Conan: I'm a zaibatsu in Tokyo

Hongye suddenly covered her mouth and chuckled softly.

She turned her head slightly and looked at Ai beside her, saying, "Oh, Ai, I think Shoichi's suggestion is quite good."

Why not let Conan use this identity to legitimately stay by Ran's side?

If Conan can quietly stay by her side through this most disheartening time, and wait until she gets used to this dependence, then it will be natural for them to be together.

Furthermore, both women and men tend to prefer younger men, and Conan's youth gives him a significant advantage.

Upon hearing these words, Ai, who had been nonchalant, suddenly stopped.

The story was going well, but it seems like it's affecting her as well.

She slowly raised her head and said in a very natural tone, "Rejected. Only you and Shoichi could come up with such a terrible idea. Conan should just go back to being Shinichi Kudo; that's his true life."

"If we wait until Conan grows up, it'll be too late. Who knows what Ran will be thinking then?"

Hongye raised an eyebrow, not getting angry at being refuted.

Only Zheng Yi and I could think of this, you can't think of it, right?

Koyo laughed and said, "How could it be too late? There are no other men around Ran, so no one will take advantage of the situation. Therefore, it's really a good choice for Conan and Ran to start over."

"How do you know you didn't?" Ai asked calmly.

"Is there?"

Hongye pointed to herself and asked, "You're not talking about Zhengyi, are you? He wouldn't have feelings for Xiaolan, would he?"

"It's hard to say." Ai seemed to distrust Shoichi.

Hongye suddenly frowned, seemingly lost in thought.

Zheng Yi remained silent.

So, in the end, you've actually brought this up with me?

Am I some kind of lecherous person?

You actually think that way about me?

……

In the evening, at the Mouri Detective Agency, Ran was standing on a small stool, laboriously wiping the dust off the high shelves of the bookshelves.

When Conan returned and saw this, he immediately brought over his personal footstool, stood next to Ran, and naturally took the rag from her hand to help her wipe the dust off the lower parts.

Watching Conan bustling around, Ran said, "Conan is becoming more and more sensible."

I don't know why, but there's always a sarcastic or unsettling tone to this.

Upon hearing this, Conan's heart skipped a beat.

As he meticulously wiped the table, he spoke in an exaggerated tone:
"Ran-neechan, is Shinichi-nii like me?"

"Right?" Xiaolan's tone was casual, as if she were talking about some insignificant character, her tone completely flat.

Hearing that tone, Conan's alarm bells went off, and his sense of crisis increased dramatically.

Xiaolan is becoming increasingly indifferent to herself.

Conan quickly said, "I feel that Shinichi is a very meticulous person, just like his organized reasoning notes."

I'm wiping the table for you now, cleaning all the dust from the corners and edges, all because of Shinichi's influence.

I think Shinichi must have the same meticulous attitude when handling cases; he would never overlook even the smallest clue!

Xiao Lan suddenly stopped wiping the bookshelf, and her expression instantly became extremely strange.

She raised an eyebrow and turned to look at Conan.

"Really? Then he's not entirely useless," Xiaolan said.

"Of course, Shinichi is super awesome!" Conan shouted.

Xiaolan wiped the bookshelf and said softly, "He's not a meticulous person at all; he doesn't pay attention to details."

Xiaolan said irritably, "Every time there's a case, he disappears without a trace, leaving me alone at the amusement park. When he calls, he always just says a few hurried words and hangs up. How is that the kind of person who pays attention to details?"

"Ran is wrong!" Conan immediately put on a serious expression that said, "You don't understand."

He continued, pointing to the books he had just moved, "Look, I'm helping you move these heavy books back to their original place because I know it will be troublesome to find them next time if they're left lying around."

Shinichi's older brother must be like that too!
After solving each case, he would meticulously organize the ins and outs of the case.

He's definitely someone who, though he might not say it, is exceptionally considerate of others through his actions!

Hearing Conan praise Shinichi Kudo like that, Ran fell silent.

But Conan kept rambling on.

"Ran-neechan, you definitely have some misunderstanding about Shinichi-nii!" Conan continued his serious analysis:
"He must have been so focused on pursuing the truth that he neglected the little things in life."

