Detective Conan: Becoming a Tycoon in Tokyo! [23]

“It’s not that—the decision to enter the entertainment industry was mine alone. My family doesn’t really support me,” Shōichi said earnestly.

“I see,” Yamagishi Eiichi nodded, though his enthusiasm cooled.

If this were a Sumitomo-backed move, there’d be no need to hesitate.

But if it was just Shōichi himself, it wasn’t worth the risk.

Without the family behind him, he was no different from any other outsider trying to break in—someone the sharks would strip to the bone.

After years in these waters, Yamagishi knew exactly how deep and dirty they ran.

Even zaibatsu families had been scammed badly after stepping into entertainment.

At this stage in her career, Okino Yōko needed upward connections and solid networks—not to be the public face of a fledgling company with no clear future.

Yōko shot Yamagishi a subtle wink.

The message was clear: Get us out. She couldn’t risk her future on the whim of a capricious young heir who might just be dabbling for fun.

Yamagishi hesitated.

An agent’s job was to say what the artist couldn’t.

But rejecting Shōichi—he didn’t dare.

There were rumors: a man who snatched a construction project from Shōichi had been shot eight times in the back and nearly misdiagnosed as a poisoning case.

Another debtor’s daughter died, and the debtor himself received death threats.

Yamagishi didn’t want to imagine what would happen if he offended Shōichi now.

“I’m terribly sorry! Miss Yōko has already made a verbal agreement with her company. Even though it isn’t in writing yet, she doesn’t want to be known as someone who breaks her word. We can only regret meeting you a little too late, Shōichi-san.”

He bowed deeply—more sincerely than he ever had in his life.

And never before had he been so brave doing it.

Shōichi sipped his tea, then calmly used the communal chopsticks to place food in Haibara’s bowl. His face gave away nothing—no joy, no anger.

Okino Yōko and Yamagishi stood frozen, hearts pounding, awaiting judgment.

“It’s all right,” Shōichi said mildly. “Business is business. Even if a deal falls through, we can still keep good relations. There might be chances to work together in the future.”

He sounded perfectly sincere.

Yōko let out a small, shaky breath.

“If you ever need my help, please feel free to reach out,” she said politely.

“Sure. Let’s eat.”

Shōichi waved it off.

With him at the table, both Yōko and Yamagishi sat stiffly, barely daring to perch on the edges of their chairs. They only picked at the dishes within reach, chewing as quietly as possible.

When the tasteless meal finally ended, they all but fled the private room.

Haibara patted her stomach, then couldn’t help commenting, “You really didn’t need to be so honest. If you’d kept things vague about whether the Sumitomo family was backing your plans, she might’ve signed with you.”

Shōichi shook his head. “You’re still young—you don’t understand business.”

Haibara, struck silent by another head pat, just stared at him.

“In business and partnerships, the most important thing is sincerity,” Shōichi said. “I believe that with my sincerity, Okino Yōko will come around eventually.”

Haibara nearly burst out laughing.

Even she—someone who’d never run a business—knew you couldn’t take a capitalist’s words at face value.

You think sincerity will work? You’ll be bankrupt at this rate.

Consider that a small warning—thanks for taking care of me these past few days.

Still… her sister’s blood debt had to be paid.

Then again, at the rate Shōichi was “doing business,” she might not need to lift a finger. He’d probably end up jumping off a building himself after going broke under a mountain of debt.

...

Out in the car, Okino Yōko and Yamagishi Eiichi were gasping for air.

The pressure during that meeting had been unbearable.

Yamagishi forced a grin. “When Shōichi first asked to meet you, I honestly thought he was interested in you.”

For zaibatsu heirs, “courting” female celebrities wasn’t exactly rare.

Okino Yōko had no shortage of such admirers, though none with enough standing—her agency had always kept them at bay.

She was the company’s cash cow; until she lost her value, she was relatively safe.

Yōko shook her head. “He didn’t seem like that kind of man.”

Her impression of Shōichi was actually pretty good.

He lacked the arrogance most heirs had. He was easy to talk to, not nearly as cruel or violent as the rumors claimed. He even seemed… gentle.

Yamagishi gave her a strange look. You’ve met him once—how could you possibly know that?

He said, “Actually, joining Shōichi’s company might not be a bad idea. Spending time together day and night—who knows? Maybe you’d marry into a rich family.”

“Haha.” Yōko laughed softly.

She wouldn’t dare dream of that.

This was the Sumitomo family—they’d never accept someone like her.

Better to focus on her career; everything else was fantasy.

Yamagishi hadn’t meant it seriously either. As a warning, he added, “But rumor has it Shōichi doesn’t take rejection well. Since we turned him down, we should be careful.”

Yōko nodded.

Yet when she pictured Shōichi’s face again, she murmured, “But… he felt really sincere to me. Not like the rumors.”

...

Okino Yōko soon learned how wrong she was.

As expected—the best actors aren’t in show business.

He’d seemed so genuine, so polite, so approachable in person.
And the moment she left—he bared his fangs without hesitation.

“The furniture in my apartment… it looks like it’s been moved,” Yōko said, frightened.

Yamagishi frowned.

“And I can feel it—someone’s following me. What should I do? Could it be someone from Sumitomo Shōichi?”

Yamagishi clenched his teeth. “Don’t overthink it. It’s definitely not anyone sent by Shōichi-san.”

Several murders had been rumored, but none could be tied to Shōichi directly. A mere stalker? That had nothing to do with him.

“But… but I—”

Yōko’s bright eyes were wide with panic, her hands clutching her arms.

“Don’t be afraid,” Yamagishi said. “It’s probably just an ordinary stalker. We can hire a detective to track him down.”

“Okay.” Yōko nodded weakly.

“Let’s hire Mouri Kogoro,” her agent suggested.

“Mouri Kogoro?” Yōko frowned slightly.

Mouri Kogoro—the famous detective who’d recently made a name for himself. The papers were already calling him “Sleeping Kogoro.”

As a public figure, she needed to minimize scandal and publicity.

She was thinking it would be better to hire some unknown private eye instead.

Yamagishi said, “Rumor has it Mouri Kogoro is Shōichi-san’s dog—uh, collaborator. He’ll definitely be able to find whoever’s stalking you.”

Yōko finally understood.

She nodded. “All right… I understand.”

---

This is a fan translation of 柯南：我在东京当财阀 by 倒霉的菜狗. Rights to the original work belong to the creator. Please support them by exploring their original work or sharing it with others if you can. Thank you for reading and supporting my efforts to bring this story to a wider audience!