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    Conan: The Spring of Meguro 4

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    Chapter 4: Mouri’s Grumbles

    January 21, 2025

    Chapter 4: Mouri’s Grumbles

    Realizing he’d been a bit over the top, Kogoro Mouri cleared his throat and straightened his tie.

    He put the check away without a trace of emotion, then turned to Lin Longma with an overly solicitous air:

    “Mr. Lin, feel free to ask any questions. If I can answer them, I’ll tell you everything without reservation!”

    Lin Longma chuckled at Mouri’s demeanor: “No need to be so serious, Detective Mouri. I won’t put you in a difficult position. My business partner wants to collaborate with Mantendo Game Company, and I just wanted to know if any Mantendo employees were involved in the incident at the press conference.”

    Hearing Lin Longma’s question, Kogoro Mouri relaxed, nodding heavily at Lin Longma with pursed lips.

    “Yes.”

    As if he felt the 500,000 yen was too easily earned, Kogoro Mouri added, “Two Mantendo employees were involved in the case, and one of them probably won’t be getting out.”

    Upon hearing this, Lin Longma understood. So, everyone causing trouble at the press conference was from Mantendo Game Company?

    What amazing talent did Mantendo possess to harbor two such exceptional individuals at once?

    “Mouri-san, let’s be frank,” Lin Longma lowered his voice, “Is Mantendo Game Company really worth collaborating with?”

    Kogoro Mouri, a detective, would he understand the gaming industry? Certainly not. But he knew Lin Longma wasn’t asking about Mantendo’s hard power.

    He thought for a moment and said to Lin Longma, “Mr. Lin, I don’t know much else. But if you’re hesitating because of the press conference incident, I think you needn’t worry. The root of the conflict between those two employees wasn’t at the company, but during their university days. It also involves a female classmate of theirs.”

    Kogoro Mouri stopped there. That was enough; further details would involve information the Metropolitan Police Department required to be kept confidential.

    However, this was enough for Lin Longma to deduce a lot of information, such as that Tequila likely died unjustly. He was really unlucky.

    But with Tequila’s problem solved, the problem of the hideout remained.

    When Gin learned that Tequila had been blown up, he immediately dealt with Tequila’s hideout.

    The hideout where Tequila and his contact met was completely destroyed by explosives.

    The police arrived at the scene shortly after the hideout was destroyed. Logically, the police reaction shouldn’t have been so large.

    Tequila’s contact didn’t know Tequila’s true identity, and he didn’t even know about the organization’s existence. He only knew that Tequila was willing to pay a large sum of money for some internal information.

    The hideout was disguised as a bar on the top floor of a building. Isn’t conducting such black market transactions in a bar quite normal?

    Even a routine investigation wouldn’t require such a large-scale operation by the police, unless…

    Unless those cops knew that the place wasn’t just a simple bar?

    So the question is, how did those cops find out?

    Lin Longma realized that this investigation would likely fall to Kogoro Mouri again.

    “Thank you very much, Detective Mouri. You’ve been a great help,” Lin Longma stood up to leave, firmly shaking Kogoro Mouri’s hand in gratitude.

    “Not at all, it’s my duty, Mr. Lin. You’re too kind!” Kogoro Mouri laughed heartily. He could earn 500,000 yen with just a few words. Wasn’t this money essentially free for him?

    He even silently prayed to the gods for more clients like Lin Longma.

    Although Kogoro Mouri was a newly famous detective, his income hadn’t increased much.

    Unfortunately, for cases with high fees, either the client ended up dead or became the murderer.

    In either case, Kogoro Mouri couldn’t easily collect the remaining fee, and with all the expenses involved in handling the case…

    Even breaking even was difficult.

    Lin Longma checked the time as he was about to leave and realized it was almost dinner time. So he invited Kogoro Mouri:

    “It’s almost dinner time. Detective Mouri, I enjoyed our meeting. If you don’t mind, how about we go out to eat something and have a few drinks?”

    Kogoro Mouri didn’t react much when Lin Longma mentioned eating, but when he mentioned drinks, Lin Longma clearly saw his eyes light up.

    Alcoholic? The thought flashed through Lin Longma’s mind.

    Kogoro Mouri readily accepted Lin Longma’s invitation and followed him to the Mercedes waiting downstairs.

    “Wow, it truly lives up to its reputation as a high-class car! So luxurious!” Seated in the back, Kogoro Mouri comfortably leaned against the seat, constantly expressing his admiration.

    “Your business seems very successful, Mr. Lin!”

    “I’m just putting on a brave face,” Lin Longma couldn’t possibly say that the parent company had a really amazing workhorse, so he changed the subject: “Detective Mouri is a rising star detective. If you like this kind of car, why not take on more cases?”

    “The authorization fees from companies like Mantendo Game Company shouldn’t be too low, right?”

    “Ah, well…” Kogoro Mouri, usually quick-witted, fell unusually silent at this.

    Seeing that Kogoro Mouri didn’t want to say more, Lin Longma also cooperated by changing the subject.

    At a Robatayaki restaurant in Mihana-cho, Kogoro Mouri, his eyes hazy with alcohol, raised his glass high. His suit jacket was draped over a coat rack, and his tie had long been removed.

    His shirt was askew, the clear sign of a drunken man.

    “Lin, my little brother, my life is so hard!” Kogoro Mouri drained his glass and began to complain:

    “Everyone calls me the Sleeping Kogoro these days, and they’re not wrong!

    When I solve cases at the scene, I really feel like I wake up and the case is solved. If you ask me how I solved the case, I have no memory at all.

    And then there are the fees… That’s even more depressing!”

    Jin Tian refilled Kogoro Mouri’s glass, which he immediately finished. He smacked his lips and continued,

    “The clients say they’ll pay a lot when they come. But then, these clients either become victims or murderers.

    They always give a deposit, but where am I supposed to collect the rest?”

    “Lin, my little brother, life is so hard for me…” Kogoro Mouri sighed, and then slumped face-first onto the table.

    “Boss, what happened to Mr. Mouri?” Jin Tian had probably never seen anyone collapse so suddenly and was quite stunned.

    “Jin Tian, pay the bill, then go outside and smoke. Let Mr. Mouri rest. We’ll contact his family later.”

    Lin Longma gestured to a nearby waiter to look after the passed-out Kogoro Mouri.

    Then he went to the courtyard outside the private room, took out his cigarette case, and lit a cigarette.

    (End of Chapter)

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