Ke Xue: The thief Cao is actually myself

Chapter 556: An Actor's Self-cultivation! (Seeking monthly votes!)
"of course!"

Hearing Bai Ye's flattering words, Maori Kogoro puffed out his chest. His body, which was originally slightly hunched due to years of running around to handle cases, instantly stood up straight, like a pine tree. With a confident glow on his face, he said loudly, "Bai Ye, you are a good judge of vision."

When he said this, he paused, looked at Mao Lilan beside him with a loving gaze, and assured her firmly, "Xiao Lan, don't worry, I, your father, will solve this case as soon as possible and bring your classmate back to you safely!"

However, although he said this, he knew very well in his heart that this case was far more difficult than he had imagined, and it would not be easy to sort out the clues.

However, in front of his daughter and everyone else, he could not show any discouragement or worry at all and had to hold on steadily.

Because this not only concerns his dignity and face as a detective, but also concerns his daughter Xiaolan's trust and dependence on him!
At this moment, Conan seemed to suddenly think of something, his eyes suddenly lit up, and he said to Maori Kogoro and Bai Ye: "Um, uncle, Bai Ye big brother, we have been focusing all our attention on the transaction between President Takei and the kidnappers, but have overlooked a very key person - Secretary Hanai."

"She and Takei Naoko had such a close relationship, just like sisters. Secretary Hanai is very likely to know more unknown inside stories about Naoko's abnormal behavior and actions before she was kidnapped."

"Why don't we have another in-depth chat with her? Maybe we can dig up some new clues that we have overlooked before!"

"Well, what you said makes sense."

Kogoro Mori nodded slightly and fell into deep thought.

Although he didn't like a certain naughty kid who was always playing tricks, he had to admit that what the other person said this time made sense.

Secretary Hanai has such a special relationship with Takei Naoko that she should pay special attention to Naoko's every move in her daily life.

Before, everyone was indeed paying too much attention to President Takei's situation, and clearly not enough attention was paid to Secretary Hanai.

Bai Ye also nodded, with a wise light in his eyes, and added: "Well, Conan is right, and Secretary Hanai's previous behavior was also somewhat elusive. For example, her reaction when she heard the bad news about Takei Naoko seemed to be grief-stricken, but if you tasted it carefully, it felt a little deliberate. Maybe she knows more secrets than we thought."

Maori Kogoro waved his hand, like a brave general issuing a battle order, and said resolutely: "Okay, then let's go to Secretary Hanai again to ask for clarification. Maybe we can really find a breakthrough in the case from her!"

Of course, that's what they said, but they also knew that Secretary Hanai might be immersed in great sorrow at the moment, and rashly disturbing her at this time might backfire.

So, everyone decided to wait until Secretary Hanai had a good rest before asking her about the situation...

More than an hour later, after having lunch at a nearby restaurant, everyone felt that it was about time, so they got up and went to Secretary Hanai's residence again to ask her about the situation.

Along the way, Kogoro Mori kept thinking over the words of inquiry in his mind. He knew that this conversation was crucial and there must not be any mistakes.

Soon, they came to the second floor again.

Maori Kogoro took a deep breath, calmed down his emotions, and gently knocked on Secretary Hanai's door. His voice was deliberately slow and gentle: "Ms. Hanai, it's us, Maori Kogoro, Xiaolan, Bai Ye, and Conan. Can we come in?"

"Please come in!"

Secretary Hua Jing walked out of the inner room slowly, her steps were somewhat heavy, and she raised her hand to open the door for everyone. Her eyes were still very red and swollen, just like a ripe peach that was squeezed, full of traces of crying. The sadness on her face was like a thick haze, tightly covering her. The whole person exuded a feeling of haggardness and loneliness, which made people feel pity.

The moment she saw the crowd, a hint of panic flashed across her eyes, but this panic was like a fleeting meteor in the night sky, and she soon regained her composure. She lowered her head slightly and asked softly, "What... are you here for?"

