That evening, because Ran, a kindhearted girl, was affected by Director Ochiai, the dinner she prepared was far from its usual standard. Normally, Uncle Kogoro would definitely complain, but this time, he simply ate in silence. Only after finishing his meal did Uncle Kogoro pat the still-downcast Ran, saying, "Ran, no matter what his reason was, he still killed someone. He protected his museum, but he destroyed Boss Manaka's family."
Uncle Kogoro then fell silent for a moment, and with a touch of emotion, he added, "Behind many murder cases, there's always a heartbreaking story hidden. So, you have to learn to get used to it."
"Dad..."
Looking at the rare seriousness of Uncle Kogoro, Ran merely called out to him once before staring blankly. Mu Tianyuan and Conan also watched Uncle Kogoro with some surprise. They were all accustomed to the unreliable, lewd Uncle Kogoro, so his sudden shift in demeanor to a doting father truly left them a little bewildered! Just as Ran, Mu Tianyuan, and Conan were struggling to adapt to Uncle Kogoro's sudden change in character, Uncle Kogoro's expression suddenly shifted. With a lewd look, he winked at Mu Tianyuan and said, "Oh, right, Little Mu, a friend of mine recently recommended a new bar that just opened! They say it has a lot of beautiful women! How about we go check it out right now?"
Ran's mouth twitched. "...Sure enough, that was just an illusion earlier..."
I thought Dad had suddenly changed his ways, but who knew he's still him, that... lewd, alcoholic Kogoro Mouri! It truly was all just an illusion! Conan: "...Heh."
Mu Tianyuan was quite speechless by Uncle Kogoro's antics, but in the end, he looked at the expectant Uncle Kogoro, nodded, and agreed to the suggestion of inspecting the new bar. Then, the two of them, to Ran and Conan's speechless expressions, excitedly hopped off to their inspection.
By the time Mu Tianyuan dropped the drunk Uncle Kogoro back at the detective agency and returned home, it was almost ten o'clock. After a quick tidy-up, Mu Tianyuan pulled out his barbecue grill. He hadn't eaten much for dinner, so he decided to have a late-night snack! As he busied himself, Mu Tianyuan hummed a classic nostalgic tune: "Floating clouds scatter, bright moon shines on all..."
"Wooden-head, Kaito the thief is here!" Mu Tianyuan had just sung a line when Little Fox, who was lying beside him, suddenly spoke. Immediately after, Meow Knightess also chimed in, "Meow, he climbed in through the window, meow!"
Mu Tianyuan paused slightly at Little Fox and Meow Knightess's words, then continued singing as if nothing happened: "Reunion and happiness, this morning is the best, mandarin ducks play in the clear pond..." It wasn't until he finished the song that Mu Tianyuan finally spoke, "Kaito, my boy, how was my singing?"
"How did you know I was here?" Kaito, who was standing elegantly in white by the window, putting on a show, asked glumly. He had intended to give Mu Tianyuan a fright, but who knew the guy had actually noticed him! And this was even when his back was turned! Kaito, as Kaitou Kid, was vexed. His stealth skills had been tested by so many police officers and had never been a problem. And he hadn't made any rookie mistakes like casting a shadow that revealed him or reflecting light that gave him away. So how did this guy know he was here?!
"Guess." Mu Tianyuan smiled, flipping the potatoes on the grill without turning his head. He certainly wasn't going to tell Kaito that he hadn't noticed him, but Little Fox and Meow Knightess had! It would be amusing to let Kaito, the show-off, stew in frustration. So, let Kaito stew. Hearing Mu Tianyuan's words, Kaito immediately rolled his eyes. Guess my foot! If I could guess, would I be asking you?! At this moment, Mu Tianyuan said to Kaito, "I say, you didn't just rush here the moment it was ready, did you? I've just about finished grilling, and you show up. Now, should I invite you to join?"
Kaito: "..."
Damn it, I wasn't going to eat, but just because you said that, I have to eat your food! Just as Kaito resolved to eat his fill, Mu Tianyuan, still flipping food on the grill, said, "Never mind. Last time you treated me to bread, this time I'll treat you to barbecue. Don't just stand there; come sit down."
Hearing Mu Tianyuan, Kaito glumly walked over to him, then tossed a huge backpack and several checks to Mu Tianyuan, saying, "Your money."
"That was fast, you got it all out so quickly." Mu Tianyuan took the bag and casually tossed it onto the floor. Then he picked up the checks, glanced at them, and looked up at Kaito, "Three hundred million?"
"That's right," Kaito said as he sat down, looking at Mu Tianyuan. "Three hundred million in cash, and three hundred million in checks."
