Conan, I'm an actor

Based on the clues previously gathered by the Metropolitan Police Department, it was impossible to find the culprit. Gin's actions posed no threat to the man in front of him. At most, it might slightly affect his reputation within the Metropolitan Police Department, but this guy had not only saved Superintendent Matsumoto's daughter but was also a close friend of Inspector Megure. Such a minor mistake could not shake his position within the Metropolitan Police Department.

On the contrary, Gin's decision to help Kubota was not a wise one. Following the lawyer's trail, it would be easy to trace him back to Kurosawa. Kurosawa's name is on the Metropolitan Police Department's radar; he'll likely face considerable trouble later.

“Alright, the patient needs quiet. Shouldn’t we get down to business, like with Ms. Hirota Masami?” Shinjo said with a smile.

“Okay!” Amuro Tooru said, looking at his somewhat tired friend on the bed.

“By the way, Furuya, Rye Whiskey is actually an FBI agent. The shot that hit me in the chest was actually my own,” Morofushi Hiromitsu suddenly said. “Given your personality, you must have caused him a lot of trouble.”

“You’ve misunderstood him on that point,” Shinjo said with a smile, looking at Amuro Tooru. “Not long after you were exposed, Rum discovered his undercover identity. Before he could even cause trouble for anyone else, that guy went back to the FBI.”

"That's a real shame. I thought with his abilities, he would definitely cause that organization a lot of trouble." Morofushi Kagemitsu sighed, then closed his eyes.

Hearing his friend's words, Amuro Tooru remained silent and followed Shinjo to the hospital's underground parking lot. After getting into the car, the two left the hospital without stopping.

A dozen minutes later, at the entrance of Poirot Cafe

"What brought you here today? Cognac, or Jiang Xiaobai?" Amuro Tooru looked at the man beside him. "People do things with a purpose. What is your purpose?"

"Before asking this question, why don't you ask yourself what your purpose is?" Xincheng said with a smile. "I'm here today just to add some security to the operation. I'm afraid you'll bring your personal grudges into the operation, that's all."

I owe you a favor.

"Then let's find a way to intercept Hirota Masami's 10 billion yen in cash, and consider it as your good friend's medical expenses."

"Can't I give you 10 billion yen?" Amuro Tooru couldn't help but frown.

Although 10 billion yen is a lot, it is not difficult for him to raise it given his abilities and the resources he can mobilize.

But Hirota Masami's 10 billion yen is different; it's embezzled money, and intercepting that 10 billion yen certainly can't go through the police. If the police are unaware of it, he becomes an accomplice.

“Bourbon, I don’t trust you, that’s all.” Shinjo opened the car door. “The 10 billion yen was your bargaining chip. It was also to help Hirota Masami eliminate her worries about being exposed, and incidentally, it was a small revenge on Gin.”

"You really are quite cautious." Amuro Tooru sighed, then got out of the car.

In a Japanese garden

Gin was talking to the owner of the house, who seemed very nervous. Just then, the door to the Japanese-style room opened, and Vodka walked in from outside, ignoring the owner and going straight to Gin's side to report in a low voice.

Upon hearing that Bourbon and Cognac had met, Gin's brow furrowed instantly. One was sent by the organization, and the other by Vermouth; he didn't care for either of them. What were these two up to at this time?

“We’ll come back in three days to collect the money, or you can choose not to pay,” Gin said, looking at the middle-aged man in front of him. “I think you should know the consequences.”

"If I pay the money, will those incriminating materials be destroyed?" A struggle appeared on the middle-aged man's face.

"I can only guarantee that the dirt I have will be handed over to you. The dirt in other people's hands is beyond my control," Gin said expressionlessly. "But I must remind you, you have no choice now."

A hint of anger appeared on the middle-aged man's face, but Gin was right. He had no choice now; the only option left for him was to pay up to avoid further trouble.

After Gin and Vodka left the courtyard, they walked away without saying a word. Gin remained silent the whole way, and Vodka wisely kept quiet as well.

"Investigate Bourbon, find out what he's been doing since he came to Japan," Gin suddenly said in a low voice. "Also, how's the investigation into the art museum murder case going?"

“I’ve already had a lawyer defend Kubota. The sweat and hair inside the armor prove that Kubota isn’t the murderer,” Vodka said with a smile. “Cognac’s reputation in the Metropolitan Police Department is going to suffer a huge blow.”

"Have you found the culprit?" Gin couldn't help but frown.

Vodka got cocky again and acted on his own initiative without his instructions.

"Not yet, this matter is a bit difficult to investigate," Vodka said somewhat awkwardly. "The main building of that art museum has been demolished, and the evidence has long since disappeared."

"Idiot! Who was that lawyer on the phone?" Gin's eyes sharpened instantly.

"He's just an outer member of the organization. What's wrong, boss?" Vodka was a little confused as to why his boss was so angry.

"Give him some money and get him out of Japan," Gin said directly. "If possible, just take care of it."

