When everyone walked out of the shrine and felt the warm sunlight shining on their bodies, the chill in their hearts finally subsided a little.

"Heiji... I'm afraid... let's not investigate this case anymore."

Kazuha grabbed Heiji's arm tightly and whispered, while Xiaolan next to her also grabbed Conan and shook her head.

"Me too, New... Conan, this should be just as my father said, it's just an accident, yeah, it must be just an accident..."

Conan and Hattori Heiji didn't care about their girlfriends' behavior, but continued to discuss the case in a low voice.

"What do you think, Hattori?"

"I think... it's hard to say."

Hattori Heiji also frowned, confused.

"To be honest, after listening to what Ms. Shimabukuro Kimie said, I think she has a motive for murder."

"That's right, but that's only the motive for murder. If what Miss Shimabukuro Kimie said is correct, then those three people were already dead before she planned the murder."

Conan nodded as well, he was also a little confused by this turn of events.

"But... a website?"

"Could it be that she hired someone to kill someone and then regretted it?"

"It shouldn't be like that. If it was Shimabukuro Kimie who hired someone to kill someone, she shouldn't have said it in front of us. And did you notice, Hattori? She cooperated with our questioning very well, as if..."

"It's like he's asking for our help."

Hattori Heiji also understood what Conan meant. As high school detectives, they often encounter such things. After all, sometimes, many people are uncertain about the difficulties they encounter, and the police may not necessarily take action, so finding high school detectives like them to solve the problem becomes the choice of those people.

Shimabukuro Kimie's behavior was just like many of the clients they had met before.

But...she is clearly a suspect!

"If you ask me, either she is very confident in her murder method and thinks that we will never be able to solve the case, so she deliberately said it to mislead us, or..."

"Either what Ms. Shimabukuro Kimie said is true."

Conan also responded to Hattori Heiji's words, looking speechless.

"She did want to kill Ms. Kadowaki Saori and the others, so after she learned the truth, she immediately thought of this urban legend. However, at that time, Ms. Shimabukuro Kimie might have just been venting..."

"Yes, it's like nailing a scarecrow."

Hattori Heiji nodded. This situation is actually quite common. Many people seem to be very gentle on weekdays, but they also have people they dislike, so it is normal to secretly make a small paper man or something like that. As detectives, they have seen a lot of this kind of things.

"But what Ms. Shimabukuro-kunie didn't expect was that the urban legend actually came true."

“So she was scared too.”

“That’s why you came to us for help.”

The two of them worked out the whole relationship through some discussion, but... this makes it even more unacceptable!

They would rather believe that it was Shimabukuro Kimie who committed a perfect murder herself, and felt that she was very safe and would never be discovered, so she said it directly to provoke them, the detectives!

However, this does not make sense, because the fire three years ago was not an accident but a man-made cause. Before that, only the three victims knew about it. Shimabukuro Kimie only learned the truth from Kadowaki Saori a week ago after Kadowaki Saori's father sold the arrow.

In other words, as long as Shimabukuro Kimie doesn't tell them, they will never be able to find Shimabukuro Kimie's motive for murder...

But they told you directly...

"Why don't we listen to Mr. Fang Zheng's ideas?"

"By the way, Mr. Fang Zheng... eh? Where's Mr. Fang Zheng?"

The two famous detectives from Kanto and Kansai thought hard for a long time, and then they turned around and found that Fang Zheng, who came with them, was gone. When they heard their question, Xiaolan and Kazuha, who were standing nearby to "keep each other warm", pointed to the shrine. At this time, Hattori Heiji and Conan found that Fang Zheng was standing at the gate, talking to Shimabukuro Kimie, who kept nodding.

Seeing this scene...

"Did Mr. Fang Zheng ask her to confess her guilt?"

“Let’s go check it out!!”

At this moment, Conan and Hattori Heiji also walked over excitedly. They had originally expected that Shimabukuro Kimie would see them coming, then give a bitter smile and say, "I didn't expect you to see through me. Yes, I killed them." Then it was the familiar criminal confession process...

