It’s almost a crime!

Although she had committed many crimes, she had always hated crimes of this nature. If someone entrusted her with such a task, she would kindly come up with a plan to make the other party feel painful.

Xiao Ai took this opportunity to jump out of her arms.

“I don’t mind.”

Seeing that Winnet looked completely unacceptable, Xiao Ai added teasingly.

“I mind!”

She reminded herself in her heart: Winnet, you can’t be fooled. You have to think clearly, because there is an abyss ahead!

……

243 Who knows

As she spoke, she turned her head away and couldn’t look directly at Huibara Ai. Any thought of putting herself in the little girl’s shoes made her feel uneasy.

Huiyuan Ai stared at Winnett mischievously, but there was something else behind her expression. It was natural for a lover to love only her. She picked up the juice, tilted her head, took a sip, stopped smiling, came to the door, and searched for Winnett’s eyes with her calm ice-blue eyes.

She blinked her eyes, and her demeanor changed, she lost the feeling of “hiding an adult soul”, and became a little girl. She opened the bedroom door, and the lively Sonoko appeared, leaning forward slightly, as if eavesdropping on a secret. Seeing this, Winnet thought, could it be that Ai and Sonoko had secretly discussed something? The interaction between the two just now seemed to make this clear.

“What are you doing here, Sonoko-san? Aren’t you interested in the tour?”

Sonoko smiled at Huibara, “I wanted to invite you to join me on the deck.”

“Then let’s go.”

Winette quickly gathered her expression, “Oh, what took you so long? I’m so sorry, Sonoko.”

Yuanzi shook her head quickly, and then she saw Sophia walking towards them, and said quickly: “Miss Sophia just came over to invite us, the time is perfect.”

“Sophia, has the celebration you mentioned started yet?”

There were four people standing at the entrance of the passage. Winnett had never felt that the space around her was crowded. Perhaps it was because she wanted to be alone with Ai.

“To be honest, I didn’t expect you to really invite people. Every time you encounter my invitation, it’s as if you have encountered some kind of monster. Is it a sudden idea today?” Sophia didn’t save face for Winnet and said bluntly, “But…” She smiled politely at the three people, and briefly introduced the owners of the boat and the purpose of the event. It was a social event to celebrate the cooperation between Durant and another company. “You’re welcome, please enjoy it.”

“Ah, yes, we won’t be polite.” Sonoko replied with a smile. “Thank you.” Mao Lilan followed.

“The person who needs to be thanked is Winnet. I am just her employee. I apologize for the rudeness.”

After Sophia finished speaking, she left first. Seeing this, Yuanzi was furious. How could this woman be so infuriating?

Winnet casually said, “Please don’t mind,” indicating that Sophia was only dissatisfied with her personally. After that conversation, Winnet led the three people to the deck of the ship in anger and embarrassment.

The deck was set up with tables for dining, like the tables used for snacks on the beach. A middle-aged man pushing a long dining cart divided the food into small portions and placed them on the table. The seats seemed to be random, and several young people had already sat down casually. Winnet glanced and saw Sophia and the owner of the boat, Yuichi Kabe, sitting opposite each other.

There was no problem with four people sitting at one table, so since they came together, they naturally sat together.

Not long after sitting down, Xiaolan noticed the woman setting up a camera by the boat. Sonoko did the same, but her attention was on the handsome guy talking to the woman next to her. Ai, on the other hand, was not interested in anything on the boat, but was concerned about the taste of the food – the presentation was as exquisite as French cuisine, and the portion was quite large.

Sonoko pulled Xiaolan forward to talk to her, and Winnet followed. The only thing she knew about the ship was the owner.

The woman who was adjusting the camera was a gentle woman. Although she was very young, she could easily give people the impression of an “older sister”. “Excuse me, what are you filming?” Xiaolan asked with interest. The woman who was filming smiled and answered her question: “Well, because there are fireworks. It is rare outside of summer. And fireworks are also one of the traditional activities of the Spring Festival here. I think we should be able to take a good long-range shot here.”