"This……"

“That guy Cognac has excellent intelligence capabilities. As long as we follow the lawyer’s trail, he’ll find us sooner or later,” Gin said with a hint of exasperation. “Don’t try to take action against him until you’re fully prepared. You’re no match for him.”

“Yes…” Vodka said somewhat dejectedly.

Meanwhile, in a conference room

"Mr. Masuyama, are you planning to retire?" The middle-aged man in a suit looked at the contract in front of him and said with surprise and uncertainty, "With so many shares being sold, your shareholder status will be threatened."

“No, a friend of mine entrusted his shares to me for safekeeping,” Kenzo Masuyama said, crossing his legs. “My shareholder status is not at risk. On the contrary, I will rise from the fourth largest shareholder to the second largest shareholder, and even equal the Honda family’s shareholding. The Honda family will not allow such a thing to happen, which is why I am selling my shares. Mr. Higuchi, are you interested in these shares?”

“That reason won’t convince me. You should be able to make more money if Honda takes it back.” Higuchi threw the contract on the table. “Of course I’m interested in the shares, since the car industry is booming right now, but as for the price, shouldn’t we discuss it further?”

“If Honda were to buy back the shares, it would definitely be worth more than this. You’ve already made a lot of money by buying so many shares for 100 billion yen.” Kenzo Masuyama’s gaze turned somewhat dangerous.

“Businessmen never complain about making too much money. Masuyama-kun is a businessman too, surely he understands this principle.” Higuchi flipped through the contract in front of him. “I can only offer a maximum of 90 billion yen, and I need time to raise the funds.”

Kenzo Masuyama stared at Higuchi for a long time before saying, "92 billion yen, of which 20 billion yen must be in cash. I need to see half of the money and cash within a month, otherwise there's no point in talking."

"10 billion yen in cash, that's no small sum, but it's fine, I agree." Higuchi's face showed a barely perceptible smile when he heard about the 20 billion yen in cash.

Cash has many uses, especially in certain gray industries.

It's no secret in the industry that Kenzo Masuyama has gray-market businesses under his control. In fact, most wealthy businessmen have gray or even black-market businesses. When giving money to these people, it's best not to leave any evidence, and cash is the best payment method.

Recalling the Tokyo bombings, in which the main perpetrators were several chemical companies with close ties to Kenzo Masuyama, Higuchi instantly understood what was going on. This money was most likely intended for those chemical companies and shady businesses, funds to keep them afloat.

Chapter 64 Cognac and Moriarty

Knowing this, Higuchi felt even more at ease. He wouldn't go around spreading rumors, after all, he was a businessman, and a businessman only needed to make money.

He didn't notice that Kenzo Masuyama looked a little unwell, but even if he had, he wouldn't have cared. Getting the price cut by 8% instantly wouldn't make anyone happy.

The contract was signed quickly, but Kenzo Masuyama added a clause at the end: if payment was not made by the due date, the equity transfer would be void, and he would also have to pay a penalty of 10 billion yen.

He had already done his research beforehand. Although Higuchi was rich, he definitely didn't have more than 10 billion yen in cash on hand. So, in order to get that much cash, he would definitely have to withdraw money from the bank.

Kenzo Masuyama, a capitalist, was well aware of the Bank of Japan's work efficiency. Small denominations of cash were fine, but for large denominations like this, going through the normal procedures would definitely take more than a month.

Higuchi's only option to raise 20 billion yen in cash is to turn to the president of SMJ Financial Group, with whom he has a good relationship.

As long as Gin and his team don't mess up, he'll have to pay the penalty for breach of contract. It's not so easy for Pisco to gain benefits from this.

After leaving the meeting room, Kenzo Masuyama immediately sent a text message to Gin. After thinking for a moment, he sent another text message to Cognac, telling him that the matter was settled.

As he was leaving, he felt for some reason that someone was following him, but he didn't know who it was.

Mouri Detective Agency

"500 million yen for one trip? That's quite a generous offer." Kogoro Mouri exclaimed, looking at the black envelope in front of him. "They even sent over a bottle of fine wine. That's really quite a lot of politeness."

"Is Uncle going? That Moriarty seems pretty dangerous." Conan looked at the ecstatic Kogoro Mouri in front of him and started to feel a little resentful.

He also received a similar letter, but it said that if Shinichi Kudo cracked the secret of the Twilight Villa, he would receive a reward of 500 million yen, and that Moriarty had not sent him any wine.

"Go, why wouldn't we go?" Kogoro Mouri said, already wearing gloves, as he unscrewed the cap of the Louis XIII bottle. "Let's drink the wine first. When that guy Megure arrives, the wine will definitely be taken away."

"Dad, this is important evidence!" Xiaolan said, somewhat angrily.

“The evidence is the outer bottle, not the wine inside. As long as it doesn’t have my fingerprints on it, everything is fine.” Kogoro Mouri’s craving for alcohol was kicking in, and he was already a little drunk even before taking a sip. “Besides, even if we hand the wine over to Inspector Megure, the Metropolitan Police Department won’t be able to find anything. In the end, we’ll just be played for a fool.”

