Conan: Death is Watching Me

Chapter 354 The Ghost of Baker Street 4: The Real Game
"What happened?"

Game control center.

President Schindler charged into the upper-level independent control room like a bull, scanning the staff below who were bustling around the main unit through the observation window.

What does "out of control" mean?

"President, just now all the game content was pointing to 'Old London'," the person in charge on site kept wiping his sweat. "The other sections, whether it's Vikings, Rally, the Colosseum, or Solomon's Treasure, are now completely disconnected."

"What do you mean?"

"That means the only game we can play right now is 'Old London,' and we can't get in touch with Director Kenmura..."

"No need for a fortified village, everything remains the same, one game is fine too!"

President Schindler leaned on the console, staring intently at the control center below, a bead of sweat trickling down his forehead, his eyes filled with both fear and elation.

Noah's Ark did indeed appear.

Only that guy would have a reason to do something like that.

Old London is the story of Jack the Ripper.

Do you want to deal with him this way?

Kids are just kids; even the artificial intelligence they develop is so naive.

This time, he not only wants to completely eliminate all hidden dangers, but also to capture the core intelligence that escaped through the telephone line.

The artificial intelligence he now possesses is ultimately far inferior, lacking any soul, and most of its functions are limited.

His ambitions go beyond simply developing virtual games using artificial intelligence.

……

Outside the game venue.

Gao Mo walked down the corridor with the CD in his hand, unsure whether to destroy it or keep it, given that it contained the "Dark Night Baron" computer virus program.

He wasn't a complete novice when it came to computers, but he wasn't much better.

The "Dark Baron" was too dangerous for him.

But it feels a bit of a waste to destroy it.

He had heard about this from Professor Agasa before; it was one of the legendary computer viruses. It seemed that the liquor company had bought a similar virus program, whose main function was to completely erase computer data, and it was extremely valuable.

"Brainwave transmission device setup complete, main hardware connection initiation..."

The game lobby echoed with notification sounds as the celebrities who had attended the banquet watched as the 50 egg-shaped game pods on the stage.

Except for the one that was left vacant, all the other 49 units were started up.

President Schindler gave the final command: "The game begins!"

"Wow——!"

As the hall dimmed, only the game pod area remained bathed in colorful light, creating a dazzling and fantastical atmosphere, as if ascending to heaven.

Gao Mo put away the virus disc and calmly observed the situation at the entrance of the venue.

He made arrangements in Kenmura's name using Yusaku Kudo's name, and President Schindler is not yet aware of the assassin's failed operation.

Now he really wants to know what the other party's purpose is.

It's unbelievable that someone with that kind of personality would personally host the event.

In the past, secretaries were always assigned to handle similar events, so even though this press conference was special, it was still not quite normal.

In particular, as Yusaku Kudo previously mentioned, despite having been offering a reward for the leaked AI program, there has been no activity recently.

Gao Mo's gaze was thoughtful.

Detectives need a broad knowledge base, and this time it happened to involve his blind spot.

This is also why he asked Ai to keep an eye on the three little ones.

Those kids are masters at finding loopholes; if left unchecked, they'll definitely find a way to get a chance to play.

Regardless of the inside story of this press conference, or whether it will turn out to be a false alarm as Ai Haibara said, not attending is the best option.

As for the 49 children currently experiencing the game, that's none of his business.

"My name is Noah's Ark, and I have taken control of the virtual game 'Cocoon'."

The broadcast playing game music was suddenly interrupted by a cold, mechanical voice, causing a stir among the audience.

"I'm prepared to revitalize Japan, starting with these second and third generations who represent the future of Japan, in a life-or-death game..."

That's right, in the game, you can't start over after dying. If everyone is eliminated, the children will be unable to return to reality.

You win only if at least one person completes the game. Children eliminated before that will be able to wake up and return to reality. Understand?

If all children are eliminated, the game pod will release an electric current that damages their brains. Furthermore, if anyone outside the game attempts to interfere, the children will also be punished.

The noise in the venue intensified, with many parents standing up and loudly questioning the staff: "What's going on? This shouldn't be part of the game, right?"

"President Schindler!"

"Stop the game now!"

"Calm down, everyone!" President Schindler gripped the microphone in a deep voice. "The game can't be stopped now. Noah's Ark has taken complete control, and we can only play according to its demands..."

