Chapter 548

For a moment, the room fell silent.

After a long pause, Yusaku Kudo asked, "Is there a bug in your phone?"

Theoretically speaking, this is a question that shouldn't be asked of Shuichi Akai, because it would be tantamount to questioning his anti-eavesdropping methods. But given the current situation... it would be unbearable not to ask.

Fortunately, Shuichi Akai understood Yusaku Kudo's concerns and calmly responded, "I check these things all the time, and there really isn't one. Potts has always been this outrageous. Don't forget that the first thing he did when he saw me was say I was an FBI agent."

Conan Edogawa: "…………"

"Checking frequently... We don't see each other often, so there's no chance to tamper with things. Just check occasionally to make sure there's nothing wrong." This statement makes it seem like Mr. Akai has a really serious psychological trauma.

Although the FBI's previous actions had lowered public trust in the organization, people were still willing to believe that Shuichi Akai had indeed conducted a thorough investigation.

Upon hearing Shuichi Akai's answer, Yukiko Kudo shook her head repeatedly: "That's really..."

Hearing about it all is nothing compared to experiencing it firsthand; this shock was truly eye-opening.

Yusaku Kudo thought for a moment: "Judging from the timing, he probably found out what the organization members had talked about on the island from them, and guessed that his information might have been leaked...?"

Even Yusaku Kudo himself wasn't sure about what he was saying.

Even if members of the organization need to report on their work, they wouldn't report on every unrelated topic, especially since it was just gossip about Potts himself. Nobody talks directly to the person in question...

Moreover, based on current intelligence, it is clear that Gin was in charge of this operation.

While pondering the problem, Conan Edogawa leaned closer to Shuichi Akai's phone: "Is this Potts' email address?"

Shuichi Akai didn't pull his hand back, but instead showed it openly to Conan Edogawa: "Yes, did you see anything?"

Upon hearing this, Conan Edogawa immediately wondered if there was some hidden meaning or code in the email address. He quickly examined it carefully, but it turned out to be just an ordinary email address.

Akai Shuichi glanced at Edogawa Conan's reaction and knew that Usaku Saiki's private email and the organization's email were used separately... Well, that's actually basic, and any normal person would do that, so he wasn't too disappointed.

Yusaku Kudo then asked, "Do you have Potts's phone number?"

“Yes, but he usually doesn’t answer.” Shuichi Akai didn’t show his email address to others directly, but everyone was used to this secretive way of communicating and didn’t think there was anything wrong with it. “I’ll reply to the email first.”

After saying that, Shuichi Akai edited an email and sent it back in front of Conan Edogawa.

Shuichi Akai: [Why are you suddenly asking this?]

This is also a communication skill. If you simply reply "I didn't say anything bad," the conversation will probably end there. It's easier to exchange questions.

After a while, Potts replied: "Because I sneezed."

Akai Shuichi: "…………"

Conan Edogawa, who was watching from the sidelines, thinking he might get some important information, was speechless.

Are you crazy?!

Shuichi Akai calmly comforted Conan Edogawa, whose expression had contorted for a moment: "He often does this. I think it's a way to keep people guessing about him, and I have to say it's very effective... Even after all these years, I still don't understand what he's thinking."

Suddenly, Shuichi Akai noticed something and scrolled down the email.

It turns out that the middle section was all line breaks, and there was a line of text at the very bottom.

[P.S.: Congratulations on getting rid of your terrible teammate.]

Akai Shuichi: "…………"

Conan Edogawa: "...Mr. Akai, do you think his so-called 'getting rid of' refers to believing the show we put on, or... knowing that Mr. Cameron faked his death and has now left Japan, or is he saying that the FBI are all incompetent teammates?"

Yusaku Kudo pondered, "It's impossible to judge his emotions from just one sentence... As for the word 'congratulations'..."

“He doesn’t care about my feelings, so whether Cameron is dead or not, he wouldn’t mind using ‘congratulations’, so it’s really hard to judge.”

Shuichi Akai sighed, "Although I think even if he were there, he might not have been able to see the problem, since even Gin and the others were probably fooled, but... it's one thing if he didn't say anything, but to specifically mention it makes me think he probably knows the truth... But there's no evidence, maybe I'm just overthinking it, maybe he's just deliberately saying something ambiguous to make me suspicious..."

Yusaku Kudo: "…………"

Oh my, someone who usually seems perfectly normal is now acting all paranoid... This person's PTSD must be really severe.

Yukiko Kudo was also a little surprised by Shuichi Akai's neurotic behavior, and she became more cautious in her speech: "Generally speaking, any reasoning requires clues and evidence. He probably thought Mr. Cameron had passed away... Don't overthink it."

Shuichi Akai said expressionlessly, "But Potts' reasoning doesn't seem to make any sense at all."

Others: "…………"

It's hopeless.

“However, it’s not necessarily a bad thing that Potts has power in the organization.” Shuichi Akai suddenly regained his composure and calm. “I’ll find an opportunity to ask him.”

Originally, Yusaku Kudo and Conan Edogawa wanted to ask Shuichi Akai about more things regarding Potts, but after seeing Shuichi Akai's unusual behavior...

No one dared to speak or ask, for fear that if they pushed Akai Shuichi too far, he might lose his mind. They could only accept whatever he said.

However, everyone couldn't help but have some doubts.

