Conan: When Shinjiu and Maolilan swap bodies

Aside from Gin and Vermouth, she hadn't even met many of the codenamed members.

"How does Lord Rum want you to deal with this?"

"Lord Rum instructed me to pretend I don't know him normally. If I am recognized, I should refer to myself as Rum when we are alone together; otherwise, I should continue to pretend I don't know him..."

Rum didn't give many instructions, after all, for him, this was just a stand-in to be put in the open and used to die in critical moments.

He usually works at the sushi restaurant as its owner, and can give direct instructions in case of emergencies without needing prior notice.

"Then we shall do as instructed."

Kenjiro Wakita scratched his head. "The problem is, that was when I was pretending to be a sushi restaurant employee. But now I'm the [Managing Director of the Group]. Without Rum-sama giving me instructions behind the scenes, I don't know how to deal with him..."

He has attended public events on behalf of Lord Rum on numerous occasions. In important events, Lord Rum would monitor and give instructions from behind the scenes.

An occasion like this, a completion banquet, is obviously not considered important, and Lord Rum did not give any further instructions.

"Then we'll ask Lord Rum."

Kenjiro Wakita nodded outwardly, but inwardly he was cursing.

'I was already planning to inform Lord Rum for instructions; did you need to tell me?'

He took out his phone, sent an email about what had happened, and waited for instructions.

Qingze received the email forwarded by Bai Yu, and he raised an eyebrow slightly.

Rum gave this Stand very few instructions; there wasn't even a contingency plan.

In that case, this stand-in probably won't be able to keep up the act for long, and we need to arrange for him to leave the stage as Rum as soon as possible.

[Regular guests will be treated normally.]

He sent a message to Bai Yu, who lowered his eyes in thought.

Currently, Champagne and Fryward, who used Kid as a mask, know Rum's true identity. For the Stand to exit as Rum, Champagne and Fryward must die first; otherwise, it is impossible to confirm Kanenori Wakita's identity as Rum.

These two can't die together, and the way they die has to be carefully planned. They can't just destroy the evidence like Binga did. He has to plan this carefully.

……

In the banquet hall, Matsui Hidetoshi was chatting with someone.

His sharp, custom-made suit accentuated his clean-cut shoulders, and the months of experience leading the family business had smoothed away his initial awkwardness.

He was surrounded by many faces, some of whom he had never met before, and others he had only met a few times. He greeted them with a smile, appearing confident and composed.

"Taking over the Matsui Group at such a young age, he is truly a promising young man!"

"Not at all, you flatter me, I still have a lot of practice to do."

"President Matsui, it's been a few months since I last saw you. You've managed the entire group very well. You're truly a force to be reckoned with!"

"You flatter me. I'm just guarding the family business and dare not slack off in the slightest."

Matsui Hidetoshi handled the various pleasantries with grace, but his fingertips were curled up.

To outsiders, he was young and promising, with remarkable skills, and easily took control of the company in just a few months. But only he knew that he was nothing more than a figurehead.

The truly remarkable person is the mother.

The mother had long suspected that the father had ulterior motives, but she kept quiet about it.

Until her father's death, she used his identity to stabilize the situation with swift and decisive action.

But there's no need for outsiders to know these things.

The crowd gradually dispersed, and the surroundings became quiet.

Matsui Hidetoshi raised his hand and gently pressed his fingertips against his cheeks, which were aching from smiling.

When no one was paying attention, his eyes drooped, his shoulders slumped almost imperceptibly, and he let out a barely audible sigh.

He has been having a really tough time these days.

Those complex financial reports, tedious meetings, and intricate web of personal relationships... left him feeling dizzy and overwhelmed.

With his mother's hands-on guidance, he has progressed from being completely flustered at the beginning to being able to cope with things barely, a remarkable improvement.

But that's all.

He has absolutely no business acumen; at best, he can only manage to maintain the status quo.

Even maintaining the status quo is not an easy task.

He took a deep breath and prepared to go to the floor-to-ceiling window to look at the expansive view and relax.

His gaze swept across the room casually, but then suddenly froze.

Two people stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, talking quietly with their heads tilted to the side. The sight of one of them from behind made his heart skip a beat.

No way... bro?

He had only seen him once in the past few decades, but when he saw that figure from behind, he had a feeling—it was him!

This is his older brother!

This is the back view that he followed behind for years.

He practically shuffled around from the side until he could see the profile of that face clearly.

The feeling has been confirmed.

"elder brother!"

The sound came out before the brain could process it.

The next second, all composure and president-like demeanor were thrown to the winds.

His lips unconsciously curled into a smile, and he quickly walked over, instantly transforming back into the little tail who couldn't contain his excitement whenever he saw his brother.

Chapter 477 He could never be that childish!

Aozawa turned around when he heard the sound and immediately saw Matsui Hidetoshi grinning with his white teeth, walking excitedly toward him.

