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

Chapter 755 You're bragging so loudly, yet you choose blackjack?
Shiraishi E and Conan walked through the elegant and quiet crowd in the club and headed straight for the gambling table in the corner that belonged to Colonel Moran.

The hushed conversations and the soft clinking of chips around them seemed to become background noise.

Shiraishi walked leisurely to the table, a cryptic smile on her face, and greeted him, "Good evening, Colonel Moran. What a pleasant experience, spending so late at the card table."

Colonel Moran, who was focused on the card game, looked up at the sound. When he saw who it was, a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes, which quickly turned into a smooth smile: "Oh! Isn't this our famous London consulting detective, Mr. Sherlock Holmes?"

"What brings you to this bridge club tonight? Is there some 'case' here that needs your investigation?" His words were somewhat teasing, but his eyes held a hint of wariness.

Shiraishi E—or rather, the one playing Sherlock Holmes at this moment—smiled, casually placed his hand on the empty back of the chair, and said, “We’re not talking about cases tonight. I just felt like finding a place to play a couple of games and relax.”

"I've long heard that Colonel Moran is an exceptional card player, virtually unmatched in this club. I wonder if I would have the honor of playing a few rounds with you?"

Upon hearing this, Colonel Moran burst into hearty laughter and spread his hands, saying, "Haha! It is my honor to compete with Mr. Holmes! Please, have a seat!"

Seeing this, Shiraishi E turned her gaze to the gambler who was originally sitting at the card table, who seemed to have no intention of giving up his seat.

Shiraishi E's smile remained unchanged, but her eyes suddenly turned cold, and her tone was commanding and unquestionable: "Hey, what are you still sitting there for? Can't you see that Colonel Moran and I are about to play cards? Get out of the way and make room!"

The gambler was taken aback at first, then flew into a rage. He stood up abruptly, his face flushed, and roared, "Holmes! Don't be so arrogant! Do you know who I am? How dare you talk to me like that?!"

His response was a lightning-fast slap from Shiraishi E!

A crisp "snap" echoed clearly in the otherwise quiet club, instantly attracting many astonished glances.

Before the other party could react, Shiraishi E grabbed his collar, swung her arm around him as if he were a piece of trash, and slammed the sizable adult man into the wall with a thud!

Shiraishi E shook her hand, as if she had just brushed off a bit of dust.

He coldly looked down at the man who was dazed and seeing stars after being thrown to the ground, his voice not loud, but carrying a chilling coldness: "Since you know me, Sherlock Holmes, and still don't know the rules, do I need to teach you what it means to give up your seat?"

"Believe it or not, I can find out exactly what color and style of underwear you wore yesterday and publish it in tomorrow's Times? Hmm?"

This series of crude, direct actions, completely contrary to "gentlemanly conduct" and even bordering on street thug-like behavior, left everyone present dumbfounded.

Conan was utterly dumbfounded, his mouth agape, practically wide enough to fit an egg. His inner voice screamed: "This...this really is Sherlock Holmes?! This looks like some kind of gangster!"
The gambler who was stunned by the fall, upon hearing the threat of "investigating his underwear" and publishing it in the newspaper, had his eyes suddenly become "clear" and filled with fear, as if he had been awakened by a bucket of cold water.

He struggled to his feet, ignoring the pain and embarrassment, and bowed repeatedly in apology: "I'm so sorry, Mr. Holmes! I lost my mind because of the money and acted rashly. Please don't take offense! I'll be leaving now, I'll be leaving now!"

After saying that, he practically tumbled and crawled away from the gambling table.

Shiraishi was quite pleased with the other party's "sensible" behavior, and then sat down leisurely in the empty chair, as if nothing had happened.

His gaze then fell on the monkey quietly eating at Colonel Moran's feet, and his tone became even more impolite, filled with obvious disdain: "And you, you damn monkey, chattering away, it's so annoying! Haven't you had enough of dried blueberries all night? Get lost! Find a corner to stay in by yourself!"

Before he finished speaking, he actually slapped the innocent monkey hard across the face!
The slap was extremely powerful, accompanied by a teeth-grinding "crack" sound. The monkey's head twisted at an extremely unnatural angle, and its entire small body was sent flying, crashing into the table leg. It then slumped limply to the ground, twitched a couple of times, and then remained motionless.

