Chapter 34 Changing Course

Ling's phone rang; the caller ID showed Jing Guang.

"Zero, Akai said he's all settled in."

"Have him translate what 'settled in' means?!" Zero roared. "The organization discovered us the moment we got off the plane. Does that FBI agent have a death wish, or does he think the organization's people are blind? He didn't even change his beanie, and cutting his long hair short doesn't make him a cross-dresser?! I came to him to help, not to cause trouble!"

Zero unleashed a torrent of attacks on his partner.

Jingguang tried his best to appease the furious blond man with kind words: "This was really an accident. Akai didn't know there would be organized people at the airport! And those people weren't there for Akai. Both sides were caught off guard. We didn't suffer any losses, did we? Akai said he can handle things on his side, and the original cooperation plan remains unchanged."

“The plan has been cancelled,” Zero said in a low voice.

"Huh? Why? Did something happen to Sherry?"

“It’s not Sherry… well, it really is because of Sherry,” Zero said with a wry smile.

Jingguang was completely confused: "What exactly is going on?"

"We received news today that Sherry has confirmed Shinichi Kudo's death. The original plan is no longer feasible," Zero said helplessly.

Kudo's miraculous survival after being drugged was originally a golden opportunity.

Bourbon could have easily used the pretext of searching for Shinichi Kudo, whose fate was unknown, to approach Sherry.

For example, he could ask questions about the properties of the medicine, symptoms of poisoning, and if he was lucky, he could even get into Sherry's laboratory.

This way, he can carry out the next rescue operation in an orderly manner.

He had waited two years for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, but it all vanished because Shirley clicked the mouse twice.

The plan had only just begun when it was already over.

Of course, he wouldn't blame or resent Sherry for this, as the girl probably didn't want to see anyone else die because of the drugs she developed.

When Sherry entered Kudo's house to investigate, her voice was captured by a bug in the alarm clock box.

Zero was determined to succeed in this operation. He specifically sought the assistance of Akai, who was far away in the United States, to help the Miyano sisters escape. Yesterday, he even sent Conan to deliver a message to Akemi.

The Rising Sun Flag means "bright hope".

Now, even Zero One, the planner, is at a loss.

Now that he has brought hope to Mingmei, he should take concrete actions to help them escape their suffering.

But how can I get close to Sherry?

Bourbon certainly couldn't tell the organization that Kudo wasn't actually dead. Because that wouldn't just be a matter of losing face; he might never see Sherry again in his lifetime.

Normally, the Miyano sisters would have some opportunities to meet privately.

However, as soon as news of Akai's return to Japan spread, the organization's higher-ups immediately took it seriously and began to keep a close watch on Akemi as well.

Trying to get in touch with the older sister would probably be quite difficult.

"Jing, Mingmei replied that she desperately wants to leave the organization and is very grateful for my help. But she has one condition: she must leave with her sister, otherwise she will absolutely not leave."

"But that's where the trouble lies, isn't it? The younger sister holds the older sister back, and the older sister controls the younger sister. The two sides are mutually restraining each other, and in the end, neither of them can leave."

Zero sighed and said, "Yes! But Akemi's attitude is very firm, and I understand her. After all, Shiho is her only relative in the world. No matter how much I guarantee their safety, it will be of no use. She can only feel at ease when she sees her sister safe and sound."

Ling couldn't help but recall the scene of their first meeting when they were children.

The little girl stubbornly insisted on dragging him to the clinic for treatment, even though his injury wasn't serious to begin with. The pulling only made it worse. But even so, Xiaomingmei wouldn't give up.

"I could never win an argument with you when we were kids, and I still can't now that we're adults..."

Zero shook his head and sighed helplessly.

What does Zero plan to do next?

"I haven't decided yet. Does Jing have any ideas?"

After a moment of hesitation, the person on the other end of the phone replied, "I think the organization's discovery that Akai has returned to Japan could be an opportunity for us."

"oh?"

“When Akai returns, given the organization’s track record of not letting any traitor go unpunished, they certainly won’t let him off the hook. Since the organization already suspects that Akemi is involved, we might as well make the most of this situation and turn the tables on them.”

Zero quickly understood his partner's idea and continued, "Have Akai pretend to want to take Akemi away. The organization will inevitably lay a trap, making Akemi the focus of their struggle. As long as Akemi distances herself from that FBI agent and appears to be acting as if it's all Akai's wishful thinking, the organization will be hesitant to harm Sherry because of her high value. We can also take Akemi away while the organization is arresting Akai, shifting all the blame onto the FBI. I doubt they'll have any objections, right?"

Jingguang chuckled and said, "I think as long as the outcome goes smoothly, Akai won't have any complaints."

But what about Shirley?

"That depends on whether Bourbon has the ability to get the organization to allow the two sisters to meet."

