Conan: I'm a zaibatsu in Tokyo

The corridors of the Metropolitan Police Department were filled with the smell of coffee and printer toner.

Sato sat at his desk, the document in his hand untouched for ten minutes.

After confirming that no one was around, she quickly pulled open the deepest part of the drawer, her fingertips touching the evidence bag hidden under layers of sticky notes.

It was a transparent plastic bag.

Inside was a neatly folded red handkerchief.

The edges of the handkerchief had turned yellow, but the dark red stain on it was still shocking.

"I forgot about it a long time ago because I left it here." Sato's fingers gently traced the mark through the plastic bag, his brows furrowed.

"Officer Sato! What treasure are you hiding?"

A vibrant voice suddenly rang in my ears.

Sato's hand trembled, and the evidence bag almost fell to the ground.

She slammed the drawer shut and turned around to see Sera Masumi's face with a mocking smile.

Sera Masumi was sitting back in the chair behind her, her chin resting on the back of the chair, her eyes scanning Sato.

"N-nothing!" Sato said, "It's just evidence from a murder case."

"You're lying." Sera Masumi straightened up, crossed her arms, and gave him an "I know what I mean" look.

"I saw it just now, it was a handkerchief, right? And... if I'm not mistaken, it's Zheng Yi's personal item, isn't it?"

Sato's pupils contracted slightly: "How did you know?"

She didn't even tell Takagi about this.

"Oh, don't be so surprised." Sera Masumi shrugged, her smile widening.

“After I arrived in Japan, I started to investigate a lot about Zheng Yi, so of course I know a lot of things. It’s not surprising that I know what you’re hiding, is it?” She deliberately dragged out the last syllable, her eyes lingering on Sato’s face with an ambiguous look.

"Besides, Brother Zhengyi is very charismatic. That unfathomable aura is really attractive, isn't it?"

Sato was stunned.

Looking at Sera Masumi's "you're in love" expression, she felt uncomfortable.

"You can even tell that it's a handkerchief?" Sato said incredulously. "I'm afraid even Masakazu doesn't know he lost a handkerchief."

“Of course I recognize it,” Sera Masumi said. “Isn’t this the handkerchief that was given out at Director Sakamaki’s memorial service?”

Sato raised an eyebrow.

You really do know a lot.

"You're very observant," Sato said.

"of course."

Sera Masumi nodded as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

As a detective, isn't careful observation a must?

"Oh, right..."

Sera Masumi's gaze shifted from Sato's face, casually scanning the desk before finally settling on the steaming mug beside Sato.

It was a pure black ceramic cup with no patterns on the body, except for an inconspicuous gold-stamped logo on the bottom.

Sera Masumi's eyes lit up, and she grabbed the cup.

"Officer Sato, this cup... am I seeing things?"

“I bought this at the convenience store.” Sato asked, puzzled, “Is there a problem?”

"Liar!"

Sera Masumi pointed to the logo at the bottom of the cup, looking like she'd been caught red-handed.

“I would never mistake this logo! It’s the special cup that Zheng Yi uses in his villa in the mountains! It’s said that he had it custom-made for him to escape the summer heat, and you won’t find another one like it in all of Japan.”

She moved even closer, bringing her nose to the rim of the cup to smell it.

"And it even has a faint Blue Mountain coffee flavor...that's Masakazu's favorite flavor." Sera Masumi looked up, her eyes filled with disbelief. "Tell me, how did this cup end up in your hands?"

Sato felt his throat was a little dry.

How should she explain this?

She remembered.

Those were remnants from the last 'villas writer murder case'.

At the time, those writers died in Shoichi's villa, and Sato was ordered to go to the scene to investigate.

However, due to pressure from the Metropolitan Police Department's higher-ups, who explicitly prohibited direct investigation of Masaichi, she could only take advantage of the chaos to secretly bring out this suspected evidence.

After returning home, I didn't find anything wrong, so I just put it on the drawer.

My own cup broke today, so I found this one in the drawer and used it. I had completely forgotten that it was brought from Zheng Yi's villa.

But Sato, seeing Sera Masumi's appearance, felt that she was the one who was infatuated.

They even knew Zheng Yi's favorite coffee flavor and leaned over to smell it.

