Eight forty-five, Victory.
"Have you counted the number of people? Are they all here?! Where are the bombs? Have you collected all the small bombs?"
"There are 52 children on board, and only 45 have been recovered so far. The others are still being looked for..."
"Where is Councillor Zhong Yonghe?"
“I haven’t found it yet!”
"Keep looking! Also, quickly gather up the people who are missing from the list. It's very dangerous now!"
"Remember not to alarm the crowd. As long as it is possible to gather together, the activities can be held as usual."
Megure Jusan's face was covered in sweat. He was holding the list of people handed over by the police, and his voice was a little hoarse from shouting.
Police officers came and went in this makeshift command room, but they did not bring any good news.
Matsuda Jinpei hurriedly pushed the door open and said in a hoarse voice: "We have searched the entire second-floor deck inside and out. Is there anything else we haven't found? Also, when will the signal be restored?"
"It will take at least five minutes! But if we need support, even if it's by plane, it will take ten minutes to get here."
There are still fifteen minutes until nine o'clock. Even if reinforcements arrive, it will be too late to act.
The bomber set the timer of the small bomb at nine o'clock, as if to hint at the situation in Yonghe.
Takagi said hurriedly: "The places that have not been found in the report include the ice storage and secret cabins on the bottom floor for storing food, the guest rooms, and the performance reception hall on the top floor that has never been opened."
Megure Jusan said with a headache: "That damn bastard deliberately made a bomb to delay time. How can we deal with it in time!"
"How on earth did they bring the bomb up here?" Sato Miwako, who pushed the door open, asked sullenly, "Or is there a traitor in our police force?"
When this guess was made, everyone in the room fell silent for a moment.
Matsuda Jinpei took a sip of water, wiped the corner of his mouth casually and was about to walk out, but when he glanced at the list in Megure Jusan's hand, he noticed the circled name on it.
"Let's not talk about this possibility for now." Megure Jusan frowned and subconsciously stuffed the list into the hands of the person next to him, "Sato, calm down."
Miwako Sato took a deep breath. She didn't tell anyone that today Conan Edogawa secretly grabbed her when she was alone and asked her for a long time in a roundabout way whether there were any strange people in their team.
Now that I think about it, could it be that the little detective has discovered some new information?
"Where is Conan?" she asked straight to the point. "I just went to the dance hall to look for him, but I didn't see him."
"And there's Brother Songjiang and Xiao Ai!" The voices of children rang out from behind her.
Everyone turned around and found that the Junior Detective Team was following Sato Miwako.
Mitsuhiko Tsuburaya was nervous, holding the detective badge in his hand: "No matter how we contacted, we didn't receive a response!"
"What's up with this Aomura Daishi?" Matsuda Jinpei looked at the familiar name circled on the list, "Isn't he a bartender? Now he's not in the dance hall, where is he?"
"Bartender!" Yoshida Ayumi's voice rose. "Isn't that a fat uncle? He was there when we found the bomb! He even said he wanted to help find it!"
"Wait, wait a minute..." Takagi Wataru said weakly, "Are you talking about Conan-kun? I just bumped into him."
"What?!" Everyone looked at him.
Takagi Wataru swallowed his saliva and said, "Just about ten minutes ago, I ran into him. Conan-kun grabbed me and asked me how Councillor Nakagawa was doing. I told him that the councillor was missing, and he said 'bad!' with a bad look on his face and ran away."
"What about Matsue Shunya and Aomura Daishi?!" Matsuda Jinpei's expression changed at this moment, and he asked sharply, "Did you see them?"
Takagi Shigeru shook his head, and at this moment, Hagiwara Kenji with a gloomy face pushed the door and walked in quickly.
He looked at the people in the room in shock for a moment, then got straight to the point: "All the lifeboats and yachts stored in the dark compartment at the bottom are gone."
"Next to the button that controls the yacht's ejection, I found traces of an explosion. Someone is preventing us from leaving the ship!"
