Chapter 79 The Identity of the Go-Kart
Yesterday, Conan accompanied Kogoro Mouri in investigating the go-kart's identity, but they found nothing.
Xia Mudingsi had died long ago, and no information about any of his relatives or friends could be found, so the trail went cold.
"What a waste, it all came to nothing in the end." Conan sighed and complained to Natsume Ding Si, "How can anyone's social network be so simple?"
He carried his schoolbag and kicked a roadside telephone pole in frustration. He had been thinking about this all day and was still muttering about it on his way home from school.
Ran, who was standing nearby, couldn't bear to watch any longer and comforted him, "Is Conan thinking about yesterday's request again?"
"Don't think about it anymore. It's a good thing that we can't find Mr. Karting. As long as his identity isn't exposed, he's safe."
His reporting on go-karting has become a household name. His reports have exposed many dark things and helped many people who have been hurt.
"Hey, Ran, are you talking about go-karts?" Sonoko Suzuki, walking next to Ran Mouri, asked curiously upon hearing the keyword.
"Yes, yesterday a client asked my dad to investigate his identity," Ran Mouri said truthfully.
"well?"
"In the end, we didn't find anything. I even came home completely drunk yesterday. Honestly," Xiaolan complained.
Sonoko Suzuki gave a knowing look and said, "Let me tell you, Ran, this guy, Karting, is very mysterious. Even my uncle couldn't find out anything about him."
Is this for real? Even Suzuki Jirokichi couldn't find out? This person's strength is terrifying! Conan thought.
"Ran, let me give you a little hint: our family's newspaper also received the go-karting article, but it hasn't been printed yet," Sonoko Suzuki said, as if she were gossiping.
"I secretly read it. It was a report about human trafficking and organ transplantation. He really risked his life to infiltrate that criminal organization and collect evidence..."
"Just for his courage, I've decided to support him!" Sonoko Suzuki declared, hands on her hips.
Is the new report about an organ trafficking organization? Why does that sound so familiar? Conan recalled his experiences infiltrating the criminal organization's hideout, and Gu Ze's cryptic words…
No way! No way!
He hurriedly verified, "Sister Sonoko, is there a Kentaro Nakagawa in that criminal organization? He's a doctor at Beika Hospital."
"Huh? Yes, how did you know!" Sonoko Suzuki said in surprise.
That's him!
If Conan still doesn't know who Karting is, he should quit being a detective and become a clown instead.
"Ran-neechan, I'm going to Professor Agasa's house." Conan said, and headed off in another direction without looking back.
"Okay, come back soon!"
On their way to Professor Agasa's house, they happened to run into the Detective Boys.
"Wait, Haibara, why did you bring them here?!" Conan turned his head and glanced at the three little ones playing around behind him, and said in a low voice.
"Gu Ze invited them out for a meal, what could I do?" Ai Haibara rolled her eyes at Conan.
To conceal her true relationship with Gu Ze, she followed Conan's example and called Gu Ze "Brother Gu Ze".
"So, Haibara, after spending time with Gu Ze, what do you think of him?" Conan asked tentatively.
Ai Haibara remained expressionless as she calmly listed Gu Ze's characteristics: "Mysterious, intelligent, loves good food, sometimes likes to play pranks, and has a bit of a childish temper."
That's all?
"Yes, that's all."
Ai Haibara guessed what he was thinking and added, "Don't worry, he's not part of the organization."
And he will protect you.
Ai Haibara didn't say that.
"Ai, Conan, what are you two whispering about again?!"
We're almost there!
The three children ran after Ai Haibara and Conan, interrupting their conversation.
Amidst the noise and commotion, the five arrived at Gu Ze's house.
As soon as you step into the entryway, a mouthwatering sweet aroma wafts into everyone's nose, whetting their appetites.
"Wow!" The three little ones ran to the dining table, their mouths watering as they stared at the food.
It wasn't mealtime yet, so Gu Ze simply made some desserts that kids like.
"You've finally arrived." Gu Ze came out of the kitchen, holding a plate of egg tarts.
Professor Agasa followed behind Gu Ze. Although he wasn't carrying anything, the egg tart crust stuck to his beard gave him away.
"Doctor! Don't forget you're on a diet, you can't eat high-calorie foods!" Ai Haibara criticized sternly.
"Oh dear! Ai, I only ate one, just one!"
"Not even one..."
While Ai Haibara is scolding Professor Agasa, the three little ones are already showing off.
Seeing that the children were eating non-stop, Gu Ze went back to clean up the kitchen with satisfaction.
It would be better if he didn't have a "follower" following him around.
Conan Edogawa: Stare—
Gu Ze: Hehe~
"Brother Gu Ze, aren't you going to explain this to me?" Conan questioned.
"There's nothing to explain, don't you already know?" Gu Ze cleaned the stove with a rag.
"I am go-karts, and go-karts are me. This is my side hustle!"
