Chapter 291 Seventy-Threeth Cycle (121)
December 5th.
There are 20 days left until there are zero deaths in the valley.
"Bourbon."
Kuroda Hyōe stood by the window, holding his phone, looking down at the police officers coming and going below the police station building.
"Compile all the intelligence you've gathered so far regarding the organization's presence in Tottori Prefecture and send it to me," he ordered.
"Understood," the person on the other end of the phone said. "Are you preparing to contact the Ooka and Haneda families?"
"..." Kuroda Hyoue originally didn't intend to explain, but after thinking about the blond youth's behavior and the action report submitted a few days ago, he remained silent for two seconds and then simply said, "The Haneda family is a bit too hasty. In order to avoid alerting them, it is necessary to tell them in advance."
"The Haneda family is in such a hurry because of Haneda Koji, who died seventeen years ago," Furuya Rei said slowly. "Perhaps you could try handing this case over to Conan-kun?"
Kuroda Hyoue narrowed his eyes slightly: "Edogawa Conan... he is indeed an amazing child, but you trust him that much?"
“Aren’t you the same?” Furuya Rei laughed. “If you, who personally experienced the Haneda Koji case back then, were to tell Conan-kun the details, that child might bring us another surprise.”
"..." Kuroda Hyoue didn't remember telling him about this. "Your intelligence capabilities are indeed impressive, Bourbon."
“It’s my job after all,” Rei Furuya said. “I apologize for the intrusion.”
Kuroda Hyōe looked at his blurry, fierce reflection in the glass window. He wasn't angry that the man had prying into his information, but...
“Rei Furuya, don’t forget, you’re not just the organization’s Bourbon, but also the Public Security Bureau’s ZERO,” he said in a deep voice.
"Of course," the person on the other end answered without hesitation. "I will never forget that I am Rei Furuya, a public security police officer."
Kuroda Hyoue smiled slightly, said a few more words expressing his satisfaction and encouragement, and then hung up the phone.
The exhaled breath had already covered the glass with a layer of condensation in the winter air.
He reached out and wiped it away, and the transparent glass instantly became clear.
Rei Furuya was an undercover agent sent by the Public Security Bureau to the Black Organization six years ago. He is currently a high-ranking intelligence agent in the organization, codenamed Bourbon.
This outstanding and young police officer was sent undercover into the Black Organization for three years, and now, the police have obtained unprecedented detailed intelligence and a very promising chance of victory.
It's time to close the net.
What makes Rei Furuya reassuring is his terrifyingly strong ability, but what also makes him worrying is the same terrifyingly strong ability.
Even Kuroda Hyōe sometimes didn't know what that blond youth was thinking or what he was capable of.
Rei Furuya is incredibly reliable yet also excessively reckless in his actions.
*
December 10th.
There are 15 days left until there are zero deaths in the valley.
Conan Edogawa has finally solved all the mysteries in the Koji Haneda case.
While he was pondering whether to go find Hideyoshi Haneda or Rei Furuya first, Hideyoshi Haneda arrived at Poirot Cafe.
With a "ding-a-ling," a black-haired man wearing black-rimmed glasses pushed open the door and entered, turning around to reveal striking upturned blue eyes and a stubble on his chin.
Conan Edogawa immediately sat up straight.
To be honest, even though he now knows who Scotland is, seeing Hideyoshi Haneda like this still makes him instinctively tense up.
...It's almost become an unconscious reaction.
While thinking, Conan Edogawa quickly deduced why the other person had come here, and simply raised his hand to wave to him.
Haneda Hideyoshi glanced at the blond youth who was still busy entertaining guests, the two exchanged a smile and nodded, and then sat down next to Edogawa Conan.
Conan Edogawa covered his mouth and whispered, "Master Haneda, are you here to see Mr. Amuro?"
Haneda Hideyoshi nodded, but then said, "I'm here to see you too."
Conan Edogawa stared at him for two seconds and immediately understood.
There was no need to test him anymore, so he told him everything he knew about the Haneda Koji case.
During this time, the blond youth saw the last guest off, brought over two glasses of warm water, and sat down next to them.
