Conan, I'm an actor

"perjury?"

“Jiang Xiaobai’s faked death was confirmed by Vermouth and Calvados. Cognac and bourbon are enough to confirm the death of an organization member.” Shinjo walked towards the door. “She was just a low-level organization member. As long as she didn’t go back to Japan, she could live openly in the sunlight. The premise is that Gin doesn’t run around. If she is caught by Gin and Vodka, then it’s her own bad luck.”

“Okay! I’ll help you find him.” Shiho Miyano nodded.

“The third thing is to change Shinichi Kudo’s status to be dead. This shouldn’t be too difficult for you, right?” Shinjo said with a smile. “In return, I will provide your sister with some necessary living supplies so that she can live a stable life after leaving the organization.”

"Shinichi Kudo isn't dead?" Shiho Miyano immediately grasped the key point.

“You could say that. By the way, here, take this.” Shinjo took out a box and placed it in front of Shiho Miyano. “If you’re desperate, you can use this. It’s gentler than the medicine you developed yourself.”

"what is this?"

“Besides the one in the organization, I have a complete copy of the technical data for White Dove Pharmaceuticals. You still have a long way to go to surpass your parents,” Shinjo said with a smile. “Go check out Vermouth’s two hidden identities, Sharon Vineyard and Chris Vineyard, and you’ll find out that she was a beneficiary of your parents’ drug, and of course, a victim as well.”

Chapter 41 Choosing Between Two Cases

As he left the Kudo residence, Shinjo glanced back at the white figure inside the door. Now that he knew so much, he thought, "Surely things will be quiet for a while."

After selecting the ingredients he needed for the day at the supermarket, he returned to the detective agency. As soon as he arrived, Koshimizu pressed him for details about the code, only to learn that the kidnapped Officer Yamabe had been rescued and the criminal gang had been apprehended.

"You didn't even look at the code, how did you know the answer? Conan told me that you saw through his reasoning and that's why you reminded him," Yue Shui said, somewhat agitated. "How did you determine that the target was the railway, not the highway?"

Xincheng sighed. This was what he feared most; he couldn't very well tell others that he had read the script.

After pondering for a moment, he glanced at Koshimizu Nanatsuki and said, “Beautiful Miss Koshimizu, aren’t you known as a famous detective? You can’t possibly not even solve such a simple problem, can you? No way, no way.”

Yue Shui was stunned for a moment, then instantly grabbed Xin Cheng's cheeks with both hands. "You bastard, don't you want to look in the mirror and see your disgusting face!"

"Stop, stop, stop, it hurts!" Shinjo gently patted Yue Shui's hand. "Let go, let go. You're overthinking it. Just enter the numbers into the calculator and look at them upside down."

"It's that simple?"

“It’s that simple.” Shinjo sighed. “Conan said that after he found those people, they left. The person who left the code didn’t have much time and couldn’t come up with a complicated code. Besides, he also had to consider that the person who found the calculator was a child or someone with a low IQ. Not encrypting it was the best way.”

Seeing Yue Shui contemplating life on the side, Xin Cheng breathed a sigh of relief and then began preparing dinner for the day.

The dishes, prepared with the expertise of a master chef, received unanimous praise. If Shinjo hadn't argued his case, the title of head chef of the Koshimizu Detective Agency would have fallen to him.

After dinner, Inspector Megure called to say that Inspector Yamabe's case had been solved and to thank him for his help, inviting him to a celebratory drink. Shinjo naturally agreed, but with Conan around, it was uncertain how long the celebration would be postponed.

Meanwhile, a case finally came to Yueshui, but this case was about an extramarital affair.

The client is Maru Denjiro, a moderately well-known antique collector. He commissioned Koshimizu to investigate whether his wife, Maru Inako, was having an affair.

Koshimizu didn't want to take on such a request, but the price offered by Mr. Marudenjiro was too high—a full 500,000 yen for the investigation—which made her hesitate.

“You’d better turn down Mr. Marudenjiro’s request,” Ochiai said suddenly after finishing his report to Shinjo.

"Does Mr. Ochiai know this Mr. Marudenjiro?" Koshimizu was taken aback.

She detected a sense of disgust and disdain in Ochiai's voice; it seemed he disliked Marudenjiro. Throughout her time with Mr. Ochiai, he had always appeared as a kind and gentle man, never so openly expressing his aversion.

“I apologize, I had some personal feelings involved.” Ochiai coughed. “This Maru Denjiro is a wealthy guy in the antique collecting circle. He collects things by any means necessary, and he has a very bad habit of embezzling collateral.”

"The collateral... isn't he a collector?"

“He lends money to people who need it, asking them to use their family’s antiques as collateral. When it’s time to repay, he tells them the collateral has been sold, and the money is used as interest. If the other party is stubborn, he will offer an extremely low price and force them to buy and sell. Because of this, he has gotten into several lawsuits,” Ochiai said seriously. “But this is just a matter of character; this guy is still very generous when it comes to paying.”

