Conan: Above all force, there is truth!

Just then, a passerby who had witnessed the scene approached and whispered to Ryuno and the others, "That was Mrs. Nishimura. A few days ago, her daughter didn't come home after school. After searching around, the couple found out that their daughter might have been kidnapped on her way home from school."

"Although they have reported the case to the police, they have not been able to find their daughter due to a lack of clues."

"Therefore, her husband quit his job. The couple searched for their child while handing out missing person notices to passersby on the street."

"Look at them... they haven't had a proper rest at home for days. If this continues, before the child is found, their physical and mental health will probably... sigh..."

After saying that, he sighed deeply again: "I heard that the boy from the Otomo family in 3-chome also went missing recently. The world these days is really... sigh!"

Chapter 52 The Prelude to the Devil (Part 3)

……

After the passersby left, Xiaolan, who had been in high spirits, lowered her head, her eyes filled with reluctance.

She wanted to do something for the mother she had just met, but she didn't know how or what she could do.

The mother's child had been missing for several days, and even if she wanted to help search for him, she was truly powerless to do so.

Sensing Xiaolan's low spirits, Longye gently patted her head without saying a word.

The two walked silently into a ramen shop.

The seafood soy sauce ramen, which should have been incredibly delicious, tasted bland and tasteless at this moment.

After finishing their meal, the two were just about to leave the ramen shop when a phone suddenly rang.

Xiaolan answered the phone.

"Hey?"

"Ran! Are you with Ryūno now?"

"Yes, that's right. What's wrong, Dad?"

"Quick! Come here right now! We need to meet at the Mika Library. I just received a case. The client's child was abducted half an hour ago."

If we go look for it now, there might still be hope! You two come over and help me look.”

On the phone, Kogoro Mouri's voice was very loud, and Tatsuno, who was standing next to him, could hear it clearly.

After hanging up the phone, Xiaolan and Longye exchanged a glance, then immediately went out, hailed a taxi, and headed to Beika Library.

In the car

Unlike Xiaolan, who was anxious to find someone, Longye rested his chin on his hand, his thoughtful expression evident in his eyes.

Something's not right, this is too strange.

Why are so many children being abducted recently?

Including the case Kogoro Mouri just took on, this is the fourth child abduction case they've heard of recently.

And this is only what they know. If we add what they don't know... just how many child abduction incidents have occurred in the entire city recently?

While Mikasa has a high crime rate, this is a bit too outrageous!

What? Murder isn't popular in Mihua anymore, but human trafficking is?

He suspected there was more to this than met the eye.

……

Outside the Mika Library

The group gathered under a street lamp.

After listening to Kogoro Mouri's brief explanation, the four of them split into two groups: Ryūno and Ran were in one group, and Kogoro Mouri and Conan were in the other.

The group, carrying the photo, split up and headed to the area around where the child was last seen to search for clues.

According to Uncle Mori, the client reported the child missing to the police immediately upon discovering the child's disappearance.

However, with the recent spate of abduction cases, the Metropolitan Police Department is now in complete disarray.

In addition to officers on other important missions, the Metropolitan Police Department has mobilized more than 15,000 officers from over 50 police stations within its jurisdiction to patrol and investigate the frequent abduction cases.

It's important to know that the Metropolitan Police Department has only a little over 100 police stations and a total of approximately 40,000 police officers.

Aside from officers who must remain at their posts, 1.5 is already the maximum police force that the Metropolitan Police Department can mobilize.

Therefore, the police simply did not have any extra manpower.

Ultimately, the client had no choice but to hire a private detective—the famous detective Kogoro Mouri.

……

On the way, Xiaolan stared at the photo in her hand and said firmly, "We will definitely find it!"

Seeing Xiaolan's state, Longye didn't speak, but instead used his mind to instruct, "Xiao Jia, are there any suitable high points around here for a bird's-eye view?"

【Received, location has been marked in the air for you】

Looking at the location marked by Xiao Jia, Long Ye quietly summoned his mechanical wings.

"Xiao Lan, we've reached a fork in the road. Let's split up. You go look on the left, and I'll check the park on the other side."

"Ok!"