"Jing, you've given me a really big problem!" Ling complained in a low voice.

“But that’s not the hardest part. The biggest problem is that he’s still attending classes at Teitan Elementary School!” Jingguang joked. “Zero has already brought Conan into this. What are they planning to do next? Am I about to witness the birth of the youngest assistant in the history of public security?”

“No! I’m planning to involve him in what’s to come; it’s too dangerous,” Zero firmly objected.

"But given Conan's obedience, whether he participates or not isn't really up to you, is it? He found out about a younger sister the first time he met Akemi. So logically speaking, he would dig three feet into the ground to find out about this mysterious younger sister."

Dig three feet into the ground?

Zero thought about it seriously and realized that the little detective might actually be capable of doing such a thing.

It's all my fault for not thinking things through before assigning Conan this task; now I'm in big trouble!

"This kid is getting more and more difficult to handle as he grows up; I'm starting to lose control of the situation," Zero said with a sigh. "I remember when we first met, he was just a little kid!"

They've watched Shinichi grow up over the years.

He first showed his talent at the age of 14 with his accidental but brilliant reasoning, and has gradually grown to where he is today.

Although we kept complaining that this little detective caused everyone so much trouble, it's also heartening to see the boy grow up.

Shinichi simply hasn't reached the level Zero desires yet.

It's so close, maybe with a little more effort and a little more standing on tiptoe it'll be within reach.

However, he was willing to give the young detective a little more time.

Since Shinichi got himself completely embroiled in the organization with his astonishingly reckless actions, Zero knew that the following script would inevitably include a detective's role.

But there are many things to come, and the road ahead is long, so he is not in a hurry to play all his cards at once.

Zero doesn't even intend to reveal his true identity yet.

For an undercover agent, their true identity is their Achilles' heel.

No one except partners and colleagues has the right to know.

Therefore, only his partner Kagemitsu, subordinate Kazami, and superior Kuroda knew that Furuya Rei was an undercover police officer.

Zero's contemporaries were unaware of the organization or his position in the police department; they only had vague guesses about it.

Akai, who has now established some kind of cooperative relationship with the Public Security Bureau, is only communicating with Kagemitsu. In the eyes of the FBI, Bourbon remains completely black.

As for those under protection like Akemi, they were completely unaware of Zero's existence. She had never even met Bourbon within the organization; they communicated only through informants in the Public Security Bureau, under the guise of being "people who received favors from the Miyano couple."

Therefore, even if Zero intends to reveal his identity to Conan, he must wait until the young detective becomes a qualified assistant.

As a police officer, Ling is adept at navigating gray areas, utilizing rules, and even rewriting them.

However, he has absolutely strict principles regarding his identity and will not make exceptions for anyone.

"Jing, what do you think I should do to get rid of him?" Zero asked his partner for help.

Jingguang began to analyze: "Conan is definitely not someone who can be easily fooled. This time, Zero threatened to use Ran as a hostage. But you didn't even bother to put on a show and didn't send anyone to keep an eye on Ran. Conan definitely noticed this, which is why he so boldly ignored the rules you set."

"If you stop here and tell him that you have nothing else to do, then the deterrent power you have built up over the past three years will be greatly shaken and its foundation will be unstable. Conan may think that you are a paper tiger, and even start to doubt your position and motives based on some previous events. The serious consequence of this is that he will shift his attention from Ms. Akemi's sister to you and thoroughly investigate your background."

"Elementary school kids have so much free time these days. When he was 14, he could skip school and spend the whole day investigating cases. I think Conan will soon find out about your police academy experience through the class representative and the others. If all goes well, he might even know who you are before the Miyano sisters are even rescued..."

Jingguang's analysis was so logical and persuasive that Ling was filled with trepidation.

So what should I do?

“We need to find something for him to do to distract him. This thing must be challenging and attractive enough to keep him completely occupied, and it must be unrelated to the organization. It should also not be too high-profile to avoid causing unnecessary trouble.”

"That sounds so difficult... Is there really such a thing?"

Jingguang typed away on the keyboard and asked, "What do you think of this?"

Zero looked at the message on the screen and was a little surprised: "A challenge to Kaito Kid, the Black Swan Heart Exhibition?"

"According to reports, it was a jewelry exhibition arranged by Mr. Suzuki specifically for Kaito Kid. This Kaito Kid is a strange thief who only steals jewels. But he always returns the jewels after stealing them. The police have been after him for years, but he always manages to escape. Although this is quite a spectacle, I think everyone's attention should be on that glamorous master thief. I doubt anyone would pay attention to an elementary school student, right?"

"Rumor has it that Phantom Thief Kid has never hurt anyone, so I don't think this job should be too dangerous. Besides, our little detective should be interested in this kind of notorious thief, right?"

Zero nodded repeatedly in agreement: "Then it's decided! I hope this phantom thief won't disappoint me."