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

The group followed the suddenly appearing old butler toward the back of the hospital.

Ran Mouri was puzzled and somewhat uneasy. She kept glancing at the old man leading the way, hesitant to speak, and then secretly looked at Kogoro Mouri.

Kogoro Mouri remained relatively calm. Having been a detective for several years, he had seen many strange people. Noticing his daughter's unusual behavior, he gave her a reassuring look.

Conan Edogawa wanted to ask a question, but before he could open his mouth, Aoyagi Akimitsu pressed his head down, this time with much more force than when he was at the Takeuchi residence. Sensing his strange attitude, the famous detective, who usually liked to ask questions under the guise of a child, silently shut his mouth.

But he didn't sit idle; while walking forward with the others, he kept an eye on his surroundings.

This hospital, located in a small town, is indeed as luxurious as top hospitals in Tokyo. There is a scenic rest area behind the building for staff and some patients who can go downstairs to relax.

They walked through a green area and along a stone path, without seeing anyone along the way. After walking for a while, a pavilion built beside a pond came into their view.

"Sir, Mr. Mori and the others have arrived."

The old steward stopped a few steps away from the pavilion and bowed to the person in the center of the pavilion.

Upon hearing this address, Conan Edogawa instinctively looked at the other person's face.

The man was nearly seventy years old, with most of his hair turned white, though his face wasn't very wrinkled. He was wearing a hospital gown, with a coat draped over his shoulders, and his two hands, thin and withered like twigs, protruded from his sleeves and rested on his knees.

As expected, it's Chairman Takeuchi.

Looking at the elderly man before him, whose illness was hard to conceal, and recalling the photos of him online, full of vigor and confidence as the chairman of the group, Conan Edogawa felt a pang of sadness.

He does look quite ill, but not to the point of being unable to move or lose his ability to take care of himself...

"Hmm," Chairman Takeuchi replied in a lukewarm tone, "You may leave."

The old butler bowed again and walked behind the tree, disappearing from sight a few seconds later.

Kogoro Mori watched his departing figure, then looked at Chairman Takeuchi in front of him—his client's father and the suspected romantic interest of the person he was investigating—and was momentarily at a loss for how to start a conversation.

"Detective Mouri".

Chairman Takeuchi looked at them, but made no move to invite them to sit down. He stood and sat down at the same time, and said in a hoarse voice, "I heard that my good-for-nothing eldest son asked you to investigate?"

His question was so direct that Kogoro Mouri felt a little embarrassed.

But he couldn't hide it, since the chairman had called out his name as soon as he arrived and had precisely sent people to stop them as soon as they entered the hospital, which showed that he already knew that they had visited the Takeuchi family that morning.

“Yes, President Takeuchi has something he wants me to help with.” Kogoro Mori nodded.

Chairman Takeuchi's gaze swept over them one by one, pausing briefly on Aoyagi Akimitsu before turning back to Mouri Kogoro.

"What did he ask you to investigate?" he asked again.

Kogoro Mouri looked troubled. He was usually quite absent-minded and often let slip some things, but in front of the powerful chairman, he stubbornly refused to budge: "I'm sorry, Chairman Takeuchi, according to the rules of the detective industry, we cannot disclose too much information about the case to outsiders."

Chairman Takeuchi snorted coldly.

"It's all about property anyway. That kid is obsessed with pushing his younger siblings out of the picture and inheriting all my wealth by himself. Humph, he has no brotherly or sisterly feelings at all."

Conan Edogawa seemed to be deep in thought upon hearing this.

They didn't mention that...that president's aunt whose name he didn't know yet. Did the chairman only know that they went to visit her, but not the specific content of the conversation?
Kogoro Mouri was equally surprised by this attitude, and for a moment he didn't know whether to just let it go or to offer some explanation for his client.

"Um..." he mumbled, "Actually, President Takeuchi was just concerned about your health and worried that you might be being scammed..."

Upon hearing his reply, Chairman Takeuchi let out another cold laugh.

……

This conversation between the detective and the client's biological father began inexplicably and ended hastily.

Walking back to the main entrance, Kogoro Mori pondered what had just happened, still puzzled as to why Chairman Takeuchi had called them over and only spoken a few words. He muttered to himself, "What a nuisance..."