Oh, this has been through before.

However……

"Thank you very much, Mr. Fang Zheng."

"You're welcome. When this is over, come find me. Just call me."

Hattori Heiji and Conan just watched Fang Zheng take out a business card and handed it to Shimabukuro Kimie, then nodded and turned away, while Shimabukuro Kimie bowed deeply to Fang Zheng...

“…”

What is this unfolding?

"What are you doing?"

At this time, Fang Zheng also noticed Hattori Heiji and Conan not far away, and asked in confusion. Conan blinked and looked at Fang Zheng.

"Mr. Fang Zheng, what did you say to Shimabukuro-kune?"

"Oh, nothing. You see, this longevity lady can't play the role anymore. Everyone knows that the trick has been exposed. It will only add to the pain. So I talked with Miss Shimabukuro Kimie about the future development of Mermaid Island. The legend of mermaids can continue to spread. As for the rumors about the longevity lady... Miss Shimabukuro Kimie will find a time to discuss it with the people on the island, and then announce that the longevity lady has passed away. After all, it is normal for an old lady to die after living for 130 years."

"What will happen to the festival if there is no Longevity Lady?"

At this time, Xiaolan and Kazuha also came over, and when they heard this, they couldn't help but ask.

"The ceremony can be held in a different way. Besides, although a person who lived to be 130 years old does not reach the standard of immortality, it is still desirable. People pray for the dugong arrow in order to pray for longevity and peace. Who would really pursue immortality?"

"Well……"

After hearing what Fang Zheng said, everyone looked at each other in bewilderment.

That seems to be the case...

"But this doesn't seem to have anything to do with you, Mr. Fang Zheng, right?"

Hattori Heiji also reacted at this time. Indeed, the future of this mermaid island is quite worrying, but it seems to have nothing to do with Fang Zheng?

"Who said no?"

Fang Zheng silently glanced at Hattori Heiji.

"Umbrella is planning to enter the tourism industry, and the transformation of Mermaid Island is a good start for us to test the waters. The festival on this island is actually just a gimmick. What's important is the environment for people to visit. The seafood here is abundant, fresh, delicious and cheap. Isn't it more attractive to tourists than something like immortality?"

Hearing this, Conan was also stunned.

"So you and Ms. Shimabukuro-kunie just now..."

"Yes, that's right. What I told her was about Umbrella's investment in Mermaid Island."

Faced with this answer, Conan and Hattori Heiji both rolled their eyes.

"But she is a suspect, Mr. Fang Zheng. What if she killed Kadowaki Saori and the others..."

"She didn't lie just now."

Fang Zheng interrupted Hattori Heiji before he could finish his words.

"I am quite sure of this. She did not kill him."

Of course she didn't kill the man, Fang Zheng did it himself.

After hearing this, Conan and Hattori Heiji looked at each other in silence.

The reason why they like to invite Fang Zheng to solve the case together is not because of his reasoning ability, because Fang Zheng himself said that he is not interested in reasoning, but Fang Zheng's accuracy in judging people is first-class. If Conan and Hattori Heiji are regarded as two academic masters, and the case is an exercise, then Fang Zheng is actually the "reference answer" of this exercise, but just like the answer to the exercise, he only gives the answer, not the process.

The problem-solving process still needs to be done by Conan and other top students themselves.

There is another reason why Conan invited Fang Zheng.

To talk about it, we have to start from the time when Sayuri-sensei was almost poisoned to death on her wedding day.

At that time, Fang Zheng saw through the groom's plan and stopped his poisoning attempt on the spot, which gave Conan a great shock and blow.

Indeed, as a detective, Conan - or rather Kudo Shinichi - is quite outstanding. He can detect the other party's problems through some tiny details such as the traces left by the other party and unintentional movements.

But there is a problem.

That is what is called a trace, which is often left behind after the fact.

