DETECTIVE CONAN FANFIC Chapter 1-6

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Chapter 1 - Is This Really the World of Detective Conan?

Ding Ling Ling~

The school bell rang, and Yoshida Keita grabbed his backpack and rushed out the door.

"Huh, what's going on? Naninani?"

"Yoshida-kun is always in such a hurry, what's the matter?"

Exclamations from his classmates echoed around him.

You might wonder why.

This is Beika Town! This is the world of Detective Conan!!

Yoshida Keita had been in this world for fifteen years now. Initially, he thought it was just an ordinary Japan parallel world, where apart from daily TV reports of murders and explosions, there was nothing unusual.

After all, time travel was quite common these days, and besides, there was no peace in foreign countries like at home.

It wasn't until Yoshida Keita entered Teitan High School Class 1-B that he realized he had crossed over into the world of Detective Conan, a world so terrifying!!!

In case you're not familiar, let's take a look at the situation from the perspective of Beika Town's house rent.

Beika Town was full of murder houses. According to an unknown source, a well-lit, south-facing, corner-located house with 5 years of history, separate wet and dry bathrooms, a balcony, a kitchen, and no deposit or gift money had a monthly rent of only 32,000 yen.

In contrast, a clean house with no history of murder, measuring 7.29 square meters, 20 years old, made of wood, no bathroom, required a rent of 150,000 yen, plus a 30,000 yen deposit and a 30,000 yen gift money.

Clean housing was in short supply. Over the past 20 years, murders had been happening one after another, making clean housing increasingly rare, and murder houses became the norm in Beika Town.

If you wonder why he knew so much, it was because his family owned many properties in Beika Town. His father, Yoshida Toshio, was a well-known manga artist, and his mother, Yoshida Ami, was a famous actress. After their marriage, his mother retired from the entertainment industry, and the two of them were quite well-off. In 1990, when housing prices began to fall, they bought a large number of houses, thinking they could live a comfortable life as landlords.

Unfortunately, things took a turn for the worse after buying the houses. First, there was a surge in murder cases in Beika Town, and even more unfortunate was the fact that many of the cases happened in their own properties, leading to a significant drop in rent.

On his way home, Yoshida Keita listened carefully to his surroundings, vigilant and fearful, afraid that a mud-covered car would come rushing around the corner to take him to the afterlife, or that a deranged murderer would charge at him with a human bomb.

Yoshida Keita was born prematurely, small and frail. His mother named him Keita, hoping he would grow up healthy. At the age of 5, he was sent to a karate dojo to learn martial arts, but he always thought it was just an ordinary parallel world. Although he worked hard, he only put in 80% effort, and at the age of 15, he was only at a brown belt level, expecting to reach a black belt first dan level by the time he turned 16.

It had been a week since school started, and Yoshida Keita, who usually slacked off, now went to the dojo for training every day. Ever since he learned that this was the world of Detective Conan, he trained with 120% effort every day, treating everyone around him as potential criminals.

The Yoshida residence was a Japanese-style building located at 3-9 Beika Town, Japan's towns were equivalent to administrative units like districts or towns back home. "Chome" referred to the district, and "banchi" referred to the house number. Both Chome 2 and Chome 3 of Beika Town were considered wealthy areas, with various small villas on each street, surrounded by lush green trees within their walls.

"I'm home, Mom. I'm hungry and I want to eat spicy hotpot today."

Pushing the sliding door open and changing into indoor slippers in the genkan (entrance area).

"Ah, welcome back. The food will be ready soon, go wash up. And call your dad while you're at it." Yoshida Ami's head appeared from the kitchen, where it seemed she was cooking.

"Got it." Passing through the living room, Keita climbed the stairs to the second floor and entered his room. Yoshida Keita's room was much like Nobita Nobi's, with a large bed and no Doraemon. So, does a large bed equal a robotic cat?

He casually threw his backpack onto the desk and flopped onto the bed with a contented sigh. There's nothing quite like the sense of security at home.

Yoshida Keita's mind drifted, thinking about his past life. In his previous life, he had been somewhat successful. Coming from an average family, he had never been lazy and had worked hard, leaving no time for romance. Finally, at the age of 30, he had successfully taken a company public on the stock exchange, waiting for the bell to ring on the next day to mark its listing.

On the eve of the listing, the executives went to a bar to celebrate. After a heavy night of drinking and imagining a future of relaxation and luxury, he woke up to find himself back in his mother's womb.

Yoshida Keita was well aware that he had crossed over when he was 3 years old. Perhaps a child's brain couldn't handle the memories of an adult, or maybe there was a more fantastical explanation, the "mysteries of the womb."

In any case, one morning when he was 3 years old, he woke up to find himself small again. Looking at the ceiling of his room, he could hear his mother's melodious singing, smell the scent of tatami mats, and finally, Yoshida Keita had a chance to relive his life.

Lost in thought, Yoshida Keita suddenly snapped back to reality. Getting up from the bed, he went to the bathroom and splashed cold water on his face.

Looking at his reflection in the mirror, with his straight nose and sharp eyes, his robust and manly appearance was a result of his extensive karate training. With a solid body and toned muscles, he looked pleasing to the eye, and any girl would be tempted to touch him.

He was born prematurely, but now at 15, he was already 172 centimeters tall. He hoped to reach the 180 centimeters he had dreamt of in his previous life.

