As they spoke, the group exited the underground chamber, ascending through a secret passage in the watchtower to the castle's central courtyard. Emerging from the darkness into the bright sunlight, most would need a moment to adjust, but one person couldn't wait.
Upon hearing the offer of 600 million yen, before Natsumi Kosaka could even respond, the two old men coveting the treasure couldn't sit still. Especially the one who had been caught red-handed trying to steal earlier. He squinted against the light, shamelessly sidling up to Sonoko.
"Miss Suzuki, I'll pay 600 million... no, 700 million yen! Will you sell it to me?"
Setting aside the fact that the egg's value had just multiplied, the original estimate was 800 million. Everyone wondered how this old man had the nerve to open his mouth. And offering an extra 100 million? Did he think the Suzuki family cared about pocket change?
The Suzukis didn't lack money, nor did they lack valuable collectibles. If Yuu hadn't briefed her beforehand, Sonoko would have just given the egg to Natsumi for free. The 600 million "original price" offer was a calculated move: it acknowledged the egg as Natsumi's family heirloom while knowing she couldn't afford it, paving the way for Yuu's future maneuvers.
However, the shameless old man served a purpose. He allowed Sonoko to make an example of him, killing the chicken to scare the monkeys and extinguishing any lingering greed in the others.
If a tiger doesn't roar, do you take it for a sick cat? Sonoko had a good personality and didn't hold grudges, but that didn't mean she was a fool. This old man clearly thought he could bully her because of her age.
"Get lost."
Sonoko channeled the full aura of a zaibatsu heiress, scolding him mercilessly. "Giving you face and you don't want it? Don't let me see you again."
"You little girl..." The old man tried to rely on his seniority, but Suzuki family servants immediately covered his mouth and dragged him away. If they weren't in public, he would have received a much harsher lesson.
Once he was gone, Sonoko addressed the group, her tone both explanatory and threatening. "This Memories Egg is a part of my childhood. I'm only willing to part with it at the original purchase price because it is truly an heirloom of Miss Natsumi's family. As for anyone else, don't even think about it. I won't sell it for any amount."
When money reaches a certain level, it becomes just a number. And the Suzuki super-conglomerate had plenty of numbers.
With that statement, the other schemers gave up entirely. Unless they wanted to be exiled from Japan, offending the Suzuki family was suicide. Not everyone was an international criminal who could pull a job and vanish abroad.
With Sonoko's firm stance, Natsumi couldn't ask for it back for free. If Sonoko had offered it as a gift, Natsumi could have accepted with a clear conscience. But now, she didn't have the thick skin to ask for a 600 million yen handout. The Russian diplomat merely offered words, losing nothing. But for the Suzukis, giving it back for free meant a loss of 600 million yen—about 30 million RMB. To the rich, it was nothing; to ordinary people, it was a lifetime of earnings. No normal person would make such a request.
And the mixed-race beauty returning from France was certainly normal. Far from making an outrageous demand, she felt Sonoko was already being incredibly generous.
Natsumi held the smaller, red egg in her hands, tears shimmering in her gray eyes. "Miss Sonoko, thank you... but I can't come up with that much money..."
Despite her royal lineage and castle, the family fortune had dwindled by her generation. Being the sole survivor, she had little left—otherwise, she wouldn't be studying to be a pastry chef in Paris. Forget 600 million; she probably couldn't even scrape together 10 million yen.
The castle was technically hers, but it was a cross-border historical heritage site, making its liquid value tricky. Like a historic courtyard house in Beijing, it might be worth millions on paper, but you couldn't sell it easily; you could only live in it.
Of course, in this capitalist "Conan-world," there were always ways. If Natsumi really wanted to sell, the Suzukis could facilitate it. But Natsumi's feelings toward the castle were complicated. Before this trip, she didn't even know it was hers. While the castle had potential value, its upkeep was costly. She cared far more about the Memories Egg—it was portable, more valuable, and held deeper sentimental meaning. If she could, she would trade the castle for the green egg without hesitation.
But for Yuu's plan, Sonoko wouldn't buy the castle. Without the Suzukis, Natsumi had no buyers.
Seeing Natsumi's distress, Sonoko patted her chest reassuringly. "Don't worry, Miss Natsumi. I won't sell this to anyone else. I'll keep it for you. Whenever you can come up with 600 million yen—or something of equal value—we can make the trade."
Natsumi was moved to tears. She wiped her eyes and forced a smile. "Okay, Miss Sonoko. Thank you so much."
Though she couldn't reclaim her family's legacy immediately, knowing it was safe with the Suzukis brought her peace. And 600 million... while a lot, it gave her hope.
