nucmednet Chapter 163 Twin Towers
Chapter 163 Twin Towers
"Okay, this is what you two will look like in ten years."
Yuan Jiaming, a programmer under Changpan Group, smiled innocently and handed two newly taken photos to Dr. Agasa and Ayumi.
Dr. Agasa took his own photo, examined it carefully for a while, and then smiled helplessly. Genta and Mitsuhiko, who were standing nearby, took a look curiously and exclaimed at the same time:
"What? There's no change at all!"
"This machine must be broken!" Yuantai muttered with his cheeks puffed out, his tone full of disappointment.
"No, it's not broken." A slightly playful voice came from the side, attracting the attention of several people. They turned their heads and saw Conan standing not far away with his arms folded across his chest, a thoughtful smile on his face, and his eyes were fixed on Ayumi on the other side.
At this time, Ayumi was lowering her head, holding her own photo in both hands, her cheeks slightly flushed, and her eyes showed a bit of shyness and surprise, as if she was immersed in some beautiful fantasy.
Genta and Mitsuhiko immediately ran over curiously, leaning in to take a look, their eyes widening. Unlike Dr. Agasa's photo, which had barely changed, Ayumi's photo showed a slender, youthful beauty, and the two blushed at the sight.
"Wow~~~ So cute~~~~"
This time, the twin-tower skyscrapers that the Changpan Group had just built in Nishitama City were in the trial operation stage. As a junior of Kogoro Mori, the current head of the group, Mio Tokiwa, specially invited him to visit.
Coincidentally, Professor Agasa and several members of the Junior Detective League passed by this place on their way back from camping. They were attracted by the majestic appearance of this landmark building, so they decided to take a closer look and unexpectedly met Kogoro Mori and his party.
Seeing that the group knew Kogoro Mori well, Sawaguchi, the president's secretary to the Changpan Group, enthusiastically invited them inside for a tour. The group began experimenting with the group's unique gadgets, with the most popular device being the "predict your appearance ten years from now" device proving particularly popular with the Detective Boys. They excitedly took turns taking photos, hoping to catch a glimpse of their future selves.
As the group gathered around the photo, a lively discussion erupted when Secretary Sawaguchi's phone rang. She quickly picked up the call and, standing aside, whispered, "Yes! I understand!" After hanging up, she straightened her shirt, quickly walked over to the group, and bowed slightly.
"Everyone!" she said politely and formally, "Now please follow me to the banquet hall on the 75th floor. Please go to the elevator."
---
On the 75th floor, the elevator doors slowly opened, and the excited children were the first to jump out, vying for a glimpse of the banquet hall. Behind them, Professor Agasa, with a helpless look on his face, supported the frightened Kogoro Mouri as they slowly emerged from the elevator.
"What a crappy elevator! It goes up so fast and it's transparent!" Kogoro Mouri kept complaining, his face still a little pale, obviously he had not recovered from the fear of heights just now.
"Dad!?" A familiar voice suddenly called out, startling Kogoro. He instinctively turned around and saw his daughter, Ran, standing nearby, looking at him in surprise. Next to her was Chen Shuo, and a smiling Sonoko, holding hands with Ai Haibara.
"Uh... why are you here?" Kogoro Mouri looked surprised. He pointed at them and looked in the direction of the banquet hall. He obviously did not expect to see them here.
"Mori-senpai!" A beautiful woman in a red business suit walked over gracefully, her smile warm and friendly. She extended her hand to shake hands with Maori Kogoro, her voice clear and moving.
"Ah~~ Nagaita, it's been a long time!" Maori Kogoro was stunned at first, then he smiled widely, scratched his head, and looked a little embarrassed: "Originally, I should have come alone, but... in this case, I'll introduce you."
As he said that, he turned around and introduced Professor Agasa and several members of the Junior Detective League to Tokiwa Mio one by one: "This is Professor Agasa, and those little brats are Ayumi, Genta, Mitsuhiko, and Conan."
Mio Tokiwa looked at the people in front of her, completely lacking the arrogance of a chaebol leader. She nodded gently to them and bowed slightly. "Welcome everyone here. I'm Mio Tokiwa. I hope you enjoy this building and have a good time."
"Thank you for your invitation!" Dr. Agasa responded with a smile, and the children of the Junior Detective League couldn't help but look at the elegant president a few more times with excitement on their faces.
After the greetings, Maori Kogoro finally turned to Chen Shuo and his group and asked in confusion, "But why are you guys here?"
Before Chen Shuo could speak, Mao Lilan proudly took Chen Shuo's arm and said, "Dad, this building was jointly funded by Brother Shuo and President Tokiwa!"
Maori Kogoro was stunned when these words came out, his eyes widening. "W-What!? Are you saying that this twin-tower skyscraper was jointly funded by Chen Shuo... and Tokiwa?"
After being stunned for a moment, Maori Kogoro and Conan realized something almost at the same time. They both looked at Tokiwa Mio and Chen Shuo with complicated expressions, thinking to themselves: "So this is it... What a grand event."
Tokiwa Mio seemed to notice the two people's gazes, but did not say much. She just smiled and turned her gaze to the crowd and began to introduce the other distinguished guests present.
"Everyone, let me introduce these friends. They are my special guests. This is Mr. Ruzuki Minemizu, the artist famous for his paintings of Mount Fuji, and my teacher. This is Mr. Oki Iwamatsu, a councilman from Nishitama City, and this..." She waved her hand gently, pointing to a long-faced man beside her, "This is the designer of this building, Mr. Kazama Hidehiko."