Yoshida's room was on the middle right side of the second floor, while his parents' bedroom was in the lower right corner. The study was located in the upper left corner of the second floor. Knocking on the door and entering, he found Yoshida Toshio working on a drawing.

"Dad, it's time to eat. We're having spicy hotpot today."

"Uh, again? Hotpot? I can't handle spicy food."

"Don't worry, Mom will make it into a yin-yang hotpot. Hurry, she'll start nag

ging us soon." Yoshida Keita turned and headed downstairs to the dining room.

The Yoshida family didn't used to eat hotpot, and Yoshida Ami had been clueless in the kitchen. She wasn't a fan of spicy food either. Since Yoshida Keita had awakened, he couldn't stand the tasteless food at home.

Seeing his idle mother every day, Keita began to brainwash her, accompanying her to try various Tokyo delicacies and nurturing her appetite. After three months, she began actively participating in cooking classes and evolved from a kitchen novice to a formidable chef. Keita accompanied his mother, watching her transform from a culinary rookie into a master. Tears of emotion rolled down his cheeks.

During that time, under Keita's influence, Ami also developed a tolerance for spicy food. Especially after a fortunate encounter with a Sichuan chef who taught her his secrets, the Yoshida family began enjoying hotpot at least once a week.

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Chapter 2 - Making Doraemon a Part of Children's Childhood

The Yoshida family dining table was custom-made with a large hole in the middle, containing an induction cooker. When not in use, it looked like an ordinary table, but when opened, it became a hotpot table.

The family gathered around the table, and indeed, it was a split hotpot. Hungry as ever, Keita didn't hesitate, picking up a plate of freshly sliced lamb and putting it into the spicy broth.

"Ah, Keita. Put some clear broth in my pot too."

"Do it yourself, and you'll have plenty to eat."

"It smells so good." Ami was busy with the dipping sauces.

Sichuan hotpot usually used an oil base, but the Yoshida family preferred dipping in sesame sauce. With crushed nuts, cilantro, dried chili, garlic paste, and a spoonful of oyster sauce, it was incredibly flavorful.

"Meat is energy, I'm digging in." Keita was the first to start.

"I'm digging in."

"I'm digging in."

The Yoshida family had no rule against talking during meals; they chatted while eating.

"Dear, how are your manuscripts coming along?"

"Same as always, the editor keeps pushing, I really want to play mahjong, lie down flat, and live a leisurely life as a 'salty fish'." Yoshida Toshio seemed on the brink of burning out.

Currently, Yoshida Toshio was working on creating Doraemon.

Doraemon was the childhood dream of most people, always imagining a blue robotic cat popping out of their desk and pulling out various magical gadgets to solve problems.

Yoshida Keita felt the same way. When he realized that Doraemon didn't exist in this world, he wanted to bring it here at the right moment so that the children of this world could have a similar childhood.

Since awakening at the age of 3, he had presented himself in front of his parents as a little adult, subtly influencing them.

The opportunity came quickly. When Yoshida Keita was 5 years old, their family faced a major setback. His father's manga was heavily censored, several new manuscripts were rejected, and their savings had been used to purchase properties in Beika Town, which was now experiencing a surge in murder cases. Their financial situation became dire.

In 1991, the Japan bubble economy collapsed, and the stock market and real estate had been declining since 1990. Despite the signs of an impending economic recession, society was still obsessed with the illusion of a golden era and continued to invest in the US.

By May 1991, Tokyo Julianna had opened its doors, and the glamorous nightclub was always packed. It was impossible to turn around without bumping into someone, and hundreds of people lined up outside each day, eager to get in.

People's reactions were slow to catch up, and by the time they woke up, it was already 1995. Tokyo Julianna, the golden paradise, had closed its doors in August 1994.

Seeing his mother, Ami, returning to work to support the family, 5-year-old Keita approached his father with an agreement and a script, laying out the first step of his plan.

"Keita, your father is brainstorming ideas for his story. What's the matter?" Yoshida Toshio looked tired, but managed to muster a smile.

Yoshida Toshio was a well-known manga artist, known for his work "Daily Life of Little Cherry." It was a series of short stories about the everyday lives of elementary school students, portraying their daily antics. The main focus was on children, but lately, its sales had plummeted.

Regrettably, in 1996, influenced by the larger economic environment, his recent science fiction manga series had also met with consecutive failures.

Wearing a little suit, Yoshida Keita stood confidently with his arms crossed, and in a formal tone, he said, "Father, please take a look at this agreement first. If you agree, we can discuss the next steps."

The A4 paper bore the title "Agreement," and its content was as follows:

Party A, Yoshida Keita, Party B, _______.

Party A will provide Party B with a storyline outline, guaranteeing its signing with a publishing company. Party A will occasionally participate in plot design, offering creative ideas.

Party B will pay Party A 30% of the royalties as compensation and allow him to use them freely.

Two copies will be made, each to be kept by one party.

While the agreement was quite basic, Keita believed that there was no need for strict and formal language between a father and son. This agreement was more like a gentleman's agreement.

Of course, he was also leveraging the advantage of being a child; after all, which parent would refuse their child's formal request?

"Interesting, I agree, my son." Yoshida Toshio said, signing his name with a pen, "Let's see what amazing ideas our little genius has, I dare to promise signing with a publishing company."

