The cross-dressing master in the world of Detective Conan

"Hey, isn't this Xiaolan? Why are you in such a hurry?"

It was rare to see the gentle Ran in such a hurry, and Kaoru Kazama thought that someone had sent Kogoro Mouri another bomb threat or challenge.

"Oh, it's Officer Kazama. I'm sorry, we're going to be late for school. Let's talk again next time we meet."

Ran only stopped to greet Kaoru Kazama in her haste when she saw him, before rushing off towards Teitan High School.

"Wait a minute, Xiaolan, you seem to be in such a hurry. How about I drive you to school? It's on my way anyway."

"Is this...is this okay?"

Xiaolan listened to what he said, but she hesitated a bit. After all, she and Kazama Kaoru were not very familiar with each other, so she was a little embarrassed.

"This must be Sonoko, right? You don't need to be so formal with me. Actually, I'm not much older than you. I'm only nineteen years old today."

"Oh no, Officer Kazama, you're already a police inspector at the Metropolitan Police Department at just nineteen?"

Sonoko was surprised when she heard this. She noticed the police badge on Kaoru Kazama's shoulder. Generally, police inspectors have at least ten years of work experience or are top students from police academies who have passed the exam to become inspectors. No matter which route, nineteen years old is too young.

"Aren't you guys worried? It looks like you're about to miss class!"

Seeing the two girls looking at him with curious eyes, Kaoru Kazama "kindly" reminded them:

"Oh really, this is bad. It seems we'll have to trouble you to give us a ride. I'm so sorry, Officer Kazama."

"Don't be so polite. Detective Mouri is my senior, Ran. You don't need to be so formal."

Although I don't particularly like Conan's smug personality, I still admire Kaoru Kazama's angelic kindness, especially Ran. It's rare to have a childhood friend like that in life, but some people just don't appreciate it.

"Then I'll call you Sister Xiao Xun, hehe."

Compared to the shy Ran, Sonoko Suzuki, the heiress born into the Suzuki Group, is much better at socializing. Although she doesn't have the airs of a rich girl, she has indeed received an elite education. With just a few jokes, she has quickly brought the people closer together.

"By the way, Sister Xiaoxun, which school did you graduate from? Could you give me and Xiaolan some advice? After all, we are already in our second year of high school, and we will be taking the college entrance exam in another year."

Students across Asia face considerable pressure, particularly in China and Japan. While elementary and middle school in Japan are quite relaxed, and even a large club culture has developed, students in anime seem to be doing nothing serious.

However, given the island nation's strong emphasis on academic qualifications and its persistently high admission scores, it's clear that the academic pressure here is far from easy.

Upon hearing Sonoko's question, Kaoru Kazama slowly recalled this body's educational experiences.

Although this body was created for him by the system, he still had relevant life experiences. However, the memories of things he had not personally experienced were stored deep in his cerebral cortex, just like when he lived on Earth, he had an account managed by the Conan world.

"My experience is probably a bit different from yours. I was admitted to Teitan High School in junior high school, and then I completed three years of study in one year and was admitted to the psychology major at the University of Tokyo. That's why I started working so early. But if I had to choose, I would rather study for a few more years. After all, the time in school is the most carefree."

When he recalled his school memories, even Kazama Kaoru was taken aback. He hadn't expected the original owner of this body to be so amazing. It seemed that he, a lazy bum, had been holding back his talents.

Even Kaoru Kazama herself was incredibly surprised, let alone Ran and Sonoko, who were practically starry-eyed fangirls.

"I never expected you to be so amazing, Xiao Xun, that you were able to get into the University of Tokyo through a special recommendation. I never even dared to dream of it. I know absolutely nothing about studying, but Xiao Lan still has a better chance."

"No, no, don't joke around, Sonoko. Only a handful of students from our school get into the University of Tokyo each year. How could I possibly be there?"

Kaoru Kazama watched the two girls teasing and joking, and her heart seemed to fly back to her youthful student days. It's true that being with young people makes you feel young too.

That's probably a feeling of girlish heart reviving, but Kaoru Kazama would never admit it, not even if you beat her to death.

Although he seemed a bit old-fashioned, considering his previous life, he was indeed nearly forty years old. With dual memories, his student days seemed so distant, making him sigh at the fleeting nature of time.

"Alright, we've arrived at Teitan High School. You guys should hurry up and go, or it'll be too late."

Seeing the two girls chatting away, Kaoru Kazama smiled helplessly. Girls of this age are truly carefree.

"Thank you so much, Sister Xiaoxun. We would definitely be late if it weren't for you."

"Thank you so much, Sister Xiaoxun, for your kindness. Otherwise, Xiaolan and I would definitely have been punished by standing in the corner. We'll be going now, but we'll treat you to a meal next time. Bye-bye."

As soon as she said this, Xiaolan pulled Yuanzi away and ran off, still as energetic and lively as ever.

