"What exactly are you…"
Conan suddenly felt a sharp pain in his neck but wanted to say something more.
Fujino glanced at Conan, who was kneeling on the ground, rubbing his chin.
Not knocked out yet?
It seems the tranquilizer dart isn't working as well on this kid...
Thinking this, Fujino flipped his hand and pulled out a brand-new bat-shaped shuriken from his personal space, aiming for Conan's kidney.
Wait, he's so small now he probably doesn't have a kidney.
Technically speaking, it should be his back.
The bat-shuriken worked wonders.
Conan, struck again, couldn't say a word.
His mind was clouded, his vision blurry, and then...nothing.
Conan collapsed, completely unconscious, defenseless as a dead pig.
It was exactly like how he'd shot Detective Mouri countless times before.
"Seems like I won't need to take this guy to the police station now…"
Fujino glanced back at the helmeted man, unconscious in the elevator, "This guy sure is unlucky, running into this crazy Conan… Hope he's okay."
Later, Conan was discovered by his friends.
Ai Haibara noticed the tranquilizer dart on Conan's neck.
Seeing Conan get hit with his own tranquilizer dart, she couldn't help but smirk.
After being rescued by the other kids, Ayumi told them she was saved by "Mihua's Batman."
The helmeted man was taken away by the police, but before going to the station, he had to spend some time in the hospital.
Just as Fujino had predicted.
His ribs were broken.
...
Time quickly passed, and two days later...
It was the opening day of Snow King Ice City.
In these two days, time in the world of Kōgaku still jumped around like a super glitchy video game.
One moment it was April, the next it jumped to July.
Thankfully, the construction crew didn't seem to notice the oddity and continued working as scheduled, not missing a beat.
Akemi Miyano also worked with incredible efficiency, getting the business license approved in just a few days.
And so, Snow King Ice City officially opened for business.
Fujino reflected on distant memories.
He realized that this Snow King Ice City was a unique creation, in both his past life and this world.
Even though there might be a similar chain here, it would be named something else, like "Shaved Ice City."
Turns out, he was the founder of Snow King Ice City.
...
The store's design was based on the image from his memories, with some slight modifications.
The brand's mascot was a little white snowman holding an ice staff, with a mischievous smile on its face.
The store's sign above the entrance was an eye-catching bright red, with ornate traditional characters spelling out: "Snow King Ice City."
On opening day, many curious customers showed up to check out the new store.
Among them were neighbors, students from Teitan High School and Elementary School, and even students from other schools who had heard of the place.
They were immediately shocked by the prices.
Such beautiful and delicious drinks, yet priced only slightly above what other places charged.
In fact, they were just a little more expensive than Coca-Cola or similar drinks—only by about 100, or even just 50 yen!
The students were all amazed by how generous Fujino was.
He wasn't just a good person; for these budget-conscious students who loved to shop and grab drinks, he was practically a saint in the beverage industry.
To capture the market, his price-to-cost ratio was just 3:1. For a 100 yen drink, he only made about 60 or 70 yen.
Making two drinks' profit on one was his usual strategy back then, but in this underdeveloped beverage industry, his pricing was practically unheard of—super low profit.
A true hero of the industry.
Because of this, Snow King Ice City's first-day sales reached 70,000 yen.
After deducting material costs, the net profit was 45,000 yen!
Fujino was very satisfied with the trial run. If things continued this way, the store's net income could reach 1.2 million yen in a month.
Of course, that was the ideal scenario.
Realistically, it probably wouldn't be that high.
His success was largely thanks to the system's 3 million yen safety net, plus zero labor and rent costs.
With price superiority, no competition nearby, his own reputation, and the promotion by the Detective Boys and Teitan's famous gossip duo, this outcome was possible.
An average person opening a store would never earn this much.
Sure, Fujino could charge more, but he didn't see the need.
The strength of Snow King Ice City was its affordability.
If he gave that up, it would be like killing the goose that lays the golden eggs.
...
After closing on the first day, his CEO career mission was immediately completed.
[CEO Career Mission: Start a Business and Become a CEO - Completed]
[System Task Reward: 3 Million Yen and 100 CEO Skill Points]
[CEO Career Level Up Detected: Intermediate Level; 1 Skill Point Available]
[Current Balance: 9.5 Million Yen]
Fujino opened the system interface and saw the balance in his account, feeling a deep sense of security.
That's more than enough for a lottery spin.
"This time, I've really hit the jackpot."
With a satisfied smile, he opened the career ball exchange screen and opted for a 10-draw spin.
890,000 yen.
Spin!
[Congratulations, you received: Advanced White Wolf Cigarettes (Purple), Death Note Pen (Purple), Gum Bomb (Blue), Body Enhancement Agent (Gold), Special All-Purpose Enhancement Card (Purple), 2 Career Points, 1 Random Career Upgrade Card, Makeup Kit (Purple), Lucky Coin (Blue)]
"Gold item?"
Fujino's eyes immediately locked onto the golden item he had drawn.
The 890,000 yen was worth it…
He had struck gold again.
But what exactly was this golden item?
So far, everything he had, whether it was the personal space, the hidden blade, or the soul lotus seeds, was beyond ordinary logic.
Without hesitation, Fujino opened the system warehouse.
[Body Enhancement Agent: A modified product of human genetic engineering that enhances specific abilities based on the individual's characteristics.
Note: The enhanced ability varies from person to person but is guaranteed to be useful.
Usage: Arterial injection.]
"Special abilities?"
Fujino stared at the detailed description of the [Body Enhancement Agent], stunned. "This thing is kind of insane…"
Special abilities, huh? Fujino still didn't know exactly what that meant.
But logically, since it's labeled a "special ability," it's definitely not ordinary.
Maybe something like super strength, or invisibility? Or, if it gets really crazy…
Could he turn into a Kryptonian?
That would be wild.
Without thinking much more, Fujino took out the enhancement agent.
It was stored in a sealed glass container, filled with a golden liquid. The liquid was slightly viscous but moved when shaken—fluid, but not exactly.
At the bottom of the container was a syringe...
That must be the needle for the injection.
(End of Chapter)