The Phantom Thief of Heart! But Conan.

"Sonoko, do you want to come too?"

"Of course. It's a rare opportunity to go to Kyoto with you..."

Mao Lilan smiled as she listened to her talk about her anticipation for the upcoming trip, but she couldn't help but tighten her arm around Suzuki Sonoko's.

Sonoko does like to get involved at times like this and join in the fun, but this time, no matter how you think about it, you can't help but feel that Tang Ze is involved.

Although Tang Ze is from Kyoto, he actually has almost no one to rely on in Kyoto. If he is really involved in a long and complicated judicial process, it will be very difficult for him to deal with these problems alone.

I guess Sonoko wanted to go over and see what was going on, and if possible, help Tang Ze a little.

"...I should feel bad for making such a big fuss about me." Tang Ze sighed as he looked at the girls walking arm in arm in front of him.

With Suzuki Sonoko around, they definitely don't have to worry about food and accommodation in Kyoto.

To exaggerate a little, it is possible that Suzuki Sonoko took into consideration that his house had suffered a fire and he had no stable place to stay in Kyoto, so she thought of coming over to take a look, and if that didn't work, she would lend him a room so that he would have a place to go in the future.

This was purely out of a desire to help him. After all, everyone knew that even though he was alone, his family was still very well-off and he wasn't short of money...

"Don't think like that. Uncle was going to Kyoto to take on a commission anyway, and Hattori also had a case under investigation. It was just a side job." Conan patted Tang Ze's arm. "Besides, you're saying you feel sorry now... Knowing that you were wronged, it's impossible for everyone to leave you alone."

Perhaps Tang Ze's life did not get worse after he came to Tokyo, but this was never Tang Ze's own choice.

After his case is solved, if he likes life in Tokyo more, he can transfer back - Teitan really seems to welcome transfer students, and it doesn't seem that difficult to get in.

"What you said makes sense." Tang Ze sighed, not knowing how to refute.

They are not the only ones making such a big fuss.

When they learned that he needed to go to Kyoto for this reason, it can be said that almost everyone who knew him could not sit still.

They're not short of money, so buying a bunch of tickets at once and booking a single-family homestay wouldn't be a problem. However, since they don't know how long it will take, and they're making it look like they're moving, that's another matter...

----

"Xingchuan, Xingchuan...?"

"Huh?! What's wrong—"

"What are you daydreaming about..."

"No, it's just..." After adjusting the black mask on his face, Teru Hoshikawa sank deeper into the cushion behind him, "I'm a little curious about what Kyoto is like..."

And, thinking about Tang Ze's case.

Bourbon was already a big name, and Kumail was even more famous. When they took the initiative to solve the case, of course no one would raise any objections.

Without organizational resistance, it would naturally be much easier to re-examine this case.

No matter how confidential the case needs to be, once the judicial process of retrial has been taken, all the people involved in the case will naturally have to return to the shore. At that time, a breakthrough will naturally surface.

That being said, due to the well-known conservative judicial tendencies, the probability of retrials in cases across Japan is very low.

It not only requires the higher court to determine that the original trial had unclear facts or illegal procedures, but also requires it to bring about a certain amount of public opinion, such as the parties involved are well-known, or the case has become a big deal and everyone knows about it.

Given Japan's somewhat patchwork judicial system, if new evidence is presented that is sufficient to overturn the original trial, an application for retrial must be filed within 30 days of the submission of the evidence. Exceeding the deadline may render the evidence invalid.

In short, because courts generally prefer to maintain stability in their rulings and rarely contradict themselves, the rare cases that are overturned by retrials often drag on for a very long time, sometimes even until the defendant dies...

The above is all the information he looked up after he knew about these people's plans, and there are also some parts that he consulted people using his identity as a detective. The conclusion he came to is not optimistic.

"Okay, if you're concerned about the case, just say so." Jinpei Matsuda, who was sitting on the other side of the aisle, pushed up his sunglasses. "Everyone is very concerned about this matter."

"I'm a little worried. It's hard not to worry, isn't it?" Xingchuan Hui curled his lips. "You used to be a police officer, you deal with those people more often. Do you think his case is easy to solve?"

"It's indeed troublesome." Matsuda Jinpei mentioned this issue, a subtle hint of sarcasm quickly appearing on his face. "No matter how the case was originally decided, the current situation is that it has been decided. To acknowledge this huge procedural issue and to bring it to a higher court for review, this is not just a problem for the people involved in the case..."

