·93｜Exclusive to Jinjiang·93 (Bonus Chapter)
At your age, can't you be a little more mature?
After paying the bill, Shinichi Kudo clutched his empty wallet, on the verge of tears.
In stark contrast to Shinichi Kudo was the head chef of the ramen shop, who was also its manager. He smiled like a blinding sun, his mouth almost splitting into his temples, bowing and scraping to the three of them. Divided by the kitchen counter, the chef's side was bathed in sunshine, with little red flowers blooming behind him. Shinichi Kudo's side, however, was shrouded in gloom; he sat dejectedly, large gray mushrooms sprouting from his head.
Ran frowned and poked Shinichi Kudo with her finger: "Shinichi, are you alright?"
Shinichi Kudo didn't answer. He was not only damp and moldy, but he had even turned to stone. If a gust of wind blew, he might even shatter into countless pebbles and be scattered by the wind.
"Shinichi?" Ran nudged him twice more, then looked at Yomi Lai with concern: "Sister, Shinichi, he..."
Turning her head, Ran saw the culprit who had caused Shinichi Kudo to become withdrawn happily accepting the handmade SVIP membership card that the head chef had hastily made.
Xiaolan: ...?
Ran Mouri's gaze was too sharp, like several sharp arrows piercing Yomi Laichuan. Yomi Laichuan turned to look at Ran Mouri, her eyes full of innocence: "What's wrong?"
"Sister, is Shinichi alright?"
Lai Chuan Huang Quan stepped forward and ruffled Kudo Shinichi's black hair forcefully: "Don't worry, he'll recover in a bit."
As he spoke, Lai Chuan Huang Quan raised his hand and quickly swiped it twice in the air before falling out of the virtual screen.
On the semi-transparent browsing page visible only to Yomi Laichuan, the face of a seven-year-old child was clearly visible. Yomi Laichuan smiled, but her gaze swept back and forth between the photo of the person named "Conan Edogawa" and Shinichi Kudo in the data.
They look so alike, they seem to be the same person no matter how you look at them.
Yomi Raikawa had her suspicions when she first met Shinichi Kudo three years ago. However, according to the information provided by the central system, Shinichi Kudo and Conan Edogawa's ages don't match.
“Kudo-chan,” Yomi Laichuan casually turned off the virtual panel, “do you know a kid named Conan Edogawa, or do you have any relatives with the surname Edogawa?”
Shinichi Kudo was completely deflated: "No, if there really were people with the surname Edogawa, I'd really like to get to know them. It's such a nice surname."
He glanced listlessly at Lai Chuan Huang Quan: "Why are you asking this?"
“I was thinking… eliminating this kid might bring peace to the world.”
Shinichi Kudo scoffed, completely disregarding Yomi Raikawa's melodramatic lines. He rested his chin on his hands, stared straight ahead, and coldly read, "Oh, well, you're really awesome."
Lai Chuan Huang Quan pursed her lips and didn't say anything more. What she just said, which seemed childish and unserious, was actually her true thoughts.
The central system has detected that Shinichi Kudo will become a key figure in the world within three years, significantly influencing its course. However, the timeline for his impact is several years after the Yomi Yomi mission. The central system deems Yomi Yomi unnecessary and hastily provided a very simplified version, without even revealing Conan Edogawa's true identity.
[Photos][Photos]
—Name: Conan Edogawa
Gender: Male
--age:? ? ?
Occupation: Detective
—Tags: Death God Elementary School Student, Death Wherever He Goes, MAX Reasoning Ability, Catalyst for Murder
Lai Chuan Huang Quan carefully examined the document, her brows furrowing involuntarily. She recalled the apocalypse that had caused her so much hardship; who could have imagined that the BOSS hidden behind the darkness of the apocalypse would be a seemingly innocent child, almost causing her mission to fail, only managing a miraculous comeback at the last moment? With such a cautionary tale right there, Lai Chuan Huang Quan couldn't help but be wary of this brat named "Edogawa Conan."
Like Esther in "Orphan," who never grew up, beneath her weak and innocent exterior lay a wicked soul. Yomi Lai couldn't help but think that this brat named Conan Edogawa might be like Esther, a villain with an old soul locked in a young body. Otherwise, how could he be labeled a catalyst for violence, bringing death wherever he goes?
Thinking this through, Yomi Lai looked at Shinichi Kudo again: "You really don't know Conan Edogawa?"
Shinichi Kudo rested his chin on his hand, not even turning to look at Yomi Raikawa: "I don't know her."
“I see,” Yomi Lai Chuan thought for a moment, “If you ever meet a kid named Conan Edogawa in the future, remember to tell me right away.”
"Okay."
The future savior of the Metropolitan Police Department hadn't even entered high school, nor had he been given any strange pills, yet he was already being targeted by Yomi Lai. She stroked her chin, carefully considering how to properly interrogate Conan Edogawa if she caught him. Someone who could become the world's boss would need at least three or five bento boxes prepared to keep him in check.
