Conan: I'm a zaibatsu in Tokyo

What exactly is the relationship between Brother Zhengyi and the organization?

Conan pressed on, his voice trembling slightly.

He was really afraid of hearing the exact bad news.

If Zheng Yi is a member of the organization, then...?

impossible!
Absolutely impossible!
“The relationship is very special,” Rena Mizunashi said thoughtfully.

She hesitated for a moment, seemingly searching for the most accurate words, before speaking:

"Mr. Zhengyi was nominally involved in many of the organization's operations."

"what?"

Conan felt a wave of dizziness.

Did the man he trusted so much, whom he even regarded as an older brother, really collude with that dark organization?
Moreover, he participated in every operation?

Isn't this a bit too close to the organization?

"No! Impossible!" Conan shook his head violently, as if trying to shake off this absurd idea.

"You're lying to me!"

Conan's voice suddenly rose, carrying a sharp edge, as if he had been fooled by the person he trusted most.

He suddenly sprang up from the sofa, and the sofa beneath him creaked painfully from the sudden movement.

He stared intently at Rena Mizunashi, his eyes now bloodshot and filled with disbelief and panic.

"Brother Zhengyi isn't that kind of person!"

Conan clenched his fists so tightly they cracked, his knuckles turned white from the excessive force, and the veins on the back of his hands bulged.

"How could he be associated with that... that kind of evil organization?!"

In his world, although Shoichi is occasionally wicked and always teases Ai, he has an absolute bottom line.

"You're lying!" Conan's voice trembled slightly with excitement as he pointed his finger directly at Rena Mizunashi's face.

"Have you been brainwashed by the organization? Or... are you just trying to sow discord! You want us to fight amongst ourselves, right?!"

If Brother Zheng is really a member of the organization, why would he help me investigate the case?
If he wanted to kill me, I would have died countless times already!
This doesn't make sense!

It makes absolutely no sense!

Rena Mizunashi was taken aback by Conan's intense reaction.

As a CIA operative, she had seen countless storms, but she never expected this elementary school student's reaction to be so intense.

It seems that Zheng Yi holds a very high position in his heart.

Children of this age always have someone they admire.

Perhaps Zheng Yi was the object of his worship.

"Conan." Hondo Eisuke, who was standing to the side, couldn't stand it anymore and tried to ease the tension.

"Why don't you listen to your sister first, and wait for her to explain clearly..."

"No need!" Conan said decisively. "I don't need to listen to anything more. It's impossible for Masakazu to be a member of the organization."

If Zheng Yi is indeed a member of the organization, then the place he should be right now is on the organization's testing platform.

Instead of standing here, risking exposure, to ask her the 'truth' about this undercover agent.

"Ahem." Rena Mizunashi coughed twice, looked at Conan's stubborn expression, and shook her head helplessly.

“Edogawa-kun, when I said he was connected to the organization, I didn’t mean he was a member of the organization.”

Conan frowned, his eyes filled with wariness: "Then what do you mean?"

"Don't try to fool me with the word 'partner,' I won't fall for it."

Rena Mizunashi's fingertips gently traced her chin as she pondered.

They call them partners... but they're not really.

Seeing Conan's determined look, Rena Mizunashi finally uttered a few words:

"Mr. Zhengyi should be considered the organization's... 'scapegoat'."

"A scapegoat... a scapegoat?"

Conan was stunned; he couldn't quite process what the word meant for a moment.

What does it mean?
Seeing Conan's bewildered expression, Rena Mizunashi offered an explanation:
"Simply put, many of the actions taken by the organization in the past were believed by outsiders to be the work of Mr. Zhengyi."

"what?"

Conan blinked, as if to make sure he hadn't misheard.

He asked in a low voice:
Could you explain in more detail?

"For example, the Twin Towers incident in Nishitama City was actually a planned bombing, but the media and public opinion generally believed that it was a ruthless tactic used by Mr. Shoichi to acquire real estate."

Rena Mizunashi gave an example.

"For example, if an organization assassinates someone or blows up a building, the media will report in a roundabout way that the mastermind is Mr. Zhengyi in order to avoid mentioning the real culprit."

