Chapter 43: Neighbor's Food Daily life in Beihua Town, just ordinary...
At the door, Huibara took a deep breath again, forcing herself to appear calm but a little annoyed and angry, and then went to open the door.
Here it comes. The Haibara acting competition begins again.
"Mr. Okiya." She opened the door a little, just enough to see him.
She kept her body in a position that blocked Subaru Okiya's view of the inside. "The professor isn't home. He's on a business trip."
The Art of Opening the Door: Leave only a crack, keeping everyone safe. Physically shielded from the FBI's view.
The size of the door opening had been precisely calculated. Any more would have scared him into coming in, any less would have made him look like a coward. A scientist indeed.
Then, he bombed out: "Looking for the doctor? He's not here. Go away."
Huiyuan's Eviction Order, simple and efficient.
Implied meaning: Don't look at me. Don't come in. Don't care about me. (And yet...)
It was obvious that she was turning the door down. She meant that if you came to our house, you had to look for the doctor, and he wasn't there.
The implication is: Don't come to me. There's no one at home, a single man and a single woman, so please respect yourself.
Neighbor Subaru Okiya, a man who even Tokyo's most powerful security door couldn't stop, stood obediently at the door, a covered pot in hand, wearing an apron, sporting the FBI-branded, neighborhood cook look. What's stewed in that pot might not be a dish, but a scheme.
"Ai Jun."
He greeted with his usual gentle smile, "I hope I'm not disturbing you."
= “I know I’m disturbing you but I just want to come.”
The squinty-eyed monster's gentle (fake) special move - the love curry attack.
On the Self-Cultivation of an FBI Ace: Main Job: Sniping at Wineries, Side Job: Helping People, Part-Time: Babysitting (?)
Shuichi Akai: Another season passes through my sniper scope. The dusk in Beika Town is always beautiful, like a painting that never fades. Time seems meaningless here. How long have I been watching here? A year? Ten years? I can't remember. All I know is that I promised her to protect her sister. Death, to me, has become a relative concept. I've been "dead" for thirty years, yet I still live on as Subaru Okiya. Thirty years have passed since I became Okiya, yet my FBI paycheck shows I've only been away from headquarters for three months. Every morning, I wake up, spend ten minutes putting on a fake face, then go to the neighboring house to babysit for free. Watching Shiho and Ran Mori share their hearts under the moonlight has become a daily routine. This week, I witnessed fifteen murders, eight of which occurred on my way to get curry. This is the forty-fifth time Haibara has suspected my identity, but I've always managed to fool her with my squinting eyes. Bourbon is still tracking me down, even though we've already run into each other at various convenience stores in Beihua two hundred times. Tonight, I plan to go to Dr. Agasa's house. I need an excuse to visit her and check on her condition. Sharing dinner together is the safest option and the least likely to alert her.
"It's okay." Huibara lied, carefully keeping her expression and tone calm. "Mr. Okiya, what are you doing here?"
Translation: "If you have something to say, tell me now and get out of here."
She narrowed her eyes and assessed that the man in front of her must have looked like just a graduate student, and no one would ever tell that he was the world's top sniper.
Subaru Okiya adjusted his glasses and smiled down at her: "Sorry to bother you. Kudo-kun said that Professor Agasa was not here, so I wanted to bring some dinner over. I was making curry and thought you might like some. It's not good for a growing child to eat instant noodles all the time."
It's Kudo again. The tool man, the drum washing machine, is honest and honest, and has been professionally selling out his teammates for a hundred years. Before sharing intelligence, can't we ask the person involved first? (Pointing and gesturing)
Why don’t we see the red team sit down and have a good chat to narrow the information gap?
About My Resentful Classmate and Ally Selling Me to My Sister's Ex-Boyfriend
Is Akai Shuichi's only skill at making stews? From curry to oden to hot pot, he can make everything in one pot.
"For growing children" - the FBI's fatherly care. Beneath the warm-hearted exterior lies a heart that can shoot accurately from 1,000 yards away.
