Chapter 260, Seventy-Third Cycle (90)
“I think it would be better to start with Boya,” Shuichi Akai said as tactfully as possible. “Amuro-kun would only accept my invitation with a gun.”
Conan Edogawa: "..."
Yusaku Kudo and Yukiko Kudo were stunned for two seconds, then couldn't help but burst out laughing.
Conan Edogawa sighed and said helplessly, "Alright, I'll take care of Mr. Amuro."
This wasn't a problem for him.
“Speaking of Mr. Amuro, I remembered there’s something I haven’t told you yet.” Conan Edogawa sat down again, his expression serious. “Last time our school went camping, Rumi Wakasa and Yuki Amami went along too. After the case happened, we even ran into Hyoue Kuroda.”
After speaking, he further explained that Rumi Wakasa and Yuki Amami were elementary school teachers suspected of being members of the organization, while Heiji Kuroda was a director of the Metropolitan Police Department's First Investigation Division who had transferred from Nagano to Tokyo.
These three individuals are suspected to be members of the organization, have ties to Scotland, and appear to know each other, though their relationship is strained.
Moreover, they all showed extraordinary attention and concern for Conan Edogawa himself, not even treating him as an ordinary child, but they didn't seem to have any ill intentions for the time being.
Although Kuroda Hyoue himself looks terrifying and serious, he always has that same expression on his face.
After saying that, Conan Edogawa turned to look at Shuichi Akai again.
“Mr. Akai, we’ve come this far, can’t you still tell me who Scotland is? I’m sure I’ve already met him, right?” he asked.
Shuichi Akai was silent for a few seconds, then felt that it was indeed time to say it.
After all, Scotland is clearly eager to start investigating Shinichi Kudo, and it would be very dangerous if they didn't know who he was at all.
However, they haven't told him the inside story that Conan Edogawa is Shinichi Kudo yet. Why don't they just use this as a bargaining chip to finally reveal the truth?
Shuichi Akai said, "It's possible, but..."
He stopped abruptly halfway through his sentence.
Conan Edogawa asked urgently, "But what?"
"Wait a moment." Shuichi Akai took out his vibrating phone and opened it to check for new messages.
The intelligence was sent by an FBI agent.
[Mr. Akai, there's been some new activity from the novelist Ryuichi Taki, whom you previously brought to our attention.]
Akai Shuichi's gaze instantly sharpened.
Since the last Nagano church incident, he has been suspicious and investigating some things, the most important of which is whether Taki Ryuichi is a pseudonym of Scotland.
[Taki Ryuichi's "Running Towards the Sun" is about to release its fifth novel, which the author says will be the final volume, titled "The Wheel of Fortune."]
Final volume?
Will the fifth novel really be the same as the game they experienced at the Nagano Church?
Will all the metaphors and foreshadowing buried in the novel be revealed in it?
[At the same time, Taki Ryuichi and Noah Company simultaneously announced that a holographic game based on the novel "Running Towards the Sun" would be released soon.]
Shuichi Akai was stunned.
Noah Company?
Isn't Noah Corporation a game company that was established less than a year ago by Tadahiro Kashimura, the father of Hiroki Sawada, the genius boy who once developed the artificial intelligence Noah's Ark?
As for holographic games... the technology existed before, but because the Noah's Ark incident that trapped people inside had a huge impact, people were somewhat distrustful of holographic games. Perhaps because of this, no further news about holographic games has emerged, as if everyone is temporarily hesitant to touch it.
However, it is clear that Tadahiro Kashimura has actually been conducting research all along.
He was originally a core researcher for the holographic game "Cocoon," and is probably the person in the world who knows the most about holographic game technology.
In addition, Shuichi Akai recently confirmed that Hiroki Sawada and Noah's Ark are actually still alive, so it's not a problem for their family to create a brand new holographic game in a short period of time.
However... there's no problem with creating holographic games, but whether others dare to play them is another question.
So what is Ryuichi Taki from Scotland trying to do by releasing this obviously problematic game now?
Our people attempted to hack into the game company's computers to investigate the situation, but all attempts failed.
Shuichi Akai narrowed his eyes slightly.
What can withstand the FBI's intrusion: Hiroki Sawada or Noah's Ark?
If it was them, then this matter is probably also related to the police and Rei Furuya's side...
【Oh no! We've been hacked from the other side!!!】
Shuichi Akai's face instantly darkened.
After two minutes of chaos on the other end, they sent over the detailed account.
Although the invasion was ultimately repelled without causing much damage, it was clear that the intruders were hostile.
This behavior doesn't seem like that of a police officer.
It's more like the style of an organization.
