Monday, a brand-new week.
"Hey, Xiaolan, have you seen the newspaper?"
At Teitan High School, Sonoko leaned over Ran's desk, magazine in hand, her voice full of mystery. "That weird story about the 'walking armor' at the Beika Art Museum? Turns out it was created by the curator as part of a murder plot!"
"Wait, what?!" Xiaolan's eyes widened as she thought back to the old man she met at the art gallery two days ago. "Did the old man actually kill someone?"
"Huh? Didn't you say you hadn't heard about this? How do you know the curator is an old man?" Sonoko asked, her curiosity piqued.
"I went to the art museum on Saturday and saw him there," Xiaolan explained, quickly reaching for the magazine in Sonoko's hand.
After reading the article, Xiaolan let out a sigh of relief. "Oh, thank goodness. So it wasn't carried out after all. You really scared me there, Sonoko."
"Hey, that's not the main point," Sonoko grinned, pointing to another photo in the magazine. "The real story is this guy! Not only did he figure out the curator's plans, but he also convinced him to stop! And the best part—he's super handsome!!"
Xiaolan paused, recalling the detective who had been at the museum. "Now that you mention it, Detective Karasawa was there that day, investigating something strange. Looks like he really did catch on to what was going on and prevented a tragedy. I'm so glad... And the public's support helped save the art museum too."
"Hey, hey, hey!!!"
Xiaolan was interrupted by Sonoko's sudden exclamation. She looked up, only to find Sonoko staring at her with wide eyes, practically shaking with excitement. "What is it now?" Xiaolan asked, confused.
"You… you know this Detective Tang Ze?!" Sonoko asked, her face a mix of envy and disbelief. "Why is it that you always run into such handsome guys, Xiaolan?!"
"Stop shaking me like that!" Xiaolan pulled herself free from Sonoko's grip, her face slightly flushed. "I only met him during a case my dad worked on. He's a new detective."
Sonoko, however, was undeterred. "Oh, I have a favor to ask, then!" she said with a sly grin.
"What is it?" Xiaolan asked warily, knowing Sonoko's mischievous nature. "You're not going to ask me to do something weird, are you?"
"No, no! Remember we agreed to go to my villa in the mountains next weekend?" Sonoko said, her eyes burning with excitement. "Well, can you invite Detective Tang Ze to join us? Please!"
"No!" Xiaolan immediately shook her head. "I'm not that close to Detective Tang Ze. How can I just invite him like that? Besides, this week's just starting. He works in the First Investigation Division, so he probably won't even know if he has the weekend off."
"Please, Xiaolan!" Sonoko persisted. "Since you know him, you've got to take advantage of this opportunity!"
After much back-and-forth, Xiaolan finally relented. "Fine, I'll ask him, but I can't guarantee he'll say yes," she said with a resigned sigh.
Sonoko beamed. "Yes! I knew you'd come through!"
Xiaolan thought for a moment. "I think Conan has a pretty good relationship with Detective Karasawa. They worked together on a case before. Maybe he can help with the invite."
"Oh, Conan?" Sonoko's curiosity piqued. "That's the kid who lives with you, right?"
The conversation shifted to talk about Conan, with Sonoko's interest growing, while Xiaolan made a mental note to ask Conan for help later.
---
Meanwhile, as Tang Ze walked out of his dorm that day, he became the focus of countless curious eyes.
Though he was used to attracting attention from young women, today he noticed a lot of burly men eyeing him too, which gave him a strange chill.
It wasn't that these men were interested in him in the usual way. No, it was because he was now a feature in the newspapers!
Thanks to Director Ochiai's connections and Karasawa's advice, the news of the "walking armor" incident had gone public. The Propaganda Department had caught wind of it and made sure to capitalize on the story, knowing how the media loves a good, almost fantastical tale.
The press had exaggerated the incident, of course, and Tang Ze's role in preventing the murder had earned him a lot of attention. Even the officers at the Metropolitan Police Department—like Megure, Sato, and Takagi—looked at him with a mix of admiration and curiosity.
"Lucky I have a cheat system," Tang Ze thought to himself, feeling a bit grateful. "Otherwise, I'd be worried about getting famous so fast..."
While Tang Ze appreciated the recognition, he was also aware that the attention would come with a price. He would need to work even harder to prove his worth and live up to the reputation now growing around him.
But despite his reservations, he couldn't help but feel that the results were worth it. The museum had been saved, and though he was being watched a little more closely by his colleagues, he had earned some positive attention and probably a salary increase.
Moreover, he had received the talent "Super Sense of Smell." Though it wasn't the most exciting ability, it was still incredibly useful—especially for a detective. Tang Ze had already begun experimenting with it, finding that he could differentiate scents with remarkable clarity and even turn the ability on and off at will, which was a huge bonus in everyday life.
Though there were some limitations—like needing a stable environment to fully utilize it—he knew it would be an invaluable asset for future investigations.