Ke Xue: The thief Cao is actually myself

Chapter 557 No one knows how to solve cases better than me! (Please give me a monthly ticket!)

"Is that so? I understand."

Kogoro Mouri's brows were tightly twisted into a knot, and the wrinkles on his forehead were like ravines. Although his heart was full of disappointment, his reason told him that Secretary Hanai was not to blame for this matter.

After all, the affairs of the company have always been complicated and disorderly, and Secretary Hanai, as the secretary of President Takei, is overwhelmed by the huge amount of work every day. She is so busy that she is like a spinning top without even time to breathe.

It is normal and understandable that we fail to notice those subtle clues under such high-intensity busyness.

Conan held his chin like a little adult, his little brain working rapidly. After thinking for a moment, he raised his sparkling eyes and asked in an expectant tone: "Sister Hanai, what about the company's surveillance video? Can you check the surveillance footage of Naoko a few days before and after she was kidnapped? Maybe we can find some clues, such as the footage of the person she quarreled with entering and leaving the company."

Secretary Hua Jing was embarrassed when he heard this. He sighed softly, and that sigh seemed to be filled with endless fatigue and helplessness. "The company's surveillance videos are only kept for a limited time, and there are blind spots in some important areas. It is not certain that useful footage can be captured. However, I can ask the security personnel in charge of monitoring to see if we can find relevant video footage by luck."

Maori Kogoro nodded slightly, with a flash of gratitude in his eyes: "Then I'll trouble you, Miss Hanai. This is very important to our investigation of the case."

Secretary Hanai pulled himself together, and with a forced smile, he said, "You're welcome. Naoko is like my sister. She encountered such a thing. I am actually worried too. I hope to find her as soon as possible. So, as long as I can help, I will definitely do my best."

As she spoke, her eyes became slightly red again, and she raised her hand to gently wipe away the tears from the corners of her eyes.

Bai Ye crossed his arms and looked thoughtfully at Conan, who was looking down at the side. There was a strange light in his eyes. He then asked Secretary Hanai, "Ms. Hanai, in addition to the surveillance, did anything else unusual happen in the company before and after Ms. Naoko was kidnapped? Even some seemingly insignificant little things may contain mysteries."

Secretary Hanai frowned slightly upon hearing this, and fell into deep thought, as if searching the depths of her memory for those neglected details. After a while, she slowly spoke, "Something unusual... By the way, the day before Naoko disappeared, the company's printer suddenly broke down, and the technicians came to fix it for a long time. However, I don't think this has anything to do with the case, right?"

Conan's eyes suddenly lit up, with excitement and anticipation flashing in his eyes, and he asked, "Sister Hanai, do you remember who was there at the time?"

Secretary Hanai tilted her head with a look of nostalgia on her face, trying to piece together the scene in her mind. After a moment, she shook her head helplessly, "At that time, there were people coming and going in the company, and everyone was busy with their own things. I was also overwhelmed by the pile of documents, and I really didn't have time to pay attention to my surroundings."

Conan bit his lower lip slightly, his little brain working rapidly. After thinking for a moment, he asked again: "So was the printer repaired? Is there anyone who is particularly anxious to use the printer?"

Secretary Hanai was stunned for a moment, as if the memory had been brought back to him. She recalled, "It was fixed later. It seemed that Mr. Yamamoto was waiting to print an important contract. He was so anxious that he kept urging the technicians, his face full of impatience."

Maori Kogoro nodded slightly, with a sharp light flashing in his eyes, "Mr. Yamamoto? What position does he hold in the company? What is his relationship with President Takei?"

Secretary Hanai explained, "He is the head of the marketing department. He seems to have a good relationship with the president, but relationships in the workplace are complicated and unpredictable. No one can tell what they are like in private."

Bai Ye and Maori Kogoro looked at each other, and they saw suspicion and inquiry in each other's eyes. The two understood each other, and Bai Ye continued to ask, "After Naoko was kidnapped, did anyone in the company show special concern for the progress of the case, or take the initiative to ask you about Naoko? Even if it is some seemingly casual inquiries, please think carefully."

