Chapter 199, Seventy-Third Cycle (29)

"Cough cough, okay, okay, I'm really fine. I was just faking it, it didn't actually hurt that much." Furuya Rei immediately jumped up, even spun around, waved his arms, and patted his chest to indicate that he was alright.

Zhu Fujingguang frowned and grabbed the hand that was hitting him: "How many stars does it hurt?"

They discussed it in the cherry blossom group, and then roughly divided the warnings and punishments that the world program gave to Rei Furuya into five levels. The lowest level was one star, which was the feeling when trying to stop non-main plot cases, such as the twin lovers incident and Asano Minami. The feeling when stopping Hiroki Sawada, who could affect the development of the world, was two stars. The feeling when it was related to minor developments of the main plot and important characters, such as directly or indirectly affecting the development of the plot, was three stars. The feeling when it was related to major developments of the main plot and important characters, such as preventing Shuichi Akai and Akemi Miyano from meeting, was four stars. The feeling when it was related to the world line changing by more than 2% or endangering the safety of the protagonist and causing sudden death was five stars.

“Three stars,” Furuya Rei said. “Unless it’s an emergency, three stars is usually a four-star warning. If it continues, it becomes a four-star warning, and then a five-star warning.”

Furuya Rei's tolerance level is close to five stars. He can pretend to be fine even at one, two, or three stars. He was just acting to prevent the warning from escalating and to give Akai Shuichi a chance to complete the mission and leave.

"It's alright, this time I've definitely scared that guy to death." Furuya Rei smiled and raised his eyebrows. "It doesn't matter that we failed to seize the initiative this time. The train story is just the beginning. The real focus is what comes next."

Morofushi Kagemitsu didn't speak, his brows furrowed and his eyes heavy, but he didn't want Furuya Rei to worry, so he looked like he was angry and sulking.

Rei Furuya felt a mix of amusement and helplessness.

Hiro is the one who most wants to change the world line, but he also can't stand the consequences of wrongly altering the world line.

Rei Furuya no longer wants to change too many timelines, but he wants to maintain as much control as possible.

Especially Shuichi Akai, who is naturally at odds with him, absolutely cannot be allowed to become too arrogant or have too much initiative, otherwise... the situation of doing good deeds but ruining his plans is very likely to happen again.

And what are those damn FBI doing, acting so arrogantly in their own country?

*

"boom!!!"

Even though the explosion occurred far from the train in carriage number nine, the huge commotion still alarmed countless passengers, who craned their necks to look out the windows and were shocked to see the burning carriage billowing black smoke.

"what happened???"

"An explosion? An explosion? Was it the burning carriage behind that exploded???"

"What...what do we do? Will our area be affected too? Will the car overturn?!"

The train conductor tried his best to calm the passengers down.

"Ran! Sonoko! Have you seen my brother?" Sera Masumi finally rushed back from the front carriage, her face filled with anxiety, worry, and a hint of hesitation.

Subaru Okiya adjusted his glasses, stopping her from rushing back, and said seriously, "The conductor said it's dangerous behind here, and no one can go over there. We didn't see your brother go over either, right?"

The members of the Junior Detective League who were asked all nodded.

Although the thick smoke made it difficult to see people, they were still trying their best to find Ai Haibara and Conan Edogawa. If someone really went over there, they would definitely be able to see them, after all, they are the Detective Boys!

Sera Masumi frowned, but the conductor, who had finished contacting the others, returned and confirmed that passengers were not allowed to enter the dangerous area at the back. Moreover, since no one else had seen the conspicuous scar on Akai Shuichi's return, they gave up.

After hearing the commotion outside, Vermouth was completely relieved and then kicked Yukiko Kudo out.

When she quickly changed her makeup and came out, she heard an announcement that the train had an accident and would be stopping at the nearest station.

*

"Hey! Who are those incredibly dangerous guys?! I almost died, you know that?!" Phantom Thief Kid shouted, still shaken, as he flew through the air.

"Haha, sorry, sorry, I'll tell you the details later." Conan Edogawa held his phone and lowered his voice as he walked out of the platform with the crowd. "But, didn't you really see the other person's face back then?"

He was in compartment E of carriage number seven at the time, and could only hear the conversation on the other side through his cell phone. He could only confirm that a man codenamed Scotland was attacking Shuichi Akai with Bourbon.

