Chapter 71 Chapter 71 A series of tragic events in the wills of wealthy families (I)…
Since the beginning of summer vacation, the temperature has been rising day by day.
Butler Yamaoki told Yuyin that Master Jingwu was not very heat-tolerant. At this time of year in previous years, he would have already flown to Switzerland for vacation, but this year he was busy with many things and the plan was temporarily shelved.
Yuyin thought about it and it made sense. Not only was the national competition about to be held, the tennis club had to go through intensive training. Next week alone, there was also the forest school activities that Hyotei had arranged during the holidays, and she herself also had to participate in the Kyudo club's competition. Neither she nor Keigo Atobe could leave Tokyo too far for the time being.
The final compromise was that just after Tamane stayed at the Atobe residence in Tokyo for three or four days, Atobe Keigo planned to move to the Karuizawa villa.
“The repairs were done so quickly…”
As soon as she got out of the car, Yuyin looked at the villa's pristine outer wall and couldn't help but sigh. It had only been a short time, but there was no trace of the damage left by the battle.
"By the way, where are the rest of the tennis club?" She looked back and asked Keigo Atobe beside her, "Didn't you send a car to pick them up?"
Atobe Keigo shook his head: "No, the tennis club has two days off and will start training the day after tomorrow."
The holiday had just begun, so everyone had to be given some time to relax. Atobe considered himself a very open-minded leader, so he postponed the gathering date for a few days.
Yuyin's eyes lit up when she heard this, and she said expectantly, "Then we can move freely for the next two days, within the boundaries of Karuizawa?"
Seeing her hopeful eyes, Keigo Atobe really wanted to agree immediately, but unfortunately he couldn't.
"Well, I probably can't today. According to the arrangement, I have to visit an elderly family friend nearby."
Since Atobe was going, Yuyin naturally had to follow him.
So the two of them just rested for a while at the Karuizawa villa, and then got on the car and started their journey again without stopping.
On the way, Atobe Keigo introduced her, saying, "The person we're going to visit today is Mr. Hojo Fujitaka, the chairman of the Hojo Group. My family and the Hojo Group have many business partnerships, and my father and Mr. Hojo have a good personal relationship. Mr. Hojo is ill, so it's only natural that I should go visit him on my father's behalf."
Yuyin expressed her understanding of this exchange between old friends, and then asked with concern, "What's wrong with Mr. Hojo? Why didn't he stay in a large hospital in Tokyo or go abroad for treatment, but instead came to this small place in Nagano Prefecture? Ah, although the environment in Karuizawa is nice."
"Mr. Hojo was diagnosed with cancer at the beginning of the month, and it was already in the late stages of stomach cancer. He then received treatment at the National Cancer Center Hospital. The hospital said the diagnosis was too late, and Mr. Hojo's health was not good, so a cure was unlikely. They could only use conservative medication to delay his condition for as long as possible."
When Keigo Atobe talked about this, he was not in a very good mood. After all, he was an elder he knew, and it was always sad to see him encounter such misfortune.
"Later, I heard that Mr. Hojo had moved out of the hospital and was recuperating at his villa in Mount Asama, Nagano Prefecture, with a private doctor taking care of him."
He turned to Yuyin and sighed, "When my father heard that I had come to Karuizawa, he told me to come and visit him. After all, given his condition, Mr. Hojo probably doesn't have much time left."
Death is probably the fairest thing in the world. Even someone as rich as Mr. Hojo is powerless against illness and death. It's really sad.
Yuyin looked out the window. She had died four times before, and her feelings about death could be said to be more profound than any living person. If she could live, she would not die easily. Mr. Hojo made such a statement, perhaps he had already let go of life and death.
Outside the car window, as we left the area of Shiraito Taki Falls, the surrounding scenery changed again, and the outline of Mount Asama could be vaguely seen.
As a well-known active volcano, Mount Asama, although not as famous as Mount Fuji, continues to attract many tourists to visit just to see the "smoke-emitting" spectacle. Those tourists marvel at the magnificence and magic of nature, and completely forget the danger behind the white smoke.
At this moment, the sun had risen completely, and even under the cover of Mount Asama, most of its face was still visible, but it was somewhat distorted by the reflection of the fog and white smoke on the top of the mountain.
Yuyin raised her hand to block some of the sunlight. For some reason, she always felt that the sun today was too red and a little ominous, with a hint of foreboding.
*
After Keigo Atobe gave his name at the door, the guard quickly let them in.
