Conan: I'm a zaibatsu in Tokyo

The cherry blossom festival at Beika Park should have been a picturesque scene of pink romance intertwined with the languidness of spring.

Zheng Yi leaned against a retro-style ice cream truck, looking bored, holding two ice cream cones in his hands.

One was bought for himself, and the other was something he wanted to eat.

He was wearing a loose white tracksuit, and he exuded a carefree vibe.

Today I brought Ai to see the cherry blossoms, but we happened to run into a politician giving an election speech here, which was very disappointing.

Moreover, Zheng Yi knew this councilor.

That would be even more disappointing.

"Hey, Zhengyi."

A deep voice pierced through the clamor of the celebration.

Zheng Yi licked the ice cream, and the sweet vanilla flavor spread on his tongue.

He turned his head lazily.

Standing in front of him was a middle-aged man in a dark gray suit with a strong demeanor.

Yuto Noguchi, a House of Representatives candidate known for his hardline stance.

He had just finished his speech, his forehead still covered in fine beads of sweat, his expression hard and excited, as if he hadn't yet shaken off the speech.

At this moment, the senator, who always spoke righteously and sternly on television, was staring intently at Zheng Yi with the eyes of someone scrutinizing scoundrels, or even looking at social parasites.

"You're the Sumitomo family's young master who's been making headlines in Tokyo's entertainment circles?"

Yuto Noguchi didn't exchange pleasantries, didn't stand on ceremony, and didn't even bother with the most basic social etiquette before firing straight into the gun.

His voice was so loud that several tourists who were taking pictures stopped what they were doing and looked over curiously.

Zheng was taken aback for a moment.

He hadn't heard such comments or such an aggressive tone in a long time.

Since he returned to Japan, or rather, since 'those events', his aura has been too strong.

In Japan, no one cares about his background or surname anymore; all they care about is the power behind him and his fearsome style of doing things.

Moreover, nowadays, the people who come to talk to him, whether politicians or tycoons, all speak in a gentle tone, as if they are coaxing a grumpy 'child'.

He was afraid that if his tone was too sharp, it would make Zheng Yi uncomfortable and thus invite irreparable retaliation.

It's been a long time since Shoichi has been scolded by anyone other than Ai and Gin.

This long-lost, pure hostility gave him a strange feeling of nostalgia.

“I’ve heard quite a few rumors about you,” Yuto Noguchi said, taking a step closer, his leather shoes crunching softly on the petal-strewn grass.
"Bribing the police, bullying corporations and politicians. You're tough on your own people, but you're really tough on them."

Zheng Yi frowned slightly, and the ice cream in his hand almost tipped over because of the movement.

He instinctively protected the ice cream cone in his hand, afraid that the melting sugar water would splash onto his sleeve.

"What do you need?" Zheng Yi's voice was still lazy, with a hint of impatience. "If you don't need anything, don't block my view of the scenery."

He came to see the cherry blossoms with Ai Haibara and didn't want to cause trouble on such a day.

Conan is not in good health right now, and it's not convenient for him to go out.

"A bully at home!"

Yuto Noguchi suddenly raised his voice, and this roar drew the attention of more people around him. Some even secretly took out their phones to record the scene.

"What good are you besides ruining Japan's public order? All you do is stir up internal strife and engage in money transactions, making Japanese society a mess!"

He became increasingly agitated as he spoke, the muscles in his face twitching slightly with anger, his finger almost poking Zheng Yi's nose:

"I see you're strong and energetic, with excess energy. Instead of being a spendthrift playboy here, why don't you go abroad! Go to places that truly need 'strength' and wreak havoc..."

No, I'm going to make a name for myself! Don't embarrass yourself under these cherry blossom trees!

Zheng Yi blinked, looking completely bewildered.

He thought this person was simply unreasonable.

First of all, the negative social atmosphere here is definitely not something I caused.

Secondly, Zheng Yi considers himself a pacifist.

"Huh?" Zheng Yi seemed to have heard the biggest joke in the world, a mocking smile curving his lips. "Are you out of your mind?"

"What did you say?"

Yuto Noguchi's face darkened, and the bodyguards around him seemed to want to step forward, but he waved them off.

He wanted to deal with Zheng Yi single-handedly, and not let anyone share his glory.

"I'm a pacifist," Zheng Yi shrugged, looking completely innocent, and even had the leisure to lick a bite of his almost melting ice cream.