Conan's mouth was wide enough to fit an egg.

Therefore, all the infamy and labels like "cold-blooded tycoon" and "lawless" that Zheng Yi Ge has been given to him by the organization to cover up their true intentions.

Conan asked in surprise, "Is this true? Who told you this? Gin?"

“It’s not Gin, it’s someone else.” Rena Mizunashi’s eyes deepened.

"That's the person who gave the order to deal with Tumen Kanghui."

Then, Rena Mizunashi told Conan everything about the mysterious person she met in the warehouse and the bits and pieces of information she overheard about the "scapegoating" plan.

Conan was shocked when he heard this.

I didn't expect such a thing to happen.

He seemed to have heard Brother Zhengyi complain about it.

Those inexplicable accusations against him were giving him a headache.

Brother Zheng Yi was also disgusted by the filth surrounding him, so he began to use the power of the conglomerate to investigate who was behind it all.

However, the investigation yielded no results.

Unexpectedly, the mastermind behind it all turned out to be that omnipresent organization.

"Why would the organization do this?" Conan asked, frowning.

"To conceal the organization's existence." Rena Mizunashi's tone turned serious.

"The organization exists like a ghost in secret in Japan; no action can expose any trace of it."

"If a member of the organization fails a mission and is at risk of being exposed, the organization will not hesitate to eliminate any potential threats."

"In order to cover up the organization's big moves, they need to choose a 'scapegoat' who is conspicuous enough and capable of taking all the blame."

Conan was stunned.

If that's really the case, then the organization's methods are far too despicable.

Poor Zheng Yi Ge, he's been bearing the blame for the organization for so long without ever realizing it.

"Then why is it that Brother Zhengyi is taking the blame? How did the organization select Brother Zhengyi?"

Conan then voiced the question that had been lingering in his mind.

"Who knows?" Rena Mizunashi waved her hand, her tone tinged with mockery.

"Perhaps Zheng Yi is just right? He's the second-generation heir of a large conglomerate, possessing the ability and resources to accomplish great things."

She analyzed, "Moreover, he had been living overseas for a long time, and Japanese society knew almost nothing about this zaibatsu heir. His personality and style of doing things are all mysteries."

"Therefore, it is entirely reasonable to shift the suspicion to him, and it will not arouse any suspicion."

Rena Mizunashi shook her head: "These are all just my guesses. As for how the organization actually chose him, I don't know either."

Conan rubbed his forehead in frustration, feeling that things were getting more and more absurd.

Although the process was bizarre, at least from Rena Mizunashi's words, he confirmed one thing: Masakazu and the organization did not have a direct subordinate relationship.

Moreover, Brother Zhengyi is actually a good person; he was just unlucky and was used as a shield.

Conan took a deep breath, trying to calm his chaotic thoughts, and then asked:

"So, who do you think the mysterious person in that organization is?"

Since he didn't know who the cross-dressing member of the organization was, Conan had to refer to him as the 'mysterious man'.

Rena Mizunashi shook her head: "I don't know, his voice and face are carefully disguised."

"Could it be Senju Junji?" Conan asked tentatively.

“Him?” Rena Mizunashi raised an eyebrow.

Senju Junji is indeed the biggest beneficiary of this parliamentary election, and there is a 99% probability that he has connections with the organization.

But as for whether he is the mysterious person who can command Gin?

“His height is correct,” Rena Mizunashi said.

Does the height match?
He's highly suspicious.

Conan stroked his chin, lost in thought.

Rena Mizunashi shook her head, denying this guess:
"However, I don't think he's that mysterious person."

"why?"

“Because he’s not qualified,” Rena Mizunashi said.

"The Thousand Heads Consortium is indeed a well-known name in Tokyo, but it doesn't necessarily hold such a high position within the organization."

"Moreover, Senzu Junji is just a second-generation heir."

"Even if he is elected as a member of parliament, he will still be a newcomer in politics."

"What gives him the right to make such unrestrained jokes about Gin, and even give him orders?"