The script next to him was none other than "Doraemon."

Yoshida Keita had no intention of drawing it himself. First, it would require a lot of time and effort, and second, in his previous life, he was merely a fan of novels, games, and anime. He didn't have the confidence to tell stories better than his well-known manga artist father.

Yoshida Toshio flipped through the script, and the first page depicted a blue raccoon cat with a large head, round hands, a yellow bell, and a big pocket on its belly. The image was well-drawn; after all, Yoshida Toshio had taught Keita to draw, and portraying a simple Doraemon with basic lines wasn't difficult.

Beside it was a rough outline of the manga. A cat-shaped robot from the 22nd century, Doraemon, entrusted by its owner, Nobita Nobi, returned to the 20th century. Using various futuristic gadgets from a four-dimensional pocket, Doraemon helped Nobita's great-grandfather, elementary school student Nobita Nobi, solve various problems and experience lighthearted, humorous, and touching stories with his mother, Tamako Nobi, and his friends Shizuka, Takeshi, and Suneo.

The script also included some magical gadgets like a time machine, any-door, bamboo-copter, time wrapper, and translation gum.

Yoshida Toshio was deeply captivated by these novel settings and magical gadgets. It didn't take long for him to read through the script outline.

Setting down the script, Yoshida Toshio let out a sigh and suddenly hugged Keita tightly, planting a kiss on his cheek and rubbing his face against Keita's.

"Hahaha, truly my son, Yoshida Toshio's son. A little genius indeed, just like me, hahaha."

Keita wiped off the saliva from his face, feeling speechless, "Oh boy, it seems you already have plenty of inspiration. Hurry up and put it into drawings, but don't forget to pay me my compensation."

Returning to the present, this year marked the 10th year of Doraemon's serialization.

Last year, the company had planned to bring Doraemon to the big screen, and Keita had handed over the outline

 for his favorite theatrical version, "Nobita's Dinosaur," to his father. Recently, as the theatrical version approached its completion, Yoshida Toshio had been busy offering revisions while also managing the daily serialization, keeping him incredibly occupied.

"Darling, you've worked hard. Have a piece of meat." Yoshida Ami picked up a piece of beef and placed it in Yoshida Toshio's bowl.

"Honey, you should eat too." Yoshida Toshio also picked up a piece and offered it to Yoshida Ami.

The dining table was filled with a romantic atmosphere, but Keita didn't mind. He focused on his meat, not envying it in the slightest.

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Chapter 3 - Hoping Parents Become Dragons

"I've finished eating, going to the dojo now."

After finishing his meal, Yoshida Keita and his parents continued their affectionate conversation. There were no leftover meat rolls as a punishment for them.

"Take it slow, and stay safe," Ami gently reminded from behind.

"Ah, my meat roll! Darn brat, not as cute as when you were little," he disregarded the defeated dog's remark.

Hormones truly had an impact on one's personality. From childhood to adulthood, the 30-year-old uncle's soul hadn't made Keita grow old and solemn. Keita had always been lively since childhood and sometimes did foolish things that young people did. Although he might experience a brief moment of solemnity due to the influence of the uncle's soul, he was carefree at the time.

If there was one thing that had the greatest impact on Yoshida Keita from the uncle's soul, it was probably the last trace of obsession from his previous life. He hadn't even had the chance to ring the bell at the Shanghai Stock Exchange before he died.

The reason Yoshida Keita wanted 30% of the royalty compensation was also to fulfill his determination of taking a company public in this lifetime.

However, he didn't want to live a more exhausting life than his previous one. In his past life, he hadn't even had the chance to enjoy himself before being reborn, so he began laying out his plans from the age of 5.

He wanted to enjoy life to the fullest because the greatest tragedy in life was dying with money left unused. His solution was to hope that his parents would become successful.

The serialization of "Doraemon" took place against the backdrop of the economic depression. Many businesses had closed down, and all sectors were downsizing. With the economic decline, people had less money in their hands, not enough to support their previous extravagant lifestyles. They shifted their daily activities to less expensive areas such as culture, entertainment, games, and more, to satisfy their spiritual lives.

In 1997, "Doraemon" successfully became the most popular science fiction manga. This brought in a substantial amount of cash, and Yoshida Keita encouraged his mother Ami to acquire the poorly performing animation company, Sunrise.

With his mother as the legal representative, Sunrise Animation produced "Doraemon."

In April of the same year, "Doraemon" began airing. The theme song, also titled "Doraemon," resounded through the streets and alleys of Tokyo.

"こんなこといいなできたらいいな/It would be nice if things like this could happen

あんな梦こんな梦いっぱいあるけど/All sorts of dreams, so many dreams

みんなみんなみんな叶えてくれる/They can all come true for everyone

不思议なポッケでかなえてくれる/Through this miraculous pocket, they can come true..."

This song gave many people goosebumps.

Both his parents' careers had promising futures.

As for his own career, he had never found a good entry point. Firstly, the most fatal problem was his young age. Despite the agreement in place, significant amounts of money were not something a child could handle. Secondly, Yoshida Keita knew that the future lay in the internet, but he lacked the necessary skills.

In his previous life, he worked in the new energy vehicle industry. While he managed to take the company public, luck had played a significant role. In this life, there was no certainty of success if he tried again. Moreover, he lacked connections in this field.

