Conan: I'm a zaibatsu in Tokyo

Long yellow police tape was strung up under the cherry blossom trees in Beika Park, and officers from the Metropolitan Police Department's First Investigation Division were busy, with flashes of light going off everywhere.

Inspector Megure stood beside the body, his brow furrowed as he scratched his thinning hair.

He looked at the body covered with a white sheet on the ground, then at Zheng Yi, who was being protectively isolated by several detectives not far away, and complained to Sato Miwako beside him in a low voice:

"This is really bad... another important person like him has died."

Inspector Megure didn't finish his sentence, but everyone knew he had something more to say.

He is still a powerful figure who has conflicts with Zheng Yi.

Sato glanced knowingly in Masakazu's direction.

Zheng Yi was leaning against a police car, his expression indifferent as if the dead creature was just an insignificant insect.

“This is not the time to talk about this.” Sato lowered his voice. “Before Noguchi died, he kept shouting for Shoichi to kill him. So many people heard that, and the public pressure will be immense.”

Sato felt inexplicably surprised.

As Representative Noguchi was giving a speech on stage, asking Shoichi to kill him, Shoichi's bullet arrived shortly afterward.

It's hard to believe this is just a simple coincidence.

Even a three-year-old child would know that this was a deterrent to anyone who dared to challenge his authority.

Those who offend him should be killed with thunderous force.

"That's why it's such a headache!" Inspector Megure sighed, making a helpless expression. "We just have to solve the case as soon as possible."

Inspector Megure couldn't help but feel resentful.

Why does Noguchi have to run for office if he's just running for office? Why choose Masakazu as a stepping stone?
Do you really think Zheng Yi wouldn't kill someone?

"Could it be that he's acting so recklessly because he saw that Tsuchimichi Yasuharu wasn't killed?" Inspector Megure muttered under his breath.

Back then, Tumen Kanghui was also a hardliner, and he also made it clear that he wanted to deal with Zhengyi.

However, he ultimately only withdrew from the election and was not killed by Zheng Yi.

Inspector Megure believes that Representative Noguchi must have seen the precedent set by Yasuhiro Tsuchimon to think he could escape death.

But clearly, his idea was wrong.

Zheng Yi seemed to realize that he had been too lenient before, and that the councilors did not respect him, so he resorted to drastic measures.

"Honestly, why are you looking for trouble?" Inspector Megure muttered in dissatisfaction.

“Inspector Megure,” Sato said, “Congressman Noguchi is a victim; we can’t resort to victim-blaming.”

"I know."

Inspector Megure nodded.

But he couldn't do anything about Zheng Yi, so he could only grumble.

Just then, a primary school student wearing black-rimmed glasses was squatting inside the cordon, holding an ordinary-looking watch-shaped flashlight, meticulously shining it on the ground.

"Conan, how is it?" Masakazu ran to Conan's side and asked.

Before Inspector Megure arrived, he had already questioned many staff members.

Those people, seeing that the one asking the question was a small child, naturally didn't want to pay him any attention.

But when Shoichi, with a gentle smile, stood next to Conan, those people spoke their minds without reservation.

Conan is getting more information than the police are now.

"I already know who the murderer is." Conan pushed up his glasses, his voice unusually calm for a child.

"Oh?"

Shoichi cooperated by showing a shocked expression, seemingly not expecting Conan to be so quick.

"Cough cough."

Conan coughed, preparing to give the chance to shine in front of everyone to Masakazu, "Masakazu-nii, go tell Inspector Megure and the others..."

"No no no!"

Zheng shook his head repeatedly: "I can't. I'm suspected of murder, and I need to avoid suspicion."

He reasoned about it himself, fearing the police wouldn't accept it.

In the past, detectives were always the ones solving cases, but this time they've changed it to making things up themselves and finding scapegoats.

Leaving the lights on is unacceptable to those people.

"Huh?" Conan was taken aback, then nodded.

Indeed, Brother Zheng Yi has a special physical condition, and he is easily suspected every time there is a murder case, making him unsuitable to be a detective.

Conan raised his wrist, looked around, and wondered who to choose as the sleeping detective.

Masakazu whispered in Conan's ear, "Inspector Megure is getting old and his health is deteriorating. He's not suitable to be my henchman. I'm afraid his heart can't take it."

Officer Sato firmly insists on the "Shoichi is guilty" theory, and if you try to solve the case by anesthetizing her, she definitely won't accept it.

