Detective Conan: The Literary Genius is Actually a Great Scientist

"Oh, by the way, there's something you want."

"What?"

Just as Lin Ran was happily reading the newspaper article praising herself, she looked up and curiously watched the little girl run upstairs.

A few minutes later, I watched as she struggled to carry a gift box that almost completely blocked her view as she came down.

Ai placed the box on the coffee table, clapped her hands, and gave him a "you got a good deal" look: "This is good stuff, want to see?"

Lin Ran opened the gift box with a puzzled look. Inside lay a gorgeous, almost extravagant, purple evening gown. The design was intricate, the materials were exquisite, and it was adorned with tiny crystals and pearls.

It's obviously high-end custom-made; you can imagine the shimmering, graceful movement it would create when you wear it.

"Wow, this is great stuff! Where did you get it?"

As Lin Ran asked the question, she was about to reach out and touch the fabric, just like in the TV shows, when she noticed a small, exquisitely embroidered name tag inside the neckline of the dress.

He reached out and flipped the name tag over.

On the name tag, a name was embroidered in cursive script—

Fujimine Yukiko

(Fujimine Yukiko)

Lin Ran: "..."

Who...is it?

Fujimine Yukiko?

Shinichi Kudo's mother? The one with an angelic face, a devilish figure, who became a global sensation at the age of seventeen, and then retired at the peak of her career to get married and have children—the former international film star and national goddess?

How did Ai manage to bring over this person's personal dress?

Lin Ran raised her head and looked at the calm-looking brown-haired loli next to her with an extremely strange gaze.

Is this something she can get her hands on right now?

Seeing his reaction, Ai knew he recognized her. That was good, saving her the trouble of explaining again later. She cleared her throat, put her hands behind her back, and explained:

"Oh, this? Someone... gave it to me as collateral."

mortgage?

Lin Ran's lips twitched.

He knew without even thinking who did it.

The famous detective has truly met his match; he's been exploited terribly by his own heartless little girl. Before, she could only buy bags with tears in her eyes, but now she's even stealing and selling her own mother's private collection of dresses.

This is the extent to which they've been driven to desperation.

but……

Lin Ran stroked her chin, looking at the purple dress belonging to the former national goddess in the box, and a slight smile appeared on her lips.

Well done, Ai!

"so……"

Lin Ran looked at Xiao Ai, "Are you trying to sell yourself to me?"

"What else?" Ai glanced at him. "I can't wear it anyway, and it's such a sentimental item, it's a shame to let it gather dust. You seem to have some spare cash, and we're 'family,' so I'll give you a friendly price."

Lin Ran: "..."

Does that mean I'm allowed to wear it?

As the little girl spoke, she held up two slender fingers and waved them in front of Lin Ran, her tone light and cheerful:

"Twenty million yen for this dress, plus some accessories. A great deal, isn't it?"

Lin Ran almost choked on her own saliva.

Looking Ai up and down in shock, this little one is not only a scientific genius, a sharp-tongued loli, and a tsundere sister-complex, but now it seems... she also has the potential to be a shrewd businesswoman!

"A friend's price? Twenty million?"

Lin Ran deliberately feigned surprise, "Ai-chan, your friendship... is a bit pricey. And how do you know I'm not short of money? I'm very poor; writing books is hard work."

"Come on."

Ai didn't believe his nonsense. She crossed her arms and said, "The royalties from 'The Devotion of Suspect X,' and the upcoming 'Snow Country'... You'd be short of money? If I weren't too young to wear it now, and I couldn't bear to see my idol's tuxedo gathering dust, I wouldn't sell it."

She spoke with such sincerity, as if she were truly a devoted fan who was reluctantly parting with her idol's belongings to prevent them from being forgotten.

Lin Ran watched her "Best Actress" performance with amusement, but on the surface, she wore an expression of camaraderie:

"What are you saying? I'm a fan of Ms. Yukiko too! When fans meet, shouldn't you give me a discount? How about a price reduction?"

"Oh? You're a fan of hers too?"

Ai paused for a moment, a hint of suspicion flashing in her eyes.

Lin Ran raised her chin, looking proud: "Of course, it's the real deal. I grew up watching her movies."

Ai-chan raised an eyebrow: "Then tell me, what movies has she acted in?"

Lin Ran: "..."

They fell silent immediately.

Sorry, in his past life he was so busy admiring her stunning looks and figure that he didn't really pay attention to which movies Yukiko had acted in or what their names were...

Seeing his expression, Ai rolled her eyes.

"That's it? You're a fake fan."

Hey!

Lin Ran was not satisfied with this.

Who says you can't be a fan if you haven't seen your idol's movies? Being a fan of looks is still being a fan! Being a fan of figure is still being a fan! Being a "mom" fan is still being a fan!

He immediately retaliated, giving them a taste of their own medicine:

"Then tell me what movies she's been in? Aren't you a fan of hers too? Didn't you just say you couldn't bear to see your idol's precious dress covered in dust?"

Ai: "..."

Now it was her turn to fall silent.

Her face stiffened slightly.

She has no interest in the entertainment industry and usually reads science journals and fashion magazines. If it weren't for ripping off Conan, she might not even remember who Fujimine Yukiko is, let alone what movies she's acted in.

Two people who claim to be "loyal fans of Yukiko Fujimine"—one simply attracted by her looks, the other simply looking to rip them off—are now staring at each other in silence.

An awkward silence hung in the air.