“Oh, I should also borrow a camera to keep as a souvenir.” Xiaolan said with a smile, but a mobile phone is enough for taking pictures.

“Actually, I want to sell it to a magazine.” The woman winked playfully, “I’m Kuba Masumi, a freelance photographer and writer, and I just met Mr. Hebe not long ago. Who are you?”

Mao Lilan and Sonoko introduced themselves. Jiuye Masumi saw Winnet behind them and quickly understood. “So these girls are brought here by the daughter of the Durant Group. I thought Hebe had expanded his target again.”

“Target?”

The man standing nearby interrupted and said, “Although Yuichi is the president of a large company, he doesn’t pay much attention to relationships with women, so it’s better to be a little careful. Hello, I’m Yuichi Kabe’s college classmate, Masato Kami.”

Winette knew this from her prior investigation. After all, it was not a secret, just a rumor. However, the degree to which the other party was disliked was slightly beyond her expectations.

“So Miss Jiuye and Miss Winnet know each other?”

“No, I think I know her one-sidedly,” Jiuye Masumi joked, “Although I’m not a reporter employed by a gossip magazine, I still have some understanding of the companies that cooperate with Hebe.”

Although Winnett has never appeared in public as a representative, her identity is not a secret. There are even photos uploaded by Sofia on the company’s homepage. Coupled with her unique appearance and features, it is not surprising that she was recognized.

“Hello, Miss Winnet.”

Jiuye Masumi extended her hand to Winnet. When shaking hands, Winnet was thinking about Xiao Ai’s expression, and she smiled. A few seconds later, Sofia and Hebe Yuichi, who were originally sitting in their seats, also followed. Winnet was reluctant to greet such an unruly person, but even though she didn’t say anything, Hebe took the initiative to introduce himself to her and said hello. While she was pretending to smile, she was thinking about how to avoid this trouble. After pretending to be nice to the other party, she noticed that the atmosphere was a little wrong. Not only her, but others also didn’t welcome the organizer.

“Hello, Mr. Hebe.”

Kuba Masumi broke the brief awkwardness. She looked like a gentle woman who could get along with anyone. Hebe was quite enthusiastic about her. He asked her how the arrangements on the boat were, and commented on the fireworks on the river from a third-party perspective. Then, he pulled Masato Mikami’s shoulder. “Masato, you have such a good friend, you should have introduced him to me earlier!”

The latter had a forced smile on his face.

“Really? You’re so drunk before the fireworks even started.” Tokami Masato complained and tried to help Hebe sit down, but he refused.

“You know me well. This little bit of alcohol is nothing to me.” He staggered and said. The manservant who had just helped in the cabin came up and supported his other side. “Mr. Hebe, you are drunk.” He dragged the chair. Hebe realized that he was indeed a little out of control, and quickly apologized to the people around him. It made people feel that his attitude was not so bad.

“vomit……”

The next moment, He Bu retched.

“I’m really sorry. I think I need to rest now… If you need anything, please tell Ishimura and the chef. I’m going back to my room now.”

He Bu left the scene in a hurry, and the whole process seemed anticlimactic. When he turned around, Sofia smiled as if she had won.

When Winnet saw this smile, she roughly knew what was going on. Enemies of higher rank needed to be dealt with by enemies of higher rank. I’m afraid that before they boarded the ship, He Bu had been drunk by Sofia. It was good enough that he didn’t lose his voice when he was talking just now. Sofia grabbed Winnet’s wrist and whispered in her ear: “At least share some of the burden for me.”

This woman was actually drunk, Winette was a little distressed, and completely forgot that Xiao Ai was beside her. She tilted her head, looked through her arm, and saw Huiyuan Ai’s “suspicious” expression, her face froze.