Rena Mizunashi looked at Conan and suddenly said:
"Actually, Zheng Yi is quite fitting for the identity of this mysterious person."

The more she thought about it, the more likely it seemed.

The organization made the right decision to let Zheng Yi take the blame.

Because Zheng Yi himself perfectly fits the profile of this mysterious person:

Born into one of Japan's largest conglomerates, he holds an extremely high position within his family and wields considerable power, having influence in both the legitimate and underworld circles.

Only someone like this can orchestrate one major case after another behind the scenes, and gain a fairly high position in the organization, even making Gin have to give him some face.

"I already said it couldn't be the main character," Conan said with a hint of helplessness.

Conan is quite suspicious of Junji Senzu.

That guy is a very famous actor with excellent acting skills.

Conan had seen a TV series starring that guy; it was a story about the male and female leads swapping souls.

Junji Senzu played the 'female lead' exceptionally well, which earned him a large following.

He could easily disguise himself as a woman.

His gaze, however, became profound.

The image of Senju Shunji from that popular drama instantly flashed into my mind.

Her gentle demeanor, delicate gaze, and even her voice seemed to soften through the screen.

An actress who can portray female characters so vividly could easily disguise herself as a mysterious woman chatting and laughing with Gin in a warehouse.

Conan told Rena Mizunashi his guess: "That guy is a very famous actor, and his acting skills are quite good."

"He could easily disguise himself as a woman."

Rena Mizunashi looked at Conan's serious expression and couldn't help but shake her head slightly, a hint of sarcasm on her lips.

"Huh?" Conan looked up, puzzled.

"Do you think that just by acting skills you can have the power to command Gin in that organization?"

Rena Mizunashi's voice carried a hint of warning:
"Gin is a cold, suspicious, and extremely arrogant person."

"Would he take orders from a politician who rose to power through acting? Or from a newly elected member of parliament?"

Conan was stunned.

He had to admit that Rena Mizunashi was right.

Gin is the organization's top assassin, ruthless and cruel.

If Senju Junji is really just an ordinary member of parliament, he probably isn't qualified.

“That mysterious person…” Rena Mizunashi’s gaze became somewhat vacant, as if she were recalling something.

"He had a very strange aura about him, unlike a superior person or a ruthless thug."

Conan's brows furrowed into a deep frown.

A person's demeanor can indeed be faked.

He felt that his reasoning had reached a dead end.

That mysterious person might not even be on his known list.

If you only deduce the truth from the people you know, you may never find it.

"I need to think about it some more," Conan said, frowning.

Rena Mizunashi looked at Conan with a very strange expression, who was acting like a little adult.

This child is really not normal.

Hondo Eisuke was also processing their conversation.

My sister is a CIA agent who is infiltrating a terrible organization.

That organization carried out terrorist attacks in Japan and influenced parliamentary elections.

They are ruthless and powerful.

So my sister was in such danger; no wonder she never wanted to see me.

Hondou Eisuke glanced at Mizunashi Rena with mixed feelings, then looked at Conan.

Does this little kid know too much?
Moreover, Conan's intelligence is truly off the charts.

"Miss Rena Mizunashi".

Conan spoke again:
"Since you are a CIA undercover agent, you should know that with our current strength, we are simply not capable of shaking the foundation of the organization."

“That mysterious person, the scapegoat for Brother Zheng, that councilor…we need more information.”

Rena Mizunashi asked, "So what do you want?"

“Let’s work together,” Conan said.

Rena Mizunashi's lips twitched.

Do you want to work with a primary school student like me?
The joke wasn't funny.

She looked at Conan and said without a trace of sarcasm:

"What you should be doing right now is going to school, not getting involved in something so dangerous."

Then, Rena Mizunashi looked at Eisuke and said, "You too, just pretend you never contacted me and never heard today's conversation."

"Just pretend you don't have a sister like me and keep living your life."

"Ahem!" Conan coughed and said, "Actually, I have Heiji backing me up."

It is indeed difficult to gain the trust of a young child.

But Conan can bring Heiji into the picture. (End of Chapter)