After that, Fang Zheng finally enjoyed a few days of leisure, and the Shimokasa Sisters soon reported in. Just as Fang Zheng had expected, with such an incident at the Mori Inn, it was impossible to resume business in the short term. All the employees were dismissed, and it seems that Miss Shimomura Shinobu went to a nearby hotel to continue as the head chef.
But the sisters had it rough; after all, when applying for jobs, people look at your resume and see trouble following you everywhere with deaths; no one would hire you.
So, the sisters had no choice but to come to Fang Zheng.
Speaking of which, Fang Zheng was also curious. If Shinichi Kudou doesn’t transform back, he’s just a high school student. Who would dare hire him after he graduates?
Does he have to learn from Kogoro and open a Shinichi Kudou Detective Agency or something?
By the way, three days after Fang Zheng brought Haibara Ai back from the Plateau, they started classes.
Though going back to class right after a summer vacation is common, having only a one-week summer break is quite strange... Forget it, since the person involved doesn’t care, Fang Zheng pretends not to see it.
After all, he’s not the one who has to do the summer homework.
However, good times never last long. Fang Zheng hadn’t enjoyed his days of comfort before trouble found him again.
This time, he couldn’t refuse because the trouble was dispatched by the Metropolitan Police Department!
As the Creator of the Skynet System, a renowned microexpression expert, and a special consultant to the Metropolitan Police Department, Fang Zheng had solved many major cases. If he were part of the system, he might have been promoted several times by now. This time, the police had an important case, and they were deploying elite forces. As a special consultant, Fang Zheng was naturally included.
It’s the Phantom Thief Kid!
The Phantom Thief Kid...
Sitting among the crowd, watching Officer Nakamori passionately interpret the Phantom Thief Kid’s notice of theft, Fang Zheng felt uninterested. He wasn’t keen on capturing the Phantom Thief Kid. After all, Kid hadn’t stolen directly from him. Unlike the usual flamboyant rich people, Fang Zheng didn’t fancy collecting artworks or jewels.
If he were to collect something, he’d rather buy a first-edition limited figure from Akihabara, which holds more value and can’t be stolen by the Phantom Thief Kid...
Fang Zheng was very familiar with this case’s plot. It was a famous Conan movie: the first appearance of the Phantom Thief Kid in "The Last Wizard of the Century."
Fang Zheng admitted to rewatching this movie multiple times for its interesting treasure hunts, the Phantom Thief Kid’s heist predictions, and the inside job of international fugitive Scout. It’s got the flair of a theatrical blockbuster. Truth be told, Conan’s early movies were quite entertaining.
The case was relatively simple: the Phantom Thief Kid had his eye on an artwork from the Tsarist Era, the Egg of Memories, being exhibited at the Osaka Art Museum by the Suzuki Group. A notice of theft was given, entangling an international assassin, Scout, who specialized in collecting Tsarist Era relics. Ultimately, they followed the clues hidden in the Egg of Memories to find another egg... and, by the way, caught the international assassin, Scout.
Hmm... the process was quite simple, but Fang Zheng remembered clearly that in this movie, Conan almost confessed his identity to Ran for the first time.
Of course, because it’s a movie, the ending can’t have such a confession, considering TV audiences.
But now, in the real world, Fang Zheng doesn’t consider such things.
With this opportunity, why not go ahead and reveal Conan’s identity?
As for Officer Nakamori’s intentions, Fang Zheng didn’t care. Officer Nakamori is merely a policeman who can only resort to police methods to solve problems. But for Fang Zheng, he had various means to solve problems...
So, after the meeting, Fang Zheng took Little Ai and flew directly to Osaka.
But as for Little Ai...
"Why bring me along?"
"If Kogoro Mouri is bringing Conan, then I have to bring you. That’s balanced, right?"
"What kind of balance is this...?"
Hearing Fang Zheng’s response, Little Ai rolled her eyes.
"It’s all the same. Having an assistant makes things easier, and generally, people don’t guard against kids. Look at Conan; he’s gained so much experience with his cutesy acts, hasn’t he?"
"Hmm... that’s true..."
Fang Zheng’s words brought a smile to Little Ai’s face. She had seen Conan act cute, asking adults, "Uncle, what happened that day?" Of course, nothing seemed wrong on the surface, but knowing there was a high school detective inside the little boy made her want to laugh.
"You wouldn’t want me to learn from him, right?"
