Tokyo Knights: The Odd Jobs X Files

Although Li Xin was confident that he could capture "Kidd" now, he would be even more certain with Qian Jialuo's help. Unfortunately, Qian Jialuo was not interested in this job.

"Mr. Ashin, you're interested in this job, right? That's great! My uncle will be recruiting top talents in a couple of days. If you apply, you're sure to be selected!"

Sonoko Suzuki became more and more excited as she thought about it. Finally, she could also play the game of unspoken rules!

"Hey, that's why I couldn't find you anywhere! So this is where you are!"

Saeko Nogami's voice rang out as she gracefully approached and sat down at Li Xin's table as if they were old friends. She even deliberately squeezed between Li Xin and Chika, making Sonoko Suzuki envious. But after looking at herself, she felt a pang of inferiority.

Damn it, I can't compare at all...

Sonoko Suzuki was unwilling to accept this.

"I'm telling you, no wonder you're not interested in the beach, it turns out you're interested in those young girls!"

After Nogami Saeko sat down, she joked with Li Xin.

Li Xin had no liking for Nogami Saeko, who forced him to take on jobs, and his attitude was very cold.

Saeko Nogami, feeling awkward, turned to Chikara and said, "Ms. Chikara, we were able to catch the criminal this time thanks to you. Thank you so much."

Qian Jialu smiled and said, "You're welcome. Just pay the agreed-upon fee."

She had no leverage over Nogami Saeko, at least not for the time being, so she was quite composed in her attitude towards Nogami Saeko.

Before coming, she had made an agreement with Nogami Saeko. She would use her special abilities to help Nogami Saeko find a killer, but the reward would be one million yen. Nogami Saeko agreed without much hesitation. After all, the target was a murderer who had committed four murders and had been investigating the case for a year without any clues. Taking him down would save the police more than one million yen in search costs.

"Haha, of course I won't forget to pay Ms. Chika's reward, but the problem is that our Metropolitan Police Department has strict approval procedures, so the process may be a little slow. Please wait a moment."

Nogami Saeko said awkwardly.

Qian Jialuo's lips curled into a slight smile as she leaned back and mouthed to Li Xin: "Has she always been like this?"

She didn't say that when she asked Qian Jialuo for a favor before.

Li Xin leaned back and nodded at Qian Jialuo: Yes, that's why I don't like doing business with her.

"Seriously, what are you guys doing!"

Saeko Nogami also tilted her head back, separating the two of them, and interrupted their whispered conversation with a smile.

The three straightened up, and Saeko Nogami and Sonoko Suzuki said, "I think I just heard you mention 'Kid'?"

"Yes, my uncle is preparing to issue a challenge to 'Kidd'."

Sonoko Suzuki replied.

Who is your uncle?

"Jirokichi Suzuki, advisor to the Suzuki zaibatsu."

"Oh, it's that difficult old man..."

Saeko Nogami shook her head. Hearing Saeko Nogami's assessment, Sonoko Suzuki could only laugh awkwardly and couldn't say anything, because her uncle was indeed difficult to deal with and very strange.

"Officer Nogami, if there's nothing else, I'll be leaving now. You don't need to see me off; I can get home by myself."

After Saeko Nogami arrived, Li Xin didn't really want to stay any longer. Anyway, he knew about the operation to capture "Kidd," and he had already made a lot of progress today, so he could call it a day.

"Going back like this? Really not staying a little longer?"

Saeko Nogami told Li Xin, and even Sonoko Suzuki tried her best to persuade him to stay: "Yes, Mr. Oshin, please stay with us a little longer! You've come all the way to Izu, wouldn't it be a shame not to enjoy the sun and sand?"

Li Xin said calmly, "No, I'm not interested. Goodbye."

"I'll join you too, but I'm not really interested in the beach either."

Qian Jialuo raised her hand and said.

So the two of them left together, leaving only three and a half people on the table (Conan could only be counted as half).

Without Li Xin and Qian Jialuo, the atmosphere became awkward. Nogami Saeko smiled and took the initiative to chat with Suzuki Sonoko and Mouri Ran, instantly livening up the atmosphere.

As a mature woman with far more social experience than Ran Mouri and Sonoko Suzuki, Nogami Saeko quickly took control of the conversation, which also made Ran Mouri and Sonoko Suzuki, high school girls, admire her. Even Sonoko Suzuki, who had some hidden hostility towards Nogami Saeko, was impressed by her.

As the three of them gradually opened up to each other, Saeko Nogami learned about the identities of the other two. Sonoko Suzuki, of course, was the second daughter of the Suzuki Zaibatsu; although she had never met her, she had heard of her. And Ran Mouri…

"Ah, so you're Detective Mouri's daughter!"

