Chapter 69 He said his name was Fanze

Chapter 69

Hattori Heiji and Edogawa Conan followed the man. In their words, the man bought a black top in a second-hand store. No matter how the store owner recommended it, he was determined to buy that black top.

"We later discovered that the second-hand goods store only sold items belonging to dead people. Only the previous owner of this black shirt was still alive."

Recalling the events of their investigation, Hattori Heiji took a deep breath and continued, "Two years ago, a serial murder case occurred in Beika Town. The perpetrator was a highly intelligent individual with a touch of psychopathology. In addition to his well-paid regular job, he also worked multiple part-time jobs. His colleagues at each job described him as a kind and sweet person."

The prisoner, who is highly regarded by his colleagues, is actually a psychopath who is dissatisfied with the current situation in Japan.

After being apprehended by the police, when questioned about his motives, the criminal said that Japan was currently rather comfortable. People lived and worked peacefully, seemingly without much to worry about. He gradually lost interest in the world around him and became less willing to work hard.

"A healthy dose of fear can boost morale. To survive, they'll work tirelessly, which is why he did these things. As for why he took on so many temporary jobs, it's simply because the inmate enjoys interacting with different people, which makes it easier for him to find his next prey."

"I see."

Kurokawa Kaoru sighed, "So, that black shirt is what this criminal wears before every murder?"

"That's right."

"It's just a shirt. Haven't you ever considered what if the other person really only likes black?"

"You have a point, but Kudo said he sensed a familiar aura about this man. It's a familiar aura, somewhat similar to that of the Black Organization that shrunk him."

Brewery? Kurokawa Kaoru was stunned for a moment, then turned to look at the man who was shouting because his rice ball was too hot and blowing air with his mouth to try to cool it down.

Could that kind of guy also be from the winery?

Is this true or false?

Just by looking at his expression, Edogawa Conan knew what Kurokawa Kaoru was thinking. His face flushed red as he said, "It's just a feeling, so I followed you and wanted to confirm it."

What on earth was there to confirm about that idiot who had never even killed a chicken? Glancing at him helplessly, Kurokawa Kaoru sighed, abruptly stood up, and walked over to him.

"Hi, my friend really likes your black top and wants to know where you bought it."

Edogawa Conan:?

What is Kurokawa Kaoru doing? What if the other party is really a member of the Black Organization?

Conan Edogawa was still torn between his conscience and his desires. The man over there was stunned for a moment after hearing what Kurokawa Kaoru said, then he said, "If your friend likes it, you can go to the second-hand goods street in Beika Town and have a look. I don't remember the specific store name, but there's a big stone lion at the door of that store. I also spent a long time looking for this dress. Because I like black, I wanted to buy it the first time I saw it."

"So this is the secondhand goods street? Thank you so much... Oh, and by the way, there's that bottle of soy sauce on the table. If you drop a drop of it into the rice balls, they'll taste even better."

"Really?"

The man's eyes widened, and he dropped a drop of liquid into the rice ball doubtfully, took a tentative bite, and then squinted his eyes happily.

"That's brilliant, thank you for telling me this."

Kurokawa Kaoru smiled and shook his head: "I discovered it by chance. This way of eating is really unfair."

"That's right! Damn... I really want to eat another one, but I don't know if my current money will last until next month, and the job advertisements in Beika Town are really scary."

Though the man's voice was quiet, Kurokawa Kaoru still caught his mumbling. Looking down at the faded sneakers he was wearing, a flash of understanding crossed his eyes. So, he was on a budget, so he'd gone to the used goods market to buy a shirt.

It was a coincidence that the previous owner of the shirt was targeted by Kudo Shinichi.

Thinking of what the man had just said, Kurokawa Kaoru lowered his eyes and said in a flat voice, "Isn't the average salary in Beika Town very high? What's so scary about that?"

"You don't understand at all."

As if someone had mentioned something sad, the man opened his mouth and took out a newspaper from his backpack. It was a little wrinkled from being flipped through so many times. "You'll know when you see the job advertisement in the job posting."

What's so interesting about a mere job ad? Kurokawa Kaoru's eyebrows rose, but he still lowered his head to look at the newspaper in the man's hand.

Dangerous Goods Port Transport: Daily salary: 200,000 yen. No guarantee for employee safety. Model Gun Assembly: 100,000 yen per day for trainees, 300,000 yen per day for proficiency. No personal accident insurance. You'll need to choose a pseudonym before starting, and the company will assist you in obtaining an Individual Number Card. Health Product Tester: Restore your physical condition to peak youthful vitality. Daily salary: 200,000 yen. If you survive, you'll earn 500,000 yen.

