He's in Detective Conan, and he's the mastermind behind everything.

If you've ever paid attention to gossip in class, you'll find that this phenomenon is very common between male and female deskmates.

With more people in the class egging them on, as long as the two aren't inherently incompatible, even if they can't become a couple, their relationship will be much better than others.

Psychological studies have explored this phenomenon, something like the recency effect and the exposure effect. In short, people are more likely to form deeper relationships with those closer to them and are more inclined to like people or things they frequently encounter.

Kiyoko recalled for a moment, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes:

"That's true. I used to think that the two people sitting at the same table had feelings for each other, and that's why the others were making a fuss. But it turns out that it's the other way around."

"Public opinion and actual feelings influence each other in a spiral-like progression, which is roughly how it works. Many classes make significant changes to seating arrangements every now and then to prevent early romantic relationships among students from occurring due to this."

"Yes, now that you mention it, I understand. I can relate to that."

"Oh? You've corrupted many boys at Beika High School?"

"No, it's just that every time the teacher changes seats, I'm mostly surrounded by girls. By the way, how did you manage to subtly influence public opinion? From what I saw on Monday, you seemed to be practically invisible in class."

"That's true on the surface, but to be honest, I have the contact information for most of the girls in the class."

"..."

Kiyoko was speechless: "So your reason is... related to Miss Ran?"

"There's no need to spell it out; they'll understand," Ying Sheng said with a smile. "Anyway, that's how it happened, and there was an unexpected bonus: the Six-Eared Macaque actually developed some initial goodwill towards Kudo Makoto."

What I did was probably just icing on the cake, giving them a gentle push.

Imagine it, Kiyoko.

If the Six-Eared Macaque wants to impersonate you, to fake your terrible personality that Kudo already knows, then what will the Six-Eared Macaque do when they are alone in the afternoon, recalling the rumors he heard at school?

From her feigning helplessness in the underground casino to get me to take her away, it's clear she's a master actress and adept at manipulating men's feelings.

So, when faced with an innocent young boy, the kind who blushes at the slightest teasing.

What will she do?

Kiyoko chuckled softly: "If it were me, I would definitely tease him."

“That’s right, who wouldn’t do something so fun?” Ying Sheng laughed. “Six-Eared Macaque did just that, and she did even better than I expected. She actually helped Kudo solve the case.”

When I heard about this, I knew the plan was already halfway done.

Next, all that's needed is to create a chance encounter between the two of them and Xiaolan, using Xiaolan as counter-evidence to solidify their momentary emotional turmoil, leaving no room for maneuver.

Kudo is a prominent figure, especially after he helped the police solve two cases yesterday afternoon. Through the Sumiyoshi-kai, I easily tracked his movements.

At that time, the Six-Eared Macaque was shopping with Kudo. Based on their direction of movement, I took Ran to the Fusa Ei specialty store in advance to wait for them.

As it turned out, there was a slight mishap there, and neither of them showed up. So let's choose another restaurant based on their directions.

There's a really fun spot here.

The restaurant said it was a decision made by the four of us, but the other three were actually quite casual, so my thoughts were hidden in the collective decision.

The murder at the sushi restaurant was indeed an accident, but even without that incident, if I had left my table beforehand to wait for Kudo to arrive, I could have spotted him at the door in time and called him in.

Last night's drinking party was not accidental, but rather premeditated by Ying Sheng!

Otherwise, why would he suddenly stop Shinichi and Kudo when they were about to leave after solving the case?

Xiaolan was very nervous at that time.

After that, Ying Sheng deliberately brought up the intimacy between Shinichi Kudo and the Six-Eared Macaque, and even said the same thing to Ran. Could it be that he really hopes that lovers can be together in the end?

Ha, it's just creating an environment.

Ying Sheng sighed softly: "Actually, after seeing the Six-Eared Macaque's performance at that drinking party, I began to doubt how much of my scheming actually played a role. Maybe it was completely unnecessary."

Kiyoko's bright eyes sparkled: "They influence each other, spiraling forward. Hotaru-kun is a master of intrigue."

[Love +1]

Chapter 151 The anesthetic is Vermouth herself!

"Thank you for your kind words."

Ying Sheng laughed and said, "What happens after the drinking party is even simpler. Putting the two of them in the same hotel already carries an ambiguous atmosphere."

Furthermore, I had Xiaolan light a calming incense stick in the Six-Eared Macaque's room, and I also lit one for Kudo. You can probably guess what their actual purpose is.

To be honest, I was quite disappointed that they didn't get up in the middle of the night to have sex.

But it was inevitable that they would have all sorts of fantasies when they saw each other the next morning.

Then...

"Wait a moment."

Kiyoko asked curiously, "How did Hotaru-kun know that nothing happened between them in the middle of the night?"

"Of course it's because I planted a listening device in Kudo's room, what else could it be?"

Ying Sheng said helplessly, "In the middle of the night, I even had someone call his room to ask if he needed any special services, hoping to provoke him. As a result, he hurriedly hung up the phone and remained silent for a while, still muttering about cases, methods, Sherlock Holmes and the like, before falling asleep in a daze."

"Huh? What about the other one? From what Hotaru-kun said, she seems to be more proactive?"

