Chapter 2

Under the tree, a bench.

Still the same old place.

On his way back, Chifei took a newspaper and sat down to read it.

Since he had determined that this was the world of Detective Conan, he might as well pass the time by checking the current timeline.

This should be discernible from the news.

There were no reports about Shinichi Kudo in the past week's newspapers.

Such a low profile suggested that he had already been shrunk by the drug.

There were reports about Kogoro Mouri, with a front-page story two days ago.

"Clash of the Detective Writer and the Real Detective: The author of the Detective Hattori series, Shinji Rentaro, dies, and the famous detective Kogoro Mouri solves the mystery using clues from the book!"

This must be an earlier part of the timeline.

It's unclear whether the timeline of this world follows the anime or the manga...

If it follows the manga, Ai Haibara has already appeared. If it follows the anime timeline, it might still be a while.

He was somewhat curious about this little girl...

Chifei thought for a moment.

Given the mysterious nature of that organization, they probably haven't exposed much to the public, meaning that the organization's members are unlikely to be on any public bounty lists.

And Sherry = researcher = obscure otaku... = not worth much!

Hmm... This is the mindset of a scavenger from his previous life.

A scavenger, also known as a bounty hunter, primarily captures dangerous criminals and hands them over to the police or the government.

To carry out such operations, one must first obtain a license from the International Investigation Bureau.

In his previous world, it was very safe, and there was almost no room for such a profession.

But he still chose to do it...

That year, seven children came together, the oldest being ten and the youngest six.

They were martial arts students.

Those who entered martial arts schools were either considered difficult to manage by their parents or had experienced some family upheaval.

Given the national situation, it was rare for parents to send their children to martial arts schools out of sentiment.

If you want to learn martial arts, wouldn't it be better to sign up for an interest class?

All seven children had lost their parents in accidents, with no one to take care of them, so their relatives sent them to martial arts schools, and they got along well.

One day, one of the middle schoolers learned about "scavengers," and the idea immediately ignited the middle schooler spirit in the group.

No one wanted to be ordinary. Of course, it might have just been a goal to strive for, even if they didn't fully understand it, driven by a passion and a sense of purpose.

Ten years later, the seven of them, with their blood, sweat, and superior martial arts skills, left the country with style.

At that moment, they were indeed stylish, but reality was often harsher.

Even if they found a way and identified their weaknesses, not everyone could make up for their shortcomings in firearms through talent.

Of the seven, only three passed.

Within a year, the other two gave up, but he persisted.

Why did he persist?

He wasn't sure.

Perhaps it was because he had seen it as a means of survival from a young age, or perhaps it was the bewildered and dejected look of his companions when they left, or maybe... the freedom and spontaneity of the lifestyle were intoxicating.

But it wasn't a good profession.

Some of his friends who returned home became bodyguards for the rich or coaches, which might not be as lucrative as being a scavenger but offered stability and safety.

He, who had stuck with it, had earned a lot of money over three years, but it had cost him his life, and he had never regretted it.

Those free, spontaneous, wild, unique, and novel landscapes were fatally beautiful.

Chifei's gaze moved from the newspaper he hadn't really read to the wall opposite.

The scenery here was far more beautiful...

Six conmen, in this life, I don't want to miss those landscapes... Why did you all say I was the most talented when you left?

Keep envying me.

Chifei lowered his eyes to hide the faint smile, just as he was about to continue reading the newspaper, a flood of unfamiliar memories and a mix of envy and relief washed over him.

These were the memories of this world's Chifei.

Parents who were together only for financial gain, with no affection, their relationship had completely cooled within five years, and they lived separate lives.

For the sake of the company, they didn't divorce, maintaining a marriage in name only, and they barely paid attention to their only child.

In his memories, a cold and empty home, school performances where his parents never appeared, and times when he could only earn a little attention through excellent grades, only to be praised and then quickly forgotten...

No dramatic plot twists, just a life of extreme introversion and isolation, with no love, no friends, no goals, no hobbies, and eventually, illness.

Until the end, a sense of envy and relief came through, and the memories stopped at a fragment from three days ago.

Chifei understood that the original consciousness had probably completely dissipated.

It was a pity, but perhaps due to his personality, even though he had experienced those emotions through the memories, they were fleeting, with a slight resonance but not strong enough.

So, two consciousnesses in the same body can never fully understand each other. When doctors say, "I understand, I get you," they are telling a gentle lie.

He silently criticized the psychiatrists and then refocused his thoughts.

