Conan: I've been linked to the tech tree system.

Is the main purpose of this magic trick to slip your hand inside the handkerchief and take the opportunity to grope the girl's hand?

"Impressive, Tousan, isn't it?"

"Impressive, impressive." Tohru Tohno smiled awkwardly but politely.

"How did you do this, Garden?" Xiao Lan was still being supportive.

"It's a secret, I can't tell you. I'm going to perform in front of everyone tonight."

"By the way, the people you're meeting today are some magic enthusiasts."

"Yes, and we all met online."

"I never imagined that the young lady of the famous Suzuki family would use a computer to make friends," remarked Kogoro Mouri, a middle-aged man from the Heisei era.

"Come on, in this information society, the internet is an indispensable tool. I think you should have one in your office too," Suzuki Sonoko said, raising her eyes slightly in response to the uncle's sarcastic remark.

As Ran Mouri's best friend since childhood, he is also very familiar with the father of Kogoro Mouri, their classmate. The two even have very similar personalities in some aspects, and sometimes they would banter with each other like they are now.

This is quite rare in a society like Japan where there is a clear hierarchy between elders and juniors.

'Perhaps it's the relaxed demeanor unique to daughters of wealthy tycoons.'

Tohru Tono changed his position and leaned against the window to look at the scenery.

It rained just two days ago, and now it's covered in snow outside—can you believe it...?

Why does it feel like the seasons have become abnormal ever since I met Conan?

I didn't feel this way when I was a child... or is it just like this in Tokyo?

Is this the chosen one of the planes? Terrifying indeed.

"But I really didn't expect that you, Sonoko, would suddenly become interested in making friends online and even magic?"

"Because I met someone truly special online." Once this topic came up, Sonoko, the perpetual motion machine of love, was wide awake, cupping her face in her hands, as if pink bubbles were floating around her.

"A rare find?"

“Yes,” Sonoko said with a smitten look on her face, “His name is Doi Takuki, he’s 21 years old, and he’s a regular in the magic enthusiasts’ league that I’m in. Not only is he polite and elegant in his speech, but he’s also very intelligent, and sometimes he displays his excellent literary skills…”

"Hey, hey, Sonoko." Ran couldn't stand it anymore and quickly nudged Sonoko's slender waist with her elbow.

Your first romantic target is sitting right next to you watching!

Sonoko only realized what had happened after being struck hard in the waist.

"Ah, of course, compared to a detective as amazing as you, Tousan, I'm nothing." She waved her hand hastily and quickly tried to make amends.

"It's alright." Tohru Tohru smiled nonchalantly. "Speaking of which, I'm not very good at online chatting."

"Huh? Isn't Tousan an inventor? He should be in contact with computers more often than the average person, right?"

"It's not about the equipment... it's actually because my Japanese isn't very good."

"Is that right?"

"Yes, because I've never been interested in Chinese literature since I was little, so I didn't study it properly... I'm fine with everyday communication, but once I get to places like online chat rooms, my true colors are revealed."

"Oh, that's nothing. Even though Sonoko says that, everyone in the chat room communicates in plain language. Most of the people with high literary skills that she talks about are writers."

"That's right..."

......

This is a lie.

The truth is, because Conan's timeline is somewhat behind the curve, the internet subculture of "emojis" hadn't yet become popular. This lack of a form of expression led to a sharp decline in Tohno Toru's enthusiasm for online chatting.

In addition, the abstract language and various puns he used in his previous life were incomprehensible to everyone... so it was quite boring.

......

Conan sat in the passenger seat, listening to the discussion behind him, a disdainful smile appearing on his masked face.

After he and the three others went out multiple times to verify, they finally confirmed one thing.

Toru Tono clearly has no feelings for Sonoko Suzuki!

Although Shinichi Kudo is still single, he spent a lot of time with his classmates who were "love gurus" when he was in Teitan High School, so he has some understanding of love.

Generally speaking, if there is even the slightest hint of something between two people, they will clearly show that they care about each other; conversely, if they don't care about each other's behavior at all, it can only prove that they have no feelings for each other.

Just like before, Sonoko Suzuki acted so infatuated, but Toru Tono, sitting next to her, didn't react at all...

Logically speaking, anyone who has even the slightest feeling for the other person would subconsciously feel uncomfortable with this behavior.

But at that time, he deliberately observed Toru Tono's expression through the rearview mirror and did not find anything unusual.

He didn't even blink as he looked out the window.

So, being Miss Suzuki's status isn't all-powerful after all...

And that magic trick was absolutely awful! It's quite a show of respect that Tohru Tohno, a detective, didn't laugh out loud...

