Conan: I'm a zaibatsu in Tokyo

The atmosphere at the Metropolitan Police Department is a bit eerie today.

As soon as Sato stepped into the office, the previously noisy conversation seemed to be paused, instantly falling silent.

Immediately afterwards, dozens of eyes turned to her, some with curiosity, some with inquiry, some with sympathy, and some with gossip.

"Good morning, Officer Sato."

"Good morning..." Sato forced a smile, feeling that his colleagues were acting strangely.

She had just sat down in her seat when she noticed a cup of hot coffee on the table.

A young policewoman blushed and approached, her fingers nervously twisting the hem of her clothes, her eyes darting around.

"Um... Officer Sato?"

Sato, who was engrossed in dealing with the mountain of documents on his desk, looked up at her with a blank expression and asked, "Huh? What's wrong?"

The policewoman was taken aback, seemingly not expecting Sato to be so slow to react.

She glanced around, making sure many people were secretly watching them, and lowered her voice to ask, "I wanted to ask, you...you really are with that Mr. Zhengyi..."

"Shoichi?" Sato frowned, his expression turning serious. "What's wrong with him? What did he do this time?"

The policewoman blushed even more, her voice barely audible: "Oh dear, it's not that I committed a crime... it's just... it's just that everyone's saying... that you have a crush on Mr. Zhengyi..."

The air froze for three seconds.

Sato Miwako's expression changed from blankness to astonishment, and then from astonishment to disbelief.

"what?!"

She jumped to her feet, the chair scraping against the floor with a piercing scream.

"Unrequited love? Masakazu? Me?!" Sato pointed to his own nose.

The policewoman was startled by her sudden outburst.

Looking at Sato's face, which was flushed with anger or embarrassment, she stammered, "So it was fake? I must have misheard."

Clutching the folder, she ran away as fast as a startled rabbit.

Sato rubbed his throbbing temples, mentally cursing Sera Masumi's ancestors for eighteen generations.

This woman must be spreading rumors!
Just then, Takagi appeared silently next to her desk.

“Sato…” Takagi’s voice was hesitant, his eyes darting around, unable to meet her gaze: “Um… I’ve heard some rumors, about you and Mr. Shoichi…”

Sato looked up at Takagi's face, which was filled with confusion and unease, and felt a surge of irritation.

"Takagi, even you believe those ridiculous rumors?"

"No, no!" Takagi hurriedly waved her hands, her face flushed red. "I just... I just wanted to know if it's true... you... you've fallen for that man..."

When he said "that man," there was a hint of bitterness and fear in his tone.

"Of course not!" Sato said irritably, "There's nothing between him and me!"

"Really?" Takagi said, still preoccupied. "But...but everyone says so. They say you kept his handkerchief and cup because...to remember him by looking at them..."

“Takagi!” Sato felt his patience was about to run out. “That’s evidence! It’s a key clue in the case. Don’t believe any random rumors.”

"Oh, okay." Takagi shrank back, but his eyes were still full of doubt.

At that moment, Inspector Megure walked out of the office with his hands behind his back and a sigh.

As he passed Sato's seat, he paused and gave her a very complicated look.

There was regret, helplessness, and a hint of knowing understanding in his eyes.

"Ugh……"

Inspector Megure sighed heavily, shook his head, said nothing, and walked straight out.

But that sigh made Sato scratch his hair in frustration.

Even Inspector Megure thinks so?
Miwako Sato felt her head hurt even more.

She looked around, and the whispers were growing increasingly brazen.

"It seems to be true. Even Inspector Megure is sighing."

"Sigh, how could Officer Sato fall for someone like that..."

"But Mr. Zhengyi is indeed very charming. I've heard that he..."

"Officer Sato kept bothering Masakazu, and I thought he was really doing it for justice~"

"Snapped!"

Sato slammed his hand on the table and stood up abruptly, startling his colleagues into silence.

Sato got up from his seat and kicked open the door to the lounge with a loud bang.

Sera Masumi was so startled that she spilled her drink on the table.

"Officer Sato?" Sera Masumi pulled out a tissue and wiped the table. "What are you going to do?"

She glanced at Sato's thighs.

It felt like she didn't want to kick the door, but rather herself.

Stop pretending!

