Conan, I'm an actor

“That’s right, I did it.” Takayama Toshihiko snorted.

"Why? Why! If you wanted revenge, why didn't you just kill me!" Inspector Matsumoto's hands trembled as he held the documents, his whole body shaking as he said, "Why did you do this to Sayuri!"

"If you were dead, how could you possibly understand the sorrow of losing a beloved family member? I'll make you experience the same feeling I had when I watched my mother slowly die by the roadside!" Takayama Toshihiko snorted. "But she was a foolish woman, completely unaware that my approach to her was solely for revenge! In my opinion, she was only after the Takasugi family's wealth..."

Before he could finish speaking, he was slapped across the face.

"You idiot, you don't know anything at all!" Sayuri's best friend, Takasugi Toshihiko's ex-girlfriend Ichimi, suddenly struck, slapping her ex-boyfriend hard across the face. "Sayuri knows everything, including the accident twenty years ago and your true identity."

"Impossible! This can't be true. If she knew the truth, how could she still marry me?" Takasugi Toshihiko said with a dark face. "You don't need to speak up for her!"

“Don’t you understand when you see Sayuri’s lemon tea? You’re Sayuri’s first love, the one she’s been longing for for 20 years.” Yi Mei said painfully, “Because Sayuri always said you looked so much like her, that’s why I investigated your background. After Sayuri accepted your proposal, she was very distressed because she didn’t know how to get your forgiveness. But she never expected you to be this kind of person.”

"Could it be..." Takasugi Toshihiko couldn't help but take two steps back, "This isn't real! This isn't real."

“Ms. Sayuri probably knew the drink was poisoned all along, and that’s why she let you leave first in order to create an alibi for you,” Conan said, looking at Toshihiko Takasugi. “She made you go to the ceremony first, and then drank that poisoned lemon tea.”

"This can't be real! How could she be so stupid!" Conan's finishing blow completely broke the groom.

"Now that the culprit has been caught, shouldn't we go to the hospital to check on him?" Inspector Megure said.

"Where's the car?"

"It's right outside."

"Then what are we waiting for!" Superintendent Matsumoto rushed out.

"Um, I'll drive." Inspector Megure, fearing that Inspector Matsumoto might cause a traffic accident in his current state, volunteered to drive. Before leaving, he glanced at everyone in the room and said, "There's still a car; anyone who wants to go can go."

A dozen minutes later, outside the hospital's emergency room, Inspector Matsumoto and Toshihiko Takasugi arrived almost simultaneously. They had clearly climbed the stairs, and both of them were exhausted, looking like dead dogs.

"I'm very sorry, and I'm very sorry..." Shinjo looked at Takasugi Toshihiko and Superintendent Matsumoto, who were trembling all over, and said with a serious expression, "The rescue results are not ideal. Please prepare your family members."

"How is Sayuri?" Inspector Matsumoto asked, gripping Shinjo's shoulder. "Didn't you give her first aid?"

Inspector Megure, Ran, Sonoko, Conan, and the others who followed behind were also startled by Shinjo's words.

“The patient has been resuscitated, but due to burns to the esophagus and vocal cords, the tone of voice will be affected, which is quite serious for a vocal teacher,” Shinjo said with a serious expression. “It will take at least several weeks to recover.”

Upon hearing the following words, everyone's expressions fell. They had thought that Ms. Matsumoto Sayuri was gone forever, but it turned out that she was only temporarily unable to speak, and her voice was affected.

Seeing the sly smile on Xincheng's face, they instantly realized that Xincheng had deliberately punctuated the sentence that way to make them nervous.

"What a nasty guy," Conan couldn't help but mutter.

The next second, he heard Shinjo's scream. Shinjo's face was completely contorted, and a sharp pain shot through his right abdomen.

"Remember to finish what you're saying next time!" Inspector Matsumoto said, supporting Shinjo. He was the one who had thrown that punch earlier. After a moment of silence, he said in a low voice, "Also, thank you."

"You're welcome. Remember to hit the left side next time," Shinjo said, grinning. "There's a metal plate on the left, it won't hurt..."

