Conan: I'm a zaibatsu in Tokyo

When Masakazu arrived at the mountain villa, Inspector Megure had already left with the criminals.

I couldn't come to see Zhengyi.

A black luxury sedan pulled up in front of the villa, the door opened, and Zheng Yi stepped out with unhurried steps.

He was wearing a well-tailored dark coat, with a red cashmere scarf peeking out from the collar.

In the living room, the remaining writers—Sakurai, Hashimoto, Takeda, Oyama, and Takahashi—were all gathered.

The Mori family was taken to the police station to give statements.

Seeing Zheng Yi appear was like seeing their pillar of support.

A death occurred here.

They were very worried about whether Zheng Yi would actually receive the money he had promised.

Moreover, places where people have died are considered unlucky.

“Mr. Shoichi…” Sakurai’s voice trembled slightly as she wrapped her shawl tightly around herself.

"A murder has occurred here...the police have left, and the murderer has been caught, but..."

She didn't finish her sentence, but everyone understood what she meant.

People have died here, this place is unclean, this place is full of danger.

They wanted to leave, to get out of this awful place immediately.

Rather than living together and maintaining a superficial harmony with these competitors, it's better to go home and create alone.

That would be much more comfortable than it is now.

Ignoring their panicked looks, Zheng Yi walked straight to the fireplace, elegantly took off his coat, and handed it to the butler who was waiting nearby.

He turned around, looked at the group of pale-faced writers, and a gentle smile appeared on his face.

"Everyone," Zheng Yi's voice was slightly apologetic, "I'm sorry to have startled you."

“I know that Matsumura’s accident has made everyone uneasy. But please believe in me and believe in this villa.”

He looked around, his gaze lingering on each person's face for a moment.

"It's safe here."

Zheng Yi said slowly and confidently, "As long as you behave yourselves and follow the rules in the villa, you will not be in any danger."

He picked up the hot tea the butler offered, took a small sip, and then put the teacup down.

"As long as you don't fight amongst yourselves, no one will harm you."

He deliberately emphasized the words "internal strife".

Although Takeda, Sakurai, and the others were still shaken by what they heard, they didn't feel anything amiss.

After all, Matsumura and Takeda died because of internal strife.

Zhengyi's words were merely a consolation to them.

Hashimoto nodded and said, "Mr. Shoichi is right, there is no danger in staying here."

She smiled and looked at the other writers, saying, "Creating together and exchanging ideas is much better than creating alone."

She seemed to be encouraging everyone.

However, Takahashi, standing in the corner, did not breathe a sigh of relief.

You absolutely cannot listen to Zheng Yi's words on the surface.

Why did Mr. Zhengyi specifically mention internal strife?

This is definitely not just about Takeda and Matsumura.

Is he implying something?
He was implying that this so-called competition, from the very beginning, encouraged a certain kind of "competitive" behavior.

For example, the internal strife between Takeda and Matsumura.

If there is only one author left, Zheng Yi will not be left with no choice but to choose that author's book.

Writing a book is a very long process.

Zheng Yi is a very efficient person, and he would never waste time hiring other writers.

Takahashi thought of the rumors about Shoichi.

In the early stages of his business, Zheng Yi used even more ruthless methods than he does now.

Any competitor who tries to compete with him for a project will be eliminated, leaving the client with no choice but to choose Zheng Yi.

Zheng Yi wanted to write an autobiography.

The style of the autobiographical writer must be the same as Zhengyi's.

So he was also encouraging everyone to fight amongst themselves, leaving Zheng Yi with no other choice?
Seeing the ambiguous smile on Shoichi's face, Takahashi felt he was very close to the truth.

Zheng Yi was implying that as long as they didn't fight amongst themselves to the point of affecting the course of the competition, he probably didn't care what happened between them.

This thought sent a chill down Takahashi's spine.

His hands were trembling slightly.

"Mr. Takahashi, what's wrong?" Masakazu asked, looking at Takahashi.

"No, it's nothing." Takahashi put his hands in his pockets and said, "It's probably just a bit cold."

He bit his tongue hard, using the pain to keep himself awake.

He forced a smile and echoed, "Mr. Zhengyi is right, we were too nervous. As long as we work together, we will definitely be able to finish the competition."