Matsuda Jinpei's pupils shrank, and he subconsciously wanted to rush out with the list in his hand, but was stopped by Megure Jusan.
"Matsuda! You and Hagiwara are the ones the councillor has asked to protect him closely. Go and help search the room and the top floor!" He paused, "Don't act on impulse, otherwise..."
He didn't finish his words, but everyone present knew that if anything happened at Zhong Yonghe, the first people to be held accountable would be the close security police officers.
But now, all the yachts are gone, and there is not enough time to go out to sea to search. They must search the boats first, or at least do something real.
Matsuda Jinpei stood there, his hands clenched.
He knew that there was too little information now.
It is unknown where Songjiang Shigure and the others are, and whether they are still on the boat. It would be irrational to go out and look for them like a headless fly.
And if something happens to Councillor Chung-Yong-ho, the entire Metropolitan Police Department will be affected.
He can act on impulse and be demoted without any reason, but he cannot take his colleagues with him.
But——he would never, ever give up on Matsue Shigure!
The curly-haired policeman's eyes seemed to be filled with rage. He exchanged a glance with Hagiwara Kenji, then slammed the door and left.
"Mitsuhiko, can you lend me your detective badge?" Hagiwara Kenji leaned over and spread his hands in front of Mitsuhiko Tsuburaya.
"But..." Mitsuhiko Tsuburaya wanted to say that Yoshida Ayumi and Kojima Genta's detective badges were out of battery and only his could be used, but looking at Hagiwara Kenji's serious expression, he still handed it over.
"Officer Hagiwara, you must find Brother Matsue and Conan."
"must!"
After saying this, Kenji Hagiwara left with Jinpei Matsuda without looking back.
***********
The night wind is hunting, and the sea at night is not as bright and gentle as it is during the day. The surging waves beat against the wall of the ship, like a ferocious beast with bared fangs and claws, staring at the people on the ship all the time.
Conan Edogawa was sweating profusely. He covered his abdomen, supported the ground with his elbows, and tried hard to sit up. He also wanted to reach the detective badge that fell not far away.
In front of him, two dark shadows were fighting fiercely.
At this moment, Songjiang Shigure has restrained his usual gentleness and indifference. A murderous bloody aura lingers around him, like a sharp blade that has been unsheathed after being sealed for a long time.
Conan Edogawa easily saw the traces of police training in his fighting skills, which were decisive and decisive, but more of a means of control rather than killing.
Under normal circumstances, it would be easy to knock down any criminal, but here - when being ambushed, and when the opponent is attacking your vital points with a knife, you seem to be stretched to the limit.
Another round, the blond young man suddenly took a step back, leaned his back against the railing, his chest heaving violently.
His eyes narrowed, and his loosely tied hair fell down again, sticking to his neck and cheeks in a messy manner. The silver-chain glasses swayed along with his violent movements, trying to provide some useless clarity.
"Why resist?" The man opposite him laughed softly, with a hint of madness, "Why not just surrender? Then I might even consider letting the kids next to us go."
Matsue Shigure did not answer him. He stretched out his hand and wiped the blood stains on his cheek with his fingertips.
The dagger cut a hole in his left arm shoulder. Although the cut was not deep, blood still gushed out.
Conan Edogawa pretended to be weak and paralyzed, tightly grasping the detective badge in his hand. He had no time to care how much effect the prop that was thrown out could have.
He stared at the wound on Matsue Shigure's arm and his breathing quickened.
Ten minutes ago, Conan Edogawa, who was trying to find the police to inform them about the bomb, met Takagi Wataru who was in a hurry, and learned from the latter that Nakagawa had disappeared.
After hearing this, he immediately went to look for Matsue Shigure. While the two were discussing the next plan, Aomura Daishi, who was also looking for someone, hurried over and pointed out that the yacht below had been tampered with.
