Daily Spy Life in the Detective Conan World

Chapter 871 The Chaotic Auction
After hearing Hideyoshi Haneda's explanation, the guests relaxed and began to chat happily.

After all, nobody wants to see a policeman every few steps. Which businessman or politician here doesn't have a dark past? If you see the police all the time, it's a bit scary and the experience is terrible. You might even have nightmares when you get home.

"I think those men in black are nothing special. Last time they only caught the Haneda family off guard. They definitely won't dare to come again. Everyone can rest assured."

Someone smiled ingratiatingly, patted his chest, and shouted that if the other side dared to come, he would definitely stand in front to shield Haneda Yasuharu from bullets.

That being said, nobody took it seriously. Anyone can brag and flatter; this guy was the kind of person who would be the first to run away if something happened.

Most people appeared smiling on the surface, but in reality, they still harbored some concerns. As a result, of the hundreds of people invited to the charity auction, less than 150 actually attended, which was sparser than expected.

Hawkeye disguised himself as a follower of a wealthy man, and the service personnel in the villa were all combat forces arranged by the Ooka family. The entire villa was filled with hidden surveillance and signal listening equipment, making it almost an impregnable fortress.

Once inside the villa, the signal will be monitored, all information will be listened to, and even the smallest actions will be clearly seen, allowing the distillery to be discovered immediately.

Of course, all of this was done at the request of Hideyoshi Haneda. In reality, Hawkeye wasn't too concerned about it; he was more interested in finding scholars among these people, which was his real goal.

The extended Lincoln was parked on the side of the road, and Xia Chuan stepped out. He was now the son of the president of the Fukuhara Group, invited by the Haneda family to attend the auction.

In reality, the company president himself didn't dare to come, so he sent his son instead.

It was wrong for Xia Chuan to disguise himself as the other party, but once the other party wakes up, he will definitely thank him for knocking him unconscious.

Upon arriving at the entrance, he greeted Haneda Yasuharu and Haneda Hideyoshi in a friendly manner, and then joined in the conversation.

Charity auctions are essentially venues for money laundering, networking, and reputation building. After exchanging business cards, Xia Chuan quickly became involved in the conversation.

"Do you think that criminal gang might have already infiltrated the crowd? The fact that the police have been searching for them for so long without any results is enough to demonstrate their strength."

Xia Chuan wore a worried expression and deliberately lowered his voice to create a dangerous atmosphere.

Upon hearing this, the smiles around them vanished instantly, and a hint of awkwardness appeared on everyone's faces.

But he was a seasoned business elite who had come here to cultivate a good relationship with the Haneda family. He was prepared to die for his cause, as dying in poverty was more frightening than being shot.

Haneda Yasuharu was already unhappy, and upon hearing this, his eyes darkened even more. He noted down the name of the person Natsukawa was disguised as, waiting to use it to put pressure on his family's businesses in other ways later.

“Young man, don’t talk nonsense if you don’t understand. Since we’ve decided to hold a charity auction, would we harm you?” Haneda Yasuharu’s words were accompanied by coughing. After he finished speaking with difficulty, he glared at Natsukawa with his dead fish eyes.

After all, he was an old man who had experienced the ups and downs of life. The majesty in his eyes was hard for ordinary people to resist. The others were so frightened by his gaze that they lowered their heads and smiled obsequiously.

"Grandpa Haneda is indeed still very healthy and has a strong voice."

Xia Chuan didn't care at all, and even put his hands in his pockets and looked at people with his chin down.

He wasn't worried about his identity being exposed. He never intended to use it for a long time, and even deliberately led others to doubt his identity. Whether they suspected him of being from the winery or a scholar, it wouldn't hurt.

"It's a desolate place, far from any village or shop. It's very quiet. Mr. Haneda certainly knows how to choose a location."

Xia Chuan gave a meaningful laugh, noticing that the others were distancing themselves from him, but he wasn't angry and casually walked into the hall.

"This guy."

Hideyoshi Haneda squinted. He didn't know much about the merchant class in Kyoto, and he had no recollection of the man from earlier.

However, the other party's demeanor and the calmness with which he dealt with his father's oppressive gaze suggested that he was no ordinary person.

If they're not here to cause trouble, could they be members of the academic community?

"When did such a person appear in Kyoto? It seems that the Fukuhara family will have a place in Kyoto's future business landscape. Fukuhara Tomohisa's abilities are much stronger than his older brothers."