In other words, by the time he discovered it, the person was already dead.

No matter how powerful a detective is, he can only catch the criminal and avenge the victim.

But Fang Zheng is different. He can detect the criminals in advance, stop them and stop the crime!

This is an ability that Conan and Hattori Heiji do not possess.

Although they can occasionally detect that something is wrong with the murderer before committing a crime, they can only be curious and confused. After all, they do not have this ability, nor can they tell from the ferocious eyes of others whether he really wants to kill the other person or simply dislikes him.

Moreover, this was not the first time that Fang Zheng had demonstrated this ability in front of them. In the Egg of Memory incident, he had targeted Scott, and in the subsequent incidents where a number of police officers were killed, he was the first to discover the criminal, and he also stopped the criminal from nearly killing Officer Sato and Xiaolan.

To be honest, Conan now wishes he had Fang Zheng's ability to observe people's hearts rather than his reasoning ability.

However, he also found that this ability was obviously difficult to master. After all, the evidence and clues that a detective observes are fixed, but the micro-expressions observed by Fang Zheng may only change in one thousandth of a second, and it is difficult for outsiders to really master it. This is not a field of "self-study".

So Conan decided that if he received any invitation in the future, he would invite Fang Zheng as well. After all, at least it's okay to be on the safe side, right?

Although Fang Zheng's trick was not always effective, for example, Fang Zheng had told him that unless the criminal was really stupid enough to attack the target in front of him, he would not be able to tell. After all, a person cannot live with murderous intent 24 hours a day. Just like the time in the Mask House, when the other party committed the crime, everyone went to sleep. How could he know that the other party wanted to kill someone by looking at his head?

Doesn't he need to sleep?

But for Conan or Kudo Shinichi, even if they can save one victim, it would be good!

It was the same this time, but what Conan didn't expect was that the victim this time was so miserable. He died before Fang Zheng arrived.

Well...actually they died after Fang Zheng arrived.

But Conan doesn't need to know this.

After hearing what Fang Zheng said, Conan and Hattori Heiji were speechless. Since Fang Zheng's "reference answer" had confirmed that Shimabukuro Kimie was not the criminal, there was no point in them continuing their reasoning.

"Is there no other possibility?"

"Of course."

"Why?"

Hearing Fang Zheng say this, the two of them immediately perked up.

"What possibilities?"

"It's very simple. If we design the plot according to the novel, then Miss Shimabukuro Kimie actually has a dual personality. It was actually her other personality that killed the person, and her main personality knew nothing, so it's normal that I can't see it..."

“…”

Hearing this, Conan, Hattori Heiji, Mori Ranka, Toyama Kazuha were all speechless, while Fang Zheng shrugged his shoulders and spread his hands.

"So you see, this setting is quite good for use in novels."

In the end, the police finally closed the case as an "accident" according to Maori Kogoro's statement. This was also a rare moment for "Sleeping Kogoro" to not sleep and overturn his own reasoning, a highlight moment of solving a case!

Therefore, on the way back, Maori Kogoro was very proud and laughed loudly, while Hattori Heiji and Conan's faces were as black as coal - oh, Hattori Heiji didn't need to be embarrassed, because he had a black face anyway.

As for Fang Zheng, he was also very happy because he suddenly discovered that Conan had another use besides being the God of Plague.

That is to attract wealth!

You know, if Umbrella needs to grow bigger, it will definitely have to acquire a lot of companies, and most Japanese companies are family-run, so it is not easy to obtain management rights from them. But now, with Conan, things are much simpler!

If he wants to acquire a company and the other party disagrees, Fang Zheng will take Conan to a banquet, where people will surely die, and most of them are company presidents, and the ones who do this are usually the heirs of the company. In this way, under the halo of the god of death, the entire company will be completely ruined, the stock price will plummet, and Umbrella will take the opportunity to acquire a large number of shares... perfect!

Now Fang Zheng finally discovered that Conan is not only a god of death, but he is also a lucky cat! !