Chapter 62 Parting Ways
The next day at noon, Sonoko was waiting for everyone to come to the restaurant for a seafood meal.
The appointment was supposed to be yesterday, but it was postponed by a day because the head chef had something to do and couldn't come.
This restaurant is famous for its sashimi, so Sonoko decided to have a big meal there.
Although her older sister just said she couldn't come because she had to visit a friend, it didn't affect the second young lady's mood at all.
However, what happened next caused her mood to plummet.
"Xiao Lan, you're here! Please have a seat!" Sonoko happily greeted her first guest.
Ran said apologetically, "I'm sorry, Sonoko, for making you wait so long. Dad got a stomachache from eating seafood last time and developed a phobia of it, so he refused to come this time no matter what. He went outside and drank by himself."
Sonoko showed a hint of regret, but then cheered up: "It's okay, we'll wait for the others!"
Ran said even more awkwardly, "I'm afraid no one else is coming either. The professor took the children to the ski resort early this morning, and Mr. Amuro is nowhere to be seen. As for Hattori, he seems very concerned about yesterday's case; I wonder what he's investigating now..."
"Huh? Are you kidding me?!" This string of bad news was a huge blow to Sonoko. "How can someone not come when invited to dinner?"
Xiaolan also had a complicated expression on her face, and sighed, "Actually, I also tried to invite Master Tu and his assistant, but it seems like they disliked me."
Just as the two were worrying about the table full of fish, their savior appeared!
"Sakai, it's so great that you could come!" The host was overjoyed; she had finally gotten the second person who hadn't broken their promise.
"Sorry, Suzuki-senpai, I couldn't find the place earlier," Yuuki apologized, then exclaimed in admiration upon seeing the dishes laid out on the table, "Wow! This is so lavish! How many people did Suzuki-senpai invite?"
Sonoko waved her hand generously and said, "It's just the three of us, let's eat our fill!"
"Hey, this tuna tastes really good!" Ran praised, then turned to the gem, "Sonoko, will the Black Swan Heart continue to be on display?"
Sonoko, who had just been enjoying her meal, looked distressed: "Ugh! Don't even mention it! Uncle has really made a huge fuss this time. I only heard last night that the gemstone isn't just for the exhibition, it's going to be used in the opening ceremony program!"
"Is this even possible?" Xiaolan and Youshu were both shocked.
“That’s right! Now that a murder has happened, that program has to be canceled.” Sonoko took another bite of sashimi and continued in a low voice, “And last night I also heard that Uncle received a bomb threat.”
"So how was it handled?"
"Don't worry, the bomb is fake! I wanted to tell Uncle to let it go this time, but he wouldn't listen. This morning he even sent another challenge to Lord Kidd on the front page."
"Kaito...-sama?" Yuuki looked at Sonoko strangely. "Is Suzuki-senpai also a fan of Kaito?"
Sonoko, feigning infatuation, replied, "Lord Kid is so dashing and charming, how could I not be head over heels for him?"
Yuuki frowned, staring at the crab on the plate, and said, "But isn't he a murderer? Why would Suzuki-senpai admire someone like that?"
“Sakai, there’s no solid evidence yet, so you can’t just falsely accuse someone! Besides, I heard from the police that it’s very likely that someone is using Lord Kid’s name to do evil.”
"But even if it wasn't Kid who did it this time, shouldn't he have been responsible for all those previous jewel thefts? How does Suzuki-senpai explain that?" Yuuki retorted.
Sonoko continued to argue for her idol: "But weren't all the stolen jewels returned safely? No one suffered any loss!"
"Perhaps the gem owners simply didn't suffer any property loss? The effort they expended to protect their property, and the police force required to deal with this petty thief—weren't those losses also losses?"
Sonoko was a little confused, but then argued, "But Lord Kid has also done good deeds, such as returning jewels stolen from illegal possessors to their rightful owners."
"That only shows that he still has a conscience and isn't a truly heinous criminal. But if our country's fairness and justice need someone like him to uphold it, isn't that pathetic? No matter how glamorous his appearance is, it can't hide the fact that he committed a crime! I just don't understand how someone like him can have so many fans following him." Yuuki pouted unhappily, "People like Kudo-senpai are clearly the positive role models that should be promoted!"
The little detective, far away at the ski resort, couldn't help but sneeze.
Ran and Sonoko looked at each other, never expecting that the final point of this long speech would be Shinichi.
Sonoko, barely suppressing a laugh, teased, "Sakai, are you a fan of Kudo?"
Yuuki nodded firmly, then added shyly, "Please, seniors, don't tell Kudo-senpai!"
"Alright, alright, let's not talk about this anymore, let's eat!" Xiaolan tried to smooth things over.
The three of them enjoyed a delicious meal and left the restaurant satisfied, their bellies round and full.
On the way back, Sonoko said, "They really missed out this time!"
However, this statement is incorrect.
The others weren't deprived of the delicious food; they simply escaped unscathed.
In the evening, Ran and Sonoko originally planned to go see the light show together, but they both felt unwell.
Abdominal pain, dizziness, and vomiting.