Haneda Yasuharu didn't think too much about it. Recently, the Fukuhara family has been expanding its business empire, which conflicts with the Haneda family's businesses, so it's normal that they don't give them a friendly look.

However, this person's tone, which was both sarcastic and polite, had caught his eye. If possible, he would kill him here, which would also clear the way for the Haneda family's business.

"Really? I think his family has some ulterior motives in arranging for him to attend this auction."

Hideyoshi Haneda is accustomed to thinking several steps ahead and is also familiar with conspiracy theories. It is also possible that the other party is being ostracized by their family.

That's normal; no matter how outstanding someone is, they're not the eldest son.

"Maybe he's a scholar?"

These words reminded Haneda Yasuharu, but after considering it, he felt it didn't seem likely. If he were a scholar, why wouldn't he quietly blend into the crowd? Showing his face might attract attention.

The discussion on this topic did not continue. Even though he was a scholar, Haneda Yasuharu did not intend to take action. After all, putting himself in danger was not an option. He wanted to at least dig out a few more mysterious people, and it would be best to take care of Gin as well, thus weakening the Black Organization's strength.

"By the way, did your mother and the others come too?"

With fewer visitors, the father and son decided to chat at the door.

"Yes, they've arrived. I've arranged for them to stay in the nearby village."

"Our act of sacrificing ourselves to feed the tiger is already very dangerous; they shouldn't have come. What if we were all wiped out?"

Haneda Yasuharu was actually a little pessimistic, but he felt helpless because his own actions had led to the current situation, so he couldn't stand up and refute the plan when it was being made.

"Don't worry, the villa has been thoroughly ensnared, and at the very least, one side will have to pay the price."

Haneda Hideyoshi lowered his eyes and stared at the ground, his brows furrowed slightly and his lips pursed, exuding an aura of strategic thinking.

"Excuse me, Mr. Haneda, may I interview you?"

Several reporters were also present at the scene.

Hideyoshi Haneda nodded, then arranged for someone to push his elderly father inside, while he gave the interview.

The recent blow was indeed too great for his elderly father. If things continued like this, his heart might not be able to take it. Therefore, Hideyoshi Haneda took over the Haneda family's business and connections ahead of schedule, which can be regarded as relieving his father's pressure.

"Thank you so much! I've really hit the jackpot by being able to interview the heir of the Haneda family, who is also a shogi daimyo."

The auction began quickly, and everyone took their seats in turn. The villa hall had never been so lively. Many people also stood in the second-floor corridor, which had a duplex layout. Some chatted and laughed, while others watched the wealthy people below spend money like water. Their eyes were either indifferent or sinister.

"Did you find anything?"

Upon arriving at the secret monitoring room, Hawkeye took a slurred gulp of water and asked the few surveillance personnel whose eyes dared not leave the monitor screen.

"We found a lot of suspicious people, but I feel like they are more afraid of something. I guess they are worried about the current situation of the Haneda family. Apart from that, there is nothing unusual."

"Nothing was found on the perimeter, and our people planted in the police station did not raise any alarms. The surrounding area is relatively normal."

Hearing his subordinate's report, Hawkeye frowned. "That shouldn't be the case. The auction has already started, and the lighting is dimmest now. Everyone is concentrated in the hall, which is the most chaotic and easiest time to succeed. If it were me, I definitely wouldn't let this opportunity pass me by."

"Check the positions of Haneda Yasuharu and Haneda Hideyoshi."

"Yes."

The screen flashed, and the image of Haneda and his son was enlarged. The two were sitting at the front of the crowd, with other guests behind them and several television broadcast control personnel in front of them.

Have the identities of these people in front been verified?

"We checked. Nichiri TV, Kyoto TV, and one each from Shikoku and Hokkaido also broadcast. Their broadcasts are under our surveillance, and the identities of the personnel are all correct."

Hawkeye remained silent for a long time, then suddenly asked, for some inexplicable reason, "Did you pinch their cheeks?"

This idea was learned from Ginzo Nakamori.

Two days ago, Phantom Thief Kid reappeared. He happened to see the news about the capture of Ginzo Nakamori. When facing a target who can disguise himself, the best thing to do is to try to change his face.

Vermouth from the Black Organization is skilled in disguise, so we should be careful.

Those businessmen and politicians certainly can't be treated like that, but TV station staff don't have that concern.

"."

The surveillance personnel turned around in confusion, as if asking, "Brother, are you serious?"

