"What?! You two were kidnapped?"
"And then the kidnapper just let you go?"
"And Sonoko, you thought he was both handsome and pitiful, so you felt sorry for him and handed him a hundred million yen?"
"You idiots! You absolute blockheads! You were conned!!"
"…"
Inside Café Poirot, Shinichi nearly tore his hair out after hearing the full story from his childhood friends. He pounded the table in frustration, utterly exasperated.
He couldn't believe it. How could two girls he knew be this unbelievably gullible?!
"I wasn't conned! I gave it to him willingly!" Sonoko huffed, repeating herself.
"Shinichi, can't you at least try to look at the bright side?" Ran protested. "I really think Baishi-kun wants to turn over a new leaf."
"Exactly! Why else would he suddenly let us go?" Sonoko argued.
Shinichi looked at them both—completely duped and still helping the guy count his money. He groaned, covering his face.
"If he hadn't done that, you never would've handed him money so easily. Can't you see? This was a setup from the start."
"You're too young. Too naïve."
"You think you gave that money out of kindness? No—you walked straight into his scheme."
"Call the police! Maybe it's not too late to get it back."
But Sonoko flatly refused. "Tomorrow. We'll see him at school tomorrow—I'm sure of it."
"Fine. Do whatever you want. I've said my piece." Shinichi leaned back, defeated. She had money to spare anyway. Maybe once Sonoko suffered a loss, she'd finally learn her lesson.
On his way home, Baishi opened up the Bandit System to check his progress.
Current Mission: Accumulate 100 million yen in stolen funds. Progress: 0.
"Tch. Even this doesn't count?" He frowned.
So the system didn't recognize Sonoko's money as ill-gotten gains. Technically, it wasn't stolen—it was given willingly.
Well, that was fine.
Because what was about to happen would definitely count.
Shutting off the interface, Baishi followed his "memories" to a place called NiuNiu Finance.
On the surface, it looked like a regular office. Nothing suggested it was a loan shark front.
"I'm here to pay back my debt," Baishi announced to a burly man fiddling with his phone.
The thug glanced at him, then at the heavy money case, a sly smile tugging at his lips. "Looks like you did pretty well for yourself, Baishi-kun."
He pocketed his phone and swept a metal detector over Baishi's body.
Baishi obediently emptied his pockets of phone, keys, and coins. Once the detector stayed silent, the thug led him upstairs.
"Boss, Baishi's here. Judging by that case, he must've pulled off a big score," the thug said, grinning nastily.
"Congratulations, Baishi-kun!" The "boss," a thin, middle-aged man puffing on a cigar, chuckled. "That was fast. Looks like you've got a real knack for this business."
"Cut the crap. Two million yen, right?" Baishi flipped open the case, pulled out twenty million yen, and slapped it on the desk. "Count it."
The boss's eyes narrowed. Inside the case was far more than he expected. He smirked. "Two million was the amount two days ago. Interest adds up. Today it's more."
He leaned back, blowing smoke. "And this money of yours is clearly dirty. If I take it, I take the risk. Naturally, my fee goes up."
"How about you add another twenty million?"
"Twenty million?!" Baishi gaped. "You might as well just rob me outright!"
"Ha! Exactly." The man laughed, pulling a pistol from the drawer and aiming it at him. "Leave the money—and get out."
"You're breaking the deal. Aren't you afraid of ruining your reputation?" Baishi glared.
The man sneered. "Reputation? Don't be stupid. I'm a loan shark. I run with the underworld. You think rules matter here?"
"Besides, you know how you got this money. Do you really think you can go crying to the cops?"
"You…" Baishi clenched his jaw, then sighed like he was admitting defeat. "Fine. You can have it. But give me my IOU back."
"Hah! Students these days really are clueless. Still hung up on paperwork, even now?" The boss snorted, amused. "Fine. If you want it, take it."
He set down the gun, rifled through the drawer, and pulled out Baishi's signed debt slip. "Here. Now get lost."
Baishi snatched the paper, silent, and walked out.
"Escort him down. Then lock up," the boss ordered.
The thug glanced greedily at the case but obeyed, guiding Baishi toward the stairs.
That was when he noticed Baishi calmly slipping on a strange half-mask that covered the top of his face.
"…What's with the mask?" the thug asked, frowning.
"Can't you tell?" Baishi grinned—and pulled out an AK-47. With a sharp click, he chambered a round. "This should make it clear."
"You—you—! H-how the hell did you just pull out an AK?!" The thug stumbled back, panic-stricken.
"Curiosity killed the cat," Baishi chuckled darkly. Then he pulled the trigger.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Three rounds ripped through the man's chest. He staggered backward, crashing halfway into the office before collapsing in a heap.
Baishi stepped inside, voice booming: "This is a robbery! Hands in the air!!"
The boss spun around, startled, his eyes widening at the sight of the rifle.
Now he understood where Baishi's money had come from.
"B-Baishi-kun! L-let's talk this through!"
"Baishi-kun?" Baishi sneered. "Call me Azoth."
"Y-yes, Azoth." The man raised both hands high, trembling. "Don't be reckless. You're young—your whole life is still ahead of you."
"Shut up and hand over the cash." Baishi's smile was ice-cold. "You've got three minutes."
"I'll give it! I'll give it!" The boss's gaze flicked to the thug's lifeless body. His heart nearly stopped.
He hurried to the safe, fumbling at the lock, terrified of moving too slowly.
Why didn't I just shoot him when I had the chance? he cursed inwardly. I'll grab my gun back as soon as I can…
The safe door swung open with a metallic clack.
Forcing a smile, the boss gestured toward it. "A-Azoth… here it is. All the money's inside. Please, just let me live."
He even dropped to his knees, bowing his head again and again.
"As if," Baishi scoffed. Without hesitation, he emptied the rest of his magazine into him.
Bullets tore through the man's body, shredding him into a bloody mess.
A scumbag who made a living exploiting ordinary people through loan sharking—better off dead.
And besides… he didn't follow the rules.
Baishi knew, from years of reading novels, that leaving this type alive only meant trouble later.