The plan needed to change.

He had stayed in the psychiatric hospital because of the original consciousness's depression, worried that the guy might do something drastic when he took over the body.

In the hospital, even if his consciousness was asleep, there were doctors and nurses watching, making it safer.

But if the original consciousness had dissipated, he didn't want to continue the charade.

Discharge?

To be discharged, either the doctor must believe you are cured, or a family member must come to pick you up.

The second option was not feasible. The doctors here were overly responsible, and his parents had no intention of supervising him. The doctors wouldn't agree to his discharge unless they were sure he was well enough.

So, it came back to the first option...

There was no need to consider it; it was a dead end.

Not to mention his "time perception disorder," in this place, surrounded by responsible doctors, everything seemed wrong.

The only way was for his parents to intervene and for him to be more assertive, which would still allow him to leave.

After all, he hadn't committed any crimes or antisocial behavior, so the hospital couldn't forcibly keep him.

In other circumstances, sneaking away would be a foolish act—

Being more assertive would allow him to leave, but choosing to run away instead of communicating would be a sign of worsening condition!

Back to the intensive care unit for you!

Chifei absentmindedly flipped through the newspaper, considering calling his biological parents to discuss his discharge.

"Mr. Chi, are you looking for something?" the young nurse smiled and approached.

Flipping through the newspaper and zoning out was unusual and needed to be noted. If she could understand, she would; if not, she would record it in her notebook for the doctor to review...

Chifei immediately understood the nurse's thoughts and paused, "I was just spacing out."

"Is that so, I see." The nurse nodded, noting that the patient had been zoning out.

Chifei was speechless and glanced at the man leaning on the railing, looking up at the sky.

He had heard that the man had been in the hospital for eleven years and had little hope of discharge in the next one or two years.

Once in the hospital, recovery is impossible... How terrifying!

...

Eating, activities, sunbathing, eating, taking medication, and sleeping, the day passed.

Apart from the lack of freedom, it was a lazy, carefree life that many would dream of.

However, to prevent external interference and dependence on electronic devices, and for safety, patients were not allowed to bring phones or computers, which would be hard for those who wanted to spend their days on their phones and watching shows.

The next day, Chifei went to Fukuyama Shimei's office to make a call.

No one answered the home phone, so he called his biological father's mobile.

"Beep... beep..."

The call was answered after two rings.

A steady male voice, "Hello, who is this...?"

"Father, it's me, Chifei."

There was a pause, "How are you recovering?"

"Pretty well, I want to be discharged."

Chifei got straight to the point.

From the memories, it was unclear if his biological parents had anyone else, but they were both workaholics.

They were generous with money, at least his living expenses were sufficient.

Even when he was admitted to the hospital, they took him for a check-up in the morning and rushed off to handle their business in the afternoon.

A very peculiar family.

Obsessed with making money, unable to stop...

A day without making money was unbearable...

I love making money, it makes me happy...

Apart from making money, life had no other joys...

Money brings happiness, and the process of making money brings happiness...

Cough, thinking about it, Chifei found it... quite interesting.

After all, he was the穿越者 Chifei.

For this, he could only say, live as you please...

"I'm going to France tomorrow and won't be back for at least half a month," the man said calmly, "We can talk about it when I return. Actually, it's better for you to stay in the hospital, at least you have someone to take care of you, and the doctors and nurses are more professional than butlers and maids."

Fukuyama Shimei, who was listening, frowned.

In simpler terms, this was like saying, "Son, we're too busy to take care of you. The psychiatric hospital has food, drink, and care, isn't that great?"

Was that how you talked to your child? Such cold parents...

Chifei wasn't surprised; this response was not far from what he had expected, "What about my mother? Hasn't she returned yet?"

"I'm not sure about her," the man said.

Chifei continued, "Can you find someone to get me out of here? It's too boring."

The steady male voice, "I've already taken a leave of absence for you at Tokyo University. What do you need to come out for?"

Chifei calmly replied, "When I'm bored, I think about calling you every day to check on things..."

There was a second of silence on the other end, "I'll see if anyone can come to pick you up."

Chifei, "Preferably a relative."

Male voice, "Understood, wait for the news."

Chifei, "What's the latest?"

Male voice, "Three days."

Chifei, "Alright."

The call ended abruptly.

Chifei looked up and met Fukuyama Shimei's thoughtful gaze, reminiscent of a certain Marvel character's stare.

Fukuyama Shimei stared, "Mr. Chi, does your... family have a history of mental illness?"