Chapter 426: Jewelry Exhibition
Sonoko practically bounced on the pavement, her eyes sparkling with uncontained enthusiasm. "A jewelry exhibition! Then Lord Kid will definitely show up! Honestly, why didn't Uncle Jirokichi mention a single word of this to me?" She spun around, grabbing her friend's arm. "Right, Natsume, do you know what special gems will be on display this time?"
Natsume shook her head gently, a mild, amused smile playing on her lips. "Ningguang didn't say much about the specifics in her text. However, considering she possesses such a discerning eye and vast knowledge, if she describes those gems as 'peculiar,' I believe they must be rare treasures. The kind that are both incredibly hard to come by and truly eye-opening."
Pausing for a moment as they walked under the afternoon sun, Natsume added a bit more context. "I did hear that the jewelry Ningguang is providing for the exhibition doesn't just include her own private collection from over the years. Mr. Zhongli has also sponsored several pieces."
Ran blinked, her pace slowing slightly. Would someone as learned, traditional, and endlessly talented as Mr. Zhongli actually collect things like flashy jewelry?
also, a specific memory surfaced in her mind. She still remembered the last time they shared a meal with the man. He had warmly offered to treat them to the finest dining available, only to realize at the very end that he had completely forgotten his wallet. He ended up casually putting the exorbitant bill under Tartaglia's name without batting an eye. Ran had always assumed Mr. Zhongli was quite strapped for cash, living a humble, ascetic lifestyle. Was he actually secretly wealthy?
Then again, hadn't Natsume just mentioned a few days ago that Tartaglia had deliberately caused a massive headache for Zhongli's company? Despite the financial sabotage, the relationship between the two men remained oddly amicable. It seemed to imply that whatever chaos Tartaglia stirred up hadn't caused any permanent or irreparable damage to Mr. Zhongli and Ms. Ningguang's operations.
Sonoko, however, couldn't care less about corporate sabotage or who provided the exhibition's inventory. She only cared about one thing: whether these jewels possessed enough allure to attract the phantom thief of her dreams. "Sponsored by Mr. Zhongli? Then what kind of jewelry are they, roughly? Are they flashy enough?"
Natsume tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Hmm... I remember there's the Rosy Pearl, which was carefully polished using ancient, traditional techniques. It's said that even in pitch darkness, it faintly emits a warm glow, much like the sky at dawn or dusk. Then there's the Abyssal Azure Orb, a strange, black-purple pearl that carries a rather ominous aura; looking into its depths is like peering into a long-hidden, unsettling dream. And the Stone of Remembrance, a golden, irregularly shaped gemstone engraved with ancient text, among others."
She snapped her fingers lightly. "Oh, right, there's also a peculiar 'gem among gems.'I think it's called'Pandora.' It supposedly possesses a unique physical property where it glows with a brilliant red light when exposed directly to moonlight."
"In short, there are quite a few," Natsume concluded, adjusting her collar against the breeze. "I just don't know exactly how many of these specific gems will make an appearance at this exhibition."
Ran looked at her in genuine surprise. "Are these all part of Mr. Zhongli's private collection?"
Natsume offered a smooth, practiced smile. "Of course."
Of course they weren't.
Aside from that fake 'Pandora' gem, the others were all rare materials she had painstakingly gathered through grueling system missions. Unfortunately, most of her hard-earned inventory had been completely consumed just to complete those very same tasks. The Stone of Remembrance was a particularly sore spot—to finish that wretched Nine Pillars of Peace quest, she didn't even want to count how many times her grip had slipped, sending her plummeting off those massive stone pillars she had struggled so desperately to climb. Her phantom muscles still ached just thinking about it.
"Wow!" Sonoko gasped, her imagination running wild. "Mr. Zhongli has so many gems. And they all sound incredibly fascinating! I really want to see them with my own eyes."
She threw her hands up in the air, laughing loudly. "Combined with the new gems Uncle Jirokichi just got his hands on, this lineup will absolutely attract Lord Kid! Hahaha! It looks like I'll get to admire Lord Kid's heroic, dashing bearing from up close once again!"
Ran gave her friend a deadpan look. "..." Sonoko, you haven't forgotten you already have a fiercely devoted boyfriend like Makoto Kyogoku, have you?
Walking a few steps behind them, Conan rolled his eyes, his hands shoved deep into his pockets. "...I really feel sympathy for Sonoko-neechan's boyfriend, having his girlfriend be so enthusiastically obsessed with another man! Ow!"
