Conan: Rice Flower Spring

Chapter 329, Section 323: Overly Complex Ingredients

In the cruise ship's lounge, Shiro Suzuki and a group of guests awaited Ryoma Hayashi and Kaneda.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, Chairman Suzuki." At Ryoma Hayashi's prompting, Kaito Kuroba put down the wooden box he was holding.

"The Egg of Memories is well preserved. Please inspect it."

Upon hearing Ryoma Hayashi's words, Suzuki Shiro gestured to his secretary to check. Secretary Nishino opened the wooden box, put on gloves, and carefully took out the Egg of Memories.

After thoroughly inspecting it from top to bottom, left to right, inside and out, the Memory Egg was placed back into the wooden box.

He then turned to Shiro Suzuki and said, "Chairman, the Egg of Memories is intact."

Suzuki Shiro's decision to have someone inspect the Egg of Memories didn't mean he distrusted Hayashi Ryoma; rather, it was because such ambiguous artifacts always needed a clear explanation when they were loaned out and returned.

When the Egg of Memories is handed over to Lin Longma, he will carefully examine it to see if there are any flaws.

When it was returned, Suzuki Shiro naturally had to inspect it as well. After the secretary Nishino confirmed it, even if a problem was found before the Egg of Memories was put into the Suzuki family's treasury, it could only be attributed to the Suzuki family's improper safekeeping.

We cannot hold Lin Longma responsible.

This is similar to renting a car for tourism. When renting a car from a rental company, you must carefully check the exterior of the car before picking it up from the rental company, and it is better to keep pictures and videos of the vehicle's exterior.

Similarly, once the rental company has inspected the vehicle's exterior, any damage they find is none of the renter's responsibility.

After all, who knows when you got those marks? If there was a real problem, why didn't you notice them when you returned the car?
Following the rules is the way to make everyone feel comfortable.

Of course, this is based on the premise that Shiro Suzuki is willing to be on good terms with Ryoma Hayashi, and that they have always cooperated happily in the past.

If you really encounter someone who wants to scam you, then you can only pray that you are careful enough.

After the exchange of the Egg of Memories was completed, Shiro Suzuki began to introduce the guests in the reception room to Ryoma Hayashi.

"This is Mr. Inui Shoichi, an art dealer who has come to discuss the purchase of the Egg of Memories."

"Nice to meet you." Art dealer Qian Jiang bowed slightly to Lin Longma in greeting.

It didn't surprise Hayashi Ryoma that the Suzuki family had art dealers on board. Although the Egg of Memories had always been held by the Suzuki family, it didn't mean that the Suzuki family's collection wouldn't circulate.

Many collectors exchange their collections within small circles, and art dealers act as intermediaries in this process.

Considering the Egg of Memories is still on tour, the Suzuki family is unlikely to make a move anytime soon. Therefore, it's highly probable that this Inui is just trying his luck.

If we can persuade Shiro Suzuki to sell the Egg of Memories, given its current popularity, it could fetch a very good price.

"This is Sergei Ovchinnekov, the clerk of the Russian History Museum."

A man with a distinctly bear-like appearance and build nodded to Lin Longma.

Lin Longma looked at Suzuki Shiro in surprise. He could understand the art dealer coming here, but what did it mean that the embassy's secretary went to Suzuki's boat?
The next second, the burly clerk answered Lin Longma's question.

"Chairman Suzuki, instead of selling the Egg of Memories, a treasure of the Romanov dynasty, to those unscrupulous merchants, why not consider donating it to a Russian museum?"

【Huh? Stealing it by force?】

The Russian embassy clerk's words nearly made Lin Longma choke—he considered himself well-informed, but this was the first time he had ever seen someone so righteously and forcefully snatch Lin Longma away.

Not even a banner or 500 yuan?

It was even donated to a Russian museum; it seems like some important figure there took a liking to this "Egg of Memory."
It's only because this Egg of Memory is in the Suzuki family's hands that it's safe to say it would be confiscated if it were in someone else's possession.
Shiro Suzuki pretended not to hear the clerk's words. As one of the five great philanthropists, Shiro Suzuki naturally couldn't afford to offend the Russian bear. But not being able to offend the Russian bear didn't mean he couldn't afford to offend the embassy's clerk. For a clerk to try and force the Suzuki family to do anything was a pipe dream.

Even if they really wanted the Suzuki family to donate the Egg of Memories, wouldn't the ambassador have to personally lobby them and offer some benefits?

The clerk's visit was purely a matter of chance.

Without responding to the clerk, Shiro Suzuki introduced one of the only two unfamiliar women present.

"This is Pu Siqinglan, an expert on the Romanov dynasty, and a citizen of the Celestial Empire."

"Hello."

That "hello" almost gave Lin Longma a stroke. It turned out that Lin Longma frequented a Chinese restaurant in Mihua, and the owner was a genuine Chinese citizen.

Lin Longma is quite familiar with Chinese, and Pu Siqinglan's "Ni Hao" sounds just like when Lin Longma first started learning Chinese.

'Is this person really from China?'

To be honest, Lin Longma has seen many people who can't learn foreign languages, but this is the first time he's seen someone speak their native language so badly.

"Miss Epu or Miss Pusi?" Lin Longma blinked and asked curiously.

“It’s Pu Si.” Pu Si Qinglan answered with a smile. This time she spoke in Japanese, and it was extremely fluent Japanese with no strange accent.

"?"

"I haven't yet asked Ms. Pu Si which university or research institute she is an expert at?"

“I am a researcher at the Harriman Institute at Columbia University.” Pu Siqinglan readily announced her “school” and Lin Longma nodded repeatedly.

On the surface, Lin Longma was nodding, but in reality, he felt even stranger.

A Chinese person with an odd accent is studying the history of the Romanov dynasty at a university in America.

The ingredients are really unusually complex.
Finally, Shiro Suzuki introduced Ryoma to Ryoma Hayashi, a photographer with a handheld camera named Ryu Kanakawa, as well as Natsumi Kosaka, who possessed the design blueprints for the Egg of Memories, and her butler.

Ryoma's gaze lingered on Natsumi Kosaka's face for a moment. This was the descendant of Kiichi Kosaka that Kaito Kuroba had mentioned.

"If there's nothing else, I'll go and rest now, Chairman Suzuki?" After listening to the introductions, Ryoma Lin already had someone in mind to suspect.

Or rather, this Scribe revealed far too many clues.

"Please wait a moment, Ryoma-kun." Suzuki Shiro stopped Ryoma and said, "Actually, there are a few minor issues that I need Ryoma-kun's help with."

"That's what this Ms. Kosaka said."

Upon hearing this, Natsumi Kosaka took out two sheets of paper from her handbag. To be precise, they were two sheets of paper that had been split in two, and placed them on the coffee table in the reception room.

"My grandfather, Kiichi Kosaka, was a worker at the Fabergé workshop and married a local Russian woman."

The year after the revolution, they returned to the island nation, and my great-grandmother gave birth to a baby girl.”

Natsumi Kosaka briefly introduced her family background and then explained the origin of the two blueprints.

(End of this chapter)