Hawkeye sighed. It was his fault for not informing them beforehand. It was too late to say this now, and Gin might not even be hiding among these people. There were many more businessmen and politicians present, so it was more likely that he was among them.

The auction was in full swing. As expected of a family with hundreds of years of heritage, the items brought out by the Haneda family were highly sought after. The bidding went from being perfunctory at the beginning to constant arguing later on, and the prices shouted out were higher and higher. The expressions of the bidders, as if they wanted to throw money in the faces of the bidders, were not concealed at all.

This is also a way of displaying one's wealth.

Even more upstarts, whose homes were in dire need of expensive antiques to decorate, bid without hesitation, with prices rising precipitously, quickly pushing the auction to its climax.

"Ten million and five hundred thousand yen, is there anything higher?"

The item up for auction is a confectionery plate, a favorite of Emperor Meisho, the 109th emperor of the Edo period. It has a round base and a round surface, with an inward-curved support in the middle, and the surface is decorated with exquisite floral and bird patterns.

Technician No. 109. The 109th generation is a female emperor. Although she is not very famous, there are few female emperors to begin with, and with the appearance of the plate, there are quite a few people vying for it.

Soon, the price was driven up to 20 million by bidders.

"Is there a higher price? If not, this plate belongs to the Fukuhara family!"

Xia Chuanqi raised his hand to greet the others, his eyes radiating an aura that said, "You can't compare to my level of wealth."

"I take back what I said earlier; this person might just be a simple spoiled brat."

Haneda Yasuharu rubbed his temples, feeling even more determined to give the Fukuhara family a piece of his mind.

"They've already spent 20 million, and the more important question now is why Gin hasn't shown up yet?"

With the other party spending money like that, the level of suspicion in Haneda Hideyoshi's mind dropped sharply.

As soon as he finished speaking, the auction gavel fell on the stage, and the lights in the hall went out at the same time, plunging the entire villa into darkness.

The human eye has certain light measurement properties and can automatically adjust to adapt to various environments, but the eye also needs a certain reaction time in the event of sudden darkness.

At first, everyone thought it was a special effect caused by the auction of a high-priced item, and since their eyes hadn't reacted yet, they didn't dare to move.

However, five seconds, ten seconds, and even a minute passed, and the surroundings were still completely dark. Even the auctioneer on the stage shouted for the lights to be turned on.

Chaos was inevitable.

The wealthy people's eyes gradually adapted to the darkness, but this level of darkness was still pitch black for them, with visibility limited to no more than half a meter. They could easily trip over someone else if they took a single step.

"Who stepped on me? Watch out! Ouch! You stepped on me again! Baka yaaaaaaah!"

"What's going on? What happened? Turn on the lights!"

"Anyone who touches my breasts, don't let go if you dare, or I'll make sure you can't get out of bed tomorrow."

Strange elements were mixed into the noisy shouts.

"."

"It must be that gang of thugs. They've made a move against the Haneda family. We need to run away quickly, or we'll just die in vain if we get caught in the crossfire."

"Damn it!" Hideyoshi recognized the voice; it was Fukuhara, the one who had mocked him at the door. This guy was probably from the brewery, deliberately creating chaos.

What are the Ooka family doing? Come out and solve the problem!
The loud voice silenced the hall for a moment, then it became even noisier, with many tables and chairs collided and collapsed, and the sound of porcelain shattering could be heard from time to time.

"Don't push me! This is Emperor Nintoku's teapot. I spent over eight million yen on it!"

"Damn it, who set my newly bought masterpiece on fire?!"

A faint light shone in the darkness, illuminating a small area.

"If you don't light it, will you be able to see the road? Is your life more important or your money?"

"Damn it, I know who you are now. I'm going to buy out your company!"

However, the light did not last long. Several gunshots rang out, followed by a muffled groan from someone. Then the flames mysteriously went out, and darkness returned.

Someone is controlling the brightness in the lobby!
Haneda Hideyoshi was startled, realizing some kind of danger, and grabbed his father beside him to leave his seat.

The other party created a dark environment because they wanted to take them away in the dark. The Ooka family must have been discovered, otherwise they wouldn't have done this.

I can no longer stay in my original position.

"Father!?"

After taking a few steps, Hideyoshi Haneda suddenly showed a look of surprise and uncertainty.

Something's not right, it doesn't feel right.

My own father shouldn't be so light; the back of his hand is smooth without any wrinkles, which doesn't match the feel of an elderly person's skin.

(End of this chapter)