The Hojo family villa is located in a place with beautiful scenery, facing Mount Asama. After getting off the car, Yuyin looked back and could see the beautiful distant view.
The butler of the Hojo family may have received the news and knew that they were coming, so he waited at the main gate early to lead the way for them.
The butler of the Hojo family was named Tano. He had excellent professional qualities and did not show any doubts even when he saw Keigo Atobe bringing an unfamiliar girl with him.
On the way, Atobe Keigo politely asked, "Excuse me for disturbing you, but how is Mr. Hojo feeling today?"
Butler Tianye bowed slightly, a sincere smile on his aged face: "Thank you for your concern, Master Jibe. I am in good health today. Master Guanghao came over yesterday, and I was in a very good mood. I just heard about your visit, Master Jibe, and now I am so happy that I can't stop smiling."
Atobe nodded when he heard this: "So Guanghao-san is here too."
Yuyin walked side by side with him and asked privately, "Who is this Guanghao-san?"
Atobe Keigo leaned over and whispered in her ear, "Guanghao-san is Mr. Hojo's only son. He is now handling most of the affairs of the Hojo Group."
Seeing how intimate the two of them were, Butler Tian Ye couldn't help but guess Yuyin's identity, perhaps she was Atobe's fiancée or something, but because of their different identities, he naturally wouldn't ask casually.
But it was different in front of the owner of this house, Hojo Fujitaka.
"Jingwu, please come visit me, an old man. Go back and tell your father that I'm fine. He doesn't need to fly back to see me..."
The description given by Butler Tano earlier was indeed not an exaggeration. When Hojo Fujitaka saw Atobe, his smile never relaxed. He was a kind-looking old man with almost completely white hair, and was in his early sixties.
"Uncle Hojo, you're too polite. My father heard that you moved to Nagano Prefecture, so he asked me to pay you a visit and see your health condition with my own eyes to feel at ease..." Atobe greeted.
Butler Tano led them directly to the bedroom where Hojo Fujitaka carried out his daily activities and rest. As the master's bedroom, the area was naturally not small, but now there were many people surrounding the bed including the maids, and it seemed a bit crowded.
Yuyin's gaze fell on the people in the room. Hojo Fujitaka was sitting on the bed, with two adult men sitting closest to him on either side. Three others stood a little further away from the bed. Of the two closest, the one with glasses and a white coat suggested he must be the personal physician Atobe had mentioned earlier. The other man must be Hojo Fujitaka's son, Hojo Hirohiro.
However, Yuyin's gaze lingered between the three of them for a while, and a hint of hesitation appeared on her face.
After finishing the greetings, Atobe Keigo naturally didn't show any sign of her changing expression: "What's wrong?"
"Nothing..." Yuyin shook her head, "Maybe I saw it wrong."
"Who is this?" Hojo Fujitaka looked at Yuyin with some curiosity.
Before coming here, Keigo Atobe had considered that he would be asked this question, so he said directly, "This is my friend, Saionji Gyoon. She came to visit with me today. I hope Uncle Hojo doesn't mind."
Friends? What kind of friends?
Everyone else present couldn't help but think about it. If they were just ordinary friends, why would they go together to visit other people's elders during the holidays? Only a boyfriend-girlfriend relationship could explain it. But Atobe Keigo didn't say they were boyfriend-girlfriend, probably because he hadn't gotten his family's approval yet.
This thought circulated among everyone, and even the host, Hojo Fujitaka, thought so.
He seemed to recall something, and his eyes became more kind as he looked at Atobe and Tamane. He said to Atobe, "Keigo, if you've made up your mind, don't back down. Don't be like me back then..." He paused, then continued, "If your father disagrees, I'll help you convince him."
Atobe was a little amused and helpless. He knew that such an introduction would lead to misunderstanding, but he couldn't just tell everyone "This is my bodyguard. Don't look at her young age, she is very capable." Yuyin had discussed with him before that no matter whether it was monsters, cursed spirits or people with special abilities, they were all top secret matters and could not be made public. In the end, he could only use this statement that was easy to cause misunderstanding.
Although he didn't mind the misunderstanding coming true, he couldn't really let Uncle Hojo go to talk to his father about it. Atobe had no choice but to say, "Uncle Hojo, I appreciate your kindness. I know what's going on with this matter."
"It's good that you know. Your father often says that you are a person with your own ideas and even he can't interfere. You young people nowadays are much better than we were back then..." At the end, Hojo Fujitaka sighed.
The man in the white coat and glasses advised, "Mr. Hojo, in order to prevent your condition from getting worse, you must stay in a good mood."