No wonder Zheng Yi chose such a place.

No wonder there were so many strange props in the villa; Zheng Yi had prepared them all for killing people.

These writers have proven their writing and storytelling abilities.

It doesn't really matter who writes Zhengyi's autobiography.

Therefore, Zhengyi only needs to find writers similar to him.

“Very good.” Zheng Yi said, “Since everyone has no other problems, let’s get some rest.”

"There's still plenty of time, so there's no rush to write the book."

He stood up, patted Takahashi on the shoulder, and then turned and walked towards the study.

Zheng Yi's presence made the writers seem very uncomfortable; they even spoke in hushed tones.

Zheng Yi was worried that he would affect them, so he did not stay in the villa for long.

After offering some words of comfort to the writers, he left.

Zheng Yi left, but the writers' minds were in a bit of a mess.

Especially that Takahashi.

She spends all her time suspiciously watching others, and her mind is not on her work at all.

When Masakazu returned home, he encountered Conan, who had come looking for him.

"Brother Zhengyi, my identity has been exposed."

"Oh." Zheng Yi nodded, took a can of cola from the refrigerator, and handed it to Conan.

Conan held the can of cola and blinked.

He suspected that Zheng Yi hadn't heard him clearly.

"My identity as Shinichi Kudo has been revealed to others," Conan repeated.

"Oh."

Zhengyi repeated it as well.

Conan felt that Shoichi's reaction was too normal, something was off about it.

He sighed and said, "My identity has been discovered by Hondo Eisuke."

"Hmm, isn't that normal?" Zheng Yi asked.

Seeing Conan's somewhat dejected expression, he said, "You don't actually think you've been hiding it very well, do you?"

Conan nodded.

He truly believed he had hidden it well.

Ran and Uncle Mori, who had been in contact with him the closest and for the longest time, hadn't noticed his problem. However, the fact that Hondou Eisuke discovered his identity gave him a slight sense of frustration.

Conan continued, "Also, Sera Masumi has discovered my identity."

"Oh." Zheng Yi continued to nod indifferently.

Conan looked at Shoichi and said, puzzled, "Shoichi-nii, aren't you surprised at all?"

“I’m surprised that no one has discovered your identity yet,” Zheng Yi said.

Conan said somewhat indignantly, "Was my disguise really that bad?"

Shoichi didn't nod, deciding to give Conan some dignity.

But soon Zheng Yi couldn't hold back anymore.

"Conan, why don't you think about it yourself? Just how many people already know your identity?"

“You’re Shinichi Kudo, that’s hardly a secret anymore,” Masakazu said with a smile.

Conan lowered his head in dejection.

He realized that he didn't seem to have any hidden skills.

If it weren't for Zheng Yi and the others' help, Xiao Lan might have already discovered her true identity.

Hey~
Its own radiance is so dazzling that it can hardly be hidden.

"Conan, if it's something as trivial as your identity being exposed, you don't need to come all this way to tell me," Zheng Yi said.

"I'm very busy too, and I don't have time to deal with things that happen every now and then."

Conan said with dissatisfaction, "It's not every few days anymore."

He rarely reveals his identity, it's just that the interval between revelations was a little shorter this time.

Conan didn't want to get involved in this matter any further.

"By the way, Zheng Yi, have you heard anything about the organization lately?" Conan asked.

"The storm has passed, and nothing has happened," Zheng Yi said.

The organization's development has entered a stable phase.

There's no need to cause trouble for a long time.

If the organization takes any further action, it will likely be an internal rectification campaign.

When Gin has free time, he likes to eliminate undercover agents.

Those undercover agents are valuable assets within the organization, and Gin, that wasteful guy, doesn't cherish them at all.

"Oh." Conan nodded.

It's a good thing that the organization is quiet.

"What about the antidote?" Conan looked up at Shoichi expectantly.

If the antidote is completed and he is transformed back into Shinichi Kudo, then there's no need to worry about being exposed.

Zheng Yi said, "There has been progress, but not much."

The researcher in charge of developing the antidote has recently become engrossed in other things, and has been spending much less time on research each day.

"Alright." Conan nodded regretfully. "Also, Sera Masumi wants to know how I briefly turned back into Shinichi Kudo before, and she wants to ask me for the antidote."