"I've got it." Matsumoto asked seriously, "How is Sayuri doing now?"

Just then, the emergency room door behind Shinjo opened, and Asano Minami walked out.

"Doctor, doctor, how is my daughter?" Inspector Matsumoto asked anxiously.

"There's no problem now, but she can't speak for the time being and needs an IV drip. She might develop electrolyte imbalance symptoms later, so she'll need to be hospitalized for observation for a while." Narumi looked at the burly man in front of her with some nervousness. "Ms. Matsumoto Sayuri needs some quiet right now."

"Okay, okay, I'll shut up now."

Looking at the father and daughter over there, Shinjo put his arm around Takasugi Toshihiko's shoulder and said, "Mr. Suspect, come with me now."

“Brother Shinjo, he…” Inspector Megure said nervously.

"Please, this is the only designated heir of the Takasugi Group. He can run away, but he can't hide. If he really runs away, go find the elders of the Takasugi family, they can definitely catch him." Shinjo shrugged. "I'm just taking him to handle some things. If you're worried, you can come along."

"Then I'll go with you." Inspector Megure sighed; he didn't want to stay here and incur his boss's wrath.

The three of them quickly got on the elevator.

Once the elevator doors closed, Inspector Megure immediately asked, "Hey Shinjo, were you having fun being cheeky? I was really worried you'd get beaten to death."

"Of course I'm happy. Back in police academy, this old guy always had a stern face and lectured me." Shinjo rubbed the spot where he had been hit. "I've been thinking about how to get revenge. Now, not only have I gotten my revenge, but he has to thank me."

"But you got punched."

"What does taking a punch matter compared to a successful revenge?"

Chapter 55 Takasugi Toshihiko's IOU

Shinjo stretched his body, then patted Takasugi Toshihiko on the shoulder. "Let's go pay the bills. The rescue costs for Miss Sayuri, the follow-up medical expenses, the helicopter fuel costs, and the route application fees all need to be paid by you, the culprit."

“Paying is no problem, but I didn’t bring any money with me when I came out, so could I go get my wallet?” Takasugi Toshihiko said without hesitation.

They brought this trouble upon themselves, so they have to bear the consequences. The money might be expensive, but it's nothing to the Takasugi family. Even now, with this situation, if the Takasugi family isn't willing to pay, they still have their own secret stash of money.

"You're not trying to renege on your debt, are you?" Xincheng said with some distress. "You're about to be arrested, where am I supposed to find someone to collect the money? How about this, you write an IOU, consider it an IOU you owe the hospital. It has to have your fingerprint on it, a red fingerprint!"

Upon seeing the bill and red ink in front of him, Toshihiko Takasugi turned green. It wasn't that Shinjo's asking price was too high, but rather that, in his opinion, the IOU was far too vulgar.

He can sign, and his signature is legally valid. Even if he can't sign, he has his own personal seal. But Xincheng doesn't recognize either of these things, and insists on making him put his fingerprint on the IOU, which is an insult to his character.

Although Inspector Megure found it strange, he did not stop Shinjo's actions. It was obvious to everyone that what Shinjo cared about was not the money, but the IOU with Takasugi Toshihiko's fingerprint on it.

Besides, what's wrong with humiliating someone?

Takasugi Toshihiko is a criminal himself and has offended his superior. Even if Shinjo's actions were unethical, it can only be said that evil people will be punished by evil people.

With Takasugi Toshihiko pressing his handprint with a look of grief and indignation, the matter seemed to have come to an end.

Takasugi Toshihiko, with a bright red hand, was taken to the police car, while Shinjo kept the IOU in his bag.

Watching the police car leave, Xincheng whistled as he headed to the garage.

"Aren't you going to collect the debt?" Koshimizu's voice suddenly rang out behind him, and Conan was standing right next to her.

"You're here, so why bring the Mori kid along? It's bad luck," Shinjo said, frowning.