"I have always been law-abiding and have never done anything reckless in Japan."

Even when they go abroad, they constantly promote a positive image of Japan, and they have no idea what you mean by saying these things.

You want me to go and wreak havoc abroad?

"I'm not a terrorist, why would I want to harm others?"

Zhengyi felt this was an utterly undeserved disaster.

He clearly wouldn't even step on an ant, so how did he become such a heinous scourge in this guy's mouth?
This is pure slander.

"Pacifism?" Yuto Noguchi scoffed as if he had heard a sarcastic term, his eyes filled with disdain.

"boring."

Zheng Yi lost interest in the conversation.

This kind of communication, where people are talking past each other, is completely meaningless.

He turned around, intending to find a quieter place to wait for Ai to return from the restroom.

This guy is on a completely different wavelength from him.

Just then, a figure dressed in casual clothes squeezed through the crowd.

"Make way, the police are on duty!"

Sato Miwako pushed through the crowd and walked over with a helpless expression.

She had just gone to a nearby convenience store to buy a drink, and when she came back, she saw this tense scene.

As a detective in the Metropolitan Police Department, these kinds of public conflicts are her biggest headache.

In particular, both of them have unusual backgrounds.

“Member Noguchi, Mr. Shoichi, this is a public place, please do not quarrel.”

Miwako Sato stepped between the two, trying to smooth things over.

She is quite experienced in handling such emergencies.

"Also, please do not take pictures," Sato said to the crowd, his tone becoming stern.

Zheng Yi dislikes being in the public eye and even more so doesn't want his photos to be circulated. Those who take pictures of Zheng Yi's face will probably face some trouble.

Sato Mamoru stood in front of Noguchi, worried that he might be in danger.

In the crowd, Sera Masumi had her hands in her trench coat pockets, chewing gum, and her sharp eyes scanned back and forth between Shoichi and the councilor.

She was exhausted from being constantly bothered by her mother, who was always changing her size, so she came here to relax after hearing about the cherry blossom festival.

I didn't expect to see someone arguing with Brother Zhengyi as soon as I arrived.

Yuto Noguchi's face turned a deep purplish-red, and he trembled with anger at Shoichi's innocent, pacifist-like demeanor.

More importantly, this guy actually dared to ignore me!
He, Yuto Noguchi, is a rising star in politics and enjoys high popularity among the people. He is a future high-ranking official, not one of those minor characters that you, Shoichi Sumitomo, killed.

He immediately stepped forward, intending to push aside Sato Miwako, who was blocking his way. "Get out of the way, officer! Today I'm going to teach this arrogant brat a lesson on behalf of your Metropolitan Police Department!"

"Please don't interfere with official business!" Sato Miwako spread her arms wide, standing in front of Masakazu like a mother hen protecting her chicks.

Although she also felt that Zheng Yi was sometimes annoying, she could not tolerate the senator striking in public.

Moreover, she's not protecting Zheng Yi right now, but you, the councilor!

If you've never been killed by Zheng Yi, you really don't know how terrifying he is.

Unfortunately, the congressman did not appreciate it.

"Don't stop me!" Noguchi said angrily, pushing Sato with increasing force.

Yuto Noguchi was calculating his options meticulously.

His support team has assured him that they can completely fend off any retaliation from the Sumitomo Group.

Since there was no direct support from that huge conglomerate, Noguchi believed that Masakazu, who had been back in Japan for less than a year, was not capable of dealing with him.

As for the rumors circulating in the media, they are nothing more than gilding Zheng Yi's image.

Voters today are tired of weak diplomacy and internal strife. By publicly criticizing Zheng Yi, he can not only demonstrate his tough stance but also win the votes of young voters.

It can also separate the old privileged (corporation) class to gain public favor, which is a win-win situation.

He became more and more engrossed in his performance, as if he had already stood on the moral high ground and was judging a degenerate nobleman.

Just as the situation was about to spiral out of control, and Noguchi's hand was about to touch Sato's shoulder,
A hand wearing a black leather glove suddenly reached out.

The hand moved slowly, but deftly and skillfully deflected Noguchi's outstretched wrist towards Sato.

"Oh dear, in broad daylight, is the councilor going to assault a police officer?"

Sera Masumi chewed her gum and squeezed between the two groups of people.

Her sharp eyes stared directly at Noguchi, a half-smile playing on her lips.

Noguchi was stunned for a moment, clearly not expecting such a surprise attack.

