Detective Conan: The Literary Genius is Actually a Great Scientist

Well, now I'm completely dragged into this mess.

Lin Ran was held tightly by Yuanzi's arm, feeling everyone's gaze, and sighed inwardly.

I just wanted to watch the drama unfold, but now I've become "someone else's kid" who's ruining things.

He patted Sonoko's hand that was wrapped around his arm, then looked at Ikeda Chikako, whose face was pale, and gave her a gentle, polite, and standard intellectual smile:

"Ms. Ikeda, Sonoko is young and speaks bluntly, please don't mind."

Cultured people speak with such sophistication; everyone present was highly educated, and they all understood the subtext in Lin Ran's words.

Translation: What she said is true, just not very tactfully.

"laugh--"

Chikako Ikeda, who was already feeling embarrassed by Sonoko's public mockery, let out an undisguised sneer upon hearing this, looking Lin Ran up and down with eyes full of contempt and disdain.

"A great writer? Haha, kid, writing isn't as simple as doing math problems, like 1+1=2. You think writing fast means you can calculate well? Don't be ridiculous."

"Writing is an art, a collision of thoughts and words, a discipline that requires depth and talent! It's not something a greenhorn like you can dabble in as a hobby!"

She paused, glanced at Lin Ran's overly handsome face—it was indeed excessively beautiful, making her a little jealous—then sneered and turned to the garden:

"Miss Sonoko, let me remind you, don't be blinded by a man's good looks and become a tool for him, being completely deceived and counting money for him."

Although this person plagiarized, he can still be considered a cultured person.

They were indirectly criticizing Sonoko for being "brainless."

Although Ayako Suzuki's classmates thought Chikako Ikeda's words were too harsh, they basically agreed with her and didn't believe that Lin Ran was really a great writer.

How prestigious are writers in the eyes of the public these days?

Those are cultured people, intellectuals, and the conscience of society!

Have you ever seen that Chikako Ikeda, who only wrote one book that became slightly popular, now dares to speak loudly to Ayako Suzuki?

This young man, Lin Ran, probably submitted a couple of articles to some unknown magazine or newspaper, which fooled Ayako's naive younger sister into believing that he was some kind of "great writer."

"Haha, um..."

Hiroki Kakutani stood up, still trying to smooth things over.

But Chikako Ikeda, who had just been provoked by Ayako Suzuki's use of the word "dono," was clearly upset. She crossed her arms and looked at the boy who was just smiling and listening to her taunts, feeling inexplicably irritated.

No, I have to break his defenses!

She stared at Lin Ran, her tone aggressive: "Since you claim to be a writer, then let me ask you, what works have you written? Where were they published? Which publisher? How many copies did they sell? Tell me!"

"I'd like to see what kind of 'masterpiece' could earn such high praise from the second young lady of the Suzuki family!"

She paused, then added sarcastically, "If you really are some great writer I haven't heard of, I'll put it out there today—"

She pointed to her head and said, word by word:

"I! Will! Cut! My! Head! Off! And! You! Will! Use! It! As! A! Football! To! Kick!"

Upon hearing this, everyone in the living room gasped.

Ota Masaru almost dropped the cigarette in his hand.

Hiroki Kakutani was dumbfounded.

Ryoichi Takahashi adjusted his glasses, looking thoughtful.

Lin Ran was surprised by her words.

Holy crap! Where's the werewolf? Where's the werewolf?

There's a prophet here! Quick, kill her!

Before anyone could react, a young lady jumped out excitedly—this was the moment she had been waiting for!

"You said it yourself!"

Sonoko pointed at Chikako Ikeda, beaming with pride: "My Hayashi Ran has only written one book so far..."

"The garden!"

Ayako Suzuki suddenly spoke up.

But Sonoko, who was focused on avenging her sister and standing up for Lin Ran, didn't notice at all and quickly blurted out the rest of her words:

"Lin Ran has only written one book so far, called 'The Devotion of Suspect X.' I wonder if you've heard of our master, Chikako?"

The words fell.

In the living room, besides Sonoko, Ran, and Lin Ran, there was also Ayako Suzuki with a slightly furrowed brow. Everyone else was stunned.

Time seemed to stand still for three seconds.

Then--

"What?"

"The Devotion of Suspect X?"

"Are you at the end of summer?"

Sonoko raised her chin: "That's right, it's late summer!"

Ayako Suzuki closed her eyes and sighed softly.

She wanted to stop Sonoko from saying it, but her sister spoke too quickly, so quickly that she didn't have time to react.

Chikako Ikeda's expression gradually shifted from initial mockery and disdain to confusion, then shock, and finally disbelief.

"What...what did you say?" Her voice trembled slightly.

Sonoko proudly raised her chin, like a victorious little rooster, just short of crowing:

"I said, my Lin Ran has only written one book, The Devotion of Suspect X—oh, you may have heard of it, it's the detective novel that's almost sold out, written under the pen name 'Summer'."

The Devotion of Suspect X.

Everyone present had heard of this name.

For the past six months or so, this book has swept through the entire Japanese book market like a whirlwind. It's always placed in the most prominent position in bookstores, and it's being discussed everywhere—on television, in newspapers, and in magazines.