"This..." Yue Shui was at a loss for what to do.

Although Ochiai didn't say much, she could already tell that this was a client with extremely poor character. She wasn't short of money, and she was reluctant to take on cases from clients like this.

"If you don't want to take it, then don't. Anyway, our detective agency has already met its targets for the first half of the year," Shinjo said with a smile. "Don't forget, there are bonuses for the cases we solved for the Metropolitan Police Department, which is also part of the detective agency's income."

“That’s your income, not mine,” Yue Shui said seriously. “This case…”

“No, please. I have a case here that I need you to investigate.” Shinjo took a folder from his file bag and placed it in front of Koshimizu. “Matsumoto Sayuri, the daughter of Superintendent Matsumoto.”

"Are you sure? There's no reason to investigate the daughter of a superintendent of police?" Koshimizu was taken aback.

"And her boyfriend, Takasugi, and a traffic accident that occurred 20 years ago when Inspector Matsumoto was pursuing a fugitive," Shinjo said with a smile. "The reward is still 50 yen, how about it?"

"Do you know something?"

"I just learned some interesting information, so I thought I'd investigate it while I was at it." Shinjo shrugged. "Don't worry, I won't be paying for it. Someone else will. Don't worry."

Upon hearing that it wouldn't be Shinsei who would pay, Yue Shui no longer hesitated and accepted the case.

Back in his room, Shinjo took out a business card and dialed the number on it. A moment later, Vodka's voice came through the phone.

“It’s me, Cognac,” Xincheng said directly. “I’m looking for Gin.”

Vodka paused for a moment, then covered the receiver of the phone with his hand and said to Gin beside him, "It's Cognac on the phone. He wants to see you."

Vodka was also dumbfounded at this moment. Last time, this guy Cognac made a fool of them. Now he dares to come back. Isn't he afraid of them retaliating?

Gin picked up the phone and pressed the speakerphone button. "What is it?"

His upper body was wrapped in bandages. He had broken several ribs on Moonshadow Island, and the wound from his previous gunshot surgery had also reopened. According to the doctor, he needed to rest for a long time.

“I need you to introduce me to someone, Piske,” Newtown said directly.

"What are you doing?" Gin's eyes flashed with murderous intent.

Pisco is a founding member of the organization operating in Japan, and he is the head of the organization's members operating in Japan.

That old guy, relying on his seniority, has always looked down on Gin, while Gin believes Pisco is too old and his constant activity would be a hindrance. Cognac had just clashed with him, so siding with Pisco is understandable, but why did he make this call? Was it a provocation, a declaration of war, or something else entirely?

Chapter 42 Taking the Initiative to Meet Pisco

“I’ve been working at a detective agency recently and found out some interesting things, so I’d like to verify them,” Shinjo said with a smile. “I’m looking for him to get tickets to Superintendent Matsumoto’s daughter’s wedding. If you can get them, I’m open to it.”

Gin across from him fell silent instantly. His position within the organization certainly surpassed that of the old man, but outside the organization…

"I'll have Vodka arrange a meeting with him. Whether it works or not, I don't know. I won't get involved in your affairs, but you'd better not mess it up." Gin's voice was so cold it felt like ice crystals were forming.

"Are you scared?" Shinjo asked with a smile. "Scared that I and Pisco will team up?"

"I'm afraid you might accidentally kill yourself and then I won't be able to explain it to Vermouth," Gin said before hanging up the phone.

After turning off his phone, Shinjo sat down at his computer and began searching for information about Karasuma Renya's former residence.

The house, made entirely of pure gold, was simply too dazzling. The matter had been temporarily shelved due to funding issues. Now that he had reclaimed his property, he naturally wanted to find a way to acquire that pure gold house.

Of course, the most crucial reason is that the house was the former residence of Karasuma Renya. He didn't know how much Karasuma Renya sold it for, but the gold was worth tens of trillions of dollars.

Knowing that he had suffered such a huge loss, and that it was the organization members who benefited, if Karasuma Renya could still remain calm, Shinjo would truly admire his composure.

He might be able to get in touch with that boss through this opportunity.

The next day arrived in the blink of an eye. When Maru Denjiro learned that Koshimizu Nanatsuki was unwilling to take the case, his attitude became quite unfriendly. If Shinjo hadn't come downstairs with a knife, he might have started cursing in the detective agency.

As he left, Mr. Marudenjiro said he would tell his colleagues about his experience and spread the word so that the Koshimizu Detective Agency would have no business left. This infuriated Narumi, who was helping out at the detective agency, and she wanted to confront the old man.

"Don't be impulsive, there's no need to get angry with a dying person." Shinjo pressed down on Narumi's shoulder.

“But…” Narumi said, pointing to the spot where Maru Denjiro had disappeared, “he’s going to destroy the agency.”

