Conan, I'm an actor

After handing over the tasks, Odagiri left the meeting room. He still had to go to Osaka and Kyoto. He would hand over the items to the local police stations and let them know, since a large portion of these case files involved joint investigations.

After leaving the conference room, Shiratori went straight to Megure, but before he could speak, Megure interrupted him.

"Don't ask me, I don't know anything," Megure said, shaking his head.

“I just wanted to ask if it’s related to Mr. Shinjo.” Shiratori said with a frown, “I used some of my family’s resources for this transfer, and the final investigation results all pointed to Mr. Shinjo. Moreover, I went to Mr. Shinjo’s properties yesterday. Some properties have been unsealed, but the seals on some properties have not been removed yet.”

“Brother Shinjo? That’s certainly possible.” Inspector Megure sighed. “The fact that we were reinstated means there’s not much of a problem with him. Let’s focus on ourselves first. A lot of people are watching our promotions; we don’t know if it’s a blessing or a curse. Also, Inspector Odagiri just said that this is related to Boss Matsumoto’s promotion, so we can’t be careless.”

"I understand." Shiratori nodded.

The Metropolitan Police Department quickly became busy, with all the officers in the First Investigation Division being dispatched, and even two-thirds of the officers in the Second Investigation Division being seconded.

As the Metropolitan Police Department launched its operation, news of the chaotic situation in Tokyo quickly made headlines in major print media and websites, with commentators reacting as if the Metropolitan Police Department had eaten their rice.

The Metropolitan Police Department responded to this, saying it was in response to the previous drone attack, after which these print media and websites collectively fell silent.

Those drone bombs caused quite a stir in Tokyo before. Anyone who dares to go against the Metropolitan Police Department on this matter is going against the safety of the entire city of Tokyo.

Xincheng sat in a coffee shop, watching the news on TV.

This café was part of the organization's property and served as a kind of secret safe house, though it was now deserted. The person previously in charge had been taken away by Gin, and since most of his businesses had been seized, he used this place as a temporary base.

Just then, Curaçao pushed open the door and walked in.

“I’ve checked. Most businesses have resumed normal operations. A few still have seals on them, probably because they haven’t had time to remove them yet,” Curaçao said in a low voice.

"Here's the list." Xincheng directly produced a list.

“This…” Curaçao looked at New Town with some confusion and did not take the list.

"Take this and do what you do best." Xincheng slammed the list on the table.

“You have to tell me who they are,” Curaçao said, frowning.

"The top three on the list are the masterminds behind this operation; they're the three who planned this targeting me," Xincheng said slowly.

“Is this really appropriate? They’ve already conceded. If we continue to push them, we might end up in a corner. At the very least, we should wait until Miss Karen has disposed of all the businesses we own.” Curaçao took the list, glanced at it, and then frowned, saying, “Didn’t you say there were three? Why are there so many names? They look like a family.”

"Two things. They offended me, and I want to retaliate—that's one thing. Their concessions, whether I accept them or not, is another. These guys are afraid of death, terribly afraid of death. Otherwise, they wouldn't be so obsessed with rejuvenation. What I want to tell them is, you've offended me, and I can send you to see the King of Hell right now." Xincheng held up a second finger. "The other names are their families, including their wives, brothers, children, and parents. The organization's rule is to kill those who know, but my rule is to eradicate them completely, at least three generations."

Curaçao shrugged helplessly and put the list in his jacket pocket. "If something unexpected really happens..."

"Take Yueshui and leave on the Dolphin 202. I've prepared your new identity documents and the money you need for living. Find a small town and live out your lives peacefully. Oh, and don't take the two children from the Miyano family with you."

What will you do?

"So what if I die once? It's not like I haven't died before," Xincheng said with a smile. "Don't worry, I've thought of all the possible escape routes. And this is just the worst-case scenario. The organization will send people over. As long as I can hold out for three months, I'll be fine."

"Who?"

"A guy who inherited the codename Rum."

"You want to dump this mess on him? Aren't you afraid he'll just kill you?" Curaçao said with a dark face. "You know how strict the inheritance of codenames is in the organization. When he comes to Japan, the first thing he might do is kill you."

“We’ll have to wait until he gets here.” Xincheng put the cup under the coffee machine. “Besides, I can’t sleep well with a guy like that around. Call the three of them together. Everyone on the list needs to be cleared out by 3 p.m. I have an appointment at 3 p.m., that’s my bargaining chip.”

Curaçao took a deep breath, turned around, and left the coffee shop.

Shinjo clearly wanted to eliminate the problem completely, to get rid of that guy before he even arrived in Japan.

Killing someone is easy. Rum, who just inherited the codename, could be easily dealt with, let alone Newtown, or even those three traitors like Riesling. But killing this guy would mean a complete break between Newtown and the organization. He would not only have to face the pursuit and investigation of the special agents and police, but also be wary of assassination attempts by the organization. Perhaps, as Newtown said, there is no way to escape except by faking his death.

Shinjo took out a costume from the back warehouse; he was going to see Kazama today.

