Ke Xue: The thief Cao is actually myself

Chapter 659: When two people travel together, one of them is bound to make mistakes! (Seeking monthly tickets @)

Rice Flower Hotel.

The afterglow of the setting sun shines on the slightly old hotel sign, giving the simple building a warm glow.

"Is this the hotel we're staying in tonight? It's so ordinary!"

Nachi Shingo narrowed his eyes slightly, looking up and down at the ordinary hotel in front of him, which exuded a simple and ordinary atmosphere, with a look of disgust in his eyes. Then, he pretended to be cool and casual, and raised the corners of his mouth slightly, saying with a hint of disdain in his tone: "How can a handsome guy like me with outstanding looks live in such an ordinary and cheap hotel? This is too tasteless. No, I decided to stay in the luxurious Teitan Hotel, which is worthy of my status."

After that, he waved his hand casually, with a self-proclaimed handsome smile on his face, turned around and strode away, not forgetting to say, "See you tomorrow, everyone."

Conan stood aside, watching Nachi Shingo's back as he left, and was speechless. This guy kept saying "handsome guy" all the time, saying that he was a handsome guy or something, which was really shameless and made people laugh and cry.

Seeing that Nachi Shingo had left the group without warning, Shimazaki Yuji was startled at first, then he quickly raised his voice and shouted, "Wait a minute, Mr. Nachi, you can't leave..."

However, Nachi Shingo seemed not to have heard his call. He did not even turn his head and continued walking towards the distance without any intention of stopping.

Shimazaki Yuji sighed helplessly, his face full of helplessness and a wry smile, muttering to himself: "Ah, there's really nothing I can do about him."

Director Gondo was not surprised at all. He patted his shoulder calmly and said generously, "Alright, don't worry about him. As long as he doesn't affect the filming, he can live wherever he wants. Everyone has their own choices. Let's not let this ruin our mood."

At this point, he paused slightly, shifted his gaze from Shimazaki Yuji to Maori Kogoro, his face instantly filled with an enthusiastic smile, his eyes revealing sincere expectations, and said: "Compared to this, today is a rare opportunity to see the extraordinary style of Detective Maori. I really admire the wisdom and courage you showed in analyzing the case. I have long wanted to find an opportunity to have a drink with you. Today is a rare opportunity, you have to give me this face no matter what!"

Upon hearing this, Maori Kogoro's face immediately lit up and he laughed heartily, "Hahaha, of course! It's my honor to drink with a great director like Director Gondo. Since you are so enthusiastic, I'd better obey your command. We must not leave until we are drunk tonight!"

Mao Lilan was standing aside, watching her father get so excited when he heard about wine that he forgot everything else. She couldn't help but frown slightly, with a hint of anger and helplessness in her eyes. She muttered softly, "Really, Dad is like this again. When he hears about wine, he seems to be possessed and can't walk at all. I don't know what he will be like tonight after drinking."

Bai Ye turned his head slightly and looked at Mao Lilan, with a gentle smile in his eyes, and said softly: "Xiaolan, don't blame Uncle Mao Li too much. Director Gondo is so enthusiastic, and Uncle Mao Li can't refuse his kindness. Besides, occasionally relax and have a drink and chat with everyone, maybe it can enhance the relationship between each other, which may also be helpful for future things."

Mao Lilan pouted slightly and said with some concern: "But Dad is prone to making mistakes every time he drinks. I'm afraid he will make a fool of himself again like before. Not only will the situation be awkward, but it may also affect the relationship with the crew members."

Director Gondo smiled when he heard Ran Maori's complaint and said, "Don't worry, Ms. Ran. We are just having a small gathering this time and we won't drink too much. Besides, with us watching over him, he won't get drunk and mess up things."

Then, he turned his gaze to Bai Ye and asked excitedly, "Detective Bai Ye, it's a rare occasion for us to get together, why don't you join us for a drink?"

Bai Ye shook his head slightly, with a hint of apology on his face, and said: "I really want to give face to Director Goto, but unfortunately, I am not even twenty years old."

Japan's "Law Prohibiting Drinking for Minors" implemented in 1925 clearly stipulates that people under the age of 20 are not allowed to drink alcohol, and this law has not changed to this day.