Conan Edogawa was unsure how well he knew about the case, so he even repeated the brief summary that the other party had missed earlier.
"I see." Hideyoshi Haneda put down his cup. "So, the one who was following and observing me was actually Asaka? She's been investigating this case, hasn't she? Should we tell her too?"
The case concerning the death of his most respected sworn brother, Haneda Koji, instantly turned the usually carefree and silly-looking Haneda Hideyoshi's expression serious, revealing a sharpness and solemnity that was usually only seen when playing chess.
Conan Edogawa thought for a moment and nodded: "Okay, she tested me for a long time before, and yesterday she said she had something to tell me. She has changed her name to Rumi Wakasa and is a teacher at Teitan Elementary School."
They planned to go together, then looked at Rei Furuya with a questioning gaze.
Rei Furuya shook his head and said, "I'll pass, we don't really get along. You guys can handle her, just make sure she doesn't misunderstand anything and it affects our plans."
“We’ll talk about Asaka later.” He changed the subject, looking up at Haneda Hideyoshi. “Mr. Haneda, are you aware of the Haneda family’s recent activities? The one involving their collaboration with the Ooka family.”
He needed to determine whether Hideyoshi Haneda would actually get involved.
Although Hideyoshi Haneda was an adopted son, he had a very good relationship with his adoptive family, so in principle he shouldn't have been excluded from such an important plan.
However, Hideyoshi Haneda has always been well protected by his biological family and has always been excluded from the organization's plans. He also did not participate much in the final battle last time.
Hideyoshi Haneda sighed softly, “My adoptive father and brother both told me that they hoped I could leave this country temporarily. It’s funny, but in the beginning, our family came here because it was safer than the United States. We never expected that we would walk straight into the enemy’s lair.”
Conan Edogawa: "..."
This... is indeed a bit...
"So what are your plans?" Furuya Rei asked.
"I don't plan to keep running away either." Haneda Hideyoshi smiled at him, his eyes crinkling. "Isn't it time to put an end to everything?"
He also knew that his mother had been poisoned by Vermouth and shrunk.
The father, who had been hiding and faking his death because he was being hunted down by the organization, has reappeared.
Not to mention him and his brother Shuichi Akai, even his sister Masumi Sera wouldn't miss this final and ultimate battle.
*
December 15th.
There are 10 days left until there are zero deaths in the valley.
As time drew to a close, Conan Edogawa couldn't help but feel nervous and, as usual, planned to go downstairs to have a chat with Rei Furuya.
He pushed open the door and saw a bespectacled boy with upturned blue eyes and black hair talking closely to the blond youth.
Conan Edogawa: "..."
The person turned around just as the doorbell rang, paused when they saw him, and then instantly flashed a bright and innocent smile.
"Ah, it's Conan! Long time no see!" The boy came over and greeted him warmly.
Conan Edogawa: "..."
Conan Edogawa, with his deadpan expression: "When did you return to China?"
Hondo Eisuke, the guy who left the country after his true identity as Kudo Shinichi was revealed, is also the younger brother of Mizunashi Rena, who is Kir.
"Haha, I only recently came back." Hondo Eisuke sat on the sofa, took the warm water handed to him by the blond youth, and said thank you with a smile.
"You're back at this time," Conan Edogawa asked in a low voice, "Does it mean you've joined the CIA?"
Hondo Eisuke took a sip of water and said with a smile, "Shinichi, there's no need to avoid Furuya-san. One of the purposes of my visit here is to cooperate with him on behalf of the CIA."
When Meng Yi called out his real name, Conan Edogawa tensed up instinctively again. He looked around and breathed a sigh of relief when he found no one was there.
Rei Furuya put down the plate and sat down: "So, you have other motives?"
Hondou Eisuke's expression instantly turned serious. He stood up, bowed deeply to the blond youth, and said sincerely, "Mr. Furuya, thank you for saving my father back then, and my sister has also benefited greatly from your care over the years! Thank you so much!"
Conan Edogawa: "..."
