Chapter 74, Section 73: Beneath the Gentian: Goods and Merchants...

If I'm not mistaken

Then I must have guessed correctly.

“I was hospitalized due to illness and only recently returned home.” Kiuchi Toshiaki coughed twice as he spoke, his sickly appearance revealing that he was not lying. “I rushed over here after seeing the news reports about the case.”

"I'm sure you all know what this flower means," the long-haired man said softly, holding the half-fallen gentian rope flower in his hand. "I know the next victim will be myself."

“So, I came uninvited.” He looked at the flower weaving with a hint of melancholy, but at the same time seemed to have a terrifying sense of relief about life and death, to the point that he could talk about his own death with a smile. “After all, someone has to tell the old stories clearly.”

"Hey, what's wrong with this guy?" Conan watched as the man carefully put away the gentian flower, and immediately raised his guard to a new level, keeping a close eye on Kiuchi Toshiaki's every move.

They look like they don't want to live anymore!

Not only Conan, but also Furuya Rei and Zhuge Tongzhi noticed this air of resigned self-abandonment. Yoshida Ayumi tugged at her friend's sleeve and asked, puzzled, "Is this old man here to... well, walk into the lion's den?"

"Well, he's a complicated adult after all." Zhuge Tongzhi said, tilting his head and patting his ears, deciding to cleanse his ears before the likely long presentation began, so he could listen attentively.

The detectives, who had seen all sorts of people involved in the case, were on tenterhooks, but Officer Iwata, who was clearly still a greenhorn, reassured them nonchalantly: "Mr. Kiuchi, we will definitely ensure your safety! Please don't worry!"

“Right, Anri?” He chuckled and nudged the policewoman next to him with his elbow. Officer Anri glanced at her colleague speechlessly, but still reassured her, “Don’t worry, it will all be over soon.”

"No, I..." Kiuchi Toshiaki was about to say something when Nurse Ueda, one of the four who had entered the cave, couldn't hold back any longer. She shoved him aside and shouted, "What are you all talking about?!"

The nurse, with her hair in a bun, showed signs of her disheveled state as she fled. Her once snow-white coat was now stained with a dull, earthy gray, and several large scratches indicated that she had been in close contact with the wall.

"Shouldn't we be thinking about how to get out of here? Why are we suddenly reminiscing about the past?" A few strands of hair fell across Nurse Ueda's forehead, swaying from side to side with her breathing. "I shouldn't have followed you in just now."

"Seriously, who takes a statement at a crime scene?!" The nurse, trapped at the crime scene, was clearly on the verge of a breakdown. She pointed at the short-haired policewoman standing to the side, "Are you even professionals?!"

Before Officer Anri could react to the point being pointed at, Officer Iwata stepped in front of her with an awkward smile, gently pushing the policewoman behind him while repeatedly apologizing, "It was my oversight, I'm so sorry."

“It was a spur-of-the-moment decision, you don’t have to help me like this, Iwata.” Officer Anri shook her head, pulled her colleague behind her, and gave the nurse a deep, crisp bow to apologize.

"Ah..." The female police officer with the short haircut, who had been pulled behind her, stared blankly at her wrist that had been touched. She turned her head to touch her head, and a subtle blush rose on her cheeks.

"Oh?" The Junior Detective League's gaze shifted between the male police officer with the bob haircut and the female police officer with short hair, and they quickly revealed a "Oh my, I get it" look, which made Officer Iwata flustered for a moment.

Ran Mouri, who had stood behind the Junior Detective League, covered her mouth and chuckled, seeing another figure in the young, clumsy policeman.

It doesn't even feel like acting. Zhuge Tongzhi looked at the hurried scene, rubbed his hair, and sighed.

The navigation box floated silently in the void, and the refreshed path pointed to the only unobstructed entrance at that moment.

Next waypoint: The secrets deep within the fortress (incomplete)

"Turn left in 2 meters ahead, then turn right."

She and Rei Furuya got involved in the case so that they could get to the depths of the tunnel as soon as possible and complete the mission that El hadn't finished.

However, theoretically speaking, given the current situation, they definitely won't leave from there. Zhuge Tongzhi withdrew his gaze and looked at Morofushi Takaaki, who was walking over after negotiating with Yamato Kansuke.