Secretary Hanai frowned slightly, and faint lines appeared on his forehead. He was lost in memories, as if he was carefully reviewing every relevant scene in his mind.

After a moment, she shook her head slightly, her hair swaying with it, and replied helplessly: "A few colleagues did come to ask about the situation, but they were all normal friends. Everyone just expressed their concern, there was nothing special."

When she said this, she seemed to suddenly remember something, her tone paused slightly, and then added: "Oh, by the way, Mr. Yamamoto also came to ask, but his words and expressions were very natural, I didn't think there was anything wrong."

Maori Kogoro stood up, put his hands behind his back, and paced back and forth in the room. Each step was steady and powerful, and he kept muttering to himself: "It seems that we have to start with the two people who have conflicts with Naoko and investigate their recent whereabouts and activities. Maybe the key clues are hidden among them."

But to be honest, he felt that those two people were not very suspicious.

After all, since President Takei knows that there is a rift between the two parties, with his caution and means, he will definitely do everything he can to prevent it and not let them have the slightest chance to get close to his daughter.

Compared to the two of them, the marketing manager named Yamamoto is more likely to be suspected.

He holds a high position in the company and has work interactions with President Takei. Moreover, he was particularly anxious when the printer broke down, which was really suspicious.

Conan looked up at Maori Kogoro, his eyes firm and confident, as if he had seen the dawn of solving the case, "Uncle Maori, I think in addition to this, we can also investigate Miss Naoko's social accounts to see who she has been in contact with recently. Maybe we can find some connections from them."

Maori Kogoro stopped and paused. After thinking for a moment, he slowly nodded: "Well, you have a very reasonable idea, let's do this. Ms. Hanai, I wonder if you can help check Naoko's social account. This is very important to our investigation. Maybe we can dig out important clues from it and become the key to solving the mystery."

Mao Lilan, who had been silent all this time, also made a request. Her voice was gentle but full of sincerity that was irresistible: "Ms. Hanai, I believe that you and Naoko have a deep relationship, and she must regard you as the most important person. In order to find her, we must go all out. So, can you do us this favor?"

Secretary Hanai raised her head and looked into Ran Mouri's sincere eyes, which were full of concern and expectation, and her eyes became wet again.

She took a deep breath and wiped the remaining tears from the corners of her eyes. Her movements were gentle but she could not hide her sadness. She nodded vigorously, her tone full of firmness and determination: "Ran, don't worry. As long as you can find Naoko, I will fully cooperate with you, even if it means going through fire and water." Maori Ran and Maori Kogoro looked at each other, and their eyes conveyed relief: "Thank you, Miss Hanai."

The conversation fell into silence for a while, and everyone was silently sorting out the clues they had just obtained.

Kogoro Mori leaned back in his chair, tapping the armrests rhythmically with his fingers. Various possibilities kept emerging in his mind, trying to sort out a clear thread from the complicated clues and piece together the full picture of the case.

Conan paced back and forth in the room, looking to a corner from time to time, as if looking for some inspiration;
Bai Ye sat quietly aside, his eyes deep and thoughtful.

After a while, Conan seemed to suddenly think of something, his eyes lit up, and he turned to look at Secretary Hanai: "Sister Hanai, do you think this kidnapping was done by someone who had a feud with President Takei in business? He has been in the business world for so many years and has made countless enemies. Maybe someone is holding a grudge and has been waiting for an opportunity to take revenge, and this time he is using Naoko to attack him!"

After hearing this, Maori Kogoro's eyes suddenly lit up, as if he was suddenly struck by a flash of inspiration. He slapped his thigh with a crisp "pa" sound and took over the conversation loudly: "It is very possible. We can start with President Takei's recent business disputes and see if there is any rival who is the most suspicious. Maybe we can follow the clues and find the key person."

