn't use physical means to eliminate business competitors," Conan said.

You do trust Zheng Yi.

Why should he?

Heiji patted Conan on the shoulder and said in Kansai dialect:
"Hey kid, if you keep doing this, that bastard Zheng Yi will sell you out and you'll be counting the money for him."

"That's still better than being mistaken for an assassin by you, you 'Kansai idiot'," Conan retorted irritably.

The two were bickering when Heiji suddenly seemed to remember something, and his expression became somewhat strange.

“But then again, it is indeed very strange.” Heiji stroked his chin, his brows furrowed.

"Zhengyi doesn't have a good temper with other people. Anyone who offends him usually ends up in a terrible situation."

But why are they being so nice to you?

Conan casually remarked, "Maybe it's because Masakazu likes children."

Although he wasn't a proper elementary school student, he certainly looked like a child.

"Furthermore," Conan added, "Brother Zhengyi has a certain fondness for smart, sensible, and promising children."

Perhaps he wants me to work for him in the future?

"Tch, I didn't realize." Heiji curled his lip dismissively, his face full of doubt.

That guy was a tyrant when he was a kid, and he wasn't friendly to children at all.

He was ruthless when it came to hitting children.

Conan couldn't help but chuckle at Heiji's expression, which looked like he'd been traumatized by his childhood.

"That's because you made Hongye cry."

"Hey! They're just sore losers, okay?" Heiji shouted angrily, his face flushed. He hadn't even gone up to provoke them before he was beaten up by Shoichi.

If Zheng Yi wanted to get smart people to work for his company, he would definitely choose himself first.

Who knows when Kudo will grow up? I'm the one who'll be able to enter the workforce much earlier.

Conan shook his head and continued eating his apple.

Heiji stared at Conan for a while, then suddenly leaned closer, lowered his voice, and said with a hint of mockery:
"Hey, Kudo, my reasoning just now was absurd, but it wasn't entirely without merit. If you ever become an assassin, remember, don't choose me as your first target!"

He glanced out the window, as if Zheng Yi were watching them from there:

"I think Zheng Yi seems to be very dissatisfied with me, thinking that I am too smart and will ruin his plans."

If he asks you to "clean up" this potential threat, you absolutely must not agree!

Conan was amused by his words and snapped, "Get lost!"
If it weren't for me, you would have died in that building long ago, instead of spouting nonsense here.

You'd better be careful yourself, lest one day you get 'physically exorcised' by other criminals and I have to collect your corpse.

"Hey, hey, hey, what are you saying!" Heiji shouted indignantly, jumping up from the sofa.

"I'm a famous detective from Kansai! How could I possibly lose to those criminals who only know how to play dirty tricks!"

"Yes, yes, you're the best," Conan waved dismissively. "I'm going to take a nap, don't bother me. I don't dream about annoying Kansai guys like you."

"You!..." Heiji was speechless with anger, but Conan seemed to have given up on him, so he swallowed the rest of his words.

He sat back down on the sofa, picked up the remote, and turned on the TV. The news was reporting on Osaka's recent economic developments.

He doesn't usually pay much attention to these economic developments.

However, after reuniting with Masakazu, Heiji became increasingly interested in economic news and gained a deeper understanding of economics and business.

Heiji even felt that he could start investing in stocks and maybe even make a fortune.

"It is reported that the Justice Group has officially acquired a stake in Achiba Real Estate and has already held a press conference..."

The news anchor was talking about Achiba Real Estate when the scene suddenly changed.

Reporters also interviewed other company presidents in Osaka, and none of them looked happy. They cried "wolf!" in front of the camera, looking very worried.

"Kudo! Get up, don't sleep!" Heiji shook Conan's shoulder.

"what happened again?"

Heiji said, "I feel that Chairman Achiba was wrongfully imprisoned!"

It's definitely not normal that Zheng Yi invested in his company right after he went to prison.

There's definitely something fishy going on here.

……

Ran, Mirai, and Kazuha knelt in a small triangle, with several exquisite karuta cards scattered on the floor in the middle.

Ran spoke first: "With Achiba in jail, does that mean the Satsuki Cup... can't continue?"

Kazuha nodded: "The organizers have already sent a message to all the contestants."

Because there was no one to oversee things, the Satsuki Cup... was suspended.

"Suspended?" Xiaolan repeated the word, her brows furrowing tightly. "What does that mean? Does it mean it will still be held in the future, or..."

"do not know."

"What about your school's card game club?" Xiaolan asked.

Because the club had been unable to produce results in the karuta tournament, it was on the verge of disbanding, and was counting on this tournament to achieve a good result.

But now that the competition is over, what will happen to the club?
Mirai shook her head, a hint of dejection in her eyes.

“It’s not just a problem for our school anymore.” Miraiko looked up. “Other schools’ karuta clubs are just as confused as we are now.”

The modern karuta game has avoided rapid decline due to the emergence of video game consoles, thanks to its added competitive element.

It has become more than just a traditional culture; it has also become a competitive sport.

But now, with the biggest event suspended and sponsors withdrawing their funding, nobody knows... where this trend will blow, or whether it will simply disappear.

The room fell silent again.

Kazuha scratched her head in frustration, making her once neat hairstyle a little messy.

"Then... what about the challenge from Momiji?" Kazuha asked.

Miraiko shook her head in confusion, picked up the karuta cards one by one, and rearranged them neatly.

“The competition is over, she must have forgotten about her challenge to you long ago.” Mirai sighed.

"The challenge back then was nothing more than Hongye's anger when she was suspected of using off-field tactics."

She is a proud person and doesn't want others to think that she only relies on money and power.

But now that even the Satsuki Clan has run into trouble like this, how could she possibly have the mind to care about us nobody?"

“But…” Kazuha clenched her fists: “But what have I been practicing so hard for all this time?”

Miraiko looked at Kazuha.

She had fought against Kureha and knew Kureha's strength.

Even if Kazuha were to undergo intensive training now, practicing until late at night every day, he still wouldn't be a match for her.

……

Are you going back to Tokyo?

“That’s right.” Zheng Yi nodded.

Ai was forced to stand between Shoichi and Akemi, with both of her hands being held tightly.

The hand holding Mingmei's had slightly white knuckles, and a subconscious, faint sense of resistance, tinged with dependence and intimacy, emanated from the palm.

The hand holding Zheng Yi's hand was stiff as a stone from fingertips to wrist, showing great resistance.

Hongye's eyes narrowed into slits.

They really look like a family of three.

"Are you going back so soon?" Hongye asked.

“Yes,” Zheng Yi said. “I came to Osaka mainly to cheer you on, but now that the competition is over, I should leave.”

"Are you really that embarrassed when you say that?" Hongye asked.

At first, Momiji thought that Masakazu had come to Osaka to ask for her help and to seek the support of the Ooka family.

Although I didn't come to cheer her on, I still came to find her.

But later, when Achiba's chairman got into trouble and there were changes in Achiba Real Estate, Momiji felt something was wrong.

He only contacted her incidentally; his real purpose was Achiba Real Estate.

"What's there to be embarrassed about?" Zheng Yi squeezed Xiao Ai's little hand.

Shoichi smiled and said to Momiji, "Come visit Tokyo sometime."

"I'm not as leisurely as you; I can only go out during holidays," Hongye said. (End of Chapter)