Winning is everything: Conan

Keisuke Kumiko's sarcastic words felt like a test of conscience.

Conan opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but it was as if his tongue had turned to lead—he couldn't speak.

Because… this guy was right.

Sometimes, he even relied on his childlike appearance to investigate crime scenes and interrogate suspects.

But when looked at closely, many of these methods were borderline illegal.

"We don't have bad intentions!"

Yoshida Ayumi spread her arms in front of Conan, glaring at Keisuke angrily.

"Our Detective Boys have solved a lot of cases! The department store robbery, the Italian thieves, the drug case in the library—we were the ones who uncovered everything!"

"That's right! We're always doing good!"

"We always help people in need and never ask for anything in return!"

Tsuburaya Mitsuhiko and Kojima Genta chimed in, also staring at Keisuke indignantly.

"Oh? You've always been doing good things..."

Looking at the stubborn children in front of him, Keisuke Kumiko smiled.

In that courtyard, filled with birdsong and the scent of flowers, he slightly spread his legs apart, extended his right index finger, and pointed firmly at the ground beneath their feet.

"Then tell me—where are you standing right now?"

His voice echoed in the small courtyard, startling a flock of birds into flight.

His tone was serious—especially when emphasizing the word "where"—which made the children flinch.

They lowered their heads and looked blankly at the ground beneath them.

Mitsuhiko was the first to react, quickly saying, "We just followed those adults in—"

"Mitsuhiko, stop talking!"

Conan cut him off, his expression grave.

"Let's go."

He shook his head, took one last deep look at Keisuke, then turned and walked toward the gate.

The three children exchanged glances and hurriedly followed.

"Conan, why are we leaving?"

"Yeah! We didn't do anything wrong!"

"Don't you get it yet?" Conan sighed. "We trespassed on someone else's private property without permission. On top of that, we mocked and insulted the owner. No matter what he's done before, we've violated his legal rights."

The children's voices gradually faded as they walked away.

From a distance, Conan turned his head for one last look at Keisuke Kumiko standing in the mansion, as if trying to memorize his figure and appearance.

Keisuke simply shrugged, pulled out a key, locked the house door, shut the courtyard gate, and left.

Conan's favorability toward him had plummeted to its lowest point after this confrontation.

Even the recognition value had dropped to negative, with the progress bar falling below the favorability bar.

This reflected his relationship with the core of the protagonist group—unless something major happened, there was little chance of reconciliation.

But that didn't matter.

Kumiko never intended to be on Conan's side.

There was no need for a good relationship with them. Like he had said before, the closer one got to them, the more likely they were to get dragged into the conflicts between the "reds" and the "blacks."

As he left the house, Keisuke checked his watch.

It was nearly five—just in time for his meeting with the witness, Sanae Sugita.

He glanced back at the house, where his German Shepherd still lay on the ground, wagging its tail.

At that moment, a brilliant plan came to mind.

A plan that would ensure this lawsuit had no chance of failing.

---

Yukakacho Station, Boston Italian Restaurant

This was an elegant and comfortable restaurant. The ceiling lamps cast a warm glow, and the neatly arranged walnut tables and chairs gave off a classic sheen.

Of course, the prices here weren't cheap either.

A plate of pasta that cost less than 1,000 yen elsewhere was nearly double the price here.

"Go ahead, order whatever you want. It's on me."

Keisuke waved his hand nonchalantly—he wasn't the one paying, anyway.

"Really? Then I won't hold back!"

The woman sitting across from him suddenly lit up with excitement. She grabbed the menu and quickly ordered several expensive dishes along with a bottle of champagne.

"Order whatever you like. If you can't finish, you can take it home."

Keisuke smiled at her.

She was a pretty woman, dressed in an off-shoulder top and a miniskirt short enough to expose glimpses of her underwear. Manicured nails, a necklace, pearl earrings—every part of her exuded materialism.

If you threw a stack of bills onto the street, girls like her would swarm like ants.

"Mr. Kumiko, are all lawyers as handsome and rich as you?"

Sanae Sugita batted her eyes at him flirtatiously.

Keisuke pretended not to notice, swirling the champagne in his glass before taking a sip.

"Miss Sugita, let's talk business first."

"Oh, fine."

Sanae pouted in disappointment.

With Maehara Tsuyoshi dead, she naturally wanted to find a new target, but unfortunately, the man in front of her wasn't taking the bait.

Without further small talk, Keisuke pulled an envelope from his bag and tossed it in front of her.

Sanae immediately grabbed it, opened it, and her eyes widened in surprise.

Inside were five crisp 10,000-yen bills.

"This is your agreed payment. I added an extra 30,000."

Keisuke leaned back in his chair with ease.

As Sanae took the money, he noticed the favorability gauge above her head shoot up from one bar to three.

"No problem! I know exactly what you mean, Mr. Lawyer!"

Sanae clapped her chest confidently.

"When the trial comes, I'll do whatever you need!"

So, what's the use of favorability?

Simple—it determines how cooperative a witness will be.

When the case is unfavorable to your side, no witness will support you for no reason.

Unless… you give them the right "incentive."

People like Sanae were easy to handle. Keisuke was an attorney who could read people's hearts at a glance, understanding their true nature instantly.

Humans are always emotional—there is no such thing as absolute rationality. As long as favorability reaches a certain threshold, the witness will stand on your side.

Keisuke had tested this theory multiple times during his legal training.

There were no impossible witnesses—only insufficient leverage.

Of course, Keisuke was always cautious in his dealings.

"My request? What request?"

The corners of Kumiko's lips curled slightly.

"Miss Sugita, I came here to understand the details of the case. Please don't misunderstand. This payment is simply for meeting with me today."

"Oh? Is that so? Whatever."

Sanae giggled, giving him another flirtatious look.

Keisuke ignored it.

"Now, tell me in detail everything you saw at the time of the incident. Don't leave out a single detail!"

---

(End of Chapter)