Kurokawa Kaoru: ...

How did this obviously questionable job ad end up in the newspaper? Didn't the Beika Town police do something about it?

"Looking at it this way, it seems a bit scary."

"I'll tell you what I mean. Only a fool would believe a job ad that's so obviously flawed."

"you're right."

At this moment, the boss had packed up the other four rice balls for Kurokawa Kaoru. Smiling, he asked the man to make four more and pack them up for him, praising the boss's rice ball making skills. Seeing the man return to the kitchen with a beaming smile, Kurokawa Kaoru chuckled softly and handed the packed rice ball to the man.

"If you really want to find a job, you might as well go to a newly opened convenience store. They are always short of staff when they first open, and jobs like convenience stores rarely advertise."

convenience store……

The man was stunned for a moment, then he reacted and quickly said, "I actually forgot such an important thing. When I get back, I'll go to the convenience store near the apartment."

The task that had been worrying him the most had finally been resolved. He received four rice balls from the man's hand. His eyes welled up as he looked at Kurokawa Kaoru and said with a touched expression, "Can you tell me your name? If we meet again in the future, I'll probably not be so short of money by then, and I'll be able to treat you to a meal."

"Just call me Xiaolin."

Pulling out a tissue and letting the other person wipe his tears, Kurokawa Kaoru raised the corners of his lips, his expression very gentle: "In that case, tell me your name too."

"Mr. Xiaolin."

The man sniffed and carefully placed the four packed rice balls in his backpack: "My name is Fuzawa Masato."

After the man named Masato Fuzawa left, Kurokawa Kaoru returned to his previous seat with four freshly baked rice balls.

"As you heard earlier, that person was only buying a second-hand shirt because he was having financial difficulties. As for why he bought the black shirt, it was simply because he liked the color black."

"It seems I'm overthinking it."

Edogawa Conan sighed.

It is indeed a pity that we were unable to find any clues about the Black Organization, but apart from that, it also made us feel inexplicably relieved.

"Speaking of which, why are you two here, Kurokawa and Ayou?"

It was only at this moment that Hattori Heiji finally realized: "Shouldn't you be in school at this time? You can't be skipping classes, right?"

When Miya You heard Hattori Heiji's voice, his expression froze, and when he realized what was happening, he felt a little embarrassed.

"This is because..."

"Because Miyaji has been very moody lately, maybe he's entered puberty, but first he insisted on going to the North Pole to see polar bears, then he said he wanted to go to Enoshima and drink seawater until he died. Last night, he was even more impulsive and insisted that we run to Mount Fuji to buy him rice balls. He also said that if we didn't agree, he would tell the teacher and other classmates and say that I, an outsider, was colluding with Miyayo to bully him."

After saying this, Kurokawa Kaoru sighed, and at an angle that Hattori Heiji and Edogawa Conan didn't notice, he winked at Gong You: "If you don't believe me, ask Gong You."

Gong You: ...

Why ask him that? Don't you know he won't lie?

For some reason, Miya Yuu didn't want anyone to know that he had suggested going to Mount Fuji to see the cherry blossoms in order to help Kurokawa Kaoru relax. The feeling of having a secret just between the two of them was so good that it successfully unleashed Miya Yuu's potential, allowing him to unleash his acting skills comparable to those of an award-winning actor.

"Kurokawa is right. We came to Mount Fuji because of Aji."

After hearing what Miya Yu said, Hattori Heiji immediately believed it. Thinking that Miyaji would actually do such a thing because of puberty, Hattori Heiji fell silent. However, puberty itself represents rebellion and some irrational behavior. Although Hattori Heiji himself has never done such rebellious things, he can more or less understand Miyaji's behavior.

"Anyway, thank you for your hard work."

Having failed to find any clues about the Black Organization, Edogawa Conan and Hattori Heiji decided to leave. After their frustration, Kurokawa Kaoru lost interest in looking at the cherry blossoms. As if thinking of something, his expression was calm, and he casually said, "I don't know if it's related to the winery, but we do have a lead here that could be life-threatening if investigated."

"Do you have any clues?"

Hearing his voice, Edogawa Conan suddenly looked up and met Kurokawa Kaoru's gaze: "What's the clue?"

"So, I just chatted with Fanze Zhenren for quite some time, and you didn't hear a word I said?"

Not surprisingly, seeing the guilty look on the other person's face, Kurokawa Kaoru sighed, took out a newspaper he had found from somewhere, pointed at the job posting and said, "Want a high-paying job?"

That newspaper—

It was exactly the same as the one in Fanze Zhenren's hand a few minutes ago.

TBC.