Chapter 259, Seventy-Third Cycle (89)
"Excuse me, Ms. Zi, I suddenly remembered that I have something to do on Christmas Day. May I ask for leave?" The blond young man put his hands together apologetically.
He walked past the pink-haired, bespectacled young man who was sitting quietly drinking coffee, as if he hadn't seen him at all.
Shuichi Akai sat on a chair by the window, picked up his coffee and slowly took a sip.
Indeed, as Carmel said, the coffee-drinking experience here is top-notch.
The coffee's taste, the air humidity, the ambient temperature, the angle of the tables and chairs—it was all top-notch service in every aspect. No wonder Amuro Tooru strives for perfection in everything.
Unfortunately, the blonde waiter was not friendly to them.
Hideaki Akai glanced at the newly popped-up news notification on his phone and swiped it away.
Now it seems not only Shinichi Kudo has been exposed, but he has also been exposed.
Amuro Tooru's forced smile and sarcastic attitude when receiving Okiya Subaru clearly indicated that he had once again doubted—or even confirmed—his identity.
Shuichi Akai checked his phone a few times and found that the media had already begun to surround the Kudo residence, so he gave up his plan to go back.
He was debating whether to send a message to Conan Edogawa, but it seemed that doing so would reveal that he already knew that Conan Edogawa was Shinichi Kudo.
Since the other party has been keeping this a secret, his sudden revelation that he knows might cause even more chaos... So it's best to contact the Kudo couple abroad first.
After sending the message, Shuichi Akai put down his phone and raised his hand to look at the dark-skinned, blonde waiter.
Amuro Tooru's smile paused for a moment before he walked over.
"Excuse me, sir, is there anything I can help you with?"
Her smile was perfect, and her tone was gentle, but she just gave off a sarcastic vibe.
Shuichi Akai showed him his phone, which contained a comment from a netizen praising the deliciousness of Poirot Cafe's new specialty cake.
"Excuse me, could I have one of these Poirot special cupcakes?" he asked.
“Of course, please wait a moment.” Amuro Tooru continued with a smile.
Hideaki Akai nodded, put his phone away, and then exclaimed, "Is this a new cake? I didn't get to try it last time I came."
Amuro Tooru nodded: "He just came out not long ago."
Shuichi Akai added, "But it's already very popular, it's been out for a few days already?"
Amuro Tooru paused for a moment.
Shuichi Akai looked at him quietly.
The blond youth didn't answer immediately. He was angry, he was troubled, he was conflicted, he was thinking, he was doing mental calculations, and after several seconds he slowly uttered a number.
Shuichi Akai didn't say anything more. He let the blond youth leave without looking at him again, only lowering his eyes to look at the coffee in his cup that was swaying slightly.
Akai Hideaki's mouth was dry. He took a sip of coffee, but it tasted bitter. Suddenly, the coffee didn't taste good anymore.
He thought it wasn't his imagination; Amuro Tooru's perception of time was flawed.
Why? When did the problem start? What caused it? How serious is it now?
"jingle--"
The coffee shop door opened, and the sushi chef with long black hair came over from next door again.
He looked up, his blue eyes behind his glasses sweeping lightly over the pink-haired youth sitting next to him. He gave a polite smile, then immediately ran to the blond waiter.
Shuichi Akai looked at them, his heart beating slightly faster.
He remembered something.
Bourbon was actually missing for a period of time.
A year ago, during the period from April 1st to May 1st, when Shuichi Akai was being hunted down and killed by Vermouth in New York, no one knew where Bourbon had gone.
Because Shuichi Akai was preoccupied with his own problems at the time, although he wanted to investigate, he only managed to get some information through Vermouth.
Bourbon has disappeared, but Vermouth wasn't worried at first; she was focused on hunting him down.
Shortly after Bourbon's disappearance, Scotland went mad and soon disappeared as well. Vermouth became uneasy and anxious, and soon after, she also left the United States and disappeared.
Shuichi Akai immediately realized something was wrong and wanted to go back to see what had happened, but the FBI thought it might be a trap set for him by the organization.
When Bourbon reappeared, it was already May.
For the next three months, there was almost no news of bourbon activities within the organization, but Scotland seemed to be even more obsessed with bourbon.
It seems that after that incident, Scotland was almost always by Bourbon's side, except when it came to missions.
Even though he was working at Bologna's coffee shop, he insisted on working at the Iroha sushi shop next door, as if he needed to keep a close eye on him to feel at ease.
Shuichi Akai opened his eyes, his green gaze serious.
He had always assumed that Scotland would do such a thing only because he himself was too abnormal. But wasn't it possible that Bourbon had lost his perception and awareness of time during that month through some kind of experiment organized by the organization, and that's why Scotland was worried about him encountering danger in his mission and daily life?
