Chapter 23: Jiang Xia is a Good Detective

Director Ochiai was not actually the owner of the exhibition hall.

The hall was the asset of the owners.

The old director was merely an employee who had developed personal feelings for his work. Like a security guard guarding a vault who falls in love with the gold inside—it was a love destined to be heavy and fruitless.

If one were to view the "demolition of the hall to rebuild a restaurant" as a cooking pot, then at least half of the blame for this pot should fall on the former owner who sold the exhibition hall.

However, Director Ochiai’s fury was focused entirely on Boss Manaka.

...In moments like this, one could see just how dangerous it was to possess a "sharp-tongued" buff in this world.

...

As Jiang Xia spoke, the hand of the old director, which was stroking his beard, began to tremble slightly—it was unclear whether he was angry or simply nervous because he had finally realized Jiang Xia viewed him as the culprit.

After a moment of silence, Director Ochiai took a deep breath, intending to stubbornly deny everything—like a knight fighting until the very last moment.

However, at that moment, the young man opposite him suddenly raised his phone and waved it toward him.

On the low-resolution screen, a clip was playing of the director picking up a pen.

This was a fatal flaw in the director's plan.

Watching the director's face turn pale, Jiang Xia nodded inwardly.

He rapidly dragged the case progress bar, hoping to solve the case as quickly as possible to pick up the ghost.

Jiang Xia said solemnly, "Surrender. Stop hoping for luck. The public has seen everything you have done and the methods you thought were so discreet."

"..." Director Ochiai stared at the footage on the phone, and the last shred of confidence in his heart gradually vanished.

...It hadn't even been ten minutes since the start.

He had conceived this plan for a long time and practiced the murder for over a week... and it was exposed just like that?!

...

At the same time, Conan, who was eavesdropping nearby, was also stunned.

Conan: "..." When a detective deduces, they provide evidence step by step to perfect the logic...

But with Jiang Xia, how did he just fast-forward straight to the grand finale?

...Also, is the director really the killer?

Conan reviewed the known facts, but for a moment, he couldn't figure out exactly how Jiang Xia had deduced this conclusion.

He wanted to ask, but his youthful pride made it difficult for Conan to speak up.

"..."

However, after a brief struggle between pride and curiosity, Conan suddenly realized: right now, he was just a first-grader.

...What was wrong with an elementary schooler asking a high schooler a question?

Having thought it through, Conan gave his palm a small, determined punch, and a sudden realization dawned on him.

He walked obediently to Jiang Xia's feet with a polite expression: "Um, Brother Jiang Xia, can I take a look at your phone?"

Jiang Xia: "..."

...Kudo-kun, why did your tone suddenly change like that?

Jiang Xia gave him an indescribable look, pressed replay, and silently handed the phone over.

There weren't many people in this phone that shouldn't be seen.

When contacting the Organization, Jiang Xia used a different phone.

Everything was black and white.

He didn't have to worry about Gin's emails suddenly popping up while Conan was halfway through looking.

...

The video finished quickly.

Staring at the darkened screen, Conan rapidly integrated the information in his mind.

A moment later, he rubbed his chin, suddenly enlightened

"So that's how it was. The note with 'Wada' that the police... ahem, the police officers found earlier, was something the director wrote and placed there in advance, right? The pen the deceased picked up must have been a pen that couldn't write, so the 'dying message' he left was actually something the killer wrote beforehand to frame him."

"..." The director glared at Conan, his expression momentarily one of existential crisis.

—Jiang Xia was one thing; at least he looked like a very smart high schooler.

But now...

How could even an elementary schooler see through his master plan so easily?!

Director Ochiai: "..."

His revenge, his art, his exquisite layout...

Was it all just a farce on the level of playing house?

...

Having cleared up the situation, Conan returned the phone to Jiang Xia, intending to say a polite thank you.

But he suddenly heard a weary, incredibly complex sigh from beside him.

Both Jiang Xia and Conan froze and turned their heads in confusion.

Then, to their astonishment, they realized that in just a few seconds, the director looked as if he had aged ten years.

The director gave them a deep look and shook his head despondently: "Thank you for helping me see my true self."

Then, under the bewildered stares of the two boys ("...?"), he walked with weary steps toward Inspector Megure to surrender.

...

Inspector Megure had originally thought that, based on the dying message, the killer must be the employee here—Wada.

He never expected a director to suddenly appear out of nowhere to turn himself in.

...

The director gave a brief account of the murder. Finally, he stated with a sense of world-weariness: since even a child could see through this method, the police would eventually find out anyway... it was better to do it with some dignity and confess himself.

Inspector Megure felt a bit guilty from being praised by the director and didn't dare ask too many questions.

He cleared his throat nonchalantly and glanced in the direction the director had come from.

He saw Jiang Xia and a first-grade boy with glasses standing there.

Inspector Megure immediately ruled out the elementary schooler and interpreted the "brilliant child" the old director mentioned as Jiang Xia.

His eyes brightened slightly as he thought to himself: *It seems that after Kudo, I've encountered another outstanding high school detective.*

...

Several officers soon led the director away.

The police also began to depart.

Jiang Xia looked at the police team and instinctively followed Inspector Megure.

When the Inspector turned back to look at him in confusion, Jiang Xia proactively said, "I'll go give a statement."

Inspector Megure was stunned.

The detectives he had encountered in the past were always aggressive and fast when solving a case, but as soon as it came to giving a statement, they would vanish.

Having grown accustomed to that pattern, encountering Jiang Xia now... Inspector Megure felt inexplicably moved.

Brother Jiang Xia was too cooperative with the work.

He suggested that detectives nationwide should learn from him!

...

Of course, it wasn't that Jiang Xia enjoyed giving statements.

It was just that after the crime scene investigation, the body had been placed in a bag and sent to the police station.

In other words, the Leg-Clinging Ghost was also at the police station...

Once such a thing had its obsession resolved, it wouldn't cling to legs anymore and could easily wander off somewhere else.

Jiang Xia was worried that if he arrived too late, he wouldn't be able to find it.

And so, Jiang Xia successfully blended into the police force's overtime crew.

...

Just as he stepped out of the exhibition hall, a dazzling array of camera flashes lit up in front of him.

—A crowd of reporters was actually surrounding the entrance.

Murder cases in this world garnered a lot of attention.

After somewhat clumsily dealing with the media and a few passersby who tried to steal the spotlight, Jiang Xia finally arrived at the police station as he wished about ten minutes later.

...

While Jiang Xia was giving his statement, the Ghost Infant looked around.

Then, at Jiang Xia's signal, it drifted away sneakily, hiding its way toward the morgue.

Jiang Xia silently watched its retreating figure, really wanting to remind it that it didn't need to be so dramatic—even if the Ghost Infant walked over with its hands on its hips, beating drums and gongs arrogantly, the police wouldn't see it.

... *Sigh, perhaps I shouldn't have let it watch so many dramas before.*

(End of Chapter)