Fengjian Yingyan smiled slightly, with a hint of deliberate mystery in his tone: "In fact, Mr. Maori and I do have some relationship."
"Oh?" Maori Kogoro raised his eyebrows, a look of confusion on his face, "I don't remember us meeting before?"
Feng Jianying raised the corner of his mouth, revealing a wicked smile with a hint of provocation: "Because I am a disciple of Moriya Teiji."
As soon as these words came out, several people subconsciously held their breath, their eyes fixed on Maori Kogoro, as if expecting his reaction. However, the surprise, shock, and even fear that Kazama Hidehiko expected did not appear.
Maori Kogoro looked at him calmly, patted his shoulder, and said with a half-joking tone: "Really? Then you must not blow up this place, the consequences will be very serious."
"Uh... of course not." Kazama Hidehiko froze for a moment, his wicked smile faltering slightly. He had clearly not expected this reaction from Mori Kogoro, and his inner elation instantly faded into a wave of boredom. He curled his lips and turned away, not continuing the conversation.
---
In the banquet hall, after some greetings and introductions, Sonoko took Haibara Ai and several children from the Junior Detective League on a tour. Laughter could be heard from time to time, adding a bit of vitality to the slightly formal atmosphere.
Elsewhere, Tokiwa Mio, Maori Kogoro, Maori Ran, and Chen Shuo stood in front of a huge French window, pointing out the distant view of Mount Fuji and chatting. Maori Kogoro looked at the shorter Building B across the way and couldn't help but ask, "Mio, is there anything special about Building B over there? Why is it so much shorter than this one?"
Hearing this, Tokiwa Mio smiled slightly and patiently explained, "Senior, Building B is a high-end membership hotel. There's an indoor swimming pool on the top floor, which can be opened to open it outdoors, offering a panoramic view of the entire Nishitama City at night. The facilities within the building are also world-class, designed primarily for a specialized clientele."
Maori Kogoro nodded and was about to ask more questions when the stench of alcohol suddenly hit his nose. Nishitama City Councilman Oki Iwamatsu staggered over, a hint of intoxication on his face. He said casually, "Ms. Tokiwa, that Hotel B looks pretty good to me... I have some things to do this weekend, so why not stay there for a few days? Give me a room."
Upon hearing this, Tokiwa Mio frowned slightly, but quickly regained her professional smile. She bowed slightly to Oki Iwamatsu, her tone revealing a hint of helplessness: "I'm sorry, Mr. Oki, but the hotel hasn't officially opened yet and is not open to the public yet. Furthermore, the specific operating rights of Building B are not in my hands."
"Oh?" Oki Iwamatsu narrowed his drunken eyes, his smile faltering. He waved his hand dismissively, "Ms. Tokiwa, are you making excuses? I see the hotel facilities are all ready, so why wouldn't it be open? You know, I'm a Nishitama City Councilor. If you can't even bend over a small matter..." His tone was clearly threatening.
However, before Tokiwa Mio could speak, a cold voice suddenly came from the side.
"Mr. Congressman, you seem a little drunk."
Oki Iwamatsu was stunned for a moment, then looked in the direction of the voice. He saw Mao Lilan standing nearby, her arms folded across her chest, looking at him calmly. Her tone was calm yet polite, yet it carried a subtle sense of oppression that was impossible to ignore.
"Didn't I explain this just now?" Mao Lilan's voice rang out slowly. Although not loud, each word was clear. "Building B is a membership-based hotel that we operate. Check-in requires a strict membership review process. And you are not eligible to stay here."
These words came out calmly, but like an invisible sharp blade, they directly cut through the drunken elation of Damu Yansong. He froze in place, his lips moving, but no words came out.
Looking at the radiant Maori Ran, Maori Kogoro couldn't help but sigh softly, glancing at Chen Shuo beside him with a complicated look. As a father, he was pleased with his daughter's growth, and her maturity and confidence made him extremely proud.
However, this growth seemed to deviate from his previous expectations. He had hoped that Lan could live a peaceful and simple life, but now, she exudes a unique edge.
Conan, standing nearby, silently cast his gaze upon Ran. Her resolute and composed demeanor made him feel a strange sense of oppression.
His heart ached unconsciously, as if suffocated by some invisible force. He lowered his eyes and shook his head gently: "Now... everything is too late. I should just focus on my career."
Chen Shuo stood behind Mao Lilan, his posture calm and composed, his hands in his pockets, his eyes calm but revealing a hint of deep meaning. He said nothing, simply standing up for Mao Lilan with a calm attitude, as if he was invisibly holding up a protective barrier for her.
He looked at the confident and determined Lan in front of him, and felt immensely relieved. Her growth was perhaps faster than anyone else's, and more dazzling than he had initially imagined.
Chen Shuo's eyes inadvertently glanced at the garden not far away, where he was having fun with the children, exuding a natural vitality and affinity.
As if sensing Chen Shuo's gaze, Yuanzi suddenly stopped moving and looked up at him as if by telepathy. Their gazes met in the air, and in an instant, it seemed as if the entire noisy environment had become quiet.
Yuanzi was slightly startled, then a harmless smile appeared on her face, her lips curved up, her eyes gleaming with mischief and innocence. She nodded gently, her movements natural and playful, as if responding to something.
Chen Shuo didn't say much, nor did his expression change. He just looked back at her quietly, with the corners of his mouth slightly raised, revealing a faint smile.