Detective Conan: The System Takes Me to Zero's World

Zhu Fu Gaoming turned off the laser pointer, and the metal shell reflected a cold light under the light: "After the pure wool fabric absorbs the down, even the faintest spark will spread rapidly like a lit fuse."

Yamato Gansuke added: "So, someone who can carry disinfectant gel, a laser pointer, and a coin purse at the same time-"

His eyes were fixed on Ito Tamaki's pale face. "It's only you, Miss Ito Tamaki."

Ito Tamaki's hands unconsciously clenched and trembled.

Kasai Nanayu's expression suddenly changed, and his voice was full of disbelief: "How, how could this be possible? Huan Ji would never do such a thing..."

Nanjo Kaori suddenly covered her mouth, her eyes instantly reddened, and her voice trembled: "Tanji? This can't be true..."

Ito Tamaki took a half step back. Although she tried to remain calm, her voice trembled uncontrollably. "Ridiculous! I know nothing about the properties of disinfectant gel. There were no so-called 'tools' at the location where the fire broke out at the shooting site!"

Conan put his hands in his pockets, and a cold light flashed through his glasses. He walked slowly to his sister's side and exchanged glances with her.

"You had already started planning during the preparations for the shoot, right? With your back to everyone, you dripped disinfectant gel into a small dish and lit it with the silent electronic lighter you borrowed from Mr. Kasai. The words 'as expected, it didn't show up' were just a cover for the action of accurately throwing the flame towards your sleeves."

Kudo Yuki nodded gently: "I have been paying attention to your actions. You threw away the burning coat, and while everyone's attention was attracted by the flames, you quickly buried the tools used in the snow. Unfortunately, even the most perfect plan will have flaws."

Ito Tamaki suddenly raised her head, a trace of panic flashing in her eyes: "What about the smoke coming out of Kaori's clothes? It was me who pushed Kaori away and made her hit the wall, but was there a coin purse filled with dry ice in her hood?"

Nanjo Kaori looked confused: "No."

"That's because at that time, you secretly took out the coin purse from your hood and hid it in your sleeve." Kudo Yuki signaled Conan to take out the evidence.

Conan took out his phone and zoomed in on a video clip: "Look, the abnormal bulge on the cuffs here is the ironclad evidence that you are hiding something. It is not difficult for you to get dry ice, just buy a few more boxes of ice cream."

"You carefully planned every step, starting from destroying the air conditioner in the small car." Kudo Yuki continued to analyze, "Turn up the heating in the commercial vehicle so that Mr. Kitakura, who is afraid of heat, will choose to drive the small car; put laxatives in Mr. Kasai's coffee to create an opportunity for the two cars to run parallel..."

Conan took over the conversation: "When the two cars are parallel, the laser pen you attached to the car door in advance becomes a murder weapon. After the precisely calculated angle, it can just aim at Mr. Kitakura's arm stretched out of the window."

Ito Tamaki suddenly burst into hysterical laughter: "The two cars were only parallel for 10 to 15 seconds at most. How could a fire occur in such a short time?"

Zhu Fu Gaoming concentrated and said, "You didn't fire the car at him from inside the car. Instead, you attached the laser pen to the door of the car in advance, aiming at the spot where Mr. Yuta's arm was sticking out of the window."

Officer Yamato slowly recounted: "Even if it was just the sleeves that were on fire, it would have been scary enough. When you were filming the video, you were on fire and Ms. Kaori's clothes were smoking. If you think about that supernatural phenomenon, you would be even more panicked."

Conan looked up: "And Miss Tamaki was squatting at the rear of the car to make a phone call. That was probably to avoid us seeing her and get back the laser pointer that was stuck there, right?"

Officer Yamato took off his sunglasses.

Conan looked back at him: "At that time, you wore sunglasses to prevent the eyes from being accidentally illuminated by the laser, right? Just like Officer Yamato."

Officer Yamato and Morobushi Takaaki produced evidence one after another.

"We found the tape you used to attach the laser pointer in the forest, and it had your fingerprints on it."

"We also found the small plate and lighter you buried in the snow. There should be no room for quibbling."

Ito Huanji's face turned pale in an instant. She staggered back a few steps and fell into a chair.

Kasai Nanasuke and Nanjo Kaori looked confused.

"But why do you want to be so mean to Xitai..."

"He is the one who saved you from the fire."

Ito Tamaki stood up suddenly, her eyes instantly burning red with anger and grief, and roared: "Save me? He is the murderer who killed Jianyan!"

Her legs went limp, her body swayed slightly, and she quickly grabbed a chair beside her.

Kudo Yuki raised her eyebrows slightly, with a hint of doubt in her eyes: "I thought you were here to find out the cause of Jianyan's death, but I didn't expect it was because of this."

Ito Tamaki's body couldn't stop shaking slightly, her voice choked with sobs as she reminisced, "The Compass Detective Team badge I made when I was a child was carefully made by me, so each one is slightly different, and the one for Kenhiko is even a special edition.