As for why it was an experiment... Shuichi Akai thought, with Vermouth involved, even Scotland couldn't intervene, and Bourbon had disappeared for so long, besides the organization's BOSS and the experiment being related, were there any other options?
It's important to know that Bourbon had participated in the organization's scientific research experiments a long time ago. What happened inside is probably unknown to anyone except the relevant experimental personnel and the organization's boss.
Moreover, now that he thinks about it, how many years has it been since he met Bourbon? But Bourbon's appearance has remained unchanged, just like Vermouth's. He looks more like a student than he, a college student in disguise, or even a high school boy.
Just like Vermouth, time seemed to stand still for that blond youth...
It's impossible that time travel actually exists and Bourbon lost his perception of time in endless cycles, right?
Shuichi Akai raised his hand and pressed it to his brow.
To his utter surprise, things turned out to be far more complicated and troublesome than he had imagined.
Asking Amuro Tooru directly is definitely not an option. His previous probing had almost made Amuro so angry that he couldn't keep up his smile. If he were to ask directly as Shuichi Akai, he would only get a punch in return.
It seems I still need to go and ask that child.
Shirley probably knows something about it, right?
Shuichi Akai sighed silently and took a few more sips of his coffee.
As for why Midorikawa Hikaru came to see Amuro Tooru at this time?
Besides the information about Shinichi Kudo that Scottish had Bourbon tell him, what else was there?
A large truck happened to be parked outside, and its window turned into a mirror, showing a clear reflection of its back.
From this angle, Shuichi Akai could only see Hikaru Midorikawa's lip movements, which he analyzed in his mind.
Let's investigate Shinichi Kudo together.
We need to speed things up; time is running out.
Shuichi Akai frowned slightly, somewhat surprised.
He had rarely seen a Scotsman so anxious. The man was a highly skilled sniper, an excellent hunter, with exceptional patience to wait for the perfect moment to strike, and a deep, ruthless, and calm mind.
However, Scotland has its moments of losing its composure.
In the past, whenever he showed that expression, it was when Bourbon was in danger.
*
Conan Edogawa crouched down in front of Professor Agasa's window, clutching his head, watching the reporters gathered in front of the Kudo family's house next door scratching their heads frantically.
What to do, what to do, what to do—
The information about Shinichi Kudo was exposed so thoroughly that, given that his family were already celebrities with fans all over the world, even with Hiroki Sawada and Noah's Ark's intervention, it wouldn't be enough to make everyone forget about it.
Forcibly deleting all information online now would only arouse suspicion from others!
Haibara was so angry that she didn't want to talk to him anymore!
That's right! Mr. Amuro! Could Mr. Amuro possibly have a solution?!
Conan Edogawa took out his phone, found Mr. Amuro's name, and was about to dial it when his attention was drawn to a familiar figure that appeared out of the corner of his eye.
A long-haired man, still wearing the uniform of the Iroha Sushi restaurant, slowly approached the Kudo residence on a small electric scooter, finally stopping at the periphery of a group of reporters, looking troubled.
Hikaru Midorikawa parked his car on the side of the road and then walked towards Professor Agasa's house next door.
Conan Edogawa hid behind a cabinet near the door and gave Professor Agasa a wink.
A moment later, there was a knock on the door.
Professor Agasa opened the door, and a blue-eyed young man wearing glasses outside gave him an embarrassed smile and whispered, "Excuse me, do you know what happened at the Kudo residence next door? There are so many people there, I'm too scared to go deliver food."
"Ah, it seems something happened online, but I don't know much about it," said Dr. Agasa.
"I see. Then I'll check the situation again." The long-haired young man left politely.
Conan Edogawa twirled his finger and dialed Shuichi Akai's number.
The call connected quickly, and Conan Edogawa asked directly, "Mr. Subaru, did you order takeout to be delivered to the Kudo residence?"
There was a pause on the other end of the phone before Subaru Okiya's voice came through, his tone serious, "No, I didn't order any takeout. What's wrong?"
Conan Edogawa: "..."
Conan Edogawa slammed his head against the wall, thinking to himself, "It's all over, it's all over."
*
"Click!" Rumi Wakasa closed the door, and the gentle smile on her face vanished instantly.
She changed her shoes expressionlessly, took off her coat and draped it over the back of the chair, sat down, turned on her computer, and dragged out a long list.
List of users of APTX4869
Shinichi Kudo, dead.
【Koji Haneda, death】
She stared at the word "death" after Shinichi Kudo, gave a cold laugh, and then looked at the name after it with a blank expression.
Koji Haneda...
The woman reached out and gently touched the name, her icy blue eyes instantly filled with hatred and mockery, while her other hand gripped a shogi piece tightly.
