He had only nearly forgotten. In fact, when he had used Eagle Eye to observe the surroundings earlier, he had already spotted that conspicuous flash of red. He had deliberately walked toward them just now.
Children were naturally prone to not watching where they were going. Combined with Jiang Hang's Assassin's Footwork, everything had gone exactly as planned.
He looked at the chubby boy clutching his head and began to mutter to himself.
Had the Detective Boys already come together after just one week?
"Sorry," the chubby boy who had bumped into him was naturally Genta, but Mitsuhiko Tsuburaya, who had been walking behind him, was the one who apologized for him. "Genta, remember to watch where you're going! You bumped into someone! Hurry up and apologize!"
"Sorry, I didn't do it on purpose," Genta said without the slightest sincerity, then quickly shifted the blame onto Conan. "It's Conan's fault for suddenly running so fast. I was trying to catch up with him, so I didn't notice..."
Jiang Hang, who had done it on purpose in the first place, reached out and helped Genta up.
"Don't look around while you're walking. It wouldn't be good if you got into an accident." He crouched down and brushed off the boy's pants, then noticed that Conan was looking at him as well.
"You are... Why do you seem a little familiar?" Jiang Hang wore a thoughtful expression when he saw Conan, as if trying to remember something.
After all, he had met Conan once outside his house a week ago. This little brat might remember him, so pretending a little could dispel his suspicions.
"Have I seen you somewhere before?" he asked Conan.
As for Conan, although he was initially confused, he was a famous detective after all. He quickly remembered that last week, when he had been unable to enter his home after shrinking, this person had noticed him and asked whether he was okay and needed help. But Conan, newly shrunken and full of vigilance, had run away.
He hadn't expected the other person to remember someone he had only met once.
Conan was a little surprised, but he still looked at Jiang Hang as though he knew nothing.
"I don't know. Have you seen me before, mister?"
"Maybe I remembered wrong." Jiang Hang shook his head, letting the matter pass. His focus wasn't here anyway.
At that moment, Jiang Hang also noticed the slip of paper in Conan's hand.
It would not have been strange for an ordinary person to be holding a piece of paper. But if it was Conan, combined with a group outing by the Detective Boys, Jiang Hang quickly recalled an early case Conan had encountered involving stolen gold coins.
Apparently, a Mafia group had robbed a large amount of gold, and before the gang leader was arrested, he had left behind a coded Treasure Map. The leader's underlings wanted to find the treasure, but for some reason the map ended up in Conan's hands. Then Conan used his deduction skills and eventually found the gold coins the Mafia boss had hidden.
That was roughly how the whole incident went. Although Jiang Hang couldn't understand why, in the twenty-first century, a Mafia boss would suddenly make a coded Treasure Map, since he had run into it, he had to get involved somehow.
"By the way, are you playing some kind of treasure hunt? Elementary school students these days really have a lot of extracurricular activities."
After he said that, Genta snorted unhappily.
"The Treasure Map we're holding isn't some game! If we solve the riddle and find the treasure, I'll get to eat the most delicious Eel Rice in the world! Hahaha!"
"The most delicious Eel Rice in the world? That really does sound like a pretty good treasure. Need my help? It might sound unbelievable, but I'm actually a detective."
Jiang Hang didn't care much about treasure. With a rich system backing him up, he could earn ten million yen in an afternoon just by promoting positive energy. With a system like that, who needed treasure?
Compared with so-called treasure, the world's most delicious Eel Rice Genta had mentioned was much more appealing to him.
"Eh? Mister, you're a detective like Uncle Mori? And you look so young too. That's amazing!" Ayumi exclaimed after hearing Jiang Hang introduce himself.
As she spoke, Ayumi looked at Conan. "Conan, should we let this mister look at the Treasure Map? Maybe he'll see where the treasure is hidden right away?"
He said he was a detective, and you all believed him? I've never heard of any famous detective around here. Besides, what kind of great detective would be attracted by Eel Rice?
Conan complained helplessly to himself.
He had been called the Heisei Holmes, yet he still hadn't solved the code on this Treasure Map. If some random guy claiming to be a detective could solve it, what would happen to his dignity?