Conan Edogawa thought of the sound of falling into the water that he heard when he took the detective badge, and immediately went to find the nearby police officers, but the police were overwhelmed by the bomb and had no time to care about the vast sea.
What happened next was just a natural progression.
After discussing, the few people who thought that the organization's target was Zhong Yonghe chose to save people without hesitation and decided to go to the empty Goddess to find out what was going on.
However, just as they stepped onto the deck, Aomura Daishi, who was walking at the end, pulled out a dagger from his arms and stabbed Conan Edogawa in the back without hesitation.
If it weren't for Matsue Shigure's quick reaction and knocking him down with lightning speed, Edogawa Conan didn't know whether he would still be alive.
The wound on Matsue Shigure's arm was also caused at that time.
But why did Aomura Daishi attack them? ! Who is he?
Edogawa Conan bit his lower lip, his mind racing.
…
"Did you place the bomb on the ship? Where is Councillor Naka Yonghe?" Matsue Shigure looked at Aomura Daishi coldly and ignored his threats.
"Are you still concerned about other people's safety now?" Qingcun Daishi was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter.
"Hahaha, you are worthy of being Officer Songjiang. How did you survive to this day with such a saintly personality? No, that's not right. You are much weaker now than before. You can't even be a police officer anymore."
Songjiang Shiyu frowned and coughed a few times: "Do you know me?"
Qingcun Dazhi grinned: "Want to guess? If you guess who I am, I can tell you the location of Zhongyonghe."
His elation didn't last more than a second.
"Brother Matsue! He is Kousuke Marumori!"
Conan Edogawa's childish voice suddenly rose, and he spoke out the truth: "The fugitive who escaped from prison some time ago!"
Aomura Daishi's smile froze on his face. His eyes fell on this young boy who was very opinionated. "How did you know that?"
We must delay and wait for rescue!
Conan Edogawa tightly grasped the connected detective badge, calmed down and began to explain his reasoning.
Marumori Kosuke...
No one noticed that, beside him, a young man with a gradually pale face was holding the railing tightly.
************
"Marumori Kosuke, you are very smart. You made a lot of preparations before disguising yourself as a bartender and boarded the ship. You even used your appearance to discourage people from asking questions.
Because bartenders have to learn how to carve ice, which causes a lot of scratches on your hands. Only being a bartender can cover up the scratches on your hands, right? "
"Hahaha, you're right, but what does this have to do with my identity?"
On the other side, Kenji Hagiwara, who was holding the detective badge he got from Mitsuhiko Tsuburaya, paused and lowered his head to look at the badge that suddenly made a sound.
The tense voice of Conan Edogawa could be heard from inside, as well as other voices.
That Aomura Taishi turned out to be Marumori Kosuke!
"Oh no." He murmured subconsciously and grabbed the sleeve of Matsuda Jinpei next to him, "Jinpei, instructor, we have to find the instructor!"
Kosuke Marumori was the mastermind of the "Shibuya bombing" nine years ago and the murderer of Subaru Akabane!
Last time, that vengeful criminal almost killed Songjiang Shiyu in the fire, how come another one appeared this time!
Kenji Hagiwara's back was instantly soaked with sweat. He subconsciously wanted to turn around and run away, but was grabbed by Jinpei Matsuda.
"Where are they? Where do you think they are?" The curly-haired young man looked particularly unhappy at this moment, "Hagi, the yacht... are you sure it's gone?"
This matter was so strange, Zhong Yonghe was missing, small bombs were everywhere, and the whole police force was mobilized with such an elaborate plan, but in the end the criminal only went to look for Songjiang Shigure.
If they just wanted to target Songjiang Shigure, why would they take the risk to kidnap Zhong Yonghe?
Jinpei Matsuda scratched his hair vigorously. He felt that this case had a special sense of déjà vu, but for a moment, he didn't know what the problem was.
"Come quickly! Is the explosives team here?" Someone suddenly shouted from above, "We found Councillor Zhong Yonghe! There's a bomb here!"