"Top Sniper's Parenting Guide": Children, eat less instant noodles and more curry, and you will grow taller~ (kind smile)
But, "growing child"... Akai-san, saying that to the victim of APTX4869? It's murderous and heartbreaking. (Habara: Are you polite?)
Huibara stared at him, speechless. Had Kudo already told him? How much had he said?
Her CPU was already overclocked at this moment, but under the compulsion of willpower, it was still running frantically to assess the level of information leakage.
Answer: All of it. I might even add some embellishments.
"You're welcome," she said, without inviting him in. "But I've already eaten. And I don't know when did food delivery become part of the FBI's business?"
The first of the classic three-part series: "I've eaten."
Translation: Thank you, I declined.
In this wave of extreme tug-of-war, it depends on who can’t hold on first.
Classic lie +1. A trifecta of rejection: You're welcome, I've already eaten, and I'm busy.
How to Gracefully Reject the FBI's Feed: The Door Opens a Crack, Lies Come Out (But They're Useless)
"Is that so?" He smiled good-naturedly, a smile that any straight woman would find very handsome and charming.
It's a pity that the orientation doesn't match that of Haibara and Miyano Shiho.
Subaru Okiya raised the bag hanging from his arm. "I also brought some strawberries I just picked in Saitama Prefecture. Your favorite kind."
He even investigated Huiyuan's preferences.
Akai: My little cousin, can't I control you?
Strawberries. This is Hong Guoguo's conspiracy. Haibara, hold on. Don't give up your principles for a plate of strawberries.
Akai's direct hit. Strawberry's special attack. Exceptional effect.
They knew the doctor was not there, they knew she ate instant noodles, and they also knew that her favorite thing was strawberries... The FBI intelligence network is so terrifying.
This action was typical of Subaru Okiya, considerate and kind. Haibara knew that this was also Akai's way of caring for her and keeping her safe.
The surface is a warm gesture, but in reality it is a security check. The love of the FBI cousin is as heavy as a mountain.
Shirley from the organization: Beware of the FBI's sugar-coated bullets.
The smaller Haibara: ...Strawberries are so sweet.
"Thank you," she said, taking the bag. "But I'm working on an experiment and time is running out."
The second of the classic trifecta: "I'm busy."
I took it. The temptation of strawberries was ultimately irresistible.
Excuses upgraded: from “I’ve eaten” to “doing an experiment”, should I say “I’m doing my summer homework” next time?
"Anything interesting happening?" he asked.
When the experiment was mentioned, Haibara could see the subtle changes in the man's expression. Okiya Subaru's curious interest turned into Akai's professional evaluation mode.
Here we go. FBI mode, ON.
Mr. Okiya is offline, and Akai Shuichi is online. His expression changes in a second, and his acting skills are no worse than those of Haibara.
"Interesting things" = "Is there any new progress in the research of Drug A? Are there any new developments in the organization? Are you safe?"
The art of face-changing. The omen of squinting eyes opening a crack.
Grayhara's radar: Akai Shuichi's signal strength detected, increased. Danger level +++.
"Just testing some compounds," she said vaguely. "It's a boring routine. No breakthroughs."
Translation: "No comment."
Miyano Shiho: My lab is open to outsiders. Especially my sister's ex-boyfriend.
This flawless answer is worthy of the talent of the organization.
"Compound"... a euphemism for APTX-4869 antidote, right? Those who understand will understand.
Huiyuan's Misleading: Progress? None. Results? Confidential. Don't ask. If you do, it's just an ordinary experiment.
Subaru Okiya's eyes passed over her, scanning the entrance. FBI Hawkeye scanning mode activated. Scanning the indoor environment, assessing the risk factor...
That serious concentration reminded her of her sister Mingmei.
The scanning accuracy is higher than the Hawaii scanner on the drum washing machine next door.