But even though he thought that, he was currently just a child. Faced with several other children who had already reached an agreement, there was nothing he could do.
Reluctantly, Conan handed the so-called "Treasure Map" to Jiang Hang. He even asked in a child's voice from the side.
"Mister, how long have you been a detective? Have you solved any impressive cases?"
"Haha, my detective agency only opened today. This should count as the first commission I've received." Jiang Hang answered Conan without a care, instantly dropping his reliability in Conan's mind to the same level as Kogoro Mouri.
He looked at the paper. At the very top was a tower, with a moon beside it.
Below were several simple shapes that seemed completely unrelated. Only beside the bottommost shape were the three letters oro written.
"Oro..." Jiang Hang blinked. In Italian, it meant gold.
As for why he knew Italian, that naturally had to be credited to the system that had originally planned to take him to Florence. Italian proficiency had been included among the initial rewards it gave him.
"A treasure marked in Italian... Could the person who buried it have been Italian?" Jiang Hang didn't remember the plot very clearly, but when he muttered that, Conan was somewhat surprised as well.
He had searched through bookstores for ages before discovering that. Could this ordinary-looking young man actually understand Italian?
This guy seemed at least a little more reliable than Kogoro Mouri.
But that was as far as Jiang Hang's abilities went. If it had been a murder case, Eagle Eye could have found plenty of clues. But for a Treasure Map that relied purely on deduction, who the hell knew what those drawings were supposed to be?
He only knew that a Mafia group had hidden gold coins. Who would remember the details in between? He could only make up nonsense on the spot.
"Hmm... This tower should be Tokyo Tower. The shapes below probably require us to go to Tokyo Tower first before we can proceed. I can't deduce the rest, but since they drew the moon to the right of Tokyo Tower instead of below it, does that mean the treasure can only be found at night with this map?"
What he hadn't expected was that after he finished spouting nonsense, Conan seemed to suddenly understand. Conan immediately clapped his hands hard, indicating that he had figured it out.
Jiang Hang's body trembled. As expected of Conan. He could so easily find the key to the case from Jiang Hang's bullshit.
Watching Conan suddenly put on a profound act, Jiang Hang's obsessive tendencies were about to flare up.
So what the hell did you figure out? Hurry up and say it!
Maple Gold Coin Case Concluded
Jiang Hang had no intention of following a group of first-grade elementary school kids on an adventure. Seeing that Conan seemed to have grasped the key to the case, he rubbed his chin.
He had Eagle Eye, so Conan definitely couldn't escape his surveillance. All he had to do next was wait for Conan to find the real treasure location.
"Whatever the case, it's almost evening now. Nighttime is dangerous, so you should hurry home. Here's your Treasure Map back."
"Eh? Mister, aren't you coming treasure hunting with us?" Ayumi said regretfully. In her eyes, Jiang Hang had only glanced over the Treasure Map a few times and already figured out so much. If he were willing to search with them, he could probably find the treasure in no time.
"I think your friend here already has an idea. You should work hard on your own."
As Jiang Hang returned the Treasure Map to the Detective Boys, he secretly activated Eagle Eye.
Sure enough, just as he expected, three suspicious-looking people were watching them from less than a hundred meters away. They were probably what remained of that Mafia group.
They couldn't find the location on the Treasure Map themselves, so they were pinning their hopes on a group of elementary school students. What an embarrassment to the Italian Mafia.
After encouraging the little detectives and reminding them again that nighttime would be dangerous and they should go home soon, Jiang Hang parted ways with the Detective Boys.
It was easy to imagine that these kids, so eager to court death, would never give up on treasure that was practically within reach.
His Eagle Eye had clearly shown that the Mafia members were carrying guns. Conan and the others would certainly be safe in the anime, but in reality, if something went wrong, there was no guarantee these little brats would be okay.
Even if there was only such a possibility, Jiang Hang felt it was best to nip the danger in the bud.
Of course, that didn't mean he would go over and deal with those three Mafia members himself. What a joke. He hadn't obtained even the slightest combat or assassination skill from the system yet. Other than being somewhat stronger than an ordinary person, taking on three armed Mafia members alone would be nothing but a pipe dream.
