An infinite journey starting from paradise

"Is this... okay?"

"It's okay. Grandpa Nagato and our family are old friends, even going back to my great-grandfather's generation. He originally invited my sister and me and asked us to bring some friends. He'll definitely be happy to see Uncle Mori, the famous detective. Of course... if Mr. Lin can come... hahahaha, I'll definitely dress up nicely!"

pigeon day

As the title.

Chapter 299 Small Cup vs. Big Cup

The villa district at the southern border of Tokyo's Minato Ward and Shinagawa Ward is a traditionally wealthy area of ​​Tokyo. Originally built during the Meiji era, it was nearly completely destroyed during World War II due to bombing and Mr. LeMay's barbecue party. After the war, the land was purchased by several American investors and subsequently rebuilt to its current state.

At this time, Lai Sheng Lei, who had dressed up, was in a high-rise villa here, gazing thoughtfully at the Nagato family residence located in the core area of ​​the port area.

"Ms. Tears, I'm ready."

A tall old man with silver-gray hair, squinty eyes, and wearing a white suit walked behind Lai Sheng Lei.

"Sorry to bother you, Uncle Yongshi."

"It is my duty."

The old man whom Lai Shenglei called Uncle Yongshi answered with a smile.

Uncle Yongshi was the butler of the Laisheng family and the actual operator of the Heinz Group. Aside from the three Laisheng sisters, no one called him Uncle Yongshi. Outsiders were more familiar with his other name: Etna Stone.

Outsiders' perception of Etna Stone is not just that he is the housekeeper of a family in the next life, but that he is a financial tycoon who has cooperated with major political and business giants in Europe and the United States, an active-duty US Air Force general with real power, and a close friend of the current US President.

Yes, this seemingly ordinary old American man is actually a character whose personality rivals the overbearing CEO protagonists of classic Mary Sue novels. He's a hardcore ruthless man who would summon F-11s and nuclear submarines to help his niece if she was wronged, and who would mobilize US troops stationed in Japan to block a mountain in Japan if a disagreement arose. (This is the original setting.)

So why would a powerful figure like Uncle Yongshi be willing to come to Laisheng's house to be the housekeeper?

This has to start with his relationship with Michael Heinz. Their relationship is like that of Joetsu and Spitwagen, and Joetsu and Smokey in JOJO: a friendship of life and death, a grace of rebirth.

In short, during World War II, Nagase participated in Operation Market Garden as an Allied paratrooper. Then, Michael Heinz, working in the Netherlands as a monument conservationist, rescued Etna Stone from being hanged in a tree by the Germans. The two became close friends. After Michael Heinz's unexpected disappearance, Etna Stone, much like Spiedwagen had done with Er Qiao, took on the responsibility of caring for the sisters in their next lives.

For the sisters in their next life, Uncle Yongshi has been with them even longer than their biological father Michael Heinz, and they have long regarded him as a father figure.

Uncle Nagaishi continued, "The first edition of 'The Sign of Sherlock Holmes' is ready. I'll be able to exchange it with Nagato Michizo for 'The Karlsruhe Sketchbook' at the Nagato family dinner tonight."

"Hmm..." Lai Shenglei pondered for a moment, then asked, "Uncle Yongshi, do you think there would be any accidents?"

"Why do you ask?" Uncle Yongshi asked.

"I don't know, but my heart is in a mess, and I always feel like something is going to happen. My sixth sense has always been very accurate..." Lai Shenglei said with some worry.

"There won't be any accidents, and even if there are, we'll definitely be able to handle them," Uncle Yongshi reassured him. With his power and financial resources, there really were few things he couldn't solve. Cat's Eye had been able to operate without being investigated by the police until now thanks to his mediation. "I hope so. Hopefully, nothing unexpected will happen."

Friends who are familiar with the tone of our story know that, unless something unexpected happens, that is impossible.

In the evening, Ruisheng Lei arrived at the dinner party at the Nagato family accompanied by Uncle Nagaishi. When she discussed the exchange of collections with Nagato Michizo, she was told that the sketchbook of the German painter Caspar David Friedrich had been given to someone else by Nagato Michizo.

"Mr. Nagato, didn't we already agree to exchange collections? Why are you going back on your word?"

Facing Uncle Nagaishi's cold questioning, Nagato Michisan smiled awkwardly and explained, "I'm terribly sorry, Mr. Stone. But that gentleman made me an offer I couldn't refuse, so I had no choice but to give him the item. But don't worry, our Nagato family will do our best to compensate him."

The gentleman that Nagato Michisan was referring to was naturally Hayashi Naoto.

Three hours ago, Hayashi Naoto and several key members of Consortium B: Ichieda Takashi, Mifune Takuya, Masuyama Kenzo and Tachibana Eisuke arrived at the Nagato family residence first.

