Conan: Death is Watching Me

Chapter 216 Jirokichi's Obsession
"Popular detective actor Kazuyoshi Sunaoka was shot and killed. Police have arrested the perpetrator, it is reported..."

"Lead actor murdered, screenwriter arrested, filming of 'City Hunter' halted..."

a few days later.

Gao Mo had just entered Photography Level 1 and mastered the basics of professional skills. He was about to watch TV and appreciate the female Go player drama that Hoshino Terumi had mentioned when he suddenly heard a special news report.

Kazuyoshi Sunaoka, City Hunter...

It's that copycat TV series from before.

The screenwriter must have gone mad, trying to create the perfect crime in reality, and then murdered the protagonist in a party hotel.

However, he was all talk and no action, unable to see the difference between reality and TV dramas, and the police quickly found his flaws.

Gao Mo watched Mu Mu speaking to reporters on TV, his eyebrows twitching, but he found it all rather abstract.

Once someone is targeted by Death, any motive can emerge.

However, probably due to the impact of this case, the reunion of the Earth Ladies team a few days ago was not discovered by the media at all. Although someone took photos of him and the mustachioed group, it did not attract much attention and quickly faded into obscurity.

This also proves to some extent that he is now very out of fashion.

However, the pseudonym "Domoto Ichi" has been repeatedly mentioned again because of the case involving the "City Hunter" crew.

His manager, Eiichi Yamagishi, sent a message saying that many fans hope he can participate in the movie sequel.

First impressions are very important; many people are used to his Domoto Hajime.

"What do you mean?" Ai asked, sprawled on the sofa. "Are we going to make a movie?"

"Where would I find the time?"

Gao Mo didn't even think about it.

He's currently busy with career advancement.

Unless it involves an upgrade mission, he is unlikely to waste at least another month filming.

Speaking of upgrades...

Gao Mo glanced at the date, wondering whether he should contact Suzuki Jirokichi, when Sonoko's familiar voice suddenly rang out from outside.

"Kido-kun, come to my house for dinner today. Uncle Jirokichi's treasure has been delivered."

"treasure?"

Conan, who had gone to sleep at Dr. Agasa's house next door, had very sharp ears and peeked out before Gao Mo could respond.

"Is it that bait?"

……

Suzuki family.

A row of bodyguards wearing sunglasses stood guard outside the exhibition hall.

Conan followed behind Gao Mo, admiring Suzuki Jirokichi's collection and various trophies.

"Why did this bespectacled brat come along too?" Sonoko looked at Conan, who seemed completely oblivious, with annoyance.

Ai didn't want to go out, but there was still a little devil in her way.

"Wow, amazing!" Conan pretended not to hear Sonoko's complaint and exclaimed exaggeratedly as he rushed in front of the glass display case, "European Open Golf Championship, USA Cup Sailing Championship, Rainforest Rally... he's a champion in all of them! And that old man even climbed Mount Everest?"

“That’s just how my uncle is,” Sonoko said with a touch of pride as she explained to Gao Mo, “He’ll definitely climb to the top of anything he’s interested in, and he likes to compete for everything. But once he gets it, he immediately loses interest. It’s the same with the treasures in the vault. Once he gets them, he immediately throws them back into the vault to collect dust.”

“You don’t understand, the process of striving for something is more valuable than the possession itself,” Jirokichi Suzuki said as he walked into the exhibition room with his hands behind his back, his face full of ambition. “Especially at the moment of getting it, the reward for hard work… I just can’t resist that excitement!”

A pastime for the rich.

Conan looked away from the trophies and medals and finally found his target.

A golden goddess statue that stands out from the other exhibits. The statue's surface is weathered and bears many traces of history, but the most striking feature is the sun-like gemstone it holds in its hand.

"This is the treasure used to deal with Kidd?"

"Did the little guy notice it too?" Suzuki Jirokichi said proudly. "I put in a lot of effort to get this, and the final price was several times higher than the market value of that Memory Egg!"