"You—!" Colonel Moran was instantly enraged when he saw his carefully trained "partner" for cheating being beaten to death on the spot. Veins bulged on his forehead, and his fists clenched so tightly they cracked.

But he was a man who had weathered many storms, and in the instant his anger flared, he finally understood—Holmes was not being unreasonable at all, but had seen through his cheating method of using monkeys to transmit information!

This was the most blatant way to undermine him, but he couldn't openly retaliate, otherwise his reputation in the club and even in the entire London high society would be ruined if the other party exposed him in public!
Thinking of this, Colonel Moran forcibly swallowed back the angry curse that was rising in his throat. His face was ashen, and his chest heaved violently. In the end, he still managed to swallow his anger and stared at Shiraishi E with an extremely gloomy gaze.

Conan, who had been reeling from the shock, finally snapped out of it. He couldn't take it anymore, rushed forward, grabbed Shiraishi E's sleeve, and said in a low but furious voice, "Hey!! Shiraishi! What the hell are you doing?!"

"Is this how Sherlock Holmes should behave? No!! This is the behavior of a street thug, a scoundrel!! Stop this unreasonable behavior right now!! Don't ruin the image of Sherlock Holmes in my heart... in everyone's heart!"

Shiraishi E calmly picked up the pipe on the table, took a slow puff, exhaled a wisp of smoke, and then turned to Conan with a smile, saying, "Calm down, my dear Watson, don't get so agitated."

There is a wise proverb in the distant East: "It doesn't matter whether a cat is black or white, as long as it catches mice, it's a good cat."

"You see, the same principle applies: no matter what means we use, as long as we can achieve our desired goal cleanly and efficiently, then it is a good method."

He paused, tapped Conan's chest lightly with his pipe, and asked with a hint of mockery in his eyes, "Besides, my dear friend, think back carefully, was the Sherlock Holmes in the original stories really a person who adhered to worldly morality and followed the rules?"

"In order to solve cases, how many times has he resorted to deception, disguise, setting traps, and even occasionally skirting the edge of the law?"

"..." Upon hearing this, Conan was speechless.

He opened his mouth, wanting to refute, but found that what the other person said was completely true.

Sherlock Holmes was indeed exceptionally talented, but he also lacked a sense of morality in the usual sense. In his pursuit of truth and justice, he was willing to stop at nothing.

Finally, as if all his strength had been drained, Conan let out a long sigh, waved his hand helplessly, and said in an almost resigned tone, "Oh well, it's just a game anyway, why should I take it so seriously? Do whatever you want! I don't care anymore!!"

Seeing Conan finally give up struggling and choose to compromise, Shiraishi E revealed an even more obvious smile, one that carried a hint of mischievous triumph.

For him, the sense of accomplishment from making this clever yet stubborn little detective back down and give in seemed far more interesting than completing the virtual game!
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At the gambling table, the card game between Shiraishi E and Colonel Moran officially began.

Colonel Moran leaned back slightly in his comfortable chair, his hands clasped over his stomach, and asked with a hint of military arrogance and gambler's shrewdness, "So, Mr. Holmes, what would you like to play? Bridge? Texas Hold'em? Or something more exciting?" As soon as he finished speaking, a semi-transparent game menu popped up in front of Shiraishi E—or rather, from a player's perspective—clearly listing the options:

[First, Bridge (A classic match, a battle of wits. Difficulty: High. System warning: Complex rules, highly strategic, please choose carefully.)]

[Second, Texas Hold'em (a game that combines psychology and luck. Difficulty: Medium. System tip: Suitable for players with some poker experience.)]

[Third, Blackjack (Simple, direct, and quick. Difficulty: Low. System prompt: The rules are simple and easy to understand, suitable for beginners.)]

Seeing the thoughtful "difficulty level" prompt, Shiraishi E nodded slightly and whispered to Conan beside her, "This game is quite user-friendly. It even knows that not everyone can play complex card games from the Victorian era, so it gives you a choice... Your dad's planning is pretty good."

Conan leaned closer, adjusted his glasses, and agreed: "Indeed. If we were to play bridge according to the original setting, a game that requires precise calculations and teamwork, even I might not be able to beat Colonel Moran, who has been immersed in it for many years. The difference in rules and experience is too great."

However, the next second, Conan's lips twitched.

Without any hesitation, Shiraishi E lightly tapped her finger in the air and decisively chose the [21] game marked "Difficulty: Low".

