frightfiction Chapter 1335 Tomorrow and Hope
Chapter 1335 Tomorrow and Hope
Chapter 1335 Tomorrow and Hope
Unexpectedly, Tang Ze was so direct from the start, leaving all the children at the table stunned. Shiroda Kyozo's expression froze, and he gripped his notebook without saying a word.
"According to internationally accepted terms, the safest period is actually two years. For insurance contracts that pay out upon death, if the insured commits suicide two years after the contract is established or reinstated, the insurance company is obligated to pay the full death benefit." Tang Ze calmly explained in his remarkably objective tone, "This is based on the prevention of moral hazard, and the risk itself is controllable. They must consider this risk when designing this type of insurance, so the premium calculation must include this probability. I hope you're not selling accident insurance, but I don't think you're that reckless, so I won't give you any further reminders."
"W-What are you saying? I don't understand—" Shirota Kyouzo struggled to find his voice, his fingertips almost crumpling the pages of his notebook.
Tang Ze's tone was persuasive and admonishing, but he had already revealed his true intentions.
This includes his intention to treat these children to meals, and his intention to buy so many lottery tickets.
Although his life was not yet truly impoverished, and he still clearly bore the marks of a middle-class family, everything he did today indicated that he had already resolved to die.
"Of course I could have used a more tactful approach, Mr. Shirota," Karasawa pushed the empty dessert in front of him forward, "but I have accepted your invitation, and I sincerely hope I can help you. I think you should also consider the children's feelings. Don't take away their childhood at this time."
Even the children could sense that something was wrong with him. If Shiroda Kyozo really did stage a death scene that looked like an accident today, and a few days later, the insurance company people, accompanied by the police, found them and tried to confirm from them whether Shiroda Kyozo had already intended to commit suicide, then the children who realized what was happening would be plunged into deep panic and self-blame.
They would realize that they had watched a desperate soul take its last step before falling off a cliff, and they would realize that the kindest choice at this moment would be to remain silent about what was wrong with Shirota, and to tell the police with tears in their eyes that he was a positive and optimistic person who did not seem to be suicidal.
Of course, with Conan around, Tang Ze believed things wouldn't escalate to this point, but just imagining the scene was cruel enough.
Upon hearing Tang Ze mention the children, Shirota Kyouzo, who had lowered his head, met the worried eyes of the children at the table, and his mouth, which he wanted to say something, could no longer open.
Yes, he made this choice for himself, and he decided to treat the children to a meal after hearing that they often dealt with the police, and then tell them his whole plan at the table.
In most people's simple understanding, children don't lie, and these young detectives even have the ability to tell a story that the police can believe. He hopes that these children can help him one last time.
Think about it: if they hadn't noticed anything amiss, and happily finished their meal and went home, only to find out two days later that the man they had just met had died shortly after they parted, it would indeed have been quite a shock.
"Besides, being run over by a train is a very painful way to die." Conan blinked when he saw that Shiroda Kyozo was silent, and quickly began his persuasion.
Tang Ze's statement did indeed stabilize Shirota's situation immediately, but the way he expressed it was still too unconventional.
He understood the logic; often, people contemplate suicide because of temporary difficulties. But if he could just get through that period and look back, it might just be a low point in his life, and if he persevered a few more days, he would see hope. It wasn't an insurmountable obstacle.
Therefore, if Shiroda Kyozo had truly listened to Karasawa's words and delayed his decision, he might not have chosen such a direct method as ending his life.
But we should still offer advice if necessary.
"Huh? You mean—"
"Uncle, are you planning to jump in front of the train to commit suicide? Is it because you want to raise money for your granddaughter's surgery?" Conan bluntly pointed out.
"How did you know—" Shirota Kyozo raised his head again, his expression this time genuinely surprised.
"Uncle, you've made too many mistakes!" Ayumi Yoshida, sitting opposite her, raised a finger. "You even went to Osaka to watch the Aoyama team play against the Superstar team, claiming to be their fan, but you didn't even know that Aoi and Higo wouldn't be able to play tomorrow!"
"Yeah, the match starts at 4 a.m. tomorrow. We were discussing on our way home from school whether to watch the live broadcast together on TV, but you and your friends are going to start drinking at 7 p.m.! Add in your normal commute and time to get in and out of the stadium, the match alone will take more than two hours!" Mitsuhiko Tsuburaya chimed in.