“I didn’t see clearly. They all went into carriage number eight, and it was full of smoke, so I couldn’t see anything,” said Phantom Thief Kid. “I told you to go back and explain to me what happened, especially that black organization whose code name is all about alcohol.”

Conan Edogawa's voice was hesitant and serious: "Kid, are you sure? Those guys are not in your situation. They are an international criminal organization with influence all over the world. Getting too involved is not a good thing for you. I only asked you for help this time because I had no other choice, and you can disguise yourself so that your true identity will not be discovered."

After a few seconds of silence, Phantom Thief Kid selectively revealed some information and sincerity: "That organization is related to a certain assassin organization that I've been investigating. I'm already involved."

After hanging up the phone, Kaito Kid tore off the brown-haired girl's disguise, revealing the boyish face of Kaito Kuroba underneath, his eyes heavy and sharp.

The Pandora Gem, the organization that killed his father, and the identity of Phantom Thief Kid all destined him to be entangled with everyone connected to that organization until the very end.

"The spider didn't appear this time..."

*

"Let's go. Sherry is dead. The hunt is over."

Gin chuckled and turned to leave without hesitation, the hem of his black trench coat flying through the air in a sharp arc.

Vodka immediately chimed in, "Yes, sir!"

*

Vermouth froze, her hand still holding the message she had just sent to Gin. She turned incredulously to watch the brown-haired girl wearing a mask and the members of the Detective Boys walk past her.

Sherry... is she still alive?

She's not dead? How could she not be dead?

"Ah, really, what a pity, we didn't get to see Lord Kid appear this time..."

Vermouth was stunned for a moment, then a thought flashed through her mind and she understood what was going on.

She watched Conan Edogawa's bright smile and his receding figure, and finally, her hand, which was tightly gripping her phone, slowly relaxed.

"Never mind," Vermouth sighed inwardly. The message had already been sent, and killing Sherry again wouldn't be a good explanation to Bourbon.

Bourbon absolutely cannot find out that Ai Haibara is the shrunken Sherry, otherwise Conan Edogawa will definitely be exposed as well.

That's all for now.

A blond, dark-skinned young man wearing a hat walked past her, turned to the side, lowered his head, and whispered something.

"I want to see the video of Shuichi Akai's death again." His tone was cold.

“No problem.” Vermouth glanced at him. “What happened?”

Bourbon turned and left: "It's nothing, I'll let you know after I've confirmed it."

Vermouth pinched her golden braid, unsurprised.

After all, Bourbon was a mystic, and aside from when he was causing trouble or testing the waters, he was the kind of perfectionist who would only speak when the possibility was almost 100% certain.

*

Subaru Okiya pushed up his glasses, looked at the backs of the blond youth and blond woman, opened his eyes, smiled, and turned to leave in another direction.

He thought about it for a long time, and there were only two possibilities for Bourbon's reaction at that time.

First, Bourbon does have a heart condition, which may be related to the month he disappeared and the organization's experiments. He only had a heart attack because he was too excited to confirm that he was still alive and to catch him.

10% probability.

Second, Bourbon was faking it; he was an undercover agent who pretended to be sick to divert Scotland's attention and let him go. If this is the case, then blocking him back then wasn't part of Bourbon and Scotland's plan; it could have been a coincidence, or it could have been a trap set by Scotland.

The probability is 90%.

This 90% probability is enough for Shuichi Akai to take a gamble.

He pondered his plans repeatedly. Scotland's early involvement disrupted part of his plans, but it was still within expectations.

When he returned to the Kudo residence, he unexpectedly, yet not unexpectedly, saw Conan Edogawa waiting for him.

"You're really quick." Akai Shuichi, still disguised as a gentle pink-haired graduate student, chuckled. "So eager?"

As for Yukiko Kudo, the matter was resolved, but she was too busy and had already boarded a plane to the United States with Yusaku Kudo.

"Of course I'm anxious! You wouldn't tell me on the phone, so I had to come find you in person." Conan Edogawa practically transformed into a frantic king as he rushed up to him, looking up with a serious expression, and asked, "Who is this Scottish guy?"

“A very dangerous person, but he won’t affect you for now.” Shuichi Akai naturally walked past the child and went inside.

Conan Edogawa was completely unsurprised, and followed with a deadpan expression: "Why didn't you tell me beforehand? I promise I really wouldn't do anything reckless on my own!"

