No one understands the laws of Collider better than me.

Vermouth smiled, but for some reason seemed a little lonely.

"Forget about the past, what I want to ask you is—that girl's real identity should be Shiho Miyano, right?"

Kitahara Masaki wasn't too surprised. After all, Vermouth, whose acting skills were already at their peak, couldn't possibly not see through Ai's disguise. Moreover, during the incident when Kitahara Masaki was trapped in the garage, the abilities and mindset that Ai displayed were not what a first-grader should have. It could be said that she was blinded by concern. She didn't hide her abilities in front of Evelyn and Koshimizu Nanatsuki, probably because Kitahara Masaki chose to believe them. As a result, Ai didn't act like a happy elementary school student in front of these two people as usual.

"Yes, that's Shiho Miyano. She shrunk after taking the drug she developed herself."

Aren't you going to ask me if I'll tell the organization?

"If I asked such a stupid question, you would probably really be disappointed in me."

The two walked slowly down the street, and the atmosphere quickly returned to its former harmonious state.

Chapter 237 Detective Mika, Seriously Solving Cases!

"Not enough money?"

"Yes, it should be said that it is safe. They won't be able to trace us. We don't have much money left, because you brought more than 20 people who escaped from prison to Tokyo. Most of them are just doing odd jobs now, completely idle. Some of them have thought about finding a formal job, but because Vermouth still has evidence of their crimes, they have given up on that idea."

Having understood the cause and effect, Kitahara Masaki naturally wouldn't allow this group to join casually.

Kitahara Masaki thought for a moment and said:

"Let's start a company. Find a smart person from there to be the president."

"A company? That's fine too. A company that only has them can allow them to monitor each other and provide alibis. But what kind of company would be best to choose now?"

"Heh, have them collect information on all the detectives in Japan, compile statistics on the cases they've solved, and finally categorize them..."

Vermouth immediately understood what Kitahara Masaki wanted to do.

"You're going to start a detective agency!"

Yes! Vermouth suddenly realized something—Japan has many detectives, but their detective agencies are very scattered, and many detectives don't know how to run their own businesses, so they often rely on word of mouth to promote their work.

Of course, some people create home pages online, but the shoddy work they do is naturally no match for the work of a professional team.

In other words, this kind of company has a promising future!

After all, solving cases in Japan still relies on detectives. Although Tokyo has Masaki Kitahara who can solve cases quickly, it's clear to anyone with eyes that other regions rely on detectives to solve cases.

Why is Kitahara Masaki able to become a famous police officer? Besides his good looks, his ability to solve cases is the real reason why people are willing to call him a famous police officer.

After Kitahara Masaki made up his mind, Vermouth naturally went down to give instructions to those guys.

Kitahara Masaki is much busier than before, as he handles most of the major cases in the First Criminal Investigation Division, often involving various politicians and conglomerates. The effort required to navigate these complexities is considerable. However, this has also allowed him to get to know many high-ranking officials, perhaps something the police leadership is happy to see, or a stance they want to convey—we can be friends, but we also have investigators who dare to arrest you.

However, some things haven't changed—for example, Inspector Megure.

"Brother Kitahara! Another case! That Mori guy is at the scene again!"

Kitahara Masaki was overjoyed when he heard this. Uncle Mori probably doesn't know that he's the last person Inspector Megure wants to see.

Upon arriving at the scene, they saw the corpse in the study holding something called a hu (a long, narrow tablet held by emperors and their officials when they met in court in ancient times). It should have been a message of death, but it was strange that the corpse was holding such a strange object instead of writing a letter in blood...

These victims did this just to satisfy Conan's desire for deduction, right?

"So? Who is this old gentleman?"

"The deceased's name was Osamu Umezu, a famous mystery novelist. I was planning to visit him to thank him for the autographed novel he gave me a few days ago, but then Mr. Mikami, the deceased's secretary, and I discovered the body. The room was a locked room, and there was writing on the computer screen that looked like a suicide note. However, Mr. Umezu most likely died from drinking coffee laced with cyanide. Damn it! I'll risk my reputation as a famous detective to find the murderer!"

