Conan: Death is Watching Me

Chapter 324 Union, Safety
"Dear passengers, welcome aboard SKJ Airlines..."

"The captain of this aircraft is Captain Ogoshi, and I am the chief flight attendant, Kondo..."

As the plane was about to take off, Gao Mo's expression grew increasingly serious.

Poisoning is indeed a good option; if hidden in cosmetics, he has a way of doing it without anyone noticing.

However, poisons can easily cause uncontrollable spread crises, such as others accidentally being poisoned in the process.

Gao Mo quickly swiped his phone, investigating Mu Shuli's complete information through his network of journalists.

About seven years ago, Maki was a flight attendant for SKJ Airlines. She was discovered and trained by a stage manager and became a well-known actress. Now she is the head of a theater troupe, and even the stage manager is under her control.

Not only makeup artist Natsuki Sakai, but almost everyone else was under the control of Maki Juri.

In the theater troupe, Maki is like a queen.

The actor who plays Napoleon is her ex-husband, and the pretty-boy actor Shinjo Isao is her new boyfriend, but recently he seems to be getting tired of him too.

The agent, Yaguchi, was also frequently humiliated in public...

I originally just wanted to investigate the past, but I didn't expect to find so much information.

Even Gao Mo couldn't help but feel worried for this woman.

It's not just the makeup artist Natsuki Sakai; anyone in this theater troupe could be a murderer.

He needs to be careful.

After all, no one has stipulated that there can only be one murderer.

"Excuse me," Xiaolan suddenly walked up to Maki Juri with an autograph board, "Miss Juri, could you please sign this for me? I haven't had the chance before."

"sure."

Maki rubbed her temples with her fingers, seemingly not feeling well, but still smiled and accepted the autograph board. She subconsciously looked for a pen but couldn't find it.

"Sorry," Xiaolan blushed deeply, "I forgot to bring a pen..."

“Use this,” Natsuki Sakai, who was sitting in the back row of Makiju, stood up and handed over a pen. “I thought we might need it.”

"Thank you, that's why I can't live without you."

"You are welcome."

Sakai Natsuki's smile froze slightly. She paused briefly before returning to her seat, then quickly buried herself in her novel.

Gao Mo noticed that almost everyone had a copy of "The Devotion of Suspect X".

Although it's great that my published novel is popular, I feel a bit uneasy right now.

Especially when I saw Xiaolan happily taking back the autograph board.

However, because of this, he could roughly guess where the poison might be located.

Just now, Maki suddenly felt very uncomfortable, as if she were airsick. However, the plane had not taken off, and even the former chief flight attendant would not be airsick.

In the past, stage play performances required traveling around a lot, and if someone gets airsick, no one else would be unaware of it, so the agent would definitely prepare medication in advance.

The most likely cause is discomfort due to the poison penetrating the skin.

"Kido-nii," Sonoko whispered, tugging at Gao Mo's clothes, her forehead covered in sweat, "Ai's illness seems to have gotten worse, what should we do?"

"It's alright, the fever has gone down."

Gao Mo checked on Xiao Ai's condition.

Fortunately, he was also a skilled doctor, and Ai's specially developed medicine was very effective, so he didn't panic.

The weakness is simply due to illness and the side effects of the shrinking medication.

"Go get some hot water first."

"Okay!" Sonoko hurriedly went to find the flight attendant.

After giving Ai a hot drink, the plane began preparing for takeoff, and everyone fastened their seatbelts after being confirmed by the flight attendants.

The change in air pressure seemed to make Maki Juri even more uncomfortable. She lowered her head and rubbed her ears, while Sakai Natsuki, sitting behind her, kept a close eye on her.

It seems the makeup artist was also worried about something unexpected happening.

"beep!"

After the takeoff phase was over, the green light came on, and everyone in the cabin was finally free to move around. Maki, who had been waiting impatiently, hurriedly left her seat and went to the toilet.

Just as Gao Mo was about to follow, Mu Shuli, who had just entered the toilet, came out again, and seemed to be in better condition.

In the combined virtual environment formed by the integration of the thought palace and the plot space, the behavior of all passengers in the first class cabin is immediately apparent.