The two of them seemed frozen in place.
**********
"…When you were halfway through mixing the cocktail, you put down the cup and handed me the milk. At that moment, you consciously straightened your arms. Was this a habit you developed during the labor reform activities in prison?
Not to mention that you know that Songjiang brother was a policeman and has a grudge against him. The one who has been on the news recently should be you!"
Conan Edogawa's analysis is logically clear and organized, perfectly consistent with a detective's reasoning.
He racked his brains and talked about everything he could, but still there was no sound of any yacht.
Damn, haven’t Mitsuhiko and the others talked to the police yet?
Marumori Kosuke burst out laughing, and even applauded Conan Edogawa's reasoning: "Little brother, you're right, you're worthy of being a detective!"
"Yes, you are right. Then it is only natural for me to ask Officer Songjiang for help, right?"
He suddenly stopped smiling and said coldly, "Just stand still now and I won't hurt you later. Otherwise, don't blame me for throwing you both down to feed the sharks!"
Conan Edogawa immediately shouted: "You haven't told me where Councillor Naka Yonghe is! Also, why did you trick us into boarding the Goddess?!"
The young detective bit his lip tightly, trying to delay time. He just wanted to help, but was kicked by Marumori Kosuke. Now he barely slowed down and missed the chance to kick the football.
Although we can try the anesthetic needle, the wind is strong at sea and it is impossible to aim at a moving person...
If Songjiang brother can control Marumori Kosuke for a while longer -
Conan Edogawa looked at Matsue Shigure subconsciously, and his expression suddenly changed.
The young man was seen with his head down, his blond hair covering most of his expression, his originally bloodless lips were bitten so tightly that a hint of red appeared on them.
He looked extremely uncomfortable, his bony fingers clasped on the railing, and his whole body trembled uncontrollably.
——What happened to Matsue Shigure?
Edogawa Conan suddenly remembered what the other party had just said to him on the boat - he was almost remembering it.
Could it be that Kousuke Marumori is a member of the organization? Are they deliberately targeting Matsue Shigure's weaknesses?
What is he about to remember?
——Watson.
The young detective's heart sank instantly.
Then he realized that he had looked up the information about the "Shibuya Explosion Case" and that among the police officers who died during that dark time... was Matsue Shigure's partner!
********
System: "Host...what if you are a game master and cannot beat it no matter how hard you try?"
Matsue Shigure: "I'll change it."
System: "What if there is a favorite NPC in it?"
Matsue Shigure: "I will buy the game and then look for a guide."
System: “??? Be serious!”
Songjiang Shigure was very depressed: "It's very serious. I can't imagine how I love someone to death. What else can I do if I don't find a way? I can't forcibly seize and change the data, right?"
The system fell silent.
It looked at Matsue Shigure's built-in chat input box in the forum, quickly recording the script he was going to perform next, and suddenly wanted to tell him that Akabane Subaru was the protagonist of the game he was playing.
System: "Will this really bring out Rum?"
Matsue Shigure: "Don't worry, he is definitely watching now, but he is still waiting - waiting for my trump cards and weaknesses to be completely exposed."
For a player who can complete this "OOC means death" game with the same character from beginning to end, his acting skills and logical reasoning will naturally be good.
Matsue Shigure took the time to respond to the anxious system and chuckled in his heart: "I love acting in front of villains the most."
What's more, isn't it killing two birds with one stone?
The player thought that now that all his "memories" had been restored and Rum had been captured, the students would probably not be so nervous about him anymore.
Then his subsequent movements would be more convenient, and the time it takes for him to finish the game would naturally be accelerated.
No loss, but profit.
**********
Severe pain, dizziness, and fear that came from nowhere.
The sound of the sea water hitting the side of the boat behind him was like an explosion in his ears, deafening. He didn't know whether it was the scorching heat or the cold wind hitting his back, as if it wanted to crush him completely.