Bai Ye also nodded in agreement: "Yes, maybe we can find out their connection with the people inside the company. If there is collusion, there will definitely be clues left. We must not miss any details."

Maori Kogoro looked at Secretary Hanai expectantly, and said earnestly, "Ms. Hanai, you have been with President Takei for a long time, so you know a little bit about these things. Do you have any clues or suspicious candidates that can give us some pointers?"

Secretary Hanai's face changed slightly, and a trace of panic flashed in her eyes, but she quickly adjusted herself and regained her composure. She said calmly, "Recently, the president has indeed been competing with a newly emerging company for an important project. The competition was fierce, and the other party's tactics were very tough. The president even lost his temper several times because of this."

Conan keenly noticed the strangeness in Secretary Hanai's expression and his eyes flickered slightly.

He felt more and more that this seemingly weak and pitiful secretary must be hiding some unknown secret.

Thinking of this, he paced slowly in the room, his eyes like a searchlight, scanning every corner, not missing any clues, trying to find more key clues to solve the mystery of the case.

Maori Kogoro didn't think too much about it. After listening to Secretary Hanai's words, his eyes lit up and his excitement was beyond words. He said loudly: "This may be a breakthrough! Let's investigate that company and see what they did during the time when Naoko was kidnapped. Maybe we can follow the clues and find the key person."

Bai Ye nodded slightly, crossed his arms, and added thoughtfully: "I think in addition to investigating the movements of that company, we can also start with their personnel relationships to see if anyone has unusual dealings with President Takei's company, especially before and after Naoko's disappearance."

Conan stopped and looked up at everyone with a firm gaze: "I also have an idea. We can investigate the relevant information of that project. Maybe we can find that the competing company took some unfair means to win the project. This may be directly related to Naoko's kidnapping."

Maori Kogoro patted Conan on the shoulder and said, "Kid, that's a good idea. Let's do it. Ms. Hanai, I'd like to trouble you to help us collect some information about the project. The more detailed the better."

Secretary Hanai nodded slightly, with a hint of hesitation in his eyes, but he quickly responded, "Okay, I'll sort it out for you as soon as possible."

Conan keenly noticed her strangeness, and his heart was alarmed, but he remained calm on the surface and continued to ask in an innocent tone: "Sister Hanai, do you have any other clues besides this?"

"For example, does Miss Naoko usually have any places she likes to go? Or do you have any special hobbies that might be related to this kidnapping case?"

Secretary Hanai was slightly stunned, and then fell into recollection. After a long while, she slowly said: "Naoko likes to go to the library to read books. She is very interested in history and literature. Also, she goes to the park to jog every weekend, rain or shine."

Conan's eyes lit up, and he said excitedly: "This may be an important clue! We can go to the library and the park to investigate, maybe we can find some people who have had contact with her, or discover something unusual."

Maori Kogoro also perked up, stood up, and waved his hand: "Okay, then we will split into two groups. Conan and I will go to investigate the two suspects in the company. Xiaolan, you and Bai Ye, go to the library and the park."

"As for Ms. Hanai, please help check Naoko's social media accounts and collect some information about the project. Also, contact the security personnel and check the surveillance video."

Secretary Hanai responded softly, "Yes, I'll do it as soon as possible."

Looking at Secretary Hanai, who still looked a little haggard, Maori Kogoro said sincerely, "Ms. Hanai, thank you for your cooperation. The information you provided is very important to us. Perhaps it can provide key clues for us to solve the mystery of the whole case. We will also investigate the suspicious persons you provided as soon as possible, and hope to rescue Miss Takei Naoko as soon as possible!"

Secretary Hanai nodded, a glimmer of hope in her eyes: "I believe you can find the truth. Naoko is a good child, she doesn't deserve to suffer such hardships."

Maori Kogoro and Bai Ye stood up and said goodbye to Secretary Hanai: "Well, we will do our best. If you think of anything important, please feel free to contact us."

"Ok."

Secretary Hanai nodded and watched them leave, with an unpredictable emotion in his eyes...

(End of this chapter)