Huh? What? Wasn't Hondou Eisuke's father already dead? How come there's still information he doesn't know?
Conan Edogawa stared intently at the blond youth who had said "No need to thank me, it's all about helping each other."
Rei Furuya noticed and helplessly shrugged: "I was planning to contact them in a couple of days to confirm the specific information about the undercover agents before telling you. There's really nothing more to hide."
You'd better be.
Conan Edogawa withdrew his gaze, slowly eating his dinner with a sandwich in his hand. He sat next to them and listened to their discussion about their cooperation with individuals, the CIA, and even the FBI undercover agents. In his mind, he slowly sorted out a complete, comprehensive, and detailed intelligence and plan for the final battle.
*
December 20th.
There are 5 days left until there are zero deaths in the valley.
Ai Haibara, carrying her schoolbag, pushed open the door of Poirot Cafe with a blank expression and walked straight towards the blond clerk, standing in front of him with a sullen face and no words.
Rei Furuya tilted his head slightly, looked at her for a few seconds, and then smiled.
“It seems you’ve already had a proper talk with your sister,” Rei Furuya said.
Ai Haibara hesitated for a long time, countless words flashing through her mind, but in the end she swallowed them all back, only sighing: "The amount of information is just too much. What you did is far more incredible than I imagined."
It has even completely transcended the realm of science.
The scientists were momentarily at a loss for words.
“So you can rest assured now.” Furuya Rei met her gaze, his purple eyes filled with unwavering determination. “We will definitely win this battle.”
Ai Haibara paused for a moment, feeling a sense of relief and joy, but then frowned again, sighed once more, put her hands on her hips, and looked up at him: "I'm telling you, you've always been thinking about what other people are doing. Of course I believe that the organization is no longer invincible, and there's nothing to be afraid of anymore... But do you really know that you are the most dangerous person right now? Everyone is worried about you, including my sister."
"It'll be alright." Rei Furuya smiled, then suddenly crouched down to be at eye level with her and said softly, "Do you... want to see your parents?"
"Hmm?" Ai Haibara looked at him in confusion, thinking that he wanted to talk to her honestly about what his parents looked like in his memories, or that the organization had actually used holographic black technology to recreate his parents and continue to conduct research.
However, the blond youth did not continue speaking, and a conflicted and hesitant expression appeared on his perfect face.
Finally, when pressed by Ai Haibara, Rei Furuya simply smiled and patted the child's head.
"It's a surprise. I'll tell you after everything is over," he said.
*
December 22nd.
There are 3 days left until there are zero deaths in the valley.
Conan Edogawa has been running around online and offline these past few days, talking to almost everyone in his network, and has completely confirmed that there are no problems with the final battle plan in two days.
He finally had a moment to catch his breath, and his emotional side kicked in. He went downstairs to Poirot Cafe to find the blond young man who was still at work.
The temperature is only 5 degrees Celsius today. Although it didn't snow, it's still very cold.
But the coffee shop was warm, with the air conditioning on full blast.
The humidifier in the corner is working, so the air isn't dry.
The blond young man was calmly and attentively brewing coffee behind the counter, a relaxed smile on his lips.
Unlike the others who were clearly growing increasingly anxious and tense, Furuya Rei remained calm and his work was flawless, just as perfect as ever.
Even Conan Edogawa couldn't be sure whether he was genuinely not nervous or just pretending not to be nervous so as not to make them more nervous.
Anyway, Conan Edogawa was quite nervous.
But the atmosphere in the coffee shop was very relaxing.
The aroma of coffee and desserts filled the air, and the rising steam softened the handsome blond-haired, dark-skinned young man's face, making this seemingly ordinary day, which appeared no different from any other, seem incredibly beautiful.
As the number of customers gradually increased, they couldn't help but gather around the blonde shop assistant and start discussing things.
The elderly man with gray hair said that Amuro was a very gentle and considerate person.
“He always notices when I’m not feeling well and even brings me warm water to take my medicine. He’s so thoughtful.”
"Amuro-kun, he's such a kind and gentle guy. He even helped me fix the roof when he was delivering takeout before."
