Detective Conan: Becoming a Tycoon in Tokyo! [17]

While Miyano Akemi felt uneasy, Shōichi was already wandering off on his own.

Even though Yotsui owed him money—Shōichi was, in his own way, a refined man. He wouldn’t go so far as to ruin someone else’s party.

He was just… walking around, annoying people.

“Reika-san, your necklace is lovely.”

“Your compliments are like cheap perfume—spray too much and they start to stink.”

“Reika-san, you look beautiful today.”

“Look at you—no different from that other man earlier. Can’t any of you flatter with originality?”

He offended everyone equally, making the whole room uncomfortable.

But everyone invited here had some status. Who among them had ever met such an arrogant man?

Even those who didn’t know who he was could tell from his untouchable attitude and his sharp tongue that he wasn’t raised by ordinary parents.

And listening to his cutting remarks, it was obvious—he came from power.

So most swallowed their anger and turned to pick on someone safer instead.

That someone was Mouri Kogoro, a not-yet-famous detective, who quickly became their new target.

Conan glanced at Shōichi, who was currently busy offending everyone in sight, then looked away.

He was honestly a little afraid of the man, unsure whether Shōichi had already seen through his identity.

When the party finally ended, both Yotsui and his daughter Reika were in foul moods.

A perfectly good birthday celebration, ruined by one man’s presence.

Yotsui glared resentfully at Shōichi.

You bastard, don’t even dream of getting your project funds back.

If you’re unhappy, sue me—if you manage to get a single yen, I’ll admit defeat!

“Chairman, Reika-san’s car tires have been punctured,” a guard reported.

“Then she can take my Porsche.”

“No, take my Bentley.”

“Take my BMW instead.”

Yotsui only had one daughter. Whoever married her would become CEO of the Yotsui Group, so naturally, plenty of men were eager to please her.

“But… all your tires are punctured too,” the guard added helplessly.

“What!?”

Everyone rushed to check—and sure enough, every luxury car’s tires had been slashed. Only Mouri Kogoro’s cheap rental car remained untouched.

Kogoro offered gallantly, “Why don’t you ride back in my car?”

“Alright,” Shōichi said immediately, sliding into the back seat.

Miyano Akemi sighed and followed, sitting beside him.

Kogoro’s mouth twitched.

I was talking to Reika-san! Why are you getting in?

“Today’s my birthday. I refuse to squeeze into someone else’s car,” Reika said haughtily.

Yotsui, doting as always, immediately decided to stay with his daughter. They’d spend the night at the mountain villa.

Several of Reika’s admirers stayed behind as well.

Shōichi glanced at Mouri Kogoro. “Hey, old man, are you leaving or not?”

Ran held her father’s arm. “Dad drank too much—he can’t drive.”

“Then lend me your car. I’m not staying overnight here,” Shōichi said.

Spending a night under the same roof as the Grim Reaper family was begging for trouble—someone always died around them.

He just wanted a quiet night’s sleep.

Wouldn’t it be nicer to go home and hold Miyano Akemi’s little sister instead?

Just as Ran was about to hand him the keys, Reika marched over, snatched them, and tossed them straight into the trash.

“If you leave now, the Yotsui Group will cut all ties with you!” Reika declared, glaring at Shōichi.

Interesting—you’ve caught my attention.

Shōichi stared at her blankly.

This stupid woman… Does she really think I care about doing business with the Yotsui Group?

Miyano Akemi’s lips curved faintly. Seeing Shōichi being put in his place was oddly satisfying.

So even the almighty Shōichi could be bullied sometimes.

Shōichi glanced at the trash can. “Get out.”

“Alright.”

Miyano Akemi obediently stepped out of the car with him.

“Prepare a quiet room for me to sleep in, or I’ll burn your villa down,” Shōichi said calmly.

Reika smirked, amused.

What an arrogant man—more spoiled than she was. How entertaining.

Her admirers, however, were instantly on edge.

This new rival was dangerous. He’d somehow figured out Reika’s taste and was deliberately appealing to it.

They looked again at Shōichi’s handsome face.

Or maybe he wasn’t trying at all—maybe he was just naturally infuriatingly attractive.

Shōichi was shown to a guest room. He even invited Miyano Akemi to join him.

She flatly refused.

...

Down in the living room—Reika watched him go upstairs, then turned to the others.

“I’m going to change. And you’d all better not act like that man. Let me be blunt—you’re all just birds in a cage. Without me tossing you some seed, you wouldn’t survive. So learn how to please your owner.”

Leaving those provocative words behind, she headed upstairs.

Reika certainly had a talent for making people hate her.

But the men who stayed were all aiming to be her husband.

If they couldn’t endure a little arrogance, how would they survive the humiliation and grind of becoming the Yotsui Group’s next CEO?

They quickly adjusted their attitudes and started a card game.

But after a long while with no sign of Reika, unease crept in.

The admirers exchanged nervous looks.

That guy Shōichi was resting upstairs—had Reika gone to see him?

That would be a disaster.

If that really happened, they’d be the biggest fools alive.

Conan, however, wasn’t thinking about romance. He was wondering if Reika might already be dead.

“Reika-san’s been gone too long… could something have happened?” one admirer asked.

“Let’s go check.”

“Yeah, together.”

They went straight to the room where Shōichi was resting.

The lights inside were already off.

Admirer No. 1 knocked gently. “Excuse me, is Reika-san in there?”

“No! Get lost! Ask again and I’ll burn this villa down!” came Shōichi’s irritable voice.

Admirer No. 1 rubbed his nose awkwardly.

What a nasty guy.

But… maybe that nastiness actually suited Reika-san.

“Looks like she’s not in there,” he said, forcing a smile.

---

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!