Feichi, who had been propping himself up to eavesdrop, instantly perked up. "I want long fish, short fish, big fish, small fish! Oh, right, and eels, like the ones Genta always talks about. I want ten eels! And fish to keep in a tank and look at: gold ones, white ones, black ones, spotted ones, red ones... two of each!"
As he spoke, he turned his head to ask Chi Feichi, "Master, we can keep them, right?"
Chi Feichi was somewhat speechless. He felt it was necessary for Feichi to read more biological encyclopedias in the future. He spoke into the phone, "Send two of every common type of fish used in cooking, ten eels, and two goldfish of every common color."
"No problem," Morizono Kikuhito agreed readily. "Should I have them sent to your home?"
"Send them to Beika Town..." Chi Feichi gave the address of the breeding facility in Beika. As for whether the people there knew how to raise fish, he didn't care. If they didn't, they could just find someone who did.
"Alright," Morizono Kikuhito thought for a moment. "It's late now, but they can be delivered first thing tomorrow morning."
"Oh my, this is great! So many, many fish!" Feichi threw his head back and laughed. "I have so much food now! Hahahahaha..."
Seeing Feichi laughing with his mouth wide open, Chi Feichi reached out and pressed it shut. A snake opening its mouth wide like that was scary, okay? Didn't he see the police officers over there looking at them?
On the phone, Morizono Kikuhito spoke again. "Feichi, Uncle Shigematsu's leg might have some lasting effects, and I need to stay in the hospital for observation for a while. Could I trouble you to tell Miss Kaede and Sakuraba about that matter? I've already told my father about delaying the wedding, so they don't need to come up with excuses. After some time passes, we can tell everyone we've separated."
"I'll tell them," Chi Feichi agreed.
"Great, thanks for your help. I'm going for an examination now. Let's hang out after I'm discharged. I know a few pretty girls; I'll introduce them to you then!"
Chi Feichi decisively hung up. Still thinking about girls even when he's in the hospital. He's hopeless...
Nearby, hearing Morizono Mikio tell reporters outside that the wedding was cancelled, Sakuraba Yuji and Katagiri Kaede both breathed a sigh of relief.
Having gone through such a major event, and with Katagiri Kaede nearly treated as a suspect, the two unconsciously stood very close to each other, as if seeking comfort in proximity.
Conan looked once, looked again, and couldn't resist walking over. He looked up and whispered, "Are Kaede-oneesan and Sakuraba-niichan dating?"
"Huh?" The two were startled and hurriedly moved apart.
"No wonder things felt weird between Miss Kaede and Mr. Kikuhito earlier," Hattori Heiji also walked over. "Is it because Miss Kaede and Mr. Sakuraba are dating? But wasn't Miss Kaede going to marry Mr. Kikuhito?"
"Uh, no..." Katagiri Kaede flustered, not knowing how to explain.
"It looks like Mr. Kikuhito probably knew as well. Did the three of you agree to put on an act? Or..." Conan stroked his chin, speculating. Suddenly, he felt his collar tighten. Before he could react, Chi Feichi had grabbed him by the back of his collar and lifted him aside.
"Kids shouldn't meddle in adult affairs," Chi Feichi said, then turned to Hattori Heiji, who had sidled up next to him, eager to join in. "The same goes for minors."
Hattori Heiji choked, then turned his head and muttered, "You're only two or three years older than me. Jeez..."
Chi Feichi didn't respond. He called Katagiri Kaede and Sakuraba Yuji aside to talk.
"Private talks with Butler Shigematsu and Mr. Kikuhito, the relationship between Mr. Sakuraba and Miss Kaede..." Conan stared at the backs of the three. "Could the thing Chi Feichi wouldn't talk about be related to Mr. Sakuraba and Miss Kaede? This wedding..."
Hattori Heiji squatted down, draped an arm around Conan's shoulder, leaned in, and whispered, "Hey, Kudo..."
"What is it?" Conan turned his head speechlessly. "Not to lecture you, but can you stop calling me Kudo all the time?"
"That's not important," Hattori Heiji picked up a mobile phone, waved it in front of Conan, and grinned. "What's important is this!"
"This phone..." Conan couldn't take his eyes off it. Wasn't this Chi Feichi's phone?
"I swiped it when I got close to him just now, while he wasn't paying attention," Hattori Heiji grinned, his white teeth dazzling. He handed the phone over. "Shouldn't you thank me?"
"Good job, Hattori!" Conan excitedly took the phone, flipped it open, and focused on entering the password...
Password incorrect.
When the 'Password Incorrect' message displayed, the lock screen wallpaper changed. It became a simple drawing of a knife piercing through the screen, resting on the head of an animal resembling a Shiba Inu. Beside it was a line of text:
[Touch the phone, behead the dog]
Hattori Heiji: "..."
Conan: "..."
Their smiles gradually froze.
"Hey, I say..." Hattori Heiji looked at Conan speechlessly. "Don't you know the password?"
"I knew the original password, but he changed it," Conan looked at the picture, feeling thoroughly unwell. He decisively prepared to remove the back cover to find the memory card. "It doesn't matter. His photos and videos should be stored on the memory card. As long as I get the memory card..."