Thinking of this, Little Ai coldly eyed Fang Zheng again. It was fun to watch others play this role, but having to perform it herself seemed foolish.
"Of course not."
Fang Zheng shook his head.
"Conan’s a fool, you’re not. You can debut with a genius girl persona; after all, you’re already very smart, aren’t you? People are generally forgiving of geniuses. So if Conan traps himself, he deserves his fate."
"That’s true."
Hearing she didn’t have to act cute like Conan, Little Ai calmed down and analyzed the situation, finding it indeed interesting. After all, Conan pretends to be a naive child to others, leading to awkward situations. But she was a genius girl; revealing discoveries wouldn’t ruin her persona. Instead, it would strengthen others’ faith in her reputation, wouldn’t it?
Hmm... thinking about it, Little Ai suddenly wanted to see if Conan would bash his head in the wall once he realized this...
That would be really amusing.
"So, do you have a way to catch that Phantom Thief Kid?"
Thinking about this, Little Ai also collected her thoughts and looked at Fang Zheng. At school, she watched Conan seethe with anger towards the Phantom Thief Kid, wishing he could catch him right away. But Fang Zheng seemed uninterested in the matter; on the contrary, on the plane to Osaka, he was more focused on where to play and eat good food...
"Nope, not interested."
Fang Zheng shook his head decisively.
"I’m a special consultant, but I’m not a cop, nor am I like that justice-driven detective Conan. The Phantom Thief Kid doesn’t steal my stuff, so I couldn’t care less about him. I’m mainly here for sightseeing and to casually protect Phantom Thief Kid’s Egg of Memories."
"But the Phantom Thief Kid is determined to get that egg, right?"
"Of course, and I have my ways."
As he spoke, an amiable-looking elderly man walked into the room with a grin.
"Ah, Mr. Fang Zheng, welcome, welcome."
"Hello, Chairman Suzuki."
Seeing the elderly man in front of him, Fang Zheng stood up and nodded.
"I apologize for interrupting amid your busy schedule."
"No worries, no worries, it’s about that matter, right?"
"That’s right."
"I understand."
Hearing Fang Zheng’s reply, Chairman Suzuki nodded and then curiously looked at Little Ai.
"And this is...?"
"She’s Haibara Ai, my lovely little assistant."
As he spoke, Fang Zheng reached out and patted Little Ai’s head.
"Don’t underestimate her; she’s a genius girl who has already read through the doctoral program at the University of Edinburgh."
"Oh, really? That’s quite surprising. Looks like Mr. Fang Zheng got himself a pretty impressive assistant."
Hearing Fang Zheng’s answer, Chairman Suzuki chuckled and made a gesture. Fang Zheng then led Little Ai into the study room, where he placed the paper bag he was carrying onto the desk and took out a gift box, perfectly packaged.
"Oh, is this it?"
"Yep, it’s more than sufficient."
"Hehehe, then thank you in advance."
Receiving the box from Fang Zheng, Chairman Suzuki opened it and glanced inside, showing a slightly surprised expression, but he quickly nodded.
"I didn’t expect that... Well, I’ll leave it to you, Fang Zheng-kun."
As he spoke, Chairman Suzuki took out a wooden box, roughly the same size as the gift box Fang Zheng had delivered, and handed it to Fang Zheng.
"Alright, leave it to me, no problem."
Fang Zheng casually took the wooden box and slipped it into the paper bag without even looking at it, then nodded to Chairman Suzuki.
"Well, I’ll take my leave now."
"Not staying? My daughter and Mr. Mouri should be arriving soon."
"I’m not interested in this kind of event; I’d rather take Little Ai to explore Osaka first. I’ve heard there are plenty of good food and fun places here, maybe we’ll even find something interesting."
"True, you young folks should get out and about more."
Hearing Fang Zheng’s answer, Chairman Suzuki chuckled.
"Well, I hope you have a great time."
"Thank you for your kind words."
Fang Zheng nodded slightly, then turned around and left the Suzuki Group building. He and Little Ai then got in the car, started the engine, and stepped on the gas, heading onto the... street.
Little Ai looked at the paper bag beside Fang Zheng and hesitated for a moment, but eventually, she focused ahead.
"So, where are we headed next?"
"First things first, let’s find a spot to buy gifts for Akemi."
Fang Zheng glanced at the map, then swiftly changed direction.
"So she won’t complain when we return about not bringing her anything nice when we went out."