"Don't worry, he can't destroy it. As long as I don't say the agency is closing down, no one dares to close it down. Even if the Superintendent General of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department came, it would be the same, let alone a Tom, Dick, or Harry who thinks he's something just because he has a little money." Shinjo patted Narumi on the shoulder, signaling him to relax.

“I’m starting to agree with what Mr. Ochiai said. That guy really is a scumbag.” Koshimizu picked up his coffee and took a sip. “Luckily, I didn’t take his case.”

"You're not worried at all about his smear campaign."

“I’ve handled thousands of cases. The reputation I’ve built from those cases can’t be erased by an unknown antique collector like him,” Yue Shui said, looking at Xin Cheng. “Even if the firm really has no business, don’t you still have me?”

Not long after, the phone at the Koshimizu Detective Agency rang. Koshimizu picked up the phone and answered it, but hung up after only saying a few words.

After hanging up the phone, Koshimizu said to Shinjo, "That Maru Denjiro went to the Mori Detective Agency. Just like he said before, he did his best to smear us with the Mori Detective Agency, which made the Mori Detective Agency a little hesitant to take on cases."

“This guy is too cautious. It’s just an investigation into infidelity. As long as he can make money, why does he care about our opinions?” Shinjo shrugged.

"He cares whether the client has a criminal record. Some clients have done very bad things, so some detective agencies will avoid cases involving these people to avoid trouble. After all, the fee for the job includes medical expenses, but nobody wants to spend money in the hospital."

The organization was very efficient; just a few hours later, Vodka called to say the appointment was successful. The meeting was scheduled for the day after tomorrow, when Kenzo Masuyama would go to one of his hospitals for a medical check-up to facilitate the meeting.

After informing the Cognac-loving vodka, he hung up the phone and said with some dissatisfaction, "Brother, why were you so polite to that guy, even if he's Vermouth's subordinate..."

“I’m just curious about what kind of sparks he and Pisco might create,” Gin said. “Besides, I recently found out something that’s been bothering me, so it wouldn’t be bad to let Pisco test his limits.”

"What's the matter?" Vodka asked curiously, and then he was met with a glare from Gin.

After staring at the vodka for a moment, Gin said, "Before Jiang Xiaobai defected from the organization, he sealed up more than $50 billion and more than 3000 billion yen in assets, as well as a large number of real estate properties in the United States and Japan, and distributed them to twelve law firms for safekeeping. In accordance with the agreement, the lawyers of one of the law firms handed over the assets to Tetsuo Shinjo last week, which is cognac."

"Does your brother suspect that Cognac is Jiang Xiaobai's man, and also a traitor to the organization?"

"I don't know. Vermouth can't know about this."

"clear."

On the other side, after receiving an appointment from Kenzo Masuyama, Shinjo called a law firm to schedule a meeting for the next day before going to rest.

The next morning at eight o'clock, Xincheng left home early, and no one knew where he went.

However, on this same day, a major news story broke in the financial world: a poor young man inherited shares in dozens of large companies, instantly becoming a tycoon. According to insiders, his net worth is likely to soar to the top of Japan's rich list.

At a construction site near Tokyo Bay, Professor Agasa, wearing a hard hat, kept wiping the sweat from his brow, while an engineer stood beside him.

"Dr. Agasa, I didn't expect there were people researching artificial intelligence in Japan," the blond engineer said with a smile.

"Also?" Dr. Agasa was taken aback. "Are there other people researching artificial intelligence?"

It's important to understand that artificial intelligence is currently a very niche field, although everyone knows it has a bright future and is a largely untapped market. However, the initial research and development investment in AI technology is enormous. Even large corporations are only willing to allocate a small portion of their funding to researchers, with the bulk of the funding going into the highly competitive market.

Aside from that nouveau riche Shinjo, Professor Agasa couldn't think of anyone else who would research this money-losing thing.

“Of course, the famous Mr. Syndra invested in an artificial intelligence project several years ago.” John sighed. “Unfortunately, the researcher he funded committed suicide by jumping off a building. That researcher, Hiroki, was a true genius.”

Chapter 43 The Collision of Two Base Spirits

"That's a real shame," Professor Agasa said with some regret. "By the way, what were the results of that project?"

As an employee of Xincheng, he still had to keep an eye on the project's prospects for the sake of his salary. After all, it was a matter of whether he could "have a full meal" or "have a full meal every day."

“During the time when Hiroki committed suicide, the entire research project did indeed come to a standstill. However, according to information revealed by Syndra and his research team, they have restarted the entire project.” Johnson shrugged. “Perhaps there will be results soon. Your employer didn’t enter the field too late, but unfortunately, he can only be a follower.”

"Being a pursuer isn't bad either; at least you can be number two."

"Dr. Agasa, I must remind you that this kind of game of capital usually only has one outcome: the winner takes all."

"I'm just a working person, it's useless for you to tell me this."