Seeing this, Maori Kogoro hurriedly spoke before anyone else, trying to make his tone as gentle and soothing as possible: "Ms. Hanai, are you okay?"

"I'm almost recovered." Secretary Hanai forced herself to cheer up, as if she had used up all her strength. The corners of her mouth slightly raised, and she managed to squeeze out a smile that was uglier than crying. Her voice was slightly hoarse due to excessive sadness and fatigue: "I'm sorry to have caused everyone to worry."

"It's okay, I'm glad you're okay." Maori Kogoro took a deep breath and continued, "Well, Ms. Hanai, we still want to know something else from you. Did Naoko really not do anything special or say anything strange before she was kidnapped? This is very important to find her."

"Is that so? Then come in."

Secretary Hanai hesitated for a moment, a trace of struggle flashed in his eyes, but he finally stepped aside to let them in.

……

The light in the room was a little dim, the curtains were half-drawn, and there was a faint sense of sadness in the air.

Secretary Hanai sat quietly beside the bed, looking lonely and sad, staring out the window with empty eyes, as if she was shrouded in a thick mist of sadness, exuding an air of loneliness and helplessness. After everyone took their seats, Maori Kogoro cleared his throat, his expression became serious, trying to break the depressing atmosphere, and said, "Ms. Hanai, we have some questions for you about the kidnapping of Ms. Takei Naoko, I hope you don't mind."

Bai Ye leaned forward slightly and added in a concerned and sincere tone, "Ms. Hanai, we know you are feeling very uncomfortable right now, but for Miss Naoko, I hope you can recall it carefully. Even the smallest details may be the key to finding her."

"Ms. Hanai, we are really sorry to bother you again." Maori Kogoro and Bai Ye looked at each other and said with apology in their voices, "But we really have no choice. We have too little information at the moment. In order to rescue Ms. Takei Naoko as soon as possible, so, Ms. Hanai, we still want to know more from you."

Secretary Hanai nodded slightly, her movements gentle but somewhat powerless, and she slowly sat down on the bed. Her eyes were somewhat empty, staring straight ahead, her eyes were full of confusion and absent-mindedness, as if her thoughts had already drifted away, trapped in distant and painful memories, "You can ask whatever you want to ask, as long as I know, I will tell you everything truthfully."

Maori Kogoro cleared his throat, trying to make his tone sound gentle and friendly, and said with concern: "Um, Ms. Hanai, Miss Naoko really didn't tell you anything special before she was kidnapped?"

Conan reacted quickly, and before Secretary Hanai could speak, he added in a polite but unquestionable tone: "Ms. Hanai, did you notice anything unusual on the day Ms. Naoko was kidnapped? For example, did you receive any strange phone calls, or notice any suspicious people around you? Any details may be crucial to finding Ms. Naoko's whereabouts and rescuing her safely."

Secretary Hanai frowned slightly, and showed hesitation on her face, as if she was having a fierce ideological struggle deep in her heart. After a moment, she slowly spoke, her voice soft but with a tremor: "That day was no different from usual, everything went according to plan. After Naoko left, I was busy handling affairs in the company, thinking that if I could finish my official business earlier, I could go to the cinema to wait for her to watch a movie earlier. It's just..."

At this point, she hesitated, a barely perceptible hesitation flashing across her face, "Naoko was indeed a little strange those days, always looking absent-minded, as if something was weighing on her mind. I asked her, but she refused to say anything, and just kept telling me not to worry."

"Also, Naoko always came home very late during those days. When I asked her what she was busy with, she was just vague."

As she spoke, her eyes became red again, tears welling up in her eyes. "At the time, I didn't pay much attention to it. I just thought she had some problems with her studies. Now that I think about it, it may have a great connection with Naoko's kidnapping case."

Secretary Hua Jing cried and seemed to think of something. She raised her head suddenly and said, "Oh, I remember that one day during that time, I saw her arguing with someone in the corridor of the company, but the distance was too far, so I didn't hear clearly what they were saying."

