Chapter 2146 - 2144: Let This Grudge...
By installing personal terminals for Shiho Miyano and Akemi Miyano, Fang Zheng successfully made them believe his claims. Especially Shiho Miyano, although she wasn’t from the electronic industry academic background, any cutting-edge technology research would require high precision tech. Therefore, after discovering that this tiny thing, about the size of a pinky nail, possessed computational power far beyond the most advanced supercomputers by thousands of times, Shiho Miyano had to accept Fang Zheng’s claims.
After all, whether from craftsmanship or manufacturing technology, this thing absolutely doesn’t resemble something current Earth technology could accomplish.
So either it popped out of a crack in a rock, or it was created by a higher civilization... the latter clearly makes more logical sense.
Moreover, Fang Zheng didn’t just use the personal terminals given to the two for simple communication. Akemi Miyano’s personal terminal had a special optical camouflage that could modify her face, turning her into someone else. After all, Akemi Miyano would be working at Fang’s house in the future, and there’s no guarantee she wouldn’t run into Conan, which would be troublesome if recognized by the latter.
Once this optical camouflage was used, apart from Fang Zheng and Shiho Miyano, no one else could see Akemi Miyano’s true face.
Additionally, their personal terminals also had protective barrier functions. If they were harmed, the personal terminal would automatically activate the protective barrier. Of course, this protective barrier isn’t the kind that looks particularly cool and flashy; it’s somewhat similar to the electromagnetic protective barrier Misaka Mikoto uses daily, which can shift the trajectory of projectiles.
Basically, it’s like a scientific version of a "human outline master."
Following this, the fate of both women also changed because of it.
First, Shiho Miyano was still "respectful to the original" by Fang Zheng, sending her to elementary school, and incidentally renaming her to "Haibara Ai," as having Haibara Ai not being called Haibara Ai, but Shiho Miyano always felt odd to Fang Zheng.
Seems like something’s not right?
Forget it, never mind.
As for Akemi Miyano, who was also renamed Haibara Akemi, it was publicly declared that they were sisters, serving as Fang Zheng’s distant relatives. Identity documents and the likes could be easily handled by Fang Zheng in three to five minutes on the internet, which naturally wasn’t a problem.
Of course, Fang Zheng didn’t forget to tell Haibara Ai about Edogawa Conan. He wanted Haibara Ai to observe Conan and preferably join the Boy Detectives to investigate. Although Conan often gets tangled in all sorts of bizarre cases, there are occasions he meets with the Black Organization.
Fang Zheng instructed Haibara Ai to follow Conan, and if she ever spotted members of the Black Organization, she should report back to him immediately. To this, Haibara Ai obviously nodded in agreement. She also wished to completely eradicate the Black Organization, so she and her sister wouldn’t have to live in fear anymore...
Thus, in the days that followed, Haibara Ai went to Teitan Elementary School as planned and, just like in the anime, smoothly joined the Boy Detectives, while also standing alongside Edogawa Conan to resolve the case involving the kidnapping of Conan’s classmate’s brother to counterfeit currency.
However, unlike the anime, Haibara Ai didn’t reveal her true identity to Edogawa Conan. Though Fang Zheng said she could choose to disclose or not, it seemed that for Haibara Ai, she found observing Conan while concealing her identity more interesting.
Perhaps because her sister was still alive and she left the organization, Fang Zheng felt the hidden black attributes in Little Ai seemed much more pronounced than in the anime...
As for Akemi Miyano—or rather, Haibara Akemi, she joined the company as a secretary, and now represented Fang Zheng in handling the various complex corporate affairs. Previously, Fang Zheng didn’t have anyone to trust, but now with Akemi Miyano, he could finally let go.
And naturally, Fang Zheng himself started his assassin activities, but this time he didn’t take on any commissions or bounty lists. Instead, Fang Zheng established a secret website named—Hell Correspondence!
Yes, this time Fang Zheng completely copied the concept from an anime he previously watched named "Hell Girl," where Hell Girl used the website to fulfill people’s grudges by sending their souls to hell.
What Fang Zheng was doing actually borrowed from this concept. He set up a BBS that only appeared at midnight, where people could write their grievances and grudges on the message board, and Fang Zheng would browse through this information to find valuable leads for investigation. If the target was indeed as heinous as described, Fang Zheng would eliminate them.
During this process, Fang Zheng wouldn’t contact the client, nor demand any compensation. Naturally, his actions weren’t just about doing good deeds, as anyone who watched Conan knows, many victims in various episodes deserved to die, like loan sharks forcing others to ruin their families, or abandoning old flames for new love and driving them to suicide. There are quite a few such cases.
However, many of them couldn’t be dealt with by law and either had surpassed the statute of limitations, so the victims had no choice but to take the risk of avenging themselves.
Unfortunately, they were unlucky to encounter the Shinigami Elementary Student...
But now Fang Zheng can help them get revenge without having to commit meaningless crimes and sacrifice their lives for scum, frankly speaking, that’s quite a loss.
Fang Zheng’s purpose for doing this certainly wasn’t just to punish evil and promote good, though there might be some reasons for that.. The biggest reason is—accumulating Little Black power!
