Chapter Nineteen: The Onslaught of Counterfeit Wine (Please Vote and Bookmark)

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Shirō Suzuki stole a glance at his wife, whose face bore a teasing expression, and gave an awkward smile. Leaning close to Haruaki Suzuki’s ear, he whispered, “Good boy, do you think I’d dare?”

“...”

Haruaki Suzuki was left speechless.

On the surface, Shirō Suzuki was the head of the Suzuki Group, but behind closed doors, he was utterly henpecked, never daring to step out of line in front of his formidable wife.

“Forget it, I won’t say anything more. After all the running around today, I’m soaked in sweat. I’ll go take a shower first.”

“Master, madam, I’ll take my leave as well.”

Tamahana Kurosaki bowed politely to Shirō and the others, then with graceful steps hurried after Haruaki Suzuki, as she needed to assist him with his bath.

“Shirō, I heard that three members of a gang targeted Haruaki today. Although those guys have been caught, if they were somehow released, they might seek revenge on Haruaki.”

After Haruaki Suzuki and Tamahana Kurosaki had left, Tomoko Suzuki’s charming smile slowly faded, a cold gleam flashing in her beautiful eyes.

Pushing up his glasses, Shirō Suzuki offered a ‘benevolent’ smile. “Don’t worry, madam. Those men won’t be seeing daylight again this lifetime. Besides, the prison is so chaotic, it’s likely they’ll fall ill and die within days.”

Although the island nation’s laws include the death penalty, executions are rarely carried out. Those gang members hadn’t committed capital crimes and would at most serve a decade or so before release.

While it was unlikely they’d dare to seek revenge upon release, it was safer to ensure they remained incarcerated for good.

Given the Suzuki Group’s standing in the country, Shirō didn’t even need to approach anyone directly. A mere hint from him would suffice to ensure those criminals never left prison alive.

Though Shirō appeared kindly and approachable, as the head of the Suzuki Group, he was ruthless when necessary.

If only his own safety were at risk, he might show mercy and spare those petty criminals—after all, many wished him harm, so he didn’t need to concern himself with a few low-level thugs.

But if Haruaki’s safety was threatened, even a remote possibility, those threats had to be eliminated immediately.

...

The next day

Shinkansen Station

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Led by Kogoro Mouri, Ran Mouri, and Tamahana Kurosaki, the Junior Detective League boarded the Shinkansen train with great excitement.

“Haruaki, Conan, let’s go on an adventure~”

The three youngsters, experiencing their first Shinkansen ride, were especially thrilled, tugging Haruaki Suzuki and Conan around to explore.

Conan followed behind them helplessly, inwardly grumbling, “Why did I agree to let Ran invite these kids to join us yesterday? They’re nothing but trouble.”

Truly, desire is a double-edged sword!

“Shh—”

Just as Conan was silently complaining, the corridor door ahead suddenly slid open, and two black-clad figures walked toward them from the opposite side.

“...It’s those guys!” Seeing the backs of the two men in black, Conan froze in place, stunned.

“Move aside, move aside—I need to get through.”

Haruaki Suzuki’s eyes gleamed sharply as he squeezed between the two men in black with his short legs, giving one of them a shove on the thigh.

*Ding!* “Congratulations on successfully checking in as ‘Fake Gin.’ Reward: one [Stand Doll]. The host may claim it at any time.”

*Ding!* “Congratulations on successfully checking in as ‘Fake Vodka.’ Reward: one [Stand Doll]. The host may claim it at any time.”

The long-haired man in black, who had been pushed by Haruaki and stumbled, hastily shielded his briefcase with his hand, a cold sweat breaking out on his back as he cursed viciously, “Damn brat!”

His anger stemmed from the fact that his briefcase contained a bomb, which would detonate upon severe impact.

Of course, carrying such a bomb wasn’t a suicide attempt but intended to send their transaction partner on their final journey.

However, if the bomb exploded while still in his possession, it would be a fatal injustice.

If not for the fear of attracting the attention of the train police, the long-haired man’s temperament would have compelled him to severely punish the mischievous child before him.

Haruaki paid no mind to the man’s thoughts. On the surface, he approached Tamahana Kurosaki asking for a snack, but in truth, he was examining the attributes of the [Stand Doll] item.

[Item Name: Stand Doll

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Type: Consumable

Quality: Rare

Effect 1 (Stand Proxy): Can freely fabricate a human stand-in, with maximum strength and speed values of ten points each. The user may remotely control the stand through mental power, with a maximum range of ten kilometers, consuming ten mental power points per hour.

Effect 2 (Ability Sharing): The stand can share all abilities of its original.

Effect 3 (Stand Repair): When the stand sustains non-destructive damage, it can consume stamina to repair itself.

Note: I am but a stand...]

Haruaki silently mused, “What a useful item! But how could such a thing be checked in from these two? Could they truly be the stand-ins for Gin and Vodka?”

Based on his recent experience with check-ins, the rewards obtained usually bore some relation to the target checked in.

Judging by the attributes and notes of the [Stand Doll], these two men in black might indeed serve as stand-ins for Gin and Vodka.

After all, ordinary criminals, even if using bombs to kill, wouldn’t choose to detonate one aboard the Shinkansen—it would provoke an all-out police manhunt. Only those madmen from the distillery would dare such a thing.

Moreover, the style of dress of these two black-clad men closely resembled Gin and Vodka; it couldn’t simply be coincidence.

At that moment, Haruaki recalled the details of this case vividly.

In this case, not only had Kogoro Mouri and the Junior Detective League nearly been wiped out, but there were also black-clad figures suspected to be Gin and Vodka, making the incident unforgettable.

“Judging by that guy’s reaction earlier, the briefcase must contain a bomb, which means they haven’t completed the transaction yet. That makes things interesting,” Haruaki thought, a faint smile curling his lips as he turned and slipped into the restroom.

After locking the door behind him, Haruaki retrieved a [Stand Doll] and began to examine it curiously.

The [Stand Doll] appeared simple—like a human-shaped white clay doll, lacking distinct facial features or lifelike limbs.