Ran Mouri's initially good mood turned complicated. "Dad, is it really possible for this request to go smoothly?"

"Who knows?" Kogoro Mouri put his hand down. "Let's check it out first, but judging from Chairman Takeuchi's attitude, the president might cancel the commission the next day."

“No, not at all,” Aoyagi Akimitsu suddenly said. He had remained silent ever since he officially entered the hospital, and this was the first time he had spoken.

He continued, "Chairman Takeuchi's health is far worse than it appears, and he probably doesn't have the energy to restrain his children from fighting over the inheritance."

Conan Edogawa looked up and curiously tugged at his sleeve: "But that chairman was sitting alone in the pavilion just now, without any medical staff to take care of him. He seemed to be in good health."

Aoyagi Akimitsu looked down at him and patted his head.

"It's just bravado."

Aoyagi Akimitsu chuckled lightly, then sighed, "I've seen plenty of people like this. The higher a person's position, the less they want others to notice when they're unwell. More than being cared for or looked after, they're afraid of others taking advantage of their weakness to attack them."

His hand fell from Conan Edogawa's head, making a gesture as if to hold hands. Conan Edogawa was a little confused, but still reached out and took his hand.

The palms of an adult male are broad and strong, and the palms are warm.

While holding his hand, Aoyagi Akimitsu continued, "This situation is particularly serious in Japan. Many elderly people are unwilling to be offered a seat on the train. Some people are clearly unsteady on their feet, but because there are younger people watching them, they insist on standing up on their own. There are also some people who have enough money to support themselves in their old age, but they insist on sticking to their posts and eventually die suddenly."

Ran Mouri thought about what she usually encounters when she travels: "It's true, some elderly people are very stubborn. If you try to give them your seat, they will get angry instead."

The middle-aged Kogoro Mouri scratched his head, offering no comment on the issue of young versus old people. He simply remembered one thing: "When you mentioned someone who was very old but stayed at their post and eventually died suddenly, were you referring to the chairman of the Masuyama Group?"

Conan Edogawa knows this person.

On the day he and Ai Haibara participated in the beauty pageant and encountered the organization again, the chairman also died. Police announced that he was murdered by enemies on his way home, and the killer has not yet been arrested.

He initially suspected it was done by an organization, but had no evidence. When he asked Ai Haibara, she said she didn't know Kenzo Masuyama.

"It's him." Aoyagi Akihiro nodded. "It's pitiful to think about. If he had been willing to retire early, perhaps he wouldn't have encountered all this misfortune. As a result, he's now facing constant external criticism and his reputation is ruined in his later years..."

They talked as they walked toward the main entrance.

Conan Edogawa didn't let go. As he listened, he curiously glanced at Aoyagi Akimitsu's profile.

He wondered if it was just his imagination, but he felt that Mr. Aoyagi was talking a bit too much these days...?
……

Meanwhile, on the other side.

In the pavilion of the hospital's rest area, Chairman Takeuchi, seeing that the others had walked away, wanted to get up.

But because of insufficient leg strength, he stumbled and fell back down.

"..."

Silence reigned all around, broken only by the sound of the wind. His face paled as he stared at his trembling hands, at the rough, withered skin and the faint veins visible beneath—all of which told him one thing:

"You're getting old."

A strong male voice sounded behind him.

Chairman Takeuchi's expression changed slightly. He slowly turned around and looked at the man who had appeared behind him.

The man was tall and strong, his muscular physique accentuated by black, form-fitting clothing. His dark blond hair and striking features clearly indicated his foreign heritage.

What are you doing here? Have you taken care of all the trouble you caused?

Chairman Takeuchi looked at him. Unlike when he faced Kogoro Mouri and the others, his tone now carried a subtle lack of confidence.

"Of course, those are just minor inconveniences."

The blond foreign man chuckled and walked towards him.

"A minor problem? You've even attracted the FBI's attention..."

Chairman Takeuchi stopped mid-sentence.

The blond man's expression suddenly changed drastically, like an enraged lion, his face and eyes blazing with boundless fury.

Only then did Chairman Takeuchi notice that the other person had an earphone on their ear, and was listening to something. (End of Chapter)