Hearing Gu Ze admit it himself, Conan felt a mix of emotions.
"You didn't orchestrate everything that happened yesterday, did you?" he asked.
That's absolutely true! But Gu Ze won't tell Conan.
"Not entirely. I originally planned to visit Mr. Mori, but I overheard his request for a task and suddenly had a good idea to give you some clues."
After explaining, Gu Ze hung the towel in his hand on the hook.
"Besides this, you must be hiding something from me, right?" Conan glanced at Gu Ze. "Why don't you tell me everything now?"
Hearing this, Gu Ze paused, considered it carefully, and said, "Since you're curious, how about we play a game?"
What game?
"You'll find out later!"
"You're keeping us in suspense again!"
"Seriously? Why did you bring them along?" Conan looked at the three little ones who were looking at a sculpture with half-moon eyes.
"Wouldn't this be quite lively?" Gu Ze retorted.
"So, where is this place?" Ai Haibara walked at the very back, strolling leisurely and admiring the beautiful scenery along the way.
An hour ago, Gu Ze suggested taking Conan, Ai Haibara, and the three little ones to a place, and then they arrived at this manor.
“This is my third uncle’s manor.” Gu Ze shook a bunch of gold keys in his hand. “My third uncle had no wife or children. After he passed away, his estate changed hands several times and ended up in my hands.”
Upon hearing that the manor belonged to Gu Ze, Conan's eyes widened immediately.
What a huge estate! They've been walking for ten minutes and haven't seen a single residence!
"Brother Gu Ze, when can we take a break?" Yuan Tai called out from the front.
"Hang in there a little longer, we're almost there!"
After walking for another five minutes, they finally saw several elegant and grand buildings with a European style.
“I regularly hire someone to clean, so the house is very clean,” Gu Ze said as he took out his key to open the door.
Upon entering, you'll see a grand hall that can host balls, decorated in a magnificent and antique style, as if you were in medieval Europe.
"Wow!" Ayumi stared at the sparkling decorations, completely mesmerized.
After turning through several doors, Gu Ze led a few children into a reception room.
The soft sofa was spotless, embroidered with intricate designs. Decorative porcelain ornaments were placed in various corners of the living room, and although the ceramic vases were empty of fresh flowers, they were still beautiful and eye-catching.
"There should be water in the kitchen. I'll go pour you a few glasses." Gu Ze left the room, leaving the five people looking around curiously.
"What game does Gu Ze want to play with us?" Ayumi sat on the sofa, swinging her legs. "Conan, do you know?"
"I don't know." Conan appeared calm on the surface, but in reality, he was reviewing Gu Ze's previous actions, trying to find the truth in the slightest clues.
Genta and Mitsuhiko were looking at several ornaments, while Ai Haibara stopped to admire an oil painting.
"This can't be the real thing, can it?" she muttered, staring at it intently.
Not long after, Gu Ze pushed a small cart in and gestured for the group to sit down.
"There's not much to eat here, we really haven't been very hospitable," he said apologetically, handing glasses of water to the group.
"It's okay, Brother Gu Ze, we're full from all those desserts," Guang Yan comforted him, taking a sip from his cup.
"By the way, Brother Gu Ze, when does the game you mentioned start?" Conan asked eagerly, his eyes brimming with excitement.
Faced with Conan's urging about his purpose, Gu Ze calmly replied, "It's a treasure hunt game."
"Treasure hunt!"
The topic immediately piqued the interest of the Junior Detectives, and all their fatigue vanished.
"This manor was left to me by my third uncle. It is said that when he traveled to China, he found a huge treasure in that country..."
Gu Ze paused deliberately, and after scanning everyone's inquisitive expressions, he continued speaking.
“After my third uncle passed away, there was a rumor that he had put this treasure in this house.”
"So how should we go find it?" Ayumi asked, her hands clasped together, full of anticipation.
"Ahem, of course there are clues." Gu Ze cleared his throat and took out a yellowed old piece of paper, placing it on the coffee table.
“I found this in the safe in my third uncle’s room a few days ago.”
Conan picked up the paper, and apart from Ai Haibara calmly drinking water, the three little ones all crowded around Conan.
The paper had two lines of text written on it. The first line was “patg” followed by the Arabic numeral “1”, and the second line was “in” followed by the number “2”.
"What is this? I can't understand it at all." Genta scratched his head, looking disappointed.
English is still too advanced for first-grade students.
But it's just right for Conan, who's pretending to be an elementary school student.
He lowered his head and pondered.
If the Arabic numerals here are used for serial numbers, then they certainly wouldn't be placed at the end; therefore, this number is also part of the code.
Should it be reversed? But "gtap" isn't a single word.
If you look at it the other way around, "in" is a single word, but no, you can't think of it that way...
While Conan was still reeling from the storm, Gu Ze casually remarked.
Actually, I already deciphered this code a long time ago~
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