Detective Conan: Shadow Legion Office

101: Chapter 101 The Number One Graves in the Chinese ServerThe streets and alleys of Tokyo have recently been flooded with news of the Suzuki Conglomerate’s ”acts of kindness.”

Posters reading ”Suzuki Conglomerate Subsidy, Buy One Get One Free on Bread” were plastered on convenience store doors; new fitness equipment in community parks was engraved with the words ”Donated by Suzuki”; even public service advertisements in the subway were replaced with images of Suzuki Shiro wearing an apron and delivering meals to the elderly living alone.

”The Suzuki Family is really hitting the people where it counts with these campaign ads.”

Office workers scrolling through their phones in the subway marveled, ”With this momentum, the next Prime Minister is a sure thing.”

”Isn’t it? I heard other Zaibatsu have expressed their support, even the Tanaka Family has bowed their heads.”

”But would the current Prime Minister be happy? I heard Prime Minister Miyamoto smashed a cup during a cabinet meeting yesterday, cursing the Suzuki Family for ’not knowing the rules’.”

When the discussions reached the Prime Ministers Official Residence, Miyamoto was sitting in his office, looking at the mountain of clippings about the Suzuki Conglomerate’s ”good deeds” on his desk, his face as ashen as iron that had been quenched in ice after being heated red-hot.

”Baka!”

He slammed his palm onto the desk, causing the tea in his cup to splash out.

”I haven’t even stepped down yet! How does Suzuki Shiro dare to make such a fuss? Does he really think I, the Prime Minister, am just a decoration?”

The secretary nearby shrunk back in fear. ”Prime Minister, the Suzuki Conglomerate has now united more than half of the Zaibatsu. Going head-to-head might...”

”Head-to-head? Do I need to go head-to-head with him?”

Miyamoto sneered, a sinister glint in his eyes. ”He wants to be Prime Minister? I’ll let him know who the real person in charge of Japan is!”

That afternoon, the Japanese government suddenly issued a series of ”new regulations”:

—Supermarkets under the Suzuki Conglomerate were found to have ”non-compliant food labels,” and all stores in the city were ordered to suspend business for rectification;

—The charity projects Suzuki Shiro participated in were accused of having ”unclear sources of funding,” and the Tax Bureau came to audit the accounts;

—Even the fitness equipment donated by the Suzuki Family to the community was sealed by the Safety Supervision Bureau with notices saying ”potential safety hazards exist.”

The series of suppressions was precise and ruthless, all aimed at the Suzuki Family, yet executed flawlessly. Anyone with eyes could see the Prime Minister was behind it, but no evidence could be found.

In Suzuki Shiro’s office, the atmosphere was so heavy it felt like it could be wrung out like water.

”Dad, the people from the Tax Bureau are still waiting outside, saying they want to audit the accounts for the last three years.”

Suzuki Sonoko paced around anxiously. ”Closing the supermarkets for just one day costs us millions!”

Suzuki Shiro frowned, smoking one cigarette after another. ”That old man Miyamoto is determined to make things difficult for us.”

Suzuki Tomoko’s expression was also grim. ”He’s just afraid you’ll threaten his position. All the other Zaibatsu are watching; if we can’t hold out, all our previous efforts will be in vain.”

”But he’s clearly targeting us. What do we do?”

Suzuki Shiro crushed his cigarette in the ashtray. ”We can’t let him actually drag us down, can we?”

Just then, Suzuki Tomoko’s phone rang. She glanced at the caller ID, her eyes brightening, and said to Suzuki Shiro, ”It’s Mr. Lin Long.”

When the call connected, Lin Long’s voice came through the receiver, as calm and steady as ever. ”I heard the current Prime Minister, Miyamoto, has made his move?”

”Yes, constant petty tricks. It’s quite disgusting.”

Suzuki Tomoko briefly explained the situation. ”He’s clearly only targeting us, and we can’t ask other Zaibatsu for help because of our own problems...”

There was a few seconds of silence on Lin Long’s end before he suddenly chuckled.

”Since you can’t solve the problem, then solve the person causing it.”

Suzuki Shiro leaned in and grabbed the phone. ”Mr. Lin Long, you mean...”

”Miyamoto is in the way, so let him move aside.”

Lin Long’s tone was casual, as if he were saying the weather was nice today.

”Just be ready to take over the aftermath; leave the rest to me.”

Suzuki Shiro’s eyes widened. ”What are you going to do? Miyamoto is the current Prime Minister. Touching him...”

”Don’t worry, no evidence will be left behind.”

