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

Kudo Yuki tightened her grip on the communicator slightly, and after confirming that the first group of people had evacuated to a safe area, she immediately pressed the call button.

"Manager Kuroda, there's a serious threat to the old department store and the three surrounding streets. Those individuals have installed over twenty interlocking explosive devices within the building's load-bearing structure. Once triggered, they will endanger the lives of 1200 million people in the surrounding area.

We have already destroyed the data terminals and transmission equipment of the ES Dark Amber project, but the locations of all the detonators are not yet fully understood. Rum said that only his instructions can find all the devices.

There was silence on the other end of the communicator for a few seconds, and then Kuroda Heibei's serious voice came: "I understand. Immediately synchronize the current clues about the device, Hashimoto Shin's confession, and the on-site deployment situation to me. The Metropolitan Police Department will immediately initiate a Level 1 emergency response and coordinate support from surrounding police, fire, and medical departments.

Also, inform Toru Amuro to assist in tracking down Rum from the outside. He must not reveal his identity and must secure the Osaka area. Hashimoto Shin's daughter must not become Rum's new bargaining chip.

"I understand!" Kudo Yuki agreed.

Hang up communication.

The rat in her pocket poked her gently with its chubby little paw: "Xiaoxue, Kuroda Bei mentioned Amuro Toru just now. Is he worried about your safety here?"

Kudo Yuki lowered her head and smiled, then replied telepathically, "He knows we're capable of handling it, and the most important thing right now is the safety of 1200 million people. I'll tell him in detail once the crisis is resolved."

At the same time, in the emergency meeting room of the Metropolitan Police Department headquarters, Kuroda Heibei synchronized the message from Kudo Yuki to the police officers present.

The conference room suddenly exploded, and the originally serious atmosphere was replaced by shock and solemnity.

Megure Jusan suddenly stood up from his seat, his round face filled with disbelief. "1200 million people? How dare they use so many lives as bargaining chips! And now they're even developing a linked detonation device. This is simply insane!"

He recalled the many cases Kudo Yuki had helped him solve before, and now he understood the severity of this crisis even more clearly. He immediately added, "I'll lead the team to the scene to assist in evacuating the crowd and inspecting the device!"

Kudo Yuki synchronized the on-site data to Kuroda Heibei.

The rat in the pocket pawed at the edge of the pocket and poked its head out. Its chubby little paw patted her wrist and said, "Xiaoxue, Amuro Toru can't come. Do we have enough people to check the detonator? It's so annoying that Rum is hiding in the dark!"

Kudo Yuki tapped quickly on the communicator with her fingertips, synchronizing the clues mentioned in Hashimoto Shin's confession, such as "the devices are mostly attached to the interfaces of beams and columns" and "there are special blue fluorescent marks".

She looked down at the squirrel prying its head out of its pocket and reassured it telepathically, "Regarding manpower, Manager Kuroda has coordinated with the fire department and surrounding police forces, and with Squad Leader Date and the others providing covert support, there will be no problem."

Shushu scratched his round head with his chubby little paw, and the tip of his tail twitched gently. "But Rum is hiding and won't come out. What if he suddenly gives the order to detonate it? If Amuro Toru is here, he will definitely be able to help you find clues!"

Kudo Yuki's voice transmitter rang, and it was Amuro Toru's voice: "Xiaoxue, I've discovered remotely that Rum may be transmitting commands from the outskirts through an encrypted signal tower in the direction of Osaka. I've had Kazami block a three-kilometer radius around the signal tower, temporarily cutting off his remote control channel. Hashimoto Shin's daughter is being placed in a temporary shelter at the Metropolitan Police Department's Public Security Bureau, with Kazami by her side. She's safe."

Kudo Yuki's hand holding the communicator felt slightly warm, and she replied softly, "I understand. Be careful and don't reveal your identity."

After hanging up the phone, she smiled at Shushu and said, "Look, even though he didn't come, he did everything he could."

Shushu nodded as if he understood, put his head back into his pocket, leaving only his eyes staring at her movements.

At this time, at the entrance of the old department store.

Miwako Sato was shouting to guide the last few stranded people: "Everyone, hurry to the safe zone on the east side. There are medical personnel and drinking water there!"

Next to her, Ogino Ayami held a megaphone in her hand and helped the old man steady his steps from time to time, muttering, "Kenji said he would meet us at the intersection ahead. Don't panic, just follow the group!"

Miyamoto Yumi had just blocked the surveillance camera in the crowded corridor when she turned around and saw the message from Zhufu Jingguang:

Yumi, I have confirmed that the hideout of Nagano Trading Co., Ltd. has been completely shut down and no one has escaped. Please protect yourself in the shelter.

She smiled and replied:

I understand, Officer Kagekawa.

Yumi Miyamoto looked up and saw Miwako Sato helping a person with mobility problems walk towards a safe area.

Ayami Ogino held up a loudspeaker and repeated over and over again, "Don't crowd, there are emergency medicines at the medical center."

Occasionally, the sound of a child crying could be heard from the crowd, but it soon subsided after she soothed them with her gentle voice.

"Yumi, have all the surveillance been handled?" Sato Miwako turned around and shouted during the break.