What is she thinking? That stupid guy is really dead, isn't she the one who knows that best?
The only lucky one was Shinichi Kudo.
Perhaps, we could also add Sherry...
*
"We haven't seen anyone leave the Kudo residence yet, and the interviews at Teitan High School haven't yielded any results, so is it true that Shinichi Kudo has reappeared—"
The blonde, green-eyed girl, who looked only about the age of a middle school student, turned off the TV and turned to look at the short-haired girl next to her who was already in high school.
Mary Akai asked her daughter, "So, Shinichi Kudo really appeared?"
Sera Masumi nodded: "Shinichi Kudo is Conan Edogawa. Conan-kun really does have the antidote for that drug. Your situations are similar, and that antidote can definitely restore Mom to her original state!"
Mary Akai coughed lightly a few times, showing no excitement, and said in a calm voice, "Not necessarily, but it's worth a try. I've had enough of this weak body. Only by restoring my original body can I begin to launch a counterattack against that organization."
After saying that, she took out her phone and scrolled through the online comments, then frowned slightly and said, "The problem now is that Shinichi Kudo has really stood out this time, even trending on social media. This might attract the attention of that organization."
Sera Masumi also said worriedly, "Yes, Conan must have had a conflict with that organization, which is why he was given that strange drug like Mom and his body shrunk... But where did he get the antidote?"
“There are only two possibilities.” Akai Mary coughed twice again, sat down in the chair, and her mood instantly dropped. She said, “Didn’t you say there was a little girl who looked a lot like me with him?”
“Yes, Ai Haibara really looks a lot like my mother,” Sera Masumi exclaimed. “She looks so much like her that I initially thought I had a younger sister who had been separated from me.”
Mary Akai glared at her and said, "You don't have a sister, but I do."
Sera Masumi realized what was happening and opened her mouth wide: "Is...is that the little sister the Thousand-Faced Witch mentioned when she was feeding Mom medicine?"
Mary Akai lowered her eyes, looking at her small hands. The image of her younger sister laughing and calling her "older sister" flashed through her mind. She said in a low voice, "Vermouth said that the drug was made by my sister. Elena has indeed been missing for many years. It's not surprising that she was captured by the organization to study drugs."
Sera Masumi didn't know what to say.
Mary Akai continued, "I didn't tell you, but when Elena said she wanted to work for the Karasuma Group with her husband, I tried to dissuade her, saying that the company was strange and dangerous. But in the end, she left for the sake of a better life for the child in her womb and for her husband's scientific research to flourish, and then we never heard from her again, until..."
Until a few months ago, she was given a strange drug by Vermouth and learned that the poison was made by her sister, and was asked what it would feel like to be poisoned by her sister's drug.
Sera Masumi quickly processed the information, her eyes widening as she exclaimed excitedly, "To be able to develop the antidote for that drug, and to look so much like Mom... could it be that Ai Haibara is—"
Mary Akai looked up, her expression calm, and said, "It's very likely Elena's child."
"Given the child's age and the fact that he was alone with Conan Edogawa, there can only be two outcomes."
Mary Akai leaned back in her chair and held up two fingers: "First, Shinichi Kudo is also a member of the organization. Ai Haibara is the child born to Elena's daughter, and her relationship with him is merely that of a researcher and a test subject, currently being trained by the organization. Second, Shinichi Kudo is not a member of the organization. Ai Haibara is the child Elena was in her womb. She has also taken that drug, shrunk, and escaped the organization. She eventually joined Shinichi Kudo, who has had a similar experience, and is secretly researching an antidote."
Sera Masumi couldn't help but speak up for Conan Edogawa: "I don't think Conan-kun is a member of the organization..."
Mary Akai interrupted her with a serious expression: "We must remain vigilant and skeptical until the truth comes out. I've said it before, Masumi, Shinichi Kudo is completely different from the boy we knew ten years ago. Besides, he's a good person at heart, which doesn't conflict with being forced to do bad things, do you understand?"
Sera Masumi nodded with her ears drooping.
“Ai Haibara and Conan Edogawa are going to test them, but there’s someone else I’m also very concerned about. I just don’t know if it would be dangerous to send you to test them,” Mary Akai said.
"Who?" Sera Masumi looked up in confusion.
“It’s that blond, dark-skinned man you mentioned before,” Akai Mary said. “His name is Amuro Tooru, right?”
Sera Masumi tilted her head: "Amuro Tooru? He does have a problem, but that doesn't mean—"
“I wasn’t talking about Shuichi.” Akai Mary frowned, not wanting to discuss her deceased eldest son. “I suddenly remembered that before Elena disappeared, she mentioned to me several times that a blond, dark-skinned child often went to her for treatment after getting injured. It’s very strange. Elena is very shy, not good with words, and rarely speaks more than a few words to her patients. So, it’s unprecedented for her to like and talk so much with a child and even teach him to ride a bicycle. They must have had a very good relationship.”