"So, the most important ending will air tomorrow, and you want the answer today?" Genta Kojima crossed his arms. "Normally, it's really infuriating to be told the murderer's identity before the story is even finished!"
"It happened before too. We picked up your lottery tickets; you bought quite a lot, and you didn't even count them before stuffing them into your bag." With everyone else chiming in, Ai Haibara couldn't remain silent, so she chimed in, "That wasn't because you were hoping to win or have good luck, was it? It was because you thought the lottery would be drawn tomorrow, and these tickets would make the police believe you weren't planning to commit suicide today, so you were making preparations, right?"
"Every single detail is as if you're certain you won't see tomorrow," Conan concluded. "Football tickets, lottery tickets, plus our testimonies—you're planning to leave enough evidence after the accident to prove you didn't intend to die today. That way, the insurance company won't have any grounds to refuse coverage."
"But how did you know my granddaughter was sick?" Shirota Kyozo asked incredulously.
Honestly, this group of tiny kids, barely tall enough to reach a person's waist, wouldn't be taken seriously by anyone even if they claimed to be a detective team that had helped the police solve cases. At most, they would assume that the kids might have assisted the police at some point and that's why they started calling themselves detectives. He had only considered the possibility that the police would be more likely to believe their claims.
Now, these kids are really acting like detectives, pointing out the problems he's exposed one by one, making him realize that this detective role isn't just for fun.
"It's simple. You cherish the things your granddaughter gave you so much, and you even carry her photo with you, yet you don't know the name of her school. That means she's probably not attending school at all right now," Conan shrugged, explaining casually. "Is she in the hospital?"
Generally speaking, parents who love their children will not mind telling others that their child is not attending school if the child is only taking a leave of absence.
If a child doesn't go to school but simply says they can't remember the school's name, the probability of that child getting into trouble is much higher.
"Ah, you're right." Now that things had come to this, Shirota Kyozo no longer hid anything, and his shoulders slumped.
She has been hospitalized for more than six months.
"Is it some kind of serious illness?" Ayumi Yoshida asked, unable to bear it.
For these children, who are afraid of even dentists, spending all day in the hospital is a terrifying thing.
"Heart disease. Congenital, and the situation is not optimistic; it requires a large sum of money for treatment. I know that insurance fraud is not a good thing, but if my life can save my granddaughter—I can only—I really have no other choice. She has to do many tests every week, and she also needs to wear monitoring equipment. Her tiny arms are covered with needle marks, and she cries every time—conservative treatment has reached its limit, I really—"
Kyozo Shirota covered his face with his hands, not wanting to show his vulnerable and broken side in front of these children who were about the same age as his granddaughter.
Watching your loved ones weak and helpless, teetering on the brink of illness and death, is an extremely painful experience, especially when the one suffering from the illness is a child.
He wasn't lying about other things. He used to have a decent job, which would have provided him with a stable income after retirement. He certainly wouldn't have chosen this path if he hadn't been overwhelmed by the burdens of life.
Tang Ze sighed softly, then reached out and took the small notebook from his hand, picked up the ballpoint pen clipped to it, and slowly began to write.
"Telling you to hang in there at this point might sound empty. You can contact the person at this phone number and address; from what I know, they are currently the best medical team in Tokyo specializing in heart disease treatment. You can tell them that Tang Zezhao recommended you, and I believe they will be willing to apply for the best programs for your granddaughter."
"Misunderstanding?" Shirota Kyozo, whose eyes were already wet with tears, suddenly raised his head.
"Well, my parents are both doctors, so I know a little about it." Tang Ze brushed off the question casually, then started writing more on a new line, "And then, this phone number will allow you to contact a reliable lawyer. They offer pro bono assistance, so you can try contacting them; perhaps they can provide you with genuine advice on insurance."
"Insurance? But he doesn't have it all—" Mitsuhiko Tsuburaya couldn't help but feel a little anxious, sensing that the middle-aged man had finally given up his suicidal thoughts.
"I'm not talking about the critical life insurance he recently bought. Since the uncle is retired, he must have bought some commercial insurance during his working years. Some insurance policies have a chance of covering medical expenses for family members. Even if they don't cover medical expenses, having a lawyer help him communicate with the insurance company might allow them to find a hospital with whom they have negotiated a price agreement. What he needs is a lawyer who will do his best to plan every penny for him, and that's not an easy resource to find."
After writing down Eri Kisaki's law firm's phone number, Tang Ze pushed the notebook back in front of him.