And look, the reason I'm helping you with the housework now is because I know that Sister Xiaolan has to go to school and take care of Uncle Maoli, which is very hard for her.

Shinichi must also care about you, which is why he works so hard to solve cases and wants to give you a world without crime and absolutely safe!

Isn't this spirit of quiet dedication more moving than mere words?

Xiaolan's lips began to twitch.

It's one thing to make quiet contributions.

Do you want to create a crime-free, absolutely safe world for me?
Where did Conan learn to say such things?!

"Conan, have you taken the wrong medicine lately?"

"No, Shinichi..."

Conan wanted to say more words of praise, but Ran had clearly lost patience.

A fist the size of a sandbag landed on Conan's head, causing him to shut his mouth in pain.

He looked at Xiaolan pitifully.

Conan scratched his head, inwardly groaning.

I'm clearly trying my best to salvage my image in your eyes, so why hasn't Xiaolan changed her mind at all? She even wants to beat me up.
Did Zheng Yi's plan to gain favor fail on the very first day?

"Masakazuki! Ai Haibara! I'm really beyond saving this time! You guys better get ready to collect my corpse!"

Conan was at the gate; this time, he barely had the strength to even put on a mournful face.

He still had a large, visible bump on his forehead, clearly a medal from some kind of severe blow he had just suffered.

Shoichi and Ai were sitting cross-legged on the carpet, with potato chips, cola, popcorn, and even a box of freshly cut chilled watermelon in front of them.

Upon seeing Conan's miserable state, the two exchanged a knowing glance and quickly became engrossed in watching the drama unfold.

"Failure is failure, but why did Ran hit you?" Masakazu took a bite of potato chip and pointed gloatingly at the bump on Conan's head.

"Was this caused by being hit by a slipper, or by a karate chop?"

Conan didn't care about the gloating in Masakazu's tone.

"It's completely useless! Absolutely useless!" Conan cried out in despair, clutching his hair.

"I did exactly as you said, starting with small things like wiping the table and moving books, praising her for being attentive and responsible, and incidentally bringing out Shinichi's good points."

After listening to this, Xiaolan's expression grew increasingly strange, and finally she said, "Let me show you what real karate is!"

Ai calmly took a sip of her juice and said slowly, "It seems Ran's resentment towards Shinichi Kudo has escalated to the point of physical aversion." "Even you say that!" Conan was on the verge of tears.

"What should I do now? If this continues, not only will I not be able to turn back, but even Conan will be hated by Ran."

Zheng Yi almost choked on his cola from laughing. He patted Conan on the back and said, "Conan, Conan, next time you should try a different strategy. Join her in cursing Shinichi Kudo. I guarantee she won't beat you up, and she'll even treat you like a confidant."

Conan suddenly looked up, staring at Masakazu in shock: "Won't that just make Ran hate me even more?"

“Yes, that’s why Conan can take advantage of the situation,” Shoichi said.

Conan was speechless.

You're still making me cheat on myself.

"Brother Zhengyi, please stop teasing me. I've already suffered enough," Conan said sadly.

Zheng Yi casually popped a piece of popcorn into his mouth and asked, "Okay, okay, I won't tease you anymore. So, how exactly did you praise me? Tell me, and let me analyze it for you."

Conan sniffed and recounted in detail what had just happened at the Mouri Detective Agency.

From "meticulously wiping the table reflects rigorous thinking" to "actively moving books represents consideration for others", it even rose to the level of "silently solving cases to give her a safe world".

He also added details about Xiaolan's reaction.

As Conan narrated, Masashi's movements as he ate popcorn slowed down more and more until he finally froze completely.

The air fell into a deathly silence that lasted for more than ten seconds.

Shoichi slowly turned his head, looking Conan up and down with an extremely complicated expression, his face full of disbelief: "No... Conan, you, you actually..."

Zheng Yi was utterly speechless.

He subconsciously touched his handsome chin, falling into deep self-doubt.

Even though I'm already so outstanding, I can only admire myself silently in my heart, or quietly sigh a couple of times in front of the mirror.

But Conan, on the other hand, directly praised her to her face, and did so with such confidence and without reservation.

Are you better than me?
Ai rolled her eyes in exasperation; this idiot had absolutely no sense of propriety.

