Conan: I'm a zaibatsu in Tokyo

At 7:10 a.m., the alarm clock had already been playing in the room for a while.

The alarm clock was then stopped by a lazy hand.

Outside the window, the early winter sunlight filtered through the sheer curtains, casting dappled shadows on the floor.

The room was quiet, with only the sound of the curled-up figure on the bed breathing evenly and deeply.

"Click."

The door was gently pushed open, and Zheng Yi walked in carrying a steaming glass of milk.

He glanced at the motionless bulge on the bed and raised an eyebrow slightly.

He walked to the bedside, placed the milk on the bedside table, leaned down and whispered, "Ai? The sun's already high in the sky. If you don't get up soon, Curaçao will eat all your breakfast."

A long, nasal groan came from under the covers, followed by the rustling of fabric.

Instead of getting up, the bulging figure shrank deeper into the blankets, revealing only a strand of hair facing Zheng Yi.

Zheng Yi straightened up slightly, looked at this scene, and raised an eyebrow.

Does Ai Haibara also sleep in?
This is unprecedented.

Usually at this time, he would lie in bed pretending to be dead, and then Ai would ruthlessly yank the covers off him.

Or she might retaliate by reaching her icy little hands directly into the back of your neck and waking you up.

Shoichi also wanted to try the method Ai had used to wake her up.

"Stop pretending to be asleep," Zheng Yi reached out and gently patted the raised back through the down comforter; it felt soft to the touch.

"If you don't get up soon, the fried egg will get cold. I specially made your favorite soft-boiled egg."

It seems that Zheng Yi's suggestion to cook personally had the opposite effect.

Another muffled protest came from under the covers, the voice indistinct, probably saying something like "I'll sleep for five more minutes" or "It's so cold, I don't want to move."

Zheng Yi raised an eyebrow, deciding to use his trump card.

He braced himself on the edge of the bed, leaned forward, and said in a slightly mocking tone:
"If you stay snuggled up in bed like this, I'm going to reach my hand inside. And then..."

This statement worked.

Before Zheng Yi could finish speaking, the blanket shifted.

The blanket shifted, finally revealing a gap that showed Ai's one closed eye and long eyelashes.

Zheng Yi pinched Ai's sleepy little face, which was soft and cuddly.

Ai moved her head, shook off Shoichi's hand, and said, "Let me sleep a little longer."

"What's wrong with you today? Are you sick?" Zheng Yi placed his hand on Xiao Ai's forehead.

It’s not hot either.

"That's right, I just caught a cold," Ai said.

Shoichi bent down and pressed his forehead against Ai's face.

"Why don't you see whose forehead is hotter?" Zheng Yi said.

Ai pushed Masakazu's face away in disgust.

She reluctantly sat up, yawned, stretched, and revealed her bunny pajamas.

"Okay, drink your milk." Masaru handed the milk to Ai.

Ai held the milk and drank it slowly, which looked like she was just stalling for time.

It took Ai a full five minutes to drink a glass of milk.

Zheng Yi didn't rush her; he waited until she finished drinking the milk before taking the cup away.

"Get up quickly, you still have to go to school. After school, I have to take you to the lab. You haven't been to work in a long time," Zheng Yi nagged.

Ai, who had just regained some of her energy, instantly wilted again.

Why do we have to go to school? Why do we have to go to work?

I miss the days in Osaka.

Although I have to act like a child in front of the autumn leaves, it's much better than when I was in Tokyo, where I didn't have to go to school or work.

Ai wondered if she should put some toxic but not deadly chemicals in her food.

You can take leave after you get sick.

Zheng Yi reached out and pinched Ai's cheek, dispelling her strange thoughts.

Zheng Yi asked, "You don't mean you don't want to go to the lab, do you?"

Ai shook her head.

There was no direct answer, but the meaning was clear.

Her expression as she looked at Zheng Yi was slightly ingratiating.

Zheng Yi was taken aback: "Aren't you going to conduct experiments or research the antidote?"

"No rush." ​​Xiao Ai shrank back into the blanket, wrapping herself up like a maggot.

"An antidote cannot be developed in a day or two, so we won't be in trouble by one more day."

Moreover, Ai has already figured it out.

Why should I care whether I'm a primary school student or a high school student when I can be with my older sister?

all the same.

It would be best if there were an antidote, but there's no need to rush if there isn't.