"I'm a detective, not some brat, and I'm not even from the Mori family. I'm just staying at their place!" Conan was furious when he heard Shinjo's words, and he couldn't even remember the question he wanted to ask Shinjo earlier.

“Yes, yes, you’re not just a brat, you’re a devil.” Shinjo sighed. “You do the math yourself. You’ve only been living at the Mori’s house for a few months, and how many murders have already happened? Inspector Megure told me before that he thinks Kogoro has been cursed with bad luck lately. I’ve done the math, and you, Edogawa Conan, are that bad luck. Almost every time I run into you, nothing good happens.”

"It's just a coincidence that detectives and cases are mutually attracted," Conan said somewhat awkwardly.

"Yes, yes, it's just a coincidence. But I'd like to ask you, detective, to stay home if you don't have anything to do," Shinjo said, rubbing Conan's head. "Don't go out and cause trouble."

"You bastard!" Conan gritted his teeth in anger as he watched Shinjo's disappearing figure, but he couldn't utter a single word.

"Alright, Yue Shui, let's go home." Xin Cheng stretched his shoulders. "How long are you going to keep playing detective games with this kid?"

Koshimizu said goodbye to Conan with a hint of helplessness, and then followed Shinjo to the parking lot. As soon as she got into the car and closed the door, the car started moving.

There are many undercover agents from various organizations in this hospital. If he could, Shin-joong wouldn't want to stay there for even a second.

"You seem to really dislike this hospital. Isn't it one of your properties?" Yue Shui looked out the window, occasionally glancing at Xin Cheng's facial expression through the rearview mirror. "When you left the hospital, your facial muscles were a little relaxed. What were you so nervous about? What was there in the hospital that you were afraid of?"

"When did you learn to observe micro-expressions?" Shinjo asked, somewhat surprised.

“Two weeks ago, I consulted a classmate who studies psychology, and I’ve only learned a little bit so far.” Koshimizu turned to look at Shinjo. “But it seems to be quite effective. Tell me, why did you force Takasugi Toshihiko to write that IOU?”

"A little money, and I made connections with a high-ranking official in the Metropolitan Police Department, and incidentally, I got hold of dirt on the Takasugi family," Shinjo said with a smile. "If nothing unexpected happens, that young master from the Takasugi family should thank me."

"Thank you?" Yue Shui looked at Xin Cheng with a strange expression. "Didn't you see the look in his eyes when he got in the car? It's good enough that he didn't retaliate against you."

"Both the personal seal and signature can be used to repay the debt. According to Japanese law, either the Takasugi family or the Matsumoto family can be responsible for the repayment. If the Matsumoto family wants to pursue the matter, they can help him repay the debt. Don't underestimate Superintendent Matsumoto; those in that position have plenty of ways to deal with this rich young master. If the Matsumoto family repays the debt, his remorse will no longer be valid. If the Takasugi family repays the debt, then the Takasugi Group is cleaning up his mess, and his remorse will also be invalid."

"You want to reduce his sentence? Didn't you see how Inspector Matsumoto was treating him?"

She was there beforehand. If it weren't for Superintendent Matsumoto's own fault, he might have actually torn apart Takasugi Toshihiko, the pretty boy who hurt his daughter. Under these circumstances, Shinjo's rash decision to reduce Takasugi Toshihiko's sentence might offend both sides.

“Inspector Matsumoto was in the wrong from the start, and since I saved Sayuri Matsumoto, he won’t do anything to me,” Shinjo said with a smile. “I will give this IOU to Sayuri Matsumoto. The decision is in her hands. No matter how outrageous his daughter’s decision is, the old man has to accept it.”

“Then what’s the point? That guy poisoned the drink, do you really expect Matsumoto-sensei to…” Koshimizu suddenly fell silent, “She really might be love-struck.”

"It's not being love-struck, but the power of first love—knowing the drink is poisoned yet drinking it without hesitation." Shinjo sighed. "I certainly couldn't do that. The good and evil of human nature are always the hardest things to measure. Shall we take a gamble? Let's see what Matsumoto Sayuri will do in the end?"

