Science Fiction: Starting from Obtaining Sophon

Chapter Nineteen: Finding the Cat - I'm a Professional

The classroom was already bustling with activity in the early morning.

The students were chatting happily in the classroom. They were in small groups, joining different subgroups according to their interests, and discussing topics that interested them.

Some were exchanging ideas about the plot of a TV series from yesterday, while others were interested in various newly circulating urban legends, discussing the details with their classmates and adding their own imaginations to these legends.

These are topics that both boys and girls enjoy. Then there are topics that are exclusive to girls, such as exchanging makeup tips and discussing which brands of cosmetics are better.

"Yoko's here. I wonder if that guy Genda River found her a cat yesterday?" Abe, who had been making sarcastic remarks all day, couldn't help but ask again.

However, this also piqued everyone's curiosity.

Yesterday, Genda Gawa suddenly announced he wanted to be a detective and accepted a case to find a cat. I wonder if he succeeded.

Although people scoff at the idea of ​​finding a lost cat, they all know in their hearts that finding a pet is actually not a simple matter.

Pets aren't people; they run around everywhere and are far more agile than humans. If they get lost, where do you find them?

The only option is to use a rudimentary method: search the area around the pet owner's home, little by little. If you're lucky, you can narrow down the search area further and reduce the workload.

Overall, it's a tough job.

Some detectives have described it vividly, saying that pet-related requests are like criminal police conducting a wide-ranging investigation: a lot of effort is put in, but the results are very little, and may not even be useful.

It's very possible to search for several days in a row without any results, and even if you do find someone, the reward is often meager, far less than the benefits of stalking someone for an affair or solving a difficult case.

The former, who spy on extramarital affairs and do work similar to paparazzi, are often paid very well. Wealthy middle-aged men and women are very willing to spend a lot of money to find evidence of their spouse's infidelity.

After all, once evidence is found, more property can be allocated, which is also the most popular job for detectives—low investment, high return.

Solving difficult cases is the fastest way to build reputation. Helping the police solve cases earns honor, which in turn increases one's value and attracts more commissions, creating a virtuous cycle.

Therefore, pet-seeking requests are at the very bottom of the detective hierarchy.

A complete newbie who has just joined the ranks of detectives, going looking for a pet, is obviously bound to return empty-handed.

After all, the chances of finding a pet in just one night are slim.

Upon hearing Abe's question, Yoko slightly pursed her lips, revealing a hint of disdain, but quickly composed herself.

"Abe-kun, Genda-kun completed my request exceptionally well. He found my cat in less than an hour, and I am extremely grateful."

The students around him were all incredulous.

They weren't very familiar with Genda River, but they were quite familiar with Fujita Yoshiko. She was gentle and shy, but she would never lie, and she was outwardly gentle but inwardly strong.

The fact that she is explaining this so earnestly proves that Gendagawa is truly outstanding and has completed her request!

The girls around rushed over, all wanting to know what had happened.

Fujita Yoshiko could only give a brief account, but her shock and surprise were palpable, leaving everyone who listened in awe.

"Jia Youzi, are you saying that he used some amazing method to find your cat so easily?"

The girl nodded seriously: "I can't explain it very clearly, but that's roughly it. He understands cats' habits very well and easily noticed many details. He could even use stray cats to lead the way and found Gulu very easily. I still can't believe it."

The entire Class A had long since stopped their discussions and were listening to the girl's words, all with expressions of disbelief.

Is the person described by Yoshiko Fujita, who has keen observation skills, knows cats' habits inside and out, and can even talk to cats, really Gendagawa?

Good morning, everyone!

Genda strode into the classroom, instantly shattering the silence.

"Good morning," everyone was startled and responded instinctively. When they saw that the person who came was Gendagawa, their expressions became slightly strange, and they hurriedly returned to their seats.

However, some people still couldn't help but strike up a conversation with Gendagawa:

"Genda-kun, Yoko-kun just said that you can communicate with cats, is that true?"

Genda chuckled: "You guys are talking about this? Of course it's... fake."

"what?"

Before everyone could finish their astonishment, Gendagawa added, "Although we can't communicate directly, I can still let the cats know what I mean, just like what zookeepers or animal trainers do."

"I can quickly build a cat's trust in me through some gestures and actions, and then I can do other things with it."

Everyone looked as if they had just realized something.

According to Yoko, the whole thing was so surreal that it felt like a fairy tale, and most people were skeptical.

However, when you add some scientific factors or things they are familiar with to something that is difficult to explain, all doubts and suspicions will disappear.