He has solved all the mysteries and knows why Maki's death led to the plane crash.

Gao Mo's gaze locked onto Mu Shuli.

The foundation around the other person's nose was highlighted, along with their right thumb and index finger.

These are all places where poison may remain.

If Maki Juri, relying on her former position as chief flight attendant, were to enter the cockpit and happen to leave poison behind, a series of coincidences could very likely lead to the captain being poisoned, thus causing an accident.

The most urgent task is to eliminate all potential poisoning hazards.

"Miss Shuri, are you feeling unwell?" Gao Mo greeted Mu Shuri before she returned to her seat.

"Huh?" Mu Shuli looked at him strangely.

Isn't this a bit old-fashioned for striking up a conversation?

However, seeing how much more handsome the members of the Gomobe Theater Troupe were, Maki Juri deliberately played along, saying, "I am feeling a little uncomfortable..."

Who could resist such a mature yet adorable young man?

It is said that he is only 25 years old, which is the prime of a man's life.

“I used to study traditional Chinese medicine, let me take a look at you.” Gao Mo noticed Mu Shuli licking his lips and felt a chill run down his spine.

A little disgusting.

Normally, he wouldn't bother saving a woman like that.

“Okay, then I’ll trouble you,” Mu Shuli glanced at the group members, and before she could do anything, she saw Gao Mo take out a handkerchief and wipe her nose. “Wait a minute…”

"Okay, don't worry, I can do makeup too, I'll touch it up for you later."

Gao Mo's eyes flickered slightly, and he wiped Mu Shuli's fingers as well.

"Can I go to the toilet to wash my hands and face? That should make me feel more comfortable."

This woman went into the restroom earlier, probably because her ears were uncomfortable from the plane taking off, but she didn't want to deal with it in public because of her celebrity image.

For ear discomfort caused by changes in air pressure, pinching your nose and humming is probably the best way, although the action isn't very graceful.

The reason why Mu Shuli went to the toilet was most likely because of this.

Sakai Natsuki, who was being used as an assistant, must have been aware of this habit of the other party, which is why she devised the unique method of poisoning.

"Really?" Mu Shuli didn't quite understand what Gao Mo was doing, and was vaguely pushed into the bathroom again.

The theater troupe members in first class had different expressions; the man with the mustache looked slightly embarrassed, and Sonoko looked like she was gritting her teeth.

Only Sakai Natsuki, who knew the inside story, turned pale.

Found...

They've been discovered!

"Honestly," the man with the mustache sighed, rubbing his forehead in exasperation, "I was telling him to consider his feelings, but this is just too strange. Miss Juri is almost 40, isn't she?"

"That's what I mean," Sonoko clutched her chest, heartbroken, "Does Kido-nii like older men?"

"It's not that bad." The man with the mustache wiped his sweat.

The women around him are either young or old. What's wrong with Kido?

Aren't people your own age appealing?

Outside the restroom.

Gao Mo listened to the sound of water coming from inside, his brows relaxed slightly, and he turned around just in time to meet Sakai Natsuki's horrified eyes.

He didn't actually know how the other party planned to transfer the poison into Mu Shuli's mouth and then prevent the police from finding any problems.

But none of this matters.

He wasn't worried about whether Mu Shuli lived or died; he just wanted to eliminate the potential danger of poison.

Theoretically speaking, there was no poison left on the plane. If he were Natsuki Sakai, he would never have brought the remaining poison on board.

The most likely scenario is that it was mailed from the airport and transferred somewhere else.

"Is this alright?" After washing her face, Mu Shuli walked out of the restroom, only to find Gao Mo had found Sakai Natsuki next to her makeup artist. She immediately frowned, snorted coldly, and returned to her seat in annoyance.

In a fit of anger, she ignored even the chocolate her manager offered her: "I'm not eating it! Natsuki, come here quickly and help me touch up my makeup!"

"Yes……"

Sakai Natsuki nervously watched Gao Mo sit down across the aisle, completely unable to look at him, her beautiful face filled with immense fear and resentment.

