After hanging up the phone, Ren, who was seated quietly in his study, pulled out his tarot deck and began a divination session.
Reversed Hanged Man. Upright Tower. Reversed World.
"Hmm, so there won’t be any more adapters... What a pity."
If ’A’ continues being used to deal with certain people, then some unpredictable events are bound to happen.
However, just now, Ren had only done a divination to calculate the probability of such events. The result wasn’t particularly surprising.
This outcome already doomed the possibility of finding Kudo Shinichi simply through the abilities of ’A’.
He reshuffled the cards, running them smoothly between his hands, then began a second round of divination.
Upright Sun. Upright Star. Upright Chariot.
"For Edogawa Conan, meeting Hattori Heiji is the best outcome."
He sat with his chin resting in one hand, lost in thought.
"A Holmes working from the shadows, and a Watson standing up front. Mr. Mouri still falls a bit short. In the end, Hattori Heiji is more suited to the Watson role."
The two were both detectives, with similar personalities and behavior. When they were impulsive, they were perfectly matched.
But in terms of intellect, each had their own strengths.
They both had sharp senses for solving mysteries and cases.
Edogawa Conan had the advantage of being a child, while Hattori Heiji had his identity, which gave him access to much more information.
That was a considerable advantage for Edogawa Conan, who was essentially operating solo.
"Of course, for Hattori Heiji, meeting Edogawa Conan is a huge challenge."
The moment he started digging into that organization, he’d attract attention.
That was the true problem.
That organization wouldn’t care who he was.
To those ruthless criminals, no matter how high your status, a bullet to the brain still kills.
Once Hattori Heiji’s fate became entwined with Edogawa Conan’s, his life would be in constant danger.
Ren didn’t attempt to divine specific future events. It was best not to rely on prophecies about the future.
Those who rely too heavily on predictions will only become puppets of fate.
That’s why some divinations focus on the present, not the future.
Of course, there are exceptions. If it’s for guidance and shaping the future, that isn’t divination. That is design.
And design is the Spectator’s specialty.
Such high-level techniques were beyond Ren’s current grasp. He knew better than to try forcing it.
After answering his own questions and putting the tarot deck away, Ren no longer concerned himself with Edogawa Conan and Hattori Heiji.
The ringing interrupted his thoughts. Ren paused, looked at the caller ID, and saw it was an unknown number. After a moment of thought, he answered.
The voice on the other end was female, and carried a hint of respect.
Ren immediately recognized who it was.
"Yes. I apologize for contacting you so late."
"Don’t worry. I’m guessing things are a mess within the Hatamoto family right now?"
"It’s more troublesome than I expected. The biggest problem is still those termites. During this period, I’ve officially taken over the group’s operations and started clearing out some of the dead weight."
Her tone showed that she had grown during this time.
"Your voice sounds more confident. You’ve grown a lot lately, Miss Hatamoto."
"Thanks to my grandfather’s guidance. Without him, I wouldn’t have been able to assume control of the group so quickly. And of course, there’s the power you gave me, Mr. Amamiya. My grandfather can’t completely guarantee my safety, but that power has helped me confront many of the issues I’ve faced."
So, the internal purge of the Hatamoto Zaibatsu had likely been quite intense... Ren could easily picture the chaos.
"You still need to promote a few people within the Hatamoto Zaibatsu. You’ll need support."
While listening, Ren roughly pieced together the situation.
The elderly freeloaders had been purged, and a number of arrogant nepotists removed. But the result was that the organization now lacked reliable personnel.
Hatamoto Natsue had to consolidate control over the whole conglomerate. What she needed now were loyal subordinates who would work for her.
Natsue herself also realized that there were far too few people she could trust.
"My grandfather still has his loyalists, but most of the older generation only really listen to him. When it comes to me, they’re indifferent."
"That’s inevitable. You’re a new executive. You haven’t proven yourself yet, so it’s natural that not many people are convinced. What you need right now is a team loyal to you."
Now that she held power, Natsue Hatamoto finally understood what it felt like to be disregarded despite having authority.
Though she was still learning, without feedback or correction, and with her subordinates treating her indifferently, how could she grow?
"My authority is still being limited by some of the old guard. On top of that, the Hatamoto Zaibatsu has only just begun to recover and can’t afford to make any bold moves. That makes it difficult for me to take initiative."
"And all the employees at every level are waiting to see what I’ll do. That makes it even harder for me to cultivate people of my own."
The situation was worse than Ren expected... He thought for a moment, then came up with a straightforward solution.
"Miss Hatamoto, assess your current circumstances and find three promising people within the company. Ones who are competent and willing to listen to you."
"Modern people are driven by practical gains."
"If you want their loyalty, you need to provide them with real, tangible benefits. But your authority is being suppressed. So, you’ll have to use some tricks."
Natsue Hatamoto instantly understood.
She was pleasantly surprised.
"Thank you very much, Mr. Amamiya."
"Good. I hope your judgment is sharper this time. Otherwise, I’ll be the one cleaning up your mess."
Natsue Hatamoto’s expression changed at once.
"Please rest assured. I won’t let that happen."