Winning is everything: Conan

Chapter 3: Why Do You Say You Made a Mistake?

After entering through the detention center's gate, arriving at the lobby, and speaking with the police officer on duty, Keisuke Kumiko was led to a visitation room.

The visitation room was a small space of about 20 square meters, divided by a glass window where visitors and suspects could meet.

After waiting for a while, a middle-aged man was brought in and seated on the other side of the glass.

The man appeared to be in his forties, with a square face, a depressed expression, and a few strands of gray hair.

Masayoshi Sakaguchi was a lawyer specializing in juvenile delinquency and a suspect in a murder case involving dog training as revenge.

He appeared in the Detective Conan anime episode The Case of John the Dog's Murders.

"Hello, Mr. Sakaguchi, I am Attorney Kumiko, and I'm here to defend you."

"The lawyer must be one sent by the government?"

Sakaguchi Masayoshi looked at Kumiko with dull eyes.

"Go ahead, I'm already planning to plead guilty. I don't need anyone to defend me."

This is where this case becomes more troublesome.

Normally, a client would not give up their right to a defense, but according to Kumiko's research, this person had abandoned the idea of fighting back after being brainwashed by detectives Mouri Kogoro and Conan.

It was clear that the protagonists had already instilled in him the idea of "guilt."

However, Keisuke Kumiko had already prepared before coming.

Faced with Sakaguchi Masayoshi's negative attitude, he bluntly said, "Tell me, Mr. Sakaguchi, have you forgotten that you are a lawyer?"

"Yes, but so what?" Sakaguchi said with a self-deprecating smile. "It's useless to say anything now. I'm a criminal."

"Oh, then I want to ask you—did you throw away everything you learned in the past, or did you chew it up, swallow it, and then defecate it out to feed it to your dog's stomach?"

"What did you say?!"

Sakaguchi Masayoshi's face changed upon hearing the young man's mocking words, and he immediately stood up.

"You can insult me, but you cannot insult my profession!"

"Oh?"

Keisuke Kumiko looked at him and chuckled softly.

"Then what right do you have to call yourself a criminal? Who gave you that right?"

Sakaguchi Masayoshi was momentarily stunned.

Indeed, what this man was saying was true.

By legal definition, no one has the right to be labeled a "criminal" before going through due process in court and being convicted. Even if someone has committed a crime, they can only be referred to as a "suspect."

This rule is based on the principle of presumption of innocence—that is, a person is innocent until proven guilty.

Sakaguchi Masayoshi moved his lips but then lowered his head. "But… I don't deserve it..."

"Mr. Sakaguchi, I'm not interested in what kind of person you are."

Keisuke Kumiko interrupted him directly.

"The only thing you need to know is that I'm here to defend you. I'm your defense attorney, and that's all that matters."

Sakaguchi Masayoshi was taken aback for a moment, then shook his head and said, "I don't need… I don't need you to defend me."

"Oh, then you're a real fool."

Keisuke Kumiko laughed sarcastically.

"Haha, alright, let me think. Let's not even talk about whether you actually committed a crime. Let me analyze what will happen if you do nothing..."

"First, you will be disbarred. You will never be able to practice law again, never get another job, and never earn the high salary that a lawyer does."

"Second, the victim's family will demand a huge sum of money as compensation. They'll ask for a fortune. They might even say something like their child was their only son, and so on. I estimate that even selling your house won't be enough to fill that financial hole."

"Third…"

Just as Keisuke Kumiko was about to continue, Sakaguchi Masayoshi's eyes widened in anger, and he roared:

"What a joke! Their son forced my son to his death, yet I didn't demand any compensation from them at the time!"

"But they won't see it that way!" Keisuke Kumiko laughed. "Others will only see that you killed their child. From their perspective, they are the victims, and they deserve to ask you for money."

"…"

Sakaguchi Masayoshi's face turned pale, and he slumped back into his seat.

After a while, he slowly lifted his head again.

"But… Conan, that kid said… John was also heartbroken over Masato's death. Every day, he would wait silently in front of Masato's room, hoping for his return… But I used such a kind animal to kill people. I… I…"

Before he could finish, Keisuke Kumiko's cold words cut in once again.

"Looks like you didn't just feed your dog all your legal knowledge—you also fed him everything you learned in middle school and high school biology!"

Keisuke Kumiko stared at him and sneered.

"Animals have never possessed something like 'kindness.' All values are imposed on them by humans. Animals understand nothing. Animals don't have thoughts—only instincts. Do you understand? Let me ask you: if your John were really intelligent and understood that your son was dead, would he still go to your son's room every day to wait for him? That's just an instinct you trained into him!"

"Don't let your dog be an idiot, and don't let other people's words make you an idiot either! Have your own independent opinions, Mr. Lawyer!"

After hearing Keisuke Kumiko's words, Sakaguchi Masayoshi felt as if he had been struck in the chest with a heavy hammer. He looked at him, dazed.

After a long while, Sakaguchi Masayoshi's once-rigid expression gradually relaxed, and a smile appeared.

"You're right. I shouldn't give up my right to defend myself! This is a right I deserve. Why should I waste it just because of a child's words? He's just a kid. What does he know?"

Sakaguchi suddenly regained his energy and couldn't help but stand up again.

Seeing this, Keisuke Kumiko narrowed his eyes slightly, and a smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.

In his vision, one of the two progress bars above Sakaguchi's head—the "recognition level"—had advanced a notch, indicating that the client had begun to trust him.

There were five levels of recognition. Generally, as long as two levels were reached, the commission could be successfully accepted.

"Young man, you have a sharp tongue!"

Sakaguchi Masayoshi's voice of praise reached his ears.

Keisuke Kumiko nodded slightly. "Thank you for the compliment."

"But I don't need your defense," Sakaguchi Masayoshi said, looking at him. "I am a lawyer myself. I can act as my own defense attorney. The law allows it."

Indeed, as long as he did not engage in negative defense tactics, the courts in this world would recognize his status as his own attorney.

Keisuke Kumiko looked at him and smiled.

"Are you sure?"

"Of course, I will use my professional knowledge to try to get my sentence reduced."

Masayoshi Sakaguchi said.

"A reduced sentence? Hahahaha!"

Hearing this, Keisuke Kumiko burst into laughter.

The laughter was so sharp that Sakaguchi couldn't help but frown.

"Why are you laughing?"

"I'm laughing at how shortsighted you are."

Keisuke raised a finger and waved it gently in front of Sakaguchi.

"With me, there's no such thing as a reduced sentence!"

(End of this chapter)

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