That code, and that style, immediately reminded him of Scotland…
[By the way, we also discovered that the largest investor in this game is the Karasuma Group.]
Shuichi Akai stared at those words and fell into a long silence.
"Mr. Akai, what happened?" Conan Edogawa asked curiously only after things seemed to have ended.
"It's nothing." Shuichi Akai put away his phone, thinking he would investigate and confirm things before telling them. For now, he would go back to the FBI to handle the follow-up.
Conan Edogawa immediately pressed, "Then who exactly is Scotland—?"
“Let’s talk about Scotland later,” Shuichi Akai interrupted him, changing the subject. “The most important thing right now is to get in touch with Amuro and secure his willingness to cooperate.”
"You can get the answers to most questions from him."
Shuichi Akai lowered his eyes and twirled the unlit cigarette between his fingers.
That will be the final piece of the puzzle.
The mystery, shrouded in an elusive fog, grows heavier in the darkness, creating a sense of unease as the final door is about to open.
I have a feeling that things aren't that simple.
The strange events at the Nagano church have yet to be investigated...
Let's proceed with caution.
It would be best to wait until we have confirmation of Furuya Rei before revealing the Scottish situation.
Otherwise, he was always worried that this was a Scottish conspiracy, and that if it were revealed, something might go wrong somewhere, and the identities of Shuichi Akai and Shinichi Kudo would be completely exposed.
Then, this will become the final piece of the puzzle for the organization.
Both sides have reached the final, crucial moment and cannot afford to be careless.
*
Tooru Amuro has disappeared.
Conan Edogawa has been frantically searching for people these past few days, but he doesn't dare to make any big moves.
Amuro Tooru's disappearance was clearly anticipated, which is why Poirot took a week off under the pretext of "feeling unwell and needing to see a doctor."
When asked, Matsuda Jinpei and Sawada Hiroki replied, "He said he's busy these days and we can't get in touch with him," and there was no other detailed information.
Conan Edogawa guessed that the organization had probably taken action.
He went to Shuichi Akai, hoping to get some information from Kir, who was still an undercover agent in the organization, but the FBI was also unable to contact Kir.
In the past two days, news of the final volume of the novel "Running Towards the Sun" and the upcoming release of the eponymous holographic online game has been widely publicized.
The holographic game is back, and in addition to inviting celebrities from all walks of life as before, fifty free names will be randomly distributed.
Because this is the first batch of internal testing, there are only a limited number of slots, a total of only one hundred, and the list will be finalized at midnight tonight.
"So, do you have a way to get me a spot?" Kaito Kid asked.
Conan Edogawa: "..."
Conan Edogawa, with dead fish eyes: "What gave you the misconception that I could easily get this spot?"
Kaito Kid squatted down in front of him: "I just saw that your whole family received an invitation."
The list of invitees had been released long ago, and it included well-known figures from all walks of life, including the Kudo family.
The free, randomly distributed slots will be released at midnight tonight; who knows who will get them?
"Didn't you receive it too?" Conan Edogawa said. "Because of this news, your fans are excitedly searching everywhere to buy a spot."
Kaito Kid slapped his thigh: "I'd have to dare to use the name Kaito Kid to claim that spot and enter the game!"
This is clearly a trap! Won't many people be able to immediately identify him as Phantom Thief Kid?!
This time, people might really die!
"So why do you insist on participating in this game?" Conan Edogawa sighed. "To be honest, we're all still hesitant."
“I can understand. After all, the church that this weird novel created last time was terrifying, and there’s a high chance it’s related to the Black Organization. We don’t know what will happen this time. But—” Phantom Thief Kid snapped his fingers, and a playing card suddenly appeared between his fingers.
The white-clad thief, dressed as a magician, flipped the cards over, revealing a smiling red Joker Ace.
"The ghost that was blocking the truth has emerged from the fog and extended an invitation to me," he said with a smile. "And Phantom Thief Kid is never afraid of a challenge."
Conan Edogawa was startled, realized something, and suddenly looked up to meet his gaze.
Kaito Kid placed the playing card in his palm: "The Joker card represents the sun, and I'm definitely going to beat the final level, 'Run to the Sun.'"
He said, "I got the information from the animal organization that they are trying to get involved in this game. There must be something important in this game that attracts them. They mentioned the Pandora experiment, which is also related to the truth I have been investigating. I have to go."
Because Conan Edogawa calls his mysterious organization the Black Organization, Kaito Kid gave his own organization a nickname as well. He simply and directly named it the Animal Organization because their code names are animal names, and even suggested that Conan Edogawa should call the Black Organization the Beverage Organization.
"Alright, if you have any spots available, save one for me. That's all, see you in the game." Phantom Thief Kid stopped him just to say this; otherwise, he would have already run away after stealing the gem and returning it to its rightful owner.