Hearing the doctor's scolding, Hojo Fujitaka quickly smiled and said, "I understand, Doctor Akihara, I will follow the doctor's instructions."
The doctor, named Akihara Eitoshi, continued, "Today's physical examination showed no major problems. Mr. Hojo, just rest well. Also, I suggest that other family members avoid crowding into the room, as this will hinder the patient's rest."
The faces of the three standing there suddenly turned pale and purple. The oldest woman among them immediately exploded and said, "What do you mean? Can't I care about my eldest brother here?"
Someone nearby immediately chimed in: "That's right, my aunt and I are both concerned about my uncle, who do you think you are?"
"Kimiyo," Hojo Fujitaka quickly called his sister's name, "Doctor Akihara is just concerned about my health and doesn't mean to blame you."
Hojo Kimiyo's expression eased a bit, and he said, "Yuzhi and I came here to take care of you, big brother. That's why I'm a little angry. I hope you don't mind, big brother."
Hojo Hirohiro quickly stood up to smooth things over: "We are all family, there is nothing to mind. Just like when Aunt and Yuzhi heard that Father was ill, they rushed over to take care of him. Father also asked me to take good care of Aunt, Yuzhi, and Hayato on a daily basis."
Yuyin didn't know who they were at first, but after listening to a few words, she was able to roughly judge their identities. She thought they were Hojo Fujitaka's sister and nephew, who heard that he was sick and came to show their concern.
However, how much truth or falsehood there is in it, and what the purpose is, remains to be investigated.
At this moment, Tian Ye's housekeeper suddenly came in from outside and reported: "Master, there is a man outside who claims to be a private detective and wants to see you. He said he has something important to tell you."
Yuyin immediately noticed that when they heard the word private detective, the expressions of Hojo Fujitaka and two other people in the room changed slightly.
Hojo Fujitaka's face brightened, and he waved his hand happily and instructed the butler: "It should be the private detective I hired. Please invite him in."
Hojo Hirohiro, who was standing beside him, quickly supported the agitated man and said, "Father, is there anything you want to investigate? Just tell me to do it."
"Uh, this..." Hojo Fujitaka hesitated for a rare moment in front of his beloved eldest son, and finally stammered, "The group is so busy, I don't need to bother you with such a small matter."
"Okay, are you here to meet someone?" Hearing this, Hojo Hirohiro no longer insisted on the matter. He carefully helped him sit against the headboard and put a pillow behind his waist to make him sit more comfortably. "Then my aunt, cousin Yuzhi, and cousin Hayabusa and I will take our leave first."
"Please entertain Keigo for me. Don't be rude," Hojo Fujitaka instructed his son, then turned to Atobe Keigo and said, "It's almost lunch time. Keigo, you and Miss Saionji should have lunch at my house before leaving."
It was difficult for Tebe to refuse the invitation from his elders. Besides, it would be impolite to leave immediately after arriving, so he nodded in agreement.
*
Everyone left Hojo Fujitaka's room together. Hojo Kimiyo, Hojo Yuzhi and Hojo Hayao all said they wanted to go back to their rooms. Dr. Akihara Eitoshi also wanted to go back to his room to organize the medical records. Finally, only Atobe, Tamane, and Hojo Hirohiro who hosted them were left walking from the third floor to the first floor hall.
When going downstairs, the three of them passed by the private detective brought by the housekeeper Tian Ye. Yuyin took a quick look and saw that he was an adult man with an unshaven beard and a thin build. He was holding his hat with one hand while walking in the corridor, obviously hiding himself in his daily life.
"It's been a few months since you and I last saw each other, right?"
Hojo Hirohiro led the two of them to the living room and sat down. The servants immediately served them refreshments. He smiled and said to Atobe.
Atobe Keigo took a sip from his white porcelain cup and said, "About three months ago. The last time we met was on the Sallybeth at the Suzuki family's anniversary celebration."
Hojo Hirohiro is exactly thirty years old this year, and can be said to be more than a generation older than Atobe. However, because their fathers were peers, they were naturally treated as peers as well.
"Sallybeth..." Yuyin had a vague impression of this when it was mentioned. "Is it the time when Kaito Kid sent the notice?"
"That's right," Hojo Hirohiro nodded. "That Phantom Thief made the Suzuki family's banquet a complete mess. If the Black Star hadn't been lost in the end, the Suzuki family would have been humiliated."
Yuyin was excited: "So you, Jingwu, were on that ship that night! Hey, have you seen that Kaito Kidd?"