Yue Shui opened her mouth, looking at Xin Cheng with a complicated expression. The good and evil of human nature are the most difficult things to measure, but the man in front of her seemed to be able to see through them at a glance. Today's events, as well as the events before, seemed to be a carefully arranged script by him.

Chapter 56 The Plan to Shift the Blame East

The scandal of the marriage alliance between the Matsumoto and Takasugi families could not be kept secret in the end, causing quite a stir in Tokyo's elite circles. However, none of this mattered to Shinjo, because he had a much more troublesome matter to deal with.

Ever since learning that Gin's real name is Kurosawa Jin, Conan has been frequently visiting Shinjo, hoping to obtain more information about the Black Organization from there.

Shinjo remained tight-lipped about it, partly because he genuinely didn't know much, and partly because he feared Conan might have too many clues and act rashly, potentially ruining his own life.

Annoyed to no end, he ran straight to the safe house to hide, and even Yue Shui had no idea where he went.

However, the three members of the Junior Detective League often came here to play with Conan, and they regarded this place as their secret hideout.

It was already mid-June, and perhaps because Conan wasn't around, Kogoro Mouri had a stroke of luck, winning a trip to an island. Although the entire trip was in economy class, it was free!

Kogoro Mouri originally didn't plan to bring Conan along, since the kid was already annoying enough. Seeing Conan's face constantly in front of him during his vacation would greatly diminish the experience.

He first approached Professor Agasa, but Professor Agasa was busy supervising the project and had no time to take care of Conan.

Furthermore, Conan himself expressed strong opposition. The Kudo family lives next door to the Agasa family. Going back once in a short time is not a problem, but staying there for a few days will inevitably lead to running into members of the Black Organization.

Therefore, Kogoro Mouri went to see Shinjo again, but Shinjo, having learned about the incident from Koshimizu, immediately blacklisted Kogoro. After making several phone calls, Kogoro, heartbroken, took Conan and boarded the ferry to the island.

At this point, Shinjo returned to the Koshimizu Detective Agency. With Conan gone, dealing with the remaining three kids was no problem; he could just tell some detective stories to get by.

That afternoon, Xincheng was working in front of his computer as usual when a phone call came in.

“Pisco? I thought you wouldn’t call me for months.” Shinjo leaned back in his chair. “What’s wrong?”

"Congratulations on successfully connecting with Inspector Matsumoto. Do you have any plans to join the Metropolitan Police Department?" Pisco asked, frowning. "If so, I can help you make the arrangements. Although you didn't pass the police academy entrance exam, there are connections within the Metropolitan Police Department..."

“This is my business, so don’t interfere.” Shinjo snorted. “If I want to go back to the Metropolitan Police Department, I can do it anytime, without even having to go through Matsumoto.”

"You know someone more powerful than a superintendent?"

“That old man who slept in the hospital for ten years happens to be somewhat related to me.” Shinjo yawned. “It’s just that the old man is too sensitive, which is why I don’t want to join the Metropolitan Police Department.”

Pisco opened his mouth, but in the end, he couldn't say a word. There was only one person who had been in a coma for 10 years and still held a high position in the Metropolitan Police Department—Kuroda Hyoue.

This guy is the organization's mortal enemy, one of the Metropolitan Police Department's most discerning hounds. The organization paid a huge price to kill him back then, and they originally thought he would become a vegetable. Unexpectedly, he was able to wake up. After recovering, he immediately organized his subordinates to start investigating the organization's affairs, causing the organization a lot of trouble several times.

"By the way, how's Gin doing lately? He must have been badly injured at Moonshadow Island." Shinjo stared at the street outside the window, his fingers rhythmically tapping the ashtray beside him.

“This guy’s been really unlucky lately. He was just lying in the hospital when someone impersonated him and showed up at a murder scene, and even got involved in the case.” Pisco’s mood improved considerably when he mentioned Gin. “I don’t know if the imposter did it on purpose or by accident, but he exposed something and caught the attention of the Metropolitan Police Department.”

"And then?" Shinjo nodded in satisfaction.