Chapter 17: The Couple Who Attract Hatred

While Akemi Miyano felt uneasy, Shoichi had already wandered off elsewhere. Although Yotsui had failed to pay his debts, Shoichi was a man of high standards; he would never stoop to ruining someone else’s banquet. He simply walked around to make people uncomfortable.

"Ms. Reika, that necklace of yours is quite beautiful."

"Your compliments are like cheap perfume; sprayed too heavily, they lose their authentic scent."

"Ms. Reika, you look lovely today."

"Look at you—just like that last one, only capable of such unoriginal, tedious flattery."

He offended everyone equally, leaving them all feeling quite miserable. Yet, the guests present were all people of some standing; they had never encountered such an arrogant individual. While some did not recognize him, his confident demeanor and overbearing personality suggested he was no ordinary person. His manner of speaking and the sharp, sarcastic barbs he delivered clearly marked him as someone from a prominent family. Consequently, most chose to swallow their pride and turn their frustrations toward easier targets. Kogoro Mouri, a detective whose fame was still relatively new, became their object of ridicule.

Conan glanced at the man causing trouble everywhere, then quietly looked away. In truth, he was somewhat afraid of interacting with Shoichi, unsure if the man had investigated his true identity.

As the banquet concluded, the expressions on Yotsui and his daughter Reika’s faces were far from pleasant. A perfectly good birthday party had been spoiled by the presence of a certain someone. Yotsui shot an icy, hateful glare at Shoichi. *You bastard, don't even think about getting that payment back! If you're not satisfied, go ahead and sue me; if you manage to get a cent, I'll consider myself the loser!*

"Chairman, the tires on Ms. Reika’s car have been slashed," a security guard reported.

"Then she can ride back in my Porsche," one guest offered.

"She should take my Bentley instead."

"Take my BMW."

Yotsui had only one daughter, and whoever married Reika would effectively become the president of the Yotsui Group. Thus, there was no shortage of sycophants eager to fawn over her.

"Actually, sir, your tires have all been slashed as well," the guard added.

"What?"

They rushed to inspect their vehicles, only to find that the troublemaker had seemingly taken pity on the poor—every luxury car had its tires punctured, leaving only the rental car driven by Kogoro Mouri completely intact.

"How about you ride back in my car?" Mouri suggested.

"Sure," Shoichi agreed, climbing into the backseat. Akemi Miyano offered a helpless smile and joined him.

Mouri’s mouth twitched. *I was talking to Ms. Reika, you idiot. Why are you getting in?*

"It’s my birthday, and I refuse to be crammed into someone else’s car," Reika said petulantly. Yotsui doted on his daughter excessively. Upon hearing she didn't want to leave, he immediately decided to stay and keep her company at the villa for the night. Her entourage of sycophants followed suit.

Shoichi turned to Kogoro Mouri. "Uncle, are you heading back?"

Ran helped a tipsy Mouri steady himself. "Dad has had too much to drink; he can't drive."

"Then lend me the car. I have no intention of spending the night here," Shoichi replied. Spending a night in a villa with the "God of Death" and his family was a guaranteed recipe for a murder. Shoichi just wanted a quiet night's sleep. Wouldn't it be far more pleasant to go home and sleep with Akemi’s younger sister?

Just as Ran reached out to hand over the keys, Reika stormed over, snatched them away, and tossed them into a trash can.

"If you leave now, the Yotsui Group will cut off all cooperation with you!" Reika declared, looking at Shoichi with arrogant defiance. *An interesting man; you’ve successfully caught my attention.*

Shoichi blinked. *You foolish woman, do you really think I care about cooperating with the Yotsui Group?*

A faint smile tugged at the corner of Akemi’s mouth. Seeing Shoichi treated this way felt strangely satisfying. The man who spent all his time bullying others could, it seemed, be bullied himself.

Shoichi glanced at the trash can and said, "Get out of the car."

"Fine." Akemi followed him out.

"Find me a quiet room to sleep in, or I’ll burn this place down," Shoichi said calmly.

Reika watched him with a wide, intrigued smile. A headstrong man, even more arrogant than she was—how interesting.

The alarms bells rang in the minds of Reika’s sycophants. This sudden competitor was formidable; he seemed to have already figured out exactly how to cater to Reika's tastes. They looked at his face again. *Then again, maybe he didn't figure out her tastes—maybe he’s just naturally handsome.*

Shoichi was led to a room to rest, where he enthusiastically invited Akemi to join him. She politely declined.

In the villa's living room, Reika watched the arrogant Shoichi head upstairs before turning to the others. "I’m going upstairs to change. I advise you all not to be like that man. To put it bluntly, you are all birds in a cage; without someone to feed you, you wouldn't survive. So, you’d best learn how to please your master."

Leaving behind that stinging remark, Reika headed to the second floor. She was certainly talented at inciting hatred, but the sycophants who remained were all men desperate to become her husband. If they couldn't even tolerate this much of her temper, how could they endure the humiliation and suffering that came with being the president of the Yotsui Group? They quickly adjusted their attitudes and began playing cards to pass the time.

A long while passed, and still, there was no sign of Reika. Their unease began to grow. The sycophants exchanged glances. That man, Shoichi, was resting on the second floor—could Ms. Reika have gone to find him? That would be disastrous. If that were the case, they would all be nothing but complete clowns.

Conan, however, didn't jump to such conclusions; he was beginning to suspect that Reika had met with foul play.

"Why hasn't Ms. Reika come down yet? Could she be in trouble?" the lead sycophant asked.

"Let's go upstairs and look for her."

"Right, let's all go together."

They moved with a singular purpose, heading straight to the room where Shoichi was resting. The lights were out, and the room was dark. The lead sycophant knocked on the door and asked in a low voice, "Excuse me, is Ms. Reika in there?"

"No! Get lost! Ask again and I'll burn the villa down!" Shoichi’s irritable voice boomed from inside.

The lead sycophant rubbed his nose. *What a nasty piece of work.* For some reason, he couldn't help but think that this nasty man was actually quite a match for Ms. Reika.

"I don't think Ms. Reika is in there," he muttered.