"Please look at the first line of this letter, 'April fool,' April Fool's Day. This must just be an April Fool's joke by Phantom Thief Kid."
"Huh?" Sonoko's face immediately fell. She held the letter and looked at it from left to right, as if she was trying to find a real Kid.
"What? How could this happen?"
“I’ve dealt with this Phantom Thief Kid a few times, and that’s just his personality,” Hakuba Saguru explained.
"Moreover, the first line of this letter is far too clear. Didn't you see that Toyama-kun isn't participating in our discussion at all, to avoid wasting our time?"
He casually gave Yoruichi Toyama a compliment. Originally, Yoruichi Toyama could only chuckle because of spoilers that Kid was bluffing this time.
"Why?!" Sonoko, who had been platonic with her Lord Kid for ages, cried out in exasperation, "Why...why is he toying with us like this?!"
“It’s probably because…” Mingzhi, who had been listening to their discussion without saying a word, suddenly interjected, adjusting his glasses as he did so, “He already knows that the ‘Black Star’ at this exhibition is a replica, right?”
His voice wasn't loud, but those around him could still hear it clearly.
The garden, which should have been angry at being questioned, suddenly fell silent.
Seeing her reaction, everyone knew that Mingzhi had just hit the nail on the head.
"W-what?" Xiaolan, who had admired the legendary black pearl even earlier than others, was a little stunned. "Yuanzi, that..."
"I'm sorry, Ran." As expected of a girl from a large conglomerate, Sonoko recovered quickly and nodded straightforwardly, "That pearl was indeed fake."
"After receiving the notice from Kaito Kid, my dad was very worried, fearing that something might go wrong at the exhibition, so he switched the jewelry."
"Looks like I can't fool the real experts after all!"
Under her admiring gaze, Mingzhi waved his hand dismissively.
"I'm flattered. I only heard from Miss Sonoko that this pearl was bought decades ago. Unlike other jewels, pearls lose their luster over time, but this one..."
Sonoko burst into hearty laughter.
"Exactly, I also think this fake item is a bit too dazzling."
"But speaking of which, Yuanshan, didn't you see it all along, but you've been hiding in the shadows without saying a word?"
"Huh? Me?" Yoruichi Toyama pointed to her own nose, feeling inexplicably surprised.
Miss, I'm just slacking off, okay?
Besides, you haven't even glanced at me for half a day, so how am I supposed to talk?
However, a child's voice rang out before him.
"That's right, Sonoko-neechan, Yoruichi-nii is the most cunning! He never says a word until the very last moment before the operation!"
"Hello!……"
Before Yoruichi could even raise her hand, Conan darted behind Ran, only peeking out half his head.
"Hehehehe..."
Who taught him this?!
Shiho Miyano, you come out here! ...
While Yoruichi Toyama was internally ranting and raving, Akechi patted him on the shoulder.
"Stop pretending. Only Hakuba-kun here doesn't quite understand what kind of person you are."
"No, what kind of person am I?..."
Yoruichi Toyama, who had just found herself surrounded by fire pits, was about to explain when she was gently interrupted by Saguru Hakuba.
"However, I have also heard my father tell some stories about Toyama-kun."
"I would say he is the kind of person who doesn't seek fame or fortune, but is content as long as he resolves incidents and upholds justice."
Such humility is truly admirable.
What are you all talking about?
Realizing she couldn't explain herself, Yoruichi Toyama simply shut her mouth.
"So, what should we do next?" Xiaolan started worrying about her best friend again. "Should we tell the police that the pearls are imitations and ask them to drop the case?"
“Actually, my father had already told the tea tree manager about this.” Sonoko’s answer surprised everyone.
“My family are law-abiding businessmen; we would never do anything to deceive the police or waste public resources.”
"However, Manager Chaki and his team have been tracking Phantom Thief Kid for a long time and planned to take this opportunity to catch him, which is why this operation took place."
"I see." Xiaolan breathed a sigh of relief and was about to ask something else when suddenly a commotion broke out.
"It's over by the museum entrance!" someone gave the order, and a team of police officers quickly ran towards the entrance.
Although they had already deduced Kaito Kid's plan, everyone present tensed up again instantly.
Could it be that the phantom thief really doesn't play by the rules?
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
