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

Shushu suddenly felt uneasy, crawled into Kudo's snow pile and poked his head out: "Xiaoxue, I always feel that something is going to happen in Nagano."

Kudo Yuki's hand paused as she just touched the mouse, and out of the corner of her eye she saw the star track map of the radio station on the screen slowly rotating.

She touched Shushu's back. The little body under the fur was still trembling slightly. She comforted him with telepathy: "Did you sense anything?"

Shushu's chubby little paws were clinging to Kudo Yuki's bag straps, his black eyes widened: "I can't explain it, I just feel... something is moving with the star track."

Amuro Toru's phone vibrated on the table, and the encrypted code jumped on the screen. He pressed his fingertips on the headset and said in a low voice: "This is Amuro, talk."

Date Hang's voice was slightly hurried, mixed with the sound of electricity in the receiver: "Amuro, there is a new discovery of the star map mural in the Nagano Trade Warehouse - fluorescent powder is mixed into the bottom layer of pigment, and it can reveal the combination lock under ultraviolet light, but there is only one chance, we have to find the right time."

Amuro Toru's eyes fell on the monitoring screen: "The oxidation time of phosphor is six hours. It is now ten o'clock in the morning. The best observation time is eight o'clock in the evening."

Kudo Yuki drew an arc with her fingertips on the star track map, and the trajectory formed by the star points was the position of the three belt stars of Orion.

"The star map developed by the fluorescent powder is most likely the benchmark observation constellation of the radio station. The most commonly tracked constellations at this time of year are Aquila and Lyra - the line connecting the bright stars of these two constellations just happens to form a key shape on the star map."

Shushu suddenly jumped out of the bag, and pointed his chubby paw at the small annotation in the corner of the screen: "Xiaoxue, look! It's marked 'aβγδ' here. Is it a placeholder for the password?"

Kudo Yuki replied telepathically, "Yes, Rat Rat is amazing!"

Huihara Ai suddenly leaned forward and pointed her finger at the "aβγδ" mark on the screen: "The magnitude values ​​corresponding to these four Greek letters are exactly the four-digit code. The apparent magnitude of Alpha Aquilae is 0.77, and Alpha Lyrae is 0.03. If we take the integer part..."

"0703." Zhu Fu Jingguang's fingertips had already typed out this string of numbers on the virtual keyboard.

The star trail map on the screen suddenly lit up, with the three stars in Orion’s belt forming a straight line, with the end point pointing directly to the red dot on the map - it was Nobeyama, the National Astronomical Observatory at the foot of Mount Yue in Nagano Prefecture.

The cigarette between Shuichi Akai's fingertips was not yet lit. His eyes wandered over the star track map for a moment, and suddenly fell on the extension line of the connection of the three stars in Orion's belt - which just happened to point to the direction of Nagano outside the screen.

"Altair in Aquila and Vega in Lyra form a straight line on both sides of the Milky Way only in July every year." He put the unburned cigarette back into the cigarette box, "But now it is winter, and the only bright star line that can form a key shape is Betelgeuse in Orion and the extended line of Sirius."

Kudo Yuki thought about these clues and said, "Now it seems that we can only go to Nobeyama, the National Astronomical Observatory at the foot of Mount Yue in Nagano Prefecture."

Amuro Toru's fingertips tapped out a regular rhythm on the edge of the screen, as if he was calculating the time: "Team Leader, you guys go do other things first, put this matter aside for now."

Matsuda Jinpei's chuckle came from the headset: "Remember to bring a thick coat for Xiaoxue. The night temperature in Nagano can freeze water pipes and crack. Don't ask me how I know."

Amuro Toru was putting a UV lamp into Kudo's snow bag. Hearing this, he turned back and said, "I have prepared some hot packs, the kind that you stick on your waist and in your pockets."

Hagiwara Kenji's laughter came through his earphone: "Toru, are you treating Xiaoxue like a fragile item?"

Toru Amuro didn't respond, but just quietly stuffed two more packs of hot packs into the bag.

Kudo Yuki recalled the previous commission from Morobushi Takaaki and frowned slightly: "Hiro, since you have learned all the knowledge, you can be my hired driver for the trip to Nagano."

Zhu Fu Jingguang had just buttoned up his clothes. When he heard this, he looked up with a smile in his eyes: "Glad to help."

He turned his fingertips on the car key half a circle, "But if I hire a driver, shouldn't he provide three meals?"

"There are plenty of Poirot sandwiches." Kudo Yuki grabbed the backpack and threw it over her shoulder. Shushu climbed into the bag along her arm, leaving only two black eyes exposed.

Toru Amuro hung up the phone and stuffed the ultraviolet lamp handed to her into her side pocket. The packaging bag of the hot pack left a small square outline inside.

Conan rarely interrupted and just bought the ticket on his phone.