I made the circle on his pseudonym into a letter C, which stands for captain. It is a symbol that belongs only to him. "

She tried to calm down, but her trembling voice still revealed her inner turmoil. "After the fire, I saw the badge that was supposed to belong to Jianyan at Yuta's place. I was completely stunned at the time. I couldn't figure out why it was in his hands."

Ito Tamaki's eyes became empty, as if she was back to the day when she got the news. "I asked Yuta, and he only said that he saw Jianyan at the fire scene. But I know in my heart that Jianyan regards the badge as a treasure, how could he easily leave it.

I started asking around for details of the fire. Some people said that the fire in the kitchen was not big at the time, and Jianyan was trapped under the sideboard. With Yuta's strength, he was fully capable of saving Jianyan first. But he carried me out first, and then said that Jianyan could not be saved.

I looked at the badge, and the more I thought about it, the scarier it became. I was sure that it was Yuta who stood by and watched me die, or even that he had snatched the badge from Jianyan. Maybe... he wanted to take it away from me too."

When she said this, her eyes were filled with tears and her voice became higher, filled with endless grievance and unwillingness.

Mitsuhiko suddenly said: "That... shouldn't be the case."

"Ah?" Ito Tamaki came back to her senses and looked at Mitsuhiko with confusion on her face.

The three little ones spoke frankly.

"Because Mr. Yuta showed us the badge."

"He said it was the badge of his good friend."

"If it was stolen from someone else, you wouldn't show it to others."

Ito Huanji was stunned: "How is this possible!"

The three little ones explained.

"Oh, it's the same as that one."

"At the sports meeting."

"Baton!"

Ito Tamaki was confused: "Take the baton?"

Huihara Ai stepped forward quickly: "Yes, Mr. Yuta didn't steal it. Maybe Mr. Jianyan entrusted it to him as the badge to prove that he was the leader."

Ito Tamaki's tears welled up in her eyes: "You're lying! What evidence do you have?"

"As for the evidence, yes." Officer Yamato took out his cell phone from his inner pocket. "This is the 119 alarm record from the day of the fire. It was sent to me today when I was looking for clues."

Officer Yamato pressed play:

"This is the communications command center! Is this a fire? Ambulance? Rescue?"

Kitakura Yuta's voice came: "Both, both are needed."

"Please tell me your address."

"Okay, okay... The one who needs help is the one who was trapped under the sideboard in the kitchen..."

Nanjo Kenhiko interrupted him: "Tan, Tanji... first save Tanji who is sleeping on the sofa in the bedroom. You can't move this cabinet by yourself, right?"

"Okay, I know."

"Put it on Tamaki-ji. I have my badge in my coat. If anything goes wrong, I'll give it to you."

"Idiot, what are you talking about! I looked around Conan warily, and after confirming that no one was paying attention, I tiptoed to Dr. Agasa and whispered in his ear: "Doctor, take everyone back to the hotel first. My sister and I are going to track down the clues of the Black Organization."

His fingers quickly drew the shape of a wine bottle on the palm of his hand. This was the secret code they agreed upon to represent the Black Organization.

Dr. Agasa immediately realized the urgency of the situation, adjusted his glasses, and said with a hearty smile: "Don't worry, Conan! Huibara, how about we take the kids to eat Nagano specialties?"

Ito Tamaki's brows relaxed.

Nanjo Kaori opened her mouth and smiled: "So you saw them? Yuta and Kenhiko-ni-san..."

Officer Yamato scrolled through his phone and said, "When the fire brigade arrived at the scene, Yuta was carrying Tamaki out. The fire in the guesthouse was already too big to save it."

Officer Yui took over the conversation: "By the way, Mr. Jianyan has signs of being beaten on the head. It should be caused by him bumping into the sideboard."

Kasai Nanayu asked, "But why didn't Yuta mention this at all?"

Zhu Fu Gao Ming replied: "Perhaps because he didn't want you to bear too much, Jian Yan risked his life to let him save Miss Huan Ji first."

"How, how could this happen? What should I do? I..." Ito Huanji staggered half a step, and the tears in her eyes burst out, "I will..."

A nurse walked over quickly and said, "Excuse me, are you Kitakura Yuta's friend? Mr. Yuta is awake!"

"That's great!" Nanjo Kaori smiled.

Ito Tamaki also stopped crying: "Really?"

Kasai Nanasuke was also pleased with the news.

Officer Yamato and Morobushi Kagemitsu suggested.

"So before we go to the police station..."

"Let's go apologize to Xitai first."

Ito Tamaki wiped away her tears and said, "Okay."

Everyone walked towards Kitakura Yuta's ward.

The door of the ward was gently pushed open, and the smell of disinfectant hit me in the face.

Kitakura Yuta was half leaning against the head of the bed, his bandaged arm hanging on a brace. When he saw Ito Tamaki, his tired eyes suddenly lit up: "Tamaki, with that expression on your face, could it be that you're worried that my appearance will be affected by a disfigurement?"