"Of course I called her and asked if she needed a male model, but she hung up without saying anything. I suspect she was faking being drunk. I didn't touch her at all, and I didn't plant any listening devices, so I don't know how she reacted afterwards."

Judging from the situation on Kudo's side, nothing should have happened overnight, which is disappointing.

However, after that, they'll inevitably have all sorts of fantasies. If I then spread the word about them going to the hotel together among the class, how do you think they'll react when they come to the classroom and hear that?

Ying Sheng's lips curled slightly: "As long as the Six-Eared Macaque is not a man, and not an old woman who has gone through menopause and has no emotions or desires, this whole thing will amplify even the slightest bit of girlish sentiment in her heart."

Wearing a windproof jacket makes one's movements more relaxed and gives one a tendency to want to exercise;

Wearing an evening gown makes one consciously become more dignified and pay attention to their demeanor;

Humans are such shallow creatures; they automatically assume the persona they wear.

Regardless of what the Six-Eared Macaque's true form was, what she wore at that time was your skin.

A high school girl, Kiyoko Yukimatsu!

A person's character can change subtly over time.

Shinichi Kudo believes that his current complicated feelings for Vermouth are due to circumstances, but Vermouth is no different.

With Ying Sheng fanning the flames behind the scenes, they were immersed in an ambiguous atmosphere from beginning to end, with no time to stop and think.

They themselves were unsure of their own feelings, so Ying Sheng helped them to be certain.

Yes, without hesitation.

You guys are true love!

After listening, Qingzi pondered for a long time, her eyes narrowing contentedly, just like a lazy cat.

"I'm completely certain that if Kudo-kun is hospitalized here, the Six-Eared Macaque will definitely come to take care of him. But how can I be sure that Mr. Amuro, who accepted Hotaru-kun's request, will ask Kudo-kun for help?"

"There's a high probability that Amuro Tooru is a problem."

"Eh? What do you mean?"

Hotaru said, "This person visited Kogoro Mouri at the hospital yesterday afternoon to inquire about what happened in Ginza last week. Ms. Aida said that, based on his cryptic remarks, it seemed to be just a bored lady who was curious about the matter."

But why was the bottle of sake he gave away so expensive?

If you want to quickly build a relationship with someone, it's true that you should cater to their preferences, but since he's a detective who's open for business, he always has to consider the costs.

Could it be that the lady was quite wealthy, and simply out of curiosity, she gave him a hefty commission?

That possibility cannot be ruled out. Perhaps he was already very wealthy and being a detective was just a hobby.

Well then, let's give it a try.

I asked him to investigate Nami Yukimatsu to see if she would retaliate against Kogoro Mouri. This overlapped significantly with the wealthy woman's request, so he had no reason not to accept it.

His asking price for the commission doesn't reveal much; the key is his findings and the investigative methods he employed.

He told me this morning that Yukimatsu Nami bought a train ticket to Kyoto early yesterday morning.

Do you know what this means?

Kiyoko pondered for a moment: "My mother was in the hands of the Metropolitan Police Department from the night before last until the early hours of yesterday. Even if she really went to Kyoto, not many people should know, and it shouldn't have been found out so quickly by a private detective."

"good."

Ying Sheng laughed and said, "Actually, it's normal for a detective to have connections with the police. It's no big deal to call and ask."

But since he could get the information from the police, that would be enough to explain to that lady, so why did he have to come to find Kogoro Mouri in person?

At this point, I had a hunch that whether that woman existed or not was not important, but the person who was interested in that matter definitely had his own identity.

What happened at the milk tea shop at noon today completely confirmed my guess.

"Qingzi, this person is probably after you too."

"it's me again?"

Hearing Ying Sheng's words, Qingzi herself was confused. She was sure she didn't have any secrets that would make so many people covet her. What did those people want from her?

She thought for a moment and guessed, "Could it be because of the Six-Eared Macaque?"

"Who knows? Let's investigate one by one."

Ying Sheng sighed softly: "After I confirmed that Amuro Tooru deliberately approached the Six-Eared Macaque at the milk tea shop at noon, I guessed that after he learned that Kudo Shinichi was also hospitalized at Beika Central Hospital, he would use the case I entrusted to him as an excuse to build a relationship."

I couldn't be sure about that, so I made a phone call to test the waters.

When he mentioned trade secrets instead of directly stating that he had an assistant, I guessed that he had approached Kudo, and since I was the client, he couldn't say that directly.

Of course, if he hadn't contacted Kudo himself, I would have proactively asked Kudo for help after the phone call, hoping he could give Amuro Tooru some pointers; there was no escaping it.

Since Kudo is injured and unable to move easily, the Six-Eared Macaque will naturally take his place.

Hotaru turned his head to look at the other unconscious woman, Kiyoko Yukimatsu, in the passenger seat, and smiled slightly:

"Then came the much-anticipated surprise attack. This person actually reacted quite quickly; her physical condition was just an act, not a genuine display of weakness. But since I had planned this all along, she could only fall asleep peacefully."

Hotaru had previously told Eto Shori that the steps were complete.

That's right, the steps to deal with the Six-Eared Macaque have been designed since yesterday.