Chapter 154 Public Reputation... Add one? Add one loss...

Of course, there's a reason behind everything that seems absurd at first glance.

"Want to guess why the Metropolitan Police Department has such a list?" Nekono Ikuya looked at Conan with great interest. "This is a very interesting mystery."

Conan remained silent for a few seconds.

It sounds unbelievable that the National Police Agency actually possesses such a detailed list of undercover agents from various countries who have infiltrated the organization.

You've really made something of yourself, Police Department.

He put his clever mind to work and think.

First, we can rule out the possibility that classified information from other countries could be easily leaked.

If intelligence such as undercover information could be so easily leaked to police departments and public security bureaus whose intelligence work focuses on the country, the organization would probably have already found out who the undercover agents were and happily cleaned them out.

Secondly, it's impossible that the police department, through its own efforts and extraordinary abilities, managed to find these undercover agents scattered all over the world.

The breadth and depth of this intelligence far exceed what a single nation could achieve, unless Japan's intelligence network truly possesses unparalleled reach. But that is clearly unrealistic.

So why does the Metropolitan Police Department have such a peculiar list?

There is only one reasonable explanation left—this list was provided voluntarily by other countries!

And why would they provide this information...? Conan suddenly looked up, his deep blue eyes flashing with contemplation.

"It's because countries are preparing for joint action to completely eradicate the organization, which is why this kind of information sharing and coordination is needed, right?"

Given that the organization's headquarters and main area of ​​operation are in Japan, the power of the Japanese authorities is unavoidable in completely eradicating the organization. With various countries generally viewing the organization as a major threat, intelligence sharing and cooperation between national intelligence agencies are entirely reasonable and necessary to completely eliminate this scourge.

The very existence of this list signifies that a joint crackdown on the organization has quietly begun at the level of multinational cooperation.

It's no surprise that Rum, who had vaguely received the information, was certain of the list's authenticity.

Nekono Ikuya nodded approvingly, a smile in her emerald green cat eyes: "Hmm, you're very perceptive."

Conan: "!!!" It really is!

The young detective's heart pounded, and his blood seemed to flow faster.

Having been entangled with the organization for so long, he finally saw the dawn of the collapse of that massive shadow, and he couldn't help but be excited.

"When?" he couldn't help but ask, his voice filled with barely concealed urgency.

Nekono Ikuya shook her head, her tone becoming cautious: "The specific timing and deployment haven't been fully negotiated yet. However, all parties are indeed accelerating their preparations. The foreseeable chaos that this incident will cause within the organization presents an opportunity."

After a pause, Nekono Yuumi glanced at the sky outside the window, then turned and walked towards the kitchen: "Alright, this can't be rushed. There's a more urgent problem now."

Conan instinctively followed, puzzled: "What's the problem?"

Nekono Ikuya showed the dish that had just finished heating in the microwave, her bright green cat eyes smiling: "This is a new dish sent by Mr. Okiya, and we urgently need someone to finish it. Would you like to eat together?"

Conan: "..."

He couldn't keep up with Nekono's leaps of thought for a moment.

But then, Conan took a deep breath, his expression turned serious, and he looked up at Nekono Ikuya with a burning gaze.

"One last question!"

Nekono Ikuya had already arrived at the restaurant and was slowly arranging the dishes one by one, the enticing aroma wafting out. Without looking up, he said casually, "If it's something as important as when to take action, I probably can't answer that right now."

"It's not that!" Conan quickly followed to the dining table, placed his hands on the edge of the table, and said with a stubborn tone that he would not give up until he found out.

It's okay, Nekono-nii's thinking is very jumpy, his thinking can be very jumpy too!

"Yes—Nekono-nii, who exactly is your lover?! And who is Amuro-san's real lover?!"

After asking the question, he pursed his lips tightly, his little face filled with curiosity.

This problem has been bothering him for so long, he really can't sleep tonight until he figures it out!

He could have continued to believe that Nekono and Akashi were a couple, and that his interactions with Amuro were merely to cover for him because of Amuro's undercover identity.

However, his keen observation skills simply did not allow him to overlook the ambiguous relationship between Nekono-nii and Amuro-san.