"Are you kidding me? Noah's Ark is an artificial intelligence you developed, isn't it?"

A high-ranking official went on stage and grabbed the microphone from the host.

Why does artificial intelligence go out of control?

"This was my dereliction of duty. In fact, during the development process two years ago, a piece of core code escaped from Schindler Corporation."

Schindler offered a poignant explanation.

"Hiroki, whom I loved like my own son, felt guilty about this and jumped to his death... But please rest assured, I will take full responsibility for this and will do everything I can to save the children!"

Gao Mo returned to Ai and the others, and upon hearing Schindler's declaration-like speech, he couldn't help but glance back.

Although the control room was not visible from the venue, he seemed to be able to see Schindler's cold-blooded face clearly through the space.

Whether it was Yusaku Kudo's investigation or today's brief encounter with the other party...

This guy doesn't seem to treat Hiroki like his own son.

"How is it?" Xiao Ai moved closer to Gao Mo.

“I’ve chased away the rat that had infiltrated, and that Kenmura is safe now.”

Gao Mo leaned back in his chair and watched the game broadcast on the big screen.

He temporarily hypnotized Kenmura, putting him in a state of "disconnection," without alerting President Schindler.

He originally attended the press conference because of artificial intelligence, but now he is also very curious about the purpose of this Schindler president.

As can be seen from the previous banquet, this is not just a simple game launch event.

Even an ordinary person like him could sense President Schindler's powerful ambition.

The reason this guy didn't continue tracking the escaped AI is because the press conference itself was a trap set to hunt it down.

Rather than being taken over by artificial intelligence, it's more like someone deliberately let artificial intelligence in.

In theory, the game control center doesn't need to be connected to the outside world.

Schindler, who was keenly interested in artificial intelligence, had no reason not to consider this.

“Alright,” the AI ​​voice sounded again, “Now let’s hand the stage over to the children. In London in 1888, everyone will be immersed in a terrifying suspense story about the serial killer, Jack the Ripper, whose crimes remain unsolved in the real world to this day.”

The children's mission is to defeat this horrific killer. Be warned, getting injured or arrested by the police will result in elimination…

The discussion in the room grew louder, with parents either protesting or raging, and many covering their faces and crying.

"How could this happen? Making a group of children play this kind of game is outrageous!"

"Yes, how are children supposed to deal with a serial killer?"

"There's absolutely no way to beat this game!"

Just as the parents had feared, people were eliminated one after another as soon as the game began.

One by one, the lights in the game pods went out, and they silently disappeared, eliciting another burst of tears. In the game, London was at night, and the children who had entered from different directions were like exiled lambs; forget about completing the game, even survival was a huge problem.

In the unknown old London, in an unfamiliar environment, many children, like headless flies, stood in the streets and alleys, not knowing where to go. Those with bad luck were directly involved in gang fights, or were taken away by the police.

The number of players began to decrease within just 10 minutes.

"This is bad," Conan said, his palms sweating. "They have no idea what to do. If this continues, they'll be wiped out sooner or later."

"How are we supposed to play this game?" Mitsuhiko asked, both relieved and exasperated. "Shouldn't games have some kind of guidance? Isn't this going too far for children?"

Conan was deep in thought.

Indeed, it's just a game for children to experience, so there's no reason for it to be this difficult.

"There should be characters in the game who can help everyone..."

Conan suddenly remembered his father, Yusaku Kudo, and his brow twitched.

"Perhaps this isn't entirely the real world, but rather a game combined with a novel, meaning that person should be in it."

"that person?"

“It’s Sherlock Holmes,” Conan affirmed. “If it were him, he would definitely design the game’s plot like this.”

"Yusaku did indeed design Sherlock Holmes."

Dr. Agasa returned to the audience seats from the control room.

"The original plot was supposed to be that the player and Sherlock Holmes would work together to find out the true identity of Jack the Ripper, and eventually discover that the serial killer was a nobleman suffering from a terminal illness, but..."

The doctor's face was grave.

"It seems the plot has been altered by artificial intelligence. Not only has the opening plot we designed been deleted, but even Sherlock Holmes has disappeared."

"Hey, hey," Conan realized the seriousness of the problem, "this game wasn't even intended for players to complete it, was it?"

