Ten-odd minutes later.
Inspector Megure arrived at the crime scene as requested.
"Tsuneo-kun, I've said this many times before—even if it's legally justifiable, please try not to do… this," the portly inspector said, looking at the "fixer" with a completely deadpan expression.
One of the thugs was currently being treated by paramedics. He had been introduced to the iron back door of the nearby corporation head-first. The group of white-coated medics could only shake their heads as they examined the dent in the door—and the matching one in the man's skull.
"But he kept threatening me," Tsuneo replied, looking perfectly innocent.
He had stopped hitting them the moment he realized they couldn't take a punch. But then the man had started ranting about his "syndicate" and "powerful figures" who would come for revenge. It was terrifying! What if a stray truck came flying at him out of nowhere? Tsuneo was very sensitive about that kind of thing.
"I understand. We'll investigate it thoroughly..." Megure sighed, rubbing his temples. You've already beaten the man senseless; why would he keep running his mouth and making things worse for himself?
"Miss Meiko Kadota, is it?"
"We have a few questions for you..." Officer Takagi began, opening his notebook as he approached the young woman who had almost lost her bag.
"Yes, of course."
Meiko Kadota clutched her purse tightly and nodded, giving a factual account of the incident.
"Look, it's the Sleeping Great Detective, Kogoro Mouri!"
"Excuse me! Has there been a murder here?" A swarm of reporters suddenly appeared out of the darkness, their eyes gleaming with the hope of a scandal.
These media personnel had originally been here to cover the Phantom Thief Kid heist. After interviewing the police and Jirokichi Suzuki, they had been lingering in the area, hoping for a post-show scoop.
"Ahem! No one has died. It was merely an attempted street mugging," Kogoro Mouri said, clearing his throat and stepping in front of a camera lens that was desperately scanning the ground for a corpse.
These vultures, he thought. They hear a siren and think it's the end of the world.
Hearing that it was just a "small incident," the media lost interest almost instantly. They had seen the police cars and the ambulance and assumed they'd found a lead on a major story. However, a few sharp-eyed photographers did notice the tear-stained, beautiful victim.
A pretty girl in distress? That's still a decent human-interest piece, they figured, snapping a few shots.
"It seems like we detectives are becoming less and less popular," Tsuneo remarked to Kogoro, standing idly by the side.
"Is... is that so?" Kogoro looked at him flatly. Weren't you the one who just refused to be interviewed?
The truth was, unless a massive incident occurred tonight, tomorrow's front, second, and third pages were already reserved for Phantom Thief Kid. These reporters didn't have much energy left for anything else.
Tsuneo and the others lingered near Meiko Kadota long enough to hear the full story.
The man who had called her "Meiko" and threatened Tsuneo was indeed her ex-boyfriend. He had recently joined some "illustrious" gang and had proceeded to extort every acquaintance he had. This was the third time he had cornered her, always timed specifically for the day her company issued paychecks.
"Can't you just refuse or call the police?" Ran asked, a hint of suspicion in her voice. She felt like Meiko was holding something back.
"Scumbags like that have a thousand ways to make your life a living hell," Tsuneo noted, his voice turning cold.
He knew the type. Some methods were illegal but not "serious" enough for long-term prison time. Even with police intervention, they could engage in psychological warfare, stalking, and harassment. They knew the law better than most people think—they knew exactly where the line was and how to dance on it.
"It really could lead to a tragedy," Kogoro mused. "That guy is in the hospital now, but will she be safe? Or will the gang come for her?"
"No. I suspect that very soon, she won't have the energy to worry about that," Tsuneo said, shaking his head as he climbed into the driver's seat of his truck.
If she had lost half her salary today, someone might have ended up dead the next time they met. But even though the money was safe for now, no one knew what tomorrow would bring.
"Revenge," Conan muttered, frowning. Surely it won't go that far?
"Dad, have you ever heard of the 'Lion King Society'?" Ran asked.
When the man had threatened Tsuneo earlier, he had loudly proclaimed his membership in that group.
"Huh?"
"Never heard of 'em. Probably some bottom-tier street gang," Kogoro said, waving a hand dismissively. "Leave it to Megure. They'll handle it."
"Tell me," Tsuneo said, flooring the accelerator and glancing at the passengers. "Do you think we'll have to worry about these guys taking potshots at us through our bedroom windows tonight?"
"What are you talking about?" Kogoro scratched his head. "Wait, this isn't the way home. Where are you taking us?"
"Ran, welcome to Practical Training Lesson One: The Lion King Society!" Tsuneo said, pulling out an earpiece and fitting it into his ear.
Noah's Ark, initiate!
"Boss, word just came in. Two of our brothers are in the hospital."
Inside a sprawling, dilapidated warehouse, a middle-aged man sat on a plush sofa. He was draped in gold chains and rings, a young woman clinging to his arm. He listened to the report of the night's failed extortion with a bored expression.
In his organization, there were plenty of idiots who couldn't even manage a simple mugging.
The man tapped his sunglasses and spoke with an air of immense, manufactured authority. "Tell those two to keep their mouths shut. No talking to the cops. And as for whoever did it... we're going to bite back twice as hard!"
From his tone, it sounded like he intended to cause trouble not just for the woman, but for the two "Gods of Death" who had intervened.
The warehouse was massive, filled with various entertainment facilities. There were pool tables, mahjong sets, and lounge areas. The thirty or forty people present were all low-life "aspirants" hoping to make a name for themselves in the underworld.
Hearing their leader's fierce declaration, the thugs erupted into cheers and applause.
The woman at the leader's side practically swooned. As expected of the Boss! He used to be in a major syndicate. He's got so much charisma!
"Hahaha!" The man rubbed his bald head and waved a hand, signaling his men to get back to their games.
Beep— Beep— BEEP!
A sharp, rhythmic blaring of a car horn pierced the air.
In the next instant—CRASH!
The heavy warehouse doors were smashed inward with a thunderous roar. A red pickup truck lunged into the center of the hall.
Beep— Beep— BEEP!
As if worried people might miss the entrance, the horn continued to blare, and the high-beam headlights flared to life, blinding the "Boss."
"Wait, is that all of them?" Tsuneo sat in the driver's seat, eyeing the stunned thugs with a hint of disappointment. He reached down and felt around for his largest heavy-duty wrench.
"Don't worry. I've jammed all outgoing signals and sent a fake alert to their members. Everyone associated with this group is currently converging on this location," Hiroki's voice rang clearly in his ear.
As a top-tier Artificial Intelligence, Hiroki had already calculated a flawless plan.
You just do the heavy lifting!
"Tsuneo-san… here? We're here?" Ran asked, still holding Conan. Both of their mouths had formed a perfect 'O' shape.
This was… a bit too direct.
"We should probably call the police first," Kogoro said, reaching for his phone, only to find he couldn't get a signal to any number.
This is bad. They must have a high-grade signal jammer here!
"Alright, everyone out!"
"Practical training begins now!"
Tsuneo hopped out of the truck, hefting the massive wrench with a sincere, friendly smile on his face.
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