Upon seeing this, Conan immediately called an ambulance and took the two to the hospital.
The test results, however, took him by surprise:
Botulinum toxin poisoning!
As a neurotoxin commonly found in raw meat, raw fish, and homemade canned goods, botulinum toxin is highly toxic and can even paralyze the respiratory system in severe cases, with symptoms typically appearing hours or even days later.
Conan naturally thought of Ran and the others going out for seafood at noon.
However, he was surprised to find that Yuuki had no symptoms of discomfort at all.
The hospital examination revealed no signs of food poisoning.
"Not at noon today, was it earlier?"
"But Xiaolan and I have always eaten the same food."
"Furthermore, it seems that no other cases have been found among the customers who went to that restaurant today."
Conan questioned Yuuki carefully about what happened at noon, and Yuuki recounted the whole story in detail.
Finally, he exclaimed, "The little brother really looks just like Kudo-senpai!"
Conan almost sneezed again.
Conan stood outside the ward, looking solemnly at the two girls on the hospital bed.
Not long ago, he was full of energy, discussing the light show and the street food. But now he's a pale-faced patient lying in bed.
The contrast was too great for him to accept.
At that moment, Amuro arrived.
"Ms. Mori, how are Ran and Sonoko doing?"
"Ah, it's Amuro..." Mori looked up. "The doctor said he was brought in in time, so he's not in any danger. He just needs to stay in the hospital for a while."
"That's good. Don't worry, teacher, they'll get better soon!" Amuro nodded, a look of concern and sympathy on his face. "If they need any help, please let me know."
This undoubtedly angered Conan, who unabashedly glared at the blond man with hatred.
Amuro sensed the other party's malice and appeared bewildered and innocent.
Conan left without looking back, and Amuro followed.
After leaving the hospital, Conan stopped in a grove of trees.
He turned and questioned, "Those guys did it, didn't they?"
Amuro was startled: "Huh? Did someone deliberately poison us?"
"Stop playing dumb with me! So many people ate seafood at that restaurant, and Sakai was even at the same table with them. Everyone except Ran and Sonoko is perfectly fine. Isn't that targeted poisoning?"
"Is Yuuki completely unharmed? That's a bit suspicious..." Amuro pondered.
But Conan got even angrier and couldn't help but raise his voice, yelling at the other party: "I know what you're thinking! You want to frame Sakai for the poisoning! But the method is too clumsy. Did Sakai have a motive? You're not satisfied with just threatening Mr. Suzuki, you're not going to let the rest of the Suzuki family off the hook either, are you?"
"You think I did this?" Amuro asked incredulously.
"But at least you're in the know, right?" Conan gave the other person a cold look.
Amuro let out a heavy sigh, squatted down, and explained, "I assure you I knew nothing about this. Besides, while botulinum toxin is highly toxic, it's very easy to produce. They probably ate something unclean somewhere else. The evidence is that Yuuki, who ate at the same table, is perfectly fine. Nobody can guarantee that what they eat isn't poisonous, right?"
"As long as you bribe the waiter, that method is not difficult to carry out at all. Besides, how do you know it's Botox?"
"I asked the doctor first."
Conan sneered, "Really? You're well-informed now? Since you already know the diagnosis from the doctor, why did you ask me again?"
Amuro was speechless and could only bite the bullet and say, "It was just out of politeness. I have to say something, don't I?"
But Conan didn't buy this explanation at all, and sarcastically retorted, "Mr. Amuro, are you trying to show off how considerate and gentle your eldest disciple is? Ha! I know you're best at saying these nice things, everyone loves to hear them! Everyone falls for them! But is that really what you think?"
"I didn't..." Amuro's lips moved as if he wanted to explain, but Conan rudely interrupted him.
"Enough! It's one thing for others to be blinded, but I'm no fool! You're just a liar who says one thing to one person and another to another! Every word you say and every action you take is for your own purposes, and you'll stop at nothing to achieve them!"
"You... is that all you think of me?" Amuro asked bitterly, his heart filled with mixed emotions.
Conan stared at the other person, speechless for a long time.
Finally, he turned away and said through gritted teeth, "I know how the police work. It's impossible for you to protect everyone, so people have to be divided into different classes, and things have to be prioritized. Some things have to be sacrificed. That's your job. So people like Xiaolan, who are insignificant to you, don't care if they get sick, or even if they die."
At this point, Conan couldn't help but laugh self-deprecatingly.
"Mr. Amuro, you must be in a difficult situation lately, right? Because that person's death has implicated you, hasn't it?"
Amuro remained silent, which Conan took as tacit agreement.
"That's settled then. I won't cause you any more trouble," Conan said coldly, his back to Amuro.
"What do you want to do?" Amuro asked, his eyes widening in surprise.
“We are not the same kind of people. You may weigh the pros and cons to protect yourself, but I will risk everything, even my life, to save everyone I think is worth it! So, I will no longer be your helper.”
"What did you say?" Amuro blinked, thinking he had misheard, and asked instinctively.
Enraged, Conan whirled around, his eyes red and his voice hoarse as he roared, "I said: Stop—the—cooperation!"
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