Before he could even finish his snarky muttering, a swift fist cracked down onto the top of his skull. He cried out, clutching his head as tears pricked the corners of his eyes.
"You little brat, what do you know about adult romance!" Sonoko snapped, her cheeks flushed with a mix of embarrassment and defensive anger. She pulled her fist back, blowing on her knuckles.
After delivering the swift punishment, she completely ignored the grumbling boy and eagerly returned to discussing the upcoming exhibition with Ran and Natsume, her voice bubbling with anticipation.
Conan trailed behind the girls, rubbing the rising bump on his head with a thoroughly bored expression. He had zero interest in their endless chatter about shiny rocks and phantom thieves. His sharp mind was already chewing on a completely different puzzle.
What was Ms. Ningguang's true purpose for suddenly holding a joint jewelry exhibition with the Suzuki Conglomerate? The timing felt too deliberate. Could it be related to that newly emerged, dangerous syndicate known as 'Zoo'? He filtered out the poetic descriptions of the gems Natsume had just listed, his thoughts diving into the murky waters of corporate alliances and underground factions.
Meanwhile, the atmosphere inside Café Poirot was suffocatingly thick.
The cheerful chime of the front door bell had long since faded as the last customer departed. Toru Amuro stood near the counter, his friendly waiter persona evaporating into thin air. He stared blankly at the empty chairs before shifting his cold, piercing gaze onto the man sitting in the corner booth. A faint, razor-sharp glint of murderous intent flickered in Amuro's eyes.
He narrowed his eyes, his voice dropping into a low, dangerous register that promised violence. "Cointreau. If my memory serves me right, when Gin assigned the current operational missions, he explicitly entrusted this matter to me alone. Yet here you are, appearing on my turf without a single word of warning."
Amuro took a slow, deliberate step forward, the subtle shift in his posture closing the physical and psychological gap between them. "Well then. I'd very much like to hear what specially important reason prompted your abrupt appearance. I sincerely hope you can provide a sufficiently reasonable and convincing explanation."
Faced with the blond operative's aggressive, coiled-spring hostility, Cointreau didn't so much as blink. His handsome, sharply contoured face remained entirely devoid of emotion, as placid and unreadable as a frozen lake.
Without breaking eye contact, Cointreau leisurely reached a hand inside his tailored jacket. A moment later, he withdrew a pristine white envelope.
Given Amuro's forward movement, the distance between the two men was negligible. To hand the envelope over, Cointreau merely needed to extend his arm. Instead, with a flick of his wrist, Cointreau tossed the envelope directly at Amuro's chest, entirely indifferent to whether the other man caught it or let it hit the floor.
The crisp paper traced a short parabola through the tense air.
Amuro's reflexes kicked in instantly. His hand snapped up, snatching the envelope out of the air before it could fall. His brow furrowed deeply. "What is this?" he demanded, his thumb already breaking the wax seal.
"An invitation to a jewelry exhibition soon to be held by the Jade Chamber," Cointreau replied, his voice a flat, mechanical drawl.
Amuro's eyes darted from Cointreau's impassive face down to the heavy cardstock. He pinched the corner of the invitation and slid it free. As the elegant text caught the dim café lighting, a genuine flash of surprise broke through his hardened facade.
It was, undeniably, an official invitation from the Jade Chamber.
The craftsmanship was exquisite, bordering on excessive. The heavy, textured paper was lined with complex geometric patterns, and the event details were pressed into the surface with genuine gold foil lettering.
Amuro scanned the text with practiced efficiency. The event was scheduled to take place in exactly one week. The organizers were listed boldly at the top: The Jade Chamber, operating in a joint collaboration with the Suzuki Conglomerate.
It detailed a grand, high-society jewelry exhibition. The text noted that not only would close associates and corporate allies from both factions be in attendance to show their support, but highly exclusive invitations were also being dispatched to prominent figures across all walks of life, inviting them to witness a collection of dazzling, unmatched treasures.
[Inorin's Note:
Enjoying the story? Dropping a quick review, comment, or Power Stone means the world to me and keeps these daily updates flowing!
Want to read 50 chapters ahead or just want to help keep a shameless translator alive? (My livelihood actually depends on this, haha 😭). You can support me directly here:
(P.S. Just remove the brackets and replace the [.] with a regular dot . to use the links!)
✨ Patreon (50 Advanced Chapters): patreon[.]com/InorinTL
☕ Ko-fi (Support / Sponsor): ko-fi[.]com/InorinTL
Thank you so much for reading and keeping this project alive!]