Conan was listening to Uncle Mori summarize the case and didn't think much of it, but then he suddenly said something like this, in the name of the famous detective: "Most of the murder cases you've solved were solved with the help of me, your son-in-law!"

However, when Conan turned to Kitahara Masaki to confirm, he only saw Kitahara Masaki make a "please" gesture. Anyway, this was an indoor mystery, so no busybody reporters or passersby would take pictures.

Having received permission, Conan roused himself once more, wearing those glasses that resembled those of the 'Faceless Man' and looking around.

Detective Mikasa, solving cases with utmost seriousness!

Kitahara Masaki, on the other hand, sat down on the sofa and began to think about the funding issues of his organization. That was what he needed to focus on most right now. The current case was just a simple three-way choice, and he figured Conan could finish it in an hour.

Kitahara Masaki glanced at the three suspects, then looked away. They were the deceased's secretary, Mr. Mikami; the deceased's apprentice, Ms. Araki; and the deceased's son, Mr. Takashi.

Uncle Mori, also intrigued, pointed to the scepter held in the deceased's hand and asked what it meant. The secretary, Mr. Mikami, replied:

"This was a gift from a fan to the teacher, wishing the teacher success on the road to the thirteenth step and winning the Japanese literary award. The scepter is made of yew wood, and according to the pronunciation, it can also be written as 'first place'."

After listening, Conan continued to examine the body and noticed blood seeping from the back of the skull, indicating the victim had likely hit a nearby metal trash can, which also contained traces of blood. The only item on the deceased was a bottle of chewing gum, which was understandable given it was found in their own home.

Next, we observed the scene. The body was lying next to the desk, which was against the window. On the wall next to the window, the tape on the corner of the calendar had been torn off and then stuck back on. The tape on that corner was bulging in the middle, which was probably because something had been pulled out from the middle.

Then, the original manuscript written by the deceased was left on the table.

The original manuscript stated:

"It's just a ridiculous mechanism that's not worth mentioning at all. Everyone sees it but no one notices it. I always hide my own unique fun in my works."

Hmm... I don't understand. What exactly is this ridiculous mechanism of the deceased? It must be some kind of word game, but the books on the bookshelf are all his own writings.

Finally, they observed the suspects. When Conan and Mori came up together, they were with Mikami. However, Mikami did not bring the key, and the remaining key was left on the desk. But this only shows that Mikami did not bring the key, and does not prove that it is a locked room. After all, Mikami could enter by simply knocking on the door, while the other two suspects had the key.

Uncle Mori and Conan basically recorded these clues at the same time. Then Uncle Mori began to deduce that the murderer was Ms. Araki because the deceased might have plagiarized her work. However, after investigation, it was found that Ms. Araki was really just an apprentice who had only been there for a few weeks. Before becoming an apprentice, she was a rich young lady, and becoming an apprentice of a famous writer was just out of interest. She had no reason to kill anyone.

Then Uncle Mori pointed the finger at the deceased's son, saying that he would do anything to get drugs. However, after investigating, Takagi discovered that this filial son had an alibi—he had taken his father's money to buy drugs again.

Kitahara Masaki, listening from the side, almost burst out laughing. "That was a brilliant move—the Mori elimination method!"

Chapter 238 Mihua's Filial Son, Crazyly Courting Death

"Hey kid, the only culprit can be that secretary—Mr. Mikami. Have you found any evidence?"

Conan was shocked when he heard Kitahara Masaki make such a statement. Kitahara Masaki had not seriously examined the body and the surrounding environment since he entered the scene, but he still managed to identify the murderer in one sentence!

What incredible observational skills! Damn it, is it only Dad who can beat him?

"Sigh, I want to go up to the rooftop and take a look."

Dejected, Conan walked up to the rooftop, not to jump, but to check if any threads had left marks on the railing.