To put it bluntly, these FBI agents seem to have a lot of room for improvement, both in terms of their abilities and their mindset...

Kudo Yusaku sighed and decided to ask Usui Saiki when he could talk to the Japanese Public Security Bureau.

The next day, after receiving a call from Yusaku Kudo, Saiki Usaba finally remembered the matter and turned to ask Rei Furuya if he was free.

"Yusaku Kudo wants to contact the Japanese Public Security Bureau?" Rei Furuya raised an eyebrow. "His son has been shrunk for over half a year, and only now does he think of contacting the Japanese Public Security Bureau?"

"Do you believe that if you shrunk, you could go ten years without contacting the authorities?" Bo Yezhai rolled his eyes. "They say they'll help you turn back, but actually they just want to send you to the operating table for experiments. What do you think?"

Jianggu Ling: "…………"

Even Furuya Rei couldn't refute it, because everyone knew perfectly well what kind of people the higher-ups were.

There are good people, but compared to the extent of corruption at the top, they are insignificant.

"And even if he contacts you, he won't tell you that Conan is Shinichi Kudo," Saiki Usaba said confidently. "It's probably something else, maybe exchanging information or something... Maybe he can connect you with the FBI."

Rei Furuya: "...Never mind, I'm not interested. I don't need outsider information right now."

"What if it works? Don't underestimate others!"

That makes a lot of sense, and since it was Usaku Saiki's suggestion, Furuya Rei thought about it again: "...How about letting Kei scout ahead? The Kudo family already has an FBI agent staying there, so it wouldn't hurt to have a Japanese Public Security Police officer stay there too, right? If he gets any useful information, it would be convenient for him to take credit back with him."

After Rum's death, Morofushi Hiromitsu thought about resigning, but the sushi restaurant owner was too reluctant to let him go. After a long struggle, he finally succeeded in leaving the company yesterday.

Rei Furuya is not sure about his new destination yet, but he is unhappy with staying in Japan with the FBI. It would be good to have Hiromitsu Morofushi help him monitor him and gather intelligence.

After all, the Kudo family has managed to survive without being wiped out by the organization, despite having a son who shrunk and an FBI agent hiding inside. They must have had both luck and ability – for example, it was undercover agents like him who discovered the problems…

Usaku Saiki also thought the idea was good.

So he summoned Morofushi Kagemitsu, gave him some instructions, and then Usaku Saiki helped Morofushi Kagemitsu arrange a time to meet with Kudo Yusaku.

Yusaku Kudo was very magnanimous and sent someone directly to the Kudo residence. He felt that it wasn't very safe outside, and since it was the Japanese Public Security Bureau, they should already know what they needed to know, so there was no need to hide anything.

Upon hearing the doorbell, Yukiko Kudo glanced through the peephole, paused for a moment, and then opened the door after a slight delay.

"Uh... welcome." Yukiko Kudo looked at the newcomer with surprise.

The visitor smiled and said, "Good morning, Mrs. Kudo."

Yukiko Kudo led the group to the living room, and Yusaku Kudo looked up and was also taken aback.

They all recognized him—wasn't that the disguised chef from the sushi restaurant?!

Shinichi said he was definitely a member of the organization... how come he's suddenly become a member of the Japanese Public Security Bureau?

The thought of Bo Yezhaiji tricking them flashed through his mind, but the newcomer's generous demeanor dispelled his doubts.

"I'm sorry, I know it's impolite to meet in disguise, but I just thought it would be safer this way," the person said with a smile. "I'll take it off now."

After saying that, the other party readily removed the disguise.

The Kudo couple were alright, hiding in their room just in case, but Shuichi Akai, who saw this scene through the surveillance camera, was the first to lose his composure.

Conan Edogawa, sitting in the room, stared in surprise at Shuichi Akai, who had suddenly stood up: "Mr. Akai? You know him?"

Shuichi Akai: "...It's Scotland."

At this moment, the person on the monitor smiled and introduced himself: "I'm an undercover agent from the Metropolitan Police Department's Public Security Bureau. I actually know Mr. Akai... Isn't Mr. Akai here?"

Mr. and Mrs. Kudo: "…………"

Shuichi Akai faked his death, but who else actually knows...?

Now that he'd been called out, Shuichi Akai stopped hiding and went downstairs to greet the newcomer with a complicated expression.

"...Scotland. I never imagined you were actually an undercover agent for the Japanese Public Security Bureau..."

"I never imagined back then that you were actually an FBI undercover agent."

The other person said quietly, "Bottenis was right about everything... I used to think he was just using exhaustive search."

Shuichi Akai: "...Who isn't?"

Although he wasn't particularly close to Scotland, when it came to the topic of Potts, they were definitely kindred spirits!

"But Scotland, if you and Rum were both at the sushi restaurant, could Rum's death really have been orchestrated by the organization?"

Scotland paused for a moment: "No, actually I... was exposed a few months ago. Working at the sushi restaurant has nothing to do with the organization. It was Potness who insisted that I go. I was also shocked when I saw Rum."

Others: "………………"

—It's Potts again!!! What's wrong with this guy?!

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Damn it, I'm late with the update!

From then on, the Potentis that Kagemitsu mentioned and the Potentis that Akai mentioned seemed to overlap but also had many differences. Conan was having a brainstorming session every day.