Just at this time.

"that……"

A weak voice came from the doorway.

Akemi, who had just returned from grocery shopping and had been standing at the door listening to the two's "confrontation," cautiously raised one hand, a slightly embarrassed smile on her face, and whispered:

"Young Master, Ai, that dress... if I'm not mistaken, it should be the dress that Ms. Yukiko wore at the final ball during the filming of the movie 'The White Princess'. It's a very classic look, and it was featured on the covers of many magazines back then."

Lin Ran: "..."

Ai: "..."

The two "fake fans" who had just been arguing heatedly turned around and looked at the real fan at the door who was carrying a shopping basket and had a gentle smile on her face.

Silence fell again.

Akemi felt a little embarrassed by their stares, and her face flushed slightly: "I... when I was in school, I really liked Yukiko's movies... she was so beautiful, and her acting was great too..."

Lin Ran coughed to break the awkward silence, then turned to Ai and held up one finger: "Ten million."

"make a deal!"

Ai-chan readily agreed.

Ten million... Although it's half less than expected, it's still a lot of money. She can give Conan one million to get rid of him, and the rest will be enough for her to buy a lot of nice bags.

perfect!

"Cash on delivery!"

Ai stretched out her hand, her little face clearly saying, "Give me the money quickly."

Lin Ran smiled and, without hesitation, took out his checkbook from the study, quickly wrote a check for ten million yen, and handed it to Ai.

Xiao Ai took the check, examined it carefully, and confirmed that it was correct.

"It's a pleasure doing business with you." She carefully put the check away, then picked up the huge gift box and shoved it into Lin Ran's arms. "It's yours!"

After saying that, she turned around, took short strides, and ran upstairs, probably to hide her "spoils of war".

Mingmei watched this scene, stroking her chin, her gaze following her sister's retreating figure thoughtfully. Then she put down her shopping basket, smiled, and followed her upstairs.

Why do kids need so much money?

Her younger sister is so old, she probably has never experienced having her parents "keep money in her care" before. As a good older sister, she should give her younger sister a complete childhood experience.

Lin Ran noticed Mingmei's actions and silently mourned for Ai for a fraction of a second in her heart, but she had no intention of stopping her at all, and even wanted to laugh a little.

He turned his gaze back to the heavy gift box in his arms.

I put the box back on the coffee table, opened it, and reached inside to rummage through it. Besides the gorgeous purple main dress, there was indeed a matching set underneath—

A pair of purple high heels inlaid with shattered crystals.

A set of platinum jewelry inlaid with amethyst.

A pair of long white silk gloves.

As he flipped through the pages, he suddenly stopped.

"Um?"

What did he see?

Inside the gift box, besides matching shoes, jewelry, and gloves, there was even... a private lingerie set carefully wrapped in purple silk, and the size...

Lin Ran blinked. Hmm, the movie queen's figure is indeed very well-endowed.

At the same time, looking at these "complete" accessories, a wicked image subconsciously flashed through his mind:

These items—dresses, shoes, jewelry, gloves, underwear—were separated and neatly arranged to the side…all that was missing was a former international film star striking a classic dogeza pose.

"Tsk~"

Lin Ran clicked his tongue, shook his head, and shook off the dangerous images in his mind. How could he, a literary giant of his generation, be such a person?

Conan, are you really not afraid of death?! You actually dare to sell this?

He strongly suspected that when the famous detective stole the gift box from the house, he didn't even bother to check what was inside. He simply moved the whole box over and handed it over to Ai.

If Yukiko herself finds out...

The scene was so beautiful, it was definitely going to be a "mother's love and filial piety", "the iron fist of justice", or "the end of the great detective"!

But what does this have to do with him?

He bought it "legitimately" with real money.

Transactions are voluntary, and there is no deception between the young and the old.

Lin Ran was in a good mood as she folded and wrapped the dress and all the accessories, put them back in the box, and closed the lid.

Although it may not be needed for the time being, it is, after all, a classic costume of a former international film queen, and it even comes with a complete set of private underwear. Its collectible value and commemorative significance are absolutely real.

It's great to keep it at home to ward off evil spirits, or perhaps one day have the chance to meet Yukiko herself and take it out to "admire" her... cough cough, to exchange collecting experiences.

(Fujimine Yukiko: Hayashi Ran-kun, please return my things! The price is negotiable!)

Lin Ran: Madam, you wouldn't want your husband to know that your personal dresses and sexy lingerie were sold to other men by your son, would you?

"Hmm, not bad, the money was well spent."

Thinking of that scene, Lin Ran nodded with satisfaction, humming a little tune, and went upstairs with the gift box containing the former national goddess's "secret".

We need to find a good place to put it.

In the future, his "kind-hearted" little girl will probably "collect" a lot of good things from the famous detective, and he can set aside a room specifically to store these collectibles.

As she walked and pondered, Lin Ran had already begun to quietly make plans.

Upstairs, Xiao Ai's "indignant" cry could be faintly heard: "Sister! That's my money! I earned it myself!"

And Akemi's gentle, smiling voice said, "Shiho, it's not safe for a little kid to carry so much money. I'll keep it for you and give it back to you when you grow up."

"I've grown up! I'm an adult now!"

"But in my older sister's eyes, Shiho is just a little kid, sweetie~"

Lin Ran, who was passing by, heard the "sisterly affection" playing in the room and her smile became even brighter.

Today was another fruitful day.