I'm in Conan, I'm not a gangster

Chapter 706 Women's Vacation (1st Update)
Shiraishi E and Conan sat idly in the cafe for over an hour, sipping their drinks and watching the bustling streets of Los Angeles, occasionally exchanging a few words. They only left after Shiraishi E's phone rang—a call from Ran calling to arrange a meeting.

At the agreed meeting point in the shopping mall, everyone reunited. Conan was surprised to find that Ran, Sonoko, Yukiko, and Eri Kisaki were all empty-handed, unlike him and Emi Shiraishi who were carrying large shopping bags.

"Huh? Ran-neechan, you...didn't you buy a single piece of clothing?" Conan asked, tilting his head in confusion. He knew all too well how powerful girls were when it came to shopping.

Upon hearing this, Yukiko Kudo couldn't help but chuckle. She bent down, ruffled Conan's hair, and explained, "Silly Conan, who would bother carrying their own things in a high-end shopping mall like this? Once we've chosen our items, we just leave our hotel address and room number, and the store will naturally arrange for someone to deliver them to our door for free! It's a basic service!"

Eri pushed up her glasses, a look of satisfaction mixed with a pang of regret on her face. She sighed and said, "Of course, this 'basic service' is only available if your spending reaches a certain threshold... Well, you might not believe it, but I couldn't resist and spent almost half a year's salary just now." Her tone was incredulous, clearly surprised by her own shopping impulse.

Xiaolan stuck out her tongue and chimed in somewhat embarrassedly, "Me too... looking at so many pretty clothes and bags, I accidentally... spent a lot of money."

Only Sonoko Suzuki remained relaxed and unconcerned. She patted Ran and Eri on the shoulder with a grin and comforted them, "Relax, relax! It's about spending money to be happy! Besides, we're buying classic styles and high-end brands. The quality is good, and the designs won't go out of style. We can wear them for a long time! It's an investment!"

Everyone couldn't help but laugh at Yuanzi's "nouveau riche" theory, and the atmosphere was relaxed and pleasant. Amidst the laughter and conversation, they took a taxi back to their hotel.

Back in the luxurious presidential suite, Shiraishi quickly washed and dried the few seasonal clothes he had just bought using the hotel's laundry service. He changed into a new light gray casual T-shirt and dark washed jeans, and looked at himself in the mirror. The boy in the mirror had shed some of his previous casualness, adopting a more American casual style, which suited the atmosphere of Los Angeles quite well—he had adapted to local customs.

Meanwhile, the items ordered by the ladies began to be delivered to the suites by department store staff. The suite's living room quickly transformed into a temporary fashion showroom, piled high with exquisite boxes and bags. Ran, Sonoko, and Yukiko, as excited as little girls, began unpacking, taking out clothes and shoes, showing them off, giving their opinions, and eagerly trying out various outfit combinations. The room was filled with laughter and joy.

Shiraishi E and Conan initially thought they would be setting off soon, but they realized they were too naive. Ran, Sonoko, Yukiko, and Eri Kisaki, carrying a large amount of newly delivered "spoils of war," enthusiastically began the long process of changing and matching outfits.

Their excited discussions could be heard from time to time in the living room:

"Xiaolan, what do you think of this necklace paired with my beige dress?"

"Wow! Aunt Yukiko, this bag has such a classic design!"

"Eri, this professional-casual style outfit suits you very well, making you look especially capable and elegant!"

"........."

Shiraishi E and Conan waited in the living room for almost an hour, watching them come and go, changing outfit after outfit, not only that, but also exchanging and matching them, yet showing no sign of stopping.

The two looked at each other, both seeing boredom and helplessness in each other's eyes.

“Waiting like this is a waste of time,” Shiraishi suggested. “Since this suite has a private pool, let’s go for a swim and stretch our muscles.”

"Great idea!" Conan immediately agreed. Instead of being a "spectator" here, it would be better to expend some of his excess energy.

The two changed into their swim trunks and swam in the private pool for quite a while.

After swimming, they lay on the poolside lounge chairs, enjoying the California sunshine, until they felt a little hungry, at which point they got up and went to the hotel restaurant for lunch.

After lunch, they returned to their suite and were pleasantly surprised to find that the four ladies seemed to have finally put together their outfits. Each of them had changed into a carefully selected new look and stood in the living room looking radiant.

Shiraishi E and Conan were very quick to respond, immediately offering sincere and survival-conscious praise:

"Sister Xiaolan, this dress suits you very well, it makes you look so energetic!"

"Sister Sonoko, your new hairstyle paired with this outfit is super stylish!"

"Aunt Yukiko, your outfit has such a star aura!"

"Attorney Fei, you look both professional and elegant, absolutely fantastic!"

"........."

The ladies smiled happily upon hearing the praise.

Shiraishi E and Conan secretly breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that they could finally go out.

However, just as they were about to leave, the doorbell rang again. It turned out the shopping mall had also delivered the high-end bags, jewelry, and other accessories they had purchased!
Upon seeing these exquisite accessories, Ran, Sonoko, Yukiko, and Eri's eyes lit up instantly!

The excitement that had just subsided was reignited!

"Ah! My bag has arrived!"

"Look at this bracelet! It's even prettier in person than in the pictures!"

"This brooch will fit perfectly on my coat!"

A new round of more refined and time-consuming pairing attempts has begun!

They began to re-examine the clothes they had just chosen, thinking about how to use these new accessories to complete the look, and some even began to consider changing their entire outfits to match the new jewelry!
Conan stared at the seemingly endless "fashion seminar" before him, his lips twitching, a sharp pain shooting through him. He leaned closer to Shiraishi E and whispered, "Ugh... I really don't understand. They buy new clothes and jewelry almost every day, so how come they're still so excited every time they get something new? Does this novelty never wear off?" He glanced with particular surprise at Eri, who was holding up a pair of earrings in front of the mirror, "What surprised me most was Aunt Eri... She usually seems so calm and rational, but I never expected her to be so... fanatical when it comes to shopping."

