Chapter 241 Returning Home—Shh.
Haibara Ai didn't know what to say.
When in the laboratory, Kiichiro Numabuchi would always ask questions that she couldn't answer.
Only children who are still in the initial stages of exploring and understanding the world can ask similar questions.
"...I guess so," she said. "What did you mean by 'smell' being different?"
Kiichiro Numabuchi frowned.
"More... delicious," he tried to describe.
Thinking of the chicken that was in his hand just now, Kiichiro Numabuchi couldn't help swallowing.
...So hungry. He hadn't eaten in hours.
If I had known earlier, I would have picked up the chicken as well.
"So what's the difference between its 'deliciousness' and the 'deliciousness' of other animals?"
Haibara Ai continued to ask.
"Hmm..." Numabuchi Kiichirō pondered for a moment, then an idea struck him: "The difference between them is just like the difference between the mice in Shiho's lab!"
"The little white mouse with red eyes in your cage is different from the other mice. I have a very keen nose and can smell it."
Haibara Ai was stunned.
She thought for a while before she remembered what the red-eyed white mouse that Kiichiro Numabuchi was talking about was.
It was a genetically modified mouse in her laboratory. Many genetic mutations can lead to adverse consequences, some even causing embryonic deformities and stillbirth.
However, apart from the mutant mouse's eyes turning scarlet, the rest of its body developed healthily, similar to other mice.
When Kiichiro Numabuchi arrived, the little white mouse was already there. He was quite curious about it and asked Shiho Miyano why the mouse's eyes were red.
Why did Kiichiro Numabuchi use this analogy? Could it be that the chicken, and the animals in his former home, were also genetically mutated?
A strange feeling arose in Haibara Ai's heart.
The occurrence of mass gene mutations can only be caused by deliberate artificial cultivation... What exactly does the Numabuchi family do?
She had never asked about Kiichiro Numabuchi's past before, because the question was pointless—if it was tragic, then asking was pointless; if it was sweet, then it would only make his current situation seem even more pitiful. But now, her heart was filled with doubts, and she couldn't care less. She grabbed Kiichiro Numabuchi's sleeve and said, "What did your family do in the past? Do you remember? Did your family raise those animals?"
"How did you get into the organization?"
Kiichiro Numabuchi was stunned by the series of questions and began to think seriously.
What did your family do? ... My father read, my mother took care of herself, and we had lots of animals in the backyard...
Those animals... didn't seem so delicious or so attractive to him before...
How did he get into the organization?
It was... his father and mother who sent him there...
Kiichiro Numabuchi stumbled over and told Ai Haibara the answer in his mind.
"When was that?" Huiyuan sighed, trying to calm herself down. "When was it that you were sent to the organization?"
"I can't remember, Shiho," Kiichiro Numabuchi said honestly.
"Do you still remember what you looked like back then? Is your age very different from now?"
Kiichiro Numabuchi thought for a moment and said, "Not big."
Then he was not sent into the organization since childhood.
Huiyuan Ai slowed down her tone, trying to sound gentler: "Ichiro, do you still remember why your parents sent you to the organization?"
This is a very bad question - being sent to hell by loved ones is definitely one of the things that victims least want to recall. Haibara Ai has already seen that Kiichiro Numabuchi's expression began to change.
First he felt aggrieved, then a little sad, and finally his whole face wrinkled.
"I have a headache, Shiho," he said. "It hurts so badly... and it hurts even worse now!"
He held his head and cried.
Huiyuan Ai quickly patted his back: "Sorry, sorry... Don't force yourself, don't recall it anymore..."
Kiichiro Numabuchi sniffed and stopped thinking.
He didn't know why, but whenever he thought about his father and mother sending him away, his head would start to ache. The more he tried to recall the details, the more uncomfortable it became. It was as if he was back in the lab without Shiho, crying helplessly alone.
He always felt that something terrible had happened at that time...that's why his parents sent him away.
He shuddered, took a breath, and shook his head again: "It's so scary. I don't want to think about it anymore."
But he glanced at Huibara Ai and hesitated again: "But, if Shiho really wants to know, I can still try my best to recall it. It doesn't matter even if it hurts, I feel that I can still remember it..."
How could Huiyuan Ai let him continue to feel pain: "No need. You should take a rest soon - what's wrong?"
There was a noise in the bushes. The vigilant Kiichiro Numabuchi immediately stood up and protected Haibara Ai behind him.
"Someone's here, Shiho," he said.
Ai Haibara followed his gaze and saw the three adults chasing after them.
It's coming so soon? Huiyuan Ai pondered for a moment, then reached out and grabbed Numabuchi Kiichiro's sleeve: "You'll find a chance to escape later."
"Then what are you going to do, Shiho?" asked Kiichiro Numabuchi in confusion.