So Jiang Hang chose the action most fitting for his identity: he called the police and let them handle it.
Although the police in this world seemed somewhat unreliable, the descriptions Jiang Hang gave of the three suspicious people matched the three remaining Mafia members the police were hunting. As a result, the police responded quite quickly.
As the sky gradually darkened, Jiang Hang kept in contact with the police while using Eagle Eye to keep tabs on the three Mafia members from a distance.
With Jiang Hang's practically cheating-level vision, the police successfully set up an encirclement. When the three Mafia members followed Conan's group through an intersection and were suddenly tackled to the ground by a group of plainclothes officers, they had still been dreaming of the carefree life they would lead after using those brats to find the gold.
At that moment, Jiang Hang was speaking with a potbellied police officer.
In Conan's world, the person appearing now was naturally the famous Inspector Megure.
He was thanking Jiang Hang for calling the police. The Mafia group had robbed Maple Leaf Gold Coins worth six hundred million yen. Although the gang leader had already been arrested, neither the gold nor his three subordinates had been found.
When he learned that Jiang Hang was also a detective with a newly established agency, Inspector Megure's attitude toward him improved even further.
After all, the police in this world... really did have to rely on skilled detectives in many situations. And most capable detectives were arrogant types who handled anything they could solve on their own, without considering the police's feelings at all.
When dealing with those detectives, the police could basically only come out to clean up after the case was over. That was undoubtedly extremely embarrassing for the police force.
But Jiang Hang was different. Although he had provided the suspects' location, he had only assisted from the sidelines throughout the operation and barely interfered with the police's actions. After the case was over, he also gave the police high praise, with no intention of taking credit.
The two only chatted beside the police car for a while before Inspector Megure naturally began calling him "Brother Jiang."
Jiang Hang also knew he would have plenty of dealings with Inspector Megure in the future, so he hurried to build a good relationship with him now.
After the three Mafia members were taken away in police cars, Jiang Hang figured Conan's group had probably found the hidden Maple Leaf Gold Coins by now. He immediately told Inspector Megure about how they had been following Conan's group.
Then he easily found Conan's location with Eagle Eye and, under the pretense that he had deduced it himself, had Inspector Megure bring several officers along with him to the gold's hiding place.
When Jiang Hang brought Inspector Megure to the gold's hiding place, the expressions on the Detective Boys' faces were especially entertaining. They went from delight at finding the gold to shock, then after learning the truth, from astonishment to disbelief, and finally to disappointment and dejection.
Watching the Detective Boys stare at him like he was a liar, Jiang Hang looked rather helpless.
After all, in children's eyes, treasure they found belonged to them. Jiang Hang helping out and wanting a share would have been one thing, but calling the police was completely against the rules. Even though they knew Jiang Hang had helped them deal with three Mafia members, the children still weren't very grateful.
"Alright, alright, don't be angry. To make up for the loss of your treasure, how about I take you to eat some delicious Eel Rice later?"
The moment he heard about delicious Eel Rice, food lover Genta immediately defected. They were just children, after all. Jiang Hang easily cheered them up with a few words, and they would forget about this in a couple of days.
Conan, on the other hand, seemed somewhat discouraged after learning the entire chain of events from the police.
He had studied that Treasure Map for an entire afternoon, but Jiang Hang had only looked at it briefly before finding the key. Jiang Hang had even brought the police here, arriving only a step behind Conan.
More importantly, Jiang Hang had noticed the three Mafia members following him and easily dealt with them.
Meanwhile, Conan himself had noticed nothing from beginning to end. If those three Mafia members had followed them all the way here, their entire group might have been in danger.
Thinking of that, Conan couldn't help feeling a chill of fear.
When he looked at Jiang Hang again, the man who had originally seemed ordinary now appeared unfathomable.
He hadn't expected to run into such an amazing detective just by walking down the street. It seemed his former self had truly been too arrogant.
Naturally, Jiang Hang had no idea what Conan was thinking. He merely rubbed his stomach.
He had been busy all day and hadn't even had dinner yet. He should hurry up and cooperate with Inspector Megure to finish his statement, then find a good restaurant and feast.
