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

It was snowing heavily on Nobeyama at the National Astronomical Observatory in Nagano Prefecture. The goose-feather-like snowflakes were blown by the cold wind and hit everyone's windproof jackets, making rustling sounds.

Kogoro Mouri tightened his scarf, and the white breath he exhaled instantly dissipated in the wind and snow. He looked at Eizo Funakubo who was walking slowly towards him, with his eyes deliberately pretending to be sharp - this was naturally the script that had been prepared in Kudo Shinichi's text message.

"Sorry for bothering me to come over, Mr. Eizo Funakubo." His voice was a little scattered by the wind, and the white breath he just exhaled was torn into pieces by the cold wind when it reached his mouth.

Funakubo Eizo was wearing a dark grey coat over his vest, with a thin layer of snow on the brim of his hat. He stamped on the snow on the soles of his boots, his brows knitted into knots. "Detective Mori? You called me to this mountain in such horrible weather..."

"Because we have found the Washito Ryu you are looking for." Maori Kogoro interrupted him, raising his chin slightly - these were all the lines Conan had prepared in the text message.

"Found him?" Funakubo Eizo's eyes suddenly widened, and his nose twitched slightly from the cold. "Where is he?"

"Those white zazen grasses," Maori Kogoro pointed to the snow-covered plants in front of Maki's tombstone, "You are the one who specially offered them here, right?"

Funakubo Eizo turned his head sharply in the direction he pointed and his eyes fell on Otomo Takashi who was standing next to the tombstone.

Otomo Takashi was wearing a dark coat, with his back to the crowd and his shoulders covered with snow, like a silent stone statue.

"Is it him?" Funakubo Eizo's voice was full of disbelief. He subconsciously moved forward half a step, and the snow under his feet made a "crunching" protest.

"Otomo Takashi." Maori Kogoro's voice suddenly rose, with a bit of deliberately created majesty, "You have bruises on your left arm and shoulder, right?"

Otomo Takashi's body stiffened almost imperceptibly.

Sato Miwako stepped forward immediately, her coat standing out in the snow and wind: "Excuse me."

As he said this, he was about to lift Otomo Takashi's coat.

Officer Takagi quickly cooperated and reached out to hold down Otomo Takashi's arm. He had a nervous but serious expression on his face: "Please cooperate."

"Wait." Otomo Takashi's voice was a little tense, his body leaned back slightly, with obvious resistance, his eyes scanning everyone's faces in panic.

Seeing this, Ogino Ayami also took a step forward. Her movements were gentler than Sato's, but equally unyielding. She gently pulled the other side of Otomo Takashi's coat and said, "It's better for you to cooperate with the investigation."

The two of them quickly took off Otomo Takashi's coat, one on each side. Under the dark blue sweater, there were indeed several purple bruises on his left arm and right armpit, which were particularly conspicuous on his pale skin.

Miwako Sato took a closer look and said, "This is a typical bruise caused by the recoil of a gun. The location is right where the right armpit hits the butt of the gun and the left forearm is hit by the gun. It is exactly the same as the marks in the shooting case I handled before."

"No, it's not!" Otomo Takashi waved his hands hastily, his voice clearly panicked, "I was rubbed by a tree trunk when I was cutting wood yesterday, seriously!"

"I see." Zhu Fu Gao Ming touched his chin with one hand, his deep eyes fell on Otomo Takashi's face, his tone was calm but insightful, "You are deliberately concealing yourself, just like Yu Rang of Jin, who painted his body with lacquer and swallowed charcoal for revenge, trying to change his appearance and voice to hide his identity."

"Officer Morifushi!" Ran Mouri's eyes lit up and a happy smile appeared on her face. She gently pulled the sleeve of Kudo Yuki beside her, with a hint of excitement in her tone.

Everyone's eyes subconsciously turned to Zhu Fu Gaoming.

Zhu Fushiki Jingguang was standing quietly in an open space in the mountains of Nagano Prefecture. His gentle eyes reflected the chaos in front of him, but with a calmness that came from having experienced the vicissitudes of life.

Ogino Ayami was the first to break the silence: "Have you... been discharged from the hospital?"

Sato Miwako also nodded, her eyes lingering on Morobushi Kagemitsu for a moment to confirm that he looked okay.

"Yes." Zhu Fujingguang's voice was still gentle, but his eyes swept over everyone present calmly, finally falling on Kudo Yuki and nodding slightly.

Officer Gao Mu scratched the back of his head and asked sheepishly, "By the way, what is the story of Yu Rang from the State of Jin?"

Mao Lilan patiently explained: "It's a story from the "Records of the Grand Historian: Biographies of Assassins". There was a man named Yu Rang in the State of Jin who covered his body with lacquer to pretend he had a skin disease, and swallowed charcoal to change his voice so that people couldn't recognize him, so he could hide."