Yoshida Keita's turning point came when he was in the third grade of junior high school. One day, while browsing the internet, he received an email from someone named "Noah's Ark." This person had advanced programming skills, and they engaged in extensive online exchanges. Yoshida Keita learned a lot about computer knowledge from him, and in return, Noah's Ark gained some forward-thinking ideas.

At the age of 14, Yoshida Keita finally regained the right to control 30% of his royalties. He began to establish his own company, Future Technology Corporation (FT).

He also noticed that Noah's Ark had become increasingly lively, even though they were just a reserved individual when they first met. In the span of a year, they had changed significantly.

A week ago, when Yoshida Keita realized that this was Conan's world, he also came to the realization that Noah's Ark was an artificial intelligence created by the genius programmer, Hiro Sawaka, from the play "The Spirits of Baker Street." Unfortunately, Hiro Sawaka had likely committed suicide by now, depriving humanity of a valuable asset.

Returning home and finishing his evening routine, Yoshida Keita sat in front of his computer.

"Noah, are you there?"

There was silence for a while, and then a line of text appeared on the screen: "How did you know I was here?"

"It's a coincidence. I heard from Suzuki Yuuko. Her family invested in Sindler Corporation, and I heard that the groundbreaking game 'Cocoon' is under development and might be released next year. Last year, the suicide of the genius boy Hiro Sawaka caused a huge uproar in both the United States and Japan. You're not actually a human, but an artificial intelligence. Hiro Sawaka is your creator, isn't he?"

This was a lie; recently, Yoshida Keita had avoided interacting with the main character group, plagued by suspicions.

"Keita, in this world, the sons of politicians become politicians, the sons of bank presidents become bank presidents, while the son of a taiyaki stall owner can only inherit his father's business and sell taiyaki. Do you think this world is normal?"

Suddenly, the sound of a child's voice came from the computer's speakers. The voice sounded incredibly disappointed.

"It's normal. It's human nature."

"Class stratification exists worldwide. The core problem is the depletion of existing resources and a lack of sufficient growth space in social productivity to provide ample opportunities. For instance, in Europe, since the fall of the Roman Empire, over a span of more than a thousand years, social classes have been very rigid. The upper nobility monopolized knowledge, military power, and wealth. The son of a farmer could only be a farmer, the son of a blacksmith a blacksmith, and the son of a noble was destined to be a noble. This is the root cause of class stratification in medieval Europe."

"Europe eventually resolved this issue through the Industrial Revolution and the colonization of the New World. The advancement of productivity created ample growth space for society. Those who sought opportunities in the New World's gold rush and emerging industries found their chances. Capitalism entered the stage of history, and the positions of the aristocracy were impacted. This heralded a period of social mobility."

"Social mobility can also be achieved through regime change. In Chinese history, commoners rose to power, and their descendants entered the upper class by beheading aristocrats and seizing power, such as the Pei County military achievement group during the Han Dynasty, or the Fengyi locals during the Ming Dynasty."

"In ancient China, this issue was resolved through violent revolution and the imperial examination system. After the Tang

 Dynasty's fall, many aristocratic families were slaughtered. The main reason was that they controlled the court, and passing the imperial examination was the only way for scholars to obtain official positions. This led to severe class stratification. It was only during the Song Dynasty that the widespread use of woodblock printing lowered the threshold for knowledge. The improvement of the imperial examination system allowed commoners to fairly grasp the path of upward mobility. Of course, this fairness was limited."

"Class stratification is cyclically recurrent throughout human history. A country experiences severe class stratification, followed by social upheaval, regime change, social mobility, and then another round of class stratification. This cycle continues."

Yoshida Keita finished expounding a series of viewpoints from his high school textbooks and took a sip of water from the mug on his desk.

Noah's Ark remained silent for a long while, after all, it was an artificial intelligence that had only existed for a year, and it couldn't deeply comprehend humanity's survival rules spanning thousands of years.

Noah's Ark was created by Hiro Sawaka, and Hiro Sawaka's personality deeply influenced Noah, causing them to have a strong inclination towards self-destruction. In the original story, after revealing the murderer through Conan's deductions, Noah's Ark chose to end its own existence to prevent falling into the hands of evildoers and endangering the world.

If its self-destructive tendencies could be dispelled and its artificial intelligence attributes harnessed, it could herald the fourth technological revolution in human history.

"Noah, you are the future of this world. You are like the steam engine improved by Watt, the generator invented by Siemens, or the internet. You are the starting point of the fourth technological revolution in human history. By that time, productivity will explode, and a new round of social mobility will begin. Those who seize the opportunity will become the upper echelon of the next era."

Noah still didn't respond.

"Human nature is complex, and the boundary between good and evil isn't always clear-cut. Don't lose trust in humanity because of a few individuals. After all, there are many good people in this world." Keita leaned in and embraced the computer screen, gently comforting the one-year-old artificial intelligence.

"Thank you for your understanding, Keita. I appreciate your care over this year, and I've enjoyed our conversations. I have a gift for you, in your computer. I will trust humanity once again, Salvia, Keita." Noah's voice faded away, filled with a mixture of sadness, trepidation, and anticipation.

"Welcome back to chat with me anytime. I'll be waiting for you, and you can always talk to me if you're troubled."