But what's the deal with Ms. Sakura and Mr. Amuro? Their interactions are quite sweet.

Conan: What on earth is going on?! What's happening?!

Nekono Ikuya paused in her cooking.

He turned around, his emerald green eyes meeting Conan's determined blue eyes that seemed to say, "I'm going to figure this out today," and couldn't help but smile.

The little detective's conflicted expression is quite amusing.

He was suddenly overcome with wicked thoughts.

Hmm, should we add fuel to the fire and continue to tease Conan, further complicating the already ambiguous relationship between the Nekono siblings and Amuro Tooru?

But looking into Conan's clear, deep blue eyes, filled with trust, Nekono Ikuya thought, "..."

The little flame of mischievousness that had just risen in my heart was instantly extinguished.

He looked away nervously.

Forget it, if I keep misleading them, the little detective might actually believe it.

Let's try to salvage Zero's precarious reputation a little... and his own reputation as well.

A matter-of-fact smile appeared on Nekono Ikumi's face. She slightly raised her chin, and her bright, calm cat-like eyes sparkled.

"My lover is Zero, and Zero's lover is me. By the way, Furuya Zero—his real name."

"?!" Although Conan had some guesses, hearing the answer with his own ears still made his pupils dilate.

Oh no, he really misunderstood the relationship between Nekono-nii and Akashi-nii.

Conan was embarrassed.

He immediately pressed, "What about Sakura-tori-neechan?!"

Nekono Ikuya's smile deepened. He didn't answer immediately, but cleared his throat instead.

The next second, a clear, supple, and uniquely rhythmic female voice flowed smoothly from his mouth, and Nekono Ikuya's expression transformed into Nekono Sakura's signature cool and alluring demeanor.

"Huh? What's wrong with me?"

That voice, that tone, that expression—it's exactly like Nekono Sakura!

Conan: "!!!"

The young detective's eyes widened instantly, his mouth opened slightly, and he froze on the spot.

He looked at the handsome face that belonged to Nekono Ikuya and listened to the voice that belonged entirely to Nekono Sakura.

An incredible idea popped into his mind.

Falsetto, disguise...

Nekono Sakurato is Nekono Ikuya?!

Nekono-nii-san can disguise himself!

Wait a minute, Conan's mind flashed back to the tennis court scene, where Sakuragi and Nekono appeared together.

Conan: "?"

He then thought of Kaito Kuroba, who had a good relationship with Ikuya Nekono.

The guy who kicked him into the ditch of the Nekono Akashi Lover Theory.

The other party can also disguise themselves!

Conan, inwardly furious: Kuaito!!! You and Nekono-nii are messing with me again!!!

Nekono Ikuya admired the little detective's adorable expression—from initial stunned silence to inexplicable grief and indignation—for a while before slowly regaining her composure.

Conan looked as if he had been betrayed and was deeply hurt. (Conan: I was betrayed by my cousin, I'm recovering, please do not disturb.jpg)

Nekono Ikuya opened her mouth, as if to say something.

But he suddenly stopped, as if he had suddenly remembered something, tilted his head slightly, and showed a clear look of confusion on his face.

"I have a question, Conan." He looked at Conan with his pure, emerald-green cat eyes, curious and serious. "I understand why you're asking who your lover is."

"But why do you ask who my lover is?"

"Do you have other potential romantic partners besides Amuro Tooru in your heart?"

Nekono Ikuya blinked her clear, bright blue eyes, her gaze sweeping over Conan's face, which had instantly stiffened. Her tone was light and tinged with innocent confusion:

"Little detective, I'm curious, who did you originally think my lover was?"

Conan: "!!!"

He stammered, "Uh... well... I..."

He saw that Nekono Ikuya's eyes gradually became understanding.

Conan: "..."

It's over... The little devil inside him crouched down, covering his head.

Nekono-nii probably already guessed it.

Nekono Ikuya drawled out, then exclaimed in sudden realization, "Oh~ I see."

Nekono Ikuya: Smiling without saying a word.jpg

Conan: "..."

Conan: "Let's eat first."

Food doesn't taste good when it gets cold.

...

It's really fun to tease the clever little detective occasionally.

As for Zero's reputation?