"And I know this is all very abstract and won't actually help you, but I still want to encourage you, Uncle Shirota, to hang in there a little longer."
As Shirota Kyozo looked at the neat and beautiful handwriting on the paper, with its vigorous strokes, the tears he had been trying to hold back finally fell.
Kindness, kindness, doesn't have to be unreserved. Even kindness that comes from a distance is enough to pull someone back from the worst day.
He took it with a choked voice, not daring to let his tears fall and smudge the writing. He then looked up at Tang Ze and nodded.
Seeing that the old man finally started to cry, Conan breathed a sigh of relief.
It doesn't matter how useful the channels Tang Ze provides are; what matters is giving him a reason, a possible way out to be rescued, and lending him a hand, so that the tragedy will be delayed.
"Uncle Shirota, go watch the game tomorrow, have a drink with your old friends, and check the winning numbers. What if you're lucky? As long as you're alive, there's hope. If you're dead, you have nothing."
Conan offered the simplest comfort he could, repeating this simplest of truths.
Let's hold on a little longer, what if...?
Upon hearing this, Shirota Kyozo, who was vigorously wiping away tears and snot, gave a bitter laugh: "What luck is that? I've already missed my biggest stroke of luck once, and luck won't be on my side again."
"Missed out on your luck?" Conan's eyes widened slightly.
"Yes. Actually, I bought a lottery ticket a month ago when Huixiang was confirmed to need surgery. Later I found out that the ticket seemed to have won a lot of money, but I can't find where I put it." Shiroda Kyozo sighed deeply.
He had to admit that he realized he had once had a chance to reverse his fate, but he missed it without realizing it. No matter how much he regretted it, there was nothing he could do. This was the last straw that broke his back.
"The winning lottery ticket is nowhere to be found?" Conan sat up straight immediately.
The various details of life that Shirota Kyozo had mentioned earlier quickly connected in his mind.
Aside from his intention to commit suicide, the rest of Shirota Kyozo's account should be credible, including his plan to buy a washing machine in Akihabara.
Judging from the fact that he solemnly recorded this message, this may have been the last thing he planned to do for his family, and also the place he chose to die.
The subway in Akihabara has a very large passenger flow, so it's not surprising that any kind of personal accident could happen at such a station. It's much more reasonable than committing suicide at a small station.
In other words—
"When you confirmed you won the lottery, were you reading the newspaper in the coin-operated laundry room?" Conan quickly extracted the key information.
"How could you guess that? You're right, that's when I found out I won. But after checking the numbers, I never found the ticket again."
"What about the other lottery tickets? You must have bought more than one, right?"
"Uh, yes, but I just threw those away."
"The lottery ticket was left behind, but we can't find it anywhere else. And you went to do laundry, so you definitely wouldn't have brought a bag or anything—" Conan muttered to himself, then his gaze fell on the uncle's rather high-quality-looking handbag. "You need to check the numbers in the newspaper, and you would never normally open this thing, so what you must have had with you at the time was—"
"Eyeglasses case!"
This time, without Conan saying a word, the children jumped up and cheered in unison.
With tears still streaming down his face, Shirota Kyozo stared at them blankly for a moment, then immediately became excited and pulled out the glasses case with his granddaughter's picture on it, which he had carefully placed on the side of his bag.
Ever since losing the lottery ticket, he has been filled with immense regret, constantly looking at the photo on the box and touching it with remorse. Indeed, he has never opened it again.
With trembling hands, he pushed open the magnetic clasp of the glasses case and saw the small piece of paper with the numbers magnified by the lenses, pressed under the glasses.
"Found it! Found it! I found it!"
The waiter, who was carrying ice cream, was stunned by the sudden cheers of the group of people at the table. He looked at them strangely and then looked down to check the time.
"Tokyo team won? Wasn't the match tomorrow?"
Even Conan, who was trying hard to remain calm, couldn't help but burst out laughing.
That being said, when he saw Tang Ze place yet another large ice cream cup in front of him, he couldn't help but restrain himself as well.
"Brother Tang Ze, why did you order another ice cream?"
"I've done him such a big favor, is it wrong for me to eat another ice cream from him? What are you looking at me for? You got some too, so here's a spoon for you too—"
"They're evenly matched." Ai Haibara shook her head with a chuckle and put her straw in her mouth.
Okay, now I can eat with a clear conscience.
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