Chapter 44 A Long-Awaited Reunion
This morning, the prisoner's second prophecy came true.
The bomb was found in an archway of a bridge that was one of the government's image-building projects during the Winter Olympics.
This time, the countdown display showed:
The warning message for the next bomb is below.
This time, the police officers who defused the bomb learned their lesson and realized that "below" meant "below" in a physical sense.
However, there is only river water under this bridge.
The Explosives Unit is specifically responsible for handling all sorts of [illegible], so naturally they don't have any diving equipment.
Given the urgency of the situation, the police had no choice but to search for potential bombs in the icy water without any protective gear.
Because the protective suit was too thick and heavy, it sank to the bottom as soon as it entered the water, making it difficult to even turn around.
As expected, the bomb exploded before it could be found.
The silt at the bottom of the river mixed with fresh blood stained the surface of the river, which was not yet frozen in early winter.
Fortunately, the explosion was contained by the sealed container and did not cause any fatalities; however, the number of injured was even greater than the previous incident.
Matsuda was furious after being tricked twice at the same point by the criminal.
However, to his dismay, the people watching the live stream at the hospital did not show much sympathy for the injured police officer.
Many people are panicked, believing that the police are insufficient to protect public safety and that they are constantly in danger of being attacked by criminals.
Some people even bluntly called the police "useless".
Matsuda held back for a long time before he managed to avoid fighting with those people and quietly returned to his ward.
He couldn't help but think sadly: People always see the dignified image of police officers holding police equipment, and even think that police officers should be able to easily deal with all kinds of bad guys like superheroes in movies, but they often forget that those who shield the people from one danger after another are also made of flesh and blood.
The prisoner has given the police a lot of trouble these past few days.
It wasn't just the virginity-testing class; other departments were also complaining bitterly.
Because of this case, some saboteurs who usually lurk online have emerged and started causing trouble.
There are live streams teaching people how to make bombs that end up causing fires, fake pictures or videos reporting fires and explosions, and all sorts of false police reports claiming to have discovered the whereabouts of criminals…
A mere escaped convict has caused the entire Metropolitan Police Department a complete mess.
How ironic!
No wonder some people are spouting nonsense at the police, thinking they're useless.
Finally, Matsuda could no longer tolerate the rumors and asked the doctor to discharge him.
The doctor naturally refused, but he couldn't withstand Matsuda's insistence and had to give up in the end.
Matsuda originally intended to go straight back to work, but Matsuo had several people carry his wheelchair out, ordering him not to return until he was fully recovered, and even instructing the gatekeeper to stop him from entering whenever he saw Matsuda.
Matsuda grumbled and cursed, but there was nothing he could do. He didn't want to go home, so he simply had Hagiwara take him to the secret base.
There is always a quiet place where one can be alone.
Right now, Matsuda is intently studying the bombs made by the criminals.
However, the word "focused" is not accurate. Strictly speaking, Matsuda was trying to concentrate his attention.
But this is difficult.
The pain from the wound was a secondary reason; the main reason was that Matsuda was unusually lost and confused.
"Who is the real opponent this time?"
Are they escaped prisoners?
Or are they just opportunists who thrive on chaos?
Or was it that he was ungrateful and insisted on asking Hagi for cigarettes, only to ignite the fuse himself?
Matsuda couldn't answer; he always had a very clear goal in mind.
However, he is now truly at a loss.
He took a few deep breaths, trying to focus his attention on the bomb.
Why must they always appear in pairs?
Matsuda felt this was a very unusual phenomenon.
Perhaps for some reason, they must be placed together to function properly.
However, only one of the two explosions survived; the other was destroyed.
Restoring the entire jigsaw puzzle is no easy task.
Just as Matsuda was deep in thought, there was a knock on the door.
Matsuda wheeled himself to the door with one hand, only to find a little boy wearing glasses standing outside.
"Big brother, is Officer Hagiwara here?" the little boy asked politely.
Matsuda asked curiously, "Hagi went to work and hasn't come back yet. What do you want with him?"
"Officer Hagiwara's sister asked me to deliver something!" the little boy replied earnestly, pulling an envelope from his pocket.
"Thank you, I'll give it to him when Hagi comes back." Matsuda took the envelope, feeling a little puzzled but not asking any further questions.
But the child had no intention of leaving. Instead, he pleaded pitifully, "Big brother, I'm hungry."
"Huh?" Matsuda was taken aback for a moment, then couldn't help but chuckle to himself.
"What a greedy and clever little rascal! He even knows to ask for a delivery fee!"
Matsuda found the child's chubby face quite adorable, so he waved his hand and said, "Come in, what would you like to eat?"
The little boy's eyes lit up, and he exclaimed happily, "I want something sweet!"
This put Matsuda in a bind; there wasn't much candy available, and the sweets Morofushi had given them yesterday were all gone…
Matsuda, feigning seriousness, lectured, "Children who eat too many sweets are prone to tooth decay."
"My teeth are healthy, I don't have any cavities!" The little boy smacked his lips to show Matsuda his healthy teeth.
Matsuda smiled slightly helplessly, then suddenly remembered there were a few sweet potatoes in the kitchen and asked, "Would you like some roasted sweet potatoes?"
"Yes!" The little boy jumped up excitedly.
So Matsuda went to the kitchen to make roasted sweet potatoes for the child.
Matsuda's left arm and left leg are currently in casts, making it difficult for him to move around.
