Chapter 45: Detective Kebe

In this regard, Manager Xue could undoubtedly lend Fang Yuan a helping hand.

After listening to Manager Xue's words, Fang Yuan suddenly understood, realizing that doing business indeed required navigating many subtleties.

Once they'd finished eating, Fang Yuan felt his eyelids growing heavy, barely able to keep them open.

"I can't take it anymore, I need to go back and sleep. I didn't rest well last night," Fang Yuan said, yawning.

"Alright, get some rest. If you need anything, call me."

Manager Xue, having eaten his fill, still had to return to work, unlike Fang Yuan, who could do whatever he wished, sleep whenever he wanted.

Fang Yuan practically collapsed onto the bed and fell asleep instantly, without any prelude, slipping directly into slumber.

Pei Xi, meanwhile, had not returned to school at all, but went to a café. There, a man dressed in black had already been waiting for her.

Pei Xi sat down and handed the man a folder. "Inside are all the things I could find about my mother. Of course, there are photos from her youth—I'm guessing her appearance hasn't changed much. My mother was beautiful; anyone who has met her would remember her vividly."

"It’s clear your mother must have been a stunning beauty in her younger days," the man in black replied with a smile. Judging by Pei Xi’s own appearance, it was obvious she’d inherited her mother’s looks—unforgettable to anyone who saw her.

He realized he'd let his thoughts wander and quickly turned his attention back to the materials Pei Xi had handed him.

"Your mother has been missing for so many years. Did you never consider seeking help from the police to find her?" he asked.

"I’m worried my mother’s disappearance might be related to my father. So, unless I have no other options, I think using your services is… safer." When Old Master Pei told Pei Xi that her mother was still alive, Pei Xi had a feeling.

He definitely knew something about her mother, yet refused to tell her, which left Pei Xi deeply suspicious.

But this suspicion also worried Pei Xi. On one hand, she wanted to protect her father, and on the other, she was thinking of her mother.

The man in black was none other than the renowned private detective, Ke Bei.

Since childhood, he’d adored Conan, so he gave himself the bold name: Ke Bei.

Though Ke Bei often appeared nonchalant, when it came to work, he was anything but careless.

Once, to help a client find her son who had been missing for years, Ke Bei stormed a gang’s hideout alone, saving the child from the jaws of death.

Afterward, Ke Bei notified the police, and together they brought down the entire gang, earning him considerable acclaim.

That operation made Ke Bei famous, and now many would come to him for help.

The Public Security Bureau turned a blind eye to him; their own work kept them too busy to bother with Ke Bei.

Besides, what he did sometimes overlapped with the police, but people trusted Ke Bei—there was nothing they could do about it.

Ke Bei specialized in finding people—those who had vanished under mysterious circumstances.

He hadn't had a case in a while, but upon hearing Pei Xi’s story, his fighting spirit was rekindled.

Though Pei Xi couldn’t provide much information, most of it nearly twenty years old, that only made the case more enticing for Ke Bei.

If a case was too simple or easy, Ke Bei would turn it down immediately.

He was a famous detective, after all—why waste his talents on trivial matters?

When Pei Xi came to see him, she wasn't certain Ke Bei would accept the job, but she’d resolved that whatever conditions he set, she would agree.

As long as he could help her find her mother, no price was too high.

Ke Bei, though a bit arrogant, still made sure to clarify things in advance.

Especially seeing how much Miss Pei Xi valued this matter, he knew there would be successes and failures.

Even if he were Conan incarnate, he couldn’t guarantee absolute success; he had to make sure she was prepared for the worst.

"You needn’t worry. I’m best at preparing for the worst. What’s the worst that could happen? Nothing changes, just as it is now," Pei Xi replied with a self-deprecating smile.

This search would likely cost a considerable sum, and Ke Bei had no qualms about charging wealthy clients.

Once everything was settled, they each went their separate ways.

Fang Yuan slept so deeply it was as if the heavens had spun. When he finally awoke, the sky outside was softly lit.

He checked the time: seven o’clock sharp.

Sitting up, he realized he’d fallen asleep around noon. But why was it seven and the sun still so bright, like the fresh morning sun?

Something was wrong…

He walked to the window and saw the morning sun rising.

He had slept from noon yesterday all the way to the next morning.

"Master, you're awake? That was quite a sleep," came the sound of Chong Chong at last. If Chong Chong hadn’t woken up soon, Fang Yuan would have been truly worried.

"You’re finally awake. Do you realize how long you slept?" Fang Yuan breathed a sigh of relief.

"My body was already weak, and healing you required even more rest. I forgot to tell you, so you worried, Master. It’s been so long—did you miss me? Come, give me a kiss, mwah!" Chong Chong said delightedly.

It seemed Chong Chong was a scatterbrain, always forgetting important things.

"Silly bug, if you keep forgetting things like this, I’ll start calling you Scatterbug," Fang Yuan replied with a laugh.

After washing up, both Fang Yuan and Chong Chong felt famished and decided to have a good meal to replenish themselves.

After breakfast, Fang Yuan received a call from Da Zhuang, urging him to come over quickly.

It turned out that yesterday, Fang Yuan had smashed the shops belonging to Little Mustache and Big Fatty, and now they'd brought their backers, threatening to teach Fang Yuan a lesson.

The real players had finally arrived.

If Fang Yuan could handle them, it would greatly benefit his efforts to establish himself here.

Since the opposition had come knocking, there was no reason to avoid them.

"Chong Chong, let’s go—time for a fight. You love watching fights, don’t you? Today you’ll get your fill."

Fully rested, Fang Yuan felt overflowing with energy.

These people had come at exactly the right time.

"Master, no matter who they are, today we must knock them down. Let them see what a real fighter is," Chong Chong boasted.

Soon, Fang Yuan saw dozens of thugs gathered at their shop entrance.

These thugs were different from the men in black; the latter were usually ex-military and still retained basic discipline.

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