After hearing this, Director Gondo said with a look of regret, "That's such a pity! It looks like Detective Mori will have to drink with us tonight! But it doesn't matter, we will definitely have a chance to get together again in the future."

Seeing Director Gondo about to pull Maori Kogoro to the hotel, Shimazaki Yuji pondered for a moment and also invited Maori Ran: "Ms. Xiaolan, you and Conan are fine to go back, why don't you come and join us? It will definitely be fun for everyone to get together."

Mao Lilan raised her eyes and glanced at Bai Ye beside her. There was a hint of hesitation in her eyes. Then she pursed her pink lips and readily agreed: "Thank you for the hospitality."

After all, her boyfriend and father were there, so she naturally wanted to participate as well.

Moreover, her presence could prevent some incompetent and muddle-headed detective from getting drunk, making a fool of himself and ruining everyone's fun.

As they talked, everyone walked into the Rice Flower Hotel.

The interior decoration of the hotel is very simple, and the paint on the wall is a little mottled, like the traces left by the years, telling the story of the past. There are several old sofas in the lobby, and the fabrics of the sofas are a little worn, showing the vicissitudes of years of use. A slightly quaint front desk desk stands there quietly. The front desk staff greeted them warmly with a warm smile on their faces and quickly checked them in.

While waiting for the formalities to be processed, Douyuan Taeko couldn't help but say worriedly, "Is it really okay for Mr. Nachi to leave so suddenly? I'm still a little worried that he will be delayed in the filming tomorrow because he lives too far away. After all, the filming schedule is so tight. If the progress is delayed because of him alone, it will be bad. The entire filming plan may be affected."

Director Gondo consoled her, "Taeko, don't worry too much. Although Nachi sometimes acts a little selfishly, he is quite sensible at work and shouldn't delay the filming. We've had similar situations before and he always arrived on time. He knows the importance of filming and won't let us down easily. There will be no problem this time, so don't worry."

Listening to their conversation, Conan narrowed his eyes slightly, and a thoughtful gleam flashed in his eyes.

He always felt that Zhi Zhenwu’s sudden departure was not as simple as it seemed!
——Nachi Shingo suddenly decided not to stay in the hotel arranged by the crew and insisted on going to the Teitan Hotel. Could it be related to the threat of the man in the red hat? Or does he have some unspeakable secrets in the Teitan Hotel?

Considering the subtle relationship that seemed to exist between the man in the red hat and Nachi Shingo, Conan secretly decided that after settling down, he would find an opportunity to go to the vicinity of the Teitan Hotel to take a look. Maybe he could find some key clues and uncover the truth behind this series of events.

After completing the check-in procedures, everyone took their room cards and walked to their rooms.

Kogoro Mori was humming a little tune, looking forward to the drinking party with Director Gondo in the evening. He looked as if he could already see the wine waving at him, and his steps became much lighter.

Mao Lilan shook her head helplessly and followed her father, silently praying that he would not get drunk again tonight and make a fool of himself, thus ruining the friendly atmosphere with the crew. But Conan didn't have the mind to think about these things at the moment. He recalled the scene of seeing Nachi Shingo and the man in the red hat in the woods before, and his mood became heavier.

What kind of impact will the deal between Nachi Shingo and the man in the red hat have on the crew? Also, what is the content of the photo in the red hat man's hand, and why can it be used as a handle to threaten Nachi Shingo?

These questions kept circling in his mind, making him fall into deep thought, unable to extricate himself. His eyes revealed a depth and solemnity that was inconsistent with his age, and his little head was working rapidly, trying to sort out a clue from this mess.

At the same time, in the luxurious suite of Teitan Hotel, Nachi Shingo was lazily lying on the soft sofa, staring at the ceiling with a somewhat empty look in his eyes. The huge amount of money demanded by the man in the red hat was like a heavy stone, pressing him so hard that he couldn't breathe.

He knew very well that if he did not meet the other party's requirements, once those photos were exposed, his acting career would probably be ruined. But how easy was it to collect so much money in just three days?