Just as the storm was brewing, he received a call from Kazama, but he didn't answer it.

Just yesterday, Kazama's number sent him another text message, this time requesting a meeting.

Considering the guys' conciliatory attitude, Shinjo decided to meet them, change his clothes, and go to the scene to check things out. If things didn't go well, it would be easier for him to get away.

Kazama chose a shopping mall as the meeting place. As soon as they entered the mall, Shinjo sensed some people watching him.

After observing his surroundings, he noticed that there were more than a dozen people standing on various floors of the mall. They just stood there without making any attempt to hide.

Following the instructions on his phone, Shinjo quickly found Kazama standing in a restaurant. He stood very nervously next to a one-eyed middle-aged man, whom he happened to recognize: Kuroda Heiwa.

"Where's Furuya Rei?" Shinjo sat down opposite Kuroda Hyoue quite naturally.

“He’s run into some trouble and can’t come over for the time being.” Kuroda Hyōe picked up the coffee on the table. “Can the disguise be removed, Shinjō?”

"Looks like I can't hide it from Mr. Kuroda after all." Shinjo wiped his face, and the disguise disappeared instantly, like a magic trick.

Kazama's mouth dropped open. He had seen this person sitting opposite him and assumed he was Shinjo's subordinate, but he never expected that it would be him in person.

"What do you need me for?" Xincheng leaned back in his chair. "Waiter, a glass of lemonade."

“We need the drug information,” Kuroda Hyōe said bluntly. “If you are willing to give us the drug information, the businesses that were previously seized will no longer have any problems.”

"Impossible!" Xincheng said expressionlessly. "What you seized is my property, the drug data belongs to the organization, these are two different things. Since we're doing business, you should at least show some sincerity. Don't try to use underhanded tactics. I don't like to suffer losses. Seizing my property will come at a price, even if it's only for a day."

Kuroda's eyelids twitched, and he said in a low voice, "Don't do anything rash."

"Who started this mess?" Shinjo said with a smile. "Since we won't sit down and talk things out, let's have a fight first. Mr. Kuroda, how many people do you think will die after this? If I were you, what I should be doing now is strengthening security for certain people."

Kazama tensed up instantly, picked up his phone and started talking to the person on the other end, while Kuroda acted as if he hadn't seen anything.

Shin-chan leaned back in his chair, slowly sipping his lemonade. Curaçao should have already started its operation; it would be too late for the police to get there now. He had to wait for the news to reach him.

"Name your price," Kuroda Hyōe broke the silence first, unable to contain himself. "This isn't good for anyone."

"Is it bad for everyone? I'm fine, I eat well, I sleep soundly, what's wrong with me?" Xincheng pulled a hard drive out of his shirt pocket. "I'm a businessman, so I have to show my sincerity before doing business. This is a free gift. I'm giving it to you now, and I might give it to someone else later."

"What's in here?" Kuroda Hyōe asked, a look of confusion on his face.

“There are bad debts and evidence of accounting fraud involving certain conglomerates, as well as some dirt on them.” Xincheng stretched. “I remember there’s the Siling Conglomerate and Tumen Kanghui.”

Kazama's lips trembled. The Yotsubishi Group—this was one of the pillar conglomerates of Japan. Rumors of Yotsubishi Group falsifying accounts had been circulating for a long time, but there had never been any concrete evidence. Firstly, there was no evidence, and secondly, if it were proven, the status of the yen would be affected.

And then there's Tsuchimichi Yasuhiro, the Self-Defense Forces Commander-in-Chief, who's running for the House of Councillors and is a shoo-in for election. But that's not the point. The point is his father, the Director-General of the Defense Agency, who wields considerable influence in politics.

“This information is not enough to make them give up.” Kuroda Hyōe stared at Shinjō with his one eye.

"You should know about the TPC consortium that's recently risen to prominence in the international market, right?" Shinjo smiled broadly. "That's my consortium, a very small one. I'm not sure what I can accomplish. But I'm quite confident I can cause trouble. For example, increasing the number of competitors for JR in its bidding process, or giving them a few mining farms..."

Kuroda Hyōe felt a bit of a toothache; it seemed there was no room for negotiation today. The previous damaging information, at most, would only affect certain individuals domestically. Even in the worst-case scenario, the damage was internal; some would lose, some would benefit. But the latter was different; once overseas assets were gone, they were truly gone.

"We need to go back and discuss this matter," Kuroda said with a dark expression. "But until then, please, Mr. Shinjo, maintain a neutral stance, at least..."

“A neutral stance? That’s difficult.” Xincheng shook his head. “My businesses in the US haven’t been seized. If they’re willing to have a proper talk with me, I don’t mind selling them for a good price. Anyway, there are quite a few loyal dogs in the House of Representatives; they’ll become watchdogs.”

Kuroda Hyōe felt like he was about to vomit blood. This guy had no intention of negotiating; he came here today to extort money. Those guys should prepare to have their wallets bleed.

“I will have my law firm file a lawsuit. My attitude depends on your performance.” Xincheng shrugged. “These past few days, I’ve lost a lot of revenue and goodwill.”