It's one thing that Conan is more narcissistic than Masakazu, and it goes without saying that Masakazu is shameless, but Conan is even less perceptive than Masakazu.

Ai crossed her arms and sneered, "Didn't you hear? Ran was already extremely impatient."

A normal person would have shut up or changed the subject in that situation, but you, you idiot, are still indulging in your own self-praise.

The other person's face practically screams "Get lost!" and he's still stubbornly praising them. Isn't that just asking for a beating?

Conan blushed red after being rebuked, and curled up in a ball, hugging his knees in grievance: "I... I just wanted to salvage my image, but who knew Ran's tolerance was so low?"

Xiao Ai snorted coldly.

Is this because Xiaolan has a low tolerance level?

Even Zheng Yi, who was just an outsider and only wanted to watch the show, couldn't stand it anymore. Xiao Lan's tolerance level is really high.

Xiao Ai sighed and said to Zheng Yi, "I really want to teach Xiao Lan how to make specimens."

"Um!?"

Conan stared wide-eyed at Ai.

No, what do you mean? Are you going to help Xiaolan kill me?
“Conan doesn’t look good as a specimen,” Zhengyi said.

Ai nodded in agreement.

Conan remarked, "It would look really good if Zheng Yi were made into a specimen."

Ai looked up at Shoichi, already recalling how the specimen was made.

Hmm, I can go to the research institute tomorrow to prepare all the necessary materials for making specimens.

"Once it's ready, send it to Xiaolan," Zhengyi said.

"Huh?" Ai stared blankly at Masakazu. You actually knew what I was thinking?

Zheng Yi pursed his lips.

My sense of danger is still quite strong.

“Specimens that are more exotic are more worth collecting,” Zheng Yi said.

Conan was even more speechless. "My appearance isn't that strange, is it?"
She's still cute even without her glasses.

"Brother Zhengyi, please think of something I should do," Conan said in despair.

“Let’s make it into a specimen,” Zheng Yi said.

Xiao Ai nodded.

You're of no use anymore; a specimen is your best destiny.

Conan panicked.

I came to you for help, and you've already watched the show, heard the gossip, and even commented on it, and then you just keep mocking me?

unacceptable!

"How about I put you in jail?" Zheng Yi said. "If you go to jail, then the matter of going missing can be forgiven."

"But it will leave a criminal record."

“It’s alright, I’ll get rid of your criminal record,” Zheng Yi said.

Conan was still hesitant: "Then what crime should I be charged with?"

Am I, an outstanding high school student and the savior of the police, really in the right to go to jail for committing a crime?

Zheng Yi casually said, "A wrongful conviction is fine; it's easy to find a reason."

"Let's talk about it later," Conan said.

Going to jail for committing a crime has had a huge impact on his reputation.

Shoichi and Ai Haibara maintained a mocking attitude towards Conan, reserved their opinions, and ridiculed Conan with the utmost malice.

Conan was frustrated by Ran's request, and when he asked Shoichi for help, he was ridiculed. He was very disappointed.

When Conan was being ridiculed, Momiji came down and comforted him, encouraging him to be with Ran for a long time as Conan.

But Conan was not impressed by Momiji's words of comfort.

Is it possible for me to grow up slowly and then fall in love with Xiaolan again?
Let's not even talk about whether Ran is into shota or not, or whether she's interested in shota. Even if Ran is interested in shota, Conan still can't get past his own conscience.

Do I really have to cheat on myself?
"Kumiko is wrong," Ai said. "It's better to go back to your original body. The bond between Shinichi Kudo and Ran is still very important. In Ran's eyes, Conan and Shinichi Kudo are not the same person."

“I don’t think these things matter,” Hongye said. “It’s still the same person, it’s just another time, so what’s the difference? Besides, because of your age, you can spend about ten more years with Xiaolan. Isn’t that a great thing?”

When Momiji spoke up, Ai objected.

When Ai speaks, Momiji objects.

Conan, who initially sought help, is now being ignored by everyone.

Zheng Yi and Conan locked eyes and simultaneously picked up the potato chips on the table and started eating.

What was originally a joke of his own has now become a joke of someone else's.

Conan ate potato chips, feeling that neither of them were talking about themselves. (End of Chapter)