"They are not bad people and will not hurt me." Huiyuan Ai explained in a low voice, "Also, don't call me Shiho later... I also escaped from the organization. Now my name is Huiyuan Ai."
Hearing this, Kiichiro Numabuchi was stunned for a moment, then suddenly broke into a huge smile: "That's great, Shi... Haibara, Ai. You have a new life!"
"Those, research, you don't like it, I know. You are good, I am very happy!"
Huiyuan Ai's nose felt sore and she patted his back: "I'm fine, and you have to be fine too. Run away first, okay? I'll come to see you."
Kiichiro Numabuchi neither nodded nor shook his head.
He didn't believe he would be okay. Just now, as he thought about it, the bad premonition that had been lingering in him became stronger and stronger, and he heard more voices.
Shiho said that these were all hallucinations and that we just had to ignore them.
But Kiichiro Numabuchi couldn't do it.
In his hallucinations, there were people who hurt him, people he killed, people who were about to hurt him, and his family.
Who could remain indifferent to such an illusion?
Just like now, the voice floating in his mind spoke, making a buzzing sound he couldn't understand, and he almost couldn't hear Shiho's voice.
But it doesn't matter, Numabuchi Kiichiro thought, as long as Shiho is fine. This is his only friend, he hopes Shiho is happy every day.
The first to appear were Keimitsu Morofushi and Judy, followed by Dr. Arata.
Morofushi Kagemitsu held his cell phone and looked at Numabuchi Kiichiro nervously.
"Numabuchi Kiichiro," he said, "please don't embarrass that child. Let her come to us. We won't turn you in to the police."
He had just received a message from Miss Lin. Lin Xi had sent him a wanted photo of Kiichiro Numabuchi, asking him to buy time as much as possible while she and Conan headed in that direction.
However, in Numabuchi Kiichiro's eyes, everything had changed: the clothes of the man who came over, Morobushi Kagemitsu, had turned black, and he looked at him with cold eyes, and his mouth said something completely different from reality: "Experiment number ******, hand over Miyano Shiho. You will all be taken away and handed over to the organization."
Even his face changed, becoming that of a young man wearing black-framed glasses and with a few freckles on his face.
The young man smiled and said, "Why are you so naughty, ******? You're so pitiful! You could have spent your whole life in your parents' arms, but because you were disobedient, you have no choice but to go with me... Look how sadly your mother is crying."
Kiichiro Numabuchi suddenly hugged his head.
The kitchen knife fell out of his hand and landed in the dirt.
"Wuwu... Stop talking..." He whimpered unsteadily, his eyes widening as he pleaded with Zhu Fujingguang, "I didn't mean to do that, I didn't mean to do that..."
Zhu Fu Jingguang was shocked by the sudden change.
Haibara Ai thought to herself, this was a bad omen, knowing that Kiichiro Numabuchi's auditory hallucinations had resurfaced. She tugged at Kiichiro Numabuchi's clothes from behind and whispered, "Ichiro, don't be afraid. Calm down... I'll go towards them later. You take this opportunity to leave quickly. Be obedient, okay?"
After saying that, she pretended to be a little scared and walked towards Zhu Fujingguang.
Unexpectedly, Kiichiro Numabuchi suddenly grabbed her wrist: "No, no! I won't let you take her away. Please, please, let me do anything. I can still do a lot of things. I am still valuable..."
Zhu Fushi Jingguang noticed something was wrong, and his eyes scanned back and forth between Haibara Ai and Numabuchi Kiichiro. He spoke cautiously, "Calm down, Mr. Numabuchi. We won't hurt you, and we definitely won't hurt her..."
But those words changed in Kiichiro Numabuchi's ears: "Exchange you for her? What else can you do, ******? You have proved to me that you are worthless. I gave you many chances, but you always messed things up. Is this my fault? You wasted the opportunity yourself, and now you are still negotiating with me, really..."
The young man in the hallucination shook his head.
"It's really embarrassing."
Kiichiro Numabuchi's whole body was cold. His grip tightened, not even noticing that he was hurting Ai Haibara's hand.
"There's only one thing I beg you to do." He trembled all over and said desperately, "Sir, M——"
"—Shh." The young man put his finger to his lips, "Be mindful of the situation. Do you want to kill Miyano Shiho?"
"Look around you. Your good friends have already started new lives, and you're the only exception. Your mere presence is enough to get your friends into trouble. Oh, what are you going to do?" The young man looked at Kiichiro Numabuchi with interest. "How about I give you an idea?"
"Look, there's a cliff behind you. If you jump from there, the only stain on Shiho will be gone. No one will be able to find her again. She'll be safe, very safe... The only price is your death. How about it, experiment number ******?"
"I take that back. You're not completely worthless. At least, you added a little suspense to the story. Hehe... In that respect, you did a pretty good job."
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