6: Chapter 6 The Art Museum Murder and the New Butler

Business at Lins Information Consulting Office was booming. The publicity effect from President Tanifuji continued to ferment, and combined with Lin Long's ability to 'efficiently' resolve commissions using Shadow Guards—whether finding lost pets or uncovering a competitor's background with startling speed—more and more clients were coming due to his reputation.

The receptionist, Miss Sato, was busy from morning to night, answering phones, organizing documents, and scheduling meetings, without even a moment to take a sip of water.

That afternoon, she walked into Lin Long's office carrying a stack of documents, fine beads of sweat on her forehead.

"Mr. Lin Long, these are the new commission forms received today, and several clients want to schedule meetings for tomorrow..."

Lin Long frowned as he looked at her exhausted appearance. Although Miss Sato was meticulous, she was ultimately just a part-time college student and couldn't handle such a heavy workload.

"Thank you for your hard work, just leave them there for now."

Lin Long pondered for a moment and thought,

"It seems I really do need to hire a few more people."

At the very least, he needed an assistant to handle daily affairs, and ideally someone who understood security, as his office held many secrets.

Miss Sato's eyes lit up.

"Do you need me to help post a recruitment notice?"

"No need, I have my own plans."

Lin Long waved his hand. He didn't need to recruit through conventional channels; there were too many 'special' people in this world who might become his assets—people rejected by society but possessing unique skills.

He opened his computer and idly browsed the local news when his gaze was suddenly drawn to a headline:

[Beika Town Art Museum may sell its venue and parts of its collection due to poor management].

Beika Town Art Museum?

Lin Long's memory was triggered. He recalled a classic case from the Conan plot:

To prevent the owner from converting the museum into a hotel and destroying precious artworks, the museum curator wore medieval armor and murdered the owner, mimicking a scene from a painting, before eventually being exposed by Conan.

That curator, named Ochiai, was an elderly man with a near-obsessive love and dedication to art.

Meticulous, composed, and highly capable of execution—if he could be made a butler to manage the office's daily affairs and security, it would be perfect.

More importantly, Curator Ochiai was about to commit a murder, making this the optimal time to 'recruit' him.

"He's the one."

Lin Long closed the news and picked up his coat.

"Sato, I'm heading out for a bit. Call me if there's an emergency."

...

The Beika Town Art Museum was located on the edge of the city, a simple European-style building with outer walls covered in ivy, exuding a sense of historical weight.

When Lin Long arrived at the entrance by taxi, he saw Mouri Kogoro getting out of a cab with Mouri Ran and Conan Edogawa, seemingly about to enter.

"Mr. Mouri? What a coincidence."

Lin Long walked up to greet them.

Mouri Kogoro was startled for a moment upon seeing him, then slapped his chest and laughed loudly.

"Haha, it's Brother Lin Long! What a coincidence indeed!"

"I heard this museum is about to close, so I brought Ran and Conan to take a look; after all, it's an old landmark of Beika Town."

He turned to Mouri Ran and said,

"Ran, this is President Lin Long of Lins Information Consulting Office whom I told you about. He was the one who solved Miss Tanifuji Akiko's case last time."

"Hello, Mr. Lin Long."

Mouri Ran gave a gentle smile and bowed politely.

"I often hear Dad mention you, saying you are very capable."

"You flatter me."

Lin Long nodded in acknowledgment, his gaze falling on Conan Edogawa. The little guy was looking up at him, eyes behind his glasses flashing with a scrutinizing light.

Lin Long didn't mind and said with a smile,

"I also heard the museum was for sale and came to see if there were any small items worth collecting. Since we've met, why don't we tour together?"

"Sure, sure!"

Mouri Kogoro couldn't ask for more; he was naturally happy to have someone to boast to.

The four of them walked into the museum together. The interior was quiet and dimly lit, with the air permeated by a mixture of old wood and oil paint.

The exhibition halls displayed sculptures, paintings, and armor, mostly in medieval style, exuding a solemn and even eerie atmosphere.