Nekono Ikuya thought of the FBI and the little detective...

Well, I guess we salvaged things a little bit today?

He thought about it without any burden.

Rei Furuya, racking his brains to explain to Yuya Kazami that he wasn't the Sea King, looked at the other's skeptical expression and said, "..." Uh, really?

...

Curaçao miraculously regained her memory and escaped before the police arrived, but for some reason, she did not choose to return to the organization. Instead, she wounded the organization members who came to pick her up and disappeared into the vast night.

The man ordered a full-scale manhunt for Curaçao, who knew too many of the organization's secrets.

But this important task is no longer relevant to Rum.

A major decision-making error added internal troubles to an organization already facing serious external threats, and Rum suffered a severe blow.

Along with the previous series of upheavals, the organization's power structure underwent a severe upheaval.

Bourbon, who was "loyal and devoted" yet "innocently victimized," and most importantly, who had the potential to maintain certain external resources and channels, gained the man's further reliance.

Bourbon, who had legitimate reasons to hate Rum, naturally chose to finish him off.

Ambition, personal grudges, poor decision-making... Bourbon laid out all of Rum's stains over the years, presenting them to that man and everyone else. No one knew when he had set his sights on Rum, but every piece of evidence was irrefutable.

Bourbon didn't even personally join the fray; he simply smiled and handed over the knife at the opportune moment, and someone Rum had offended couldn't wait to stab him.

“Bourbon…” Rum squeezed out the name through clenched teeth, with a hint of disbelief and fear in his voice.

He lost, utterly lost, defeated by an outsider he hadn't taken seriously.

The man stood high above, his voice devoid of emotion, yet carrying an undeniable air of judgment: "Rum, you have disappointed me greatly."

Soon after, news circulated within the organization that Rum, the second-in-command, had been stripped of all power due to a major mistake, and the many core affairs and vast resources he was originally in charge of were quickly divided up and taken over by others.

The biggest winner was undoubtedly the blond, dark-skinned, and charmingly dangerous member – Bourbon.

He didn't immediately take up the vacant second-in-command position; the man seemed to be observing him. But everyone knew that Bourbon's power and influence now far exceeded that of a typical code-named officer.

He not only survived the turmoil, but also used the opportunity to extend his reach into more core areas of the organization.

A secret contact point.

Rei Furuya had just finished a private meeting with the organization's top brass, and his face showed a hint of fatigue, but a sharp light flickered deep in his purplish-gray eyes.

Nekono Ikumi pushed a glass of warm water in front of him, her eyes, disguised as purple, quietly looking at him: "Successfully?"

“It went more smoothly than expected.” Rei Furuya took the water glass. “The organization was already weakened by the series of events involving Sherry, and now it is even more severely damaged by the list incident. It urgently needs new forces to stabilize the situation, and I, an intelligence expert with outstanding abilities, ruthless methods, and seemingly valuable to the organization, have become a good candidate.”

Nekono Yuuya nodded knowingly, then suddenly remembered something and blinked: "Speaking of which, has your reputation evolved again in the organization? I'm afraid you're not just a 'honey trap master' now, but also have to be labeled as a 'deeply ambitious schemer' or a 'ruthless character who can even bring down Rum'?"

Upon hearing this, Furuya Rei gave a smile mixed with helplessness: "...Probably." He had completely given up on treatment; as long as he could achieve his goal, Bourbon's image was no longer important.

Anyway, once it's all over...

He looked at Nekono Ikuya, his gaze firm yet warm. Once it's all over, the identity of Bourbon, along with all the terrible reputation associated with it, will melt away like snow under the sun. What will remain is only Furuya Rei, and a peaceful future awaiting him.

Nekono Ikuya looked at Furuya Rei and smiled slightly. It was an extremely beautiful smile, with relaxed eyebrows and eyes, and violet eyes that shimmered under the lamplight. Her eyes held an indescribable charm and tenderness, as if they could steal one's soul.

Rei Furuya was momentarily stunned by the smile, and his heart skipped a beat.

Then, his gaze fell on Nekono Ikuya's face—that completely new, affectionate face.

Jianggu Ling: "..."

Suddenly, I became uncertain.

Things will calm down... right?