A middle-aged office worker said that Amuro is indeed very handsome.
"Men who are serious about their work are the most handsome."
"I even saw him chasing after a robber on horseback! I don't know where he got the horse, but it was so cool!"
Young high school girls excitedly discussed whether Amuro was cuter or sexier.
"Blonde hair and dark skin are so sexy! And when Mr. Amuro walked by earlier, I even saw his abs when he lifted his shirt hem!!!"
"Ahhh, that face is so beautiful, but when she smiles and her round, droopy eyes look at me, she's incredibly cute, waaaaah!"
The little kid, who wasn't even as tall as the table, happily said that Amuro-nii was a really nice person.
"Amuro even taught me how to ride a bicycle! He's so patient!"
"Amuro-nii also gave me lots of Kamen Rider stickers and cards! He said he likes Kamen Rider too!!!"
Conan Edogawa gently turned the transparent water glass on the table, staring intently at the layers of ripples on the water.
However, these people were unaware that the blond youth they admired was actually facing a death threat, and might be devoured by the scarlet butterfly and dragged into the darkness in three days...
"Ding-a-ling~"
The golden doorbell rang again.
The blond youth turned around in the sunlight and gave the newcomer a bright smile.
“Welcome,” he said.
Five o'clock.
Rei Furuya left work early today.
Conan Edogawa subconsciously followed him a few steps, wanting to say something, but not knowing what to say.
On the contrary, when Furuya Rei walked up to the white Mazda, he didn't immediately open the driver's side door, get in, and leave. Instead, he opened the passenger side door, turned around, and smiled at the child behind him, extending an invitation.
"Conan-kun, haven't you always wanted to come to my house?"
Conan Edogawa paused for two seconds, then his eyes lit up instantly. He immediately jumped into the passenger seat, full of anticipation.
"But you can't install any listening devices or other gadgets in my house, okay?" Rei Furuya said jokingly as he got into the car from the other side of the driver's seat.
Conan Edogawa chuckled twice, saying no, but in his heart he even wanted to put ten or eight eavesdropping devices and tracking devices on the blond youth.
But this time the reason wasn't a strong desire for exploration or curiosity.
I am genuinely worried and uneasy.
—Even now, the "prophet" still says that the future of zero deaths in Furuya has not changed.
Rei Furuya didn't live far away; he even rented the house specifically for working at Poirot Cafe and to be close to Mori's office.
Trojan Horse Apartments.
There aren't many people here; it's very quiet.
Conan Edogawa followed Rei Furuya upstairs, carefully observing their surroundings until the latter took out a key and opened the door.
"Woof!" A white figure suddenly appeared through the crack in the door, "Woof woof woof awoof awoof—"
Conan Edogawa looked down and saw a small white dog rubbing against the blond youth's legs.
It was so excited that it almost turned into a white blur, and it took Conan Edogawa a while to confirm that it was a young white Shiba Inu.
White Shiba Inus are rare because, within the Shiba Inu community, white Shiba Inus are considered disqualified, genetically defective, and outcasts, and are even barred from participating in competitions of all sizes.
Many of them will become dirty stray dogs.
"Hello, hello, it's alright, I'm back..."
Clearly, this white Shiba Inu named Haro is very well cared for by its owner.
The puppy's fur was pure white and fluffy, its paw pads were pink and tender, and its big tail was wagging wildly. The whole dog looked like a giant cotton candy, whimpering as if it wanted to jump into the blond young man's arms and snuggle up to him.
Rei Furuya did indeed reach out and pick it up, then turned around and smiled, "Sorry, Haro got a little too excited. It's mainly because I didn't come back last night..."
Conan Edogawa followed him inside, his attention involuntarily fixed on the puppy in his arms. He asked in surprise, "So Mr. Amuro, you have a dog? It's so cute, its name is Haro?"
"Yes, this child's name is Amuro Haro." Furuya Rei closed the door, put the puppy inside, reached out and patted Haro's head, and said with a smile, "He's a stray dog I adopted before."