It's like a teacher giving a lecture. A mediocre teacher lectures from concept to concept, which is hard to understand. A master teacher, on the other hand, simplifies complex concepts and explains complex and profound things in simple and clear language. That's what a master does.

So when people heard Gendagawa compare him to a beast tamer, they understood what he meant.

"Genda-kun, it seems you really like cats. You know so much about their habits!"

"Yes, I also have a cat, but mine is so naughty and disobedient. Could you teach it for me? Or, I'm willing to pay you to train my cat."

Upon hearing these words, Genda River felt his lips twitch.

Have these guys gone astray?

My job now is to be a detective. Finding the cat is just to show off my skills, not to make finding cats my specialty.

However, we are currently in the foundation-building stage, so taking on more commissions is a good thing.

Starting today, let's get down to business!

In the following days, Genda River entered a period of explosive growth in his 'career'. With dozens of students in a class, it was as if he had dozens of megaphones, so in less than a day, his ability to become a detective and find pets spread throughout the entire school.

People can question a student's exam scores, but they absolutely cannot question their ability to spread divination. Moreover, the local customs of Da Mi Hua are characterized by a high number of murders, kidnappings, and wealthy people.

The more wealthy people there are, the more pets they have, and the more pets they lose.

Besides, rich people aren't stupid. Compared to hiring seasoned detectives, it's a good thing to hire a high school student. If they find the problem, it costs less money, and if they don't, they promise not to pay.

As a result, a series of requests to find lost pets came in one after another, keeping Genda River very busy.

Chapter Twenty: The Worried Kogoro Mouri

Located in Beika Town 5-chome, within the Mori Detective Agency.

"Hmm...hmm, humph!"

"Snapped----"

Kogoro Mouri slammed a newspaper heavily onto the table, his bangs swaying with worry, his once handsome face now contorted in a deep frown.

"Dad, what are you doing? Why are you so angry? I finally managed to clean it up, and now you've messed it all up again."

As Xiaolan tidied up, she couldn't help but complain.

It's no wonder she complained. The floor, which had just been mopped and was sparkling clean, was now covered in cigarette ash again. Anyone would be angry.

Seeing his well-behaved and sensible daughter, Kogoro Mouri coughed lightly in embarrassment.

"Xiaolan, I'm sorry, Dad didn't mean it. It's just that those detective kids are really awful!"

He then gritted his teeth again, his face full of displeasure.

This piqued Ran's curiosity: "Detective boy? Dad, are you talking about Shinichi? What did he do to upset you this time?"

Shinichi hasn't done anything too outrageous these past few days. At most, he's just like before, getting so excited about cases that he runs off to investigate them immediately.

Thinking of this, the girl's face was filled with displeasure.

Kogoro Mouri angrily said, "It is indeed related to this kid, but not entirely. Besides him, there is another new guy who is the most despicable. Murder cases are one thing, but since this brat appeared, even pet-finding requests have been snatched up. It's simply intolerable!"

Through his rambling description, Xiaolan finally understood the cause and effect of the matter.

The matter is quite simple; to put it simply, it's a matter of competing for business.

Since opening his detective agency, Kogoro Mouri's business has been struggling, which is understandable.

He is quite intelligent, but he has a problem: he has difficulty concentrating on things he doesn't care about, so he often appears confused.

Moreover, to be fair, his reasoning ability isn't actually that strong. It's better than the average person, but it's certainly not comparable to geniuses like Shinichi Kudo or Heiji Hattori.

To be honest, if he put his heart and soul into it, he could become a good detective, but the difficulty lies in his extremely lazy personality.

I spend a lot of time eating, drinking, and having fun, but not on work.

However, on the other hand, despite this work attitude, ability is ability. Although there are many shortcomings, it is still not a problem for her to support herself and her daughter with her abilities.

However, he can't take on high-end cases, such as kidnapping, threatening letter incidents, and various murder cases involving rice flowers.

Therefore, while Kogoro Mouri at this stage wasn't exactly living in poverty, it was certainly not as difficult as it would be later. His scope of work was very narrow, and he remained within the realm of a typical detective.

In other words, his business, as mentioned earlier, includes finding pets, investigating extramarital affairs, or investigating someone's information; these are his basic business areas.

His anger stemmed from the fact that Genda River had essentially monopolized the pet-finding business in the vicinity.

One Shinichi Kudo stole the high-end business, and another Gendagawa stole the low-end business. How the hell are we supposed to survive?

"So that's why you're so angry, Dad?" Xiaolan pouted.