Sato rushed forward and grabbed Sera Masumi by the collar.

"The Metropolitan Police Department is full of rumors right now, saying that I have a crush on that bastard, Masakazu! Who else but you could do something like that?!"

Sera Masumi shrugged and spread her hands innocently: "You're wronging an innocent person. I'm not so bored as to go around spreading your 'girlish secrets' everywhere."

"You're kidding me!" Sato didn't believe it at all. "That day at the Metropolitan Police Department, only you saw me hide the handkerchief and the cup! Nobody else knew these details!"

Sato was extremely annoyed.

Because this tomboy is secretly making fun of his own age again.

"Knowing the details doesn't mean I spread them." Sera Masumi reached out a finger, gently brushed Sato's hand away, and straightened her collar.

"Think about it, you've been acting suspiciously lately, staring blankly at your cup, blushing at thin air. Your colleagues aren't stupid; with a little bit of association, they'll naturally conjure up a dramatic love story set in a wealthy family."

Then it spread from one to ten, from ten to a hundred, isn't that normal?

“This is not normal at all,” Sato said through gritted teeth.

Aside from you, who else would have such a distorted thought process, knowing so many details about Zheng Yi?

"Whether you said it directly or not, you can't escape responsibility." Sato was furious and glared at her fiercely.

Sera Masumi shrugged, then said with a sheepish grin, "Well, it does have a little bit to do with me."

She rubbed Sato's shoulder and said somewhat embarrassedly, "I accidentally let it slip while chatting with other people, and I don't know why they're so keen to spread your 'girlish secrets'."

Sera Masumi sincerely suggested, "What do you want me to do? Do you want me to shout and scream in the Metropolitan Police Department saying you're innocent?"

"Since you enjoy playing these tricks so much, then I won't hold back. I'll give you a taste of your own medicine!" Sato said through gritted teeth.

"what?"

Sera Masumi shook her head, not understanding how Sato intended to take revenge on her.

Sato Miwako gave a "kind" smile: "Of course, I'll spread the word that you also have a crush on Masakazu."

"puff."

Sera Masumi burst out laughing.

"Huh? Are you serious, Officer Sato?" Sera Masumi looked at Sato with an expression as if he were an idiot: "You're going to spread such rumors? Please, I don't care about that."

“You…” Sato was speechless at her reaction.

"Why should I care?" Sera Masumi crossed her arms, looking completely at ease. "I have nothing to hide. Even if the whole of Tokyo knew that I 'had a crush' on him, I could still get along with Masakazu without batting an eye."

At this point, Sera Masumi suddenly stopped smiling and moved closer to Sato.

"But you, Officer Sato, why did you say 'also' just now?"

"That was just a slip of the tongue."

Sera Masumi's smile deepened as she watched her attempt to cover up her misunderstanding.

"Oh—a slip of the tongue." Sera Masumi drawled out the last syllable, slowly straightening her collar, which Sato had wrinkled. "I see."

She looked at Sato and said, "Besides, the people in the Metropolitan Police Department aren't interested in whether I have a crush on Masakazu or not."

She's not like Sato, who keeps chasing after Masakazu relentlessly, acting like she won't give up until she gets him in jail. Who knew you actually have a crush on Masakazu?

……

Tokyo, just like any other city.

"Spin around! Yes, right there! Ai, your eyes need to be as lazy as a cat that's just woken up, yet with a murderous glint in them!"

Ooka Momiji, holding the latest model camera, excitedly gave directions.

In the center of the living room, Ai Haibara stood expressionless under the spotlight, wearing a Kyoto-style modified dress adorned with feathers and lace.

Because of the terrible things that Momiji did to her, she kept telling Masakazu that she wanted to go back to Tokyo.

Zhengyi readily agreed, but little did she know that Hongye would also come along and cause her trouble.

"Hongye, don't you have to go to school?" Ai asked expressionlessly.

Hongye said nonchalantly, "There's no rush when it comes to studies."

Xiao Ai was heartbroken.

She didn't even resist as fiercely as before; her only bottom line was that her sister couldn't find out.

"Hey, don't be so cold." Zheng Yi sat on the sofa, holding a Coke cup in his hand.

Ai rolled her eyes.