"Hey! Didn't you call yourself a 'gambling monster'?" Conan couldn't help but lower his voice and complain, his face full of speechlessness. "You brag like a ton of bricks, but then you just pick the most basic game, blackjack?"

"You should at least pick Texas Hold'em to make it look more impressive! This is so out of character with your domineering demeanor from before!"

Upon hearing this, Shiraishi E gave him an undisguised look of contempt and whispered in a tone as if he were an idiot, "Have you gone stupid from playing games?"

"Use your brain! Who's controlling this game right now? Noah's Ark!"

"If I were to stubbornly choose Texas Hold'em, do you believe it could make Colonel Moran get a straight flush or four of a kind every hand? How would we play then?"

These words struck Conan like a thunderbolt, leaving him momentarily stunned. He opened his mouth, but found himself unable to refute them.

Noah's Ark could indeed have done something like that.

He could only awkwardly rub his nose and say helplessly, "Okay... now that you mention it, it does seem to make some sense. Under simpler rules, there might actually be less room for cheating."

After successfully persuading Conan, Shiraishi E ignored him and turned to Colonel Moran.

He reached out and took the beautifully crafted deck of cards in front of him, and began shuffling them with fluid movements. Although his technique wasn't exactly professional, his demeanor was undeniably impressive.
"Since we're playing blackjack, I'll be the dealer. Colonel Moran, you shouldn't have any objections, right?"

Colonel Moran raised an eyebrow, seemingly finding the request acceptable, and readily agreed, "Of course, I'll go along with whatever you say."

As he spoke, he habitually pulled out a thick wad of pound notes from his pocket and was about to put them on the table.

"Wait." Shiraishi Ei continued shuffling the cards, but shook her head to stop him, her face showing an expression that said, "How vulgar you are." "Colonel Moran, let's play something more exciting, without gambling. Gambling is so boring, too cliché, and not worthy of our status."

He paused, then gently slammed the shuffled cards onto the table. Leaning forward, he fixed his sharp gaze on Colonel Moran and said, word by word, "Let's make a bet."

“If I lose, you can ask me to do anything—whether you want to embarrass me in public, or you need me to investigate a secret, or even…”

He deliberately drew out his words, with a dangerous allure: "...I'll ask you to end my own life, I'll do that. But conversely, if you lose..."

A confident smile curved Shiraishi's lips: "You must take me to see Professor Moriarty."

"Oh?" Colonel Moran uttered a meaningful syllable, his body unconsciously straightening up, and for the first time, a genuine look of surprise appeared on his face: "Mr. Holmes, are you so confident that you can beat me? Even at the cost of your life?"

Shiraishi leaned back in his chair, picked up his pipe, took a puff, and amidst the swirling smoke, his smile appeared enigmatic: "Of course. Don't forget, I am the all-powerful Sherlock Holmes."

Conan, listening nearby, rolled his eyes, inwardly scoffing: 'Omnipotent? I seem to remember Holmes himself admitting in the original stories that he was practically ignorant in literature, philosophy, and astronomy! This guy's bragging is utterly reckless!'

He couldn't hold back any longer. While Colonel Moran was still processing this bombshell bet, he leaned close to Shiraishi's ear and asked urgently in a very low voice, "Hey! Shiraishi! Don't go overboard! Are you really that confident you can win?"

"What if, I mean, what if, Noah's Ark can cheat even in blackjack and make you lose all your cards?"

Shiraishi E turned her head and replied in a low voice, barely audible to the two of them, with utter composure: "What's the panic? Of course I'm not 100% sure."

"If I really lose, I'll just renege on the debt. Anyway, Colonel Moran can't beat me, he can't force me to commit suicide, can he?"

"..."

Conan's expression froze instantly, and he was stunned and dumbfounded, as if he had been struck by lightning.

Defaulting on...the debt?!

A Sherlock Holmes who claims he's going to renege on his debts?!

Conan's mind was filled with images of countless Sherlock Holmes fans angrily protesting with copies of "A Study in Scarlet" and "The Sign of Four."

He could almost hear the fans roaring: 'Kill this bastard! He keeps doing things that tarnish our idol's image!!'

Looking at the grinning Shiraishi E in front of him, he realized once again that trying to reason with this guy about logic and principles in this game was just asking for trouble!
(End of this chapter)