Chapter 325

Conan Edogawa looked at Rena Mizunashi with sympathy.

If it's just a chance encounter, that's fine, but if you've known someone for a long time like Heiji Hattori and all you know is by their pseudonym... that's just too tragic.

Ran Mouri could only comfort him by saying, "Bo Ye sometimes likes to joke around."

Rena Mizunashi: "..."

Is this what Potts' social circle was like when he was pretending to be an ordinary person?!

Judging from how skilled they are, they must have been through a lot of trouble themselves...

Conan Edogawa asked, "Mizunashi-neechan, are you close with Usui-nii-san?"

“…Thin leaves?” Rena Mizunashi tried to gather information.

“Usaku Saiki, he really likes using other people’s names. He’s been using Heiji’s name a few times lately,” Conan Edogawa said.

Rena Mizunashi cautiously confirmed, "Are you sure this name is his real name?"

Conan Edogawa: "…………Probably, not sure."

What's wrong with me? I suddenly feel less confident!

What if this name is actually someone Bo Ye used that he doesn't know?!

After all, Heiji Hattori has known Usui for so long, and he only knows the pseudonym Conan Edogawa. How could he be so confident that the one he knows is the real name?

Is it because Conan Edogawa sounds too fake, making Saiki Usaku's name sound like his real name?

If he didn't know Hattori Heiji, he might actually believe that Usopp was referring to Hattori Heiji...

Even if his mother is Bo Ye's favorite idol, there's no guarantee that Bo Ye isn't using her real name, right? After all, that person's personality is really a bit...

Conan Edogawa felt a chill run down his spine upon closer examination.

Rena Mizunashi sighed, realizing that they didn't know if the name Usaku Saiki was real either.

Considering the phrase "he really liked using other people's names," it's likely that Potts used other names as well...

I'm speechless.

For members of an organization, concealing their identity is indeed a normal practice.

But the fact that he kept it a secret to so many people knowing he liked to use aliases... that's quite bizarre. No wonder he's a well-known psychopath in the organization.

Don't you guys even have any doubts about him?!

Rena Mizunashi suppressed her anger and said with a smile, "I'm not very familiar with him, we just know each other. I guess he doesn't intend to get to know me better."

Knowing the same person obviously brings people closer, so Ran Mouri can strike up a conversation more naturally now: "How did you come to know Usui-san, Miss Mizunashi?"

Rena Mizunashi remembered that her persona was that of a somewhat famous host, and she couldn't just bring strangers home. So she explained, "When I bumped into the kitten, he was right next to me and saw it too. He said that if I couldn't keep it myself, I could give the kitten to him if I wanted to give it away later. That's how we exchanged contact information."

Even Conan Edogawa, who is known for asking many questions, didn't ask something like, "Then why didn't you just have Usui take the kitten back for treatment?"

—Because Bo Ye is clearly afraid of trouble!!! He just likes to lie down and wait for things to be brought to him!!!

Miss Mizuna's explanation is so reasonable and logical. It's the kind of thing that Brother Bo Ye would do to make such a confident request to a stranger!

He wasn't too surprised that Usopp liked cats. Conan Edogawa had heard Professor Agasa say that he often saw Usopp feeding stray cats on his way to borrow or return books.

Rena Mizunashi then asked, "Speaking of which, what does this Usuba-kun do? Is he a detective too?"

She hadn't given up on gathering intelligence, and this was also a good opportunity to get a feel for things and see just how much these people knew about Potts...

Then Rena Mizunashi saw Ran Mouri awkwardly say, "Um, sorry, I'm not quite sure. We know each other because Usui-nii is a fan of my childhood friend's mom..."

Rena Mizunashi smiled and said, "It's nothing, but he really is being mysterious."

It's confirmed; these people aren't familiar with Potts either.

Then they probably don't have any valuable intelligence on them... Well, it's normal for Potts to be so mysterious both inside and outside the organization.

However, if Kogoro Mouri knew Potness, she would have to change her plan.

Rena Mizunashi originally intended to interfere with the judgment of the person monitoring her, while also testing the character of the famous detective Kogoro Mouri, and then find a way to entrust her younger brother to him.

She and her father were both in the CIA, but her younger brother knew nothing about it. He probably still thinks she just ran away from home.

Her younger brother has been relentlessly searching for her, and recently he even inquired about the TV station where she works. If the organization finds out, it will be really dangerous, and she needs to entrust her with someone reliable... She can't get in touch with the CIA, so she has to think of other ways.

It seems Kogoro Mouri isn't doing so well either, having gotten involved with Potts. What if Potts discovers something from Kogoro Mouri...?

...No, perhaps Potts has already discovered something.

In her spare time these past few days, she has been reflecting on her several encounters with Potts.

The time Shuichi Akai was exposed, Potts called her and mentioned, "If they were really cousins, that would be fine, it's better than a father and daughter infiltrating together."

—Aren't examples usually fathers and sons?

Later, when she tipped off Bourbon, Bourbon even said that Potts had made an uncanny prediction with the naked eye that Miyano Akemi and Akai Shuichi were related.

—She and her father also appeared in front of Potts at the same time, did Potts really not notice anything?!

This all happened several years ago. After making that phone call, Potts was genuinely uneasy for quite some time, but so far the organization hasn't done anything to her; in fact, they've valued her highly...

She was certain of this; she could tell clearly whether it was a test or genuine trust.

Rena Mizunashi guessed that Potts hadn't mentioned her to the organization. Otherwise, during the time when it was confirmed that Shuichi Akai was indeed an FBI agent, if she were an undercover agent, she would definitely have been thoroughly investigated. But even after another MI6 undercover agent fled, she still didn't face any investigation, which could only mean that the organization was completely unaware of her situation.

