Conan: I'm really not the mastermind behind the scenes

"Welcome, Mr. Maori."

Chairman Suzuki walked up to Kogoro Mori and greeted him.

"I have always been following the detectives in the country. Your reasoning in the hospital last time was truly ingenious." He smiled in a casual and honest manner, and stretched out his hand to shake hands with Kogoro Mouri.

Maori Kogoro had no memory of that reasoning. He laughed dryly and shook his hand back: "No, no, it's really flattering... Uh, do you have other guests now?"

Chairman Suzuki withdrew his hand, his expression somewhat embarrassed: "The previous guests have left. They came for an exhibit scheduled to be exhibited tomorrow, but..."

His eyes fell on Qing Liu Bingguang, and after a pause, he said helplessly: "It's just that I'm a little embarrassed."

Kogoro Mori didn't understand and wanted to ask, but he noticed that there was a well-known female host and reporter present (who was said to have a good relationship with Okino Yoko), so he kept quiet.

He didn't say anything, but Mizunashi Rena seemed to notice his difficulty and said to them with a smile: "Thank you for today, Chairman Suzuki. Now we have to go back and prepare for tomorrow's filming, so we won't disturb you anymore."

The interview was over. Maori Kogoro relaxed and watched the other party and the cameraman leave.

After Mizunashi Rena left, Aoyagi Akimitsu realized that Chairman Suzuki would have to receive the new detective next, so he stood up and walked in front of them: "I won't bother you anymore, Mr. Suzuki."

Chairman Suzuki said to him kindly, "I have asked Nishino to book a hotel for you. You can come over anytime."

"Wait--"

Before Edogawa Conan could speak, Suzuki Sonoko squeezed him down and said, "Mr. Aoyagi, Nishino will take me, Xiaolan and Conan to walk around and experience the customs of Osaka. Do you want to come with us?"

Aoyagi Binguang blinked.

He went to look at the other people. Chairman Suzuki smiled and didn't stop him. Kogoro Mouri also didn't react. They seemed very relieved... He went to look at Ran Mouri again.

Mao Lilan felt his gaze and took the initiative to invite him: "Do you want to come, Mr. Qingliu? It will be more lively with more people."

Aoyagi Akimitsu glanced at Edogawa Conan who nodded beside his legs, smiled and said, "Okay, sorry to bother you then."

……

Kogoro Mori was invited to the conference room by Chairman Suzuki, and the other five people left the art museum.

As soon as she left her elders' sight, Suzuki Sonoko started to have fun. She had already forgotten her dignified lady image. "Let's go to the nearby shrine first. It seems to be quite effective."

The secretary certainly had no objection, and the other three guests readily agreed.

Among them, Edogawa Conan finally had the opportunity to ask the question he had been holding back for a long time: "Sister Sonoko, are there many guests visiting Chairman Suzuki today?"

When Suzuki Sonoko heard this, she showed a bitter expression: "Yes, someone came early in the morning, all for the egg."

"Eggs?" Mao Lilan asked in confusion.

"It's called the 'Egg of Memory', and it's a treasure of the Romanov dynasty of Russia."

Secretary Nishino explained in time: "Not long ago, the chairman found one in his home warehouse. It just so happens that the newly opened art museum is going to hold an art exhibition related to the last dynasty, so they plan to exhibit this egg of memories."

"It is said that this egg has a high collection value, so the staff added it when promoting it not long ago." Suzuki Sonoko added, "Then this morning, the four of them came to our door one by one."

Conan Edogawa looked at Aoyagi Akiko: "There are four? Including the TV station and Mr. Aoyagi?"

"No." Aoyagi Akimitsu said, "I and the staff of Nichimi TV came here for work, and the four guests wanted to buy the 'Egg of Memories'."

Secretary Nishino followed his words and introduced the four guests:

"The first to come was Mr. Qian Jiangyi, a well-known domestic art dealer; followed by Ms. Pu Siqinglan, a Romanov dynasty researcher from the flower-growing industry; then Mr. Siluofu Chinikov, the third secretary of the Russian Embassy; and finally..."

There was a strange pause in the secretary's voice.