Thus, Fang Zheng and Little Ai fully embraced vacation mode, eating, shopping, and playing along the way. Little Ai enjoyed it thoroughly, especially considering spending money with Fang Zheng was limitless; anything they fancied, they bought. Be it cosmetics, clothes, local specialties, they snagged it all. In addition to the gift for Akemi Miyano, the Shimokasa Sisters received theirs as well. The two ventured forth buying along the way, quickly filling the entire car to the brim.
When Fang Zheng drove to the heavily guarded Suzuki Modern Art Museum with Little Ai, it was already seven in the evening. According to Officer Nakamori’s unreliable deduction, the Phantom Thief Kid would appear tonight until three in the morning to steal the Egg of Memories, so the Suzuki Art Museum is also heavily guarded now, not only with riot police but also helicopters patrolling the sky.
It looked even more secure than when a national leader visits.
And when Fang Zheng drove to the entrance of the museum, he saw a woman in professional attire talking to a man in a blue suit.
The man in the blue suit, if Fang Zheng remembered correctly, should be Secretary Nishino Makoto of Chairman Suzuki...
"Mr. Nishino, what are you doing here?"
Seeing this scene, Fang Zheng stopped the car, rolled down the window, and looked at the two of them. And seeing Fang Zheng appear, Nishino Makoto also breathed a sigh of relief.
"Ah, Mr. Fang Zheng, it’s like this, this lady wants to see Chairman Suzuki, but Chairman Suzuki is currently not here..."
"Hello, my name is Kousaka Natsumi."
The woman in front of him also respectfully bowed to Fang Zheng. She was a very elegant and beautiful lady, with wavy brown hair and beautiful gray eyes, looking very calm and gentle.
"Then Miss Kousaka, is there something you need?"
"Here’s the situation."
While speaking, Kousaka Natsumi took out the introduction brochure of the Suzuki Modern Art Museum.
"Regarding this brochure, there are some matters I wish to discuss with Chairman Suzuki."
"I’m really sorry, but the chairman is not here at the moment."
Secretary Nishino also smiled wryly.
"If possible, could you tell me what it’s about?"
"Yes, what I want to say is, the explanation about the Egg of Memories in this brochure is incorrect, it is completely different from the painting left by my great-grandfather..."
"This........."
"Mr. Nishino, let me handle this."
Seeing Secretary Nishino’s troubled expression, Fang Zheng quickly took over, then turned his gaze to Kousaka Natsumi.
"Miss Kousaka, if you don’t mind, please come up and talk in the car."
"Ah... Okay."
Hearing Fang Zheng’s invitation, Kousaka Natsumi nodded, then got into Fang Zheng’s car. Fang Zheng then drove into the museum and parked in a corner of the parking lot.
"Sorry, Miss Kousaka, your timing today is quite off. I wonder if you heard from the media that the Phantom Thief Kid intends to steal that Egg of Memories tonight."
"Eh? Is there such a thing?"
Upon hearing this, Kousaka Natsumi was shocked.
"I’m terribly sorry, I’m not familiar with the situation. I just saw that brochure and hurried back to the country... Actually, before this, I was working as a pastry chef in Paris."
"I see."
Upon hearing this, Fang Zheng nodded. Of course, he actually knew about Kousaka Natsumi, but seeing her in animation and interacting with her in reality were two completely different things. How should I put it... she truly deserves to be called the peak of beauty in the Conan movies, her gestures and demeanor exude that royal family elegance, and she is also very kind and generous, making her as if a fairytale princess manifested in reality.
To be honest, just by looking at her appearance, you wouldn’t guess that Miss Kousaka Natsumi is already 27 years old.
"So that’s how it is. You can’t meet with the chairman today, but if you have time, I can arrange for Chairman Suzuki to meet you tomorrow."
"Then thank you very much, may I ask..."
"Fang Zheng, my position is President of Umbrella Corporation and Special Advisor to the Metropolitan Police Department."
Yes, after acquiring a security company in the Conan World, Fang Zheng renamed it Umbrella, and its logo was exactly the same as the red and white umbrella from Resident Evil. Of course, he also didn’t forget to add a slogan: "Umbrella, protecting your family."
See, how matching is that!
The Black Organization is formidable, but Laozi is going to crush you with an umbrella!
Let’s see whose villain aura is stronger.