He was certain that Conan Edogawa would definitely enter the game to investigate that organization, without a doubt.
"Wait—" Conan Edogawa grabbed his cloak.
"Don't wait any longer. I suspect that Nagano police strategist has already discovered my plan. If he changes his mind and comes to arrest me, it'll be troublesome." Phantom Thief Kid struggled to pull his cloak back up, and couldn't help but complain, "Why is he in Tokyo? Do you know how terrified I was when I suddenly saw him? I almost crashed my car—"
“Inspector Morofushi has already been summoned by a phone call,” Conan Edogawa said. “Director Kuroda called him over on business, just to act as his strategist in arresting you… I wanted to ask you, what did you find out about the Nagano church incident? Didn’t the witch on your side say anything?”
Kaito Kid paused, and the relaxed smile on his face vanished instantly.
After a full three seconds of eye contact, he said, "That's not something nice to say. Do you really want to hear it?"
Conan Edogawa frowned, but said firmly, "Go ahead."
Kaito Kid sighed and looked at the moon in the night sky through the glass window.
He remembered the red witch of that night, the red moon of that time, and the red butterfly in the church deep in the Nagano mountains.
“She said that we will eventually be defeated by the gears of fate,” said Kaito Kid. “No one can change fate; humanity is just too insignificant.”
Conan Edogawa's expression changed drastically in an instant.
Phantom Thief Kid turned to him and smiled arrogantly, saying, "But I don't believe it."
Conan Edogawa paused for a moment, then smiled.
“I don’t believe it either,” he said.
*
[Phantom Thief Kid Achieves New Glory—]
Hakuba Saguru quit the news and sent a message to Kuroba Kaito, but received no reply.
"Superintendent General Hakuba."
Hakuba looked up and saw Kuroda Hei, the director of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department's First Investigative Division, talking to his father.
"How's that going?" Before saying this, his father subtly glanced around.
"It's time to get started," Kuroda Hyōe said. "Before accomplishing great things, the most important thing is to eliminate unnecessary troubles."
Hakuba Saguru realized something and immediately stepped forward, saying, "I want to get involved too."
Kuroda Hyōe looked at him, his expression still terrifying and stern, and said, "What is Master Hakuba saying?"
Pretending to be stupid.
Hakuba Saguru stepped forward again: "It's just a game, isn't it? Even if it's a holographic online game that had problems before, this game was remade from scratch, so it definitely won't happen again. Besides, even if something does happen, I'm fully capable of helping."
Starting from scratch
It's no coincidence that I'm saying this at this time.
How did this young master know the code for this operation?
Kuroda Hyoue gave a sharp look to Superintendent General Hakuba beside him.
Superintendent White Horse chuckled and said, "Young people always like excitement and adventure. This kid is pretty good at games, so it's good to let him get some experience."
Kuroda Hyōe: "..."
Tsk.
"All right."
*
"Mr. Morofushi, Mr. Morofushi?" Date Wataru raised his voice.
"Hmm?" Zhu Fu Gaoming snapped back to reality. "Sorry, I was daydreaming for a moment."
"It's nothing, it's nothing." Date Wataru laughed heartily, handing him an envelope. "Everything's here. Would you like to open it and take a look, Mr. Morofushi?"
Zhu Fugaoming put away the envelope, shook his head slightly, and said, "No need, it's just a family letter. I'll read it slowly when I get back."
Takagi Wataru, standing nearby, curiously peered over: "A letter from home? But why isn't there a sender's signature?"
Sato Miwako subtly elbowed him, successfully silencing him.
“Probably because my current identity isn’t very convenient,” said Morifushi Takaaki. “My younger brother used to be a policeman, but he resigned and I don’t know where he went or what he’s doing now.”
Date saw him off, saying with a sigh, "He'll be alright. Mr. Morofushi is so capable, your brother must be exceptional too. Even if he goes into another industry, even if he starts from scratch, he'll definitely do very well."
Zhu Fu Gaoming's expression remained unchanged. He glanced at him slightly, then smiled and said, "Yes, that's why I need to work even harder."
"Haha, you've already worked so hard, your health is the most important thing," said Date Wataru.
After the two walked away, Takagi Wataru clutched his stomach and asked in a low voice, "Officer Sato, why did you hit me? Why did Date-san talk like he knew Mr. Morofushi's brother? What happened?"
Sato Miwako put one hand on her hip, her crescent-shaped eyes wide with a sigh: "Probably. I saw some photos of Mr. Date from his police academy days in his closet. Besides Matsuda and Hagiwara, there was another person who looked a lot like Mr. Morofushi."