"Alright, I should go to work now. So I used to be a super academic genius? Well, even if I'm going to be a salted fish, I'll be the saltiest one."

Although he felt a momentary sense of感慨 (gǎnkǎi, mixed feelings), he clearly did not reflect on his lazy lifestyle at all. However, he was quite concerned about the invitation letter that Hatamoto Natsue had sent him earlier.

After arriving at the Metropolitan Police Department, he took out the invitation letter to take a look, especially at the handwriting, which was delicate and elegant, clearly written by a girl. It was probably Hatamoto Natsue herself.

"The Hatamoto family, huh? Seems like it's quite chaotic."

Because he remembered the plot, Kaoru Kazama's thoughts became much clearer. Although receiving the invitation suddenly caught him off guard, it was still within his tolerance.

The Hatamoto family is a family-run business, as is the case with most large corporations. However, unlike other companies, this company does not have so-called shareholders. There are quite a few shareholders who invest and wait for dividends, but none of them are able to participate in high-level meetings.

Everything in this company is decided by the head of the Hatamoto family, who is also the chairman of Hatamoto Enterprises. It is a company with a very patriarchal style. Hatamoto Gozo is also a very autocratic person. Both the family and the company are clearly dominated by one person.

The advantages of this system are obvious. In a company, there will be no infighting among directors that leads to organizational disorder and unclear authority. As a large enterprise, its execution is quite excellent. However, when this kind of authoritarianism is brought into the home, it will inevitably lead to a tense atmosphere and may also leave behind various hidden dangers.

Kaoru Kazama was considering this matter, and in the end he decided to go. Other people's family affairs were none of his business as an outsider. On the contrary, taking a cruise ship out to sea was something that excited him. He had never experienced what it was like to ride a cruise ship before, so he was inevitably a little curious.

"Well, consider it a vacation."

Kaoru Kazama took the invitation letter and asked Inspector Megure for three days off. The timing was perfect, right at the beginning of the month, before he had used up his leave. With such a legitimate reason, even if Inspector Megure was unhappy, there was nothing he could do.

Chapter 58 An Encounter with the Grim Reaper Trio

On this vast ocean, everything seems tiny. In the bay of Maizuru Port in the island nation, a cruise ship with a magnificent appearance and an air of nouveau riche is sailing on the sea.

"So this is what it feels like to ride a cruise ship? It doesn't seem that great."

Fortunately, Kaoru Kazama doesn't suffer from seasickness, otherwise this trip would have been unbearable for him.

Heaven knows how he dealt with the enthusiastic Hatamoto Natsue. Before the family upheaval, she was undoubtedly a lively and sunny girl, as innocent and kind as Ran. Otherwise, her cousin wouldn't have been secretly in love with her.

"She really does have a bit of an angelic feel to her."

Kaoru Kazama held his cup, sipping his drink slowly while admiring Natsue Hatamoto bathed in sunlight, feeling a sense of "the more you look at a beautiful woman under the lamplight, the more radiant she becomes."

Of course, he was much bolder than Hatamoto Natsue's timid cousin who secretly loved her but dared not confess and could only secretly draw pictures of her.

"Xiao Xun, how are you? Are you adjusting well? Are you feeling alright?"

Hatamoto Natsue had just finished explaining company matters to her grandfather when she came to the deck, where, unsurprisingly, she saw Kazama Kaoru admiring the scenery.

"I'm fine, I haven't even congratulated you yet, and you're already engaged in the blink of an eye. Time really flies, it feels like my memories are still stuck in my school days."

At this crucial moment, the all-powerful cheat system naturally wouldn't fail. Before arriving, it retrieved Kazama Kaoru's memories of Hatamoto Natsue. The two of them were probably like best friends, but best friends who could go three months without contacting each other felt like a fake sisterhood.

"Yes, I often think back to our school days. Those were truly carefree times."

Upon hearing this, Hatamoto Natsue's eyes also filled with a sense of reminiscence. No matter what, reminiscing about the past together is never a bad thing.

"Your family's cruise ship is really luxurious. Back when you were in school, you didn't act like a rich girl at all. I wonder how heartbroken those guys would be if they knew that they didn't try to seduce you, the rich girl."

Kazama Kaoru's eyes were filled with amusement. It seemed that this body had been a cross-dressing master since his student days. If it were written into a novel, that volume should be called "The Cross-Dressing Master's First Steps to Adulthood".

His relationship with Hatamoto Natsue has a bit of the feel of Ran and Sonoko, both being pairings of a rich heiress and an ordinary "girl" (who is actually a cross-dresser).

However, Hatamoto Natsue was much more low-key than Suzuki Sonoko. Even her classmates never knew that the unassuming girl was actually a rich heiress.

"Oh my, who is this? Xia Jiang, how could you let such an ordinary person onto our luxurious cruise ship? Don't you know this will bring shame to the Hatamoto family?"