Shuichi Akai raised an eyebrow: "If I had told you beforehand that the blonde waiter at the coffee shop downstairs from you, Tooru Amuro, was Bourbon, wouldn't you have gone to test him out?"

Conan Edogawa: "..."

Shuichi Akai added, "Given Bourbon's keen senses, if you had known his identity so early on, he would have definitely noticed something was wrong, and he might have even been able to find out about our situation by following the slightest clues."

Conan Edogawa gasped, "Is it that scary?"

Shuichi Akai nodded: "That's practically the second-in-command of the organization. His insight and control over intelligence are unmatched, and..."

Moreover, if he really is an undercover agent, then he holds a high position in both the legitimate and criminal worlds, which makes him a very dangerous person.

However, if he becomes a teammate, he will become an incredibly strong and reliable companion.

"And what?" Conan Edogawa leaned in again.

However, no matter how much he pressed him, Shuichi Akai shook his head and refused to say anything.

Conan Edogawa was a little depressed, but thinking about what had happened, he still managed to pull off a happy and relaxed smile after successfully finishing the mission without any major incident.

"Anyway, at least three things have been confirmed this time, which finally puts my mind at ease." Conan Edogawa took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes. "I haven't been sleeping well lately."

"What three things?" Shuichi Akai asked.

Conan Edogawa wanted to tease him but didn't tell him, but then he thought it wouldn't matter to Shuichi Akai anyway, and he would need the help of this FBI ace in the future, so he just lay on the sofa and told him.

“First, I now know that Amuro Tooru, who works at Poirot Cafe, is Bourbon, a codenamed member of the Black Organization. I no longer have to doubt or guess that the person next to me is Bourbon,” he said.

Shuichi Akai couldn't help but chuckle at the thought of his younger sister, Sera Masumi, suspecting him.

"Secondly, Sherry is dead, so the organization won't send anyone to investigate her anymore. Although I don't know why Amuro Tooru is working at Poirot's Cafe, he definitely won't be coming back." Conan Edogawa laughed again as he said this.

Akai Shuichi paused for a moment, then silently moved to the other side.

Conan Edogawa was unaware of his entanglement with Bourbon. Even though it wasn't yet possible to determine whether he was the real person or in disguise after his appearance, Bourbon would definitely come to continue investigating everyone involved in the matter.

In other words, Bourbon will come back, and this time his target will be him.

Let's wait until we're sure before telling the child, and let him relax and have fun for a few days first.

“Third…” Conan Edogawa’s voice disappeared.

Shuichi Akai turned to look at him with a puzzled expression.

The bespectacled elementary school student grinned slyly and said, "This is a secret for now."

Akai Shuichi: "..."

Shuichi Akai: "Hmm."

It seems they are fifty-fifty.

*

After leaving the Kudo residence, Conan Edogawa went to Professor Agasa's house next door.

Ai Haibara and Ai Orikasa were telling Dr. Agasa what had happened, and when they saw Conan Edogawa come in, they both gave him accusing looks.

Conan Edogawa raised his hands in surrender: "Sorry, sorry. The situation was special at the time. I didn't expect so many dangerous members of the organization to get on the bus, so I didn't have time to tell you before I carried out the plan."

After finally calming down his two friends, Conan Edogawa turned around and went to the Matsuda residence next to Professor Agasa's house.

This time, it was Matsuda Jinpei who opened the door. He pulled his sunglasses down to reveal his sharp eyes, looked down at him, and chuckled, "I knew you'd come."

It was dusk, and the area around the entrance was shrouded in shadow. The tall, curly-haired young man spoke those words against the light, making him seem inexplicably dangerous and terrifying.

Conan Edogawa's muscles tensed for a moment, and his pupils couldn't help but shrink as countless terrible possibilities flashed through his mind.

"Come in." Matsuda Jinpei stepped to the side, a half-smile playing on his lips. "Everyone's here, that's perfect."

Conan Edogawa paused for two seconds, then went inside with an innocent and trusting expression, his voice sweet: "Okay, then I'll be bothering you~"

Matsuda Jinpei: "..."

Matsuda Jinpei gritted his teeth: "You really have a lot of nerve, kid."

Conan Edogawa had already gone inside and saw Wataru Date and Kenji Hagiwara sitting on the sofa drinking tea.

"Where's Sister Shengsheng?" the child asked, sitting on the sofa with his legs crossed.