The world was spinning.
Sometimes, to break through the fragile outer shell of memory, all you need is a word, or a person.
The man in front of him shamelessly tore off his disguise, revealing his unforgettable scarred face. He smiled, mocking how he was still alive.
"Nakagawa and I didn't do anything to him," said Marumori Kosuke. "I just wanted to reunite dear Officer Matsue with his partner. I didn't care about anything else."
"You've made me spend so many years in jail, so you have to pay me back, right?"
Matsue Shigure held on to the railing tightly, as if he was grabbing his last straw, but the dizziness in his head became more and more obvious, as if the whole ship had capsized and wanted to throw him into the deep sea.
He seemed to see it.
He saw the "partner" who was constantly mentioned in front of him these days and whom he was the only one who wanted to avoid.
The shadow walked towards him little by little, revealing a familiar yet unfamiliar face.
Subaru Akabane's usually dirty face that could act as cold as an iceberg finally showed a smile.
Different from Hagiwara Kenji's nonchalant or deliberately coquettish smile, it is a restrained smile like gurgling water hidden under the ice.
"I really can't do anything about you," he said, "so let's not leave."
If you don’t leave…where are you going?
Songjiang Shigure couldn't stop shaking. He wanted to reach out and grab the person in front of him, but in the end he could only hold up his aching head.
Not even a groan of pain could be uttered.
He seemed to see a tall building with flames on it, and Subaru Akabane was following him closely, carrying a heavy toolbox.
Neither the collapsing rocks nor the flames that were emanating from them could stop their coordinated actions. They were not separated into different positions like the others and ended up in failure.
Only when facing death, they were separated on two sides that could never meet each other.
The scene before my eyes changed suddenly.
He squinted his eyes, but all he saw was black. The wet, sticky, fishy-smelling liquid was dripping from his side, landing on his neck and arms, like the countdown of a bomb.
"...I often wonder if I really understand you." The voice was weak and hoarse, "But it seems that I am the only one who understands you, your personality——"
"So... even if I'm not here, you can still survive, right?"
Matsue Shigure wanted to call him, but her throat felt as if it was locked, and she was so dry that she couldn't utter a single word.
I could only listen to the breathing becoming increasingly weaker, and finally leaving a large blank space.
This feeling is so strange.
The guy who said he wouldn't leave in the last second left in the next second. His cold and refreshing face and the bloody corpse switched back and forth. The only thing that remained unchanged was him standing there.
They are indeed in sync and know each other's thoughts. There is no such thing as seeking death or rebirth - those who survive will eventually live well.
Even if I have to be a vengeful vicious dog, I live for revenge.
Enemies and the like must naturally be taken down one by one, no matter how long it takes.
Matsue Shigure blinked hard, and the scene in front of him was shaking as if it was made up of hundreds of layers of mosaics. It seemed that something was moving and approaching him.
He subconsciously relaxed his grip on the railing and felt some warm liquid flowing down his sleeves to his fingertips.
——"Brother Songjiang!"
Finally, I heard Edogawa Conan's shout and the sound of a collision that followed.
"Bang!" Something rushed straight in front of him with a loud sound of breaking through the air. The block of color suddenly stopped and crashed to the side as if it had turned somersault.
Matsue Shigure was amused by his sudden thought.
He smiled, pulled out the pistol that had been hidden at his waist, and pulled the trigger decisively and fiercely.
"Bang!"
“Bang, bang, bang!”
He fired four shots in a row without any hesitation.
The large block of color seemed to have been eliminated, without even the chance to make a sound. It was gradually covered by black from bottom to top, and covered again and again until it was completely black.
The young man used his bloodstained hands to gently push his drooping hair behind his head and inadvertently tapped the frame of his camera twice.
"Conan." There was still blood on Matsue Shigure's cheeks. His cobalt blue eyes narrowed. He turned his head with a smile and asked the young detective in a soft and light tone, "Is he dead?"