Saeko Nogami's eyes lit up slightly, and then she said, "I heard that the Third Division of the First Investigation Division, which specializes in rapist investigations, often receives special care from your father. We are truly grateful."

"No, no..."

Ran Mouri was a little shy. She didn't know what was going on. Her father, who was originally just a clueless detective, suddenly became a so-called famous detective and even helped the Metropolitan Police Department solve several cases. Unfortunately, the family's financial situation did not improve as a result. Kogoro Mouri always helped the police solve cases because he was at the crime scene, not because he was invited by the police to do so, so he didn't get paid.

Catching the criminal is certainly a good thing, and Ran Mouri had nothing to say about it. It's just... it would be nice to receive a small reward for their hard work, since the "Mouri Detective Agency's" revenue is really in a precarious state...

"Officer Nogami, hasn't there been a strange case recently? Has the police found any new leads?"

A child's voice suddenly broke into the conversation between the three; it was Conan.

He didn't want to interrupt the conversation, but after hesitating for a long time, he finally asked about the thing that had been on the mind of the center for the past few days.

Besides helping Kogoro Mouri solve cases, Conan also enjoys searching for unsolved cases in the newspapers. The case of the computer company president is currently the most talked-about and mysterious case. He is very interested in this case, but unfortunately, the police have not taken the initiative to ask Kogoro Mouri to solve it, so he cannot get more clues. This time, when he met the police from the Metropolitan Police Department, he couldn't help but ask Saeko Nogami about the investigation of that case.

Saeko Nogami, Ran Mouri, and Sonoko Suzuki were having a pleasant conversation when Conan asked her a question. She paused for a moment, then asked Ran, "Could this be the 'miracle child' from the Mouri family that's been all over the Metropolitan Police Department lately?"

Ran Mouri smiled, but before she could answer, Sonoko Suzuki spoke up first: "What 'miracle child'? I think 'weird child' is more like it. I don't know what kind of environment this kid grew up in. When a murder occurs, instead of being scared and hiding far away, he rushes in like a dog seeing a bone. He's really caused us a lot of trouble!"

I didn't cause you any trouble. Besides, we grew up in the same environment, okay, Sonoko!

Conan rolled his eyes inwardly.

"What an interesting kid. It seems you'd be perfect for a job as a criminal investigator."

Saeko Nogami said with a smile.

"hey-hey……"

Conan scratched his head and grinned foolishly, but in his heart he was thinking, "Police? No way, I want to be a detective!"

"The case you're talking about, is it the one where the president of the computer company suddenly went berserk during a meeting and killed himself?"

Nogami Saeko asked Conan.

Conan immediately perked up, nodding frantically and saying, "Yes, yes, that's the case! Everyone says it's a curse, but I don't believe it!"

"Child, you're absolutely right. We're living in a modern society where everything should be based on science, yet so many people still believe in curses. It's just... that's what Japanese society is like!"

Saeko Nogami looked at Conan with a relieved expression.

If everyone thought like you, my job would be much easier.

She gave Ran Mouri and Sonoko Suzuki a look that suggested she was about to reveal a secret, and lowered her voice to say, "The latest news about this case is still being kept under wraps. I only heard it from a forensic doctor friend, so please don't tell anyone after you hear it..."

Seeing Saeko Nogami's mysterious demeanor, Ran Mouri and Sonoko Suzuki, who were initially uninterested in this so-called strange murder case, couldn't help but become curious and leaned in to listen.

Conan stood on the stool and leaned over to hear what Saeko Nogami had to say.

"Such a thing actually happened..."

After listening to Saeko Nogami mutter for a while, Ran Mouri covered her mouth in fright, and Sonoko Suzuki also felt a chill run down her spine.

It's just some bacteria, yet it can cause hallucinations and make people clutch themselves to death. That's terrifying.

Saeko Nogami said to Ran Mouri and Sonoko Suzuki, "I'm only telling you this because I trust you, so please don't tell anyone! If the murderer finds out, he might destroy the evidence."

The speaker meant it, and the listener was even more attentive; Conan felt his mind suddenly opened up.

So that's how it is. There was no way a curse could have killed anyone. It was all the culprit's trick. I will definitely solve this case!

Conan clenched his fist.

After resting at the beach house for a while, Saeko Nogami and Ran Mouri prepared to head to the beach together. Despite what had just happened, it did not dampen their spirits or enthusiasm at all.

Saeko Nogami, needless to say, is a detective and has experienced this kind of thing many times. Ran Mouri and Sonoko Suzuki are even more remarkable. They are genuine Beika people and have probably encountered this kind of thing more times than Saeko Nogami. Although they were just targeted by a murderer, they continued to sing and dance as usual, and it did not affect them at all.

