Winning is everything: Conan

"Alright, please step aside. I have to go see my client."

Keisuke smiled and, without caring what Maori was thinking at that moment, pushed past the other couple and walked through the middle.

"Cheer up, darling!"

"Eri, is this all my fault?"

"No, it's not..."

The voices of the Maori couple grew smaller behind him.

Keisuke Kumiko didn't care what they were talking about. He simply hummed a tune and walked toward the outer courtroom hall.

As previously arranged, the client's brother, Nakamichi Kazuto, was waiting in the hall, ready to hand over the agreed commission of three million.

"You're really that kind of person..."

Ai sighed and shook her head.

"If you see an ant on the road, would you go out of your way to step on it?"

"Oh, so you saw everything just now."

Keisuke rolled his eyes and turned to see Ai leaning against the hallway wall.

She held a milk carton in her hand, took a sip, and said, "I'm talking to you—can't you speak normally with people? Do you have to stir things up to feel comfortable? I'm honestly afraid that one day you'll suddenly drop dead in some remote bathroom, and I won't even be able to find your body."

"You have no right to lecture me about this."

Keisuke shrugged.

"People in the same industry are enemies. Sooner or later, Eri Kisaki will be my rival. Can't I just calm her down for now and give her a warning?"

Ai raised an eyebrow. "Someone like you handling civil cases?"

In Japan, legal battles between attorneys mostly happen in civil cases.

Since the Japanese prosecution holds great judicial power and has exclusive rights to prosecute, all criminal cases that involve sentencing can only be handled by prosecutors, meaning attorneys don't face each other in criminal cases.

"You don't get it? I won't take a civil case as long as the client can afford my fee," Keisuke said.

"Besides, being a lawyer isn't necessarily a lifetime career."

If the Prosecutor's Office recruits a lawyer, they can become a prosecutor—as long as they pass the civil service exam.

"Kisaki Eri could also become a prosecutor if Kujo Reiko pushes for it."

Keisuke flashed a repulsive grin.

"After all, this case broke her career record of losses—aside from the one against Eri Kisaki."

"You deserve to die. Treating your former teacher like this."

"Teacher? She only supervised me for two months during my internship and frequently punished me with overtime work and reports."

"So this is personal revenge?"

"This is definitely personal revenge."

The two talked as they walked down the hallway.

And then, just before reaching the hall, they saw the devil.

Kujo Reiko stood there, looking anxious, hiding behind a potted plant, clinging to the wall, occasionally peeking down the hallway.

She was clearly avoiding the reporters.

After all, the courtroom was still noisy, and the police officers present were surrounded.

Having just lost a case, and with her pride, there was no way she could simply walk away.

"Ahem, ahem!"

Kujo Reiko almost jumped at the sound of coughing behind her.

When she turned around, she saw Keisuke standing there, looking at her with a mocking expression.

"Kujo-sensei, how does it feel to lose to your beloved student?" Keisuke asked with a grin.

Kujo Reiko opened her mouth but finally just sighed.

"Kumiko, I should have thought about it more carefully..." She looked frustrated and lost. "You're so good at analyzing people—it was impossible for you not to anticipate my strategy. If I had prepared in advance and effectively countered your testimony about Kogoro Mouri, I wouldn't have lost this case so easily."

"What's the point of thinking about it now? A lawsuit is like life—you don't get a do-over."

Keisuke wasn't the type to hold back just because someone was emotional. He enjoyed kicking people when they were down.

So he started mocking her again.

"Anyway, Auntie, maybe you should consider getting married. Seeing you like this, I really feel bad—your endocrine system must be in chaos!"

"You...!"

Kujo Reiko clutched her forehead as if she had a headache.

To be honest, she no longer had the energy to argue with this guy.

Keisuke was the type of person who always found a way to infuriate you. Trying to outtalk him was just asking for humiliation.

"Seriously, with all your talent, is there anything you can't do?" Kujo Reiko sighed. "You might as well become a prosecutor. Punishing the wicked and upholding justice—isn't that good too? I still have a few openings—would you consider it?"

"Oh?"

Keisuke raised an eyebrow.

He hadn't expected Kujo to try recruiting him instead of Kisaki Eri.

But he refused without a second thought. "Sorry, not interested. Find someone else."

Kujo Reiko eyed him. "Is it because the salary is too low?"

Keisuke just smiled and said nothing—his expression said it all.

"Forget it, take care of yourself. It's already hard enough dealing with Kisaki Eri, and now there's Kumiko. I might as well quit..."

The rest of her words were mumbled.

The number of people in the hall gradually dwindled.

When the reporters realized there was no one left to interview, they started to disperse.

Kujo Reiko was the first to leave.

Only after confirming there were no more reporters around did Keisuke and Ai step out of the hallway.

The client, Nakamichi Kazuto, was already waiting outside.

"Here's the agreed three-million commission, attorney. Thank you so much! I never expected you to win this case!"

The case was won, his brother was acquitted, and Nakamichi Kazuto looked overjoyed.

He pulled three bundles of bills, wrapped in rubber bands, from his bag and quickly stuffed them into Keisuke's hands, thanking him repeatedly.

"A pleasure doing business with you."

Keisuke took the money with a smile and slipped it into his bag.

After receiving payment, they chatted briefly, but there wasn't much else to say, so they parted ways.

Before leaving, Keisuke did one thing—he requested a copy of both versions of the contract.

On the way back, Ai, who had been silent all this time, suddenly spoke.

"I actually have a question about this whole deal."

"Go ahead."

"In your contract with the client, there's a clause stating that if you don't win the lawsuit, you won't get a single cent, but if you do win, you receive three million..." Ai looked at Keisuke. "Legally speaking, isn't that contingency fee-based representation? Don't tell me you don't know what that means."

"Shh!"

Keisuke raised a finger and gently pressed it against Ai's lips.

He smiled and pulled the folded contract from his pocket.

At the same time, he took out a lighter and ignited the contract.

"Whoosh!"

The flames flickered, and the paper danced like moths to the fire.

Soon, it was nothing but ashes.

"Now, there's nothing left."

Keisuke blew lightly, scattering the ashes into the wind.

Ai rolled her eyes at him. "Didn't you say a lawyer's duty is to protect their client's interests? I actually believed you."

"You're right."

Keisuke blinked.

"But first, as a lawyer, my interests must be secured," he said.

Then, after a pause, he smiled slightly.

"Besides, didn't I help my client win the case in the end?"

"You..."

Ai shook her head.

Throughout the entire process, Keisuke had done something questionable.

But as he said, in the end, he had helped his client win.

Perhaps... this was just Keisuke Kumiko's style.

(End of Chapter)

Honestly, I don't understand much about names in Chinese, but Kumiko is the last name and Keisuke is the first name, it makes me dizzy, how do they call the MC kumimon, and then they ask Ai her name and she says kumimon, I guess it's the last name but, well, it's going to stay like that

Xd