It is likely to develop into a questioning of the entire system.

Such a heavy slap in the face, to put it simply, is a matter of face. The people of Kyoto Prefecture might not be able to hold their heads up for a long time. More realistically, funding, allocations, appointments and dismissals, and even staffing issues from top to bottom may be affected by this...

For these people, not making mistakes is more important than doing the right thing. If a mistake has already been made, not making it bigger is more important than correcting it. This is the law of how reality works.

This is also the part that Jinpei Matsuda dislikes the most.

"That sounds like a real headache." Xingchuan Hui couldn't help but sigh, "Isn't there a simpler way?"

"Is there a simpler way? Yes." Hagiwara Kenji, who was sitting in the front row, raised his head, handed a can of drink to a few people in the back row, and answered casually, "Take advantage of their own strategy and simply erase the identity of Tang Ze Zhao."

When there is a problem with a file and it is difficult to correct it, the most convenient process is actually to create another file.

Considering Tang Ze's relationship with various departments, it's just a new fake identity, not even a challenge.

"There's an even simpler way." Asai Narimi, who was sitting on the other side of Hoshikawa Teru, put down the magazine in his hand and said half-jokingly, "Let Karasawa surrender directly to the police and say that he is the Joker, he is the Phantom Thief of Hearts..."

"Huh?" Hoshikawa Teru was stunned as he didn't expect there to be such a saying.

"I can already imagine how the newspapers will describe this: 'The mastermind of the Heart Thief has been apprehended, and his true identity turned out to be an underage student, and his crimes were the result of a tragically wrongful conviction...'" Asai Narimi shrugged. "At this point, the public opinion standard for a retrial has been met. If people spread the story that the Heart Thief, out of anger at being wronged by the police and courts, chose a different path without relying on the judiciary, they'd be dead."

That would not only bring shame to the Kyoto family, but also to the entire police force.

At this point, no one cares about the referee's stability anymore. This is the so-called situation where if you want to lift the roof, they think opening a window is something to discuss...

"It would be better to include what he did in his other identities. He bravely stood up for justice, assisted the police in solving cases many times, and was forced to join a criminal organization... If his case is not overturned, not only will the police be dead, but all of them will be dead." It is hard to say whether he was adding fuel to the fire, Matsuda Jinpei added.

Unable to bear it any longer, Miyano Akemi raised her hand and knocked on the backs of their seats one by one: "You guys, this is on JR, keep your voice down."

"Yes--"

Several people responded, and then fell silent.

However, Teru Hoshikawa, who asked the question at the beginning, did not say anything else, but his gaze out the window became thoughtful.

As long as Tang Ze's current experience is fully disclosed, can the foundation of this case be fundamentally shaken and the seemingly insurmountable chasm be overcome?

No, actually, Tang Ze doesn't need to come alone...

----

"hiss……"

Tang Ze shivered suddenly when the can was pressed against his face. He turned around and looked at Conan who was handing him the thing.

"What's wrong with you? Are you in a daze?" Conan, who didn't even try to hide from Tang Ze, was also stunned.

"A little absent-minded..." Tang Ze took the coffee can he handed over, touched the back of his neck, and seemed to be thinking about something.

No, to be more precise, he had an uneasy feeling that something was going to happen.

Is it because of the upcoming incident in Kyoto? Logically, this case should have a safe and secure ending.

It's just a gang of thieves fighting among themselves. Not to mention the ones they have dealt with, Conan himself has encountered quite a few.

As long as the detectives proceed steadily and don't act recklessly or give up, can a group of thieves who don't even use firearms really threaten anyone?

Could it be that there is something wrong with my case?

With this subtle emotion, Tang Ze listened to the conversation between Mao Lilan and Suzuki Sonoko on the other side, and felt full of flags.

"The weather isn't quite right for cherry blossom viewing yet, but there should be a lot of cherry blossoms already in bloom, right? I feel like we'll be able to see a lot of beautiful scenery."

"Well, no matter how the commissions and cases are handled, it's nice to relax. Sonoko, does your family have any property in Kyoto?"

"Of course we have some industry, but it's mostly just shops and stuff. Kyoto's main tourist residential style doesn't quite align with the high-end resort projects that the Suzuki Group specializes in, so our family hasn't invested much in hotels there."

"But the place we live in is also your family's property, right?"