"That's over a hundred million US dollars!" Even Sonoko's eyes widened in disbelief, as she was witnessing her uncle's spending power for the first time.

Just this broken statue...

“That’s why I used it as bait,” Suzuki Jirokichi said excitedly. “Back in the Age of Exploration, when pirates were rampant, ships that never succumbed to attacks and never sank were decorated with this golden goddess statue at the bow. Originally, there were iron mermaids surrounding this goddess statue, but unfortunately, they have all rusted away over the years, leaving only this one.”

However, the truly valuable piece is the gem held in the statue's right hand, aquamarine said to be transformed from mermaid tears and possessing the magical power to prevent shipwrecks—a miracle of the sea. For me, it's absolutely worth more than its artistic value, not just for the sake of its artistic merit, but also for the legendary power associated with it.

Jirokichi Suzuki snorted and closed his eyes, staring intently at the gem in the goddess statue's hand.

"Wasn't Kidd supposed to be looking for a special gem? If it's the 'Miracle of the Sea,' that guy definitely won't miss it!"

Gao Mo went closer to examine it, but couldn't see anything special about the goddess statue and the large gemstone.

I don't know if it's an extraordinary item, but I guess it won't be of much use to him.

He needs something like a cursed mask, something associated with death, preferably something possessed by evil spirits or the like—

Looking back now, the Tengu mask from the Mountain Mud Temple might have been the kind he needed, but it was too weak and cracked instantly without him even noticing.

"How is it?" Suzuki Jirokichi asked sharply, his hands behind his back. "Kido, I heard you've also dealt with Phantom Thief Kid. Will this 'Miracle of the Sea' attract that guy?"

"Well, if Kidd knew about this treasure, he probably wouldn't have missed it."

Gao Mo turned his gaze away from the gem, activated his magic hand, and inadvertently slipped a card into the statue's base.

Regardless of what Kidd does, he won't miss it.

He must win this front-page news battle.

“Uncle,” Sonoko said, not quite understanding, “why do we have to deal with Kid? What if he really gets stolen…”

"Heh heh, I'm just afraid he won't show up," Suzuki Jirokichi said, his face full of resentment. "You know what? Almost all of my achievements have made headlines, except for one time..."

"I finally completed my human-powered glider trip around the world, but the thief's story not only dominated the front page but also the entire second page, while my achievement was relegated to a corner of the third page… Can you understand this humiliation, this sorrow? He's just a cross-dressing thief, but I'm determined to catch him and make sure Suzuki Jirokichi is back on the front page!"

Sonoko's lips twitched, and several black lines appeared on her forehead.

As expected of Uncle Jirokichi, he went to great lengths for this.

"Huh?" The sharp-eyed Conan then noticed the base of the statue. "There seems to be something underneath."

"Um?!"

Jirokichi Suzuki was shocked. He pulled out a card with a corner showing and flew into a rage after seeing the words on it.

"Good heavens, I haven't even declared war yet, and he's already got his eye on me. When did he arrive?"

……

"Ah!"

Kido Magic Troupe.

Kaito Kuroba, who was still working part-time, touched his nose and looked blankly at the evening newspaper that Aoko Nakamori had found for him.

"The showdown between Phantom Thief Kid and Jirokichi Suzuki will begin this weekend... When did this happen? How come I didn't know?"

“I heard today that the Suzuki family has received the notice,” Nakamori Aoko said worriedly. “My dad was on vacation, but as soon as he heard the news, he abandoned me and ran away… That Kid is so awful, he had to pick a time like this.”

"Is there some mistake?" Kaito Kuroba looked completely bewildered.

These past few days, Kido Takamori has assigned him a bunch of tasks, so he hasn't had time to pay attention to any treasures, let alone duel with Suzuki Jirokichi.

No, who is Suzuki Jirokichi?
(End of this chapter)