Shinichi Kudo was completely unaware of his impending doom. He sat dejectedly in his seat, only managing to rouse himself with a great deal of encouragement and comfort from the girl he liked: "Let's go, Raikawa-nee, let's go back and get your pillow."
Shinichi Kudo walked out of the noodle shop, tossing the soccer ball he had been holding onto the ground as he shuffled along. Behind him, Yomi Raikawa tugged at Ran Mouri's sleeve twice and handed her two rather large Japanese yen notes: "Thank you for passing these on to Kudo, Mouri. Give them to him after I leave."
"Huh?"
Lai Chuan Huang Quan smiled and said, "If I give it to him now, he definitely won't want it, so I have no choice but to ask you, Mori." Although she often exploited Matsuda Jinpei, she wouldn't go so far as to bully a middle school student who was ten years younger than her.
While picking up the cushions from Kudo's house, Yomi Laichuan once again surveyed the spacious, subtly luxurious European-style living room. A thin layer of dust had accumulated on the upper shelves of the glass cabinets, while the lower shelves, though showing signs of use, remained exceptionally clean. The empty house looked somewhat desolate, with a faint smell of dampness and dust in the air. Yomi Laichuan looked around and couldn't help but ask, "Kudo, where are your parents?"
"He went to America."
"How long have you been gone?"
"It's been about half a year."
As soon as Shinichi Kudo finished answering, he saw the woman opposite him, who was holding a pillow and preparing to leave, give him a pitying look.
Shinichi Kudo: ?
Shinichi Kudo clicked his tongue: "Don't look at me like that. I'm doing just fine on my own. ...Tsk, I told you not to look at me with pity!"
Lai Chuan Huang Quan sighed, looking like he couldn't do anything with a willful child: "Do you want to eat dinner with me from now on?"
However, Yomi Laichuan's face was already round and slightly youthful, and when she patted his shoulder like a mature older sister, Shinichi Kudo felt awkward and inexplicably humiliated, as if he hadn't even graduated from elementary school.
Shinichi Kudo angrily protested loudly, "Who wants to have dinner with you?!"
"Shinichi..."
Lai Chuan Huang Quan curled his lip in disdain: "Kids these days are really rebellious."
As she said this, the administrator, who had been busy with other worlds since Yomi left the Yomi mansion, had just finished his work and turned his attention back to her.
Although the administrator was unaware of what had transpired, he couldn't help but twitch at the corner of his eye upon hearing Lai Chuan Huangquan's audacious statement—could anyone truly surpass Lai Chuan Huangquan in terms of rebellion? While street thugs with exaggerated hairstyles might be beaten up and become obedient, Lai Chuan Huangquan, if beaten, would only cry and lunge at his attacker, viciously biting off a piece of flesh.
After exchanging a few pleasantries, Lai Chuan Huang Quan grabbed her pillow and prepared to leave. Kudo Shinichi, however, stopped her: "Didn't you want me to help you find a job? You should at least give me your contact information."
Lai Chuan Huang Quan said nonchalantly, "Oh, actually I didn't take that seriously at all, and I don't think you can help me find a job... Don't look at me with that mournful look, I'll give you my contact information."
Lai Chuan Huang Quan touched her nose and looked away, feeling that she had inadvertently hurt the self-esteem of a teenager. But she really had no expectations of Kudo Shinichi; she had much more faith in her father than in this boy.
While Mr. Raikawa was still working day and night at the police station, Shinichi Kudo first helped Raikawa Yomi solve her job problem—Yomiuri TV was planning to create a "food connoisseur" persona and would be holding a selection process next week. Through his mother's connections, Shinichi Kudo recommended Raikawa Yomi to the program.
Shinichi Kudo: "Next Wednesday at 2:30 pm, go to the front desk of Nichiri TV station and tell them your name is 'Yukiko Kudo.' Someone will take you to the venue. Once you get there, just eat and then give your feedback on the food you've eaten."
Lai Chuan Huang Quan: "That's it?"
Shinichi Kudo: "Don't underestimate this job. Nichiri TV has hired professional connoisseurs and chefs. They plan to select someone with a sensitive sense of taste and a photogenic appearance. I think you have a very good chance of winning."
“I see…” Lai Chuan Huang Quan leaned against the white wall covered with tiles in the corridor and glanced at a row of middle-aged men in suits walking towards her from afar. “Little detective, I have something urgent to attend to. I’ll hang up now and call you back later.”
"OK".
Today is the day Lai Chuan Huang Quan is taking the entrance exam for transferring to the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Tokyo University. She is holding a stack of documents and preparing to be interviewed by professors from the Department of Mechanical Engineering. The five professors walking towards her from a distance are the examiners for this exam.