Huiyuan's inner comments: Look, look. I knew you were here for a security check. The curry strawberry thing was just a disguise. (But the strawberries are really delicious)
"Let me help you heat up the curry."
He even thought of an excuse to come in. He didn't give Huiyuan any chance to refuse.
The ultimate secret is to apply for entry. Curry is just an excuse, entering the door is the goal.
"That's... very thoughtful."
Haibara: How can I refuse a kind neighbor (top sniper) who insisted on giving me hot meals and feeding me strawberries? Waiting online, it's urgent.
CPU overloaded again: Rejecting the word library search... Search failed... All I can say is "thoughtful"...
Translation: I can't find a reason to refuse but I don't want to admit it. (Frustrated)
She reluctantly made way for him to come in: "But there's really no need to waste your time."
The line of defense was broken.
Classic triple finale: "No thanks." (But the body has already given way)
"How to Elegantly Pry Open the Door of a Tsundere Girl" - A play by Shuichi Akai.
Body: Make way. Mouth: Damai. A split moment for Huiyuan.
Textbook-style duplicity: Giving way, but not completely; letting it in, but very reluctantly.jpg
"It's fine. Since the Doctor is away on a business trip to Osaka, someone has to make sure you're well fed, right?"
"FBI's Calmness": You do your thing and I do mine. Anyway, this curry is definitely hot.
Subaru Okiya walked past Haibara, seemingly oblivious to her nervousness, "Anyway, I made curry. It's too much for one person."
The best place to eat in Beika Town. It was too much for one person (meaning I made three portions on purpose).
The excuse has been upgraded: from "providing warmth" to "fear of waste." Will the next excuse be "I bought a big pot and need your stove"?
"On How to Reasonably Invade (crossed out) into a Target's Residence": A large amount of curry is a permanent pass.
His eyes, through the pair of high-end glasses made by the doctor, scanned the room like Conan.
But his view of the scene was that of a trained FBI agent, not a detective.
Conan's Scan: Looking for clues.
Akai's scan: looking for threats, sniper positions, escape routes, and by the way, to see if there are any organized eavesdropping devices.
This oppressive feeling. It feels like the entire Dr. Agasa's house has been scanned and modeled by him 360 degrees without any blind spots.
Huibara's mood at the moment: a plant.
Sad sense of security: -10086. Waiwai, this isn't a food delivery, this is a counter-terrorism drill, right?
Q: Who is the MVP tonight?
A. Akai's strawberry special attack (straight ball breaks the defense.)
B. Huiyuan's Oscar-like acting skills (门裂の执强.)
C. 工藤のBackstab Phone（情报の源头。）
D. The Doctor's Alibi (The Perfect Tool Man)
In the world of "science", even delivering food feels like a scene from a spy movie. Is this the daily routine of Silver Bullet?
The doctor's family has endured too much FBI scrutiny that they shouldn't have to endure.
Question: Why did Shuichi Akai insist on going into the house to heat up the curry?
A. Worrying about Haibara Ai's safety and conducting daily routine security checks is the FBI's professional ethics.
B. He made too much curry. If he didn’t give it away, he would be full at night. This is in line with the principle of not wasting food.
C. I want to borrow the high-tech laboratory in Dr. Agasa's house. After all, the only place in the Kudo residence is the mystery book library.
D. In order to get a feel for the future "rival" (referring to Vermouth) in advance, conduct a tactical assessment and assert sovereignty through aura.
Please type the answer on the public screen. Today is also a day where I'm worried about other people's complicated and tangy love (?).
When Akai walked towards the kitchen, Haibara followed behind with her short legs and steady steps, but in her heart, there was a surreal sense of tension, and she felt almost suffocated.
High-end game.
An FBI ace, a scientist who defected from the organization, and a top agent of the organization hidden in the cabinet. This kitchen is comparable to the site of a three-party meeting.
Ai-chan: Stay calm, I can win. As long as I remain calm on the surface, even if a world war is already underway inside, you won't be able to tell.