Zheng Yi smiled, picked up the phone on the coffee table, and with a light swipe of his finger on the screen, entered the encrypted news interface specially designed for the internal staff of the "Justice Group".

Having been away from Tokyo for so long, I haven't kept up with the situation there and have no idea what's been happening.

However, his movements stopped.

#Metropolitan Police Department's "flower" Miwako Sato is suspected of having a crush on a mysterious tycoon#
#Is Sera Masumi really love-obsessed?#
Below these two news items, many people came to participate in team building activities, but they silently left an ellipsis, not daring to comment casually.

Zheng Yi raised his eyebrows, and the smile on his lips gradually widened.

"Oh my, oh my..."

He put down his cup, tapped his fingers lightly on the screen, and spoke with a tone full of pleasure.

"It seems that some interesting things happened while I was away from Tokyo."

"What's wrong?" Hongye heard the noise, put down her camera, and came over. "Did the company's stock price go up again?"

"The company is not listed on the stock exchange."

Zhengyi showed Hongye the two news articles.

"It seems my charm is irresistible." Zheng Yi brushed a stray hair from his forehead.

"Without my knowledge, even the most unattainable beauty in the Metropolitan Police Department and the 'Tiger Girl' of the FBI fell deeply in love with me."

"what?"

Ai also curiously came over, looking at Shoichi as if he were an idiot.

Who is deeply in love with you?

Ai glanced at the two news articles, then casually said to Masakazu, "Have you been brainwashed? You actually believe such obvious rumors?"

“This is not a rumor.” Zheng Yi pointed to the news and said, “Look, some people say they saw Officer Sato staring at my cup, and others say that Sera Masumi is investigating my past. All sorts of details, these can’t be made up out of thin air.”

"..."

Hongye's gaze lingered on the screen for a few seconds, her eyes becoming somewhat meaningful.

"Miwako Sato..."

Hongye murmured the name softly, her fingers gently stroking her chin, as if she were recalling something.

“I remember her.” Hongye turned to Zhengyi: “Isn’t she the policewoman who’s always been trying to put you in jail?”

"Perhaps... it's love turned to hate?" Zheng Yi said casually.

The smile on Hongye's lips froze slightly.

She gently brushed a curl behind her ear, her voice still elegant and poised: "Oh dear, Officer Sato has good taste. But with so many people wanting to put you in jail, she's just one of them."

Zheng Yi nodded and said, "Yes, there are countless people who have a crush on me, and she is just one of them."

Both Momiji and Ai stared at Shoichi with strange looks.

You're getting all worked up over me for being fat.

They have absolutely no shame!
"But who is Sera Masumi?" Momiji's brows furrowed almost imperceptibly.

Shoichi casually explained, "Ai's younger sister, the same age as you."

Momiji nodded, then looked at Ai.

Ai rolled her eyes: "This rumor is too outrageous. How could Masumi possibly like you?"

She asked, "Could it be that your employees, knowing you're hypocritical, pretentious, narcissistic, and nonsensical, deliberately made up rumors to make you happy?"

"Ai, you're jealous." Masakazu looked at Ai calmly.

Xiao Ai blinked, and just as she was about to make a move, Zheng reached out and pulled the flustered Xiao Ai into his arms, kneading her head like dough.

"You're even jealous of their crushes on me," Zheng Yi said, quite annoyed. "Being a heartthrob is such a troublesome thing."

"Let me go! You narcissist!"

Ai struggled frantically in his arms, but she was clearly not strong enough.

Zheng Yi picked up his phone, opened Sato's contact information, hovered his finger over the send button, and revealed a reserved smile.

"The important thing is, since they're paying so much 'attention' to me, shouldn't I give them some kind of response?"

"Okay!" Ai suddenly shouted.

She really wanted to see how Masumi and Sato would scold you if you actually went crazy.

Hongye raised an eyebrow. "Do you really want to ask them for clarification?"

Zheng Yi hesitated and didn't call them for a long time.

On the other side, Sera Masumi was also in a headache. She didn't expect Sato to be serious and to actually spread rumors that she had a crush on Masakazu.

This rumor has actually caused her some trouble.

First of all, her mother's gaze towards her was very strange, and the older brother who had been pretending to be dead also called to persuade her.

Most importantly, how can she face Ai Haibara while carrying this rumor? (End of Chapter)