How can a group of children break the deadlock?

He admitted that the few soccer players he had encountered earlier were a bit awful, but not all the kids participating in the game were like that.

Moreover, even those few soccer players didn't deserve to die.

Gao Mo didn't speak, but instead turned his gaze to the numerous game pods on the stage.

He didn't quite understand the principle behind it; it felt like hypnosis, but the way this collective hypnosis could simultaneously generate game visuals was truly unbelievable.

At least his divine eye couldn't do that.

He can also do group hypnosis, but it's more like psychological suggestion; everyone sees different hallucinations.

"I have no choice, can I borrow this for a moment, Ai Haibara!"

Conan suddenly snatched the badge from Ai's hand, took advantage of the chaos to run out of the audience seats, rushed through the safety door and towards the only remaining unused game pod.

"Conan!"

Ran was shocked, and by the time she realized what was happening, Conan had already taken to the stage.

Gao Mo was also startled.

Conan is really going too far.

We still don't know what's going on.

They say all players will be released once the game is completed, but who knows if that's true or not?

"How to do?"

Ran wanted to rush onto the stage, but was stopped by the staff who realized what was happening, and could only watch anxiously as Conan entered the game through the last game pod.

"Conan, he..."

"Calm down, miss!"

As staff members followed through the security gate, they were immediately warned: "Unauthorized personnel are best advised not to cause trouble. Only players are allowed to enter the game area. Others will be considered as provoking and violating my game rules."

"Ran-neechan," Ayumi and the others said, trusting Conan, "Conan will definitely be fine!"

“Yeah, Conan is terrible at games, but he’s really talented at solving cases, right, Kido-nii?” Mitsuhiko turned to Komo, “Conan must have been sent out by Kido-nii!”

"Well?"

Gao Mo glanced at the three little ones, who seemed perfectly natural.

Don't talk nonsense, what does it have to do with him?

Seeing Ran's distracted state, Gao Mo still comforted her, saying, "Don't worry too much, Ran. I believe Conan can beat the game."

Xiaolan is a typical example of someone who gets confused when she cares too much.

Conan must have figured out the problem with the artificial intelligence. All five games were turned into London crime-solving games. An AI that does this won't set up a dead end.

The broadcast statement just now contained contradictions, as if it were hiding some kind of implication.

Conan probably noticed this.

He really hadn't expected them to rush straight up.

He would never do something like that.

He wouldn't put himself in danger for someone who is not involved.

"Kito-san..."

Sonoko was even more nervous than Ran, and turned to Gao Mo for help.

She invited Conan; if something happens to him, how will she face Ran afterward?

But there's probably nothing Kido-san can do about this.

There's no way to contact the players in the game now, and the last game pod has been used by Conan.

"Conan has appeared!" Genta shouted, pointing at the broadcast screen. "Where is he going?"

“It seems we should go to Baker Street to find Sherlock Holmes,” Dr. Agasa said gravely. “The problem is, Holmes isn’t even in London right now. Even if we go, I’m afraid…”

“Doctor,” Gomer asked after a moment of thought, “could you help me get the specific technical information about the game? Preferably related to the principles of hypnosis.”

"Actually, I didn't participate in much of the work, and it was mainly related to the game's content design..."

Dr. Agasa was sweating profusely.

That's putting him in a really difficult position.

Hypnosis is the core technique.

"I can only go and ask Yusaku, maybe he can find a solution."

"sorry to bother you."

Gao Mo glanced at the game pod on the stage one last time, then got up and left the audience.

"Cocoon" is not an ordinary virtual game.

Judging from the broadcast footage, the game appears to be a real parallel world.

Every NPC in it feels like a living person, rather than a simple program setting.

This is not only due to the contribution of the main body of artificial intelligence, but also probably related to the core of artificial intelligence, or rather, the soul of Hiroki.

He should meet this genius boy.

“Amo,” Dr. Agasa said as they walked out of the venue, “you’ve come to the wrong place, the control room is on the other side…”

"I'm going to the restroom first," Gao Mo waved his hand. "Send the results to my phone directly."

"what?"

Dr. Agasa stood there stunned for a moment.

"Didn't we already go?"

And the restrooms aren't located that way.

(End of this chapter)