After noticing the scratch marks on the rooftop railing directly above the deceased's room, Conan skillfully and quickly drugged Uncle Mori and then revealed the truth:

"You're the murderer, Mr. Mikami! You first went to the rooftop railing and lowered a rope that reached just to this room. Then you knocked on the door and asked the victim to let you in. Next, you secretly put the poison you had prepared into the victim's coffee. The victim then bumped into a trash can after taking the poison. Finally, you pulled the rope from the roof into the room and sealed it with tape from the corner of a calendar. After locking the door and leaving, you went back to the rooftop, threaded the rope through the keychain, let the key slide into the room, and then gently pulled the rope out. You used this method to create a locked room illusion, trying to make others think you didn't have the key. But you were an acquaintance of the deceased; whether you had the key or not made no difference."

Conan looked at this self-proclaimed clever murderer with a speechless expression, because he was clearly the victim's secretary, and it would be easy for him to enter his room. Even if he didn't have a key, it was not a reason for him not to be the murderer.

"Where's the evidence? Without evidence, nothing can be proven!"

It's time to ask for a hammer and get a hammer again.

"The victim held the tablet upside down to remind me of something. First, let's look at the original manuscript of the victim's novel, which contains the line 'Everyone has seen it, but no one has discovered the pleasure that belongs only to me.' Then, let's look at the titles of the books on the victim's bookshelf. They read the same forwards and backwards, which is called a palindrome—and Mr. Mikami, your surname 'Mikami' is also a palindrome!"

"Mr. Mori, what I need is evidence! I don't have any..."

"The evidence is in this room!"

Conan was a little angry that his deduction had been interrupted. He was clearly interpreting the message of death, but the murderer was still 'desperate for death'. So, since he was being so kind, he would naturally help him out.

“Mr. Mikami, you must have noticed it yourself, right? One of the buttons on your coat is missing. If your button is found at the scene, it would be crucial evidence. I think someone like the victim, who always carries a bottle of chewing gum with him at home, would have stuck the button nearby so you couldn't find it. Takagi, Chiba, search carefully, the evidence must be nearby.”

Indeed, the button stuck to the chewing gum was found under the sofa. This completely silenced Mr. Mikami, who wanted to slap himself. He had thought that Kitahara Masaki, who was sitting silently to the side, was just a pretty face, and that the stupid-looking uncle was just an acquaintance of the police. But Conan dealt with him in one fell swoop, and he was dragged away by Director Megure to get his lunchbox before he could even finish his lines.

At this moment, Kitahara Masaki stood up and applauded. After all, it would be beneficial to build a good relationship with Uncle Mori. So when Uncle Mori said he would stake his detective career, Kitahara Masaki had already handed the case over to Conan, the anesthesiologist.

Moreover, the already somewhat tight funding problem has been temporarily resolved.

"Hahaha!!! I already told you I'm not the murderer! I'm so lucky today, my dad's dead, and all his inheritance is mine, hahahaha!!!"

The son who was supposed to be a filial son was naturally the deceased's biological son. However, after dyeing his hair yellow, he looked like a street thug. His words also made people frown. Even if he would be sent to jail for drug use, as the deceased's direct relative, the inheritance would naturally go to him.

However, after carefully reviewing his information, Kitahara Masaki had already prepared a scam specifically targeting drug addicts like him, so that he would willingly hand over his legally inherited estate to Kitahara Masaki.

"Takagi, how much was the victim's estate?"

"Ah—we haven't counted yet, but the deceased was a famous writer who earned a lot of royalties every year, so even without considering fixed assets like houses, his income must be at least tens of millions."

"Heh, what a waste of a good-for-nothing."

Haha—

Takagi smiled ingratiatingly; he wouldn't dare to openly criticize on the spot. Only a policeman like Kitahara Masaki, with his multiple backgrounds, would dare to do that.

After the man who brought his filial son into the detention center, Kitahara Masaki immediately notified Vermouth to carry out a certain plan, a plan that would make that blond-haired man squander all his family's wealth.

First, while he was still in detention, Kitahara Masaki pretended to be a lawyer who had previously worked with his father and told him that the transfer of the estate would require a certain fee. He also told him that if he wanted to get out quickly, he would have to pay another lawyer's fee. Sure enough, the idiot paid the money without thinking when he still had a lot of assets, acting like he was rich. This way, he was given five million.