Takagi Wataru still didn't quite understand: "But why are we so reluctant to mention that person?"
Sato Miwako rolled her eyes, grabbed his head, and whispered, "Are you stupid? Have you forgotten? I told you before, Mr. Date's class was very lively and excellent, especially Mr. Date and his five classmates, who were exceptionally talented. Just look at Mr. Date, Matsuda-kun, and Hagiwara-kun. Why did Mr. Morofushi's younger brother, who was just as talented as them, suddenly resign from the police force, not knowing where he is or what he's doing, and even having to go through Mr. Date and not leave his name when sending things to his brother?"
"Ah!" Takagi Wataru realized what was happening, and his eyes widened.
Miwako Sato sighed softly, "He's probably gone undercover."
Takagi Wataru looked astonished.
For an ordinary policeman like him, being an undercover agent feels much like being an ordinary person, as powerful and distant as a movie protagonist.
"Huh? Wait a minute..." Takagi Wataru suddenly realized something and tilted his head in confusion, "Didn't you say there were five people? But Officer Sato, you just said that there were only four photos of people in Date-san's closet?"
Sato Miwako was taken aback and also puzzled.
"Hmm? I remember there were definitely five people. Strange, I also remember everyone saying that the five of them had a very good relationship, and that the five cosmic gorillas were here to destroy the world... Why is there no picture of the fifth person?"
*
As he walked out of the Metropolitan Police Department, Morofushi Takaaki glanced around, then took out an envelope and turned it over.
There was no sender's signature on the back of the envelope, but a small circle was drawn at the end.
No, it should be [0].
Zero, zero, drop valley zero.
Zhu Fugaoming opened the envelope, and there was nothing inside except a cell phone.
He flipped the phone over and saw an "H" engraved on the back.
Hiro, 景, 景光.
Morofushi Komei stroked the fresh engraving, then flipped the phone over again and turned it on.
On the black screen, a pink five-petaled cherry blossom slowly appeared.
*
September 18
Suitable for: praying for blessings, opening a business, and conducting transactions.
Taboo: None
Midnight.
Free beta test slots for the holographic game "Run Towards the Sun" have begun to be randomly distributed, and Noah Games also announced that the game will officially launch tomorrow night at 9 PM.
At the same time, in different places, the expressions of those who received the invitation varied.
Carmel happily did ten push-ups on the spot.
Rumi Wakasa looked at the words on the invitation and suddenly let out a cold laugh.
Sera Masumi looked excited yet serious as she took her phone and went to find her mother.
Mary Akai turned her phone over to show her daughter, and it displayed the exact same email.
Ai Haibara looked at that email with the same disdain she would give a snake, and finally, unable to bear it any longer, she knocked on Hiroki Sawada's door.
Shuichi Akai frowned as he looked at the email on his phone that he had sent to Subaru Okiya, and then turned on his computer.
The phone belonging to Shinichi Kudo that Conan Edogawa has already received the invitation, and now, the phone belonging to Conan Edogawa has also received the same invitation.
Conan Edogawa breathed a sigh of relief.
He was going, of course, but he couldn't go as Shinichi Kudo.
Meanwhile, Kogoro Mouri, a famous figure in the detective world, and his daughter Ran Mouri had already received and accepted the invitation.
Conan Edogawa sent a message to Kaito Kid asking if he had received it.
Kaito Kid held the phone that belonged to Kaito Kuroba, looked at the email, and had a strange expression on his face.
"Is it really that much of a coincidence?" he muttered to himself, covering his invitation ID and sending a screenshot to Conan Edogawa.
Conan Edogawa glanced at the invitation, then returned to his own invitation screen, staring intently at the lines of text, pondering them repeatedly.
Do you really understand this world?
Cross that line, break through the rules of limitation, and you will see a completely different world.
That is not a world ruled by humans.
That was the playground of the gods, and the breeding ground for demons.
But humans are the main characters.
What you're about to see may far exceed your expectations.
But that's reality. You have to accept it, then move forward, run forward, run towards the sun.
Will we lose? Will we die?
【No. 】
Kuafu chasing the sun, Houyi shooting down the suns, Yu Gong moving mountains, Jingwei filling the sea… Human determination can conquer nature!
We are human beings; we can slay gods and demons; we are both God and devil.
We want to reverse the flow of time and bring the dead back to life.
We will change our destiny, upend the world, and create miracles.
The holographic game "Run Towards the Sun" will officially launch on September 19th at 9 PM. Player number 99, congratulations on being selected as one of the first players to receive a spot in the closed beta.
The gaming helmet will be shipped to you as soon as possible. Please fill in your address promptly.
Finally, Noah Holdings wishes you a pleasant gaming experience.
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