She had heard of the name of this international thief when she was a child. After many years, he became active again. She had only seen him in person when he stole amethyst shoes on the streets of Shibuya.
Ah, even though there were so many people, I couldn’t see their faces clearly at all.
"You haven't asked me before." Atobe felt a little jealous when he heard this. Isn't he just a pretending thief?
"I wasn't familiar with you back then," Yuyin took his hand and shook it, "Can you tell me about what happened that night?"
"Well, let me think about it carefully and see if there is anything I can say."
In fact, Atobe had almost forgotten what happened that night. After all, it was Suzuki Sonoko's family who made a fool of themselves, and it had nothing to do with him.
But thinking about it, he really remembered something. "Oh right, I remember that the Black Star was found by a little kid in the end. Don't you know that kid? He's the little boy named Conan who followed Suzuki at the Matsudaira family party."
"Is it him?"
Yuyin was a little surprised at first, but then she thought that the other party's real identity was Kudo Shinichi, it was not surprising at all. The Sherlock Holmes of the Heisei era VS the Arsene Lupin of the Heisei era, they are very evenly matched.
"I remember the newspapers often boasting about a kid called Kidd's Nemesis. Turns out it was Conan."
Suddenly, there was a noise coming from the direction of the door, as if someone was making a disturbance and the guard was dealing with it.
The scene on the other side of the iron gate could be seen from the living room window. Hojo Hirohiro immediately put down his teacup, frowned and asked the servant what had happened.
The servant immediately ran to the door to inquire, then ran back to report, "There was a man who said he was a private detective or something, and said he had an appointment with the master. But the doorman received instructions from the master and said that a private detective who had been arranged to visit today had already gone in."
Hojo Hirohiro immediately heard the problem and said to Atobe, "Excuse me, Keigo, I have to go check it out."
Atobe Keigo nodded: "Together."
*
Before the three of them even reached the iron gate, Yuyin heard a familiar voice shouting, "...So I told you, I'm the famous detective Maori Kogoro! I've made an appointment with your master to visit you, so please let me in!"
"Sir, please wait a moment. For this matter, we need..."
"You said there was a detective here before, but he must be a liar! Why don't you let me in!"
"Dad, calm down!"
…
Yuyin walked to the iron gate and looked through the big railing. Who else could it be but Kogoro Mouri, Ran Mouri and Conan Edogawa?
"Sir, you said you are the private detective who made an appointment with my father. Do you have any evidence?" Hojo Hirohiro walked forward and asked.
"Yes, yes, yes!" Seeing that someone who could make the decision had finally arrived, Maori Kogoro quickly took out the letter of authorization that had been mailed to him earlier. "This is the evidence! I said I was the hired detective!"
Hojo Hirohiro glanced at the task book and saw that there was indeed their family crest on the outer cover. Just as he was about to take it to confirm, Maori withdrew his hand.
"No, this is not possible. The client said that I cannot reveal any of the details of the commission before meeting him..."
Hojo Hirohiro pushed his glasses up: "But if I don't confirm the power of attorney, how can I know whether what you said is true or not?"
"Mr. Hojo," Yuyin suddenly interrupted, "Although I don't know whether the letter of authorization is genuine, this person is indeed the famous detective, the sleeping Kogoro. I can guarantee it for you."
"Tamaon-san!" At this time, Ran Mouri finally noticed Tamaoon Saionji in the door.
Hojo Hirohiro was slightly startled: "The sleeping Kogoro, the very famous one?"
Maori Kogoro straightened his collar and replied very proudly, "Yes, it's me."
"Mr. Maori would not lie. He should have received the letter of authorization." Yuyin said.
"So... this is bad!" Hojo Hirohiro wasn't familiar with Saionji Tamon, but since the other party was brought by Atobe Keigo, there was no reason for him to lie to him. He suddenly turned his head and looked towards the third floor, where his father was in the bedroom. "When father heard that the hired private detective had arrived, he didn't even verify his identity. Could it be that..."
Before he finished speaking, he immediately ran towards the main house.
"Hey! Let us in first!" Maori protested outside.
Seeing this, Yuyin ordered the guard, "Let them in first."
Seeing that she and Jibe came with the eldest young master, the guard immediately obeyed the order.
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The author has something to say: This chapter can barely be considered a two-in-one chapter_(:з」∠)_
*
Thank you to the little angels who voted for me or provided me with nutrient solution between 2022-01-16 23:59:02 and 2022-01-19 02:58:54~
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