Conan: I'm a zaibatsu in Tokyo

The art museum was brightly lit during the day.

This place was once the site of the Tokyo Museum, but now it has become Shoichi's new territory under the generous condition of Senzu Junji paying an annual rent of 100 yen.

Today is the opening reception for Zhengyi Private Art Museum.

Those invited were either influential business tycoons in Tokyo or powerful figures in politics.

Of course, there were also Ai's classmates and some friends.

As the owner of the art museum, he walks among the crowd.

He stood tall and straight, wearing a well-tailored black suit, with his signature gentle smile on his face, and his eyes were as clear as those of a naive young man.

But everyone present knew that this was Zheng Yi's disguise.

Everyone in Japan knows that Shoichi is a ruthless killer.

He raised his glass and tapped the microphone lightly; the crisp sound instantly drowned out all the whispers.

"Welcome, everyone."

"Since you're here, please allow me to introduce a few of my 'collections' to you."

Zheng Yi's gaze slowly swept over each guest present, his eyes finally settling on the huge painting "Divine Punishment" in the center of the hall.

He walked slowly toward the painting.

"This painting once hung in the Mika Art Museum." Zheng Yi stopped in front of the painting, tilted his head slightly, and spoke with a touch of just the right amount of reminiscence.

"The painting depicts the sacred moment when a righteous knight slays a demon—justice triumphs over evil, and light dispels darkness."

The guests held their breath, their eyes following his every move.

Zheng Yi reached out and lightly traced a barely perceptible dark red mark along the edge of the picture frame with his fingertips.

"And the death of Boss Manaka perfectly replicated this sacred scene."

The air froze instantly upon hearing this.

Shoichi continued, his tone as calm as if he were telling someone else's story: "The moment Director Ochiai put on that knight's armor and pierced the chest of Boss Manaka with a sharp blade, art and reality achieved a perfect unity."

His fingers lingered on the dark red mark, applying slight pressure with his fingertips.

"Look, isn't the texture formed by blood seeping into the canvas more vibrant than any paint?"

"Death gives it a soul, and this value is immeasurable."

The Toyota executives present were pale-faced, their hands trembling violently as they held their wine glasses.

Originally, Masakazu simply wanted an art museum, but Manaka recklessly interfered.

The results of it?
He would have lost his life.

However, we can't blame Mr. Zhenzhong, because he didn't know how ruthless Zhengyi was back then.

Zheng Yi no longer needs to prove his skills to anyone; he only needs to show off his spoils.

Zheng Yi did not stop; he strolled over to another self-portrait.

“The story behind this painting is equally fascinating.” Shoichi said with a smile, “Five years ago, when I bought this painting for 1 million yen, Mr. Takenaka was still unknown.”

He turned around and looked around.

“But I knew he was a painter with a story. Sure enough, he died from his daughter’s revenge. Now, the painting’s value has skyrocketed to 3 million yen.”

Zheng Yi's voice echoed in the hall, each word like a heavy hammer, striking the hearts of those political and business elites.

"This proves my theory once again:"

"Death is the best catalyst for the appreciation of art."

“Those pains, hatreds, and bloodshed are the most moving colors.”

A suppressed gasp came from the crowd.

The president of a building materials company suddenly seemed to have been greatly shocked, pointing at the painting and screaming:
"The painting is worth 3 million! That's a profit of 2 million yen!"

The surrounding guests cast disdainful and pitying glances at him.

That idiot, didn't he realize it?
Zheng Yi is telling us that, if he wanted, he could turn anyone's 'death' into a perfect business operation. He is not demonstrating the value of the painting, but his 'slaughtering right'.

The company president was still excitedly calculating the 3 million yen profit, unaware that:

I might be the next 'product' that allows Zheng Yi to make this money.

"Come, everyone, please follow me."

Zheng Yi enthusiastically walked towards the next glass display case.

The display case contains a seemingly ordinary Satsuki Kakashi plaque, with ancient characters engraved on the wooden plaque.

"It is related to the remains of Mr. Naoki Shiro, who was buried underground for five years," Zheng Yi explained casually.

He didn't seem to intend to explain the artwork in detail.

Perhaps it's because Chairman Achiba didn't die, but just went to prison.

He walked to the other side and lifted the red cloth covering the mask.

It was a strangely shaped Shawnelle mask, its empty eye sockets seemingly staring at everyone who approached.

“As for this one, it’s the Xiao Naier mask.” Zheng Yi’s tone carried a hint of amusement.

"Ms. Su Fanghongzi refused to sell it, and that very night a series of murders occurred at her villa."

"Now, it has made its home here, carrying the resentment of many of the dead."

An official from the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare suddenly felt short of breath, recalling his public questioning of Masaichi's tax issues in the Diet last week.

Looking at that mask, he felt that Zheng Yi was hinting at something.

Could I be the next one to die in an accident?

Zheng Yi seemed quite satisfied with the result.

He raised his glass and walked to an empty exhibition area.

There are no exhibits here.

Moonlight streamed through the glass dome, mingling with the interior lights and illuminating one half of the face.

"Everyone,"

Zhengyi's voice rang out again: "Art is eternal because of death."

"I firmly believe that only works that have been baptized in blood deserve the word 'great'."

He paused for a moment, his gaze sweeping across the entire room.

"However, I still think these stories are not moving enough, and these artworks cannot be the crown jewels of an art museum."

The entire room was deathly silent, save for the heavy breathing.

Zheng Yi stretched out his hand and pointed to the empty exhibition area.

"Here, we will display our next legendary collection."

"Perhaps it is waiting for a generous donor?"

Donors.

This word resonated deeply in everyone's mind.

This is not an invitation, this is a blatant threat.

This was Zheng Yi's death warning to them.

If they displease Zheng Yi, or become obstacles in his business empire, they will become 'art stories' within this art museum.

Those political figures and celebrities looked at the exquisite paintings and precious cultural relics around them and broke out in a cold sweat.

In their eyes, these are no longer works of art, but tombstones.

Ai followed along with Shoichi's explanation the whole time, then she shook her head.

Even knowing that Zheng Yi wouldn't kill anyone with his own hands, I still want to say this:
That's too brutal! (End of Chapter)