"Don't worry, I guarantee that irrelevant signals will not interfere with the investigation work!" Miyamoto Yumi made an "OK" gesture and put away her phone.

Chisu Hagiwara, wearing black short boots, followed beside Kudo Yuki. A corner of his police uniform jacket was lifted by the draft in the corridor, revealing the walkie-talkie tucked into his waist.

Kudo Yuki silently said in her heart: [Sign in.]

"Ding, congratulations to Xiaoxue for signing in successfully today. You've received +700 mall points and the joint explosion coordinate diagram.

Current mall points are 1. System space items: Healing Elixir, Distillery Status Information, Distillery Base Location Map, and Joint Explosion Coordinates Diagram. Please continue to sign in daily.

System voice prompt: "The joint bomb coordinate diagram will mark the detonator according to the building, and it can be discovered through various means. The target old department store has been locked. The original rhythm will be disrupted and the position will be exposed."

Hagiwara Chisuki turned his head to look at Kudo Yuki. "The most troublesome thing about the detonator those guys made is the word 'linkage'. If even one of them is missing, the detonation will trigger a chain reaction like dominoes. The water tank and ventilation ducts on the top floor need to be checked carefully."

Kudo Yuki nodded, her fingertips touching the edge of the communicator.

Shushu suddenly pricked up his ears: "Xiaoxue, it seems like there are a lot of people downstairs shouting that something has fallen!"

And Toru Amuro, who was far outside the signal tower, also captured the movement through the microphone.

Almost immediately, Yokomizo Shigego's voice, slightly impatient but unable to conceal his nervousness, came over the communicator: "Ms. Kudo, there's a blue fluorescent object in the crack of the steps of the fire escape on the west side of the old building. A child who was picking up a toy kicked it out. Preliminary judgment is that it's the signal receiver for the detonator!"

In the background, Miwako Sato's voice can be heard guiding the crowd.

Yokomizo Shigego added, "Officer Date, take two men to the east side. The head of the old man's cane that Officer Ogino was supporting got stuck in the crack in the wall. When they pulled it out, they pulled off a few pieces of the wall, and there's the same fluorescent marking inside!"

"Got it!" Ida Hang instructed, "I'll have Officer Yumi keep an eye on the device over here. Matsuda said the wiring is three times more complicated than the one in the bomb disposal manual. We need to mark the location first and then figure out a solution. Be careful not to let anyone get close to that!"

Kudo Yuki immediately responded into the communicator, "Officer Yokomizo, Officer Date, temporarily mark all locations where fluorescent markers are found with spray paint. Remember, the devices are attached to the joints between beams and columns, so focus on checking the joints between load-bearing walls and pipes!"

Hang up the communication.

She smiled down at the rat in her pocket and replied telepathically, "Look, everyone is unintentionally helping us find clues."

Shushu stuck his head out halfway, staring at the end of the corridor with his round eyes: "But Rum hasn't come out yet. Is he waiting on the top floor to do something mischievous? What is Amuro Toru doing?"

Kudo Yuki gently touched its little head with her fingertips. "He's doing more important things. Cutting off Rum's signal is buying us time."

Hagiwara Chisawa, standing nearby, had already hurried up the stairs to the top floor. He turned back and raised an eyebrow, "Even though Yokomizo is impatient, he's more meticulous than anyone else in investigating the scene. With him and Officer Date keeping separate watch, at least we can mark the entire scene."

The Yokomizo Shigeo she mentioned was currently standing on the west side of the old building, frowning at the newly marked device and arguing with someone.

Miwako Sato soothed him, "Sir, it's dangerous here, please step back! Those are not ordinary parts, they are..."

"I dropped the toolbox I just bought there! It contained parts for my customers, and it's going to cost me a lot of money if it's lost!"

"What are you arguing about!" Yokomizo Shigego clutched the spray paint can, his voice suddenly rising, "Which is more important, his life or the parts? Officer Sato, have someone take him to a safe area, I'll pick him up!"

This was followed by the sound of metal colliding.

Yokomizo Shigego muttered, "This guy's lucky! The toolbox got stuck in the gap between the beams, just enough to rub out the device's fluorescent mark. Fourth one!"

Hagiwara Chisuga, hearing the commotion coming from the east, quipped into the intercom, "Officer Yokomizo, I just heard from Officer Sato that you nearly crushed a spray paint can while trying to stop people from collecting toolboxes? This 'scene control' is even more aggressive than during an investigation."

"Sensu! Stop talking nonsense!" Yokomizo Shigego's voice was panting, and in the background, the sound of him directing the police officers to pull up the cordon could be heard.

"That guy insisted on rushing into the restricted area. I couldn't just watch him get killed. But it was a lucky coincidence. When the toolbox got stuck in the gap between the beams, the device hidden inside glowed. This is the fourth one, and it's already marked."

"I just found one at the junction of the ventilation duct. It was hit by a billboard bracket that was blown down by the wind. The fluorescent light is bright." Hagiwara Chisu squatted down and shone the flashlight on the blue mark at the junction of the duct.