It's not hard to understand if Ichieda Takashi and Mifune Takuya were part of Consortium B. After the "accidental deaths" of Yotsugu Reika and Nikaido Yuji, Ichieda discovered the tools he had intended for the crime in his car. He deduced that Hayashi Naoto had helped him eliminate the couple without leaving any evidence, and even offered him the chance to end their lives himself—by turning on the power switch. Therefore, he naturally held Hayashi Naoto in both respect and fear, willingly serving him without further ado. His own position at the City Bank headquarters rose thanks to Hayashi Naoto's help, eventually becoming the head of the headquarters' financing department.

Takuya Mifune had already accepted the invitation from Consortium B. After he began to apply the new equipment and new technologies provided by Naoto Hayashi, the development of his Mifune Electronics Industry became more and more smooth. He was even able to rival the veterans in the industry and took a big bite of the fat from them.

As for Kenzo Masuyama Pisk, after Lin Shangren took over Linan Island and the Linan Group, he didn't kill him. Instead, he drained his brain of all the information about the Black Organization and used the Slave Spell to turn him into his puppet. While taking over his business, he also had him go undercover in the Black Organization to facilitate Lin Shangren's subsequent actions against the winery.

As for Tachibana Eisuke, the founder of a microelectronics company, in the original world, he would have been killed by a subordinate using a bomb hidden in a golf club. Although he wasn't exactly a good person, Hayashi Naoto, unable to find a more suitable candidate, spared his life, using him as a temporary puppet to manufacture electronic components for Consortium B's upcoming smartphone.

Lin Shangren and the other three were all wearing black haute couture suits. They lined up in a row from young to old, with Lin Shangren at the head. From a distance, they looked like a professional team carrying a coffin. They could send the entire Nagato family off happily by playing a piece of music.

However, Lin Shangren came here not to kill people, but to save people.

The group entered the Nagato family's banquet hall, where Nagato Michizo personally greeted them. Nagato Michizo had originally invited Hayashi Naoto to the banquet to discuss a potential semiconductor industry partnership between the Nagato Group and Group B. However, Hayashi Naoto refused to discuss the partnership, instead recounting an arson incident that occurred twenty years prior.

The details of the arson case will not be recounted here, but Hayashi Naoto brought up the matter to inform Nagato Michizo about the hidden dangers in the relationship between his son Nagato Hideomi and his secretary and future daughter-in-law, Hinata Sachi. He also led him to discover that Hinata Sachi was actually the daughter of the person he had secretly loved many years ago.

As for how Nagato Michisan will help his son and daughter-in-law to be honest with each other, and how he will deal with his sinister son-in-law Nagato Mitsuaki, that is his family affair, and Lin Shangren will not interfere anymore.

Just by doing this, Lin Shangren had already done the Nagato family a great favor. Nagato Michizo was a man of great temperament, so he was naturally extremely grateful to Lin Shangren and took the initiative to give up a lot of benefits when negotiating cooperation matters.

However, Lin Shangren was not impressed. He said to Nagato Michizo, "I heard that Mr. Nagato has many works by German artists, including a manuscript by Caspar. I wonder if Mr. Nagato would be willing to part with them. I will definitely give you a satisfactory price."

As he spoke, Hayashi Naoto signaled Mifune Takuya to show Nagato Michizo the next few plans of Consortium B.

With the favor and the tangible benefits, Nagato Michisan had no reason to refuse.

……

"I have already given Caspar's sketch manuscript to Mr. Lin. If Mr. Stone really wants to collect it, he can go and negotiate with Mr. Lin. Mr. Lin is the most upright and reasonable person I have ever met. If Mr. Stone explains the situation, I think he will not refuse." Nagato Michizo continued.

"Is Lin Shangren?"

Uncle Yongshi turned around, only to find that Lai Shenglei beside him had already walked towards Lin Shangren who was standing on the other side of the banquet hall.

At this time, Hayashi Naoto was holding a wine glass, staring at a man and woman in the banquet hall: Nagato Hideomi, whose face was disfigured and bandaged, and his fiancée Hinata Yuki.

"Nagato-kun hasn't told the young couple about that yet, so I don't know what they'll do next." Thinking this, Lin Shangren unfolded the system panel. "Anyway, we've prevented another murder. I hope nothing happens to them in the future. Hmph... I've saved enough for another draw. I still have five draws left, which is enough for Eri, Reiko, and the others to escape the confines of a single world.

How about trying another one? What if this time it's not trash?"

As Ashrose said, since the prize pool related to this world is too poor, Lin Shangren basically didn't draw anything good except the extra reward for catching the thief. The previous few draws only produced things such as poker guns and football belts that are useless at this stage.

"Try another draw? Or save up for ten draws to trade for the prize pool?"