He picked up the maggots from the bed, shook them, and said, "How can you say that to Conan?"
To fund the research into an antidote, Conan's mother takes on several gigs a day.

Conan's dad's hands are cramping from writing so much, and you're slacking off here? Don't you feel any guilt at all?

Ai yawned.

The money didn't even reach my hands, so why should I feel guilty?

Zheng Yi pressed on, "Then do you remember how much money you owe me?"

Ai blinked.

I forgot it long ago.

She used to be anxious about the ever-increasing numbers on her bills, but now she doesn't care anymore.

Since Zheng Yi never intended for her to be able to pay it back, then she doesn't need to.

"Then I'll go find your sister now," Masakazu said quietly. "Miss Shiho, you don't want your sister to know you can still sleep in, do you?"

"I'll get up, okay?" Ai said.

She glared at Zheng Yi resentfully.

Zheng Yi, all he knows is how to drag his sister into this, right?

"Get out of here, I need to change my clothes," Ai said.

"understood."

As Masakazuki threw Ai onto the bed and got up to leave, he suddenly paused.

Then he turned around and put his hand down Ai's neck, chilling her before leaving Ai's bedroom.

"what!"

When Zheng Yi went out, a pillow followed behind him.

After Ai got dressed, she went to the restaurant and only saw Akemi Miyano.

"Sister, what brings you here?" Ai asked.

She blushed slightly as she spoke.

That bastard Zheng Yi, he wouldn't actually tell my sister about me sleeping in, would he?
Akemi patted Ai's head and said with a smile, "Shoichi had something to do, so he had Curaçao drive him out. He asked me to take you to school."

"Oh." Ai nodded.

It seems that Zheng Yi isn't a complete scoundrel after all; he didn't reveal that he overslept.

"Actually, it's okay if you don't send it," Ai said.

Akemi just smiled.

After Ai finished eating breakfast, Akemi asked, "By the way, why did you get up so late today? Are you not feeling well?"

"No." Ai shook her head. "Maybe it's because I just came back from Osaka and I'm still a little out of sorts." "Oh." Akemi nodded.

……

Inside a tea restaurant.

As soon as Zheng Yi stepped through the door, a man with an afro came to greet him.

"Mr. Zhengyi, it's finally time to meet you."

Zheng Yi smiled and shook the hand of the man with the afro: "Mr. Qiantou, I have long admired you."

"So young, and already a member of the House of Representatives! Very promising indeed!"

The guy with the afro who met Shoichi was named Senzu Junji, and he was the second-generation heir of a conglomerate.

He is also one of the three candidates running for a seat in the House of Representatives.

After taking his seat, Qiantou frowned.

"Mr. Zhengyi, you flatter me too much. My approval rating is much lower than that of Tsuchimon Kanghui. I'm afraid that Tsuchimon Kanghui will take the seat in the House of Representatives this time." Qiantou looked worried.

He also knew why that group of foolish people liked such a muddle-headed fellow.

Zheng Yi said nonchalantly, "Tumen Kanghui has no chance of winning the election."

"Oh?" Qian Tou adopted a posture of being willing to hear more details.

"Tumen Kanghui and I are both guys with a strong sense of justice."

Qiantou's lips twitched when he heard Zhengyi say such shameless words.

But remembering that he needed Zheng Yi's help, he didn't laugh out loud. Instead, he echoed Zheng Yi's words:
"That guy's sense of justice is just a pretense, a facade he put on to win public favor."

He was driven by self-interest, completely unlike Mr. Zhengyi's selfless sense of justice.

Zheng Yi picked up the teacup on the table, neither agreeing nor disagreeing with Qian Tou's words.

After taking a small sip of tea, Zheng Yi said:

"Although his sense of justice made me feel close to him, I was very dissatisfied with his tone of voice and his views on some things."

Upon hearing Zheng Yi's words, Qian Tou smiled.

The energy of the positive one is best known to those business rivals who have died or gone to prison.

Anyone who opposes Zheng Yi will never have a good end.

Qiantou felt confident this time.

He took out a bank card, placed it on the table, and pushed it in front of Zheng Yi's teacup.

“Mr. Zhengyi, this is my campaign funds. I formally entrust you to help me win this election for a seat in the House of Representatives,” Qiantou said.

Zheng Yi's gaze did not linger on that thin card.

He is a person who has transcended vulgar interests.