As soon as these words came out, Conan's eyes lit up instantly, and he immediately asked: "Sister Huajing, can you see who is arguing with her?"

Secretary Hua Jing frowned and tried to recall: "The light was a little dim at the time. I only saw that the man was wearing a dark suit and couldn't see his face clearly."

Maori Kogoro stroked his chin, thinking: "It seems that this person is very suspicious, Miss Hanai, then did you hear any characteristics of the other party's voice? Is it a man or a woman? Is there anything special about the timbre and tone of the voice?"

Everyone's eyes were fixed on Secretary Hanai, their expressions full of expectation, hoping that she could recall more key clues.

Under everyone's gaze, Secretary Hua Jing closed her eyes again, and the wrinkles on her forehead became more obvious, as if she was struggling with the vague memories in her mind. After a long while, she slowly said, "The person's voice was very low and hoarse, and I really couldn't tell whether it was a man or a woman. But the tone was particularly aggressive and full of anger."

"Is your tone particularly aggressive?"

Bai Ye narrowed his eyes slightly, his brain working rapidly, integrating these new clues, and then asked: "Ms. Hanai, who in the company has President Takei had a serious conflict with, or a particularly intense conflict at work? Think about it carefully, could the person who quarreled with Miss Naoko be an employee of the company?"

Secretary Hanai bit her lower lip tightly, her lips turned pale due to the force, and the tangled look on her face became more and more intense, as if a fierce tug-of-war was going on in her heart. After a long silence, she lowered her voice and said slowly with some hesitation: "The director of the marketing department and the president have been at loggerheads on business cooperation many times, and neither of them gave in. Every time they discussed a plan, it was like a war, full of gunpowder. There was also a colleague in the R&D department who had a very unpleasant argument with the president because of the issue of project resource allocation, and even slammed the table during the meeting."

Bai Ye narrowed his eyes slightly, with a thoughtful gleam in his eyes: "From the perspective of human nature, these conflicts are very likely to be the fuse that triggered this kidnapping case. We can dig deeper along this line."

Conan echoed, his eyes sparkling with excitement, his small body seemed to contain endless energy: "Yes, I think these two people are very suspicious. We must find the connection between them and the kidnapping case as soon as possible. Maybe we can find the secret connection between the key figures and uncover the truth of this case."

When Maori Kogoro heard this, his half-closed eyes suddenly widened and he became more alert. He asked questions like a machine gun: "Did these two people behave abnormally before and after Naoko was kidnapped? For example, their whereabouts became mysterious, they were often missing, or they suddenly asked for leave without any warning?"

In Kogoro Mori's opinion, President Takei is a ruthless character in the business world with tough methods and a fierce style.

Over the years, he has been able to make great changes in the business field. Relying on various drastic measures and ruthless decisions, countless once-glorious companies have been forced into bankruptcy and liquidation under his suppression, and their business empires have collapsed in an instant, with their former prosperity vanishing into thin air.

What's more, there are rumors that some people suffered a mental breakdown due to the enormous pressure he brought them, and eventually chose to jump off a building and commit suicide. Although there is no conclusive evidence for these rumors, they have spread like wildfire in the business circle.

How could such a vindictive and ruthless person tolerate open provocation from his subordinates?

Once provoked, he would definitely try every possible means to retaliate, using all means to make the other party pay a heavy price and let everyone know the consequences of provoking him.

As for those who are maliciously targeted by him, as long as they are not submissive and willing to be bullied, they will definitely have deep resentment towards President Takei. This resentment is like a time bomb buried deep in their hearts. As time goes by, it will continue to accumulate and ferment. Once it accumulates to a certain extent, it will be like a lit powder keg. It is even very likely to turn into a strong desire for revenge, triggering an unpredictable crisis.

Secretary Hanai shook her head helplessly, her hair swaying slightly as she moved. "There are so many people in the company and so many things to do. We are so busy every day. Everyone is working around the clock at their respective positions. I really didn't pay much attention to their movements."

(End of this chapter)