pdf-ebookys Chapter 174 Come and create chaos in male-female relationships!
Chapter 174 Come and create chaos in male-female relationships!
Inside the bright yellow Volkswagen Beetle, Ai Haibara, hooded and nestled in the back seat, gripped the brim of the hood tightly, her fingers trembling slightly. She glanced at the front seat; Edogawa had already put down the listening device and seemed lost in thought.
"What's going on? Didn't you say the memorial service would be in five days?"
Conan frowned, equally puzzled: "Something's not right. The news I found does say that!"
In order to pinpoint the exact details of the Butbel operation, he spent almost all his spare time following entertainment news, even going so far as to get beaten up several times to pester Uncle Mori for an investigation, which ultimately led him to this information.
A renowned director, a memorial service—among the most famous Japanese directors to pass away recently, only Sakamaki has come up with this; every detail matches up...
"Damn it, what went wrong!"
Without knowing the specifics, it would be terrible if he were discovered halfway in! But even if he were asked to find someone inside the entertainment industry, he couldn't think of a solution in the short term...
"I don't know any directors, and actress Yoko's contact information is with Uncle Mori. Who else can I call... Oh right!"
A name flashed before his eyes, and Conan dialed it several times in a row. As soon as the call connected, an angry female voice exploded out:
"Shinichi! Do you know it's still 4 AM here in America?! I'm giving you three seconds to explain why you're disturbing my beauty sleep. Three, two..."
"Hey, Mom, I have an emergency!" Conan shrank back and clutched the phone tightly. "Could you use your connections to find out if there's a memorial service for a famous director at the Beika City Hotel today? Or anything else related!"
“Beika City Hotel, that sounds familiar! Let me think…” Yukiko looked at Kudo Yusaku, who was fast asleep beside her, and slapped a face mask on his face. “Right, I remember now! There was indeed a special, closed-door memorial service in Japan today, with only a few people invited. Shinichi, how did you find out about that?”
"It's related to the case I'm currently investigating, and it's very urgent!"
Hearing her son's boisterous tone on the other end of the phone, Yukiko clicked her tongue, her expression unchanged, but her hand was already gripping Kudo Yusaku's flabby flesh tightly:
"According to the will of the famous director Coryne Wolf, a private memorial service will be held in Japan to facilitate the mourning of business partners. The attendees will be prominent figures in the Japanese entertainment industry, and for the sake of privacy, only a few major newspapers have been granted permission to report on the event afterward."
I attended the public funeral 100 days ago, so I didn't go this time.
"By the way, do you remember my good friend Sharon Vineyard, the famous actress who passed away a year ago? Speaking of which, this director was very kind to her."
Conan was overjoyed: "Mom, can you help me get a ticket to the game?"
"But that's possible, I can just send them a message..."
"Then it's up to you!"
After hanging up the phone, Kudo Yusaku clutched his side, gasping for breath. He inwardly cursed his son for letting him down, while pulling his clearly upset wife into his arms.
"Was that Shinichi calling? What did that arrogant detective kid say this time?"
"What else could it be? A case, of course~" Yukiko Kudo sighed, resting her chin on her hand as she gazed at the full moon outside the window. "Sigh, time really flies. In just over a decade, we old-timers in the entertainment industry have either died or scattered. Even the most brilliant shows eventually come to an end..."
"Luckily, I retired early, so I don't have to worry about so many troublesome things! Retirement is the best!"
Just as he was about to offer some words of comfort, Yusaku Kudo raised an eyebrow and smiled in agreement: "Our Yukiko is an immortal goddess in the entertainment industry!"
......
"(In English)...Miss Chris, Chris?"
There was no response from behind the thin black veil; she simply watched the slideshow playing in the hall in silence.
Seeing this, Kuromon Haruya raised the golden champagne in her glass and smiled apologetically at the reporters surrounding her: "I'm sorry, Ms. Chris Vineyard is here to offer her condolences and is not in the mood for interviews at the moment."
As soon as he finished speaking, a chorus of disappointed sighs rose and fell.