Conan Edogawa looked thoughtfully at the pure white Shiba Inu and the dark-skinned blond youth, but did not ask any further questions. Instead, he shifted his gaze to the room's furnishings.
To his disappointment, yet also unsurprisingly, the room was so ordinary that he couldn't detect any problems.
He truly is a professional undercover agent.
Conan Edogawa sat obediently at the table and greeted Haro, who was curiously sniffing his scent.
"Woof?" Harlow tilted his head, his round dog eyes shining brightly as he stared at him, seemingly quite fond of him.
Conan Edogawa tentatively reached out and touched its head.
Very soft.
Then it got ripped off.
Conan Edogawa couldn't help but smile, and even wanted to take out his phone to take a picture of the dog, but considering Rei Furuya's special identity, he subconsciously looked at him.
Rei Furuya laughed beside him, "Want to take a picture? Sure, Haro is very photogenic, and this kid is very smart."
Conan Edogawa played with the dog for a while and discovered that it wasn't just smart, it was practically a genius! It's almost like Mr. Furuya is training it to be a police dog!
Conan Edogawa began to think that Mr. Furuya had brought him here to talk about Haro's plans and mission.
"No, I just want to temporarily entrust Harrow to you and the children."
Rei Furuya gently stroked the white puppy that was nestled affectionately in his arms.
“Harlow has a bit of a psychological trauma, so I couldn’t keep him at home that day. But no one else had time to take care of him, so I thought I’d temporarily entrust the child to the Junior Detective League.”
Conan Edogawa was taken aback, but of course he agreed, though his expression turned serious.
“Mr. Furuya, you’re actually… nervous, aren’t you?” he asked.
"Yes, of course I'll be nervous."
Rei Furuya didn't deny it, leaning back against the wall. Despite saying that, his expression and posture remained calm and composed.
"We can't let our guard down until things reach the final stage. It has to end perfectly; there can't be any mistakes now."
He always strives to do things seriously and to the best of his ability, which often leads Matsuda to jokingly scold him for being an overly serious perfectionist and a "top-obsessed" person.
He rarely makes mistakes, but when he does, it's a lifelong regret and source of great pain.
Throughout these long and chaotic seventy-three cycles, he never relaxed, let alone gave up on himself.
On the contrary, he paid attention to every detail at all times, sharpening the knife to its sharpest point and drawing the bowstring to its fullest extent.
Only one step remains.
There must be no mistakes.
*
December 23rd.
There are 2 days left until there are zero deaths in the valley.
It's snowing.
The weather was cold, but the sun had already come out, slowly radiating light and warmth.
The streets are already decorated with a plethora of Christmas elements, with large swaths of red creating a strong festive atmosphere.
The juvenile detectives gathered at Poirot's Cafe, chatting happily around the cute little dog, and eagerly accepted the blond young man's request.
"Hello-chan is so cute!"
"What a good dog."
"Don't worry, Amuro-nii! We'll definitely take good care of Haro these next few days!"
Harlow, unaware of what had happened, happily went out to play with the children.
Conan Edogawa stayed behind.
"Ah, it's noon." Enomoto Azusa glanced at the time, then glared at the blond young man who was already untying his apron, feigning displeasure. "Mr. Amuro, you're going to take time off again during the busiest holiday. Honestly, I'm so busy all by myself!"
The blond youth clasped his hands together and winked at her in a pleading manner.
"I'm so sorry, Miss Zi, this really is the last time," he said with a smile.
Enomoto Azusa broke into a laugh, then helplessly crossed her arms and said, "Alright, then you go ahead and get busy. But didn't I hear you and Mr. Hagiwara had arranged to have band practice today?"
Conan Edogawa, standing nearby, looked up in confusion: "Hmm?"
Just then, the door to Poirot's Café was pushed open.
Conan Edogawa turned his head and saw the familiar man with black hair, black-rimmed glasses, blue slanted eyes, and a stubble.
This time it's real Scotland.
“Yes, there’s only one week left until the New Year’s Eve party in Beika Town, so we need to step up our training.” Morofushi Hiromitsu said with a smile, raising his bass guitar.
