9: Chapter 9 The Seba Foundation's Request

The morning sunlight filtered through the gaps in the heavy curtains, casting a long, thin strip of light onto the floor.

Lin Long rolled over and buried his face in the soft pillow, his breathing steady—ever since he had the Shadow Guards and Butler Ochiai to handle his affairs, he could finally enjoy a moment of sleeping in like a "normal boss."

The villa was quiet, with only the occasional sound of birds chirping in the courtyard.

Butler Ochiai was extremely meticulous and never easily disturbed his rest, unless...

"Ring, ring—"

The sharp ringing of the phone was like an awl, piercing the silence of the room.

Lin Long frowned and reached for his phone from the nightstand; the screen displayed the name "Butler Ochiai."

He pressed the answer button, his voice raspy from just waking up and tinged with a hint of irritation:

"Hello?"

"Sir, I apologize for disturbing your rest."

Butler Ochiai's voice remained as steady as ever, without a hint of emotion.

"The office just received a special commission. The client specified that you come in person to discuss it, saying it is an urgent situation."

Lin Long yawned, sat up, and rubbed his temples:

"What commission? Sato can't handle it?"

For Ochiai to call it "special" and specify that he must appear in person, it was clearly not simple.

"It's a commission from the Seba Conglomerate."

Ochiai paused and added,

"The client is Mrs. Seha—the family member of the party involved in the Seba President murder case that caused quite a stir a while ago.

After President Seba was arrested by the police on suspicion of murder, the internal situation of the conglomerate has been extremely turbulent."

The Seba Conglomerate?

Lin Long's sleepiness instantly dissipated by more than half.

He remembered this case from the Conan plot:

Seba Takanori, the president of the Seba Conglomerate, in order to cover up his crime of embezzling public funds, designed a plan to murder a subordinate who discovered his secret. He thought his plan was flawless, but in the end, he was caught on the spot with the evidence by Kudo Shinichi (who had not yet shrunk).

"So it's him."

Lin Long murmured softly, unable to help but complain in his heart.

As the president of a conglomerate, there were plenty of ways to get rid of an insider—hiring a hitman, staging an accident, or even using connections to make the person "disappear." Any of those would have been cleaner than doing it himself.

Instead, this guy insisted on some "locked-room murder" and left behind a bunch of flaws, ultimately landing himself in prison. It was simply beyond stupid.

"How do the brains of these rich people in the Conan world even work?"

Lin Long chuckled and said into the phone,

"I understand, I'll be right there. Have the client wait a moment in the reception room."

After hanging up, he quickly washed up and changed. Today he wore a dark gray suit, which made his figure look tall and straight and his temperament steady, showing no trace of his earlier morning laziness.

The man in the mirror had sharp eyes, with a faint smile playing at the corners of his mouth—the murky waters of the Seba Conglomerate were a good opportunity.

Although President Seba was in prison, the foundation of the conglomerate remained; a starved camel is still bigger than a horse.

If he could help Mrs. Seha stabilize the situation, he could not only get a handsome commission fee but also take the opportunity to build a relationship.

He could also take the chance to penetrate the conglomerate's power network, making it much more convenient to collect malice black qi and expand his influence in the future.

...

In the reception room of Lins Information Consulting Office, the atmosphere was somewhat heavy.

Mrs. Seha sat on the sofa, wearing a well-tailored black suit that made her complexion look even paler.

She was about thirty years old and quite beautiful, but the dark circles under her eyes and her reddened rims revealed her exhaustion and anxiety.

She gripped a handkerchief tightly in her hand, her knuckles turning slightly white from the force.

Butler Ochiai brought a cup of hot tea and placed it on the coffee table in front of her:

"Madam, please wait a moment. Our master will be here shortly."

"Thank you."

Mrs. Seha managed to squeeze out a smile, her voice somewhat raspy. Since her husband's arrest, she hadn't had a single night of peaceful sleep.

The door was pushed open, and Lin Long walked in with a perfectly measured, gentle smile:

"Mrs. Seha, I apologize for keeping you waiting. I am Lin Long."

"Mr. Lin Long."

Mrs. Seha quickly stood up and bowed slightly,

"Forgive me for the intrusion, but it is truly an emergency."

"Please, sit."

Lin Long motioned for her to sit, while he took a seat on the opposite sofa, getting straight to the point:

"Butler Ochiai said you've encountered some trouble?"

At the mention of "trouble," Mrs. Seha's eyes reddened again.