As she entered the kitchen, she paid keen attention to the door of the food closet and noticed that Vermouth was just a few feet away, separated only by a thin wooden board.
Sad radar activated. Target locked: The shadow queen of the dangerous closet.
Thin wooden board: I was terrified at the time.jpg He bore pressure from the two ace players of red and black that he shouldn't have.
The scene was so absurd, so dangerous, yet so ridiculous that Huibara felt a wave of hysterical laughter welling up in her heart, but she suppressed it.
But as Mihua’s number one complainer, her inner OS barrage has already flooded the screen.
I was so nervous that I really wanted to laugh.
Beika Town Murphy's Law: The more absurd, the more likely it is to come true.
Subaru Okiya's eyes scanned every corner of the room, as if looking for the non-existent third person.
Huiyuan felt her heartbeat quicken. Inside the closet, the blonde woman was squeezed into the small space. Ironically, they were allies at this moment.
"I'll divide this up. You can eat some tonight and put some in the refrigerator."
He said, walking towards the refrigerator a few feet away from the food cupboard where Vermouth was hiding: "You can heat it up when the doctor comes back."
Subaru Okiya, a man with the attribute of feeding.
Akai's deadly movement. Accurately approaching the danger zone. Masaka, is this FBI intuition?
Cabinet door: I am under more pressure than I should be at my age.
Huiyuan nodded, and with a strong willpower that came out of nowhere, she still maintained her cute and calm face: "Thank you very much."
Textbook-level psychological quality. She is indeed a genius girl who invented APTX4869 at the age of 18.
However, the calmer his expression, the faster his heartbeat.
On the surface: polite alienation of good neighbors;
Inner thought: The cabinet is going to explode, get him out of here quickly.
Fortunately, Shuichi Akai is half Japanese after all, so he should have the ability to read the air, so he kept a little distance and did not invite me to dinner at Dr. Agasa's house.
Xiuyi: I just look distant, but actually my gossip soul is already burning.
If he had stayed a little longer, the story might have fast-forwarded to the finale (physics).
Akai put the container into the refrigerator, then paused and moved his body slightly.
At first glance, he seemed to be simply adjusting his glasses—a habit of his character, Subaru Okiya.
But Huibara noticed that his shoulders were a little tense, and his head was slightly tilted, as if he was sniffing the air.
Akai Radar activated. The FBI's nose is sharper than a dog's (in a compliment).
Famous scene: Scent of a Woman (wrong demonstration).
Shuichi's arrival was unexpected, but also reasonable. Huiyuan knew that this FBI ace would not send food to visit her for no reason. The so-called "concern" was just a test.
Sure enough, as soon as he opened his mouth, his words were full of temptation: "How have you been recently? The doctor is on a business trip, and you are home alone. Aren't you bored?"
Huiyuan's eyelashes trembled slightly, and she raised her head, saying in a neutral voice, "I'm fine, just a little tired. The doctor said he'll be back tomorrow, so I just need to... process what's happened recently."
Anyone with a discerning eye could tell she was avoiding the topic. A faint smile appeared on the corner of Xiuyi's lips, as if to say, "Don't try to get away with it." But he didn't expose her point now, and only responded slowly:
"If you're tired, just rest more. I'll chat with you for a while."
The gentleness on the surface, but hidden in the pressure. Huiyuan knew very well that this person was not really there to chat, but to confirm whether she had come into contact with anything that she "should not have touched".
But at this moment, she just didn't want to cooperate.
Huiyuan's thoughts suddenly flew away like a kite with a broken string, into another dimension. She stared blankly at the slowly solidifying oil on the curry, while lines of code-like questions and answers flashed through her mind:
What if this is all a bug?
Is this world just a supercomputer that allocates resources and renders scenes according to each person's attention?
The brain is your own little theater. You can set up whatever scenery you want to perform.