"Really? Have you already decided on the song you're going to perform?" Enomoto Azusa asked curiously.
The curly-haired, sunglasses-wearing cool guy who came in later chuckled and said, "That's a secret, but I guarantee you'll be incredibly handsome."
Kenji Hagiwara, with his arm around Jinpei Matsuda's shoulder, peeked out and chuckled, "Will Azusa come to support us then?"
"Of course!" Enomoto Azusa clenched her fist in encouragement. "I'll definitely be there to cheer you on!"
As the band's leader, Ida was the last to enter Poirot Cafe, telling them to stop playing and get ready to leave.
Sato Miwako and Takagi Wataru, who were secretly following behind, did not go over.
Sato Miwako sat in her red Mazda, her gaze fixed intently on the five brightly colored Mazdas parked neatly in a row.
“…I should have realized it sooner,” she murmured.
"What? What?" Takagi Wataru was still confused.
Through the car window, you could see the four people who went inside quickly dragging the blond youth carrying a guitar case out of Poirot's Cafe amidst a lot of noise.
The five young men didn't continue driving. Instead, carrying their instruments, they walked further and further down the street, laughing and joking with their arms around each other. From behind, they looked like a band that had gone through many years of trials and tribulations together and had become incredibly close.
Halfway there, the five of them even inexplicably started a snowball fight and ran around.
The snowflakes falling around us looked like some kind of sparkling, joyful special effect.
Conan Edogawa watched them from the entrance of Poirot's Cafe, showing no intention of following them, and simply muttered to himself, "What kind of New Year's Eve performance will they be putting on?"
This journey has been incredibly difficult.
I really look forward to seeing them perform together on stage openly and honestly.
Looking forward to the New Year, a time of victory and hope, after the Christmas of Death has passed.
*
With lightning speed, Furuya Rei stuffed a snowball into Matsuda Jinpei's neck as he prepared to ambush Morofushi Kagemitsu. The curly-haired youth immediately let out a strange cry and bounced around a few times, while Hagiwara Kenji and Date Wataru laughed loudly beside him.
A rare, unusually large five-petaled snowflake suddenly drifted past, and Rei Furuya instinctively reached out to grab it.
The four people who were still having a snowball fight nearby didn't see what he grabbed, but they keenly sensed that something was wrong with him and immediately turned around in confusion to ask, "What is that?"
Rei Furuya smiled and opened his hands, which had been playing in the snow. He quickly waved them twice in the fine snow and then closed them again; there was nothing there.
"It looks like a mosquito," he joked.
"What?" A question mark appeared above Ida Ko's head.
"Where do mosquitoes come from in winter?" Kenji Hagiwara continued to laugh.
"You didn't sleep well again last night, did you?" Morifushi Kagemitsu looked at him with concern.
"You can't even catch a mosquito?!" Matsuda Jinpei seized the opportunity to laugh loudly.
Rei Furuya raised his hands and begged for mercy repeatedly. He was only released after the four men grabbed him and confirmed that he was indeed alright.
Kenji Hagiwara went back to where Kageko Morofushi had been and squatted down, curiously poking the snowball: "Little Morofushi, are you building a snowman?"
"The snow isn't thick enough today to pile up," said Morofushi Kagemitsu regretfully.
"Let's all build a snowman together when it snows heavily again!" Kenji Hagiwara immediately said.
"Thinking about it carefully, we really have never built a snowman together." Ita Wataru realized that they had never had the time or opportunity. They met in police academy before winter, and after graduation, they went their separate ways and were so busy that they had to pretend not to know each other when they met.
“Alright, then let’s see who can build the biggest snowman!” Matsuda Jinpei immediately looked at Furuya Rei provocatively.
Rei Furuya smiled and said okay, absentmindedly clenching his fist slightly.
The fleeting, cool, damp sensation that only he could feel on his palm was just a fleeting moment.
Those are the traces of melting snowflakes.
Can catching a five-petaled snowflake bring about a magical miracle?
Reizo Furuya, I don't think I've ever heard of him.
Unfortunately, there are no cherry blossoms in winter.
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