She took a deep breath, as if making a major decision, before slowly speaking:

"Mr. Lin Long, you must have heard about my husband... He is still in the Detention Center, and the case hasn't been sentenced yet, but people outside have already started to stir."

Her voice carried an uncontrollable tremor:

"Before my husband's incident, he transferred most of the conglomerate's shares to my name, letting me take charge temporarily.

But those collateral family members and a few veterans in the company don't respect me at all. These past few days, using the excuse that 'the president is involved in a case and the conglomerate's reputation is damaged,' they've been spreading rumors everywhere, saying a woman like me can't hold up the situation. They're also secretly contacting shareholders, trying to dilute my shares and kick me out of management!"

At this point, her voice choked up:

"They even... even touched several core projects left by my husband, wanting to transfer the profits into their own pockets.

I went to see lawyers, but they said this is an internal matter of the conglomerate, and without clear evidence of illegality, it's hard to intervene... Mr. Lin Long, I really had no other choice, so I came to beg you."

Mrs. Seha looked up, her eyes full of pleading:

"I know you are very capable. The matter with President Tanifuji and the art museum case from a while ago have been widely discussed.

I ask for nothing else but for you to help me stabilize the situation and prevent those people from completely hollowing out the Seba family's assets. As long as I can hold on until there's a result in my husband's case, I am willing to pay whatever it takes!"

Lin Long listened quietly, his fingers lightly tapping his knee.

It was exactly as he thought—a power struggle within the conglomerate.

Although President Seba was stupid, he did trust his wife, handing over the core shares directly.

Unfortunately, he didn't count on the fact that as soon as he fell, those family members and subordinates who usually seemed respectful would immediately show their fangs.

For Lin Long, handling this kind of thing was as simple as could be.

If those family members and veterans wanted to make moves, they would inevitably use some "unsavory" methods—spreading rumors, backroom deals, or even possibly involving embezzlement, tax evasion, and the like.

These were all strengths of the Shadow Guards. Just catching one tail would be enough to make them suffer the consequences.

More importantly, the "malice black qi" on these people was definitely much thicker than that of street thugs.

Greed, jealousy, lust for power... every single one could be converted into the strength he needed.

"Mrs. Seha, I accept your commission."

Lin Long's tone was calm, yet it carried a reassuring power,

"However, I have a few questions I need to confirm."

Mrs. Seha's eyes lit up, and she quickly nodded:

"Please, ask!"

"First, who specifically are the ones leading the trouble for you? It would be best to have their names, positions, and the scope of business they are responsible for."

Lin Long said,

"To know one's enemy is to be able to apply the right remedy."

Mrs. Seha immediately took a notebook from her handbag, flipped it open, and said:

"Mainly my husband's cousin, Seba Masanori. He manages the real estate department in the conglomerate and has always been eyeing my husband's position;

And then there's a company veteran, the former executive director Yamamoto. He holds the support of several old shareholders and has been going around saying my decisions are flawed;

In addition, there are..." She rattled off five names in one breath, all of whom were prominent figures in the conglomerate.

Lin Long motioned for Butler Ochiai to note down these names and continued:

"Second, can you accept me using 'any means' to solve the problem? Including... some ways that don't quite follow the 'rules'."

He needed to give her a heads-up in advance to avoid having his subsequent actions restricted by the madam's "bottom line."

Mrs. Seha was stunned for a moment, but then her eyes became firm:

"As long as the industry my husband left behind can be preserved, and as long as no lives are lost, you can do whatever you want, Mr. Lin Long. Since those people can be so ruthless to me, don't blame me for being unkind!"

Clearly, the pressure during this time had caused this pampered madam to shed her naivety.

"Very well."

Lin Long nodded with satisfaction,

"Third, the commission fee. Handling affairs of this level involves no small risk, so my fee may be quite high."

"Money is not an issue!"

Mrs. Seha said immediately,

"I can pay half as a deposit first. Once the matter is resolved, I'll pay the other half, and I will also give you an additional gratitude fee!"

She took a check from her bag, filled in the amount, and pushed it toward Lin Long,

"This is a fifty-million-yen deposit. Please accept it, Mr. Lin Long."

Lin Long glanced at the number on the check and didn't stand on ceremony, putting it away:

"Within three days, I will give you an answer. In the meantime, just handle company affairs as usual and don't pay any mind to their provocations."

"Thank you so much, Mr. Lin Long!"

Mrs. Seha felt as if she had been granted a reprieve. She stood up and bowed deeply,

"Then I'll leave it in your hands!"