Akai Shuichi put the cigarette box back into his pocket and tapped the edge of the newspaper with his knuckles twice: "I will stay here and continue to be Okiya Subaru. The surveillance and star track data here need someone to keep an eye on them. In case there is any unusual movement at the Karasuma Group, the news can be passed on in time."

Amuro Toru's phone vibrated twice on the desktop, with only a short line of encrypted information:

Maintain your daily routine and don't reveal any flaws. - Kuroda Hei

Kudo Yuki came closer: "What's the order?"

"Manager Kuroda told me to maintain my normal routine and not reveal any flaws." Toru Amuro slid his fingertips across the screen, completely deleting the encrypted message.

Conan stared at the combination lock prompt "Only one chance" on the screen, his brows unconsciously frowned, and his eyes behind the lenses darkened.

"Speaking of only having one chance... The same thing happened to the CD I copied during the Itakura Taku incident. As soon as I put it into the doctor's computer, the self-destruct program was activated, and I only had time to write down a small piece of code."

He raised his eyes to look at everyone, his fingertips tapping the table unconsciously, the rhythm matching his heartbeat when he watched the CD self-destruct at the doctor's house.

"That method of instantly destroying data is very similar to the fluorescent powder combination lock that Mr. Ida mentioned. Both force people to make judgments in a very short time. Once a mistake is made, there will be no chance to make up for it."

Shuichi Akai stood by the window, the sunlight casting a light shadow on his well-defined profile.

When he heard the name "Itakura Taku", he paused slightly and looked up at Conan: "'Only one chance' is the organization's consistent style."

Zhu Fujingguang's cell phone began to vibrate in his palm.

The word "Yumi" jumping on the screen made him smile softly. When his fingertips touched the answer button, his tone unconsciously became lighter: "Hello, Yumi?"

"Kagekawa Raku! When are you coming back?" Yumi Miyamoto's voice was bright and clear, with the background filled with car horns and the laughter of colleagues. "Last week you said you would accompany me to the new dessert shop in Ginza, but you said you had to go on a business trip. Are you avoiding me on purpose?"

Zhu Fujingguang leaned against the wall, stroking the small bell on the key ring with his fingertips - it was the amulet that Yumei gave him last year. She said it was recommended by a senior in the transportation department and would ensure a smooth trip.

"Sorry, the work here is indeed a bit tricky." He avoided the specific location and only vaguely mentioned, "It will probably take a few days before I can go back."

"Huh, you always say that." Yumi's voice softened, and the background noise suddenly quieted down. "But the case you helped Inspector Megure solve last time has spread all over our department. They say that Mr. Kagekawa's logic is very powerful, even better than the detectives in mystery dramas."

Zhu Fu Jingguang's ears felt slightly hot. Just as he was about to say thank you, he heard Yumi change the subject: "By the way, I ran into Officer Nakamori yesterday. He said that if you see Xiaoxue, the one who helped him catch Kaito Kid last time, remember to say hello to her for me. I haven't had time to thank her for letting me choose the custom jewelry I liked last time."

Hearing this, Kudo Yuki winked at him.

Shushu stuck his little head out of the bag and was about to listen to the fun in the direction of the phone, but Kudo Yuki pushed him back with a smile.

"I will." Zhu Fu Jingguang responded, his eyes fell on Amuro Toru who was checking the ultraviolet lamp not far away, and added, "The weather here is very cold, remember to wear more when you are on duty, don't catch a cold like last time and still endure it."

"I know, you nagging ghost!" Yumi said with a smile, "By the way, I asked my colleague to send you a box of Nagano's specialty strawberries. The address is the research institute you mentioned last time. It should arrive today. Remember to sign for it, and don't give it to others!"

"Okay, I'll do as you say." Zhu Fujingguang's smile spread to the corners of his eyes, "After I'm done with this, I'll definitely go eat dessert with you."

When I hung up the phone, Toru Amuro just walked over, with a teasing look in his eyes: "It seems that someone's 'hired driver' has an extra sweet task."

Zhu Fujingguang put away his phone, the blush on the tip of his ear still not fading: "She is like this, childish."

While saying this, his fingertips gently touched the bell in his inner pocket.

Kudo Yuki stuffed the last pack of hot packs into her bag and responded to Shushu telepathically, "It seems that Officer Yumi likes Hiro very much. When she mentioned strawberries just now, her voice was as sweet as Poirot's cream cake."

Shushu rolled around in his bag and laughed secretly: "Amuro Toru's earpiece must have heard it! Look at the corner of his mouth, it's higher than the antenna of the radio station!"

Amuro Toru coughed lightly and looked away. He tapped the earphone with his fingertips and switched to the encrypted channel: "Hagiwara, help me check the express delivery that arrived at Nagano Research Institute today. The recipient is Kagekawa Raku. Remember to mark it as 'personal belongings'."

Conan ran over with a tablet in his arms: "Brother Jingguang, does Officer Yumi know what you are doing?"

Zhu Fujing's eyes flashed with complexity, and then he shook his head: "She only knows that I am assisting the police in handling some paperwork."

