Half an hour later, even Mouri Ran began to suspect that Suzuki Sonoko and Kyogoku Makoto had gotten lost in the forest.
Just as the group was considering going to look for them, the two finally finished talking and came out.
Originally, the plan was to return to Tokyo today, but since Kyogoku Makoto didn't intend to go to Tokyo, the group stayed for one more day, giving the couple some time for a date.
The next day, Chi Feichi drove the group back. When he finally dropped Conan and Mouri Ran off at the detective agency, it happened to be evening, and he was invited by Mouri Ran to stay for dinner.
"Eat here?" Mouri Kogoro sat behind his desk, legs propped up on it, pretending to read the newspaper solemnly while secretly glancing at Mouri Ran. "The young master of a major conglomerate must be very picky about food. When you called earlier, I went to the supermarket and bought high-quality ingredients. Ran, you must cook a delicious and lavish dinner!"
"Eh?" Mouri Ran was surprised that her father was suddenly so reliable. However, looking at Mouri Kogoro's rude posture and his poorly concealed gluttony, she immediately gave him the half-moon eyes. "I think it's you who wants to eat a big meal, Dad..."
Mouri Kogoro coughed dryly, took his legs off the desk, and sat up straight. "How can you say that? Although I've been eating bento boxes alone at home for the past two days and wanted a change of taste, I didn't ask you to make a big meal just for myself. I'm thinking about our livelihood."
"For our livelihood?" Mouri Ran was puzzled.
"Think about it. That kid Chi Feichi comes from a wealthy family. If he has any cases to commission me for, the fee will definitely be substantial. If he has to choose between two detectives, he'll definitely choose an acquaintance..." Mouri Kogoro was already imagining stacks of commission fees flying towards him, and a smile involuntarily appeared on his face.
Mouri Ran was speechless. This logic...
"But Uncle, you haven't acted very close to Brother Chi before, have you?" Conan suspected Mouri Kogoro just wanted to eat something good.
"What do you know, you brat?" Mouri Kogoro would absolutely never admit that he had only just thought of this. Every time he saw Chi Feichi's icy face, he felt the surrounding temperature drop again and again. He couldn't be enthusiastic even if he wanted to. The key point was that the guy kept a pet snake, and he was afraid of snakes, okay? "As a famous detective, I certainly can't cheapen myself. I must maintain a serious and earnest attitude to make him understand that I am very reliable!"
"Is... is that so?" Mouri Ran blinked.
Thinking about it, it seemed Mouri Kogoro was indeed serious every time he met Chi Feichi.
Even last time at the Morizono house, his interactions with Morizono Mikio were very solemn...
Although she felt this way of thinking was a bit calculating towards a friend, if Chi Feichi had a problem, commissioning her dad was better than commissioning others. Acquaintances would always take better care of things.
Moreover, it was a good thing to have someone who could make her dad pay attention to his image.
However, since they were friends, if Chi Feichi did have a commission, she would keep an eye on her dad to make sure he didn't overcharge...
"Originally, I planned to win him over with my skills and tell him to come to me for any future commissions. But the few times I've met him, there didn't seem to be any chance for me to shine," Mouri Kogoro stroked his chin in thought. "Last time at the Morizono house, I finally had a chance to solve a case, but that brat from Osaka beat me to it. That's why I hate high school detectives the most. Before stealing the spotlight, they should at least consider us detectives who need to support a family..."
Conan chuckled in his heart. Of course. With Chi Feichi around, how could 'Sleeping Kogoro' have a chance to appear?
With Chi Feichi's ability, he doesn't need to commission a detective to do anything at all. The old man is purely dreaming too big...
"But speaking of which, didn't he come up with you?" Mouri Kogoro didn't forget to straighten his clothes. "Fine. You guys just play along with me later and let him understand that I am a reliable detective."
"Brother Feichi, he..." Mouri Ran turned to look at the door.
"Because I felt I couldn't visit empty-handed," Chi Feichi entered the door and placed a bag on the table, "I went to buy some things."
Mouri Kogoro looked at Chi Feichi's calm expression and gaze throughout, and the corner of his mouth twitched slightly. Sure enough, the temperature dropped...
"Brother Feichi, you're too polite," Mouri Ran said hurriedly.
"Fruit and alcohol," Mouri Kogoro wanted to step forward when he saw the alcohol, but fearing it would feel even colder if he approached, he could only suppress his excitement and look from a distance. "And it's quite an expensive fine wine!"
Seeing that Mouri Kogoro maintained his image even upon seeing alcohol, Mouri Ran was happy and smiled. "You guys chat first; I'm going to cook!"
Chi Feichi nodded, feeling that Mouri Kogoro was acting weird.
Although the wine he bought wasn't some rare, extinct vintage, it was still a high-quality wine that was hard to come by. Why was Mouri Kogoro's reaction so flat?
Thinking carefully, Mouri Kogoro seemed to have always been cold towards him. It was evident last time at the Morizono house. Clearly, they were acquaintances who had met before, but Mouri Kogoro preferred to chat with Morizono Mikio the whole time and had no intention of chatting with him.
Does he have a problem with me?
Or is everyone wrong, and Mouri Kogoro isn't actually as unreliable as he seems on the surface? Does he think I'm a dangerous element and remains vigilant against me?
Mouri Kogoro looked up and met Chi Feichi's gaze, which was so calm it was unreadable. Then he saw Feichi, who had slipped out of Chi Feichi's sleeve and was playing on the table. He stiffened unconsciously, kept a serious expression, and sat bolt upright: "..."
How on earth did my daughter become friends with this kind of person?
Unbelievable!
Chi Feichi: "..."
Where exactly is the problem?
Conan: "..."
Uncle is acting a bit too hard.
It seems like the room has frozen over... No, be confident, remove "seems like".
From the kitchen, the sounds of cookware clattering came occasionally.
Outside, there was silence. The three sat quietly, their brains active, but no one spoke, like three stone statues.
Mouri Ran finished cooking, carried the dishes, turned, and came out, only to see three people sitting in silence with grave expressions. "Dinner is ready... Uh, is something wrong?"
"Nothing..." Mouri Kogoro breathed a sigh of relief. If this silence continued, he felt he would be crushed to death by the increasingly heavy atmosphere. He coughed seriously, "Ahem... let's eat."
Chi Feichi nodded. He had observed that for a full forty-seven minutes, Mouri Kogoro had kept his eyes on his nose and his nose on his heart, not moving a muscle. This self-control was astonishing...
Forced into astonishing self-control, Mouri Kogoro reached the dinner table and immediately opened the wine Chi Feichi brought, deciding to drink a good glass to calm his nerves. Halfway through pouring, he vaguely felt a slightly cool gaze. The corner of his mouth twitched slightly, and he looked up at Chi Feichi. "Mr. Chi, do you drink? Would you like to have a couple of glasses together?"
Chi Feichi nodded. "Sure."
Ten minutes into the meal...
"Ahahahaha! It really is good wine!" Mouri Kogoro laughed heartily. After two glasses, he ignored the low pressure around Chi Feichi completely. While drinking, he bragged to Chi Feichi about the cases he had solved. "Let me tell you, that time..."
Chi Feichi lowered his head and drank, listening to Mouri Kogoro tell the same case twice. Taking advantage of a moment when Mouri Kogoro paused to drink again, he asked directly, "Mr. Mouri, do you have some sort of problem with me?"
Mouri Ran broke a sweat and looked at her dad. Did he act too hard just now and cause a misunderstanding...