3: Chapter 3 ID Card Solution

Tanaka, on the other end of the phone, was a typical opportunist, his voice always carrying a lingering sense of oiliness. Lin Long didn't waste words with him, directly quoting a commission far exceeding the market price, with only one condition:

“Within three days, I want a complete set of identity documents that can withstand a police verification, including household registration, educational background, and tax records. There must be no flaws.”

Tanaka laughed on the other end like a cat that had just stolen a treat:

“Rest assured, Mr. Lin Long, your request is my mission! I guarantee it will be a ‘brand new’ identity, as clean as a fresh sheet of paper from the factory.”

After hanging up the phone, Lin Long lightly tapped his fingertips on the desk. He knew the tricks of these underground brokers; the so-called ‘clean’ was just a matter of being well-disguised, but as long as the price was right, they indeed had the ability to insert a ‘real’ person into the official system.

For him, this was enough—he didn't need an identity that could be traced back eight generations; he just needed a shell that would allow him to appear legitimately in the light of day.

With the identity issue resolved, next was the base of operations.

Lin Long had the Shadow Guards filter through a dozen property listings, finally settling on a three-story detached villa on the edge of Beika Town. It wasn't far from the city center, only a ten-minute walk to the commercial street, yet it happened to be situated on a gentle slope surrounded by dense greenery, coming with a sizable yard and excellent privacy.

More importantly, the previous owner of the villa was said to have been involved in a financial crime and was eager to get rid of it before fleeing. The price was pushed very low, and the property information in the official system was somewhat blurred, making it perfect for Lin Long to take over.

He contacted the real estate agent, with Shadow Guards following secretly throughout the process—these agents usually had some dirty dealings, and the Shadow Guards could easily obtain their bottom prices and psychological expectations.

Negotiations went exceptionally smoothly. Lin Long barely had to say a word to secure the villa at thirty percent below market value, including the decades-old cherry blossom tree in the yard.

On the day the contract was signed, the agent looked at the excessively young 'Mr. Lin Long' before him, his eyes filled with curiosity and awe. He couldn't figure out the background of this cold-tempered young man who spent so lavishly, but the other party paid in full in cash and made no mention of loans or mortgages. This was enough for him to keep his mouth shut and focus on handling the procedures perfectly.

Three days later, Tanaka indeed delivered the identification documents.

The name on the ID card was still 'Lin Long,' but the photo was generated by the system using his current appearance. The household registration address was set to this villa, the education column read 'Graduated from A private university in Tokyo, majoring in Sociology,' and there was even a forged resignation certificate with an official seal, proving he 'had served in a multinational trading company and resigned to return home for personal reasons.'

“Well done.” After checking for errors, Lin Long handed a thick envelope to Tanaka. Inside was the final payment, enough to keep this broker’s mouth shut for half a year.

Tanaka took the envelope, weighing its thickness, his eyes narrowing into slits as he smiled:

“If you have any needs in the future, Mr. Lin Long, feel free to contact me at any time!”

Once Tanaka left, Lin Long closed the villa door and finally breathed a complete sigh of relief. Standing in the empty living room, watching the colorful light filtered through the stained glass, he felt for the first time the reality of ‘taking root in this world.’

The villa was in a typical Japanese style, primarily with a wooden structure that carried a warm sense of time, but the interior decoration was indeed somewhat dated.

The first floor consisted of a living room, a kitchen, and a study; the second floor had three bedrooms and a terrace; and the third floor was an attic filled with miscellaneous items left by the previous owner. The weeds in the yard were nearly waist-high, and the branches of the cherry blossom tree were twisted and crooked, clearly neglected for a long time.

“It's time for a renovation.”

Lin Long walked to the window and looked at the yard outside, a glimmer of planning flashing in his eyes. This was not just a residence; it would be his core base, and it had to balance concealment, security, and functionality.

He immediately contacted a renovation company with simple requirements:

“Keep the exterior as it is, but completely refurbish the interior, especially the electrical and security systems—use the best materials. Also, keep the greenery in the yard, but it needs to be pruned to create several ‘blind spots.’”

The designer from the renovation company initially found these requirements strange—who renovates without changing the exterior and specifically asks for ‘blind spots’? But in the face of the high advance payment Lin Long threw out, all doubts turned into submissive nods of ‘no problem.’

Over the next week, the villa was filled with building materials as workers bustled in and out. Lin Long moved to a nearby hotel temporarily, monitoring the renovation progress every day through the Shadow Guards.

During this time, he wasn't idle.

The number of Shadow Guards had increased to five—in the past few days, two burglaries and one commercial fraud case had occurred in Beika Town. Lin Long had the Shadow Guards ‘conveniently’ deal with the criminals, and the absorbed malicious dark energy was just enough to unlock new Shadow Guards. He also had Shadow One infiltrate a security company to copy the latest security system blueprints and password-cracking programs, all of which would be used in the villa's renovation.

More importantly, Lin Long needed to start conceptualizing his ‘public-facing job.’

Opening an office was the best choice—the hours were flexible, he could interact with all kinds of people and events, it was convenient for gathering intelligence, and in the Conan world, detective agencies, law firms, and consulting offices were everywhere, making it sufficiently inconspicuous.

But what type of office?

A detective agency was definitely out; that would lead directly into Conan and Mouri Kogoro, which would just be asking for trouble. A law firm required professional knowledge, and he didn't have the energy to sit for the Japanese bar exam.

