Chapter 859 Chino-kun was taken away to catch up with old friends.

"Huh? Who is it?" Conan turned around to look at her curiously.

Ran Mouri smiled slightly, "As long as the other party is reliable, of course anyone will do."

Upon hearing this, Conan blinked slightly in surprise, "Oh, I see. I thought you were going to talk about Shinichi, Ran-neechan."

Ran Mouri: ?

She hesitated for a moment, but did not doubt her own guess. Instead, she continued along with what he was saying.

She pretended to be angry, "I would like to, but every time I call Shinichi he says he's busy. How can I bother him again?"

"I see..." Conan also pretended to be in a bad mood.

Kogoro Mouri, standing to the side, rolled his eyes slightly. "It would be better to say that directly to him. What's the point of gossiping behind his back?"

Conan: ...Well, actually it's quite useful?

Ran Mouri blinked, as if she had just realized what was happening.

"Oh right, I'll give him a call then. I haven't been in touch with him much lately anyway."

As she spoke, she took out her phone and secretly observed Conan's reaction, but he just looked at her and kept picking at the rice in his bowl.

His hands were within her sight, and the phone call was a sudden, impromptu decision. He shouldn't have asked anyone else for help, or been reporting on her now.

Ran Mouri called Shinichi Kudo.

The phone rang for a few seconds, and she expected no one to answer. However, before she could hang up, the other party answered.

Ran Mouri paused for a moment.

"Hello? What's up? Hello?"

"Ah, it's nothing really..." Ran Mouri glanced at Conan, then waved to the two of them before getting up and moving to a more distant spot.

From where Conan was sitting, he could vaguely see her, and he could see the struggle and doubt on her face, and she even frequently glanced at him.

Although she thought it was subtle, Conan could actually tell that she was watching her.

Conan secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Luckily, he had inserted the SIM card into his phone earlier. Otherwise, if she had suddenly called, although it wouldn't have given him away, it would have definitely increased Ran's suspicions about him.

When Ran Mouri returned after hanging up the phone, Conan asked curiously, "Ran-neechan, what did you and Shinichi talk about?"

Ran Mouri gave him a deep look and shook her head slightly. "We didn't talk about much."

"oh oh."

Conan nodded.

"Hurry up and eat, the food is getting cold."

Okay~

......

All those who had been contacted gathered behind the Kudo residence, and they spent a day discussing the matter.

Then, while preparing, we waited for the banquet the day after tomorrow.

Kudo House.

Liu Qingyao, who had been absent for a while, appeared here. He looked at the strangely "lively" scene in the room and blinked. "Hmm? Why are there so many people today? Are we having a party?"

Conan touched his nose and explained, "No, we were just discussing the banquet at the Kita Aya family the day after tomorrow."

"Huh??" Liu Qingyao asked in surprise, "You're going too?"

"What do you mean by 'also'?" Conan was taken aback.

Liu Qingyao raised an eyebrow and answered truthfully, "Chino-kun also received an invitation."

"......"

“Young Master Bei Ling specially invited him, saying that he had something important to discuss with him in person.” Liu Qingyao rubbed her chin.

"......"

However, it seems like the conversation isn't going to be anything good.

Conan asked, "Brother Liu, are you going with Qianzhu?"

"Of course." Liu Qingyao nodded firmly. "I wouldn't feel comfortable letting him go alone."

That's good.

Time quickly came to the day of the banquet.

Kogoro Mouri was free that day, so he took Ran Mouri and Conan to the Kria Villa.

Krya Villa is located in a quiet suburb of Tokyo, and the entire villa appears peaceful and serene.

They arrived at the Krya Villa at nearly seven o'clock, by which time it was already dark.

Upon entering the banquet hall, Kogoro Mouri first led the two to greet Kita Aya and her husband, exchanging pleasantries.

After politely greeting the Kita couple, Conan secretly observed the guests present. A moment later, he spotted Gaius Kern, a red-haired man sitting in a wheelchair, at the edge of the banquet hall.

His expression was indifferent, seemingly displeased with the noisy scene.

Conan glanced at him a few more times.

He observed him, she observed him.

Seeing Conan staring at the red-haired gentleman, Ran Mouri looked puzzled and squatted down to ask in a low voice, "Conan, what's wrong with that gentleman?"

"Huh? Oh." Conan snapped out of his daze and explained, "That's Mr. Gaius. We met him once during the autumn field trip."

"So that's how it is." Ran Mouri looked enlightened.

When Percy handed over the information to them, Ran Mouri was not present. Later, during the investigation, they found him before they could even locate him, so Ran Mouri never met Gaius.

As Ran Mouri stood up, Chizuru and Ayaka Ryu also arrived at the Kria Villa.

However, they did not enter the banquet hall, but were instead called to another place by a maid.

They were led to a room, where the maid smiled and said to Liu Qingyao before opening the door, "Please wait outside, sir."

Then he turned to open the door, turned his head to look at Qianzhu, and made a gesture of invitation: "Please come in."

"Thanks."

Qianzhu thanked her softly, then stepped into the room, and the door clicked shut.

About fifteen minutes later, Qianzhu opened the door, but did not leave the room. He said to Liu Qingyao, "You go to the banquet hall first, I will come over later."

"But......"

Before Liu Qingyao could finish speaking, Qianzhu stopped her with a look, and she watched helplessly as the door was closed again.

The maid, who was also waiting nearby, spoke up at the opportune moment: "Sir, let me take you to the banquet hall."

"Then... I'll have to trouble you."

Liu Qingyao glanced at the closed door and left with the maid.

Upon arriving at the banquet hall, he spotted Conan instantly and then approached them.

"Conan."

Hearing someone call his name, Conan looked up. "Brother Liu?"

He looked around again. "Hey? Didn't you say you came with Brother Qianzhu? Where is Brother Qianzhu?"

“Uh… well…” Liu Qingyao laughed awkwardly twice, “Chino-kun was called away by Young Master Beiling. I was supposed to go with him, but Chino-kun suddenly told me to come over first.”

Conan fell silent for a moment.

However… the church shouldn’t go so far as to harm Qianzhu. Judging from what the church member who appeared when they were surrounded said, Qianzhu is quite special in the church’s eyes.