"Hmm?" Mu Tianyuan was stunned by Kaito's words, then looked at Kaito and said, "Why so much?" Although the gold coins were worth about six hundred million on the market, this wasn't a pre-ordered deal. He was just looking for buyers in the black market. Mu Tianyuan wasn't naive enough to believe he'd get the full six hundred million market value back. But now, Kaito had given him six hundred million, which threw Mu Tianyuan off a bit. Then Mu Tianyuan looked at Kaito again and said, "Don't tell me those... gold coins are worth even more in the black market than the six hundred million on TV."
"Do you think that's possible?" Kaito rolled his eyes at Mu Tianyuan's question. The gold coins aren't studded with diamonds or precious artifacts. Six hundred million is already a lot, okay? Mu Tianyuan looked Kaito over for a moment, then suddenly said, "By the way, you didn't, by any chance, take those... gold coins for yourself, did you?"
Regarding Mu Tianyuan's guess, Kaito shrugged, "That's right, I took those... gold coins." After Mu Tianyuan left yesterday, Kaito, after a bit of coaxing to decline Aoko's invitation, took those gold coins and went to consult with his father's assistant, Konosuke Terai, about countermeasures. Konosuke Terai was the person Kaito trusted most. Kaito felt it was necessary to have Terai help him think this through, especially since he had promised Mu Tianyuan. To fence the goods, he needed Terai's help.
Konosuke Terai, after learning from Kaito that Mu Tianyuan seemed to bear no ill will, suggested that they take the gold coins for themselves and directly give Mu Tianyuan six hundred million, thus building a good relationship with him. Don't let the fact that Konosuke Terai was just a small bar owner fool you; the guy was loaded. Plus, Kaito himself wasn't short on cash, so the two of them agreed to do it.
Seeing Kaito nod in confirmation, Mu Tianyuan finally understood why he had suddenly earned so much. Then Mu Tianyuan pulled out a check and tossed it to Kaito, "Even though you took these gold coins yourself, I don't care who the buyer is. I won't shortchange you on the benefits I promised."
"Are you crazy?! You just threw away a hundred million with a flick of your hand!" Little Fox, seeing Mu Tianyuan's actions, immediately glared at him and squawked through their special line. While outwardly unfazed, Mu Tianyuan then spoke to Little Fox in a genuinely pained tone, "Do you think I want to? I've already talked big; how can I go back on my word? I've already explained before, the key is being able to turn gold coins into cash. Besides, these days, if someone helps you, can you not give them some benefits? And besides, I've already made five hundred million, which is more than I expected, so just give him some."
"Ugh... but this is too much!" Little Fox muttered glumly after hearing Mu Tianyuan. Mu Tianyuan also said, somewhat dejectedly, "There's no other way. You can't just give him a hundred thousand or two hundred thousand either!"
Kaito was first stunned by the check Mu Tianyuan tossed him, then pushed it back towards Mu Tianyuan with a smile, "No need, I was just helping out, or rather, it was a transaction between the two of us."
"Alright, I owe you this favor." Hearing Kaito's words, Mu Tianyuan remained silent for a long while... finally looking at Kaito. Then Mu Tianyuan quickly took the check back, chuckling, "Honestly, I'm really reluctant to part with it! If I didn't have small change on me, I would've just given you a hundred to begin with."
Kaito: "..."
Damn it, I should've just kept it earlier! Mu Tianyuan grinned at Kaito, then started inviting him, "Come, come, don't be shy, eat it while it's hot." Mu Tianyuan even enthusiastically picked up a potato with tongs, put it on a plate, and handed it to Kaito. Kaito indeed didn't stand on ceremony with Mu Tianyuan. He had come all this way to deliver money for him without taking a single cent, so he figured he at least deserved a meal. However, after a couple of bites, Kaito looked at Mu Tianyuan, who was helping Little Fox and Meow Knightess with their sweet potatoes, with a hint of exasperation. "I say, is your barbecue only potatoes, sweet potatoes, and taro? Don't you have any meat?"
Kaito clearly remembered that when Mu Tianyuan visited his house yesterday, the guy had complained that his fridge only had bread and no meat, calling him poor. Now, he could finally use this to tease Mu Tianyuan! At least his own fridge had bread and milk, but look at what this guy had... besides potatoes, it was sweet potatoes, or taro! He was even worse off than himself! "No choice, I'm just poor." Mu Tianyuan shrugged, blowing on a sweet potato for Meow Knightess. Then, patting his backpack, he added cheerfully, "But now it's fine! With the money you, my patron god, brought, I don't have to eat these anymore! It was indeed the right decision to find you back then!"
Mu Tianyuan was really glad he thought of having Kaito handle the gold coins. Not only did he deliver the money just a day later, but the amount was also far beyond his expectations. Just for that, he had to give Kaito a thumbs up!
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