"In other words, Otomo Takashi, you also changed your appearance and name." Maori Kogoro suddenly said seriously, his tone full of unquestionable certainty.

Otomo Takashi was stunned and his face turned pale in an instant.

Miwako Sato added: "Among those who have a hunting license in Nagano Prefecture, there is a man named Takashi Washito."

"I know he has a license, but just because he has a hunting license doesn't mean he can..." Funakubo Eizo was about to retort, but suddenly realized, "Shouto Ryu?"

"Yes, Washito Takashi changed his last name to Otomo through the adoption procedure." Maori Kogoro looked at Otomo Takashi with sharp eyes, "I learned this after checking the household registration records."

"You, you guy, have been staying by my side all this time and living so brazenly!" Funakubo Eizo's emotions suddenly exploded. He rushed forward, grabbed Otomo Takashi's shoulders and shook him hard, his voice hoarse with anger.

"Calm down, Mr. Funakubo Eizo." Zhu Fushigaki stepped forward quickly and put his hand on his shoulder. As a police officer who had been assisted by Kudo Yuki in solving a case, he knew very well the importance of maintaining order at the scene.

Maori Kogoro put his hands in his pockets and continued, "Mr. Otomo, you were convicted and given a suspended sentence eight years ago. After the three-year suspended sentence ended, you disappeared and returned to Nagano. Because there is Maki's grave on this mountain, right?"

"Probation..." Otomo Takashi was shaken and coughed, with a painful look on his face, "It's all my fault that I received such a sentence. Maki... This makes me feel uneasy. I feel that I must apologize to her father. However, I don't have that courage. I think, at least I must apologize in front of her grave."

"So you offered flowers?" asked Ran Mao Li softly, with a hint of sympathy in her eyes.

"He changed his appearance and name, but he can't show his face in front of others, so he can only come before the anniversary of his death." Kudo Yuki took over the conversation and analyzed.

"Is it for this reason that you built a barbecue hut in the mountains?" Funakubo Eizo was still furious, and his roar echoed in the mountains.

"There's a reason why it was named Bupa, right?" Conan's voice sounded at the right time, with a calmness that was inconsistent with his age.

"That's my nickname." Otomo Takashi turned his head to one side and said in a low voice, "No one knows this nickname except me and Mikuni Sadayakuni."

Ogino Ayami suddenly realized: "I see, that's why Mikuni Sadayakuni found you on this mountain, and then Mikuni Sadayakuni was discovered by Inspector Yamato, and then encountered an avalanche."

"I also saw the avalanche ten months ago." Otomo Takashi's eyes drifted into the distance, lost in memories, "I betrayed Mikuni Sadakuni for a judicial transaction and got a suspended sentence. He hated me for a reason, so he had been waiting for Mikuni Sadakuni to be released on parole, just to kill you."

"Unforgivable! I am sorry for both you and Mikuni Sadayakuni! But... but I cannot allow him to kill you." Funakubo Eizo gritted his teeth, suddenly knelt on the ground, and his emotions completely collapsed.

"If anyone wants to kill you, it should be me. I've been living like this for the past eight years. What about you? How have you been living these past eight years? How did you survive after you killed Maki? What were you thinking? Why did you give her flowers? How have you been living these eight years? Tell me!"

"I'm so sorry! I'm really sorry..." Otomo Takaya knelt down, tears welling up in his eyes and his voice choked with sobs.

At this moment, Ochitoyo's voice came from a distance: "Found it, Conan, Xiaolan! Because of an emergency yesterday, I couldn't go to the camp to observe the stars. I used lasers to draw the stars and I'm ready for everyone to observe."

Maori Kogoro looked in the direction of the laser building, then turned back to look at the situation in front of him: "Before that, we need to conduct on-site verification here first."

Inside the Laser Building, a holographic projection is slowly casting brilliant star trails, as if bringing the entire night sky into the room.

Maori Kogoro stood in front of the observation deck, his expression unusually serious: "Now let's start the on-site verification of the murder of Inspector Samedani and Officer Yamato."

"Verify?" Officer Takagi scratched the back of his head, looking confused.

Ochitoyo looked around the room filled with sophisticated instruments and asked, "Why did you choose this place?"

Kudo Yuki's fingertips gently slid across the cold console, leaving tiny scratches on the interface: "Because these two murders and the previous attack on the researcher were committed by the same person."

Sato Miwako looked at Maori Kogoro and said in a competent tone: "Can we start?"

"Crocodile must be a secret public security police, so he was involved in this incident." Maori Kogoro had just finished speaking.