“Perhaps... I could open an ‘Information Consulting Office’?”

As Lin Long watched a police car pass by the window, a flash of inspiration struck him. The scope of such an office was vague; it could handle tasks like finding people, looking up addresses, or organizing data. It allowed contact with clients without being too conspicuous, perfectly fitting his needs.

Having decided on a direction, he began his preparations.

The procedures for registering the company were handed over to an agency Tanaka introduced, and the efficiency was startlingly fast. He then had the Shadow Guards ‘borrow’ several professional books on information analysis and commercial investigation to cram at night—even if he was just putting on an act, he had to make it look convincing.

A week later, the villa renovation was complete.

Lin Long stood at the entrance, looking at the refreshed house, and nodded with satisfaction.

The exterior indeed hadn't changed, still that Japanese-style villa with a sense of age, but a new sign hung by the door: 【Lins Information Consulting Office】. The font was simple and professional, blending into the surroundings so well that one might even miss it if not looking closely.

Stepping inside, the internal changes were transformative.

The first-floor living room had been converted into a reception area with a minimalist sofa and coffee table, and several abstract paintings hung on the walls—behind the frames were hidden spots for the Shadow Guards. The original study had been expanded into an office area with two desks and a high-performance computer connected to an independent network line. Beside the computer were several inconspicuous metal ornaments, which were actually interfaces for the Shadow Guards to transmit information.

The kitchen and dining room were kept, but the kitchenware had all been replaced with smart models. Beneath the countertop was a hidden compartment, just large enough to hide a Shadow Guard.

The stairs leading to the second floor were covered with thick carpeting, making footsteps silent. Miniature cameras were hidden in the walls at the stair landing, connected to a monitoring terminal in the third-floor attic.

The master bedroom on the second floor was converted into Lin Long's private space, while another room became a records room. Behind the bookshelf in there was a secret door leading to a hidden chamber completely modified with shadow energy—this would be where he kept ‘special items,’ accessible to no one but him and the Shadow Guards.

The third-floor attic was transformed into a security center, with screens displaying real-time surveillance footage from inside and outside the villa, including those carefully designed ‘blind spots’ in the yard—those were actually the regular standby points for the Shadow Guards and reserved spots for future ‘teleportation interfaces.’

The weeds in the yard had been cleared, and the cherry blossom tree was pruned to be aesthetically pleasing. A pebble path wound beneath the tree; though it looked casual, the position of every stone was calculated to form natural cover in an emergency.

“Excellent.”

Lin Long walked to the computer in the office area and turned it on. The screen lit up, displaying the office's internal system, which already had several ‘virtual cases’ entered—all fabricated by the Shadow Guards based on recent news to handle any potential inspections.

He opened his contacts and dialed a number—this was the part-time receptionist he had hired through the agency, a female college student who had just graduated. She only needed to come in the afternoons to answer phones and organize documents. The pay was high enough for her to turn a blind eye to the ‘uniqueness’ of the office.

“Is this Miss Sato? I'm Lin Long. The office is ready; you can come in to work tomorrow.”

After hanging up, Lin Long walked to the window and watched the streetlights outside gradually flicker on. Night fell once again, and the evils of Beika Town began to stir.

【Detected malicious fluctuations nearby, distance 1.5 kilometers, medium intensity.】 The system prompt sounded.

Lin Long's eyes shifted as he opened the surveillance footage sent by a Shadow Guard. 1.5 kilometers away was a bar; on the screen, a man in a suit was arguing with a blonde woman. The man's hand was tightly gripping a briefcase, his eyes filled with greed and anxiety.

【Malicious Dark Energy: 210 points.】

“It seems ‘business’ has come knocking on our very first day.”

A smile tugged at the corner of Lin Long's mouth as he spoke into the shadows, “Shadow One, go check out the situation. Don't alert them; return once you've gathered the information.”

A dark shadow slid silently out the window, merging into the night.

Lin Long leaned back in his chair, tapping his fingers lightly on the desk. Opening the office was only the first step of his plan. With this base and a public identity, he could more easily gather malicious dark energy and unlock stronger Shadow Trooper Corps.

He could feel the shadow energy within him flowing slowly. Quite a bit of the 1876 points of malicious dark energy remained, enough for him to strengthen the Shadow Guards a few more times or even lay the foundation for unlocking the ‘Shadow Sharpshooter.’

Outside, the sound of sirens rang out again, piercing the night sky of Beika Town. This time, Lin Long's state of mind was completely different.

He was no longer that powerless delivery man who had just crossed over, nor did he need to shiver in the dark. He had his own fortress, loyal Shadow Guards, and the capital to establish himself in this world.

“Next, it's time for ‘Lins Information Consulting Office’ to make a ‘name’ for itself in Beika Town.”

Lin Long picked up a business card from the desk; his name and the office address were printed on it. The design was minimalist, yet it seemed to carry an invisible gravity.

He knew that soon, all sorts of people would come knocking—ordinary people truly in need of help, as well as those carrying conspiracies and malice. But no matter who came, they would all become the ‘nourishment’ for his growing power.

Shadow One returned silently to the room and placed a roll of microfilm on the desk—it contained transaction information between the man in the suit and the blonde woman, seemingly involving a trade secret.

Lin Long picked up the film and held it against the light, his smile deepening.

Evil continued, and his hunt had never stopped.

In this ‘Little Gotham’ shrouded in shadows, the legend of Lin Long had only just begun.