Just as Lin Shangren was thinking, a hearty voice suddenly sounded from behind him.

"Hello, Master Shangren."

"Oh?"

Lin Shangren turned around, and then he was stunned for a moment: "Oh my god, Miyano Shiho?!"

"Ah? Who?" the man asked in confusion.

The person who came was naturally not Shirley, who had not yet shrunk. The plot about the legal loli Ai-chan and her sister Miyano Akemi would not officially begin until two weeks later, after Hayashi Naoto returned from Aomori Prefecture. Standing behind Hayashi Naoto at this time was Suzuki Sonoko, specifically, Suzuki Sonoko, who had taken off her headband and had her hair permed.

Just by covering part of her forehead with her front hair, Sonoko's appearance has improved dramatically. She has changed from an ordinary, childish high school girl to a beautiful girl who is still "ordinary" but has a more mature and mature temperament.

Even Lin Shangren couldn't help but feel dazed when he saw Yuanzi wearing a light blue long dress and an exquisite hairstyle.

"Ah, it's Yuanzi. Sorry, sorry, you've changed a lot. I didn't recognize you at first." Lin Shangren said, "Your new hairstyle suits you very well. You look very beautiful."

Being praised by her idol, Yuanzi couldn't help but feel a little flattered. Just when she wanted to say something else to Lin Shangren, a woman with a strong sense of "oppression" walked over.

"Lin Shangren, Mr. Lin. What a coincidence, we meet again." Lai Shenglei showed a charming smile.

Chapter 300: The Fish on the Hook

What a strong sense of oppression.

When she saw Lai Sheng Lei walking straight towards Lin Shangren, Yuanzi felt a sense of oppression. It was a feeling of inferiority that was almost dwarfed by her appearance, temperament, cup size and waist-to-hip ratio, which was caused by being completely crushed.

Yuanzi, who was originally full of confidence in herself when she was dressed up, realized one thing after seeing Lai Sheng Lei: there are differences among beauties. Compared with a bud like her, a blooming fairy flower like Lai Sheng Lei can better charm a man's heart.

Sonoko looked at the pair of breasts that were barely visible beneath Lai Shenglei's open skirt, then looked down at her own mediocrity and thought to herself, "Damn it! I can't compare at all."

The only thing that made Sonoko feel relieved was that Lin Shangren's attitude did not change after seeing Lai Sheng Lei, and his eyes were still completely free of lust, just like the day when he faced Nogami Saeko who lifted her skirt to seduce him.

"A good man like Lord Shangren is indeed likely to attract such bad women." Sonoko thought to herself.

"Miss Laisheng." Lin Shangren looked at Laisheng Lei with a smile, having already guessed the other party's purpose. "I didn't expect that we would meet again so soon. Miss Laisheng is also a friend of the Nagato family."

"It turns out that we can be friends, at least business friends. But because of Mr. Lin, the Nagato family and I may not be able to be friends." There was a hint of complaint in Lai Shenglei's tone, but also a kind of captivating charm.

Lai Sheng Lei's language has such magic, coupled with her temperament that combines the playfulness and charm of a girl, as long as she opens her mouth, men will be unconsciously attracted to her, and even think of bed when they see her, and then feel regret and excitement for the idea of ​​desecrating her.

Lai Shenglei is confident, and others also believe that any man would be interested in a woman like her.

But Lin Shangren's expression remained calm. "Oh? Could it be that the cooperation between Consortium B and the Nagato Consortium has caused trouble for Miss Laisheng?"

"It's not Mr. Lin's consortium, but you, Mr. Lin. You always like to steal what others love." Lai Shenglei said this, the complaints in her tone faded a little, and a hint of flattery was added. "I originally negotiated a price for the Karlsruhe sketchbook with Mr. Nagato. But now it seems that I will only be able to appreciate this treasure I have longed for in the art gallery that Mr. Lin prepared for his lover."

Seeing Laisheng Lei's face full of loss, Lin Shangren spoke before she began her next round of verbal attacks, "Actually, I had no intention of adding the Karlsruhe sketchbook to the Kuchiki Museum's collection. I collected this sketchbook entirely because of another matter I've been investigating. After I confirm what I want to know, I can give it to Miss Laisheng as a gift from a friend."

"Oh? Something I've been investigating." Lai Shenglei was suspicious, "Could it be related to Dad?"

Lin Shangren continued, "Of course, it's just this one. As for the collection in the Ruimu Museum, I explained it yesterday. It was a gift from me to her. Even if she is no longer in this world, those works of art still belong to her."

"I can understand Mr. Lin's feelings..."

While Laishenglei and Lin Shangren were still engaging in a back-and-forth of words, Sonoko's emotions were already on a rollercoaster: upon hearing Laishenglei mention that Kuchikikan was a gift from Lin Shangren for his lover, she almost gave up on pursuing him. But after hearing Lin Shangren say, "She's no longer in this world," Sonoko's emotions became even more complicated. Could she really be with such a loving and kind man?