"I'm very sorry, Ms. Ueda. We handled this poorly." Officer Phoenix Eyes bowed slightly and said about the follow-up arrangements: "The people outside should be handling it already. Ganju-kun and the others have already gone out."

“Please wait a moment, we’ll continue after we go out.” After saying that, Morofushi Takaaki nodded to the two young police officers. “The questioning is on hold. Anri, come with me to check the other side. Iwata, stay here and protect the safety of the public.”

Upon receiving the order, the short-haired policewoman paused for a moment before following her superior's footsteps.

The nurse with the bun hairstyle stood very warily against the rock wall, her tightly pursed lips clearly telling everyone present that she refused to communicate. Her hands were clenched into fists in her pockets, tightly gripping something.

The male police officer with the bob haircut stood next to Toshiaki Kiuchi, looking around and glancing at Officer Anri every now and then before quickly pulling his head back, looking conflicted.

It seems things will have to be delayed. Zhuge Tongzhi shook the peach wood sword in his hand for a while, then, realizing he'd probably have to wait some time, simply squatted down on the spot. However, it seems Mr. Kiuchi knows what he's doing; he'll probably be able to close the case quickly once he gets out.

As she was lost in thought, she suddenly felt the ground beneath her palm tremble. The rumbling sound of the mountain shaking traveled through her bones and into her ears first, then sounded half a beat later.

Wait a minute, wasn't it already fried?

What's going on? Zhuge Tongzhi sat on the violently shaking ground for a moment, stunned. Just as he was about to push himself up, Furuya Rei grabbed him by the collar and tucked him under his arm.

The black-haired girl stared at the ground that was shaking so violently it sent pebbles flying, then looked up at the tunnel ceiling, which was gradually developing spiderweb-like cracks. Her mouth slowly opened wide in the flickering light of the overhead lamp.

No way, it's even getting a second rerun?!

"Hurry, the tunnel is about to collapse!" Rei Furuya's voice, raised to the maximum volume, echoed through the narrow tunnel. He pointed to the only fork in the road leading into darkness, "Run that way first! Quick!"

The Junior Detective League was naturally not a hindrance when it came to escaping. Two of them grabbed Ran Mouri's hands, and one pulled Conan along. They quickly ran towards the side road with flashlights in hand.

Rei Furuya, who was the first to give the order to evacuate, stood still for a moment. Only after seeing Takaaki Morofushi running towards them did he take a long stride and, like a cheetah, dodge the falling rocks and turn into the side road.

Trapped in someone's arms, Zhuge Tongzhi felt his vision swaying and shifting rapidly from side to side. Suddenly, everything went dark, and he was gently placed on the still trembling ground.

The navigation bar remained as steady as a mountain despite the swaying view:

"Turn right now"

Zhuge Tongzhi: ...Take a bend, my foot!

"What do you want?!" Nurse Ueda's desperate cry perfectly expressed her innermost feelings.

However, the seasoned detectives and police officers around them accepted the situation well, and the Junior Detective League quickly adjusted their breathing and began to examine the surrounding environment by the light of their flashlights.

“The mountains here are no longer safe. We’ll probably have to go deeper into the area that hasn’t been affected.” Conan shone his flashlight on the dark intersection in front of him, and together with Rei Furuya who had the same thought, they naturally looked at Kirito.

Zhuge, you and Bourbon made a special trip here, you must know the map, right?

Ale, which way to go?

Suddenly drawn to the gaze, Zhuge Tongzhi remained silent for a moment before shining his flashlight on the road to his right.

Conan and Rei Furuya nodded slightly.

“Although we don’t know the way, we can use the right-hand rule for navigating a maze to get to a safe place first.” As he spoke, Furuya Rei placed his right hand on the wall and explained to everyone, “The so-called right-hand rule is to use your right hand to touch the wall and turn right when you encounter an intersection.”

"And this will also make it easier for us to return the way we came later." After Conan finished praising them, he reached out and turned off two of the flashlights in Ayumi and the others' hands. "Don't leave all the flashlights on at the same time. Just to be safe, we should take turns using them and keep only the most basic lighting."

"Yes, Anri and Mr. Kiuchi will be in my group." Morofushi Takaaki led his group to the right, quickly assigning them temporary groups as they went. "These children will stick close to Ms. Ran and Mr. Amuro, and Ms. Ueda will be with..."