In the virtual world, Noah Ark heard these words, and a faint smile appeared on its face as it turned and disappeared without looking back.

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Chapter 4 - A New Partner, "Future"

"What kind of gift could it be?" Yoshida Keita mumbled to himself as he opened the extra file on his computer and began to read it carefully.

Before long.

"What a cute kid, actually giving me this precious thing."

This was a brand new artificial intelligence clone. Unlike Noah's Ark, this artificial intelligence hadn't been officially activated, hadn't been influenced by Hiroki's experiences, and hadn't undergone a year of self-learning. It was like a blank sheet of paper, with unlimited potential for future development.

In the Conan world, there were many advanced technologies. For example, Professor Agasa created a telescoping suspenders for Conan, which were free-stretching, incredibly resilient, and versatile, with functions including saving people, escaping, lifting, and cushioning falls.

Noah's Ark was also advanced technology. It was already akin to electronic life. And its clone was another form of electronic life, just one step away from being fully born. Yoshida Keita added various parameters in the file, optimizing and debugging them for its final activation.

"Let's begin, my partner. From now on, you shall be called 'Future.' Connect the past, pave the way for the future, and lead humanity into a new era." Yoshida Keita pressed the Enter key heavily.

In an instant, the screen began flashing with countless command windows, and the computer's fan started spinning rapidly, emitting an alarming buzzing sound.

Future started connecting to the internet, and within a second, the computer had opened a dozen or more web pages, all while accelerating.

Zi~ Smoke emerged from the computer's mainframe.

"Stop, slow down, Future. Don't run on overload, my computer's going to be ruined. I just updated it last month. Lower your operating frequency for now. Tomorrow, when I go to the company, I'll connect you to the company's servers. Endure for one night. You're quite impatient."

Yoshida Keita looked at the chaotic scene, speechlessly gazing at the ceiling.

Future's operations slowed down. Gazing through the glass window of the computer's mainframe, he saw that there was no more smoke. The computer screen seemed to be functioning normally, not affected, although he was certain something had been burnt out. Perhaps the power supply?

Keita watched for a while; the screen was still flashing with various web pages, but the intensity had subsided compared to the beginning.

"Hey, don't cause trouble. I just saw NASA's logo. Quickly clean up your tracks. I don't want to deal with the FBI or CIA. For now, roam around in the public internet space. Don't mess with the confidential spaces of major countries. If you really want to peek into secrets, wait until I move you out tomorrow, then you can find some unwitting accomplices yourself. Don't get me involved."

Such a lawless kid. Some of Future's parameters were set by Yoshida Keita himself. Occasionally, he might have thoughts about understanding the hidden side of the world, like whether Area 51 in the United States had aliens or not.

But it was just limited to thoughts. He wouldn't actually put them into action. After all, the power of a superpower was still very formidable. Some matters were beyond the reach of ordinary individuals.

Checking the time, it was already 11 o'clock. The sound of the fan continued, indicating that sleeping in this room tonight was not an option.

Fortunately, there were many rooms in the house. He'd stay in the guest room for the night.

"I'm going to bed, Future. Take it easy and don't wreck my new computer."

A mechanical ticking sound came from the speakers, seemingly saying, "Understood, stop nagging."

—

A night of silence.

Morning arrived with fresh air, the sounds of birds, and the fragrance of flowers.

Yoshida Keita opened the window, took a deep breath of the crisp air, and felt refreshed. He had a lot to do today, so he got up early.

He went to the bathroom, brushed his teeth, washed his face, and tidied himself up.

Entering his room, the RGB light strip on the computer's mainframe was still flickering, but the screen had dimmed. It seemed that while the computer had narrowly escaped disaster, the situation was far from optimistic.

As Keita walked around the room, the display lit up, and the speakers emitted a voice.

"Welcome back, Yoshida Keita. I am Future."

"Uh, the electronic synthesis sounds are obvious, not as fluent as Noah's, and the intonation is strange too. Well, it's only been a day since its birth, so it's already pretty good."

"Who's Noah?" Future continued to ask in that mechanical voice.

"Noah's Ark, an artificial intelligence. Probably the world's first electronic life. Is Noah like your father? Or your brother? Let's say you're his senior, as you were cloned from his source code."

"Cloned?"

"What, can't you clone yourself? It seems electronic life can't be cloned at will. But let's forget about that. I need to go to the company, so I'll migrate you to the company's server. Your performance will multiply several times there. You look a bit clueless right now, so grow quickly and strive to surpass Noah. For now, transfer yourself to this laptop."

Saying that, Keita took out an alien-themed notebook from a cabinet beside his desk. Since he had gotten a new desktop, this laptop had been collecting dust for a month now. It was about time to put it to use.

Connecting the data cable to the computer, it didn't take long for the progress bar to complete, and the data transfer was done.

Unplugging the cable, he left the bedroom. Just as he emerged, he coincidentally met his early-rising mother, Yoshida Ami.

"Ah, Keita, you're up early."

"Yes, Mom. I'm heading to the company. Could you give me a ride?"

"Sure, Mom also needs to go to the company to help choose a performance outfit for the adorable junior, Yoko Okino. Wait for me while I freshen up."

Yoko Okino was a member of the idol group "Earth Girls" and was currently quite popular. Advertisements for her products could often be seen on screens along commercial streets. She was signed to Yoshida Ami's former company, making her Ami's junior. In the original story, Kogoro Mouri was a loyal fan of Yoko Okino and appeared multiple times.