Its author, "Xia Mo," is mysterious and low-key, never showing his face, which has sparked countless speculations.

Some say it's the pen name of a veteran writer who has been living in seclusion for many years, some say it's a rising star in the literary world, and others say it's the pen name of a well-known writer.

But no one expected...

It will be an eighteen-year-old high school student.

And he's... a math genius?

How is this possible?!

"No...it's impossible..." Chikako Ikeda suddenly stood up, shaking her head, her face flushed. "You're talking nonsense...how could 'The Devotion of Suspect X' be...it could be..."

She wanted to say, "The writing style of that book is so skillful, and the ideas are so profound, how could it possibly have been written by a high school student?"

But the words stuck in my throat.

Because if the other party dares to admit it in public, and in such detail, they must have something to back them up. Although Sonoko Suzuki is carefree, she's not stupid; she wouldn't talk nonsense about something like this.

"Yuanzi," Lin Ran gently patted her hand, "Alright, stop talking."

"Why won't I say anything?" Sonoko protested, puffing out her cheeks. "She said all that about you! She even said she'd cut off her head and let you kick it around like a football!"

"I know," Lin Ran said gently, "but some things don't need to be proven with words."

He looked at Chikako Ikeda, his eyes calm: "Ms. Ikeda, what Sonoko said is true. I am 'Natsumo,' the author of 'The Devotion of Suspect X.'"

These words were like the final stone, shattering all of Chikako Ikeda's hopes.

She staggered back a step, almost falling.

Hiroki Kakutani quickly put down his camera and helped her up, asking, "Chikako, are you alright?"

"N-nothing..." Chikako Ikeda pushed him away and straightened up, but her eyes had already lost focus.

Ota Katsu stared at Lin Ran, stunned for a long time, until the cigarette in his hand burned his fingers, making him hiss, before he suddenly came back to his senses.

He was filled with awe, genuine awe, and with the respect one would show to a true master, he asked cautiously:

"Lin Ran, did you really write 'The Devotion of Suspect X'?"

"Just lucky." Lin Ran smiled slightly.

"I just happened to have a good story in mind, so I wrote it down."

Those who had been watching him closely: "..."

Holy crap! He's such a show-off!

But the problem is, they really have the right to act like that!

"A phenomenal work," "a subversion of traditional mystery," "a perfect combination of literary merit and commercial appeal," "a masterpiece"... These are the media's evaluations of "The Devotion of Suspect X" these days.

To be able to write literary works of this caliber truly deserves the title of "great writer" that Sonoko just mentioned.

"My God!" Masaru Ota murmured, "A mathematical genius, a bestselling author... you're just too..."

He couldn't find the right words to describe it.

A prodigy? A monster? Or... a genius among geniuses?

For these film enthusiasts, Lin Ran's identity as a great writer is far more valuable than his identity as a mathematician.

"alright."

Ayako Suzuki stood up, breaking the awkward atmosphere in the living room. "It's getting late. I'll go prepare dinner. Ran, Sonoko, Ran, you can go upstairs and rest. I'll call you when dinner is ready."

"Sister, she hasn't..."

Sonoko really wanted to have someone cut off their head, even though she knew it was impossible, but she just wanted to see the other person suffer.

Lin Ran quickly pulled her upstairs.

Before leaving, he didn't forget to say, "Ms. Chikako, I hope you understand that true works are nurtured with heart and soul, not... with the heart and soul of others."

One sentence was enough to make Chikako Ikeda turn pale.

He doesn't hold grudges, because he usually settles scores on the spot.

……

The three of them went upstairs.

Only Ayako Suzuki and her four classmates remained in the living room.

There was a moment of quiet.

"Ayako," Hiroki Kakutani began hesitantly, "that Lin Ran really is..."

"Yes," Ayako Suzuki nodded, her tone gentle, "The Yomiuri Shimbun has confirmed that he is 'Natsume'."

Ota Masaru gave a wry smile: "This is too... too outrageous. Eighteen years old, excelling in both mathematics and literature, and reaching the top level in both... This is simply beyond human capability, isn't it?"

He looked at Ayako Suzuki: "Ayako, what kind of monster did your Sonoko find as a boyfriend?"

Ayako Suzuki did not answer the question, but simply said, "Lin Ran is indeed very outstanding."

"Perhaps," Takahashi Ryoichi suddenly spoke, his voice low, "that's what genius is. Some people are born different from us."

Chikako Ikeda kept her head down and remained silent.

Her world collapsed at that moment.

Her proudest achievement—the book that made her famous, "The Blue Kingdom"—is utterly insignificant compared to "The Devotion of Suspect X".

"The Blue Kingdom" is at best a bestseller, while "The Devotion of Suspect X" is a phenomenon, the kind of book that will be recorded in literary history.

Ironically, she had just been mocking Lin Ran, saying he couldn't possibly be a great writer and that he was just dabbling in it.

The results of it?

He is a true rising star in the literary world, a genius writer whom even critics praise highly.

And what about her?

A... thief.

He stole his friend's work to gain his current fame.

"I..." Chikako Ikeda finally spoke, her voice hoarse, "I'm going back to my room now."

She turned around and staggered upstairs.

His back view was lonely and disheveled.

Ayako Suzuki squinted, gazing intently at her retreating figure.