Sera Masumi's eyes widened: "It can't be such a coincidence, can it? Maybe it's just that our hair color and skin tone are similar?"
Mary Akai tapped her fingers lightly on the armrest: "Perhaps it's just a coincidence. After Elena disappeared, I also investigated the people around her, and I also thought about asking that blond, dark-skinned child, but I didn't find any information about that child. It was as if that person didn't exist at all."
Shiliang Zhenjun: "..."
Mary Akai's eyes sharpened: "Only high-ranking local government officials with power, or members of the organization, could achieve this level of success. Considering Amuro Tooru's current situation within the organization, it's easy to guess what will happen next, isn't it?"
Sera Masumi's expression was complicated.
Mary Akai straightened up and leaned closer to her daughter, saying in a deep voice, "That Amuro Tooru is very likely the 'Zero-kun' that Elena mentioned back then. He was captured and brought into the organization with Elena when he was a child, and he has grown up in the organization ever since. He must know a lot about the organization, he must know about Elena's family, he knows about Shuichi's death, and even... he knows about your father's disappearance."
Sera Masumi clenched her fists and finally said firmly, "I have to investigate, Mom. I have to get close to him."
Mary Akai sighed and said, "Be careful, and message me immediately if there's any danger."
As a former elite MI6 agent, even with her body shrunk, her combat abilities are not zero.
If she weren't so unsuitable to appear in public, she would never have let Masumi participate in these dangerous things.
Sera Masumi nodded seriously, picked up her phone and typed a few words, then suddenly stopped and turned to look at the blonde girl who had sat back down in her chair.
"Mom, you just said... that Karasuma Group is difficult, could it be..." she stammered.
Mary Akai sneered, her face filled with murderous intent.
"The Karasuma Group, with a history spanning over a century, is the wealthiest and most powerful family in the country, with corporate influence extending all over the world... Elena was taken away by them and then disappeared, don't you think?"
*
"Is it really resolved?" Conan Edogawa was still a little dazed and uneasy.
"Yeah, don't worry, most people online believe this now, and their attention has been diverted," Yusaku Kudo said.
Yukiko Kudo smiled, squatted down, and rubbed the child's face: "With Mom and Dad taking care of things, what are you worried about?"
The people who were frantically following this news online were fans of the Kudo family. With the Kudo couple personally addressing the root of the problem, others naturally believed it was just a misunderstanding and a coincidence, and stopped pursuing the matter.
The internet surfing speed is too fast, and the heat will soon pass. The only thing to worry about is that some people with ulterior motives will seize on this clue and continue to suspect and investigate.
"More than that, there's something else I wanted to tell you all when I came back this time." Kudo Yusaku turned around and invited Akai Shuichi to come over and discuss it with him.
"What?" Conan Edogawa looked up in confusion.
"It's about the code left behind in the case of Koji Haneda's death seventeen years ago," Yusaku Kudo said. "After discussing it with this FBI agent, we came to a different conclusion."
Conan Edogawa glanced at Shuichi Akai's grave expression, then turned to stare at his father, realizing that something big had happened.
Yusaku Kudo didn't keep them in suspense. To be honest, he wasn't in the mood either. This matter was indeed very serious, otherwise he and Yukiko wouldn't have rushed back without even packing their things.
"The true meaning that the code was meant to convey might not be about Asaka and Rum."
Yusaku Kudo sighed.
“Karasuma Renya, I believe this is the real code that Haneda Koji wanted to convey to us,” he said.
Conan Edogawa suddenly stood up, his pupils dilated in shock, and he was speechless for a moment.
Kudo Yusaku looked at him: "The Karasuma Group is the richest in this country. In terms of wealth alone, it is stronger than the Suzuki Group in the east and the Ooka family in the west combined. And if Karasuma Renya is still alive, or even the BOSS of that organization, then he is undoubtedly the most powerful person in this country."
He held his son's shoulders and asked softly, "Do you know what kind of enemy you're fighting?"
Conan Edogawa pursed his lips, looked directly at the man, and then smiled, "Now you know, so what's next? How are we going to defeat him?"
The black-haired, blue-eyed child didn't waver at all; at most, he was surprised. Now, it seemed that his fighting spirit was even more fervent because of his clear goal.
Kudo Yusaku looked at him for a few seconds and couldn't help but laugh.
Shinichi has definitely grown up.
"Well, that requires careful consideration." Kudo Yusaku turned to the FBI agent and said with a smile, "Perhaps our meeting is missing someone? Like that blond Public Security officer?"
Akai Shuichi: "..."
Wait a minute, let him think of a way to get that person to sit down and talk to him calmly.
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