"I had to go out for a bit," Kenji Hagiwara replied with a smile, tilting his head to carefully examine the expression on the child's face.

Ida made him a cup of milk tea with milk added: "It's getting dark, the child should go home."

“That’s right. Kids like you who are running around outside after dark will be caught by the police and taken back for a talk, and then their parents will be called in.” Matsuda Jinpei sat down and ruffled his hair.

Conan Edogawa sensed the change in atmosphere and became even more confident.

He slapped Matsuda Jinpei's hand and looked seriously at the three police officers he trusted.

The three of them, keeping to the serious atmosphere, quietly watched him, waiting for him to organize his thoughts.

"You all knew Amuro Tooru was Bourbon all along," Conan Edogawa said, dropping a bombshell.

“Yes, that’s right.” However, Matsuda Jinpei’s reaction was quite calm, and then he said something equally surprising, “What? You suspect we are his accomplices?”

Kenji Hagiwara and Wataru Date didn't speak, but just looked at him with curiosity and a smile in their eyes.

Adults with a perverse sense of humor.

Conan Edogawa steadied his breathing and continued, "No, I know what kind of people you are. You would never betray the police to become accomplices of the Black Organization, nor could you be an undercover agent sent by the organization to the police."

Matsuda Jinpei raised an eyebrow and smiled: "Well said, and then what?"

"Then I started to wonder, what exactly are you trying to achieve by getting close to Bourbon?" Conan Edogawa said seriously. "And how did you find out his identity?"

"Actually, once you find the direction, the investigation and reasoning are not difficult."

The seven-year-old's face revealed a sharpness and intelligence beyond his years, and his presence was astonishing.

"You two have had dealings before."

“Three years ago, there was a legendary male escort who, though brief, achieved the most amazing results in history, and then quickly disappeared after being disfigured,” he said. “That male escort was called Fox. He was characterized by blond hair, dark skin, and handsome appearance, and was favored by the young lady of the Yamaguchi-gumi, who was incredibly powerful at the time.”

Under the watchful eyes of the three, he completed the final part of his deduction, stating with certainty, "Amuro Tooru is the fox. He must know Mr. Matsuda, who infiltrated the Yamaguchi-gumi and was working alongside the Yamaguchi-gumi's young mistress. Moreover, Mr. Date and Mr. Hagiwara were also on this mission at the time, so they should have known about it as well."

Kenji Hagiwara turned his head and whispered, "Who gave him the information?"

Date Kou sighed, "It must be that kid, Itaru."

Takagi Wataru is practically Conan Edogawa's police intelligence reconnaissance machine.

Conan Edogawa, having been confirmed by their reactions, smiled and continued, "You noticed something was off back then, right? Bourbon was probably on a mission for the organization at the time, but then he suddenly disappeared. So when he reappeared as a detective and a waiter, you immediately approached him to test him, right? And even this trip to the mystery train, you sensed that Bourbon was about to make a move, didn't you?"

Because Bourbon is too dangerous and too perceptive, even though Shuichi Akai, Ai Haibara, and Jinpei Matsuda all know that Tooru Amuro is Bourbon, they still choose to keep it from him to prevent him from revealing his identity or going too far in front of Tooru Amuro.

After all, Bourbon not only became a waiter at Poirot Cafe downstairs from Mouri's office, but also became Kogoro Mouri's apprentice. They spent too much time together, and if anything was even slightly off, Mouri would notice.

Then the dangerous member of the organization will stop pretending and take direct action.

"Hmm, I guess so." Matsuda Jinpei nodded slowly after hearing his reasoning, but his expression was a little strange. "You're really something."

It's impressive that they could manage to cover it up like that.

And he also found out that Rei Furuya used to be a top male host, hahaha—

Wataru Date and Kenji Hagiwara tried hard to suppress their laughter and nodded with serious expressions.

Conan Edogawa: "?"

Something feels off.

Kenji Hagiwara leaned closer to him, winked, and said, "You're really amazing. No wonder you're called the savior of the police."

Conan Edogawa: "..."

Conan Edogawa: "!!!"

As expected! They all knew his true identity was Shinichi Kudo!

Matsuda Jinpei, who was being glared at fiercely by the child, shrugged: "I didn't say anything, they found out on their own."

Conan Edogawa stared at him suspiciously.

Matsuda Jinpei looked completely justified.

He wasn't lying; that's not what he said.

That was something Zero told them a long, long time ago.