"Campaign funds?" Zheng Yi asked, a hint of amusement in his voice. "Mr. Qiantou, you think this is how I'm going to help you win the election?"

Qian Tou's smile froze for a moment, and he awkwardly touched the tip of his nose:
"This... managing relationships with various parties and smoothing things over with voters all require money."

Of course, regardless of whether I win the election, I will give Mr. Zhengyi a generous reward.

Zheng Yi slowly shook his head, put down his teacup, and made a crisp sound.

"It's too slow," Zheng Yi said.

"slow?"

"Using money to pave roads, to campaign, to set up support groups, to send postcards and handkerchiefs to voters..." Zheng Yi's tone revealed a hint of disdain.

"That's how we play in the last century, and do you think you can beat Tumen Kanghui that way?"

Qiantou shook his head blankly.

Are these practices outdated? But people are still using these methods.

Isn't it just a competition of who has a better image in the media, who has more campaign funds, and who wins more support from conglomerates and large corporations?
But Qiantou also knew that he couldn't possibly be a match for Tumen Kanghui.

That guy, whether it's his persona, the slogans he shouts, or the charisma he brings to his speeches, is far better than me.

Even though he has few supporting conglomerates and companies, he still has a significant advantage.

"What does Mr. Zhengyi mean..." Qiantou asked cautiously.

“Just eliminate all the competitors and leave the voters with no choice,” Zheng Yi said.

A thousand heads could not hide the excitement in his heart.

Wasn't that exactly what he came to see Zheng Yi for?

Of course, he also had to feign panic and say, "Mr. Zhengyi means..."

He raised his hand and made a throat-slitting gesture.

Zheng Yi frowned and said with dissatisfaction, "Why do you keep talking about murder? It's 1996 now, a society governed by law."

Qiantou was stunned.

Isn't murder your usual method?

Why are you starting to argue with me now that I've said it?
"I'm sorry, it's my fault, there was something wrong with my thinking," Qiantou said apologetically.

This is something that's really hard to say directly.

Everyone can do it secretly. As long as the police can't find any evidence, nothing will happen.

With Zheng Yi around, the police definitely won't be able to find any evidence.

Zheng Yi said, "I will use my media channels to help you publish dirt on your competitors."

If their reputation is bad enough, then the people have no choice but to vote for you.

Qiantou looked at Tanikawa and realized that Tanikawa seemed to really have such a plan.

He tentatively asked, "Mr. Zhengyi, isn't this approach a bit too mild?"

"Don't worry, I can dig up any dirt on them, no matter what it is," Zheng Yi said.

With Hongshu around, digging up dirt on people is very convenient.

Qiantou hesitated and said, "I'm worried that they might also publish my dirty secrets in the media."

He believed that he had far more dirt on himself than those two people.

Moreover, because there is so much dirt on them, it can't be hidden anymore.

If it's just a matter of comparing who's worse, it's probably more advantageous for the other two.

Qiantou expressed his concerns.

Tanikawa's lips twitched.

With so much dirt on you, why are you even running for a seat in the House of Representatives?

They really have no self-awareness whatsoever.

We're both second-generation chaebols, can't you be a little more self-disciplined like me?
Compared to these guys, Zheng Yi felt that he was indeed too upright.

Aside from harassing a certain legally recognized young girl, he has almost no other flaws.

No, this can't really be considered a black mark.

Zheng Yi picked up his teacup and said, "If this trick doesn't work, we can use other methods to make your opponent give up the election."

At worst, we can just have Conan make a few more trips.

Only after receiving Zheng Yi's promise did Qian Tou finally smile.

"Then I'll leave it to Mr. Zhengyi."

Qiantou paused for a moment before saying, "If I am elected to the House of Representatives, I will definitely submit a bill to support technology companies, especially those cutting-edge technologies."

Zhengyi's AI is currently the most cutting-edge technology in Japan.

Knowing that Zheng Yi was promoting his AI to police stations across the country, Qian Tou continued to make the commitment.

Once he becomes a member of parliament, he will definitely implement technological innovations and promote a future policing system to improve the efficiency of the Japanese police in solving cases.

In order to promote the spiritual and cultural development of the Japanese people, we must vigorously develop the cultural and entertainment industry.

Since it was an industry that Zheng Yi was involved in, he made a promise without asking for any money. (End of Chapter)