Qingze was slightly dazed as a certain image suddenly crashed into his mind.

"elder brother!"

Five or six-year-old Matsui Hidetoshi ran towards him, holding something out of his palm like a treasure:

"Look what I caught! Doesn't it look like the multicolored black thing you described?"

A golden beetle rested quietly in his palm, its black shell shimmering with tiny, iridescent lights in the sunlight.

Before he could get a closer look, the beetle suddenly flapped its wings and flew away with a buzz.

Xiao Xiujun's lips twitched, and he almost cried.

He reached out and flicked the little guy's forehead expressionlessly.

"My foolish brother..."

The little guy covered his forehead, then burst into laughter through his tears, "Brother, you sound like some kind of evil villain..."

He crossed his arms, raised his chin, and delivered his villainous declaration in a completely flat tone:

"I am the villain! I will make the world feel pain!"

He spoke in an unusually casual manner, as if he weren't joking, but rather describing something that could be done with ease, exuding confidence.

This style immediately captivated the little one, earning him eyes full of admiration.

Wow! That's amazing!

He was extremely pleased with the little guy's reaction and began to boss him around without any hesitation.

"Go, get me a glass of water! I need warm water at 37 degrees Celsius."

"Okay!" The little guy ran off happily, then respectfully brought over a cup of warm water.

Qingze's ears turned red.

The person in my memory is definitely not him; he's definitely not that immature!

Matsui Hidetoshi had already run up to him, scratching his head a little embarrassedly:

"Brother, Miss Mori, what a coincidence! You're here too?"

"Mr. Hidetoshi!" Ran Mouri greeted him with a smile.

"Are you here on behalf of the Matsui Group?" Aozawa asked casually.

Qingze had seen the list of investors, so he wasn't surprised to see Matsui Hidetoshi here.

Matsui Hidetoshi nodded. "Yes. My father invested in this project when he was still alive. What about you?"

"I heard the scenery here is beautiful, so I came to check it out."

As he spoke, Qingze looked out the window.

Tokyo Bay unfolds under the morning sun, its waters a bright azure, the Rainbow Bridge in the distance a clear and powerful silhouette, and the glass curtain walls of the buildings along the shore reflecting the dazzling sunlight.

The view is expansive and far-reaching, offering a panoramic vista.

"It's really quite nice..." Matsui Hidetoshi sighed softly as he looked at the clear view before him.

He paused, then continued:

"This location is excellent, and it's a landmark building in the city. It's very likely to become a major tourist area in the future. The group has invested 500 million yen this time, and in the long run, the prospects should be promising..."

"However, the building has just been completed, so the return on investment will be relatively slow. It is estimated that it will take seven or eight years before we can see the initial results..."

Qingze turned his gaze away from the window and glanced at him sideways.

When the person in front of me talked about business development, I could no longer see the childishness and naivety of his childhood. He had truly stepped into the business world and had been tempered into a much more composed person.

It's impossible to see how he used to be completely at someone's beck and call in that memory.

"You're starting to look like a club president now."

Upon hearing this, Matsui Hidetoshi paused slightly.

He subconsciously straightened his back, but then realized something and relaxed his shoulders slightly.

He touched the back of his neck, as if he wanted to say something, but in the end he only mumbled an "uh-huh".

President...

Even now, he doesn't want to be the president of the company.

However, many things cannot be avoided simply because one is unwilling to do them.

He smiled and patted his chest, deliberately making his tone lighter:

"Brother, I'm a club president now, after all! If you ever need any help in the future, just let me know anytime, don't hesitate to ask!"

Qingze hummed in agreement.

……

Light footsteps came from the other side of the banquet hall entrance.

Rumi Wakasa walked ahead, dressed in a light beige suit, her hair tied back gently, and her face bearing her usual warm smile.

She turned slightly to the side, keeping an eye on the children behind her.

"Stay close, don't run around." Her voice clearly reached each child's ears.

“Yes—” Ayumi, Genta, and Mitsuhiko answered in unison, their three little heads looking around curiously.

They received tickets to attend the ceremony and came specifically to have fun.

They originally wanted Professor Agasa to bring them to play, but Professor Agasa was busy with a research project and didn't have time. It just so happened that Ms. Wakasa was available, so she brought them to play.

Ai Haibara quietly followed at the back.

With her hands behind her back, she walked with composure, her gaze fixed on the banquet hall ahead, exuding a calmness far beyond her years.

"Wow—this place is so big! So bright!" Ayumi exclaimed in a low voice, her eyes drawn to the gorgeous decorations and the swaying skirts of the ladies.

"I see so many delicious-looking cakes and pastries on that long table over there!"

Genta's attention was instantly drawn to the food table, and he couldn't help but swallow hard.

"You idiot Genta, stop thinking only about eating!"