This Really Was a Multiverse
"Congratulations, Host, on completing your first criminal case. You have taken the most crucial first step on the path to becoming a legendary detective. The initial case-solving reward has been issued. Please check it."
"Congratulations, Host, on solving a three-star case. The case-solving reward has been issued. We hope you will continue your efforts and become a legendary detective as soon as possible."
After the police confiscated that large bag of gold coins, system notifications appeared in Jiang Hang's mind.
Two rewards for one case. This system was pretty generous when it came to rewards.
Jiang Hang checked the rewards. In addition to ten million yen, the three-star case-solving reward included a Basic Combat Training Permit. According to the description, he could use it to enter the training room once, where he could acquire Basic Combat Skills through training.
Rather than directly stuffing combat skills into his head, it required him to train on his own. The former would certainly have been more convenient, but perhaps skills earned through training would feel more reassuring when used.
Jiang Hang complained internally about his rigid system, but he didn't dwell on it.
He just didn't know what level these so-called Basic Combat Skills would amount to in reality. Considering the power scale of the Conan world, Jiang Hang pessimistically believed that even after completing the training, he probably still wouldn't be a match for Ran Mori. After all, she could punch through a concrete utility pole.
Having watched a Conan movie, Jiang Hang also knew that an even more monstrous person would appear later, someone capable of knocking away a soccer ball Conan kicked with his bare hands.
In another movie, Conan's soccer ball could forcibly alter the trajectory of a falling satellite. Jiang Hang felt that even if he mastered the Ultimate Ancient Fist Technique, Invincible Wind Fire Wheels, he might not be able to beat someone that monstrous.
Still, no matter what, Jiang Hang would finally have at least some ability to defend himself.
The initial case-solving reward, meanwhile, not only gave him twenty million yen but also unlocked a branch ability of Eagle Eye.
Eagle Eye—Reveal (Basic): Once activated, it can conduct a comprehensive analysis of things within ten meters, directly uncovering hidden secrets in the surrounding area to a certain extent.
Compared with Eagle Eye's original surveillance-only function, this newly unlocked ability actually had a bit of a detective puzzle-solving feel to it. In the future, he could use Eagle Eye at a murder scene. It might not directly identify the killer, but it could at least gather every clue at the scene immediately.
"Finally, a useful skill..." Jiang Hang muttered. Compared with Meditation, which only helped him sleep better, and Assassin's Footwork, which kept him silent while walking, he finally had an ability that a detective ought to have.
Overall, Jiang Hang had gained quite a lot from this case. The only pity was that Genta still hadn't gotten to eat his beloved Eel Rice in the end.
But that couldn't be helped. Jiang Hang certainly wasn't reluctant to spend the money. The case had directly earned him thirty million yen, so he could easily afford one meal.
However, when the Detective Boys' guardians came to pick them up after being notified by the police, Genta's parents repeatedly thanked Jiang Hang after learning that their son had gotten involved in a Mafia robbery case, then immediately took their son home. It seemed the Eel Rice would have to wait until another time.
The parents' actions were perfectly normal, of course. But when Jiang Hang thought about how Genta would face even more cases with the Detective Boys in the future, he mourned for those children's parents from the bottom of his heart.
With Conan, that walking jinx, around, their children would probably be tangled up in all sorts of cases for the rest of their lives.
After finishing his statement, Jiang Hang wanted to invite Inspector Megure out for a feast, but the inspector still had to deal with the case and would probably be working overtime until late at night. In the end, Jiang Hang was the only one left to enjoy a big meal.
He really needed to find an assistant. Eating a feast alone just felt a little off.
With that thought, Jiang Hang opened his phone. Since money was no object, the agency's efficiency was as fast as ever. They had already sent him a file in the evening, but Jiang Hang had been in contact with the police at the time and hadn't noticed it.
It might also have been because Jiang Hang's requirements had been too simple. After all, he had only given the agency two conditions: no bad record and good looks.
As for ability, a front-desk assistant didn't really need much. As long as she could serve tea, pour water, and receive guests, that was enough. She just couldn't be some foul-mouthed girl who would drive clients away the moment she opened her mouth.
Before you continue