Winnett felt a little anxious, as if she had been caught doing something wrong, but Sophia was shaking slightly, and anyone with a discerning eye could see that she was not sober. It was just past seven in the evening, and the food on the table was still steaming. Her face was not red, and she seemed to have long been accustomed to this kind of drinking party in social occasions. Winnett thought that she was probably taking advantage of the alcohol to express her dissatisfaction. Unlike her, Sophia wanted to make a mark in the company, and her casualness to some extent made her plan more difficult. Winnett smiled apologetically and said to the others, “It seems that Sophia is also a little drunk. I’d better take her back to her room to rest.”

“Okay,” Sophia said, “Excuse me.”

The two of them didn’t walk far. Ai also said “I’m going to the bathroom” and left the scene, leaving Xiaolan and Sonoko looking at each other.

Kuzuha Masumi chatted with the two of them like a close older sister and enjoyed the prepared dinner with them.

On the other side, Winnet carried the slightly drunk Sophia to her room and finally got rid of her entanglement with swift and decisive actions. When she walked out of the room, she saw Xiao Ai standing with her back against the wall. Her expression was not angry, but it still gave her a feeling of “not very happy”.

Xiao Ai took off her hat, smoothed her flattened curly hair, greeted Winnett, and said, “You are quite gentle to everyone.”

“Well,” Winnett replied calmly, “That’s roughly the impression it leaves. Why did you follow me? Are you jealous because of what happened just now?”

Ai’s back left the wall. “I’m not the kind of jealous woman. I suddenly thought of something and I want to confirm it with you. In a previous kidnapping incident, Kudo Shinichi and I came to a factory. He said that during the exploration, he had seen a portrait of a woman who looked very similar to me. I think that should be the work of the organization, using some secret criminals to find me. At that time, I saw a man dressed in black on the river bank. I guess he is from the organization.” Ai peeked through the crack in the door, “Do you know him?”

After hearing this, Winette also thought about what happened that night, which was a little difficult to explain. She stared at the curls at the end of Haibara Ai’s short hair, feeling a little embarrassed. She couldn’t tell Ai that the man in black who made her feel threatened was herself. Moreover, after understanding the situation, she also knew that it was quite thrilling for the children that night. If the police had not been on the way, it would be hard to imagine what would happen to them. “Don’t worry, Ai. The search for you has entered the final stage. Although it exists as a mission, when it comes to active guys, I’m afraid Gin is the only one. He is only interested in two things, cleaning up traitors and chasing prey. In short, as long as you stay alert, you won’t be able to find any clues.”

“How can you be so sure? Did you send that man?”

Haibara Ai finally smiled. She felt that she had guessed it right. Thinking of the person who temporarily used criminals to form a search network, Winnet was the only one in the organization.

Just as there is contempt in every walk of life, people in the organization naturally look down on the loose criminals outside, even if they are professional killers.

Winnet almost agreed. She put her hands on Ai’s shoulders and urged her to return to the deck.

“Don’t worry too much. I will protect you in secret. Now, it’s time for us to accept the kindness of the ship owner and taste the high-quality dishes served.”

Huiyuan Ai was pushed away and asked back: “You mean, what I cooked is not to your taste? You only ate a little of the stew, but you are so interested in those dishes?”

“I never thought of it that way. I’ll eat all the rest tomorrow morning.”

Seeing this, Huihara Ai stopped teasing Winnet. They returned to the deck and saw Sonoko and Xiaolan taking commemorative photos – taking out their phones to take photo booths. There were colorful lights hanging on the river bank, and the light and shadow effects were very charming. At this time, the two of them had become familiar with Jiuye and Mikami. Sonoko gradually noticed Mikami Masato’s thoughts on Jiuye Masumi through her attack on the handsome guy, and she couldn’t help but give up. Xiaolan had been chatting with Jiuye Masumi about some travel and sightseeing. As a freelance photographer, Jiuye had been to many places.

Winnet greeted them and sat at another table, where she and Ai were alone. Huihara Ai sat with her back to the four people and looked at Winnet, who collected all kinds of dishes and put them on the same plate like she was taking care of a child. Ai realized that her short hands were a bit troublesome and did not refuse Winnet’s kindness.

“I always feel that you have some bad intentions.”

“Have bad intentions?”