He glared at the girl in front of him, who looked like a delinquent high school student, and snapped, "Who are you? Mind your own business!"

Zheng Yi sighed helplessly as he watched this scene.

He looked at the ice cream in his hand; it had almost melted.

"Why isn't Ai back yet..." he muttered to himself, completely ignoring the earlier conflict.

Just then, a clear, cold voice came from behind the crowd:
"Zhengyi, what are you doing?"

Ai walked over with a pack of tissues in her hand. Her words seemed to be concerned about Masakazu, but her animated expression made it seem more like she was gloating.

"No wonder it was so noisy, turns out you're in trouble again."

Zheng Yi shook his head and casually patted Ai's head.

After Ai's head was flattened by Masakazu's touch, her expression wasn't so happy anymore.

Zheng Yi held up the ice cream and said, "Look, the ice cream I bought for you has melted."

Yuto Noguchi saw that many police officers had arrived and knew that he could not continue.

Shoichi had been operating within the Metropolitan Police Department for so long that Noguchi dared not underestimate his influence within the department and still harbored some fear of the police.

"We'll see," he said sternly, before leaving surrounded by bodyguards.

After Noguchi left, Sato didn't have much to say to Masakazu.

She was very worried about Noguchi's safety, so she left without saying goodbye and headed in the direction Noguchi had gone.

Ai guessed that she probably wanted to protect Noguchi and prevent him from being killed by Shoichi.

Ai shook her head.

Protection is useless; you never know how someone might die.

Ai looked up at Masakazu and said, "That guy spouted nonsense, aren't you going to teach him a lesson?"

“How can a small businessman like me fight against a high-ranking councilor? I can only swallow this bitter pill,” Zheng Yi said.

He worked diligently to develop his company in Japan, engaged in healthy competition with rival businesses, and absorbed a large number of people who had lost their jobs for various reasons.

Even in his condition, he still got slapped across the face by just anyone.

It was truly a scene of utter desolation and misery.

Ai rolled her eyes at Masakazu.

Can you please stop portraying yourselves as such a vulnerable group?

"Should we get rid of him?" Ai asked coldly.

"No, I'm a good person," Zheng Yi said.

Zheng Yi squinted and thought for a moment. How long has it been since there were any rumors of him killing people?

It's really unacceptable that my own name has lost its deterrent power so quickly.

If they don't move, they really will think that he is dead.

"Why don't you kill a member of parliament to prove you're still alive?"

Ai is like a mind reader to Masakazu, able to accurately respond to his thoughts.

Sera Masumi was dumbfounded.

"What are you talking about?" Sera Masumi asked blankly.

She's right there!

Is it because we've become relatives that they've let their guard down around me?

"Just kidding."

Zheng picked up Ai in his arms, saying, "Since everyone is framing me like this, I can only try to find some humor in my misery."

……

Yuto Noguchi climbed into the black Toyota parked at the back gate of the park, and the door slammed shut.

The harshness on his face had vanished, and he closed his eyes, reviewing his actions.

"Do you think they can really stop the Sumitomo Group's retaliation?"

"of course."

The secretary, sitting in the passenger seat, nodded.

"No matter how powerful Sumitomo is, there is a limit. Moreover, such a large conglomerate will not take any major actions based on the will of one person."

Hearing this, Noguchi nodded and breathed a sigh of relief.

He turned around, leaned forward, and his tone became sharp: "Give the order immediately: the media can begin operations."

"Tell them I'm going to release a press release. The headline needs to be eye-catching and impactful."

He narrowed his eyes, quickly devising a trigger point for public opinion.

"First, focus on describing my chance encounter with Sumitomo Shoichi at the festival. Don't mention that I provoked him; write it as me standing up for what's right." Noguchi's voice was deep.

"As a politician who cares about the future of the country, I could no longer tolerate seeing that spoiled brat lounging under the cherry blossom tree and corrupting the atmosphere, so I stepped forward and gave him a stern remonstrance."

“Second,” Noguchi held up two fingers, his tone becoming even more excited, “I want to emphasize my character. Tough, unafraid of power, and willing to speak out against the zaibatsu.”

He closed his eyes, as if he could already see the headlines on the front page tomorrow morning.

Hardline lawmaker clashes with chaebol heir

Yuto Noguchi slams Sumitomo Shoichi for corrupting social morals and calls for reform of the privileged class! (End of Chapter)