Then, after he was released, when he planned to move directly into his father's luxury apartment, Kitahara Masaki, posing as the building manager, told him that the police had found drugs he had left behind in the apartment, so they had to be sealed up until the case was closed. Not wanting to go to the police station again, the blond-haired guy didn't think much of it and sold the apartment at a low price. The real estate agent in charge was, of course, also Kitahara Masaki in disguise.

Next, Kitahara Masaki disguised himself as various characters, such as a drug dealer, a police officer, and a yakuza thug, using various rhetoric and drugs to lead the filial son with blond hair step by step into the abyss. In just one month, he had legally spent tens of millions of dollars in assets and two luxury villas. By the time the boy realized that someone was targeting him, Kitahara Masaki had already transferred the money in the financial market and turned it into the start-up capital for a "detective agency" company.

Seeing that the blond-haired man had become destitute again, Kitahara Masaki anonymously sent all the evidence he had gathered to the Metropolitan Police Department, causing the police to arrest him again.

This is what it means to remember the well-digger when you drink the water.

Chapter 239 Detective Guild

Thanks to Huang Mao's honest donation, it had absolutely no connection with Kitahara Masaki, but in reality, it was Kitahara Masaki's detective agency that opened.

Because of the case files secretly provided by Kitahara Masaki, it is basically possible to clearly see the number of cases solved by the detectives, their biases, and how the people involved in the cases evaluate the detectives. After that, we contacted people from various detective agencies and asked them to come and register their information if they were interested. Then the company can assign them cases.

Moreover, the agency fee initially set by this company was not high, so many detectives were very interested in it, especially Hattori and Conan. After seeing the advertisement online, the company contacted them as well. Although they were just high school students, having famous high school detectives come to support them was a good way to promote the company.

Of course, Shinichi Kudo never showed up in the end; the 'Detective Guild' only got Heiji Hattori and a bespectacled kid.

"Detective Guild? Your company's boss must be a young person, right? Did you come up with the name from a light novel?"

"Haha, it's a pity I'm not a young person, but the inspiration did come from a light novel that was prominently displayed in a bookstore."

The middle-aged man who spoke to Heiji Hattori was the company president that Masaki Kitahara and Vermouth had finalized together. His name was Kirito Yokota. He was previously the president of an advertising company, but he lost the company because he was framed by one of his subordinates. When he went to confront that subordinate, a dispute ensued, resulting in the death of that former subordinate—of course, this was only part of the truth that the local police investigation had uncovered.

The whole truth is that the man had already been pushed to the ground and hit his head by his girlfriend that day, so it was unreasonable to make President Yokota take full responsibility. It was only after Vermouth disguised herself as a detective that she was able to rescue him.

Such a person could not possibly become a 'combatant,' but his experience perfectly explains why he founded a detective company, since he was saved by a 'detective.'

And now, this president with a 'suitable resume' has been placed in the position of president of this agency. He has indeed done a good job, managing many things very well, and even meeting Kitahara Masaki's 'rating' level, which is the same as the rating of adventurers in the guilds that participate in isekai novels.

There are four detectives who have received an S-rank rating in homicide cases: Shinichi Kudo, Heiji Hattori, Saguru Hakuba, and Nanatsuki Koshimizu. However, Shinichi Kudo is listed as someone whose whereabouts are unknown, Nanatsuki Koshimizu has joined the police force, and the remaining two are just high school students. Therefore, listing them is only for reference and does not mean that they have joined the company.

Even so, seeing that detectives had another way to 'become famous' without the media, many detectives came to sign up. Soon, most detectives in Tokyo had been recorded, while Kitahara Masaki was watching these files behind the scenes, so that he could prepare in advance if he encountered these people in the future. After all, detectives in the world of Detective Conan all possess some kind of mystical energy.

Koshimizu Nanatsuki, who was listed as an 'S-class murder case', hadn't yet looked into the company. She was waving to the building manager, an elderly woman who had helped Koshimizu a lot in a previous case. So, after hearing the old woman's complaints, she immediately came to the building.

"Grandma Hejiang!"