So she comforted herself, thinking that reality is always far more absurd than fiction, and maybe Potts just got lucky and his offhand remark came true!

As a result, last week, Potts said something about the CIA to her face!

Considering that Potts hardly ever gets anything done, and the mission he participated in that resulted in an intelligence leak and failure, Rena Mizunashi actually suspected that Potts was also an undercover agent, possibly even a CIA agent, and that he was just saying those things to make contact with her...

She had inquired and found out that Potts used to be from the Middle East... The CIA did indeed do a lot of things in the Middle East.

Would a normal person make contact like that?! Doesn't the CIA conduct psychological tests when hiring?!

Just thinking about it gives me a headache. Anyway, Bornets hasn't reported her all these years. Rena Mizunashi is worried about her younger brother now, so she's really overwhelmed and only plans to slowly test the waters later.

Today... I ran into someone Potts knew from when he was an ordinary person, so I guess that's progress. But what about her brother?! What if Potts isn't an undercover agent, but just mentally ill or doesn't have any evidence and that's why he hasn't reported her? And then he finds out about her brother with Kogoro Mouri, wouldn't that be like walking into a trap?

Amidst Rena Mizunashi's anxiety, the Mori father and daughter, along with Conan Edogawa, slept at her house for the night and solved the case the next morning.

It turned out that after the child rang the doorbell, he hid behind the clutter she had left by the door, which was why she couldn't see him.

This ghostly development finally revealed the truth, and not only did Rena Mizunashi breathe a sigh of relief, but Conan Edogawa also breathed a sigh of relief.

That's great, Ms. Mizunashi kindly let go of the little kid who was just worried about being late for her morning news...

The case is closed, I can go home now!

However, Conan Edogawa forgot one thing: he had stuck a bugging device on Rena Mizunashi's door in order to hear what was happening at the door, and he forgot to retrieve it!

He was stuck on with chewing gum, so when it fell off, it was accidentally stepped on by Rena Mizunashi who was going out.

Conan Edogawa was embarrassed and pondered how to retrieve it now. Was he supposed to just hope that Rena Mizunashi would accidentally rub it off on the way?

Just as he was struggling with this, he suddenly heard the sound of Rena Mizunashi's phone buttons.

It sounded very familiar; he'd heard it from Vermouth, and it perfectly formed the melody of the song "Seven Children"... Could it be...?!

While Conan Edogawa was in shock, Rena Mizunashi's voice came through the listening device again.

Who is she talking to on the phone?

"Sorry, my phone was off just now... It's nothing serious, I've already emailed that gentleman to report it. Let's meet as planned... Gin."

Conan Edogawa: "...!!!"

Rena Mizunashi... is actually a member of the organization?!

In that instant, he quickly remembered another person they had talked about last night.

If Rena Mizunashi is a member of the organization, then what about Usuiba, who knows Rena Mizunashi and also Vermouth?!

Are the acquaintances with two members of the organization purely coincidental? No, it's definitely not with Vermouth; it's supposedly a "senior relationship." But what about Rena Mizunashi's side? Is it really just a connection formed by meeting on the street and being linked by an injured kitten?

Just how much does Brother Bo Ye actually know about the organization?!

For the first time, Conan Edogawa was so afraid of the answer to the truth. Even now, he could be sure that although he had always disliked Usopp and liked to criticize his bad taste and aesthetics, he actually had a considerable degree of trust in Usopp.

If Bo Ye Ge really is a member of the organization...

Then he...

Conan Edogawa forced himself to calm down and made an excuse to let Ran Mouri and Kogoro Mouri go back first. He then asked Professor Agasa and Ai Haibara to help him follow Rena Mizunashi's car.

Professor Agasa arrived quickly, and after Conan Edogawa jumped into the passenger seat, he began to explain the situation in more detail.

"Huh? You're saying you suspect Usaku Saiki?" Ai Haibara sat in the back row, looking a little puzzled. "But I don't feel anything at all. He really doesn't seem like someone from the organization."

“I also hope he isn’t, but he knows Vermouth and he knows Rena Mizunashi…”

Ai Haibara frowned: "Didn't you say before that the organization might be eyeing his family's inheritance? It's normal for them to send people to approach him, isn't it?"

"Is it necessary to send two people? With Vermouth as an elder and friend to take care of him, is it really necessary to have a host who is a complete stranger? Obviously, the former is more likely to have a deeper relationship with him, right?"

Conan Edogawa, his voice heavy with suppressed emotion, said, "This seems to be a big operation. Maybe the so-called finding the cat last week was just a code. It's possible that Usopp-san is involved in the operation as well. If he speaks, I'll hear him..."

"Uh," Professor Agasa said, trying to interject as he drove, "I don't think Usuo-kun will get involved."

"Doctor, I know you trust him, and I want to trust him too, but we can't overlook any suspicious points—"

Professor Agasa interrupted him: "I understand. What I mean is, before Ai and I went out, we saw Usaba-kun going to your house. He was probably returning a book... If he really had to do something big right now, it's impossible for someone to be doing something like that at a time like this, right?"

Conan Edogawa: "…………"

Ah, that's true... but given Bo Ye's personality... it wouldn't be surprising if he did something...

Ai Haibara crossed her arms: "If all else fails, why don't you make a phone call and ask? If he's also at the place where the party is being organized, you can probably overhear it, right?"

Conan Edogawa was taken aback, then nodded solemnly.

"good."

Hopefully, Bo Ye will answer the phone this time! He really doesn't want to doubt Bo Ye! ...Wait, is Bo Ye's real name Bo Ye Zhaiji?! He can't even be sure about that now!

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Conan: Usopp-kun, what's your name anyway?!

Look at this sudden surge of doubt!