She felt a little uneasy when she learned that Maki had invited the famous detective to accompany her.

It's unclear whether Gao Mo, the famous detective's assistant, discovered something by chance or not.

Perhaps she was just scaring herself?
Yes, how could anyone see that foundation is toxic just by looking at it?
“Ms. Natsuki,” Gao Mo recalled his encounter with Sakai Natsuki at the villa on Mount Fuji, “what do you think is most important for a makeup artist?”

"Huh?" Sakai Natsuki's trembling fingers reached for Maki, but she stopped abruptly upon hearing this, bewildered. She didn't understand what Gao Mo meant.

"The most important thing is yourself."

The image of Sakai Natsuki putting on makeup seriously last time flashed through Gao Mo's mind.

It was clear that the other party was trying to find a new way out at that time, but in the end, for some reason, they still couldn't get rid of Maki.

"The important thing is to believe in yourself. As long as you have good enough skills, you will find opportunities sooner or later, instead of focusing on how to do bad things with what you like."

"Mr. Shiro, Mr. Shiro..."

Sakai Natsuki couldn't hold onto the makeup box anymore, as if all her strength had been drained away. She sat back down in her seat, looking lost, and didn't move even after Maki called her name several times.

"Natsuki!" Maki Juri's anger flared up. "Are you deaf? What are you dawdling for..."

"enough!"

Sakai Natsuki buried her head and clenched her hands, finally unable to hold back and roared out.

"I'm not your makeup artist anymore! Don't think everyone has to revolve around you. Who do you think you are? Do you really think you're Josephine from the play?"

Maki Suri stood up in astonishment, looking at the makeup artist who had suddenly defied her in disbelief: "You...you're crazy..."

"I'm not crazy!"

Sakai Natsuki stubbornly raised her head and met the gaze of her former employer.

"Do you think I don't know anything? I've always dreamed of making a career for myself in Hollywood with my makeup skills. That's why I went to study at a makeup school in Los Angeles and learned to speak fluent English..."

A month ago, when that Hollywood actress came to Japan, my makeup skills and aesthetic sense were finally recognized. She asked me through her agent if I wanted to work with her—a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for me. But what did you do?

"What? What did I do?" Mu Shuli felt the complicated gazes of the crowd, stammered and took a step back, but quickly reprimanded forcefully, "I'm doing this for your own good. The competition in Hollywood is too fierce. With your level, you'll be sent back sooner or later!"

"Is this your reason for secretly sabotaging us?"

Sakai Natsuki laughed angrily, then turned her head away as if she had given up and stretched out her hands to Gao Mo.

"It doesn't matter anymore, come on, hand me over to those two policemen!"

"What should we hand over to the police?"

Gao Mo bent down, picked up the makeup box, and handed it to Sakai Natsuki.

"Resigning is not illegal."

"But I..."

Sakai Natsuki looked astonished, her mind blank for a moment. Facing Gao Mo, who pretended not to see anything amiss, a faint warmth welled up in her heart in silence.

Seeing how carefully Gao Mo handled the handkerchief that had been stained with poison, she shouldn't have harbored any illusions.

Sakai Natsuki's eyes reddened: "Thank you..."

"It's okay, you're still young, there's always more to come."

"You bitch!" Ignored, Mu Shuli's expression changed several times before she finally sat back down angrily. "You'll regret this!"

The whole thing happened so suddenly that the man with the mustache didn't even have time to react before he stared wide-eyed as the image of the beautiful and famous star in his heart collapsed.

"Kido, what's going on? What are you up to?"

"Kido-kun, don't you like Juri-san?" Ran asked with a gossipy look, while Sonoko's heart was in her throat.

"We'll talk about this later."

Gao Mo remained frowning and keeping a close watch, mentally reviewing every possible spot. Still feeling uneasy, he went into the restroom again to clean up any areas that might have come into contact with the poison.

That should be fine, right?

After returning to his seat amidst Mu Shuli's angry glare, Gao Mo temporarily put aside his mental palace and plot space, and suddenly noticed that the flight attendant was bringing tea and snacks to the cockpit.

This is probably why the captain was implicated.