To target goals at Gin and Vodka’s rank, ordinary Little Black isn’t enough. Those with black hearts due to lost love or workplace resentment wouldn’t stand a chance before Gin, just like encountering Goblins before a Black Dragon, it’s simply a lost cause.
To kill them, one must possess extremely formidable Little Black power.
Just like the top ranks in the organization, nearly all are as elusive as Dragon, with shadow avatars sending messages, their cool factor off the charts. Conan has several times speculated on who the real boss could be, whether it’s Dr. Agasa, Kogoro, or Officer Megure, all have been suspected.
Fang Zheng’s goal is to become such a "Little Black," akin to the organization’s boss.
That way, even if Conan clearly knows there’s such a person, he wouldn’t be able to identify his true identity.
That’s why Fang Zheng used "Hell Correspondence" as a method to enhance his Little Black power. Firstly, "Hell Correspondence" as an urban legend would spread widely, and there’s almost no worry about exposure. It’s unlike those assassins; no matter what your name is, once you leave a criminal record, it becomes troublesome.
Like that clueless scout in "The Last Wizard of the Century," who seemed incapable of killing unless he shot others’ left eyes, but in the end, didn’t Conan take him down anyway? The fact is, no matter what method you use to kill, if it’s discovered to be murder, then the police will keep an eye on you. From there, catching you is just a matter of time.
However, "Hell Correspondence" as an urban legend is different, and Fang Zheng uses the Soulstone of 47 each time to turn each murder into an accidental death. So even if the police have suspicions, they can’t really target him. Otherwise, the number of accidental deaths would forever surpass murders; if the Metropolitan Police Department had to suspect every accidental death as the work of some assassin, they’d probably be mentally exhausted by now.
Thus, using this method to increase Fang Zheng’s Little Black power is much stronger than those honest, straightforward killers.
Moreover, Fang Zheng doesn’t demand rewards, doesn’t contact the victims, won’t flamboyantly like Phantom Thief Kid send out warning notes, nor foolishly write words like "Heavenly Punishment" at the crime scene. As long as the police can’t find any human-caused problems, he could go his whole life without being caught.
Actually, Fang Zheng once considered respecting the original work by donning a straight black wig and a pitch-black kimono... but then decided against it. Transforming into a red ponytail is one thing; wearing women’s clothes himself is quite another.
So, over the next few days, Fang Zheng continued to "send this resentment to hell," while enjoying his brand new life in the Conan World.
For example... attending charity banquets and such.
"What a bother."
Driving while looking at the invitation in his hand, Fang Zheng sighed helplessly. Perhaps because the Skynet System was very well-received by the police, his relations with the Metropolitan Police Department were quite good now, and because of that, many top celebrities would invite him to attend banquets, like this charity event... basically, they just wanted him to spend money.
Fang Zheng rolled his eyes, then tossed the invitation aside. He was invited by a lady named Sofon Akako as a special guest for a charity banquet donating to children who lost their parents in car accidents. Normally, with Fang Zheng’s current status, he wouldn’t have much interaction with this woman named Sofon Akako.
After all, Fang Zheng runs a security facility manufacturing company, while she’s the president of an entertainment company. But charity banquets are like that; they claim to express social goodwill, but truthfully they offer people from various professions the chance to interact and communicate.
Moreover, unlike parties or balls, charity banquets invite people from all walks of life, so it’s not strange. Otherwise, with Fang Zheng’s current domain, he probably would never have dealings with this woman named Sofon Akako.
Unless she wants to order surveillance equipment, that’s another story.
Considering that more connections mean more opportunities, Fang Zheng decided to attend—and there’s free fine dining, not eating it would be a waste.
If he could encounter some rich young lady for a one-night... uh, that’s better left unsaid. The love murder plots in the Conan World are numerous, and Fang Zheng doesn’t want to get inexplicably involved in any trouble.
Whether he becomes a target or fights back and gets caught by Conan, it would be troublesome.
Thinking about it, dating in the Conan World isn’t much less dangerous than in the World of Love, and while in the World of Love it’s straightforward with a knife, the women in this world excel in various locked-room murder techniques...
With Fang Zheng’s random thoughts, he drove to Sofon Akako’s residence. In front of him stood a Western-style building; of course, in other worlds he wouldn’t find this unusual, but in the Conan World, upon seeing villas, mansions, or Western mansions...
"Woo wooーーー"
As Fang Zheng got out of the car and silently pondered the mansion before him, the sound of an engine revved behind him. Fang Zheng turned his head to see a white sedan driving through the gate, parking not far from him, and then the car door opened, followed by...
"Ah, it’s really Fang Zheng! I never expected to see you here."
"Hello, Brother Fang Zheng."
"Yo, kid."
"..........."
Seeing Ran Mouri, Conan, and Kogoro Mouri get out of the car and greet him, Fang Zheng forced a smile.
What was he thinking just now?
Oh, yes, once you see some mansion, public building, or villa in this world, plus Conan... yeah, definitely.
Thinking this, Fang Zheng withdrew his gaze, looked at the mansion once more, and silently crossed his heart.
It seems someone is going to die again.