Conan, like a real child, curiously ran to a painting depicting a knight's duel, but his eyes were quietly observing Lin Long—he always felt a subtle sense of tension in the air whenever he was with Lin Long.

"The armor here is so realistic; it looks like it could start moving at any moment."

Mouri Ran looked at the medieval armor in the glass case and couldn't help but whisper.

"Hmph, just some scrap metal."

Mouri Kogoro curled his lip disdainfully.

"Those oil paintings are more interesting. I heard there's a painting called 'Heaven's Punishment'. Tsk tsk, it's really powerful!"

Lin Long didn't respond; his attention was on a figure at the end of the hall—a white-haired old man in a suit, bending over to wipe a sculpture with meticulous movements, his eyes full of cherishing care. It was Curator Ochiai.

Just then, a burst of arguing came from the adjacent exhibition hall.

"How many times have I told you! You must wear gloves when handling paintings!"

Curator Ochiai's voice carried suppressed anger.

"Your fingerprints will contaminate the canvas; this is a desecration of art!"

Everyone followed the sound and saw Curator Ochiai reprimanding a young employee.

The employee, named Keita, had his head down with a face full of impatience, holding a painting without wearing gloves.

"I get it, Curator. It's just a painting, is it really worth being so serious?"

Keita muttered, reluctantly putting on gloves.

Curator Ochiai trembled with rage but said nothing more, merely looking at the artworks with a gaze bordering on sorrow, as if mourning their fate.

"This is the museum's Curator Ochiai,"

Mouri Kogoro introduced in a low voice.

"I heard he's worked here his whole life and treasures these things deeply. It's a pity the owner is selling the museum, and he can't stop it."

Lin Long nodded, his gaze lingering on Curator Ochiai for a few seconds. Besides a love for art, the old man's eyes held a hint of determined madness—it seemed the plot had reached its critical point.

"By the way,"

Mouri Ran suddenly remembered something and tugged on Mouri Kogoro's sleeve.

"Dad, have you heard? There have been strange rumors about the museum lately, saying that at night, armor moves on its own and makes metallic scraping sounds..."

As Mouri Ran spoke, she subconsciously hugged her shoulders.

"It's so scary just thinking about it."

"Hmph, surely just rumors made up by the employees to cause trouble."

Mouri Kogoro waved his hand dismissively.

Conan, however, frowned and walked up to a set of armor standing in a corner, observing it closely.

The armor was tall, the helmet's visor tightly closed, holding a rusty longsword, standing in the dim corner—it indeed exuded a sinister aura.

Watching this, a barely perceptible smile played at the corners of Lin Long's mouth.

He naturally knew what that 'moving armor' was—it was Curator Ochiai practicing, preparing for tonight's 'Heaven's Punishment'.

He didn't offer a reminder, simply following the others forward.

Soon, they arrived at an exhibition hall filled with medieval paintings, the most prominent being the 'Heaven's Punishment' mentioned by Mouri Kogoro—in the painting, a knight in armor pierced a demon's chest with a longsword, blood dripping, the image having a powerful impact.

At the end of the hall was a tightly closed iron door with a 'No Entry' sign, said to house discarded collection items.

"It seems we're not allowed in here."

Mouri Ran said, looking at the iron door.

"Probably just a place for junk, nothing worth seeing."

Mouri Kogoro pulled her back.

"Let's go, let's go, we'll go look at the sculptures over there."

Just then, a faint scent of blood wafted over.

"Eh? What's that smell?"

Mouri Ran wrinkled her nose.

Lin Long's eyes flickered; the time had come.

He intentionally took two steps toward the iron door.

"It seems to be coming from inside here."

"No way?"

Mouri Kogoro walked over skeptically and pushed the iron door; the door was actually unlocked and opened a crack with a creak.

A strong smell of blood rushed out.

"Ah!"

Mouri Ran covered her mouth in fright.