Chosoka was considered by everyone to be my lackey; his reasoning was not convincing.

After explaining all this to Conan, Shoichi shut up.

Conan's lips twitched.

How come I didn't know there were so many intricacies involved in anesthetizing a person?
But since Brother Zhengyi has already spoken, he naturally won't go against him.

Conan looked around and realized that only Takagi seemed suitable.

Once he finds his target, Conan's gun is more accurate than Gin's.

With a 'whoosh', Takagi sat down in the chair that Shoichi had brought over.

"Takagi? What's wrong with you?"

Inspector Megure looked at Takagi strangely.

It's always been the Metropolitan Police Department staff who move chairs for Masakazu. When did it become Masakazu moving chairs for others?
"Inspector Megure, I already know who the culprit is!"

After years of rigorous, silent meditation, Takagi finally reached the same level as Kogoro Mouri.

"Oh?"

Logically speaking, Inspector Megure should be happy that the people in the Metropolitan Police Department are capable.

But looking at Takagi's sleeping face, he always felt something was off.

Inspector Megure said, "Can you open your eyes?"

With his eyes closed, it was too easy for him to think of Kogoro Mouri and those detective lackeys of Shoichi.

“Huh?” Takagi said, “This doesn’t seem to have anything to do with solving the case.”

Inspector Megure frowned.

This is very important!

Pretending to be asleep to solve a case is nothing special, but if pretending to be asleep and Zheng Yi are present, and the two of them are working together, is that really solving a case?

Conan, who was hiding, felt completely bewildered.

After so many times, why does Inspector Megure suddenly have a problem with solving cases while sleeping?
do not care!
Conan, speaking in Takagi's voice, said, "The culprit is neither Shoichi nor a professional killer."

"Huh? It wasn't him?" Inspector Megure's expression didn't change at all, seemingly unsurprised by the result.

Sato also took a deep look at the sleeping Takagi, his thoughts unreadable.

"But Representative Noguchi was clearly provoking him before he died!"

Since Conan was doing things for him, Shoichi was naturally willing to help explain.

Following Conan's instructions, he pointed to the penetrating wound in the chest of Representative Noguchi's corpse, and then he heard 'Takagi' say:
"If it was Mr. Zhengyi who did it, given his wealth and resources, he could have used a much more covert and discreet method. Moreover..."

Zheng Yi flicked his finger, pointing to an inconspicuous black mark on the microphone stand.
"The killer didn't use a real gun, but a modified 'pneumatic nail gun' that uses compressed gas to fire steel balls. This kind of weapon is usually found on construction sites, or... in the props department." "Props department?" Sato keenly caught the key word.

“That’s right.” A sharp glint flashed in Conan’s eyes. “Member Noguchi and his cronies—that is, the campaign team leader who is now pretending to be grieving in the corner—had planned a fake assassination.”

They wanted to use this tactic to garner sympathy and create a tragic image of someone who "almost met a violent end while advocating for the people."

Conan said coldly, "However, the campaign leader had murderous intent when carrying out the plan."

He was supposed to shoot the steel ball at the senator's shoulder or arm, causing minor injury.

But he aimed for the heart.

Conan said, "Before the launch, he adjusted the originally set 'safe distance' closer."

He exploited Noguchi's desire for attention, turning a charade into a real-life act, using someone else to do his dirty work... no, he used someone else's gun to do his dirty work.

"What!" Inspector Megure exclaimed in shock. "You mean this is political infighting?"

"Where's the evidence? Don't make baseless accusations!"

That person wasn't afraid at all.

Everyone knows that the Metropolitan Police Department is full of Sang-il's lackeys.

Zheng Yi is currently a prime suspect. If you say that the others are the murderers, would anyone believe that?

Conan ran to the edge of the bushes and carefully picked something up with tweezers.

It was a small, flattened metal cartridge case.

No, to be precise, it was a specially made steel ball.

“Takagi-nii,” Conan held up the evidence bag, “is this the tool the murderer used?”

Takagi naturally couldn't respond to Conan, and could only nod in Takagi's place.

"It should be," Zheng said expressionlessly.

If you are a prime suspect and speak up at this point, the police could easily assume that you are manipulating the case.

However, since it was all for the sake of friends, being misunderstood is acceptable.

"During the chaos just now, I noticed that the campaign team leader's briefcase was very heavy, and the zipper wasn't closed properly, revealing a piece of black tape."

