Guchuan's Collection

That night, while Guchuan was asleep, Little Ai quietly slipped into the kitchen, took out a kitchen knife, and tucked it beneath her pillow.

She believed that if she stayed with Guchuan, the organization would kill her sooner or later.

And it probably would not even be because her identity as "Sherry" had been exposed. More likely, Guchuan would provoke the organization, and she would merely be an innocent little girl caught in the crossfire.

Little Ai touched the kitchen knife.

When that time came, she would just die along with him.

The night passed without incident.

In the morning, Guchuan rubbed his eyes as he came out of his room and saw Little Ai eating breakfast alone.

"Why didn't you call me today?" Guchuan sat beside Little Ai, his hair a complete mess.

"Because I'm angry with you." Little Ai calmly ate her breakfast, chewing slowly and elegantly in small bites.

"Why are you angry? Because I dragged you to the Police Station yesterday, or something else?"

"If I told you, would you change?"

"Probably not." Guchuan thought about it before answering.

Right now, all he wanted was to do whatever he pleased. He had no intention of changing for anything.

"Since you won't, why ask me?" Little Ai seemed to have anticipated Guchuan's answer. She finished the food on her plate and headed to the kitchen to wash the dishes.

"Where's my breakfast?" Guchuan asked, rubbing his stomach.

"Why should I make food for you?"

Guchuan rummaged through the kitchen cupboards and quickly found a sandwich.

"You clearly prepared one for me but refused to say so. See? You're being tsundere again." Guchuan stuffed the sandwich into his mouth.

Little Ai's hand paused. She turned and glared at Guchuan Ning in annoyance.

I told you, I'm not tsundere!

"I'll take you to the amusement park this afternoon." Guchuan handed his plate to Little Ai.

"Not interested." Little Ai curled her lips.

"You obviously want to go, so why pretend you don't? Tsundere Little Ai is so cute." Guchuan patted Little Ai's head.

Ai Haibara helplessly shook off Guchuan's hand.

Fine. I'm tsundere, then.

"Before we go to the amusement park, let's visit my Collection Hall. All my collectibles have already been delivered back." Guchuan said with a smile.

Upon arriving at the Collection Hall, Little Ai froze for a moment when she saw the armor displayed inside.

"Why is that here?" Little Ai asked curiously.

"Someone insisted on giving me this armor. I had no choice but to accept it."

Little Ai was convinced by Guchuan's explanation. It was reasonable and well-supported.

However, that "gift" was not necessarily voluntary.

A large pile of items had been casually stacked on the floor. Each one had a piece of paper attached to it, bearing the words "Collection Points: ***." It was probably data Guchuan used to display the items' value.

"A murder happened here just yesterday, and you took over this Art Museum today?"

"Yep. I even signed the contract with the already-dead Manaka." Guchuan said happily.

Originally, Manaka had eagerly approached him to sell the venue after learning that he wanted to buy one. Manaka had planned to purchase the Art Museum first, then sell it cheaply to Guchuan in order to earn him a favor.

Guchuan had been happy to go along with it. Manaka was going to die sooner or later anyway, so there was no reason not to accept the favor.

"Why do you even collect handguns?" Little Ai picked up the Beretta.

"Someone gave it to me." Guchuan took the gun from Little Ai's hand.

Children should not touch something so dangerous.

"Do you have a gun permit?" Little Ai asked.

"No." Guchuan replied as if it were only natural.

Of course. I never should have asked such a stupid question.

Little Ai slapped her forehead. She had known all along that Guchuan was someone who liked to ignore the law. Illegally possessing a handgun was nothing to him.

"Are you sure someone gave you this gun?" Little Ai was doubtful of Guchuan's claim.

Who would give Guchuan a gun?

"Absolutely. If he doesn't come ask for it back, then he gave it to me." Guchuan said.

If Gin had not wanted to give it to him, then this gun would have been taken away along with Gin's vintage car.

Heh.

Little Ai continued searching through Guchuan's collectibles with a dark expression, checking to see whether there were any even more shocking items.

Little Ai was not disappointed. There really was something even more outrageous inside.

"You should turn yourself in." Little Ai sighed.

She felt that Guchuan belonged in prison even more than she, an evil scientist, did.

"What nonsense are you talking about? These things may be somewhat illegal, but as long as the police don't catch me red-handed, I'm still a law-abiding citizen."

Heh, a law-abiding citizen who collected explosives?

If this was what a law-abiding citizen was like, then what did criminals look like in his eyes? Someone flying an Armed Helicopter to bomb Tokyo Tower?

"Besides, if I go to prison, how will you live out here by yourself?" Guchuan's feelings were genuine.

"I'll have one less person's meals to make and one less person's dishes to wash. And I won't have to worry about you causing trouble outside and dragging me, an innocent little girl, into it..."

As Little Ai listed what her life would be like after Guchuan went to prison, Guchuan irritably covered her mouth.

"Alright, enough. I know you can't bear to part with me." Guchuan did not want Little Ai to continue.

With her mouth covered, Little Ai could not argue back.

"Mmgh, mmgh, mmgh~"

"Speak." Guchuan removed his hand from Little Ai's mouth, then disgustedly wiped the saliva off on her clothes.

Little Ai frowned and rubbed the spot stained with saliva against Guchuan's clothes.

Guchuan nimbly dodged, making Little Ai miss several times.

"Did you 'collect' guns and explosives to kill people, commit crimes, and disrupt society?"

After Little Ai had rubbed all the saliva off her clothes, she asked Guchuan in confusion.

The things Guchuan collected were far too strange. Little Ai truly could not believe he was not a criminal.

"No. I collect them entirely because they have collectible value." Guchuan shook his head.

Beretta, value: 10 Collection Points. (Gin's sidearm)

Homemade Explosives, value: 5 Collection Points. (Explosives used by a demolition prodigy to blow up a building)

Armor, value: 6 Collection Points. (The most artistic murder)

...

Guchuan looked at Little Ai again.

Ai Haibara, value: 100 Collection Points. (Original name: Shiho Miyano. A fugitive scientist from a criminal organization. Doctor of biology, engaged in drug research within the criminal organization)

"What collectible value? More like practical value." Little Ai mocked him.

With Guchuan's personality, someone would come knocking for him sooner or later. By collecting guns and explosives, he would be able to deal with people seeking revenge when they came to his door.

Guchuan shrugged.

Of course, he collected these things for the system's Collection Points. He could not tell Little Ai that.

After receiving the system's Collection Points, Guchuan no longer cared much about the items themselves. But he could not simply throw them away, so he had no choice but to display them here.

"Little Ai, don't worry. I definitely won't throw you away."

"Whatever." Little Ai said indifferently.

What a bizarre thing to say. Who cares whether you abandon me? And if anyone leaves, it'll definitely be me after I've had enough of you.