"No, no, no, I want to walk with that gentleman." The nurse with the bun hairstyle refused loudly, quickly walking to Furuya Rei's side, demonstrating her distrust of the Nagano Police Department.

Rei Furuya gently indicated that it was no problem, and Takaaki Morofushi then said, "Iwata, come over and join us first."

"Turn left in 50 meters ahead, please watch your step."

Zhuge Tongzhi walked beside Furuya Rei with a flashlight, shining the light in the direction they were going at each turn, leaving the rest of the explanations and bluffing to Conan and Furuya Rei.

The group walked on the ground, where the tremors were gradually subsiding. Only after the ground finally calmed down did they dare to slow down and rest.

After the footsteps and the sound of gravel rolling stopped, Nurse Ueda's mutterings became more noticeable. The woman was saying things like "troublesome things" and "why did I have to come," which quickly attracted everyone's attention.

Finally, someone couldn't help but ask, "Nurse Ueda, weren't you called here because you're Dr. Ueda's relative?"

"I have no relation to Dr. Ueda. Ueda is a very common surname!" Despite her emotional fluctuations, she still managed to use all the proper titles in this sentence, which was clearly not the first time she had used it. The nurse with the bun hurriedly explained, "I am Yamanashi's roommate, which is why I was questioned."

"To be honest, Yamanashi is related to Dr. Ueda."

The nurse's explanation stunned everyone present. She swallowed hard and simply said what she had planned to say at the police station: "Yamanashi is Dr. Ueda's older sister's daughter, which is why she went directly to Nagano Central Hospital after graduation. And it is because of this family relationship that everyone asked her to come to see Dr. Ueda."

“There was a rather urgent surgery scheduled at the time.” Her bun had come undone from the continuous strenuous running, and now her disheveled hair looked at everyone in the dim light. “I never imagined that she would come here and never go back.”

"I hope I can't go back either," the nurse muttered, leaning against the rock wall, feeling utterly miserable. "I just worked an extra night shift; I don't know anything about it."

Ran Mouri walked over and put her arm around the clearly terrified young lady, while Zhuge Tongzhi sighed very maturely and patted the nurse's leg in a comforting gesture.

Ah, that's life.

Just like I didn't expect that these eight eggs would be a series of surprises.

They came here to do it after a few loud bangs.

“Although we can’t get out anytime soon, I have some leads on the prisoner.” Before the atmosphere could settle down, Morofushi Takaaki spoke up: “Mr. Kiuchi, could you please tell me about what happened thirteen years ago?”

The long-haired man, who had been being dragged along by Officer Iwata, was somewhat lost in thought until now.

His gaze swept over everyone present, and after a pause, he spoke: "Thirteen years ago, I assisted in a surgery as an intern."

"That was a young girl who had liver cancer. She was very young and optimistic, but by the time the disease was discovered, the cancer had already begun to metastasize."

“The surgery I participated in was to remove the metastatic tumors, but that wasn’t enough,” said Toshiaki Kiuchi, unconsciously reaching into his pocket and clenching his fist. “She needs a healthy liver transplant, which is a very risky surgery, but it’s the only option besides conservative treatment.”

His sorrowful expression clearly conveyed the outcome, and everyone present fell silent.

"Did... that older sister not make it?" Ayumi Yoshida asked softly.

Revengeful crime? But those three doctors couldn't possibly have happened to be in the same surgery, could they? Zhuge Tongzhi tilted his head, somewhat puzzled.

“No, she didn’t live to see that surgery,” Toshiaki Kiuchi said. “Healthy and suitable donors are very rare. Organ transplants, both domestically and worldwide, are in short supply.”

"Where there is a supply shortage, there will be a market."

Upon hearing this, Zhuge Tongzhi felt her hand suddenly gripped tightly by Yoshida Ayumi.

"Organs, bones, blood, or bone marrow are all commodities in circulation, and the dead are sometimes more expensive than the living."

Amidst the horrified stares of everyone present, Toshiaki Kiuchi raised his hand and lifted the shirt at his waist, revealing a hideous scar illuminated by a flashlight.

“I was once a cargo, but I was also a merchant.”

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Author's note: Yes, this is actually a case promoting anti-Myanmar kidney disease.

Waaaaah, real-life examples are so scary!

Everyone, please take good care of your kidneys!

…

Mwah!