After one weekend came another, as if holidays in the world of Detective Conan would never end.
Mouri Ran held Conan's hand, standing at the entrance of the Random Play video store.
"Ellen said she'd wait for us here today so we could go to the Mantendo game launch event together. Conan, you're looking forward to it too, aren't you?"
Ran said to Conan as she pushed open the video store's door.
Behind the counter, an unfamiliar face appeared.
It was a young woman who looked very energetic, with neat purple twin pigtails, wearing an apron with the video store's logo printed on it. She was busily tidying the counter.
"Welcome!" Seeing someone enter, she immediately greeted them enthusiastically. "Are you renting or returning a disc? The newly arrived 'Starlight Knight' movie version is getting rave reviews!"
Ran and Conan were both stunned for a moment.
"Hello," Ran politely asked, "Is Ellen here? We have an appointment with her."
"Looking for Ellen-nee… hmm… you must be Ran, right?"
The woman thought for a moment, then rested her chin in her hand and said:
"She and Rin left early this morning, saying they were going shopping. But they told me you'd be coming and asked me to look after you. My name is Sjal, and I'm a part-time employee here."
"Part-time?" Conan curiously observed Sjal. He wondered what the point of hiring an employee for such a quiet store was.
"That's right!" Sjal replied cheerfully, while quickly wiping the counter,
"My life is super fulfilling! From 5 AM to 9 AM, I work as an hourly employee at Uncle Chop ramen shop, responsible for greeting customers. At 10 AM sharp, I report here and work until 5 PM. And then…"
She smiled mysteriously and pulled out a stack of membership cards from under the counter,
"Starting at 6 PM, I'll be setting up a stall at the east gate of Beika Park, selling Oden! My Oden has a secret broth, and it's delicious! Do you want to get a membership card? You get a discount if you top up in advance!"
Conan and Ran listened dumbfounded.
This schedule was simply that of a time management master!
"Sjal-san… are you working so many jobs because of your family…" Ran asked hesitantly, thinking she might be from a difficult background.
"Nothing of the sort."
Sjal waved her hands repeatedly, her eyes sparkling,
"I work to buy my favorite blind boxes. Currently, I've already pulled 87 regular ones. Based on the 5‰ probability of getting a hidden edition, if I just keep buying, I'll eventually get a hidden edition.
It's just a pity that my capabilities are limited. I can't work eight jobs at once like Vivian-senpai, otherwise I would have definitely gotten a hidden edition blind box by now. I still need to work harder."
At this point, she clenched her fists, looking full of fighting spirit.
"Vivian-senpai?" Conan heard another name he hadn't heard before.
haha, Working eight jobs at once, who was she trying to out-compete?
"Hmm, Vivian-senpai is my idol!" Sjal said with admiration, "She's the king of part-time work, known as the Queen of Part-Time Jobs.
From delivering newspapers at dawn, working night shifts at convenience stores, to being a weekend waitress at high-end restaurants, there's nothing she can't do! And she does every job perfectly! My current goal is to emulate her!"
Just as she was speaking, the store door opened, and Rin and Ellen walked in, carrying large and small shopping bags.
"Phew, finally back!" Rin put the bags on the floor and took a breath, "Ran, Conan, you're here? Sorry, sorry, we went to buy snacks and drinks for the launch event, and also restocked some of the store's inventory, so it took a bit of time."
"Rin-san, Ellen!" Ran greeted them with a smile.
Ellen nodded in response and looked at Sjal. "Sjal, I'll be relying on you this afternoon as well."
"Don't worry, Ellen-nee, there aren't many customers anyway, I'll watch the store well." Sjal straightened her back and replied crisply.
Rin saw the shopping bags on the floor and said to Ran. "Please wait a moment. Ellen and I will put these things in the back storage room first, and then we'll head to the launch event."
"Okay, no rush." Ran nodded.
Conan watched Ellen and Rin walk towards the mysterious door in the store, which could only be locked from the inside, and immediately became excited.
Through his previous conversation with Nekomiya Mana, he guessed that Rin relationship with the Cunning Hares was far from shallow.
Perhaps behind this door was the Cunning Hares's base?
He immediately trotted after them.
"Rin-neecan, Ellen-neechan, I'll help carry things too." He picked up a seemingly lighter bag without being asked.
Rin glanced at him but didn't stop him. "Alright, little helper, stick close."
The group arrived at the mysterious door.
Rin didn't pull out a key or enter a password, but instead called out to the door: "06, open the door! We're back!"
Indeed, someone was hidden inside.
Conan showed an 'I knew it' expression, eagerly peering in, his heart pounding.
A faint mechanical whirring sound came from within the door, and the heavy door slowly opened inwards.
However, the sight behind the door made his eyes widen, and his mind went blank.
Inside was indeed a warehouse, just as Rin had said.
The warehouse was filled with miscellaneous items like video tapes, boxes of snacks and drinks, and cleaning supplies. The space wasn't small, but it was slightly cluttered.
What truly shocked him was the mysterious creature that opened the door for them!
It was a Bangboo, only as tall as an adult's knee, round-bodied, with two rabbit ears, one black and one white, and a scarf with the number 06 tied around its neck.
"Mmm hmm, mmm hmm." (Welcome home)
Bangboo 6 enthusiastically waved, and even helped take a bag from Ellen's hand, placing it steadily on a nearby shelf.
"Thanks, 06." Rin smiled and patted Bangboo 6's small head.
Bangboo 6 showed a very human-like smile of enjoyment.
Conan was completely dumbfounded.
What was this thing? A robot?
Rin-san video store actually hid such high technology?!
Such a human-like robot, even the most advanced laboratories in the country wouldn't have one, would they?
Who exactly was Rin? How could an ordinary video store owner possess such an obviously anachronistic intelligent robot?
Just as Conan felt his brain wasn't keeping up, Rin's voice pulled him back from his frozen state. "Why are you spacing out? Just give the things to 06, it'll sort them out."
"Oh, oh."
Conan numbly handed the bag to Bangboo 6, watching it take it with its flexible arms and place it steadily.
"Rin-neechan, this robot looks so advanced. I've never seen anything like it elsewhere. Where did you get this robot?"
Conan used his advantage as a child, asking curiously with sparkling eyes.
Rin chuckled and said. "You mean this Bangboo? You also know its inventor, it's your Shinichi-niichan. He's been missing for so long because he was secretly inventing this robot."
"Ah?!"
Conan almost fell to the ground.
Why didn't I know I had such great abilities?
Seeing Conan's dead-fish eyes, Rin finally patted Conan's head and slowly corrected herself.
"This kind of robot is called a Bangboo, and it's the invention of the great scientist, Sunbringer-san. It's currently still in the laboratory stage and not yet for sale to the public. This 06 was given to me by a friend."
A/N: i have a question, do i have to use Sunbringer or Wan Zhou? for Sunbringer name? oh and for Sjal too, do i had to use Sjal or Si Qi? its just that, theire Chinese version name is kinda like a real name but when i use theire name from English Versions its just make them looks like a codename. hmm... its kinda confusing >w<, General Chop too, if i use his Chinese version it can be Master Qiao Pu, or Qiao Pu Shifu or just Qiao Pu. Ugh... its kinda Hard to decided wich one to use.