He didn't want Yumi to be involved in danger, just like when she was in the police academy, he never mentioned those thrilling training programs to her.

Kudo Yuki patted Zhu Fushi Jingguang's shoulder and said cheerfully: "After we finish dealing with things here, I'll treat you to dessert in Ginza as an apology."

Amuro Toru was bending over to check the tires. He looked up and smiled, "I think it would be better to let a certain 'hired driver' hire himself. After all, someone just received an exclusive strawberry gift box."

Zhu Fu Jingguang shook his head helplessly. The moment he opened the car door, his phone vibrated again. This time it was a text message from Yu Mei:

Strawberries taste better with fresh cream, idiot!

The way he lowered his head to type a reply reminded Kudo Yuki of what Morobushi Takaaki once said - Jingguang has never been good at concealing his emotions since he was a child. When he is happy, even his fingertips will be smiling.

While everyone was thinking about something, Kudo Yuki silently said in her heart: [Sign in.]

"Ding, congratulations to Xiaoxue for signing in successfully today. She received 600 points in the mall and two tickets for stargazing at the National Astronomical Observatory.

The current mall points are 9000, and the system space contains: healing elixir, winery status information, winery base location distribution map, and two National Astronomical Observatory stargazing tickets. Please continue to sign in every day, Xiaoxue."

The system prompts: "The ticket will be delivered to Xiaoxue by the target person, please wait patiently!"

Kudo Yuki was bored and looked at her brother: "Shinichi, I heard yesterday that Dr. Agasa has a new invention for you, why don't you go back with Ai to take a look?"

Conan's ears instantly perked up, and his eyes behind the lenses lit up like searchlights that had discovered a clue: "New invention? Huiyuan, do you know what it is?"

Ai Huihara leaned against the bookshelf with her arms folded, and said calmly: "It's probably a drone that can automatically track suspects. I heard the doctor mutter, 'This time the anti-tracking system will definitely not make mistakes.'" Her eyes swept over Conan's expectant face, "According to his usual practice, it will have some strange functions."

Kudo Yuki smiled and gently pushed Conan's back: "Why don't you go back and take a look? Maybe you can make it in time for the test. If the doctor takes it away first and gives it to Mitsuhiko, Genta and Ayumi as a toy, you won't have a chance."

Conan immediately grabbed his coat and said, "I'll go back first! Call me anytime if you have any news in Nagano!"

Haibara Ai also went to Dr. Agasa's house.

As Conan rushed out the door, he turned back and reminded: "Mr. Amuro, take good care of my sister!"

Amuro Toru shook his head helplessly, watching Conan's figure disappear in the entrance, then turned to Kudo Yuki and said, "Do you need the doctor to send the invention to Nagano? Maybe it can come in handy."

"No need," Kudo Yuki swiped her finger across the phone screen and pulled up the weather forecast for Nagano. "Drones will be disturbed by the magnetic field near radio stations. The doctor's invention should be kept for ordinary cases."

She looked up at Morobushi Kagemitsu and said, "By the way, which research institute did you fill in the address for the strawberry gift box that Yumi mentioned? Don't send it to the wrong place."

Zhu Fu Jingguang called up the address in the text message and pointed his finger at the red dot on the screen: "It's the affiliated research institute of Nobeyama Observatory. It happens to be on the route we are going."

He remembered what Yumi had emphasized: "Don't share it with others." His ears turned red. "Just pick it up on the way when the time comes."

Shushu poked his little head out of the bag and wagged his tail in the direction of Amuro Toru: "Xiaoxue, Amuro Toru is thinking, 'If you want to pair strawberries with cream, Polo's whipped cream recipe is the most suitable.'"

The tip of Amuro Toru's ear moved, and he coughed lightly to change the subject: "I'll go back to the Poirot Cafe first, and I'll call you if you have anything."

Kudo Yuki looked at his hurried back and spoke telepathically: "Shushu, why do I feel like Zero is running away? Is it my illusion?"

The mouse rolled around in the bag laughing, and his chubby paws slapped the bottom of the bag, making a "dong dong" sound. "It's not an illusion! His ears are red! Just now he was calculating in his mind, 'the fresh cream needs to be whipped two hours in advance, and the strawberries need to be soaked in salt water for ten minutes', and I could hear him calculating!"

Kudo Yuki swiped her fingertips across the screen of her phone, looking at the message sent by Amuro Toru:

Arrived at Polo, the coffee machine is preheated.

She couldn't help but raise the corners of her lips, and suddenly remembered that he put a hot pack in his bag in the morning, and the temperature of his fingertips accidentally rubbed against her wrist, which felt warmer than Poirot's freshly baked sandwich.

The sunlight outside the door just fell on Kudo Yuki's shoulders, dyeing the corners of her clothes into warm gold. Perhaps this starry night trip to Nagano will not only have codes and dangers, but also surprises with the flavor of strawberry cream.

To be continued...