Through the crack in the door, a person could be seen lying on the ground, blood staining the floor. Next to them stood that set of medieval armor from the corner, the longsword in its hand dripping with fresh, crimson liquid!

"Someone's dead!"

Mouri Kogoro's expression turned grave as he hurriedly pushed open the iron door.

Inside, as expected, was a corpse. The deceased was a middle-aged man wearing an expensive suit, a sword plunged into his chest. His death was a mirror image of the demon in 'Heaven's Punishment'. It was indeed the owner of the art museum, Tanaka.

"Quick! Ran, call the police!"

Mouri Kogoro snapped back to his senses and shouted.

"O-Okay!"

Mouri Ran hurriedly pulled out her phone.

Conan Edogawa darted forward like an arrow from a bow, crouching by the body to observe carefully, his small face filled with a seriousness unbefitting his age.

He noticed the deceased was clutching a piece of paper tightly, which seemed to have something written on it. He also saw several scattered pen caps on the floor.

"Another murder case..."

Mouri Kogoro rubbed his hands together with a look of excitement—for him, this was a great opportunity to show off his skills as a 'Famous Detective'.

Lin Long did not join the crowd. He turned and walked out of the exhibition hall, heading in the direction where Curator Ochiai had been earlier.

The Shadow Guards sent word that Curator Ochiai was in his office, his emotions extremely unstable, and the black mist of malice was so thick it had nearly solidified.

The museum's office was small, piled high with books and art albums.

Curator Ochiai sat in a chair with his back to the door, his shoulders trembling slightly. The faint scent of blood and disinfectant lingered in the air—he had clearly just finished cleaning up the traces on himself.

"Curator Ochiai."

Lin Long gently pushed the door open.

Curator Ochiai whipped his head around, a flash of panic crossing his eyes before he regained his composure, looking at him quietly.

"Mr. Lin Long? Why are you here? Has something... happened outside?"

"President Tanaka is dead."

Lin Long was direct as he walked up to him.

"You killed him, didn't you? Wearing that suit of armor, mimicking the scene from 'Heaven's Punishment'."

Curator Ochiai's body stiffened abruptly. His face turned deathly pale instantly, and his lips trembled, yet he could not speak.

"There is no need to deny it."

Lin Long's tone was flat.

"Your obsession with art, your anger at Tanaka for destroying the museum, and the look in your eyes when you scolded Keita earlier... they all gave you away."

The old man was silent for a few seconds before suddenly letting out a bitter laugh.

"So what if I did? He didn't deserve to own these artworks! He wanted to turn this place into a hotel, treating these masterpieces as mere tools for profit. I couldn't tolerate it! This is divine punishment—it is art's judgment upon him!"

"Judgment?"

Lin Long raised an eyebrow.

"But now, you are the one about to be judged by the law. Do you think with the famous detective Mouri Kogoro here, the police won't uncover the truth?"

At the mention of Mouri Kogoro, Curator Ochiai's eyes dimmed.

"At this point, I have nothing left to fear."

The old man closed his eyes, his tone resolute.

"To be able to offer everything for these artworks, I am willing."

"Willing to spend the rest of your life in prison?"

Lin Long smiled.

"Then your museum and your artworks will still end up being sold and ruined. Your sacrifice would be in vain."

Curator Ochiai snapped his eyes open, his gaze filled with struggle.

"I can help you."

Lin Long threw out the bait.

"I can clear you of the crime, making it so the police find no evidence pointing to you."

"I can also buy this museum so that the art continues to exist."

"But in exchange, you must come with me and become the butler at my office, helping me manage everything."

Curator Ochiai was stunned.

"You... what did you say? Help me escape the crime? That's impossible!"

"Nothing is impossible."

Lin Long pointed out the window.

"That employee named Keita outside—hasn't he been secretly stealing museum pieces to sell? Shifting the blame onto him would be easier than anything."

He stood up, his tone carrying an unquestionable power.