After seeing off Mrs. Seha, Butler Ochiai came in and placed the list he had just noted down in front of Lin Long:

"Sir, do you need the Shadow Guards to investigate these people right now?"

"Of course."

Lin Long picked up the list, his gaze falling on the names "Seba Masanori" and "Yamamoto," a cold smile curling at the corners of his mouth. "Seba Masanori is in charge of real estate, which is where fishy business is most likely to occur; Yamamoto is a veteran, so his hands are definitely not clean.

Have Shadow One and shadow two focus on these two. Check their recent financial transactions, private meetings, and... those dirty little secrets that can't see the light of day."

"shadow three through Shadow Five will investigate the other three, especially the projects they are responsible for, to see if there are any traces of embezzling public funds or inflating costs."

"Shadow Six and Shadow Seven will keep an eye on the conglomerate's headquarters, collecting information on the movements of those shareholders to see who is secretly in contact and who is just waiting and watching."

"The Shadow Sharpshooter will be on standby. Once conclusive evidence is found, 'deal' with it immediately—for example, send the evidence anonymously to the Tax Bureau or 'accidentally' leak it to their competitors."

The series of instructions was clear and thorough. Butler Ochiai silently noted them down, a flash of imperceptible amazement in his eyes.

He originally thought Lin Long was just a somewhat capable office owner, but now he realized that the other party's methods and boldness far exceeded his imagination.

"Also,"

Lin Long added,

"Have Shadow Eight go to the Detention Center and find a way to meet President Seba. See if he has any 'last words' or hidden leverage; it might come in handy."

"Yes."

Butler Ochiai bowed in response and went to make the arrangements.

Lin Long was left alone in the reception room. He walked to the window, looking at the busy street outside, his finger lightly tapping the window frame.

The waters of the Seba Conglomerate were even deeper than he had anticipated. Family infighting, veterans coveting power, shareholders with their own agendas... it was simply a natural production base for "malice black qi."

What was even more interesting was that this case involved Kudo Shinichi. Although Shinichi had already turned into Conan, he might intervene again for some reason—after all, he was the one who personally sent President Seba to prison.

He picked up the phone on the desk and dialed President Tanifuji's number. For some things, the Shadow Guards alone weren't enough; he needed some "above-board" assistance.

"President Tanifuji, it's me, Lin Long... I have something I'd like to trouble you with, regarding the Seba Conglomerate..."

Tanifuji's hearty voice came from the other end of the line; he was clearly very happy to do Lin Long this favor.

After hanging up, Lin Long walked to the office area and turned on the computer.

On the screen, the Shadow Guards had already begun transmitting the preliminary investigation results—Seba Masanori had been frequently meeting with a construction contractor recently. The surveillance footage of the two in a bar was clearly captured by Shadow One; their behavior was intimate, and they clearly had an unusual relationship.

[Detected malice black qi on Seba Masanori: 480 points (Greed, Jealousy, Ambition).]

[Detected malice black qi on the construction contractor: 350 points (Greed, Deceit).]

"Results on the very first day."

Lin Long looked at the screen, his eyes sparkling with anticipation.

Three days would be enough for him to completely stir up the murky waters of the Seba Conglomerate, and then he would step in as a "savior" to help Mrs. Seha stabilize the situation.

By then, he would not only reap a large amount of malice black qi and money but also use the influence of the Seba Conglomerate to extend his reach even further.

As for those whose secrets he had uncovered?

Lin Long smiled.

They had better pray that their "dirty little secrets" weren't too fatal; otherwise, what awaited them would be much more than just a ruined reputation.

The sunlight outside was just right, spilling over Lin Long through the glass.

The commission from the Seba Conglomerate was just a move in his expansion plan, but he intended to play this move both steadily and ruthlessly.

Butler Ochiai walked in and said in a low voice:

"Sir, news from the Shadow Guards. Conan and Mouri Kogoro have also just gone to the Seba Conglomerate headquarters. It seems Yamamoto invited them over, saying he wanted to 'consult' on some details regarding President Seba's case."

"Oh? They're here so soon?"

Lin Long raised an eyebrow, a flash of interest in his eyes.

"It seems this play will be even more lively than I imagined."

He stood up and straightened his suit jacket:

"Let's go, Ochiai. We'll also pay a 'visit' to the Seba Conglomerate. Since Yamamoto wants to invite detectives, I'll give them a little extra 'flavor'."

In the shadows, several dark figures followed silently.