Chapter 84 The Murder Case of the Magic Enthusiast

"Speaking of which, if you two meet up online, would it be inappropriate for us to go along?" Xiaolan asked Yuanzi with a puzzled look.

"It's okay, I've already told them I'm bringing my girlfriend with me."

"girlfriend?"

"Yeah, I always pretend to be a man in his twenties online, that makes it more interesting!"

As she said this, Sonoko Suzuki's gaze slowly shifted to Toru Tono...

Tohno Toru noticed the look she was giving him and his eyebrows involuntarily twitched.

There's a lingering sense of foreboding.

......

The roads were slippery due to the snow, and Kogoro Mouri wasn't a racing legend like Tooru Amuro on Mount Akina, so for safety reasons he drove very slowly, about the same speed as a go-kart.

So, after quite some time, the group finally saw the agreed meeting place—a three-story detached villa.

There's a suspension bridge on the road leading to the villa—it gives me a strange sense of déjà vu.

The perfect island mode... it's more like And Then There Were None.

Speaking of "And Then There Were None," Toru Tono recalled that he had read the book while cramming on mystery novels. After finishing it, he realized that it wasn't just the "locked room mystery" trope; he had even seen the murder rhymes in the book in various other works before, so it seems he had received quite a few "homages."

Moreover, it is said that the first edition of this novel was not titled "And Then There Were None," but rather "Ten Little Black Men."

—That's right, the English version of the book is titled with that English word that starts with N.

It can only be said that the subsequent name change was entirely expected.

As they passed the suspension bridge, Kogoro suddenly sniffed, "Is there something strange smelling?"

Conan sneezed. He had a cold and was wearing a mask, so he couldn't smell any strange odors.

"There's a strange smell." Toru Tono looked around. "It smells like gasoline."

"gasoline?"

"Hmm." Tohru Tohru nodded, walked closer to the suspension bridge and examined it carefully for a while. Sure enough, he found that the ropes were covered with a pungent-smelling mixture of hydrocarbon liquid.

Although Conan had a cold and was in poor condition, his detective instincts still made him slowly approach the suspension bridge, chin in hand...

"Hey, what are you doing?" he asked, rolling his dead fish eyes.

Tohru Tono crouched down in front of the suspension bridge, patted the railing beside him, then brushed aside the snow and, like a hunter setting a trap in winter, hid something under the snow...

Finally, he brushed the snow back and stomped it flat, revealing a satisfied smile.

"It's nothing, just in case." Toru Tohno didn't say much. Conan, this elementary school student who's a death god, has no awareness of being a jinx.

Fortunately, when he heard Sonoko Suzuki calling him to go to the villa, he immediately realized something was wrong and hurriedly made this...

[Inert Gas Injection Net: A spray net manufactured using a special process. It can be laid in any fire-prevention application, with a spray speed of up to 150m/s, reducing the oxygen concentration within a 20m radius to below 15% of the gasoline's ignition point threshold in a short time, thus preventing combustion.]

Junior high chemistry, kid!

"What was that smell of gasoline you were talking about earlier...?"

"We smelled something wrong... Let's go, Xiaolan and the others are calling us."

Conan looked up and, sure enough, saw Ran, whose long legs were showing even in the snow, waving at them.

"Mysterious."

Conan sneezed again and followed Kogoro Mouri forward.

He was really feeling unwell. Children's bodies have very low resistance to colds and fevers. The fact that he was able to come to this villa was all thanks to his willpower as a high school student.

Since Tohru Tono says he's alright, then he's alright...

Conan still trusts the "detectives" he approves of.

......

With Sonoko Suzuki's encouraging gaze, Toru Tono slowly knocked on the villa door.

He sighed inwardly, wondering why he had taken on such a troublesome task.

"Hello, I'm here to attend this party."

The person who opened the door was a middle-aged man who looked to be in his forties. He opened the door, looked Tono up and down, and seemed a little confused.

"Welcome... Are you the 'Shadow Mage'?"

Toru Tono shook his head.

"That's the 'Escape King'?"

Tohru Tohno then shook his head, thinking, "What kind of chuunibyou names are these?"

"Huh? It can't be 'the magician's apprentice,' can it?"

“Right?” Toru Tono glanced at Sonoko Suzuki, who was leaning closer, and answered without changing his expression.

"Huh? Why not 'The Magician's Apprentice'?" Sonoko Suzuki asked curiously.

“Because…the tone of your conversation made me think it was a girl like you pretending to be a man while communicating.” Araki Yoshino looked at Suzuki Sonoko, smiled kindly, and then turned to Tono Toru.