At this moment, Fang Zheng also saw Conan and Hattori hurriedly leaving the museum from a distance. Obviously, just like the plot development, they discovered that the time mentioned in the Phantom Thief Kid’s notice was not three in the morning as Officer Nakamori thought, but rather seven-twenty in the evening.
"Whiz———!!"
However, at this moment, suddenly, accompanied by colorful radiance, fireworks shot into the air, bursting into dazzling colors.
"What is this.........?"
Seeing the beautiful fireworks, both Kousaka Natsumi and Little Ai who got off the car raised their heads in surprise to look into the sky, but before they could think further, suddenly, the whole city rapidly fell into pitch blackness.
Ah... It’s finally starting.
Looking at the pitch-black city, Fang Zheng yawned. In the animation, to prevent Kid from stealing the Egg of Memories from the museum, Officer Nakamori took the Egg of Memories to a location only known to him and two subordinates. Yet, Kid had long stolen this information, and by cutting off the entire Osaka’s power supply, he successfully found the target—after all, although it was supposed to be hidden, without power, it’s impossible to protect the Egg of Memories in pitch darkness.
Thus, Officer Nakamori rushed to activate the emergency generator, but this instead allowed Kid to find their location...
However, the Kid who stole the Egg of Memories didn’t end well either, directly getting shot in the right eye by Scout... I mean those lenses must be bulletproof, a normal person would be dead with a shot in the right eye!
But... whatever, it’s just the storyline in the end.
Fang Zheng stretched lazily and then closed his eyes.
Next, it’s time to wait for the results.
In fact, one hour later, everyone returned to the fully restored museum, and Officer Nakamori faced Chairman Suzuki, utterly dejected.
"I am truly sorry, Chairman Suzuki, for failing to protect the Egg of Memories."
"Hahaha, Officer Nakamori, don’t worry about it..."
Looking at the terribly gloomy Officer Nakamori, Chairman Suzuki also smiled wryly. At this moment, the door opened, and Fang Zheng entered with Little Ai.
"Hey, Chairman Suzuki, we’re back."
"Ah, Mr. Fang Zheng, you’re back, did you have a good time?"
"Of course, Osaka is a lively place, and I’ve brought a gift for you, Chairman."
Saying this, Fang Zheng took out a wooden box from a paper bag and handed it to Chairman Suzuki.
Seeing this scene, Officer Nakamori couldn’t hold his anger any longer, rushing forward to grab Fang Zheng.
"You brat, what exactly are you doing here! Everyone is busy trying to catch the Phantom Thief Kid and you have the leisure to go off playing?"
"Alright, alright, Officer Nakamori, no need to get angry, and besides I received a gift from Mr. Fang Zheng too."
"But Chairman Suzuki..."
Hearing Chairman Suzuki speak, Officer Nakamori turned his head about to say something, but then he was astonished, eyes wide open.
For at this moment, Chairman Suzuki had already opened the package, taking out a beautiful, emerald green oval object, which was indeed.......
"Isn’t this the Egg of Memories?!"
Seeing this, Officer Nakamori was stunned.
"How did this end up in your hands?"
"Because today the entire time, this was under my care, Officer Nakamori."
Looking at Officer Nakamori, Fang Zheng smiled slightly, reached out to press down on his hand.
"The one that was under your protection? That was just a counterfeit I created out of boredom."
"You, you mean a counterfeit?! You actually handed me a counterfeit?!"
Hearing this, Officer Nakamori was even more furious, his anger boiling over, while Fang Zheng chuckled.
"Indeed, because I don’t think Officer Nakamori is a match for the Phantom Thief Kid."
"You... you...!"
Officer Nakamori pointed at Fang Zheng in anger, yet couldn’t find the words, the reality speaks for itself, after all his meticulously arranged plan completely failed.
"Officer Nakamori, you’ve been chasing the Phantom Thief Kid for a long time and haven’t made any progress, right? Honestly, I suspect the Phantom Thief Kid might have studied you thoroughly, maybe he can even guess what kind of fart you’ll let off with a hint of your posterior, so to be safe, I decided to keep the Egg of Memories under my own care."
Saying this, Fang Zheng looked at Officer Nakamori.
"Seems like my decision was right."
"Humph, easy for you to say, but what if you failed?"
"Hehe."
Facing Officer Nakamori’s question, Fang Zheng shrugged.
"Merely 800 million yen, I’m not worried about losing it."
I have money, I can afford it, what can you do to me?
"........."
Upon hearing this, Officer Nakamori was completely floored.

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