Edogawa Conan looked over in surprise, only to hear the other party regain his composure and continue to introduce: "...the war correspondent for the TV station the day before yesterday, now a freelance video writer, Mr. Kankawa Ryu."

Mao Lilan was stunned when she heard the name: "Kanchuan Long? Is he the winner of the photography award a few years ago?"

She has no interest in reasoning, but she has many other hobbies, and knows the names of many celebrities. "Yes." Secretary Nishino nodded.

Edogawa Conan was not interested in this, so he did not ask Mao Lilan more. His attention shifted to Aoyagi Akimitsu: "Mr. Aoyagi, what job are you here for?"

Mao Lilan subconsciously wanted to stop the child's impolite exploration behavior.

——But when she saw his upturned face, her voice got stuck in her throat. She could only watch him raise his questions.

"I'm here to advise Mr. Suzuki not to display the Egg of Memories for the time being."

Aoyagi Akimitsu sighed softly: "If possible, other cultural relics and treasures related to the Romanov dynasty should also be put away for the time being... But because the exhibition hall has already been decorated and the opening ceremony will be tomorrow, Chairman Suzuki is very embarrassed about my suggestion."

Edogawa Conan: "......?"

Why? Is there something wrong with those treasures?

He had more questions and was about to ask more, but Suzuki Sonoko interrupted him again: "By the way, Xiaolan, how did you and Mr. Aoyagi know each other?"

Ran Mouri hesitated, and her eyes involuntarily glanced at Conan Edogawa.

Edogawa Conan met her gaze and was suddenly startled.

"...Last year Shinichi invited me to visit New York, and he took me to meet Mr. Aoyagi." Mao Lilan withdrew her gaze as if nothing had happened and said to Suzuki Sonoko.

"Kudo and I are friends, and Mr. Kudo Yusaku has also given me a lot of help in my work." Aoyagi Akimitsu said with a smile.

"Is that so?" Suzuki Sonoko understood.

The three of them were communicating happily, but Edogawa Conan's heart was in a mess.

In fact, he had a lot of questions. He wanted to ask why the treasures could not be exhibited, why Chairman Suzuki seemed so friendly with Aoyagi Akimitsu (so friendly that it didn't seem like the first time they met), why...

But all the words were blocked by the look that Mao Lilan just gave.

——Why did she look at him like that? Did she... discover something?
Edogawa Conan's silence continued until they reached the shrine. When he saw the other people going up to draw lots, each of their movements was extremely natural, he quietly breathed a sigh of relief.

Suzuki Sonoko was very happy when she drew Kokichi. She wanted to tell Aoyagi Akiko, a foreigner, how to pray and draw lots, but she saw that he had already taken out the lot with familiarity: "...Mr. Aoyagi, what did you draw?"

"Big evil."

"Eh??"

The others all came over, even Edogawa Conan tried to stand on tiptoe to look at his fortune:
"Very bad luck - past enemies will come to visit you, please be careful."

Suzuki Sonoko said dryly: "I, I heard it wrong before. In fact, this shrine is not effective at all! Mr. Aoyagi, this is superstition, don't take it to heart! "

Aoyagi Binguang smiled at her, and the smile fit perfectly on his face like a mask: "I don't really believe it either. After all, the last time I came, the fortune didn't come true."

"Mr. Aoyagi, have you been to Osaka before?" Mao Lilan asked in surprise.

"Yeah." Qing Liu Bingguang responded, "I came here once when I was in middle school."

A gust of cold wind swirled past their legs, carrying fallen leaves, and Edogawa Conan shuddered. This chill seemed strangely familiar to him.

Aoyagi Akimichi put away the fortune slip, seemingly not taking it seriously at all.

"Excuse me……"

Just then, a strange female voice suddenly sounded beside them.

This shrine is a popular tourist attraction in Osaka. When the five of them were drawing lots, there were other tourists not far away. The one who spoke to them at this time was a young woman with a gentle temperament.

She also held a signature slip, and was accompanied by an old man dressed as a butler. Her grey eyes looked at Secretary Nishino and Suzuki Sonoko.

"…Excuse me, are you from the Suzuki family?" (End of this chapter)