Suddenly, Ran Mouri remembered something and said to Sonoko Suzuki, "By the way, Sonoko, don't you really like the Phantom Thief 'Kaito Kid'? You asked Mr. Shin to apply for your uncle's bodyguard job. If he ends up catching 'Kaito Kid', won't that put you in a difficult position?"

She still remembers the fierce battle between Li Xin and the masked man at the sword exhibition. Li Xin is definitely not an ordinary master. Although "Kid" is rumored to be amazing, Ran Mouri still thinks that "Kid" would suffer a great loss if he met Li Xin.

"No way, Mr. Ashin and 'Kid'! I've been wanting to see who's better for a long time. If they had a match, I'd know who my number one male god is!"

Sonoko Suzuki bluntly stated that this was entirely a case of "the more trouble, the better."

However, Sonoko Suzuki didn't realize that someone had overheard her words.

"Have you caught 'Kidd'?"

The dark-skinned waiter at the Sea House murmured after hearing Sonoko Suzuki's words.

After Saeko Nogami and her group left, the dark-skinned waiter came to the owner of the Sea House and said to him, "Uncle, I need to ask for a few days off."

"What? Take leave? Ah Zhen, are you kidding me? These are the busiest days for us! What could possibly require you to take leave at this time?"

The owner of Haizhijia was taken aback for a moment before speaking.

"It's a very important thing."

The waiter said earnestly.

"Well... okay, I got it, but come back soon!"

Seeing that the waiter's attitude was firm, the owner of Haizhijia stopped talking and agreed.

There's nothing I can do; it's my own child.

....................................

Inside the stronghold, Li Xin anxiously asked Crocodile Man as he returned, "How did it go? Did you get the money?"

Crocodile Man's expression turned grave. He then said, "I did get it, but the amount is wrong. It's not 80 million yen..."

Li Xin frowned, thinking to himself, "So it really isn't that simple? Did they find some excuse to withhold money? It seems necessary to teach them a lesson: society needs order to function!"

"...but one hundred million yen!"

Crocodile couldn't hold back any longer; he jumped up excitedly, though given his height, he didn't jump very high.

Li Xin was also taken aback: "One hundred million yen? How could that be? Didn't they say we had to pay 20% income tax on accidental gains?"

Crocodile nodded, then took out a check and said, "That's right, but the problem is that this reward seems to have gone through the Metropolitan Police Department's account in the end. It was transferred from 4M Bank to the Metropolitan Police Department, and then the Metropolitan Police Department issued it. Because it was issued by the Metropolitan Police Department in the end, the 20% incidental income tax is not required, and it becomes the full amount of 100 million yen."

After a pause, Crocodile said, "That's right, that's exactly it. This check was given to me by a female police officer from the Metropolitan Police Department."

After recalling for a moment, Crocodile said again, "Speaking of which, the scent on her body seems to be somewhat similar to the scent you had when you came back yesterday."

Li Xin: "..."

Okay, he knows what's going on, but this is just a favor. Don't expect Li Xin to forgive her so easily, hmph!

Li Xin was delighted.

Chapter 143 Are there still experts?

Is this the place?

A dark-skinned young man stood in front of the gate of a mansion, muttering to himself.

The door was wide open, and upon seeing the dark-skinned young man, the servant immediately stepped forward and asked, "Sir, are you also here to apply for a bodyguard position?"

The dark-skinned youth paused for a moment, then nodded and said, "Yes, I'm here to apply to be a bodyguard to deal with 'Kidd'."

The maid smiled and said, "Yes, sir, please come in. The master is currently conducting an interview, and you've come just in time."

"There's another interview?"

The dark-skinned youth paused for a moment.

The maid smiled and said, "Of course, our master has offered a hefty sum for this job. Each bodyguard who is successfully selected will receive one million US dollars. Of course, we need to prevent unqualified people from sneaking in."

"One million dollars?"

The dark-skinned youth exclaimed in shock.

He only heard from Sonoko Suzuki that her uncle was recruiting bodyguards to deal with the phantom thief "Kid," and then asked an acquaintance to find out the address of Sonoko Suzuki's uncle, but he did not know that Jirokichi Suzuki was offering such a high salary for bodyguards.

"You do not know?"

This time it was the servant's turn to be stunned. He asked, "May I ask which school of thought you belong to, sir?"

“My name is Makoto Kyogoku, and I am a disciple of Kyokushin Karate.”

The dark-skinned young man, Makoto Kyogoku, replied.

"Oh, so you're a master of Kyokushin Karate!"