Lin Shangren obviously had no idea that the girl next to him was imagining too much. His attention was focused on Lai Shenglei. He was sure that the other party had taken the bait he had set.

"Then we just need to wait for the right time to cast our line."

"Yuanzi...Mr. Lin..."

At this time, another girl walked up to Lin Shangren's side—Mauri Ran.

Xiaolan originally just wanted to come over to find Yuanzi, but when she got closer, she saw Lin Shangren standing behind the towering champagne tower.

Although Kisaki Eri did not tell her that her partner was Hayashi Naoto, and Mao Lilan did not know that Hayashi Naoto was her future stepfather, her body felt an indescribable throbbing when she saw Hayashi Naoto, and then her consciousness instinctively resisted.

"My stomach is so hot..."

The feeling of heat in the dream reappeared in Xiaolan's body, and her cheeks were suddenly flushed.

"Oh, Xiaolan, you are here too." Lin Shangren greeted with a smile.

"Originally, Xiaolan and I were planning to go shopping on the street after school to prepare for tomorrow's party. But the party was suddenly cancelled, so we changed our plans and came to Grandpa Nagato's place." Sonoko said.

"I see. A party..."

The cancellation of the party Sonoko mentioned was also Hayashi Naoto's doing. After receiving Chikako Ikeda's submission, He Huan immediately used a background check to expose her for plagiarizing a college classmate, indirectly contributing to the suicide of the victim, who was suffering from depression. Chikako Ikeda's once-successful career as a screenwriter was cut short, and Suzuki Ayako and others also broke off relations with her. The planned party was canceled, and the Bandage Monster Murder Case was nipped in the bud.

As for whether the original murderer named Takahashi would use other means to murder Ikeda Chikako, that had nothing to do with Hayashi Naoto. He could only promise that he would not help to complete the perfect crime.

"Xiaolan, your face is so red. Are you feeling unwell?" Lin Shangren asked.

"I... I'm fine... ah... I just accidentally took a sip of the cocktail as juice... haha... haha..." Xiaolan laughed awkwardly twice, "By the way, Sonoko, can you come over here for a moment? Sister Ayako wants to see you."

"Ah...ah? What? Is there something wrong with my sister?" Sonoko asked in confusion, then she looked at Xiaolan's chest, and then looked at Lai Shenglei.

"Can't we win even if we put them together?"

"Yuanzi, what did you say?" Xiaolan asked in confusion.

"Ah... nothing... well... Mr. Lin, Xiaolan and I will be leaving now."

"Yeah." Lin Shangren nodded slightly, "Go get busy."

"Mr. Lin...Goodbye."

Xiaolan took Yuanzi's arm and left. Before leaving, she unconsciously looked at Lin Shangren deeply.

"Mr. Lin is really popular among girls." Lai Shenglei said half-jokingly.

"As an elder, I should be the kind of person who is amiable and popular with children."

Lin Shangren looked at Lai Shenglei and said, "Lan is Yingli's daughter. If nothing unexpected happens, I will become her stepfather. This can be considered as cultivating our relationship in advance."

"Is that so?"

Looking at Lin Shangren's pretending to be upright, Lai Shenglei heard what she thought was the hidden meaning of Lin Shangren's words. She put away her charm, leaving only dignity and elegance. She said: "Mr. Lin, there is no need to be wary of me. We can indeed be ordinary friends."

"I hope so." Lin Shangren replied.

Lai Sheng Lei continued, "By the way, Mr. Lin, the thing you just mentioned, the thing you've been investigating, is it related to artwork? As a friend, maybe I can help."

"Now? What I want to investigate is indeed related to artworks...Miss Laisheng, do you know anything about German artists?" Lin Shangren asked.

"Michael Heinz is my father."

Lai Shenglei directly revealed her identity, which was a risky move, especially when she couldn't confirm Lin Shangren's position.

After seeing Lin Shangren showing an expression that seemed to be very happy, Lai Shenglei was sure that she had made the right move. The other party must know something about her father.

"Let's talk for a moment." Lin Shangren said in a low voice.

"Now? Not so good." Lai Shenglei, feeling that he had seized the initiative, once again used the PUA trick of playing hard to get.

Lin Shangren naturally pretended to have taken the bait: "I'm sorry for being so abrupt. Miss Lei, when do you think we should meet to discuss this?"

"After the dinner," Laishenglei smiled, "I have a few villas nearby. We can go there and talk."

Hearing this, Lin Shangren was obviously stunned. He thought to himself: "Why does she say words that sound like mine?!"

Chapter 301: The Female Thief in Bandage Clothes