Gao Mo pondered for a moment, and sure enough, he saw Mu Shuli follow the flight attendant into the cabin.

Seemingly because they were former colleagues, both captains chatted happily with Maki, and it was quite a while before Maki returned to her seat with a proud expression.

No wonder the plane crash happened; they deserved it.

Gao Mo made sure he hadn't missed anything before observing the others.

Kidd, disguised as a pretty boy actor, made no further move, but looked at him thoughtfully from time to time, as if he realized what he had just been doing, and subtly wiped his fingers.

I almost forgot about this guy. He seemed to have touched Maki's finger before takeoff and even kissed the fake sapphire on her finger.

Sapphires can also be identified by kissing them. Unlike him, Kid doesn't have maxed-out appraisal skills and superpowers, so he disguises himself as a pretty boy to deliberately get close to Maki.

However, this guy should be fine. At that time, Maki hadn't touched his nose with his finger yet—Sakai Natsuki was always by his side, so the target wouldn't be poisoned prematurely.

Time passed by, and soon the sky outside the plane turned into a night sky, and everything seemed very calm and peaceful.

Perhaps we can reach Hakodate smoothly?

Thinking of this, Gao Mo glanced at Ai, who was sleeping soundly behind him under Sonoko's care.

Even Ai's condition has started to improve, and everything is getting better.

This time, we have to thank Ai for her timely reminder.

Although he would eventually discover the problem through his own reasoning, the information provided by Ai undoubtedly gave him a significant advantage.

In such a high-altitude environment, even a moment's hesitation could lead to serious problems.

“Hey,” Conan shoved next to Gao Mo, “did something happen just now?”

He didn't think Gao Mo was interested in Mu Shuli, or that he was just messing around.

Something must have just happened, and it wasn't a small matter.

"It's all over now, but..."

Gao Mo shifted his gaze from Mu Shuli to the cockpit.

The flight attendants also came out pushing the food cart.

Is everything really alright?
Perhaps this is true if it were the Grim Reaper of the past.

But now, it is highly likely that Takato Yoichi has become a Death Agent.

It's really hard to say what kind of changes it will cause.

The rules of death actually have their own will. He discovered this before, but since he didn't have an agent, he didn't show it much, and it seemed to be subject to great restrictions.

And now...

"What's wrong?" Conan felt a chill run down his spine.

Generally, the less Gao Mo says, the bigger the problem is.

"Hey, is there something wrong with the plane?"

"Stop talking nonsense, what's wrong with you?"

Gao Mo glared at Conan.

This guy is a kind of unconventional Grim Reaper—a plague god.

"I just prevented a murder."

"A murder case?" Conan subconsciously looked at Sakai Natsuki, who was bowing her head and remaining silent, and couldn't help but twitch his cheek again.

Goodness, these days they're not just satisfied with solving cases, they're addressing the root cause of the problem.

Did you curl it too much?
Is this how detectives are supposed to be?

Good heavens, he didn't even realize what was happening.

It hasn't been long since we met at the airport. How did you know something bad would happen, and how did you identify the perpetrator and the victim?

Not scientific at all.

"Shh!"

Gao Mo pulled back the blackout curtains, revealing thick clouds below the plane and a pristine starry sky above.

The stars, which are difficult to see from the ground, are clearly visible high in the sky.

What a nice view.

Without airplanes, it would be almost impossible for him to reach that altitude, at least not now.

The extraordinary power gained from advancing to the next level lies entirely in the eyes and the spirit.

He even avoids using it casually to conserve his energy, which is why Ai always says he has dead fish eyes and looks listless.

He actually really wanted to have a physical ability, like flying.

"It looks like we're almost at Hakodate." Conan was also observing the view outside the window.

In the distance, continuous dark clouds can be seen, with flashes of lightning that are particularly striking.

Flying above the clouds is fine, but when descending, you inevitably have to pass through thunderclouds.

"If we can't land, will we have to turn back?" Conan muttered to himself.

“It’s hard to say,” Gao Mo recalled the weather forecast he had seen. “It’s also pouring rain in Tokyo right now.”

(End of this chapter)