"You only need to tell me if you agree. Choose between watching your art be destroyed from prison, or coming with me and using your abilities to protect something even more worth protecting."

Curator Ochiai looked at Lin Long. This young man exuded an unfathomable confidence and mystery.

He knew it was crazy, but he knew even better that this was his only chance.

"I agree."

The old man finally made his decision, his voice hoarse but firm.

"A wise choice."

Lin Long nodded and spoke into the shadows.

"shadow three, Shadow Four, move out."

Two black silhouettes slipped soundlessly into the office.

"Go find the items Keita stole and place them near Tanaka's body."

Lin Long ordered.

"Then put a fingerprint identical to the one on the murder weapon in his toolbox—use the Shadow Guards to replicate his prints."

"Additionally, clean all traces off the armor and stuff a few strands of Keita's hair into the gaps of the suit."

The Shadow Guards left to carry out the orders.

Lin Long looked at Curator Ochiai and added:

"When the police ask later, say you were in the office organizing materials at the time of the crime. The surveillance footage will prove it—my people have already handled it. As for Mouri Kogoro, I'll make sure he 'finds' the evidence pointing to Keita."

Curator Ochiai nodded in silence, his gaze toward Lin Long filled with complexity—awe, confusion, and a hint of subtle fear.

Just who was this man?

...

In the exhibition hall, Inspector Megure had arrived with his officers and was investigating the scene.

Mouri Kogoro was boisterously analyzing the case while Conan poked around nearby, trying to find clues.

"Strange, the fingerprints on this sword seem to have been wiped clean."

An officer reported.

"Hmph, it seems the killer was very cautious!"

Mouri Kogoro stroked his chin.

"But the more cautious they are, the easier it is to leave a flaw!"

Conan ignored him. He noticed some scattered pen caps on the floor and compared them with the handwriting on the paper in the victim's hand; he seemed to see something.

He was about to lean in closer when he suddenly saw a small box intentionally left in the corner by the Shadow Guards—inside were several small artworks engraved with the museum's mark.

"What's this?"

Conan picked up the box and opened it; his eyes immediately lit up.

Just then, an officer shouted:

"Inspector Megure! We found this in the employee Keita's locker!"

Everyone looked over to see the officer holding a bag containing more artworks and a short sword similar to the murder weapon!

More importantly, several fibers consistent with Keita's hair were found in the gaps of that armor!

"Keita?"

Inspector Megure frowned.

"Why would he kill President Tanaka?"

"I've got it!"

Mouri Kogoro suddenly yelled.

"It must be that Tanaka caught Keita stealing the collection, so he killed him to silence him! He even intentionally mimicked the scene from 'Heaven's Punishment' to try and frame the legendary armor!"

This reasoning seemed perfectly logical, and the officers nodded one after another.

Conan, however, was stunned. He felt like something was off, but all the evidence pointed to Keita, and he couldn't find a reason to refute it. Was it really just his imagination?

He looked at Lin Long, who was standing outside the crowd, whispering something to Curator Ochiai with a faint, indiscernible smile on his face.

Was it him? Did Lin Long do something?

But he had no evidence.

Ultimately, Keita was taken away by the police. He shouted his innocence, but no one believed him.

Curator Ochiai stood before the museum's collection, his eyes sorrowful yet calm, as if he were merely an old man who had lost his home.

Mouri Kogoro triumphantly accepted Inspector Megure's praise, while Mouri Ran looked on with a sigh of emotion.

"Mr. Lin Long, we're heading back now. Would you like to come with us?"

Mouri Ran said to Lin Long.

"Sure."

Lin Long nodded and took out a business card, saying:

"Curator, I will be in touch. This is my office address. It's... not suitable to stay here for the time being."

Curator Ochiai nodded silently, looking at Lin Long and saying:

"From this day forward, I am your butler, Ochiai."

Lin Long looked at him, a satisfied smile curling at the corner of his mouth.

Another capable assistant obtained.

His office was becoming 'complete', bit by bit.