“However,” he paused for a moment, then held up his index finger to silence the expectant gazes, “Ms. Wenyard will be attending the Seven Companies’ annual meeting soon, but we haven’t decided on a publicity partner yet, so please stay tuned…”
The unfinished message left much to the imagination. The young man in the suit smiled and disappeared into the dark crowd with his female companion.
"Who is that young man?"
"I don't know. I heard it was a temporary assistant sent by the Seven Sons."
"What about Ms. Vineyard's original female assistant? Wasn't she the one who handled the negotiations before?"
"This isn't the first time she's clashed with her mother's former subordinates; perhaps Miss Chris has finally decided to start her own business..."
Ignoring the drifting gossip, Vermouth glanced at the polite Haruya Kuromon beside her and casually commented in Italian, "Your performance was alright, but you need to improve your ability to divert media attention."
"I will continue to improve for you." Kuromon Haruya placed her right hand on her heart, and as she tilted her head, she inadvertently displayed her best features, with the glitter in her hair shimmering slightly.
The affection in those eyes was so intense that even a dog would speak in human language to praise their deep love.
Vermouth felt like a passerby who had been inexplicably injured by a mad dog.
The "mad dog" here refers to Gin, not Butber.
Having navigated high society for so many years, what kind of admiration hasn't Vermouth seen? It's perfectly fine for Butbell to like her!
She's so beautiful and charming. There are tons of members in the organization who adore her, and among her top fans is Calvados. Her mere admiration is nothing to her; they're all just dogs anyway.
The real key point is: Butbel is very, very, very useful!
Since being cleared of suspicion after that night of bartending, Kuromon Haruya has been receiving training from Vermouth in his spare time, as arranged by Gin.
As the saying goes, comparison is the thief of joy. After trying out Kuromon Haruya as her mission assistant, Vermouth found everything about Calvados utterly unpleasant.
He is both the organization's experimental subject and a gentle, all-around talent within the organization. During operations, having him around eliminates concerns about exposing physical issues; he is quick-witted in handling mundane matters, able to learn quickly and apply knowledge to new situations, whether it's falsifying organizational accounts or shirking work; he speaks pleasantly, is obedient and docile, remembers her preferences with a mere mention, and never crosses any red lines.
—Aside from his face reminding people of bad things, he's practically the perfect servant (crossed out) subordinate.
But this same obedient and compliant Butbell, after following Gin on missions and seeing a psychiatrist, has turned into this ghastly creature that's always ready to unleash its fury.
Think about that psychological counseling report that says, "Love isn't just between two people; you've come to join them"... Is that even human language?
What's even more baffling is what they mean by "Vermouth, I've pretty much corrected that guy's thinking. The rest is up to you, a woman who likes to play with other men, to train"?
Is this "corrected" state of mind, where all you can think about is romance?
Seeing his face, so similar to Kuromon Miwa's, Vermouth felt even more disgusted. She felt like throwing up.
She used a handkerchief to wipe her lips as a cover, and whispered, emphasizing, "...Butber, wake up and control the effects of the illusion."
"Thank you for reminding me, please don't worry." Kuromon Haruya closed her eyes for a few seconds, and when she opened them again, her mind was clear.
"Hmm." Vermouth nodded casually, but she didn't feel relaxed.
After a discussion with Gin, regardless of whether it was an illusion or not, all of Butbell's unusual emotions were forcibly excused with this reason.
This guy's acting skills are amazing. After their initial persuasion, they thought it had really worked, but in reality...
She turned around, casting a sorrowful glance in a corner where no reporters were watching, and softly asked, "So you don't love us? Don't lie."
[Gin and Vermouth are like family; I would risk my life to protect them if necessary.]
Kuromon Haruya blinked, then immediately became serious: "Of course I love it, I'm here to join this family."
It turns out like this once it's tested...
Vermouth, who was used to this kind of trigger, twitched at the corner of her mouth and hid her expression through her veil, clearly feeling a stomachache.
Five meters away from them, Pisco was holding a blurry, illegible one-inch sketch of the target, comparing it to the subject.
He listened to the tender Italian whispers between the two people on the monitor, chuckled, and when he looked up and saw their faces clearly, his pupils dilated in shock.