Shiraishi E seemed quite understanding, saying calmly, "That's normal. Just like you, even though you've read so many mystery novels and know all the tricks and tropes by heart, you still get excited and can't wait to read a newly published, well-received mystery novel, right? Essentially, it's a kind of enthusiasm for 'new experiences' and 'beautiful things'."

Conan paused for a moment, carefully considering Shiraishi E's words. Recalling his own feelings when he saw a new mystery novel, he finally understood and nodded: "Hmm... now that you put it that way, it does seem to make sense."

Shiraishi looked at the four ladies still engrossed in their outfit coordination, yawned, and said, "Judging by this pace, it'll probably be dark by the time they finally decide on their complete outfits. Rather than wasting time here, I'll go back to my room for a nap to recharge. I need to be energetic if we go out tonight."

Conan agreed wholeheartedly. He also felt a bit sleepy, so he said, "Okay, I'll go back and rest for a bit too."

So, the two greeted the ladies and went back to their bedrooms, leaving the spacious living room entirely to the four women who were engaged in their "artistic creation." Inside the suite, one side offered quiet relaxation, while the other was a vibrant and fashionable extravaganza.

------

At five o'clock in the afternoon, the sunlight became much softer. Shiraishi E and Conan woke up from their afternoon nap and walked out of the bedroom full of energy.

Thankfully, the "fashion extravaganza" in the living room seems to have finally come to an end.

Ran, Sonoko, Eri, and Yukiko were all dressed up, each wearing carefully coordinated new outfits, with appropriate makeup and exquisite accessories delivered in the afternoon, looking radiant as if they were going to attend a grand fashion party.

Shiraishi E and Conan exchanged a glance, immediately understanding each other, and once again transformed into the "praise squad," showering the four ladies with sincere and enthusiastic compliments.

This time, their outfits were clearly more complete and refined than at noon, truly commendable. Hearing the compliments, the ladies beamed with satisfaction and confidence.

"Alright, alright, it'll be dark soon if we don't go out!" As the hostess, Yukiko was the most enthusiastic. She waved her hand and announced, "Let's go! I'll take you to Beverly Hills to experience true luxury!"

Conan couldn't help but retort, "So you know it's getting dark?"

Yukiko tapped him on the head and said irritably, "Don't say such discouraging things, or I'll beat you up! Learn from Shiraishi-kun, talk less!!"

Conan clutched his head, grimacing, but dared not utter a word of anger.

The group arrived at the world-famous Beverly Hills in a private car arranged by the hotel.

Here, the trees are lush and the streets are clean, with luxurious mansions of various styles nestled behind meticulously maintained gardens.

Rodeo Drive is lined with flagship stores of top brands, with highly artistic window displays that make you feel like you're visiting a fashion exhibition even if you don't go inside to shop.

Yukiko skillfully led everyone to a high-end restaurant that required reservations for dinner.

The restaurant boasts an elegant ambiance, exquisite and delicious food, and impeccable service.

During the gathering, everyone chatted about what they had seen and heard during the day, creating a relaxed and pleasant atmosphere.

After dinner, the ladies were clearly still enjoying themselves and were drawn to the dazzling shop windows along the street, starting a new round of "window shopping." Of course, if they saw something they really liked, they would not hesitate to go into the store and buy it.

Shiraishi E wasn't very interested in shopping, so he wandered around the neighborhood by himself, looking at the things around him and feeling an unusual sense of familiarity.

Conan followed beside him and noticed that Shiraishi seemed very familiar with the streets and even the locations of some shops. He couldn't help but ask curiously, "Shiraishi, have you been to Beverly Hills before? You seem to know this place quite well."

Upon hearing this, Shiraishi E gave a somewhat strange yet nostalgic smile and said, "Yes, I've been here many times."

In GTA... I don't know how many times I raced on this street and how many times I fought with the police. How could I not know the terrain here well?

The next day, the itinerary was no longer just about shopping. Early in the morning, everyone excitedly headed to Universal Studios Hollywood. Inside, they experienced various thrilling and fun rides, visited famous movie shooting locations, and immersed themselves in the rich film culture atmosphere, having a wonderful time.

After returning to the hotel for a short rest at noon, they visited the world-famous Hollywood Walk of Fame in the afternoon. Strolling along the star-studded sidewalk, adorned with countless handprints and names of celebrities, they searched for their favorite stars' marks and felt the dreams and glory that this street embodies.

Next, they drove to Santa Monica Beach.

This is a popular Instagram spot in Los Angeles, with its azure waters, golden beaches, and the iconic Santa Monica Pier, complete with a historic amusement park, a Ferris wheel, and a variety of souvenir shops.

They strolled on the beach, feeling the sea breeze, played on the pier, and enjoyed a magnificent sunset over the sea in the evening. The orange-red sunset dyed the sky and the sea red, creating a breathtaking scene. The ladies naturally didn't miss this excellent opportunity to take photos, capturing many beautiful "masterpieces."

Back at the hotel that evening, everyone was a little tired, but in a very good mood.

After a short rest and changing into a more formal dress, one of the highlights of the trip was about to begin—Yukiko Kudo was going to attend a Hollywood awards ceremony for new directors.

She also specially invited her familiar makeup team to do her makeup and changed into an elegant evening gown, looking radiant, ready to witness what might be her moment of glory. Shiraishi E and others will also go as her family and friends to experience the atmosphere of the Hollywood awards ceremony.

(End of this chapter)