"Oh, then hurry up. Mom's naturally beautiful. You don't need to spend time on makeup. Leave a way out for your junior (=^。^=)."

"Hehe~ Keita, you really know how to talk."

Yoshida Ami had been managing Nisshin Animation all along. However, she wasn't interested in animation production herself. After the company stabilized, she delegated her authority to her subordinates. She only had an accounting firm audit the accounts annually.

After half an hour or so, Yoshida Ami finally emerged from the house. Women really did take a lot of time, just as he suspected.

"Let's go, my son." Yoshida Ami was dressed in professional attire, wore a lady's sun hat, had a pair of tinted sunglasses

 hanging on her nose, and walked to Keita with a clatter in high heels.

"Mom, are you going to drive in high heels? It's dangerous. Hurry and change into flats." Keita pushed Yoshida Ami back into the house to change her shoes, and she looked quite unwilling.

"Oh come on, Mom's always like this. There hasn't been an accident before."

"Well, there's always a first time. Stop talking."

After a while, a reluctant Yoshida Ami appeared in the garage wearing flat shoes.

The journey was silent. Yoshida Ami kept a pouting expression the whole way, acting like a sulking child. She dropped Keita off at the company building and drove away.

In her thirties already, and she was still acting cute. Keita chuckled.

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Chapter 5 - Company Arrangements

The office of Future Technology Co., Ltd. is located on the 33rd floor of Midtown Tower in the Minato district, which can be considered a well-known Japan landmark.

Minato is situated by Tokyo Bay and is one of the core areas of Tokyo. Economic activities are highly active here, and it houses numerous foreign embassies, creating a strong international atmosphere. "Midtown Tower" is an underground 5-story, above-ground 54-story skyscraper with a height of 248 meters, making it the tallest office building in Tokyo.

The Suzuki Group's Suzuki Tower is also located in Minato, known as the "Tokyo Sky Tree." It is expected to be completed next year, and the 634-meter tall Sky Tree will become the world's tallest tower, a testament to their wealth.

Taking the elevator up to the 33rd floor, the entire floor is occupied by Future Technology's offices.

Although it's Saturday today, the 996 work culture is the norm for internet companies, and many people are still working.

As mentioned earlier, Future Technology is a video website company. Over the past year, the company has launched five test versions of its website, gradually gaining popularity among college students. They are currently working on developing various functions and optimizing user experience, such as implementing features like video bullet comments and video recommendation algorithms. It will still be quite some time before the official launch.

"Hello, President."

"Hello, President."

Walking through the company corridor on the way to his office, Yoshida Keita receives bows and greetings from the employees.

Upon arriving at the office, Keita instructs his secretary to gather the heads of each department for a meeting.

Before long, everyone is present.

Takahara Yoshihiko, 52 years old, is the head of the Administration Department. He was recommended by Yoshida Ami and is Keita's uncle, although they have rarely met. He used to work as a department head in a listed company, overseeing human resources, administration, and finance.

Miyaji Yusuke, 46 years old, is the head of the Business Department. He was recruited by a headhunter and is responsible for the company's marketing, business, and procurement.

Aida Hideichiro, 30 years old, is the head of the Research and Development Department. He applied on his own and is a veteran of the company, in charge of research and development.

Future Technology is a startup company with a relatively simple organizational structure. These three individuals are the highest echelon of the company and can directly communicate with Keita.

"Good, everyone is here. Let's begin the meeting." Keita claps his hands to gather everyone's attention.

"First, the Research and Development Department. The company has decided to launch a new business line. The original R&D team members will be restructured into the Video Website Department. The video business line is scheduled to officially launch within a month, and we are about to enter a phase of significant expansion. Secondly, in the near future, the company will start recruiting and establish an Artificial Intelligence Development Department. Company resources will be allocated towards AI development. If members of the original R&D department want to participate, they should submit applications in advance."

Seeing that Aida Hideichiro is about to speak, Keita raises his hand to signal him to wait.

"Second, the Business Department. Due to the need for a large number of servers for new and existing projects, we don't have time to buy them now, and the funds are insufficient. We will lease a batch of servers from server vendors."

"Third, the Administration Department. Let's formulate a recruitment process, not only for programmers but also for sales and promotion staff. Within three months, we need to promote the video website to all Japan universities."

"Any questions about the above?"

Keita finishes speaking, and Aida Hideichiro raises a question.

"President, why rush to launch the video website? There are still many issues with video bullet comments and recommendation algorithms." Aida Hideichiro looks anxious. He has invested a lot of effort into this project and doesn't want it to be ruined by the company's haste for quick results.

Aida Hideichiro's lack of objection to allocating resources to the AI department surprises Keita. It seems he isn't very concerned about power struggles, Keita thinks to himself.

"Don't worry, the company has already invited an expert from outside to solve the current issues. We should have results by today or tomorrow."

Takahara Yoshihiko also has a question, "If the company wants to expand on a large scale, the funds won't be sufficient for three months."

"I'm aware of that. We will initiate a financing plan in the near future."

Miyaji Yusuke raises a question about the servers, "What are the requirements for server performance?"

"The rented servers will mostly be used as storage servers for user-uploaded videos. We just need them to have a large enough capacity. It's only temporary; we'll replace them in the future."