"There was also one at the bottom of the water tank, which was poked by a mop handle dropped by a cleaning worker. It seems that the 'hidden spots' chosen by those people were all exposed by the daily actions of the public."

On the other side, Yi Dahang led his men to investigate on the east side.

"Xiaoxue, we found two cracks at the joint of the load-bearing wall in the east corridor. One was caused by a child chasing a ball and bumping into the wall, causing the wall paint to peel off and become exposed.

Another issue was a wheelchair wheel getting stuck in a crack, and when it was pulled out, the covering fell off. Matsuda just sent a message saying that although the wiring of these devices is complicated, as long as the location is clearly marked, he can remotely guide the removal sequence.

"Great!" Kudo Yuki breathed a sigh of relief. He looked down at Shushu who had popped his head out of his pocket and smiled telepathically, "Look, everyone is helping us. It's useless to hide the rum no matter how deep it is."

Shushu wagged the tip of his tail and scratched his face with his chubby little paw. "But there are still many things we haven't found! Any news from Amuro Toru? Will Rum secretly send any instructions?"

Before he could finish his words, Kudo Yuki's communicator rang.

Amuro Toru's voice was tinged with laughter. "Xiaoxue, Rum tried to transmit instructions through the backup signal tower, but was intercepted by Yingchuan and I. He didn't expect that the unexpected actions of the crowd would expose the markers one by one. Now he regrets not hiding the device more secretly."

Kudo Yuki chuckled and warned into the communicator, "Don't reveal your identity. Keep a close eye on the signal tower."

She summarized into the intercom: "Everyone, please pay attention. The remaining devices are likely still at the joints of beams, columns, and pipes. Pay special attention to areas that are easily accessible to the public. Mark any fluorescent markers immediately and do not touch them without permission!"

Over the next half hour or so, "unexpected discoveries" continued to occur, each one different.

When Yumi Miyamoto was helping the old lady move her suitcase, the wheels got stuck in the gap at the corner of the stairs. The moment she pulled the lever, rubble rolled down, tilting the wall tiles. A flash of blue fluorescence appeared in the cracks in the wall: "There's a fluorescent mark on the beam-column joint of the east stairwell!"

Miwako Sato helped the old man pick up his scarf. The scarf was tangled in the joint of the ceiling pipe. When she pulled it, the metal cover was pulled off, revealing a blue fluorescent light underneath. "There is a device at the pipe joint, everyone stand back!"

When Ogino Ayami was handing the child some water, the child knocked over the cup, and the water seeped into the cracks between the corner beams and pillars. The wet wall glowed: "There are glowing marks on the corner beams and pillars of the west corridor!"

Yokomizo Shigego and Date Kobing split into two groups, one checking the marks layer by layer on the west side, and the other registering them one by one on the east side.

The two of them would periodically check in on each other's progress via intercom. Yokomizo Shigego's tone, initially impatient, gradually became calmer. "Officer Date, we've marked the eighteenth on the west side. How's your side?"

"There's the sixteenth one on the east side. I just found it at the base of a pillar in the first-floor lobby. A vendor's cart bumped into the pillar, and the base came loose and exposed. There are three more to go, and they should be nearby."

Hagiwara Chisu's voice came from the top floor: "There's another one on the side of the water tank on the top floor! It was caught in a plastic bag blown by the wind. I found it when I pulled the bag apart. It's the nineteenth one!"

Kudo Yuki was about to reply when Shushu's chubby little paw pointed at the stairs downstairs: "Xiaoxue, someone broke something! It's so shiny!"

She looked out and saw that in the corridor downstairs, a person accidentally broke a newly bought glass jar. The fragments splashed to the corner of the wall and got stuck in an inconspicuous joint between the beam and column. Blue fluorescence lit up along the gap between the fragments.

"Number 20!" Kudo Yuki immediately shouted into the intercom, "At the corner beam-column connection on the east side of the first floor, Officer Date, send someone to mark it!"

Ida Hang quickly replied, "Got it! Marked! Only one left!"

Everyone's nerves were on edge.

Yokomizo Shigego frowned as he inspected each floor on the west side, muttering, "Where's the last one hidden? They didn't bury it in the wall, did they?"

It was Sato Miwako's reply: "Officer Yokomizo, at the door of the second-floor bathroom on the west side, a child stuck a balloon in the vent grille. When the balloon popped, the grille fell off, and there was a fluorescent mark inside!"

Shigego Yokomizo rushed over immediately and saw that the ventilation grille at the bathroom door had fallen to the ground, and the joints between the beams and columns inside were glowing blue.

He squatted down, drew a circle next to it with spray paint, and breathed a sigh of relief into the intercom: "Number 21! Wait, Miss Kudo said there were more than 20 in total. Did she count wrong?"

"That's right, a total of twenty-three." Kudo Yuki's voice came, holding the joint explosion coordinate diagram given by the system in her hand, comparing it with the marked points.

"There are still two missing. One is in the pipe shaft on the fourth floor on the west side, and the other is behind the fire hydrant on the third floor on the east side."

Date Ko and Yokomizo Shigego immediately split up and took action.

Before long, all twenty-three linked detonators were marked.

To be continued...