Moreover, based on his understanding of the greedy and sinister nature of the man in the red hat, if there is a first time, there will be a second time, a third time... The other party may never be satisfied with this transaction. Once this Pandora's box is opened, his life will probably fall into an abyss of no peace.

Thinking of this, Nazhi Zhenwu couldn't help but look worried, and the muscles on his face twitched slightly due to excessive worry. He clenched his hands subconsciously, thinking about how to deal with it, but his thoughts were like a tangled mess, and the more he sorted them out, the more confused he became...

……

After a while, everyone packed up their things and went downstairs to the agreed meeting place, where Director Gondo was already waiting.

The table was filled with a wide variety of delicious food and drinks. The exquisite dishes were like pieces of art, and each one exuded a mouth-watering and tempting aroma.

Bottles of fine wine are arranged neatly and orderly, sparkling with a charming and dreamy luster under the gentle reflection of the warm yellow light.

As soon as Maori Kogoro saw the fine wines, his eyes lit up instantly, like a hungry wolf suddenly discovering its prey, his eyes were full of excitement and desire, and he couldn't wait to say, "Wow, so many fine wines! Director Gondo, you are so polite, I am a little flattered."

"Hahaha... no matter how sumptuous the meal is, it won't be too much to entertain Detective Maori!"

Director Gondo laughed and said cheerfully, "Mr. Maori, it's a rare opportunity for us to get together today, so of course we have to drink to our heart's content. Come on, let's have a drink first!"

Upon hearing this, Maori Kogoro immediately raised his glass high without hesitation, his face filled with irrepressible impatience, and said in a loud voice: "Okay! Cheers to our pleasant cooperation this time and to more cooperation opportunities in the future!"

Bai Ye also raised the juice in his hand, with a smile in his eyes, and shook the cup gently, then drank it all in one gulp. He cast his eyes on Shimazaki Yuji who was also holding juice, and asked curiously: "Mr. Yuji, you should be of legal drinking age, right? Why don't you drink with Director Gondo and the others?"

Shimazaki Yuji smiled and patiently explained, "Detective Bai Ye, you don't know. As the assistant director of the crew, I need to be vigilant and responsible for many matters on the set, especially safety. If I get drunk, if something goes wrong on the set and I can't respond in time because of drunkenness, it will be a big problem. It will inevitably make me look incompetent as an assistant."

Bai Ye nodded slightly, his eyes full of understanding and approval, and said: "Indeed, Mr. Yuji has really considered everything. With a dedicated assistant like you by Director Gondo's side, Director Gondo will surely be relieved of a lot of worries, and the operation of the entire crew will surely be smoother."

Shimazaki Yuji nodded slightly and said modestly: "You are too kind. This is all my job. I just hope to do my best to ensure the smooth progress of the crew's filming."

……

"Come on, Mr. Maori, cheers!"

As each glass of wine went down, the atmosphere in the room became more and more heated, like a ignited fire that burned brighter and brighter.

Kogoro Mori and Director Gondo began to talk enthusiastically about some interesting things that happened during the past filming process. The two of them exchanged witty remarks and laughed continuously.

Just as the two were talking heatedly, Director Gondo seemed to notice something inadvertently, turned his head and shouted towards the door: "Hey, Anxi, where are you going?"

Everyone looked in the direction of Director Gondo's voice and saw the man in the red hat, Anzai Morio, walking hurriedly towards the door.

Hearing Director Gondo's call, he didn't even raise his head, but responded coldly: "I have to go and keep my camera..."

After saying that, without waiting for Director Gondo to reply, he left the room without looking back.

Director Gondo looked at the direction he left and couldn't help but frowned and complained: "What a guy that is hard to like!"

It seemed that Anzai Morio's departure had triggered a chain reaction, or maybe Douyuan Taeko was really in a hurry. She frowned slightly and said to Shimazaki Yuji with a little apology, "Yuji, I have something else to do. I have to go home first."

Shimazaki Yuji nodded slightly and said with concern: "Okay, I see. Then you have to come back soon! Everyone is waiting for you."

"Um……"

Douyuan Taeko responded softly, then turned around and hurriedly left the room...

(End of this chapter)