After saying that, he turned and left, and no one stopped him along the way.

Just then, a plainclothes officer hurriedly walked up to Kuroda Hyōe and whispered a few words in his ear.

Kuroda Hyoue had only heard half of what was being said when his coffee cup shattered on the floor. Seeing the crowd staring at him, he waved his hand to indicate he was alright, then got up and left the restaurant.

Kazama asked nervously, "Manager Kuroda, this guy is too arrogant. What should we do next?"

"Arrogant, huh?" Kuroda leaned back on the sofa after listening to his subordinate's report. "They're flexing their muscles. We just received news that the intelligence officer Moroboshi from before died in his own home."

"what?"

"In the fire, a family of five was burned to death."

"This can't be an accident, can it..." Kazama said, then wanted to slap himself.

"The families of Morohoshi's parents and his wife's parents were also affected, dying from a gas leak," Kuroda said slowly. "There were also two other councilors; one family died in a car accident, and the other family was entirely hanged in their own home. All of these people have one thing in common: they explicitly supported the seizure of his properties."

"Then can't we just arrest him?"

"Arrest him?" Kuroda Hyoue stared at Kazama. "Is this all Furuya Rei taught you? Would he do it himself? Even if he did, he could produce a bunch of alibis."

Chapter 290 Successors and Data

Kazama immediately shut up; he was an expert at handling these kinds of things. But he was somewhat unwilling to let the murderer go so easily.

Kuroda Hyoue, who was walking ahead, seemed to have seen through Kazama's thoughts and coughed. "They're hiding in the shadows now, while we're in the open. If we confront them rashly, what happened a few days ago will be a lesson learned. Go back and find Zero; he'll tell you exactly what to do."

Kazama was taken aback for a moment, then a look of surprise appeared on his face. Boss Kuroda's aura was too strong; his small frame couldn't handle it. It would be better if Mr. Furuya could carry it.

"Oh, right, when you get back, tell Zero to quit while he's ahead. Tools should be self-aware; if they're not working well, their master will try to sharpen or repair them. If that still doesn't work..." Kuroda paused, as if he wanted to say something more, but in the end, he didn't.

Kazama didn't even consider the deeper meaning behind those words; he was just a messenger.

As Shinjo stepped out of the mall, Mr. Ochiai pulled up in front of him in his car.

Upon seeing Grandpa Ochiai, Shinjo was also surprised. As soon as he got into the car, he couldn't help but ask, "Grandpa Ochiai, didn't I tell you that it's been very dangerous lately and that it would be best to go abroad to hide? If you're not going abroad, at least hide somewhere. Why are you taking the initiative to come to my side?"

“I came here to see you,” Ochiai said angrily. “A group of people came and shut down my art museum a couple of days ago. I’m furious.”

"Those people are..."

“I know, that’s why I came to ask you what you’ve gotten yourself into,” Director Ochiai said with some concern. “If you’re short of money, just mortgage the museum. Paying back the money is the priority.”

“It has nothing to do with money,” Xincheng said with a smile. “Later, I’ll have Karen complete half of the paperwork to transfer all those art museums to your name, sir. And then…”

“No need, just looking at these treasures is enough.” Ochiai sighed. “I have no children, so if I die someday, these artworks will just go to someone else.”

Shinjo was speechless, and silence fell over the car. Soon, Director Ochiai parked the car in front of a hotel.

“I’m telling you, old man, don’t do anything so risky anymore. You just need to take care of the museum.” Xincheng said with a smile as he got out of the car. “I’ll handle the rest. Before long, everything will be back to normal. If you want to find me, ask Xiaoyue Shui. She knows how to contact me.”

"Then I'll wait for your good news." Ochiai nodded. "Although it's a bit redundant, I still want to tell you to be careful."

Xincheng took the elevator to the third floor of the hotel and then walked to the room at the end of the corridor.

After swiping his room card and entering, he went to the wardrobe, opened it, and walked directly through a hidden door inside. A moment later, he found himself in another room, which smelled faintly of blood.

He frowned upon smelling the blood, then pushed open the door and went outside. Riesling and Stout were sitting there, but both agents were in very poor condition.

"What happened?" Shinjo asked, looking at the two of them. "Why were you in such a hurry to find me, and even had Grandpa Ochiai risk his life to come and pick me up? Has something happened?"

"Aquavit was shot in the back while on a mission; three bullets entered his right abdomen and remained inside his body." Commander Lei dared not look at Newtown's face.

The mission was simple, so simple that one person could complete it. She and Aquavit were a team, which should have been foolproof. Instead, not only was one injured, but they almost messed things up. In the organization, such an act would warrant self-inflicted punishment.

In fact, Curaçao had already considered taking action to eliminate them; if Karen hadn't intervened, she and Aquavit would already be corpses.

Stout glanced furtively at New City a few times, awaiting his verdict. This matter was also related to him, and he wanted to see what kind of person his superior was.

"Has Chengshi arrived yet?" Xincheng asked, frowning.