The little boy thoughtfully helped in the kitchen.
Matsuda looked at the other person's overly skillful movements and asked curiously, "How did you know where the switch is?"
"Huh?" The little boy was taken aback for a moment, then replied with an innocent and cheerful smile, "Shinichi-nii told me!"
"Shinichi Kudo?!"
"yes!"
Matsuda looked shocked, then slowly revealed a look of nostalgia.
He then realized something important.
Besides him and Hagiwara, only Kudo had ever been to this secret base.
Even Sister Qiansu only knew that such a place existed, but did not know its exact location.
"So it was him who sent you..." Matsuda muttered to himself.
Looking at the little boy in front of him, he suddenly realized something and asked, "Are you from Teitan Elementary School?"
"I am Conan Edogawa, a first-grade student at Teitan Elementary School."
"First grade? Were you the one who called the police back then?"
"Yes!" Conan nodded proudly.
"You must have been terrified, right?"
"No, the teacher led us away, and the students were all very happy!"
"Why are you happy?" Matsuda asked, completely bewildered.
"Because we don't have to go to class anymore!"
Matsuda couldn't help but laugh out loud, thinking to himself: He really is still a child!
Due to the explosion, Teitan Elementary School suspended all classes.
The specifics of what will be restored depend on the efficiency of the Metropolitan Police Department.
The school simply cannot afford the risk of another bombing.
"It's done grilling, eat up! Be careful, it's hot."
Conan, holding a hot roasted sweet potato, exclaimed, "Wow, it smells so good! Thank you, big brother!"
Matsuda rubbed the little boy's head, then wheeled himself back to the bombs.
The little boy sat beside him, quietly eating a roasted sweet potato.
Conan remembers that the first time he came here, he ate roasted chestnuts.
They were both very sweet and very hot.
It was so hot it made my heart burn.
"Is big brother studying the maze left by the criminal?" Conan suddenly asked.
"Huh?" Matsuda was a little surprised to hear such a naive and cute metaphor for the first time.
He replied, "Yes, but it's only half there now. I need to restore the other half to find the exit of the maze."
Matsuda had expected Conan to ask questions like "How do you do that?" or "How is that even possible?" He had already prepared a set of excuses to scare the kid.
To everyone's surprise, Conan exclaimed, "Wow! That's amazing!"
"You...believe me?" Matsuda felt a warmth in his heart.
"Mmm!" Conan smiled sweetly, holding a roasted sweet potato.
That appearance reminded Matsuda of someone else.
Matsuda continued his study, and Conan stopped asking questions and simply watched silently from the side.
Conan didn't ask Matsuda's name, not because he wanted to get closer to him by calling him "big brother," but because he wasn't sure if Matsuda would still accept being called "Officer Matsuda."
Conan silently watched the man, half of whose body was wrapped in bandages and plaster, as he used one hand to twist a screwdriver and manipulate the tangled wires, biting his teeth when his hands weren't enough.
When 15-year-old Shinichi Kudo first came here, he would never have imagined that things would develop to this point.
He remembers the excitement he felt when he first saw the "locomotive," the high spirits of Matsuda and Hagiwara back then, and his own fighting spirit at that time.
But what about now?
Two years have passed, and the secret base has not changed much, but the people have changed so much that even recognizing each other has become a luxury.
The anticipation of a long-awaited reunion is filled with so much joy, while the disappointment of things changing and people being gone carries so much regret.
"If I had been able to capture all the criminals back then, would things have been different?"
Conan felt guilty, but even if he could travel back in time now, he wasn't confident he could turn the tide.
Just as Conan finished eating his roasted sweet potato, Hagiwara came home from get off work.
"Hagi, this child brought you something your sister gave you," Matsuda said.
"Huh? My older sister actually gave me something?" Hagiwara was a little surprised. He knew his sister had come to see him today, but she hadn't mentioned it on the phone.
"Could it be a little surprise?"
Hagiwara patted the little boy's head and said, "Thank you, little brother!"
He was about to open the envelope when he said that.
Suddenly, Conan called out, "Big brother, Shinichi asked me to pass on a few words."
"Huh?" Hagiwara and Matsuda looked at each other in bewilderment.
"Shinichi said he's working hard to find the culprit and he'll definitely find him! Shinichi also said he's always trusted your abilities. So, we're leaving the task of solving the maze to you two big brothers!"
Conan stood outside the door frame, facing away from the two people inside. His expression was not visible through the reflective lenses of his glasses.
Conan paused for a moment and continued, "Shinichi also said that he remembers everything you taught him. He eats on time, and he doesn't use lockpicking to do bad things. And, and... he has always hoped that you are good people, and he believes that his wish can be fulfilled."
Matsuda and Hagiwara stared at Conan in astonishment, filled with doubt but unsure where to begin.
Then the child ran away like a gust of wind.
The two of them stood there dumbfounded for a long time before they came to their senses.
"Jinpei-chan, look! What's this?" Hagiwara exclaimed as he opened the envelope.
Inside the envelope was a dirty, dusty piece of paper, torn and tattered, as if a corner had been ripped off.
A bunch of lines were scribbled haphazardly on the paper.
"Could these be the blueprints for a bomb?" Matsuda exclaimed in surprise. "Could they have been dropped by the culprit while he was digging through the tunnel?"
“Very likely…” Hagiwara pondered, “Just who is that child?”
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