Conan hid again and said in Takagi's voice:

"If I'm not mistaken, there should be a modified, powerful nail gun hidden in that briefcase."

This type of gun is typically used in construction and uses compressed gas to launch steel nails.

The wound on Representative Noguchi's chest was a penetrating injury caused by these steel balls.

Inspector Megure immediately understood and waved for Sato to search for the commander who had been pinned to the ground.

“Furthermore,” Conan continued, “there is even more direct evidence. The crazy provocation that Noguchi made before his death actually unintentionally recorded the most crucial sounds.”

"You mean..." Inspector Megure realized, "the microphone's sound pickup function?"

“Yes.” Conan nodded. “Although the gunshot was muffled, with professional voiceprint analysis, the frequency and distance of the sound can be discerned.”

If it's a sniper rifle fired from a distance, there will be a noticeable sound of air friction and echo.

However, if it is a nail gun at close range, the sound will be very short and muffled, and there is almost no recoil.

This proves that the killer was near the podium, not in the woods some distance away.

Just then, Officer Sato found a modified pneumatic nail gun wrapped in black duct tape in the commander's briefcase; the barrel was still warm.

As the cold touch of the handcuffs tightened around his wrists, the once spirited campaign leader seemed to have all his energy drained away in an instant.

His knees buckled, and he collapsed heavily onto the muddy ground covered with cherry blossom petals.

"Why?" Inspector Megure asked.

He himself didn't know what he was asking.

Why did they kill Representative Noguchi?
Why should I take the blame for Zheng Yi?

Why……

What Inspector Megure really wants to know is whether Shoichi is the mastermind behind it all.

Unfortunately, that person couldn't say anything.

The troupe leader's voice was hoarse and broken, "Do you know what I've done for him? I've shielded him from drinks, cleaned up his messes, and even..."

To help him cover up that car accident, they even caused my daughter to spend the rest of her life in a wheelchair!

The man suddenly raised his head, his eyes bloodshot and red-rimmed, staring intently at the corpse.

"Three years ago, on that rainy night, he was driving drunk and hit and killed the child who ran a red light. I was next to the driver at the time."

He begged me, begged me to take the blame!
He said he was the pillar of his party, and that if he fell, Japanese politics would lose all hope!

His voice became sharp and shrill with extreme anger: "I believed it, I, the fool, believed it."

I served six months in jail for him. When I got out, my daughter had an accident at the rehabilitation center because no one was taking care of her and she broke her spine!
The doctor said, "If I had been there, she wouldn't have been injured at all!"

"But what about him?"

The man pointed a trembling finger at the corpse: "After he came out, he not only didn't help me take care of my daughter, but he also complained that I was a burden."

Just yesterday, I begged him to use the power of his conglomerate to help my daughter with surgery, and he actually sneered and said, "A disabled person should have the awareness of a disabled person and not cause trouble for politicians."

He's now declaring "war" on the conglomerates; how can we use their power? Wouldn't that just cause him trouble?

The man's body was trembling violently.

The perpetrator confessed, and the case is closed.

That man's words also revealed to everyone what kind of person Representative Noguchi really was.

Finding someone to take the blame, being ungrateful, deceiving voters, and being hypocritical, etc.

Not only did the man die, but his reputation was also ruined.

"Seek the help of a conglomerate to cure the illness?"

Sato seemed particularly sensitive to a certain word, emphasizing the word 'conglomerate'.

Inspector Megure was also taken aback when he heard this.

The two of them looked at Zheng Yi.

There's a person from a conglomerate here who can help that person.

Zheng Yi, under the watchful eyes of everyone, knew he could no longer remain uninvolved.

He said with a righteous expression, "Since everyone is looking to me, I am willing to provide the best treatment for his daughter and try my best to cure her illness."

Sato and Inspector Megure exchanged a glance.

That's not what they meant.

The murderer, who was being held by two policemen, showed a look of delight upon hearing Zheng Yi's words.

Zheng Yi smiled and said, "Don't worry, I'll take care of your daughter."

He has always been kind-hearted and compassionate, and cannot bear to see people suffer.

The murderer opened his mouth, but said nothing.

If he speaks, the police might misunderstand him as a benefactor, so it's best not to say anything and just keep his gratitude in his heart.

Sato and Inspector Megure frowned even more deeply.

This really wasn't a deal.

Did Zheng Yi kill someone for treating his daughter's illness? (End of Chapter)