Ito Tamaki's throat tightened, she staggered and bent over to apologize: "I'm sorry... I actually doubted you." Big tears fell, soaking her front.

Kitakura Yuta raised his hand and patted her on the back, his eyes falling on the evidence bag in Zhufu Gaoming's hand: "Officer, can you give me that badge..."

When the badge with a warm luster fell into his palm, he rubbed the C mark with his fingertips and said in a hoarse voice: "Before Kenhiko dies... let me take good care of you." The ward fell into silence, with only the suppressed sobbing of Nanjo Kaori and the rustling sound of Kasai Nanayuki handing him tissues.

Conan pushed up his reflective glasses and whispered to Kudo Yuki, "Sometimes misunderstandings are more hurtful than the truth."

Officer Yamato spoke up: "Come on, follow us back to the police station."

When Ito Tamaki looked up, tears had already left two bright streaks on her face. She bowed solemnly to everyone and said, "Thank you for letting me know the truth."

Zhu Fu Gaoming received a text message from his younger brother, and looked down to check the content without letting anyone else notice:

Take Xiaoxue and Conan to the Nagano Prefectural Police Headquarters and open the envelope alone.

He put the phone back into his pocket and saw Kudo Yuki watching the scene in the ward. Zhu Fu Gaoming winked at Officer Yamato and then turned to Kudo Yuki.

"Ms. Kudo, there are some details we need to confirm with you at the Nagano Prefectural Police Headquarters. Would you mind coming with us?"

Kudo Yuki raised her eyebrows slightly, looked down at Conan and nodded.

Dr. Agasa scratched the back of his head and looked at the people who were suddenly going to the police station. Genta puffed his cheeks and protested: "But we haven't finished listening to Mr. Kitakura's story about the fire!"

Mitsuhiko and Ayumi also looked puzzled.

Officer Yui patted Ayumi's head soothingly: "We'll bring you guys to visit next time, okay? The adults have some urgent work to deal with right now."

Conan glanced around vigilantly, and after confirming that no one was paying attention, he tiptoed to Dr. Agasa and whispered in his ear: "Doctor, take everyone back to the hotel first. My sister and I are going to track down clues to the winery organization."

He used his fingers to quickly draw the shape of a wine bottle on the palm of his hand. This was the code they agreed upon to represent the winery organization.

Dr. Agasa immediately realized the urgency of the situation, adjusted his glasses, and said with a hearty smile: "Don't worry, Conan! Huibara, how about we take the kids to eat Nagano specialties?"

The three little ones were immediately distracted by the delicious food, and they cheered and surrounded Haibara Ai as she left.

When the corridor was completely quiet, Officer Yamato noticed the change in the atmosphere and asked, "Gao Ming, what are you hiding?"

Zhu Fu Gao Ming pondered for a moment and whispered, "This is an important clue related to confidentiality, and the details cannot be revealed for the time being. Officer Yamato and Officer Yui, please take Miss Ito Tamaki back to the police station."

He turned to Kudo Yuki, "Mr. Kagekawa specifically emphasized that you and Conan need to review the information together."

Night fell over Nagano Prefecture. Dr. Agasa took the three little ones and Haibara Ai towards the hotel. The laughter gradually dissipated at the end of the corridor.

Officer Yui and Officer Yamato escorted Ito Tamaki towards the police car. When the sound of the engine cut through the night, Morobushi Takaaki nodded slightly to Kudo Yuki, and the three of them took Conan and quickly turned towards the underground garage.

Zhu Fushi started the car, and Conan's solemn expression was reflected in the rearview mirror. "Ms. Kudo, have you tried the Shinshu soba noodles that I asked Officer Yui to pass on? I heard that adding more soup stock when cooking can bring out three different flavors - just like some clues, they look plain when they are alone, but the truth is revealed when they are stacked together."

Kudo Yuki suddenly thought of what Officer Yui had told her during the day, and asked, "Could it be that what Senior Gao Ming was alluding to has something to do with the snow in winter?"

"Ms. Kudo, have you ever noticed the deeper meaning of 'cold is about to fall'?" Zhufu Gaoming cast a meaningful look through the rearview mirror. "Nagano has a lot of snow in winter, but some unfinished cases are related to Officer Yamato, hidden in the undercurrent of winter."

Conan captured the key words "related to Officer Yamato" in Morobushi Takaaki's words.

"The winter undercurrent that Senior Gao Ming mentioned," Kudo Yuki suddenly said, turning her gaze towards Conan, "Could it be related to the scar on Officer Yamato's left eye?"

Zhu Fu Gaoming paused with his hand on the steering wheel. "Ms. Kudo is indeed smart. That bag of Shinshu soba is my gift to Miss Kudo, Mr. Amuro, and my brother. We can talk about the rest later. Let's go in first."

The three got out of the car and walked towards the office of Takaaki Morobushi at the Nagano Prefectural Police Headquarters.

To be continued...