Conan said, "I suspect she may also know other people who have been turned into children by the organization."

"Is that so?" Zheng Yi stroked his chin.

Conan nodded.

That's very likely, otherwise why would they ask him for the antidote?
Conan said, "She suspects that it's Zheng Yi who's helping me research the antidote, and she might ask you for it."

"Oh, I know."

Buying medicine costs money.

……

Sunlight streamed through the windows of Teitan High School on Wednesday morning.

The noise in the classroom gradually subsided, and as soon as the preparatory bell rang, the students returned to their seats, ready to welcome the first class.

As usual, Ai walked into the classroom with her small, exquisite beige backpack on her back, taking a leisurely pace.

After taking her textbooks and stationery out of her schoolbag, she seemed to be preparing for class seriously, but in reality, she secretly took out a thick stack of manuscript paper from the depths of her drawer while the teacher was still in the classroom—it was Zheng Yi's first draft of his autobiography.

The teacher on the podium adjusted his glasses and glanced across the classroom.

When he saw Ai, he simply nodded slightly and did not interfere further.

The general attitude of teachers towards such gifted students is: as long as she gets high scores on exams, they'll let her do whatever she wants if she makes a few small movements in class.

After all, geniuses are always different from others; their way of thinking and learning pace often cannot be understood by common sense.

"Jingle Bell--"

The bell finally rang, and the classroom instantly came alive again.

Ai quickly tucked the manuscript paper into the deepest part of the drawer, then weighed it down with several heavy reference books to ensure it was completely safe.

"Yo, Ai~"

A vibrant female voice rang in my ears.

Sera Masumi quietly slipped up to Ai Haibara's side.

Ai Haibara frowned slightly and subtly stuffed the manuscript paper into the drawer, making sure it was hidden deeper and would never be discovered by Sera Masumi.

Sera Masumi lowered her voice and asked, "Ai, can you change size at will?"

"?"

Ai Haibara was stunned.

She stared at Sera Masumi with the same look she gave a perverted look.

If it were Zheng Yi who asked this question, she would have already slapped him without hesitation.

"Are you crazy? What are you asking?" Ai's voice was filled with shock and a hint of offended annoyance.

Sera Masumi seemed to realize that she had asked too directly, and even became somewhat incoherent.

She coughed twice, touched her nose to cover her embarrassment, her face slightly flushed, looking somewhat awkward.

"Ahem, sorry, sorry, I spoke a little too quickly and without thinking." She waved her hand apologetically, but her eyes never left Ai Haibara's face.

Sera Masumi said, "Ai, you're so smart. Whether it's studying or reasoning, you're like a little adult."

"Sometimes, I feel... you're not a real elementary school student, but an adult who's turned back into a child."

Upon hearing this, Ai Haibara merely pursed her lips indifferently, unimpressed by Sera Masumi's straightforward and clumsy probing.

She slightly raised her chin, deliberately displaying an arrogant attitude, her tone carrying a hint of mockery:

"Which adult is as smart as me?"

“Uh…” Sera Masumi was speechless.

She had to admit that, in terms of academic performance, the people in this middle school, including the self-important top students and even most of the teachers, were probably no match for the little girl in front of her.

If it were truly an "adult rebirth" with the knowledge of an adult, it might be explainable, but what Ai Haibara displays is a wisdom and talent that transcends her age.

“Indeed, you are really amazing,” Sera Masumi persisted, moving even closer and lowering her voice further.

"But your composure and calmness really don't seem like that of a child. That kind of mentality... can't be faked just by being smart, right? Mentality is something that can only be better honed over time."

Xiao Ai sighed.

She leaned back in her chair, gazing out the window, a hint of weariness and helplessness in her eyes, and said softly:
"If you lived with someone like that, you would have the same mindset as me."

"What do you mean?" Sera Masumi asked, puzzled.

"Because Shoichi's personality is so terrible, if you don't have a good mindset, Shoichi will drive you crazy," Ai said.

She looked very annoyed, and I didn't explain in detail what Zheng Yi's terrible personality meant.

"Ding-ding-ding-ding-"

The school bell rang, and Sera Masumi had to leave.

Ai pouted and took out the manuscript again. (End of this chapter)