She held the cup protectively in her palm and said softly, "It tastes like Blue Mountain coffee because it's brewed with Blue Mountain coffee."

"Oh?" Sera Masumi suddenly realized, "You actually have the same taste as Masakazu-san? Was it like this before, or did you change it later?"

“Because the coffee was a gift from someone else,” Sato said expressionlessly. “I don’t know why he gave me Blue Mountain coffee.”

"I see." Sera Masumi nodded.

Sato had a big head, but he didn't know how to explain it.

He claimed that he went to the crime scene to investigate and casually took the suspect's cup.
Or did you break into someone's house to investigate Zheng Yi and even use his cup to drink water?
Regardless of the explanation, it sounds like he's a stalker.

"I..." Sato stammered, "This...this is evidence!"

"Evidence?" Sera Masumi raised an eyebrow. "What kind of evidence can a cup serve as? Did Masakazu use this cup to poison the victim?"

“That handkerchief was stained with the victim’s blood, so it’s normal for me to take it back, right?” Sato said.

Sera Masumi nodded.

This is normal.

"This coffee cup is because Shoichi's actions were strange at the time, and he was paying too much attention to this cup," Sato said.

"Is that so?" Sera Masumi raised an eyebrow, clearly thinking that Sato was forcing an explanation.

She said mischievously, "Right? After all, this cup is quite valuable, and Brother Zhengyi is very 'concerned' about it!"

It's unclear whether it's Shoichi who cares or Sato who cares.

Sera Masumi said with a smile, "Officer Sato, do you know what this kind of behavior is called in psychology?"

"What's your name?" Sato had a bad feeling.

"This is a precursor to fetishism," Sera Masumi said, spouting nonsense with a straight face.

"First, you secretly collect the handkerchief the other person discarded, then you steal the cup they used. What's next? Are you planning to steal their toothbrush? Or their pajamas?"

Sato felt his face was as red as a boiled shrimp.

Looking at Sera Masumi's "I know everything" expression, she suddenly realized that she couldn't clear her name even if she jumped into Tokyo Bay.

"I didn't!" Sato protested weakly, "I was really just doing it for the investigation!"

"Does the investigation require him to drink water from his cup?" Sera Masumi shook the cup in her hand. "Or are you trying to feel his body temperature through this cup? Oh, how innocent you are, Officer Sato."

"Sera is really pure!!!"

Sato finally snapped. She snatched the cup back and slammed it hard on the table.

"I told you it's not what you think!" "Okay, okay, no, no." Sera Masumi raised her hands in surrender, but she couldn't suppress the smile on her lips.

Sato Miwako: "..."

She looked at the cup, then at the drawer next to it where the bloodstained handkerchief was hidden.

She suddenly realized that she could never wake up someone who was pretending to be asleep.

Seeing that Sato didn't refute, Sera Masumi raised an eyebrow. "Oh?" "Looks like I guessed right. You really do have a crush on him."

I want to arrest him!

"Yes, yes, take him home."

"..."

Sato covered his face in despair.

You can't even understand what my purpose is, and you still have the nerve to call yourself a detective?
"Wait a minute." Sato suddenly composed himself and questioned Sera Masumi, "You...you like Masakazu?"

"Huh?" Sera Masumi was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter.

"Don't worry, Officer Sato, I won't steal your Masakazu."

She leaned closer to Sato and whispered, "But you do have a major enemy. If you don't take the initiative, you'll definitely have no chance in the future. After all, your age is a disadvantage."

Sato is going to be driven crazy by this tomboy.

He actually said I was old!
The air seemed to freeze in the Metropolitan Police Department's break room.

Miwako Sato gripped the coffee cup tightly in her hand, her knuckles turning slightly white from the force.

"Sera, stop talking nonsense here." Sato took a deep breath, trying to steer the conversation back on track.

"I kept this handkerchief and this cup solely for the purpose of investigating the murder of Representative Tunkou. That man, Zheng Yi, is full of suspicious points. I'm just looking for evidence to put him in jail! It's my duty as a detective!"

"Huh? Prison?"

Sera Masumi raised her eyebrows dramatically, put her hands behind her head, leaned back, and let out a snicker.

Whether you get arrested and taken to jail or your home, you know the answer.