He pried open the back cover. Under the battery, there was a thin slip of paper:
[Don't bother looking, even the SIM card isn't here]
The two looked and, sure enough, the card slots were empty. Not only was the memory card missing, but even the SIM card wasn't there.
Hattori Heiji: "..."
Conan: "..."
On the other side, Feichi poked his head out from Chi Feichi's collar, happily watching the show. "Master, Master, they are completely dumbfounded!"
Chi Feichi didn't turn to look. He continued telling Katagiri Kaede about Morizono Kikuhito's plan.
From the moment Conan tried to aim the tranquilizer dart at him, he knew the kid wouldn't give up. He originally intended to just tease Conan, but he didn't expect Hattori Heiji to get involved too...
"Master, their faces have turned dark..."
"Eh, something's wrong. Why are they smiling so maliciously... There must be a conspiracy. I'll go check!"
Feichi pulled his head back, slid down from under the shirt hem, and quickly approached Conan and Hattori Heiji.
"Thank you!" Hearing that Morizono Kikuhito was willing to cancel the wedding, Katagiri Kaede immediately thanked him excitedly. "Thank you so much!"
"Let's go visit Young Master Kikuhito tomorrow and thank him too!" Sakuraba Yuji also looked grateful.
His fiancée is becoming yours, and you're making a special trip to the hospital to thank him?
Chi Feichi's gaze was complex for a moment. "Go ahead. But keep a low profile publicly for now."
"Right," Sakuraba Yuji scratched his head and looked at Katagiri Kaede. "Then let's go separately tomorrow. I also need to visit Uncle Shigematsu..."
On the other side, Conan and Hattori Heiji were whispering.
"It's not like there's no way," Hattori Heiji chuckled. "Just catch him in a compromising situation, and then openly negotiate an exchange. Wouldn't that work?"
"Like that..." Conan turned to look at Hattori Heiji. Their eyes met, and he laughed too. "That's a pretty good idea!"
"But since the wedding is cancelled, I'm heading back to Osaka tomorrow," Hattori Heiji smiled and patted Conan on the shoulder. "If you discover Chi Feichi's little secrets, be sure to share them with me!"
"Alright, alright," Conan was speechless at Hattori Heiji's love for drama. "I'm not sure when I can swap my video back either. You saw it; he's figured out my thinking completely. I couldn't even get the memory card, let alone catch him in a compromising situation..."
"Anyway, good luck!" As Hattori Heiji laughed, he felt a cold gaze staring at him. He looked down and saw Feichi lying at their feet.
Feichi: "..."
I seem to have heard some shocking news again...
"How did Feichi get over here?" Hattori Heiji didn't take it to heart. Seeing Chi Feichi had finished talking, he picked Feichi up and whispered to Conan, "I'll go stall him for you. Hurry up and put the phone back together. Try to get close to him more often in the future; maybe you'll discover something. But Feichi really is well-behaved. If only we could ask him, he definitely knows a lot of things..."
"Even if you asked, I wouldn't tell you..." Feichi muttered. Seeing Chi Feichi walking over, he immediately flicked his tail. "Master, those two are plotting to catch you in a compromising situation to exchange for Conan's video!"
Chi Feichi took Feichi from Hattori Heiji. After Feichi crawled into his sleeve, he kept his hand extended.
Hattori Heiji froze, then laughed awkwardly. He took the phone from Conan, who had come up behind him, and placed it in Chi Feichi's hand. "Here, you dropped your phone just now!"
Chi Feichi nodded. After taking the phone back, he inserted the SIM card and memory card, turned it on, and glanced at it. There was one missed call and one unread text message, both from his cheap father.
Hattori Heiji: "..."
He really isn't asking anything...
Megure Juzo led Eguchi Sachiko out the door. Takagi Wataru looked at the others. "Everyone, about the statement..."
"I have to go back to Osaka tomorrow," Hattori Heiji found an excuse and smiled, pointing at Chi Feichi. "Actually, he discovered the culprit first. For the statement, just having him go should be enough, right!"
"W-Well, okay!" Takagi Wataru maintained a polite smile, silently chanting in his heart: Please don't let me be the one taking the statement, absolutely not me...
As the police cars left, the reporters outside also gradually dispersed.
Chi Feichi also received a call from his cheap father. "Hello..."
"I'm outside. Come out," Chi Shinnosuke said simply and hung up.
Outside the gradually quieting main gate, two cars, one black and one white, drove up.
When Chi Feichi went out and saw the cars, Morizono Mikio had already gone over with Morizono Yurie.
A young man wearing glasses got out of the white car and was chatting with Morizono Mikio.
In the black car, only the rear window was rolled down, revealing the faint outline of an upright figure in a black suit.
After Chi Feichi exited the gate, he looked around and spotted Feimo flapping his wings in the bushes before walking toward the car.
Feimo tactfully flew out the gate first, finding a spot on the wall to perch, ready to follow the car.
"...I will go to the hospital tomorrow to understand your son's condition," the young man with glasses said to Morizono Mikio. "Before the prosecution opens the case, I may come again to confirm some details to ensure there is no possibility of the culprit receiving a reduced sentence."