Conan: Rice Flower Spring

Chapter 254 248. Another detective is missing?
"Yes, that Niina Rentaro is my father for sure." Niina Kaori simply admitted her identity.

Shinmei Rentaro is a veteran mystery novelist in the island country. He debuted much earlier than Kudo Yusaku, and his "Detective Samonji" has always been a hot IP for mystery novelists.

Even every few years, this work is remade.

If Kudo Yusaku's main reputation is internationally, then Niina Rentaro is one of the few mystery novelists who can compete with Kudo Yusaku in the island country.

However, due to his advanced age, this Xinming teacher stopped writing a few years ago, which made many mystery novel fans extremely regretful.

"Oh, I didn't expect you to be the daughter of that great writer! I have always loved your father's works. They are simply classics and are always new to me.

I just don't know why you asked me to come here this time. Could it be that your father wants to write me into the book?"

Hayashi Ryoma laughed in his heart as he listened to what Kogoro Mori said. It was obvious that he had never seen it, or he didn't often watch the works of Mr. Arata.

This set of rhetoric will not be a problem in any book. It's just polite words. No one will really take it seriously, right?

As for Kogoro Mori's last words, Hayashi Ryoma had already gotten used to it.

Mr. Maori is always full of inexhaustible self-confidence, which is really enviable.

Obviously, Shinname Kaori didn't expect that Mori Kogoro would be so "confident". After a moment of surprise, she decided to get down to business.

"To be honest, my father disappeared two months ago."

"Missing, please wait a moment!" Mao Lilan on the side subconsciously interrupted Shinna Kaori's words, and then quickly ran back to the living area of the office.

Then she came back breathlessly with a few magazines and placed them on the coffee table in the work area.

“Miss Niina, doesn’t it say here that Mr. Niina has resumed serializing the Detective Samonji series?
It should have been exactly two months ago!"

Hayashi Ryoma glanced at the cover of the magazine, and it was indeed promoting the re-serialization of the "Detective Samonji" series by the new name Rentaro.

However, considering that Shinna Kaori's father disappeared two months ago, who is serializing this "Detective Samonji"?

False propaganda by the magazine?

Let’s not talk about whether the magazine has the courage to do this. If they really do this, how much money will they have to pay to Shinmei Rentaro afterwards?

Furthermore, the writing style of a top mystery novelist may be imitated, but the plot design and writing skills cannot be imitated.

Any writer who can imitate detective novels of that level can start his own business. Wouldn't it be nice to gain both fame and fortune?
The focus of detective novels is on the reasoning plot and suspense design.

No one would do such a thankless job with little profit.

"Yes, Miss Niname, could this be a misunderstanding?" Maori Kogoro obviously didn't quite believe that Niname Rentaro was missing.

Given Shinmei Rentaro's status in the industry, no publishing house or magazine would dare to mess with him.

"I'm telling the truth!" Shinname Kaori was a little excited: "About two months ago, a week before the magazine resumed serialization of Detective Samonji, my father and mother both disappeared!

There was only a note on the table saying 'I'm going out for a while', but they never came back!"

"The following week, my father's novel began to be serialized in the Literary Times magazine."

As Lin Ryoma listened to Shinna Kaori's description, he instinctively felt something strange - thinking the worst, if someone really kidnapped Shinna Rentaro, why did they kidnap his wife as well?
And after kidnapping the new name Rentaro, he also wants him to publish a novel in a magazine?
It can't be that some extreme reader tied the author up in a small dark room and refused to let him eat if he didn't update, right?
That's too outrageous. Even if it was really a kidnapping, why kidnap his wife? Because Shinmei Rentaro is too old, so he kidnapped his wife to take care of him?
Isn't this kidnapper too humane?

Just when Lin Ryoma was at a loss for words, Mao Li Ran seemed to suddenly think of something.

"Mystery novelist, mystery, detective. Could it be?!" Mao Lilan suddenly asked Shinmin Kaori:

"Miss Xinming, I'm sorry to bother you, but may I ask how good your father's reasoning ability is?!"

There are roughly two schools of mystery novelists in Japan. One is like Kudo Yusaku, who is good at writing mystery novels and has strong reasoning skills. It is completely fine for him to occasionally play a detective.

The other type is to shoot the arrow first and then draw the target. The detective novel is very well written, but my reasoning ability is average.

The latter are relatively rare, but they do exist. The former account for a relatively high proportion of mystery novelists.

Therefore, most famous mystery novelists can switch seamlessly between detective and mystery novelist.

What Mao Lilan wanted to know was whether the new name Rentaro was the former type of novelist or the latter type.

Although Mao Lilan's question was abrupt, Shinna Kaori still answered her question:
“My father has a strong reasoning ability and sometimes he plays detective to help solve cases.

It’s just that I’ve gotten older in recent years, so I haven’t played detective roles much.”

"So Teacher Nimei can also be considered a famous detective? Dad, Uncle Hayashi!" A gleam of hope suddenly lit up in Maori Ran's eyes, and then she looked at Maori Kogoro and Hayashi Ryoma.

The meaning is naturally self-evident.

Kudo Shinichi was also a famous detective, and he also disappeared recently. Now the new name Rentaro has also disappeared as a "famous detective".

Could it be possible that there was some connection between the two disappearances?

In fact, there is none. Lin Longma is clear-headed.

Kudo Shinichi disappeared because of Gin, but the organization has not taken any action against Shin's name Rentaro recently.

The organization is engaged in science, biopharmaceuticals, and high-tech industries. The new name Rentaro Junchun is a leading figure in literature, which does not fit the style of the organization.

Mao Lilan's "unwarranted association" is destined to end in failure.

but
"What Ms. Maori said makes sense. If Mr. Xinming's disappearance was really caused by the same group of people, then whose manuscript did the publishing house publish?"

Hayashi Ryoma agreed with Mao Lilan's conjecture and then raised a new question.

Shinname Kaori was very confused: "The same group of people did this, what does this mean?"

Kogoro Mori briefly told Shinagawa Hori about the disappearance of high school detective Shinichi Kudo, which made Shinagawa Hori very worried.

She originally thought her father had just met with an accident, but now it sounds more likely that he was kidnapped? !
"I think the most urgent thing is to go to the magazine - if the magazine has the manuscript of Mr. Xinming.
Miss Xinming, can you recognize Teacher Xinming's handwriting? "

"of course can!"

(End of this chapter)