She vaguely recalled the medieval movies she'd recently watched, imagining herself in long robes, researching mysterious potions in a dimly lit laboratory. If she'd traveled back to that era, she'd probably be an alchemist, right? Her posture was strikingly similar to the one she was currently mixing with APTX4869.
The floodgates of thought opened, and Huiyuan imagined herself in the Middle Ages, stirring lead and mercury in a crucible in a laboratory, trying to extract the philosopher's stone from the chaos.
And the world before her was nothing more than the alchemical formula she had yet to crack.
Does this world only exist when it is being watched?
It was as if I suddenly discovered a bug in this world. It was like playing a game, where the specific details of a map would be rendered based on the map you were on.
Huibara's eyes were out of focus, and her thoughts were floating on the edge of reality and fantasy.
She thought, if everything that happened today was just a dream, how wonderful it would be. Vermouth's appearance, Akai's suspicion, all the danger and tension, could disappear when she woke up.
A minute passed.
Maybe longer.
Genius girl, keeps disconnecting.
Akai Shuichi didn't rush, frown, or show any impatience. He simply quietly dispensed the curry, his sharp eyes slightly narrowed as he observed the changes in Huibara's expression.
The restaurant fell silent. The steam from the curry gradually dissipated, and the second hand of the brass clock ticked away.
"Ai-kun, have you changed your perfume?" asked Subaru Okiya, his tone casual, but the look behind his glasses was a little sharper.
The death question came. He went up. He went up with the question A.
The more casual the tone, the more damaging it is. This question is simply a polite version of "There's something wrong with you."
Sister Bei's perfume: the temptation of organization, the fuse of Lily, and the alarm of Akai. Too many elements.
Haibara's mind raced as she came to her senses. First Conan, now Akai. Both of them possessed unpleasantly sharp noses. The two great smelling hacks of Conan.
Sad despair: The men around me are either taking on three-choice cases every day, or they are working on humanoid self-propelled radars. Life is unbearable.
"Ah, this is the professor's latest interest. He took on a small side project, so he's doing perfume chemistry experiments from time to time." She tried to downplay it, and made sure that this lie was consistent with what she had just told Conan, so as to avoid the possibility that the two of them would compare notes later.
As expected of the developer of APTX4869, even his lies are told with scientific rigor.
Ai-chan's quick wit is perfect. She puts the blame on Dr. Agasa.
The doctor's wonderful invention finally has a legitimate reason.
Doctor: A-choo. Who's cueing me? Is my invention finally going to enter the beauty industry?
Agasa's reputation was damaged. After being called a gourmet, a game fan, and an inventor, he was now awarded the title of "beauty perfumer".
Akai nodded, but his eyes swept across the kitchen in a trained manner: "I understand."
Xiuyi: I don't believe a word of it, but I'll give you a favor. Cousin, you're a very bad little girl.
The glance was like an X-ray machine at airport security, and it felt like the cabinet door was about to be scanned through.
She could sense Vermouth's presence in the kitchen closet, the woman listening to their conversation breathlessly.
Akai: "Has anything unusual happened recently?"
"Nothing special except you showing up at my door unexpectedly."
He just smiled, ignoring Huiyuan's written order to leave, and walked to the countertop and approached the food cupboard door: "Would you like some tea before I leave?"
The ultimate secret of Akai's temptation - Death Afternoon Tea Invitation.
Sister Bay is in the closet, and she probably has her personal pistol taken out.
At this time, what is the real purpose of Shuichi Akai insisting on drinking tea?
A. He was really thirsty, after all, he had just given warmth.
B. He is British, and the black tea spirit engraved in his DNA has awakened.
C. He wanted to take this opportunity to develop a closer relationship with his cute little cousin.
D. Tactical delay, trying to locate the specific source of the "new perfume" through more details such as sound and smell.
Moreover, I invited myself to have tea at my neighbor's house.
As long as he is not embarrassed, it is others who are embarrassed.
"No, thank you. I have some research to do before the professor gets back."