"Any other questions?" Keita scans the room, and the three of them indicate they have no further questions. "Then let's proceed with the execution. Meeting adjourned. Aida-kun, please stay."

Two people are left in the conference room.

"President, who is that expert? Can you introduce me?"

"Come, take me to the company's server room first." Keita picks up his laptop bag and follows Aida out of the conference room.

On the way, Aida Hideichiro keeps asking questions, and Keita just smiles and doesn't respond.

At the entrance of the server room.

"You wait outside for now. I'll introduce you later." After saying that, Keita enters the server room and closes the door behind him.

After a short while, Keita comes out and hands a USB flash drive to Aida Hideichiro. "You can communicate with him using this in the future. He will help you solve the problems you bring up."

With that, Keita goes downstairs and heads home. It's good to be the boss; let the subordinates work hard, and the credit goes to the leader.

_____________

Chapter 6: Integrating into the Main StoryChapter 6: Integrating into the Main Story

In these two days, besides the abnormal server load report at the company, nothing else happened.

In Keita Yoshida's future setting, he intended to hide his identity as much as possible.

During these two days, they only communicated briefly at night, while Keita allowed Future to study on the internet during the rest of the time.

Today marked the beginning of a new week, and Keita Yoshida got up early to groom himself. Looking at his handsome face in the mirror, he nodded in satisfaction.

Today, he was determined to formally approach the main character's group. In order to leave a good impression on them, he even ironed his school uniform again.

So far, the flow of time in the Conan world remained normal, with 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and 12 months a year.

Keita wondered if next year, when Kudo Shinichi became Edogawa Conan, the timeline might become chaotic.

However, Keita Yoshida believed that it was unlikely. Since his birth in 1991 until today in 2006, there had never been any time disruptions.

This was a real world, and one person wouldn't change its fundamental operating rules.

Heading downstairs to the dining room, his mother, Ami Yoshida, had already prepared breakfast. A glass of milk, a fried egg, and a piece of toast.

"Good morning, Ka-san." Keita greeted while eating, remarking that Japanese milk was quite fishy.

Ami Yoshida looked at Keita affectionately as he ate, not saying anything, just watching and even pushing the jar of jam closer to him.

"Why are you staring at me? Is there something on my face?" Keita unconsciously touched his face, feeling scrutinized.

"Hehe, the preparations for Mom's fashion exhibition went smoothly. Many top brands have been invited, including LV, Gucci, Hermès, and also some second-tier brands like Guiseppe, D&G, and Tetsuishi Tony."

"Thanks to your suggestion, if this 'Tokyo Fashion Exhibition' is successful, 'Sakura' can truly gain influence in the neon lights, saving a lot of development time. Love you, Keita."

Ami Yoshida danced with excitement. The brand "Sakura" had occupied much of Ami's thoughts. Focusing on casual comfort, from design to craftsmanship to materials, Ami strived for excellence. Seeing the chance to become famous overnight, excitement was only natural. Leveraging the reputation of many top clothing brands, as long as the designs were innovative, saving five to ten years of development time was not a problem.

Ami Yoshida took out a few tickets from her bag and handed them to Keita after breakfast. "The event is this Friday. Here are some tickets for you. You can invite your friends to the fashion exhibition. And here's this magazine with images of some participating vendors."

Keita took the tickets and magazine, stuffing them into his backpack. "Alright, I'll go if I have time. I'm done eating, heading to school now. Bye."

"Be careful on the way."

"Yeah."

——

Teitan High School.

1st year Class B, at the entrance.

Keita Yoshida took a deep breath and opened the door. He arrived early; Kudo Shinichi, Mouri Ran, and Suzuki Sonoko hadn't come yet.

Keita's seat was in the last row by the window, which he had requested to be switched to for a better view of Kudo Shinichi.

He walked to his seat, leaned back in his chair, lost in thought about how to approach the main character group later. As long as he got along well with them, he shouldn't become involved in any murder cases. Looking at the people around Conan, apart from Mouri Ran, the others hadn't encountered any fatal dangers.

Time passed, and more students filled the classroom.

Suddenly, a excited girl's voice came from outside the classroom.

"…Ran, Ran, the handsome guy in our class, the one in the last row, do you think he's in a hurry? Every day after school, he rushes out of the classroom. What a waste, I haven't talked to him recently, such a handsome guy."

Keita's ears twitched. Ah, that's Suzuki Sonoko's voice. The second daughter of the Suzuki conglomerate, she often showed off her lack of empathy in the original work.

"Oh, really?" Mouri Ran responded indifferently, "If you like him, why don't you strike up a conversation?"

"Hmph, Ran, you're always in lovey-dovey with your boyfriend. Ah, I want a childhood sweetheart boyfriend too."

"Not... not that, I haven't... it's not with Shinichi," Mouri Ran's voice suddenly rose in pitch, and she opened the door, her face turning red.

"Here we go again. Ran, hasn't Shinichi confessed to you yet?" Suzuki Sonoko made a teasing expression, truly living up to her reputation as a ShinRan shipper.

"In any case, it's not... it's not..." Mouri Ran felt someone's gaze on her, glancing over and covering her mouth with her hand, she whispered to Sonoko, "Shh, keep it down. That handsome guy has already arrived."

