Li Ze looked bewildered.
Staring at Suzuki Sonoko in front of him, he couldn't help but feel a question mark forming on his forehead.
Apologize to me?
What's going on?
After a long moment of confusion, he finally gave up trying to make sense of it. Shaking his head, he quickly waved his hand, speaking with a mix of confusion and amusement.
"Sonoko, don't be like this."
"Why would you need to apologize to me? We don't have any grudges, right?"
"Come on, get up and let's talk it through."
"No matter what it is, I'm sure I can forgive you."
He smiled helplessly, unsure whether to laugh or cry at the situation.
Hearing his words, Sonoko let out a small sigh of relief but still looked hesitant.
"Well... actually, it's all a misunderstanding," she admitted, her tone awkward.
"When Li Ze-kun first transferred here, you were eager to get to know us."
"So, um..."
"I investigated you... privately. And I mistakenly thought you were trying to get close to me on purpose."
"You know who I am, right?"
"I don't mind having more friends, but I really don't like the idea of someone trying to take advantage of me."
"And honestly, Li Ze-kun, the way you acted when you first arrived... it was just a bit too much."
She hesitated, then added in a quieter voice:
"So, yeah... you can't really blame me for being cautious."
Sonoko looked away, clearly embarrassed.
Yes.
Thinking back to how Li Ze had acted when he first transferred, even now, she couldn't help but cringe internally.
On his first day, he had been seated next to Kudou.
And then, like it was the most natural thing in the world, he had immediately latched onto their group, insisting on making friends with them.
Who wouldn't have their guard up?
And with her background, being cautious was second nature.
As the second daughter of the Suzuki family, Sonoko was far from the naive girl many assumed her to be. On the contrary, she was sharper than most people realized.
If someone approached her with ulterior motives, she would play along, but she wouldn't let her guard down.
Her only genuine friend was Ran Mouri.
Most of her usual antics? They were just a front. By acting carefree and silly, she could lower Ran's guard and keep her close. Losing her only true friend was a fear Sonoko couldn't ignore.
On the other hand, hearing Sonoko's explanation, Li Ze couldn't help but pat his forehead.
So that's what this was all about
After giving a helpless smile, Li Ze began to explain.
"Alright, alright, I get it."
"No wonder you always seemed a little hard to approach. Honestly, I figured it was just because you were the second daughter of the Suzuki family. It made sense for you to act a bit distant, so I didn't really think much about it."
He paused, letting out a small chuckle before continuing.
"That said, I'm not afraid to admit it, I did approach you on purpose. But you've got it all wrong. My target wasn't you, the second daughter of the Suzuki family."
"Come on, give me a little credit. I'm not that stupid."
Li Ze smirked, his tone turning playful.
"Do you think it's so easy to approach the Suzuki group? Even if I managed to fool you, there's no way your parents wouldn't see right through me."
"No, my real target... was Kudou Shinichi."
Sonoko blinked, caught completely off guard. "Kudou?"
Li Ze nodded, leaning back confidently.
"Didn't you notice? Kudou attracts incidents like a magnet. Every other day, he's involved in some case, and most of them have a predictable trend, the mortality rate for presidents in his vicinity is sky-high."
He grinned, clearly enjoying Sonoko's baffled reaction.
"The reason I got close to Kudou was simple: I wanted insider information. Think about it. I run a small company. If I hear Kudou is visiting a particular president, chances are that poor guy's time is up."
"With that foresight, I can swoop in and acquire their shares as soon as the inevitable happens."
He gave a sly shrug. "Didn't you notice? Since I transferred to Teitan High School, I've already acquired two companies."
"Take last night, for example."
"You remember when we went with Ran to her karate competition? The moment I overheard Inspector Megure calling Kudou, I knew another president was about to bite the dust."
"But even I didn't expect it to be this big."
Li Ze's grin widened.
"The unlucky victim turned out to be the Seiwa Group. It was too good an opportunity to pass up. Sure, my company isn't big enough to swallow the whole thing, but I got enough to keep me fed for years."
He finished his explanation with a casual shrug, clearly proud of his strategy.
On the other side of the Ferris wheel, Suzuki Sonoko sat in stunned silence, her eyes wide.
She thought she had prepared herself for any possible explanation.
But this?
Li Ze targeting Kudou Shinichi for something as absurd as predicting corporate downfalls?
Her brain short-circuited trying to process the bizarre logic.
As the realization hit her, her expression darkened. She narrowed her eyes, glaring at Li Ze with an incredulous mixture of exasperation and resentment.
"You've got to be kidding me..."
She muttered under her breath, still trying to wrap her head around the absurdity. "All this time, and that's your reason?"
Li Ze, noticing her reaction, smirked even wider. "What can I say? Business is all about foresight.
Sonoko hesitated for a moment, rubbing her temples before sighing in exasperation.
"You're... truly one of a kind," she said, shaking her head in disbelief.
Li Ze grinned, unfazed by her reaction. "Why, thank you! I've always thought of myself as pretty talented too."
He leaned back with a smirk.
"I mean, what's all this about 'The Heisei Sherlock Holmes' or 'The Savior of the Metropolitan Police Department'? To me, Kudou Shinichi is just the reincarnation of the God of Wealth."
"And for a God of Wealth like Kudou, of course I had to take the initiative to approach him."
Sonoko stared at him, completely speechless.
Her mouth opened as if to say something, then closed again.
She couldn't even process the absurdity of his reasoning, let alone form a coherent response.
The worst part?
It wasn't just some wild story, this guy had actually succeeded!
As someone who had personally investigated Li Ze's background, Sonoko knew he had merged two companies shortly after transferring to Teitan High School.
But she'd never in her wildest dreams imagined that this was the truth behind his success.
And the more she thought about it, the more surreal it became.
Both of those companies had presidents who ended up being "victims" of Kudou's uncanny knack for attracting crime.
And last night's Seiwa Group scandal?
She'd just heard the news this morning. Heck, she even knew Seiwa Sontoku personally and had always called him "uncle."
Now?
The man had been arrested for murder, and here Li Ze was, ready to feast on the spoils of the crumbling empire.
Sonoko groaned, throwing her hands up. "You're unbelievable!"
"But don't you think this puts you at odds with the Seiwa Group?"
"Sure, Uncle Seiwa has been arrested for murder, but there's a good chance he'll be released in a few years. You must know how these things work."
"So, my advice? Be careful."
"The Seiwa Group is deeply rooted. Once Uncle Seiwa gets out, he's not going to forget what you've done. He'll come for you."
She crossed her arms, frowning in concern.
But Li Ze merely shrugged, his expression calm and almost smug.
"Sonoko, you're overthinking this," he said with a dismissive wave of his hand.
"There's no way Seiwa Sontoku is getting out. In fact, he's as good as dead already."
Sonoko's eyes widened.
Li Ze continued, his tone matter-of-fact. "In a few days, you'll hear the news, he'll die of a sudden illness in prison. That's how these things go."
"The Seiwa Group may have a vast network, but it also has plenty of enemies. And let's not forget, even people who had no grudges against them before can't resist the temptation of their wealth."
"When the wall falls, everyone pushes it. When the drum breaks, everyone beats it. The moment Seiwa Sontoku was arrested, the Seiwa Group became history."
He leaned forward slightly, a glimmer of amusement in his eyes.
"But enough about that. Let's talk about you now. Why the sudden change of heart? Why'd you ask me out just to apologize?"