Conan looked a little embarrassed. As a former detective, is it really appropriate for you to talk like that?

Fortunately, Inspector Megure and Inspector Takagi arrived quickly enough to reach the scene before Kogoro Mouri could open the bottle and retrieve the liquor.

Of course, Kogoro Mouri disagreed with simply handing over the wine. In the end, Inspector Megure took out a bottle of his private collection and exchanged it for the top-quality cognac from Kogoro Mouri.

"Hey Mori, are you really going to that Twilight Villa mentioned in the letter?" Inspector Megure asked with some concern. "This Moriarty is a very dangerous criminal. It's not wise to rashly agree to his request..."

"Then who do you want to send?" Kogoro Mouri paused for a moment. "There's an old saying in the East: 'Nothing ventured, nothing gained.' How can we get hold of Moriarty's weaknesses without getting close to him?"

“That’s too dangerous. You’re not a police officer anymore,” Inspector Megure said sternly. “You don’t need to take that risk.”

“Inspector Megure, I think you’ve got something wrong. This time, it’s not me going to find someone else, it’s someone else coming to find me,” Kogoro Mouri said seriously. “He’s already sent a letter to my house, there’s no escaping it.”

Inspector Megure remained silent for a moment, then said helplessly, "Should we send someone to follow you?"

“They only invited the three of us, so they must have investigated us. Showing up as strangers could arouse their suspicion,” Kogoro Mouri said seriously. “It’s too risky.”

Conan stroked his chin, considering whether to ask Professor Agasa to upgrade his equipment. He had a feeling that this incident was a bit unusual.

"Then be careful, I have other things to do here." Inspector Megure sighed. "The case of the art museum murder has taken a turn. The defense lawyer extracted tissue fluid from the armor, proving that Kubota did not wear that armor. Now this case needs to be reinvestigated."

Conan jerked his head up. Just as he'd guessed, Kubota had been framed. But now that the art museum had been demolished, finding new evidence was impossible. This case was probably...

"If I remember correctly, you told me that the two spendthrift sons of the Manaka family divided up the inheritance after obtaining their father's death certificate," Kogoro Mouri asked with some doubt. "What was their attitude?"

"Those two bastards don't care!" Inspector Megure said angrily. "These two spendthrifts have squandered almost all of Mr. Manaka's assets. I reckon it won't be long before they have to flee abroad to escape their gambling debts."

"This is really..." Kogoro Mouri sighed. "The victim's family is not cooperating, and the crime scene has been destroyed. It can only remain an unsolved case."

"So be it, it's a cold case. There are plenty of cold cases in the Metropolitan Police Department anyway, and they're short-staffed right now." Megure sighed. "I'm leaving now. If anything happens, remember to call for help immediately."

That night, Koshimizu Detective Agency

"So what sweets did you bring back?" Yue Shui asked expectantly, staring at the package in Xin Cheng's hand.

"Mont Blanc, a French dessert." Shinjo placed the package he was carrying directly on the table; inside was a gift box used to package desserts. It must be said that Poirot Café does a remarkable job with these details, creating a truly ceremonial atmosphere.

"It looks delicious." Yue Shui picked up the spoon next to her, cut off a piece, put it in her mouth, and showed an extremely enjoyable expression on her face.

However, the moment Xincheng saw Montblanc and smelled the scent, his expression changed. When he saw Yue Shui's expression, his expression became even stranger.

What kind of expression is that?

"Do you really think it tastes delicious? Don't you think it's too sweet?"

"It's delicious! Is there something wrong with this?" Yue Shui asked, somewhat bewildered.

"This is one of those French desserts that's excessively sweet, even sweeter than macarons. And the pastry chef who made this Mont Blanc didn't use European chestnuts, but Asian chestnuts, which reduce the bitterness and make it even sweeter," Shinjo said, staring at Yueshui. "Personally, I think it's sickeningly sweet. Don't you feel the same way?"

"I don't feel anything..." Yue Shui said uncertainly, "It is a little sweet."

"Congratulations, young lady. Based on your sweet tooth, I predict your weight will soon surpass... Talk properly, why are you hitting me! Stop it!"

Chapter 65 Artificial Life Form Kallen

Four days later, at the Koshimizu Detective Agency, in the kitchen...

Shinjo chopped the small brown mushrooms in front of him and stir-fried them in a frying pan. As the price for provoking Koshimizu, he would take care of all the meals for Koshimizu Detective Agency for the week, and the meals had to be nutritious, healthy, and free of heavy oil and sugar.

"I really don't know where that woman gets so many demands from, it's so troublesome," Shinjo complained helplessly.

He has no problem with cooking, but he's not a nutritionist, doesn't he know that checking nutritional information takes a lot of time?

Just then, his phone rang, but he only glanced at it and didn't answer it.