A harsh, grating voice rang out from the surroundings. It was Xia Jiang's older sister, Qiu Jiang, who had short, light yellow hair, wore flesh-colored lipstick, and carried a Hermes bag. Needless to say, she was dressed head to toe in designer brands.

He was actually quite good-looking, but his nouveau riche outfit and the mean look in his eyes dragged down his overall appearance and gave him a greasy vibe.

Kaoru Kazama found it quite amusing. So this wasn't just an anime world, but also included a plot of showing off and getting slapped in the face?

For a lifelong otaku, this kind of plot is naturally all too familiar. The female supporting character shows him contempt, isn't that enough? Our Kazama Salty Fish has long been determined to be the saltiest salty fish. As for typical urban plots like showing off and getting slapped in the face, this anime salty fish just can't muster any interest.

"Shut up, sister. Xiao Xun is my good friend. I invited her to visit. Watch your words. Your attitude will only make our Hatamoto family lose face."

"Tch, she's just relying on the old man's favor. She's nothing but a pretentious little woman. Long Nan, are you dead? Can't you say a word for me?"

Upon hearing Xia Jiang's rebuttal, Akie Hatamoto reacted as if she had been humiliated. Her eyes blazed with fury, and after arrogantly showing Xia Jiang disdain, she turned and roared at the man with an afro and sunglasses standing beside her:

"Why are you yelling? You're just asking for trouble."

However, the guy with the afro was clearly engrossed in Kazama Kaoru's "beauty." After being interrupted by Hatamoto Akie, his expression immediately turned cold, and he started fighting like dogs.

Kazama Kaoru had absolutely no interest in this scene. He simply pulled Hatamoto Natsue away and walked away. He had noticed the lewd and explosive man's gaze long ago, but he hadn't spoken up to stop it because he was waiting for this dog-eat-dog scene to unfold.

Now that our goal has been achieved, there's no need to stay here and watch them fight like dogs.

"Xiao Xun, I'm so sorry to have dragged you into this, making you suffer for no reason."

Xia Jiang followed Kazama Kaoru for a long time, still brooding over what had just happened. He kept apologizing to Kazama Kaoru, his face still showing an indignant expression, which looked quite cute.

"It's alright. Everyone has a few difficult relatives in life. Just let it go. Instead of getting entangled with them, you might as well enjoy the scenery."

Kazama Kaoru pulled Hatamoto Natsue directly to the other side of the cruise ship. One obvious advantage of this type of luxury cruise ship is that it is big enough that once you walk to one side, you can stop seeing those people who are in your way.

While enjoying the sea breeze on the deck and feeling the softness of Hatamoto Natsue's small hands, I felt incredibly happy. This was a perfectly legitimate way of taking advantage of her, but unfortunately, she was already taken.

With a slight sense of regret, Kaoru Kazama felt a little strange. Apart from meeting Hatamoto Natsue's fiancé, Kotake, once when he first received the invitation and boarded the ship, he was still a bit disappointed.

And then, for so long now, I haven't seen her at all. What's even stranger is that Hatamoto Natsue, who is supposed to be the main character of this engagement, has been spending all her time with me, an unrelated person. This is even stranger.

However, with such a gentle girl by his side, he wouldn't say anything even if it seemed strange. After all, he wouldn't lose out, and who knows, the young couple might even have a falling out.

Just as Kaoru Kazama was enjoying the scenery with the cute girl, they passed by a popular scenic island. As a result, the sharp-eyed Kaoru Kazama spotted the people he least wanted to see when he was out and about—the Grim Reaper trio.

"Hey, isn't that Inspector Kazama?"

Kazama Kaoru knew without a doubt that this was a blunder orchestrated by Kogoro Mouri. The last ferry back to Tokyo had already left by now, and the three of them were still stuck here, so they were definitely going to be late.

"Ran, Mori-senpai, and Conan, what are you doing here?"

Although he had already guessed the truth, he still had to keep up the act. Kazama Kaoru was frantically thinking about how to take Ran away and leave these two guys who were known to cause death wherever they went.

"What, Xiao Xun, do you know them?"

Hatamoto Natsue, who was standing to the side, also noticed this and asked curiously:

"The ships that go back have already left by now. Why don't we take this ship instead? It's just our family here anyway, it'll be more lively with more people."

"But is this really a good idea? Won't it cause you trouble?"

Kaoru Kazama has just witnessed the power struggles within the Conan world. Although it's not mind-bending, it's still quite annoying. This might cause trouble for those awful relatives again.

"It's alright, Grandpa won't say anything."

Hatamoto Natsue was indeed very gentle and kind; before Kazama Kaoru could say anything, she had already stopped the boat and welcomed Mori and his group aboard.

Even without Kaoru Kazama's connection, I guess he would have taken the Mori group along if he saw them on the road. It's just a pity that taking Ran along is fine, but with two Shinigami added on, he can only wait for them to repay kindness with enmity.

Chapter 59 A Family Doomed Sooner or Later