After seeing Xiaolan walk away.

Longye instantly flew into the air and arrived at the location marked by Xiao Jia in the air in the blink of an eye.

He hovered in the air, using his eagle eyes to survey the ground with all his might, not missing a single spot.

A few minutes later, a middle-aged man with a suspicious appearance came into his sight.

The weather wasn't cold, but the man was wearing a black knitted hat.

Sunglasses, face mask, and overcoat—everything was present.

This whole outfit looks suspicious no matter how you look at it.

Furthermore, although the man was walking, he kept his head down and constantly looked around.

Longye immediately flew down and stopped not far from the man, then walked straight towards him.

"Snapped!"

Longye placed his hand firmly on the man's shoulder and smiled, "Uncle, what are you looking for? Tell me, maybe I can help you find it."

Feeling the weight on his shoulder, the man screamed in fright.

Then, to Longye's bewildered gaze, the man knelt down on the ground and began to cry.

While crying, the man kept muttering, "I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..."

This outrageous scene completely baffled Longye.

Just as he thought the man was too weak-willed and was frightened by his sudden appearance, the phone in Tatsuno's pocket rang.

Ryūno answered the phone, and Ran's excited voice came from the other end: "Ryūno, Dad and the others just called me. They've found the boy! He was hiding in a trash can near them. Conan heard him sobbing and found him!"

Let's meet back at the library!

"Okay! See you in a bit."

After hanging up the phone, Longye looked at the man on the ground.

The man seemed to hear Xiaolan's excited voice on the phone. He slammed his head heavily on the ground and said haltingly, "I didn't... tie him up on purpose..."

Seeing the man's extremely suspicious reaction, Longye was speechless, but he still led the man to the library to meet.

……

"Longye, over here!"

As he approached the library, Tatsuno saw Ran waving at him from afar, as well as Kogoro Mouri and Conan. Next to Conan stood a little boy who looked exactly like the one in the photo.

Just as Ryuno was about to reach them, the little boy seemed to see the man Ryuno was leading, suddenly screamed, and hid behind Conan.

Seeing the little boy's reaction, everyone present understood—the man Longye brought was probably the one who kidnapped the little boy.

Soon after, because the little boy was hungry, the group went to a fast food restaurant and sat down.

After glancing at the little boy eating heartily next to Conan, Kogoro Mouri and Tatsuno turned to look at the middle-aged man.

Kogoro Mouri slammed his hand on the table and shouted, "You're the one who kidnapped this little boy, aren't you?!"

"Yes, it was all my doing... I'm so sorry, please call the police! I'm so sorry..."

Upon hearing Kogoro Mouri's question, the man lowered his head and kept apologizing.

The man's actions startled Kogoro Mouri.

This man looked like an ordinary citizen. He was timid and cowardly, without a trace of evil about him.

Why would someone like this commit the act of kidnapping a child?

Xiao Lan, standing to the side, frowned and said, "You don't seem like the type to do something like this, why would you..."

Hearing this, the man wiped the tears from his face with his sleeve and slowly said, "I owe a lot of money. They threatened me that if I didn't do what they demanded, they would harm my parents back in my hometown..."

When I first refused, they sent me a package containing photos of my parents and a key to my old home…

After hearing the man's account, everyone finally understood his motive for abducting the child.

However, Tatsuno felt that something was wrong.

After the man finished speaking, Longye stared into his eyes and continued to ask, "How much money do you owe? How did you incur this debt?"

The man was silent for a moment before speaking, "My colleague dragged me to play pachinko. At first, we both made some money, but later..."

Upon hearing the words "small steel ball," both Ryūno and Conan were shocked, while Ran, standing nearby, covered her mouth in astonishment.

Even Kogoro Mouri stared in astonishment, his eyes widening as he exclaimed, "What did you say?! Pachinko? Pachinko again?!"

-

Previously, President Gu's daughter, Gu Jingzi, was kidnapped because the housekeeper gambled away all her money playing pachinko...

When people then connected this to the recent spate of abduction cases, it seemed...

Chapter 53 The Prelude to the Devil (Part Four)

midnight

After taking the man to the nearby police station, Longye and the others went home separately.