With that settled, the trip to the castle officially concluded. Natsumi stayed behind with the old butler to handle the property transfer, while the others departed.
This time, Yuu didn't travel with Ran and the girls. Instead, he took Ai and Conan back first. Conan had been staring daggers at him and the "aloof loli" since they left the castle. If Yuu didn't pacify the brat, he'd never hear the end of it.
Heiji Hattori knew a bit about the Black Organization, but Yuu didn't want him knowing about the Miyano sisters, so he left the dark-skinned detective behind. Since Heiji had quarreled with Yuu recently, he was too embarrassed to tag along. He turned to find Kazuha, only to discover she had already hopped into the car with Ran and the girls, heading to the Suzuki mansion to play.
Ignored by Kazuha and abandoned by his bro Shinichi, Heiji could only return to Osaka alone with a dark face—though given his complexion, no one could tell the difference.
Pacifying Conan didn't take long. Yuu had plenty of explosive intel. Just revealing that Kaito Kid was his cousin and that his father had a twin brother was enough to occupy Conan for a long time. Since Yuu had leaked Conan's secret to Kaito, it was only fair to return the favor. Whether the cousins chose to fight or cooperate was their business, as long as they left Yuu alone.
With the Conan and Kid issues temporarily resolved, Yuu could focus on harvesting the fruits of his labor: Akane Koizumi, Aoko Nakamori, Seiran Hoshi, Natsumi Kosaka... and perhaps Kazuha Toyama.
The first four were practically in the bag. Kazuha might need a bit more time to nurture feelings—unless Heiji did something stupid again or a coincidence pushed them together.
Yuu decided to start with Seiran Hoshi, the fake Chinese international criminal. With a "bad woman" like her, he could use the most direct and rough methods without any psychological burden.
Nightfall.
Yuu arrived at the Suzuki estate. Without disturbing the sleeping girls, he followed Maya Tachibana directly to the newly renovated underground training facility.
The Suzuki estate was vast and secluded, perfect for a secret base. Yuu's training plans and future operations would be centered here. To keep the surface life undisturbed, the renovations were focused underground. The training facility was the first completed project.
Originally, Seiran was meant for a proper cell, but since the dungeon wasn't finished, the empty training ground served as her temporary prison. The Suzukis spared no expense; the facility was top-tier, complete with showers and rest areas.
"Boss."
The two female bodyguards guarding Seiran bowed immediately. The title "Boss" had become standard for Yuu among the staff and his "acquisitions," distinguishing him from Chairman Tomoko or the Young Misses.
"Mmm, good work," Yuu smiled. "Go rest. I'll reward you properly when I'm done."
"Yes!"
Hearing about a "reward," the bodyguards exchanged excited, blushing glances. Somehow, "sex with Yuu" had become the default reward, and they craved it. Under the "Chain of Fate" and the luxurious lifestyle provided by the Suzukis, their physical and mental needs were entirely focused on him. Being fucked to heaven by Yuu was the ultimate stress relief and pleasure, with no downsides and even a slight stat boost.
As they left, Maya smiled softly. "Boss, do you want to handle it yourself, or do you need my help?"
"Go rest. I'll handle it alone."
Yuu wanted to see if he could subdue the beauty himself. Seiran was a skilled marksman and multilingual, ruthless and efficient. Her only weaknesses were melee combat and her obsession with her ancestor, Rasputin. If she could overcome those, she'd be a top-tier asset.
"Alright then, take your time, Boss," Maya laughed and left, unconcerned for his safety. In a fistfight, Seiran couldn't even beat Maya, let alone Yuu, whose aura had become unfathomable recently. Maya correctly guessed it was due to magic.
She was right. Yuu's physical strength had doubled thanks to simple body reinforcement spells. With magic, his high Soul and Spirit stats were finally useful. Combined with his Body stat, his overall combat power had increased tenfold.
Seiran Hoshi would be the first woman Yuu claimed by force. But she certainly wouldn't be the last.
He opened the door to the rest area. The sexy gray-haired beauty sat on the bed. Despite being imprisoned for a day, she looked neither disheveled nor panicked. She wore only the lingerie she had on when Yuu knocked her out, exposing large swathes of snowy skin.
Yuu closed the door without locking it. With him here, she couldn't fly away even if she had wings.
"Should I call you Miss Seiran, or Scorpion?" Yuu stared into her gray eyes. "Or perhaps... the descendant of the Mad Monk Rasputin?"
Seiran had maintained her composure until the last sentence. As a descendant of Rasputin, she worshipped her ancestor's mystical power but knew her identity had to remain secret. It wasn't on any international warrant. Yet, Yuu had pierced her veil with a single sentence.