"Hmm! However, it's a small-scale B&B and hot spring resort, mainly for internal receptions... If you want to go on vacation, settle things here and I'll take you somewhere more fun!"

"Is there a new project being completed?"

"Yes, Tang Ze's advice is still very effective."

"What advice?"

"Make the most of your current position and draw on the power of the humanities and social sciences... Hey, that's all just a headache to hear, don't pay too much attention to it."

"...I feel like you have created something really amazing." Conan, who was sitting next to Tang Ze and heard what they said clearly, twitched his mouth.

After all, Suzuki Sonoko is the only second child of this generation of Suzuki masters. Her elder sister got married and changed her surname, so there is a great possibility that she will inherit the family business.

This is the truth, but it is difficult for Conan, who grew up with her, to realize that this carefree guy may take over the helm of a huge business empire and become the captain of the Suzuki family in a few years.

When he heard her occasionally blurt out some business terms that were completely inconsistent with her past image, he couldn't help but feel a subtle sense of strangeness.

He remembered that Yuanzi's previous argument was that one didn't need to be very proficient in business, as long as one could understand the financial statements and not be fooled by fake accounts.

How did this change happen? Was it Tang Ze who did it?

"How can you say that? This is Sonoko's own choice." Tang Ze was very calm about this. "If she has no other ideas and just wants to be a second-generation rich man who can earn dividends, then no matter what others say, it won't matter."

Well, he admitted that what happened to Tang Ze and the realization of the fickleness of the world after the incident might have changed Suzuki Sonoko's mentality, but Tang Ze swore that this was definitely not guided by him.

All I can say is that any intersection between people will definitely affect each other, and many changes are subtle.

"Let's talk about the case. I roughly know what Hattori is doing. He often asks me and discusses with me about many questions. However, this time he is so confident that he can move the case forward. Has he discovered any decisive new evidence?" Tang Ze asked, touching his chin.

Of course, Tang Ze knew what Xingchuan Teru had thought of before.

As someone who was involved in the case, he knew very well how difficult it was to deal with a wrongful conviction. Therefore, he did not hesitate at all when he asked two detectives to get something for nothing.

It is better to expect the Joker to physically shake the judicial system than to expect the detectives to shake the judicial system in a short period of time.

By the time they find any useful evidence, Detective Conan might be over.

At that time, there would be no need to go through the trouble of arguing with the procuratorate. He could just close his eyes and stay in jail for a while. Under pressure, his superiors would have to give him an explanation.

So Tang Ze really didn't expect Hattori Heiji to come up with such a brilliant move.

"Well..." Conan's mouth twitched again, and he felt a little embarrassed to speak.

There was a decisive witness, but it was only Okita Souji.

There are some circumstantial evidence that can confirm Tang Ze's actions that day, such as traffic surveillance in corners, but there is really no solid evidence.

Faced with this situation, Hattori Heiji thought about it and chose the style that would get the most barrage, which was...

"Tang Ze——"

"Hey, hey, hey..." Tang Ze, who almost fell back after being bumped into by someone as he walked out of the station, steadied himself and struggled to push the guy who rushed over and gave him a warm hug away. "Why, you're here too..."

"Of course, as an important witness, I'm here to help you fight against injustice." Smiling, Okita Souji seemed oblivious to the disgust on Tang Ze's face. "I've also been trying to help with the school-wide petition! We've collected over 3000 names!"

"Huh? More than 3000?!" Tang Ze's eyelids jumped, and he vaguely realized what Conan's hesitant expression in the car meant.

"Yes. Besides the students, there were also teachers and some graduated seniors. It wasn't just autographs, I even found a TV station and did a special interview with them. I also found someone from the Parents' Association. Do you remember Ooka Momiji? Her family is the chairperson of the Parents' Association, and they have a certain influence. I want to thank her this time too..."

"...Because you think there's something wrong with the trial of my case?" Tang Ze's eyes twitched completely.

"No, the program's purpose was to oppose bullying and violence in schools. It's just that because of your criminal record, you became a typical example. And then, thanks to that detective, we were able to interview the local police station, and from then on, it just kept going..."

There was no need to listen further, Tang Ze roughly understood what was happening. He raised his hand and pressed his temple which was beginning to throb with pain.

"so……"

"So, you are already famous throughout Kansai as 'Boy A', the one you only hear about but never see." Conan added in a low voice

Tang Ze, who felt that he had been badly outmaneuvered:?