Conan suddenly extended his index finger and pointed at Lin Duxin behind Hasebe Rikuo: "Right, uncle?"

A gleam of light flashed in his eyes behind his lenses. Mao Lilan quietly held his hand, her eyes full of understanding - ever since Shinichi revealed his identity, she could always see a familiar edge in this "little boy".

Hasebe Rikuo turned around and looked at Lin Duxin, and the latter's expression suddenly became colorful.

"Wait, didn't you promise not to tell anyone?" Lin Duxin's voice trembled slightly.

"No, it's okay to tell you." Yuya Kazami's voice came from the door. When he entered the room, he deliberately gave a look to Kudo Yuki - the public security department had already confirmed Lin Duxin's unusual movements.

"Inspector Kazami!" Lin Duxin's face completely sank.

Ogino Ayami raised her eyebrows and chuckled: "What a rare guest."

She quietly touched Sato's arm, and the two exchanged glances - the scene of their previous encounter with Yuya Kazami was still fresh in their memory.

"Who is he?" asked Ochifeng.

"Detective of the Public Security Bureau, Inspector Yuya Kazami." replied Kogoro Mouri.

Yuya Kazami looked directly at Hayashi Atsushi and said, "After you were assigned to the Yamanashi Prefecture Police Department, you were selected as a secret public security officer and assigned to the Regional Department. This identity gives you the opportunity to come into contact with confiscated firearms and explosives."

"I heard from Officer Yamato that a pistol that could be loaded with rifle bullets was confiscated on the national highway in the county a few years ago?" Conan said at the right time, "It's totally okay to hide it in clothes, right?"

"Put a coat on the outside and it will look like a rifle," Zhufu Gaoming added.

Zhu Fujingguang beside him nodded slightly.

Sato and Ogino Ayami saw his subtle movements and remained silent tacitly.

Maori Kogoro looked at Lin Duxin and said, "You killed the crocodile with it!"

"You abandoned your motorcycle at the subway entrance and ran away," Sato Miwako analyzed the clues, "That road leads directly to the Metropolitan Police Department. As a police officer, no one would suspect that you ran there."

Zhu Fu Jingguang interjected: "After receiving the emergency signal, the foot of the mountain was immediately blocked, but no one was found - because you sneaked into the search team."

When he spoke, the rat on Kudo Yuki's shoulder suddenly pricked up its ears, and she immediately sensed that Lin Duxin's breathing was disordered.

Hasebe Rikuo took over the conversation: "After receiving the emergency signal, the road at the foot of the mountain was immediately blocked, but no matter how hard we looked, we couldn't find the criminal. It's because you got into the search team."

Zhu Fu Gaoming looked at Lin Duxin: "My emergency signal was immediately turned off. Only the police officer knows how to operate it."

Lin Duxin refused to admit it: "No, I really..."

"Crocodile." Maori Kogoro revealed, "This is how I greeted you when we first met. 'Thank you for your help with the crocodile case today. Are you also from the Metropolitan Police Department?' You had no doubt about what crocodile meant, but as for others, only I knew this nickname and others didn't understand it. But..."

Mao Lilan's thoughts followed, "That's right, because you are the criminal at the scene."

"That's right." Maori Kogoro frowned slightly, "So you know Sametani's nickname is Crocodile, isn't it?"

"These are just speculations." Lin Duxin spread his hands in defense, but did not notice that Kudo Xue was staring at his deerskin gloves.

Kudo Yuki suddenly said, "Your gloves are very warm."

"It's made of deerskin." Conan's glasses reflected.

Officer Yui shows the keychain: "At the crime scene where the researcher was attacked, deerskin gloves were also found. They are also on this keychain that was dropped at the scene."

She shook the key chain with a bunny holding a carrot in Officer Yui's hand.

The screen behind Lin Duxin lit up, showing that everything was pointing to Lin Duxin.

Officer Takagi added, "Furthermore, this is a piece of leather from the glove of the criminal who attacked Officer Yamato and Detective Uehara, which fell off when Genta bit him."

The more Lin Duxin listened to him, the uglier his expression became.

"There are also some on the mobile observation vehicle." Ogino Ayami added. She remembered that when Hagiwara Kenji was handling evidence before, he said that the cross-section of deerskin fibers was very special.

Miwako Sato took out the identification report: "When attacking Officer Yamato, the glove fragments that Genta bit were exactly the same as these deerskins!"

Lin Duxin's face turned pale, and he turned around and wanted to rush out the door, but was blocked by an ice nail crutch.

Officer Yamato stood at the door with a sneer on his face. "'Warfare is the art of deception', Gao Ming, this is indeed true."

"It is just as Sun Tzu said, the key to command war is to take the enemy by surprise." Zhu Fu Gaoming nodded.

To be continued...