Lin Long interrupted him. ”I have an ’old friend’ here who happens to be an expert at handling this kind of ’trouble.’ It’s time to let him stretch his legs a bit.”

After hanging up, Suzuki Shiro and Suzuki Tomoko looked at each other, both seeing the confusion in the other’s eyes—who was this ”old friend” Lin Long mentioned?

In fact, the ”old friend” Lin Long mentioned was just an excuse to brush off the Suzuki couple.

What he wanted to do was just like what happened to that Prime Minister in Japan in his previous life; during a public speech, what if he ran into a few blind Japanese citizens...

After all, aren’t these Japanese people’s very genes engraved with the trait of ’Gekokujo’—the lower overcoming the upper?

Lin Long thought to himself, indeed, it’s time to call upon that one.

”number one gunner of the national server!”

Lin Long planned to have Vermouth disguise herself as a civilian and approach the current Prime Minister while he was giving a speech, and then...

After hanging up with the Suzuki couple, Lin Long snapped his fingers and summoned Vermouth using his special ability.

”Hi, my dear master.”

”Was there something so urgent that you had to summon me? Or did you just miss me?” Vermouth was momentarily dazed when she was first summoned, but then she walked with a swaying, feline grace to stand behind Lin Long and hugged him.

”Vermouth, I summoned you here, not to let you be in heat. Stop playing around; I have a mission for you.” Lin Long spoke coldly, his eyes showing no emotion.

”Fine, you’re so boring, Master.”

”Alright, your mission this time is the current Prime Minister of Japan, Miyamoto. I received word that the Prime Minister will be giving a speech on the streets of Tokyo in three days to appease the public. Your task is to disguise yourself as a member of the Black Organization, get close to the Prime Minister, and then ’take him out’.”

After saying this, Lin Long even made a throat-slitting gesture with his hand.

It was clear that by having Vermouth carry out this assassination, Lin Long intended for the blame to fall on the Black Organization once again.

Poor Gin had only just obtained the organization boss’s permission to leave the small island and return to Tokyo. Before his own plans could even begin, Lin Long had already arranged for him to take the fall for such a massive crime.

In the Suzuki villa, Suzuki Shiro was still agonizing over Lin Long’s words.

”Tomoko, do you think the person Lin Long found is reliable? That’s the Prime Minister...”

Suzuki Tomoko, however, was calm. ”Lin Long has always been prudent. If he says he can solve it, he will. What we need to do now is hold our ground and not let Miyamoto see any weakness.”

As she spoke, Sonoko ran in with a tablet. ”Dad! Mom! Look! Prime Minister Miyamoto was shot while giving a roadshow speech on the streets of Tokyo to appease the crowd. His life is hanging by a thread!”

”What?”

Suzuki Shiro grabbed the tablet. The news push on the screen read:

[Breaking! Prime Minister Miyamoto was attacked during a speech on the streets of Tokyo. He was shot several times and has been rushed to the hospital!]

In the accompanying photo, Miyamoto lay on a stretcher being lifted into an ambulance by medical staff. His blood stained the white bandages red, and a blurred pool of blood could be seen on the ground nearby.

”This... this is too much of a coincidence, isn’t it?” Suzuki Sonoko’s eyes widened.

Suzuki Shiro and Suzuki Tomoko looked at each other, both seeing the shock in the other’s eyes—Lin Long’s ”old friend” moved way too fast!

Not long after, the news was updated again:

[Prime Minister Miyamoto has been pronounced dead after failing to respond to emergency treatment due to excessive bleeding. The Cabinet has called an emergency meeting to discuss candidates for an interim Prime Minister...]

The office fell silent instantly.

Suzuki Shiro swallowed hard, suddenly feeling a slight chill down his spine—Lin Long’s power was simply terrifying.

Suzuki Tomoko gently patted his hand and whispered:

”Don’t think too much. At least our path is now clear.”

The sunlight outside was just right, spilling through the glass onto the floor and casting a golden glow.

Suzuki Shiro looked at the news headline ”Suzuki Conglomerate Stock Price Rises Against the Trend” on the tablet and suddenly understood what Lin Long meant by ”it’s time to call upon that one.”

number one gunner of the national server? More like the Server’s Number One ”Obstacle Clearing” Master.

He picked up his phone and sent a message to Lin Long: [Thank you.]

He quickly received a reply, just two words: [My duty.]

Suzuki Shiro put down his phone and took a deep breath—it seemed that their cooperation with Lin Long had only just begun. And the sky over Japan was about to change.