Traveling back thirty years to Conan, intercepting Princess Eri

“Sir, please understand,” Inspector Megure wiped the sweat from his brow, “after all, someone has died, so we hope you will cooperate with our work. Once the questioning is finished and we confirm there are no problems, you can leave…”

"What else do you want us to do to cooperate?" another voice chimed in.

Kohei Sato also stood up and walked over with a look of anxiety on his face.

Unlike Naoto Miyazaki's aggressive demeanor, his anxiety is more like the normal reaction of an office worker whose work has been delayed.

But precisely because it's normal, it's even more difficult to deal with.

"My lunch break is over,"

Kohei Sato raised his wrist and pointed to the watch on it.
"It's already 2:50! If I stay any longer, how am I supposed to go to work this afternoon? How am I supposed to explain this to the company?"

He paused, his tone becoming even more dissatisfied.
"I'm just a regular employee, unlike Iguchi who's the general manager! If I'm late once, I get my salary docked and my boss yells at me! Can you take responsibility for that?"

"I'm sorry, we..."

Inspector Megure was sweating profusely, trying his best to persuade the three, but the results were clearly not ideal.

He turned back and forth between the three people, like a trapped beast being besieged, unsure of who to appease first.

All three insisted that they had never been near the deceased, Kosuke Iguchi, and therefore had no suspicion of wrongdoing, and wanted to leave immediately.

Their attitudes grew increasingly harsh, and their voices increasingly loud, giving Inspector Megure no chance to catch his breath.

Yuuki Matsuzaka stood with her hands on her hips, her eyes full of provocation, as if to say, "What can you do to me?"

Naoto Miyazaki crossed his arms, raised his chin slightly, and exuded an arrogant air of "I'm not wrong, why should I listen to you?"

Kohei Sato kept checking his watch, his face showing his impatience, as if to say, "My time is precious."

Under the pressure of the three men's assertive attitude, Inspector Megure quickly succumbed to the pressure.

He sighed and raised his hand to signal the three of them to be quiet.

"Alright then, but please leave your contact information, we might need your help later..."

Before he could finish speaking, a calm voice suddenly interrupted.

"Are you three sure you want to leave now?" Kujo Yoshiyuki walked over slowly.

His pace was neither hurried nor slow, his suit was impeccably tailored, his expression was serious, and he exuded an aura that commanded respect.

That aura wasn't one of aggressive oppression, but rather a righteous spirit based on law and rules.

It was this righteous spirit that made the three men, who had just been so aggressive, pause for a moment.

"Of course I'm leaving!"

Matsuzaka Yuuki was the first to react. She snorted coldly and said confidently,
"What am I doing staying here if I'm not leaving! I'm not a prisoner!"

“Exactly!” Naoto Miyazaki and Kohei Sato nodded in agreement, a rare occurrence.

Kujo Yoshiyuki stopped in front of them, his gaze sweeping over each of their faces.

His gaze was calm as still water, yet it inexplicably made the three of them feel a sense of pressure.

“Judging from the situation at the crime scene,” Kujo Yoshiyuki said sternly, his voice not loud but each word clear and forceful, “the murderer can only be one of you. I think the three of you are all well aware of this.”

He paused, letting his words take their full effect.

“Until the case is fully investigated, even if the three of you leave now, you are still suspects,” he continued. “If the police later summon you to your workplace for further investigation…”

He didn't finish speaking, but the meaning couldn't be clearer.

"Are you threatening us?" Sato Kohei's expression changed instantly.

As an office worker, he naturally understood what it would mean if the situation described by Keiji Kujo actually occurred, and the police came to his company to summon him. What would his colleagues think of him? What would his superiors think of him?

What will happen to the rumors about him competing with Kosuke Iguchi for the manager position?
Kosuke Iguchi is dead, and barring any unforeseen circumstances, Kohei Sato, as his former rival, has a high probability of succeeding Kosuke Iguchi as the company manager.

He absolutely did not want any accidents to happen at this time.

"I'm just stating the facts," Kujo Yoshiyuki said calmly, as if discussing the weather. "Do you still want to leave now, Mr. Sato..."

His gaze fell on Sato Kohei's face, awaiting his answer.

Sato Kohei's expression changed several times.

He glanced at Yoshiyuki Kujo, then at Inspector Megure, and finally looked towards the entrance of the coffee shop.

That door to freedom seems so close, yet so far away.

“I…” He gritted his teeth and squeezed out a few words, “I’ll stay! I can ask the company for leave!”

After saying that, Sato Kohei turned around and walked back to where he had been sitting, plopped down, and his expression was unpredictable.

Kujo Yoshiyuki didn't say much, just nodded slightly, and then turned to the second person.

"As for you, Mr. Miyazaki..."

He had barely opened his mouth when Naoto Miyazaki impatiently interrupted him: "Don't try to threaten me with my job! I already said, I'm a freelancer! I have no company, no boss, so even if the police come to my house to summon me, it doesn't matter!"

His tone was provocative and smug, as if he had found the perfect breakthrough.

But Kujo Yoshiyuki just smiled slightly.

That's not what I meant.

He reached out and pointed to Naoto Miyazaki's arm.
"I noticed there are quite a few needle marks on the veins in your arm. Judging from the density of the needles and the condition of the wounds, those must be from self-injections, right?"

Naoto Miyazaki's smile froze on his face instantly.

He instinctively covered his arm, a panicked reaction to having his secret exposed, which he couldn't completely control even though he tried to hide it.

"What...what's it to you!"

Naoto Miyazaki managed to speak up in rebuttal, but his voice was noticeably less arrogant than before.

His gaze began to wander, and he dared not meet Kujo Yoshiyuki's eyes. He seemed to have lost all his strength, and his aura instantly vanished.

“Mr. Miyazaki,” Yoshiyuki Kujo’s tone remained calm, but his eyes were sharp enough to see through everything, “I must remind you that drug use is illegal in Japan.”

Do you want the police to take you for a blood test right now?

These words struck Naoto Miyazaki's heart like a heavy hammer blow.

His face turned pale at a visible speed.

All the arrogance, pride, and disdain from before vanished without a trace, leaving only naked panic and unease.

His lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but no sound came out.

"I..." He managed to squeeze out only one word, and then fell silent.

Naoto Miyazaki lowered his head, not daring to look at anyone, and slunk back to the bar stool next to the bar, where he sat down silently.

Kujo Yoshiyuki didn't look at him again, but turned to the last person.

"Ms. Matsuzaka, you..." (End of Chapter)