Conan: No, why aren't you following the script?

Chapter 326 Telecommunications (Not) Fraud

Ultimately, without a doubt, Sohei Izujima had neither the intention nor the courage to explain.

Kitagawa Isao could directly expose his secret of cheating and not paying rent properly, so how could he dare to bet on whether that phone call was really made to Miyano Atsushi?

If Atsushi Miyano hadn't told him all this, Sohei Izushima really wouldn't have known how to explain it.

Surely detectives these days are so skilled that they leave ordinary people with no privacy at all?

Sohei Izushima asked himself honestly, perhaps even a top detective like Kogoro Mouri couldn't do something like this, let alone this seemingly ordinary young man in front of him.

He preferred to believe that all of this was secretly commissioned by his old friend, Atsushi Miyano, rather than believe that such an omniscient and omnipotent god truly existed in this world.

So, having completely lost his courage, Izujima Sohei quickly sighed and reluctantly accepted Kitagawa Isao's identity.

However, to his surprise, what he thought Kitagawa Isao had come to collect the rent owed for more than ten years was completely unexpected. The moment the young man opened his mouth, his words caused Izujima Sohei's mood to change drastically...

"Since President Izushima is willing to negotiate, then everything is easy. Mr. Miyano has already stated that President Izushima is, after all, a good friend of his, and you two have known each other for decades, so... he doesn't plan to ask you for the rent from the previous ten years or so. However, in return, the rent from now on will be..."

"You can rest assured about that, young man!"

Overjoyed at the unexpected turn of events, Izushima Sohei exclaimed, "I won't shortchange Miyano a single penny from now on! Have him give me a bank account number, and I'll transfer this year's rent to him right now!"

Feeling like he was on a rollercoaster, Sohei Izumi didn't care about anything else at that moment. Upon hearing that he didn't need to pay any extra rent, he wished he could die on the spot to celebrate.

After all, he was a despicable fellow, and such behavior was not at all unexpected by Kitagawa Isao.

Watching the president perform his face-changing act on the spot, Kitagawa Isao sneered inwardly, but his face remained calm: "President Izushima, don't be so hot-tempered. Take a moment to recover. I still prefer your arrogant and domineering demeanor just now."

"Huh? Hahaha, young man, you're joking. I'm a reasonable person, how could I be arrogant towards the detective hired by Miyano? Don't talk nonsense."

Sohei Izushima chuckled twice, then rubbed his hands together and said, "But speaking of which, what exactly is Miyano doing now? What happened before, could it be that he really..."

"Well, all I can tell you is that Mr. Miyano doesn't need your money right now, as for the rest..."

At this point, Kitagawa Isao suddenly chuckled, "Anyway, that's all I can say. President Izujima should understand what I mean. Now let's get back to the main topic and talk about something serious."

"Major business? Haven't we already finished discussing the major business?" Sohei Izushima, with his large head, looked at Isao Kitagawa with a puzzled expression.

In his eyes, rent is the only important thing. He doesn't need to pay back the rent he owed for more than ten years. What else is worth mentioning?

Seeing this, Kitagawa Isao explained to him, "You can't say that. Although Mr. Miyano doesn't hold your past actions against you, President Izujima, we have to look at the future. If you do it again, President Izujima, do you expect me to come all the way here?"

“Absolutely not,” Sohei Izushima quickly waved his hand and said 'righteously', “I’m not that kind of person, little brother, you can rest assured, I would never betray Miyano. From now on, I will pay whatever amount is due, and I will definitely not delay payment!”

"I know that President Izushima has an excellent reputation, and I certainly don't doubt that. But words are not enough. After all, you wronged Mr. Miyano once before. So if you want to stay here in the future, you have to show some appreciation, don't you?"

"Uh, yes, that's only right... Well, young man, how about this? I'll increase the rent, add... 10%! What do you think?"

Shizuo Sohei touched his chest with a pained expression; taking money from his pocket was more painful than killing him.

However, despite saying that, Sohei Izushima actually didn't lose any money at all.

You should know that the rent that Atsushi Miyano negotiated with him was a price from thirty years ago, and the rent hasn't increased at all since then...

Thirty years ago, 100 yen could buy five peaches, but now, 100 yen can only buy half a peach.

The price difference is more than tenfold. If it were only a 10% increase, this amount of rent in Tokyo wouldn't even be enough to rent a coffin room, let alone a villa.

It's clear that even at this point, Sohei Izumi, that miser, still doesn't forget to find loopholes to gain more benefits for himself.

Unfortunately, this 'shrewd' president, despite his meticulous planning, overlooked the fact that he was short-lived.

What's even more regrettable is that Kitagawa Isao knew perfectly well how long he would live...

"Raising the rent might put Mr. Miyano in a difficult position and hurt your relationship... How about this, President Izujima, the rent will remain the same from now on, so you won't have to bear too much of the burden. But in return, we need to see some of your sincerity."

"Sincerity? You mean..."

"A fixed price. You pay five years' rent in advance, plus a one-year deposit, and then pay every five years thereafter. This way, if you decide you don't want to rent anymore someday, you can discuss it with Mr. Miyano in advance, and Mr. Miyano can also make arrangements in advance and plan the use of the house in advance. What do you think?"

"Well..."

Upon hearing this, Izujima Sohei hesitated.

He knew that his previous actions had indeed disgusted his old friend, and he wasn't too averse to paying a price for it.

In addition, given the exorbitant land prices in Tokyo, if they angered Miyano and were forced to move out, they would have no chance of finding a villa with such excellent value for money.

If it's just five years' rent, he could actually accept it...

Moreover, given Miyano's personality, this science fanatic might forget he has a house for rent again in five years.

At that time, wouldn't I only need to pay five years' rent to continue running my studio here for ten years or even longer?

Upon realizing this, Izushima Sohei's eyes lit up, and he quickly grabbed Kitagawa Isao's hands, nodding eagerly:

"Five years' rent plus one year's deposit, right? I promise! I can transfer the money right now!"