She didn't respond to Akai Shuichi's words, but simply ordered him to leave. A textbook example of a guest's departure. It was unbelievable that she was not allowed to leave.
The elegant expression of the eviction order. The social etiquette textbook of the apologetic palace.
Ai-chan's three rejections: No, leave now, and do research (to save the cabinet's life).
"Research" may refer to the urgent topic of "How to hide a charming and pleasing movie queen/lesbian circle goddess from the FBI."
Queen's aura. Ai: Man, you are blocking the view of the beauty in my closet.
Sister Bei's OS: Well done, little kitty. My reward... is to stay with me in the closet? (Dangerous statement)
Subaru Okiya just sighed softly. For some reason, this reminded Haibara of her mother, Elena Miyano.
The bond of blood is truly a wonderful thing. Even if you don’t know it, your memory will react to it.
And it's not just between people who are related by blood, even some puppies can sense people who are related by blood to their owners.
Mingming is usually very diligent in guarding the house and is very fierce when seeing strangers, but when someone related to the owner comes for the first time, he becomes very docile.
The attraction of blood. My cousin sighs like my mom. Aoyama's foreshadowing has been buried for eight hundred episodes.
Unfortunately, at this time, Haibara didn't know that Shuichi Akai was her cousin.
Detective Conan is also known as: My whole family are undercover agents/spies/scientists and they don't know each other.
The Akai family's affection: It's all pieced together from the reader's perspective. Ai-chan is really miserable.
After all, although she knew Akai Mary and visited relatives from time to time when her parents were still alive, Akai Shuichi was much older than her. When she started to know the Akai family, Akai Shuichi had already left and started studying in the United States.
Timelineの锅。 Perfectly missed cousins.
Shuichi Akai: Developing an FBI career in America;
Ai Huiyuan: Doing scientific research for the Black Organization in Japan...
This family mainly goes their separate ways.
Therefore, the only people Miyano Shiho had seen were Akai Mari when she was an adult, and Haneda Hideyoshi and Sera Masumi when they were children.
Hideyoshi: Don't cue, I'm playing chess.
The scene of little Shiho playing with little Hideyoshi and little Masumi is so adorable.
Aunt Mary: The female leopard of MI6. One of the sources of Ai-chan's childhood trauma (reverence)? I wonder if she would recognize Mary if she saw her in her middle school years?
When she was young, Masumi Sera was a clingy crybaby. Although she was only two years younger than her, she stuck to her every day and still had a very girlish look.
Zhenchun: The dark history is forbidden to be broadcast...
It is conceivable that Sister Shiho must have been cold on the outside but warm on the inside when she was a child, and she would always have an expression of "I really can't do anything about you" when her little cousin was clinging to her.
Young Sera: a clingy, crybaby girl. Adult Sera: a dashing, strong-willed woman. Women change a lot when they grow up.
In addition, Mary and Elena's families live together, and they both speak English with a pure Oxford accent and the old London Union Jack.
So although Haibara met the high school student Masumi Sera because of Ran, she did not associate this tomboy with her cute, crybaby and spoiled British cousin.
Girls change a lot when they grow up, and even their cousins don’t recognize them.
This wave of information asymmetry is simply the basic setting in the scientific universe and the root of all misunderstandings and coincidences.
The London accent and the smoke of Beika Town, what a contrast.
Q: Did Shuichi Akai discover Bayonetta in the closet?
A. I found out. But I chose to play dumb in order to see my cousin fall in love (?)
B. Not found. Beijie's stealth skill is maxed out, and the cabinet's soundproofing is SSR. (Beijie's victory)
C. I discovered it. But I thought Professor Agasa was playing some weird game (the professor's reputation was damaged).
D. His focus was on whether "Ai-chan's new perfume" came from a mysterious blonde woman.
This wave is about the temptation of Sister Bei in the closet vs. the cousin's death instinct vs. Huiyuan's Oscar-winning acting skills.
The daily life in Beika Town is just ordinary.
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