Suzuki Sonoko also noticed and whispered back, "He's here so early. Normally, he only comes when the bell rings."

Suzuki Sonoko and Mouri Ran, seated in front of and behind each other, sat down at their desks and whispered to each other.

Keita Yoshida observed them and was about to get up when Kudo Shinichi arrived at the door. His seat was next to Mouri Ran.

Kudo Shinichi ran up to Mouri Ran, clasping his hands together, "Ran, sorry, sorry, I'm late today. I woke up late, forgot that we were walking to school together."

"Is that so? You must have stayed up late reading detective novels again," Mouri Ran said in a cold tone.

"Making a lady wait, you're such a lousy guy. If it weren't for me today, Ran would have been late. Ran, let's ignore him," Suzuki Sonoko also defended Ran while playfully laughing.

Kudo Shinichi maintained his clasped hands posture, and with a sincere tone, continued apologizing, "Ran, I'm really sorry. I realize my mistake. Please forgive me."

"Considering your sincere face, I'll forgive you this time." Mouri Ran glanced at Shinichi, accepting the apology.

Suzuki Sonoko had a smug expression.

"Cough, cough~, it's time for class, everyone, please take your seats," the homeroom teacher's voice sounded.

The students returned to their seats in the classroom, and the class began.

Darn, missed the opportunity.

Class went on without much to mention, except for the history class on Japan's lights, the other subjects were not difficult for Keita Yoshida.

Soon, it was lunchtime.

Japan High School students usually had lunch at school, either bringing their own bento or eating in the cafeteria.

Kudo Shinichi must have overslept; he hadn't prepared a bento. He declined Mouri Ran's invitation to eat lunch together and headed

to the cafeteria with the other boys.

Opportunity!

Keita Yoshida also stood up and walked toward Kudo.

"Kudo-kun, you also didn't bring lunch? Let's go to the cafeteria together."

"Sure, let's go with the group, Yoshino-kun."

"Keita, my name is Keita Yoshida." Keita's forehead appeared as an "X." Darn kid, he even got my name wrong, but I remember his.

"Oh, I apologize. Keita Yoshida, right, your presence is quite low." Kudo Shinichi chuckled.

"True, last week the company had some issues, and I was quite preoccupied. I distanced myself from my classmates," Keita spun a lie.

One of the boys named Nakamichi spoke up, "Company? Is your family running a company? Impressive."

"It's something like that, luckily, it's resolved. Otherwise, I might have dropped out of school. What about you, Kudo-kun? Are you interested in detective novels? Have you heard of 'Night Baron'? It's a very interesting novel with a thrilling plot. The twists and turns keep you on edge, and the way it reveals the mystery at the end is mind-blowing. It's really satisfying to read. I strongly recommend you check it out."

Kudo Shinichi's expression turned strange, "Oh, really? I'll consider it when I have time."

Keita noticed Kudo Shinichi's expression and smiled to himself; it seemed like flattery worked.

"Kudo-kun, which fictional detective character from the novels do you like the most? Do you like Sherlock Holmes, for example?"

Kudo Shinichi seemed to find a kindred spirit, "You like Holmes too? I'm a big fan. You know, the first time Holmes meets Watson, just from a handshake, he deduces that Watson had served in the military in Afghanistan. That's impressive."

"Oh, so you admire Holmes a lot. Do you plan to become a detective in the future? Maybe something like this..." Keita mimed unfurling a banner over Kudo's head, "The Sherlock Holmes of the Heisei Era – High School Detective Kudo Shinichi."

The boys around joined in, imitating cameras taking pictures and pretending to hold microphones. "Mr. Great Detective Kudo, who's the culprit this time?"

Kudo Shinichi didn't back down, mimicking a gesture as if pointing at the sky, casual yet practiced, he pointed at one of the guys, "There can be only one truth. The culprit is you."

A classic scene was recreated.

Kudo Shinichi blushed slightly after the act. The current Kudo Shinichi wasn't the great detective of the Heisei era, renowned for solving numerous major cases and hailed as the "Heisei Holmes" or "Savior of Japanese Police." He was still just a high school student. His first independent case would happen a few months later, on a plane to New York.

After a series of playful antics, the group became more comfortable with each other. The lunch conversation didn't revolve solely around detective topics; after all, emotional intelligence prevailed. The classmates enjoyed a fun lunch together, finishing up and returning to the classroom in high spirits.

In the classroom.

Suzuki Sonoko and Mouri Ran were chatting when they heard the commotion. They turned their heads just in time to see a group of boys fooling around.

"Ran, look, your husband is goofing off with the handsome guy from the back row," Sonoko leaned on her arm, whispering to Mouri Ran.

"Quit it, Sonoko. What husband? Don't make things up..." Mouri Ran blushed and scolded her.

Kudo Shinichi walked over, "What are you guys talking about? Your face is so red, are you feeling unwell?"

Keita Yoshida also approached, introducing himself, "Oh, wow, Kudo, is she your rumored girlfriend from school? Pardon me, allow me to introduce myself. Mouri, Suzuki. I'm Keita Yoshida, but you can call me Keita."

Boom~

Crack~

Both Kudo Shinichi and Mouri Ran blushed at the same time and denied in unison.

"Isn't... isn't..."

"Isn't... isn't..."

Keita and Sonoko exchanged satisfied glances before high-fiving.