“You’re taking care of me like a child, aren’t you?” Huihara Ai picked up the spoon. “In fact, you’ve wanted to do this for a long time. You had this tendency when you were in America, right?”

Rather than saying that she takes care of Ai as a child, it is better to say that because Ai has become a child, she has added this care to her. “Really?” Winnett recalled a little, “I always feel that I am the one who is taken care of. Could it be that I am the one who is treated as a child?” Winnett didn’t really care about this, but she still complained a little: “Just now, did you smile?”

“Who knows…”

……

244 Fireworks

The meal lasted about thirty minutes, and the boat’s course changed more than once. The time was extended because several dishes were served, as well as high-end-looking Japanese confectionery.

The course changed direction again, and the tall buildings in Tokyo disappeared. Colorful fireworks appeared in the sky, and the density of them made it obvious that they were set off in a concentrated manner.

Winnet and Ai stood up like everyone else and went to the railing of the deck to enjoy the view.

Kuzuha Masumi raised his head and smiled.

“This year’s momentum is just as strong as ever.”

“Ms. Jiuye, have you ever been to that area to watch the fireworks before?”

Mao Lilan asked curiously.

Below the fireworks, clusters of orange-red lanterns can be seen, and just by looking through the extended riverbank, one can get a sense of how lively the land is. Jiuye aimed the camera at the fireworks and adjusted the angle.

“Yes. It’s a festival held in the northwest corner of Toshima Ward. In previous years, my friends and I would go there to watch it. However, today he had something to deal with, so I was alone. It just so happened that Mr. Mikami invited me to watch it on the boat, and I had never taken a long-distance photo of the scene, so I agreed.”

Jiuye smiled while staring at the camera.

“It’s hard for me to say no to a free premium meal.”

“That’s right, that’s right.”

Sonoko agreed.

Winette was a little bit confused. Normally, a young lady like Sonoko would have plenty of opportunities to satisfy her appetite, but her attitude was very friendly and she didn’t have the slightest airs of a young lady.

According to Winnet’s understanding of some “young ladies”, they probably wouldn’t want to come to such occasions without suitable clothes.

And Sonoko was still wearing her high school uniform.

“The food was really delicious.”

As Mao Lilan spoke, she looked at the chef who was pushing the food cart.

“It is my greatest honor to make customers like it.”

The male chef, who was about fifty years old, responded. He did not stay to see the scenery, but returned to the interior of the cabin. Mikami Masato leaned against the railing and looked at his back.

“Chef Sakagami’s cooking skills are still as good as ever. Don’t be fooled by his appearance. He actually likes young people very much. However, since his daughter passed away two years ago, he has become a little serious.”

“His daughter passed away…”

Mao Lilan looked sad. She was a sensitive girl and wondered what would become of her father if she had an accident.

“What on earth happened?”

Sonoko inquired.

“It is said that it was due to an accidental car accident, but the surveillance video did not capture the face of the person who ran away at the time, and the criminal has not been found yet. Perhaps it is because of this reason that Mr. Sakagami is depressed all day long.”

“It would be great if the murderer could be caught sooner.”

Xiaolan prayed sincerely.

“That is, a truly sad person wouldn’t even be in the mood to appreciate the scenery.”

Xiao Ai, who was standing next to Winnet, whispered something.

“You are really suspicious…”

Sonoko leaned over and glared at Ai.

“very scary……”

Haibara Ai quickly disguised herself as a child and hid behind Winnett.

“You are definitely faking it, right?”

“Don’t be so picky with children, Sonoko. Children nowadays are different from before. They all like to read books with deep meanings. I remember the child who lived in Xiaolan’s house. He always said something surprising.”

“Conan——”

Xiaolan nodded in agreement.

“That brat is also a brat – he has a detective mind just like Shinichi. He’ll probably be just as annoying when he grows up, right?”

Sonoko poked Xiaolan with her elbow and simply expressed her dissatisfaction with Shinichi.

“But who knows, maybe he is involved in some complicated case…”

“You’re still defending a heartless man even at this point… I want to marry such a good girl!”