Traveling back thirty years to Conan, intercepting Princess Eri

“He has a responsibility and obligation to compensate the victims of the fire back then. I’m just helping him get what he owes.”

Chikage Tomizawa paused for a moment, then continued,

“The three paintings I took from his collection are all priceless treasures. Once I find a suitable channel to sell them, all the proceeds will be distributed to the families of the victims. I will not keep a single penny for myself.”

As she said this, her eyes became exceptionally firm, clearly convinced that her actions were correct.

Ikeba Shizuka nodded, her expression softening slightly.

She had long heard of Shinzo Mito's character—greedy, stingy, and heartless—and that his actions during the fire incident were indeed unethical.

Although she couldn't completely agree with Tomizawa Chikage's actions, she didn't say anything more.

But she quickly frowned slightly and asked in confusion, "Three paintings? But Uncle Gangsi clearly said that four items were missing from Mito Shinzo's collection room?"

“Because we weren’t the only ones who went last night.” Lin Xiuyi shrugged.

Now that Shizuka Ikenami already knows Chikage Tomizawa's identity, there's no point in hiding it any longer, so it's better to just tell everyone the truth.

He paused for a moment, then briefly recounted what had happened the previous night.
"Kuroba Touichi said that he was acting on someone else's behalf and that it did not conflict with our goals, so we did not stop him."

"Kuroba Toichi?" Ikeba Shizuka frowned, a look of surprise on her face. "That world-renowned magician? Why would he steal antiques? Was he hired by someone? Could this just be an excuse, and he's actually doing it for his own profit?"

In her mind, Kuroba Toichi was a noble and talented magician, and she couldn't possibly associate him with "theft".

"Who knows?"

Tomizawa Chikage scoffed, her tone full of disdain.
"That guy looks so flashy, dressed in a white tuxedo and a top hat, and he acts all mysterious. He might not be working for anyone at all; he's just selling stolen goods to make money to support his magic shows."

She disliked Kuroba Toichi's flamboyant style and naturally didn't have a good impression of him.

Lin Xiuyi glanced helplessly at Tomizawa Chikage. The girl had clearly forgotten that the outfit she had chosen for him, which resembled Tuxedo Mask, was equally flashy.

"Judging from his appearance, he doesn't seem to be lying," Lin Xiuyi said fairly. "Kuroba Toichi's magic business is thriving, and he doesn't lack that little bit of money at all. Besides, not every piece of the antiques in Mito Shinzo's collection room was obtained through fair trade."

"Perhaps the lost artifact never belonged to him in the first place. Kuroba Toichi was indeed entrusted by the original owner to retrieve what belonged to him."

When he briefly fought with Kuroba Touichi last night, he could sense that the other party had no ill intentions. His eyes were clear and his tone was sincere. He didn't seem like the kind of person who would steal for profit.

Moreover, Kuroba Toichi is extremely agile and skillful. If he didn't have a special purpose, he probably wouldn't get involved in such matters so easily.

Ikeba Shizuka glanced at Lin Xiuyi, too lazy to pursue the matter of Kuroba Toichi any further.

She changed the subject, her gaze falling on Lin Xiuyi, and asked with a hint of curiosity, "And you? Qianying is the Phantom Thief Lady, so you, her close assistant, can't be without a background, can you?"

Before Lin Xiuyi could speak, Tomizawa Chikage in the back row interjected, "He's my man... no, my partner! The Gentleman Thief!"

The girl's tone carried a hint of pride, as if she were showing off her exclusive partner.

"Heh." Ikeba Shizuka chuckled, a hint of mockery in her eyes. "I didn't expect you to have such an identity, Shuichi. But how come I've never heard of the title 'Gentleman Thief'? Given Chikage's reputation, her partner should be quite famous as well." "That's because he's only acted twice and hasn't had a chance to officially appear in public yet."

"I can't believe it," said Tomizawa Chikage with a smile, her eyes full of anticipation.

"When I find a good opportunity in the future, I will definitely help him plan a cool debut, so that everyone knows that the Phantom Thief Lady has the most powerful partner!"

"Hehe." Lin Xiuyi pursed his lips in frustration, a helpless expression on his face.

He had no interest in the identity of the "Gentleman Thief" at all, and his two previous actions were purely out of necessity to help Tomizawa Chikage.

The thought of appearing in public as a "genius phantom thief" and being talked about by everyone gave him a headache.

Seeing Lin Xiuyi's depressed expression, Ikeba Shizuka couldn't help but smile, and the atmosphere in the car finally eased a bit.

She continued curiously, "If last night counts as one time, what about the other time? Where did you go to 'rob the rich to help the poor' last time?"

"He is a leader of the Sumiyoshi-kai in Tokyo."

As Tomizawa Chikage recalled the past, a smug smile appeared on her face.

“We know a child who is seriously ill and urgently needs a large sum of money for treatment, but his family simply cannot afford it. The child’s father even considered helping drug dealers smuggle drugs.”

“I happened to hear that the leader of the Sumiyoshi-kai made a lot of dirty money through smuggling and extortion, so I asked Shuichi to go to his place and get some money to cover the child’s medical expenses.”

Ikeba Shizuka listened quietly, her expression gradually becoming complicated.

She received a traditional education from a young age and always believed that theft was illegal and that no matter the purpose, one should not cross the line of the law.

But after hearing what Tomizawa Chikage said, she couldn't bring herself to criticize her.

Tomizawa Chikage stole money from evil people, helped innocent people, and even punished criminals along the way. In a sense, she did a "good deed".

"Even if it's to help others, you can't use theft as a means."

After a moment of silence, Ikeba Shizuka still stuck to her principles.

“The law is the law, and no one can violate it for any reason. You can choose to call the police or help those in need through other legal means, instead of resorting to such extreme measures.”

"Legal means?"

Tomizawa Chikage scoffed, her tone full of mockery.
“Those rich and heartless guys all have powerful backers and ruthless methods. Calling the police is useless; it will only alert them and might even implicate those who need help. As for other legal means, by the time we raise enough money, that child will be long dead.”

She had tried all sorts of methods, but reality is always cruel.

In this dog-eat-dog world, sometimes only extreme methods can achieve one's goals and truly help those in need. (End of Chapter)