Sato's blood pressure was soaring. She pointed at Sera Masumi's nose and said, "Of course I have a clear conscience, but what about you? What right do you have to talk about me? Why do you know so many things? Like this coffee cup, this handkerchief?"

I'd almost forgotten where this coffee cup came from, yet you recognized it and spotted it immediately.

Sera Masumi, I think you're the one who has a crush on Shoichi!

Sera Masumi's smile froze for a moment, then quickly turned into confusion.

"Me?" Sera Masumi lowered her eyes, her fingers unconsciously rubbing her chin, feeling absurd.

“I’m not like you, Officer Sato.”

Sera Masumi raised her head and said, "I have my own purpose."

"What is your purpose?" Sato said. "Don't say it, you also want to know the evidence of Masakazu's crimes and put him in jail."

Judging from your attitude towards Zheng Yi, this reason doesn't make sense.

Sera Masumi shook her head.

You don't understand.

For her own safety, she needed to investigate Zheng Yi Ge to determine whether he was connected to the organization.

Even after that, Xiu Yi still thought Zheng Yi was not a good person and sent her a lot of information about Zheng Yi.

The more you see, the more you know.

But these are things I can't say to Sato.

As for having a crush on Zheng Yi?
I can't go and steal a man from Ai.

He just kept saying things like "You don't understand," "But it's definitely not a crush on Zheng Yi," and "Things are complicated."

In short, Sato understood.

Sera Masumi definitely has a crush on Masakazu.

It's because she has a crush on Zheng Yi that she's so suspicious and sensitive, thinking that I also have feelings for Zheng Yi.

Looking at Sera Masumi, who was still arguing, Sato suddenly felt that she wasn't so annoying after all, but rather kind of cute.

She said to Sera Masumi, "Don't worry, I won't try to take your Masakazu brother away from you."

"Huh?" Sera Masumi frowned and said, "Officer Sato, after all my explanations, you really don't believe me? I have no feelings for Masakazu."

Sato nodded: "I explained so much before, but you still didn't believe me."

"That's different."

"How are they different?"

Sato and Sera Masumi have big eyes and small eyes, and no one can say for sure why they look different.

Sato said generously, "I feel that you still have a good chance. I haven't heard of any girls around Zhengyi. If you take the initiative, you still have a good chance."

Sera Masumi pouted.

I've told you, you don't understand. Zheng Yi has had a girl by his side for a long time, and they've been living together for quite some time now.

These words could not be told to Officer Sato, which led to this misunderstanding.

The two looked at each other, their thoughts being the same.

You're the one who has a crush on Zheng Yi!

……

In Kyoto, Ai is bullied by Momiji, and Shoichi doesn't stand up for her. But today is different.

Besides bullying Ai, Momiji also bullied Shoichi.

“I’m a business tycoon, and people will laugh at me for wearing this.” Zheng Yi tugged at his tail.

Ai sneered, "I'm supposed to be an evil scientist, wouldn't I have been laughed to death long ago?"

She was truly ashamed to face her siblings in the organization!
The sounds coming from the baby carrier were filled with despair and helplessness.

Zheng looked down at the huge kangaroo pouch on his chest.

Only a small head peeked out from the bag opening, its short, brownish-red hair slightly disheveled.

That's Ai.

He was also a desperate scientist who was forced to wear a specially made baby-sized kangaroo bodysuit and was forcibly stuffed into the belly pocket of Zheng Yi, an adult male kangaroo.

Today's autumn leaves have decided to bring misfortune to two people.

"Ai, do you like this new outfit?" Hongye asked, holding a camera in front of them. "It's imported Australian plush, with excellent breathability, warm in winter and cool in summer..."

"I don't care what kind of fur it is!"

Ai struggled in the bag for a moment, but because of the cramped space, her movements looked more like she was being coquettish.

All she wants now is to end this shameful filming as soon as possible.

Feeling the warmth behind her, Ai felt a little better.

At least Zheng Yi was there with me this time, so I could feel a little better after making a fool of myself with him. It wasn't too embarrassing.

But when she looked up, she saw Zheng Yi's eager face, and her heart sank.

Forgot, Zheng Yi has always been shameless, so this kind of thing probably won't make him feel ashamed.

Zheng Yi even asked with great interest, "Do you have other colors? How about pink?"

Have you ever seen a pink kangaroo? (End of Chapter)