Through a friend's connection, Mr. Lai Chuan granted Lai Chuan Huang Quan a chance to take the department transfer exam. When she entered the office in a formal suit and greeted the professors, the middle-aged professors, all with their noses in the air, didn't even give her a second glance. Although it was unclear what kind of background Lai Chuan Huang Quan had used, using connections was bound to be frowned upon at the academically rigorous Tokyo University. It's not that there's no personal relationship within Tokyo University, but most graduate students are directed by their advisors to run errands, and it's rare to see someone being directly and forcefully pushed into a different department.
If it weren't for the sake of the law professors, they might have been even more rude.
But after a few questions, they gradually realized—this young woman seemed to know her stuff. Not only did she have a solid foundation in professional knowledge, but she could also quickly clarify her thoughts and provide excellent answers to more complex questions.
After several rounds, the professors majoring in mechanical engineering were wide-eyed, their faces filled with disbelief.
The department office used for assessments was quiet; no one spoke. After a long while, a professor who looked rather old swallowed and slowly spoke: "Lai Chuan, have you... ever systematically studied mechanical engineering before?"
Upon hearing this, Lai Chuan Huang Quan scratched her face, unsure whether to tell the truth. After a moment's hesitation, she chose a moderate answer that was very close to the truth, but sounded utterly absurd: "I...maybe I learned it in my past life. Although I haven't systematically studied mechanical knowledge in this life, I bought a bunch of related books a couple of days ago, flipped through them, and then memorized them."
To the old professors, the idea of past lives and present lives was utter nonsense. They only remembered one thing: they hadn't studied it; they had just casually flipped through the book they bought two days ago, and that was all.
...?
Lai Chuan Huang Quan's answer was like a thunderclap exploding in their ears, leaving them deeply shocked and utterly insulted.
It is said that the degree of effort determines a person's lower limit, while talent determines a person's upper limit. If Lai Chuan Huang Quan really memorized all the knowledge after only reading it once, as she said, and even applied it so skillfully that she could answer all kinds of tricky questions with clear thinking and fluent answers, then her talent is too... terrifying!
Wouldn't that make their students—those top students who have been studying diligently in the Mechanical Engineering Department since their freshman year—look like a bunch of clueless donkeys?
My complex emotions are like a volcano erupting from the bottom of the deep sea, where flames collide with ice. A feeling of anguish lingers, but another emotion is like surging magma, bursting forth from the thick crust.
They all turned to look at Lai Chuan Huang Quan, their eyes, which were slightly cloudy from overuse, glowing green.
Lai Chuan Huang Quan sat upright opposite several professors. From her perspective, the professors in front of her looked like gray foxes captured by a nighttime camera in "Animal World," their eyes shining with a blinding and terrifying light like searchlights.
Lai Chuan Huang Quan swallowed hard, her eyes wide with fear. She pushed off the ground and quietly moved back a short distance, distancing herself from the old professors.
"Lai Chuan, is that right? How about coming to my Thermal Power Equipment program? I can give you a recommendation letter for graduate school!"
"Wait a minute! Mechanical engineering offers better job prospects, so of course we should choose mechanical engineering!"
"Honestly, didn't you guys look down on that young girl at first? Of course, my mechanical design, manufacturing and automation major is better, right? I don't discriminate based on gender or major."
"Hey!? I'm the dean!! How dare you poach my talent!"
Lai Chuan Huang Quan sat in his seat, watching as the professors' debate escalated from a normal discussion into a heated argument, with each of them blushing and almost coming to blows.
She lowered her gaze, repeatedly chanting the line "Forget me" in her mind, barely daring to breathe, afraid that the fighting professors would shift their attention to her.
But as the saying goes, what you fear most is what happens. Just as the professors were about to rush up and start pulling each other's beards, one of the white-haired professors slammed his fist on the table and shouted, "Lai Chuan Huang Quan!!"
Lai Chuan Huang Quan was startled and immediately straightened his back: "Yes!"
"Tell me! Which major do you want to study?!"
After the old professor finished speaking, the others immediately turned their gazes to Lai Chuan Huang Quan. They stared wide-eyed, not daring to blink, afraid of missing the moment when Lai Chuan Huang Quan was choosing someone.
The gazes directed at them were too intense. Lai Chuan Huang Quan twitched his lips twice, scratched his face, and hesitated: "No, how about you play rock-paper-scissors? Whoever wins, I'll go with them."
The group of men, who had been pulling each other's beards, fell silent: "..."
"Hahaha," Lai Chuan Huang Quan chuckled dryly, scratching the back of his head, "It's really too childish, isn't it? I was just joking, don't take it seriously..."
Before Lai Chuan Huang Quan could finish his last word, the men opposite him, their faces serious, formed a circle and said, "Rock, paper, scissors!"
Lai Chuan Huang Quan: ?
Seriously?
On the other side, the elderly professors, whose average age was even older than Mr. Lai Chuan, had already decided the winner: "I won! Come with me to the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Automation!"
"No! Best two out of three!"
"Who cares about you!"
Lai Chuan Huang Quan: ? ?
You are the most respected professors at the University of Tokyo, can't you be a little more mature?!
[Author's Note]
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