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

Twenty-three blue fluorescent markers formed scattered spots of light between the beams and pipes of the old department store.

Kudo Yuki lowered her head to confirm that the last mark completely coincided with the position in the picture, and her tense shoulders relaxed slightly.

Shushu murmured softly, "Xiaoxue, are they all marked? Does that mean Rum can't do anything tricky anymore?"

Kudo Yuki looked at the blue fluorescent markings in the corridor, a trace of relief flashing across her eyes, and responded telepathically: "All the marks are there, but until Rum shows up, it's not completely over."

"Police downstairs! Don't think everything's over just because you found the mark!" Rum's cold, metallic voice distortedly spread through the loudspeaker. "I have the core controller for the twenty-three linkage devices! Five minutes left. Destroy all investigative data on the 'ES Dark Amber' project. Otherwise—this whole building will explode like fireworks, and 1200 million people will be buried with the project!"

Shushu's fur instantly exploded, and his chubby little claws grabbed the corner of Kudo Yuki's clothes: "Xiaoxue! He's trying to activate the device! Has the signal from Amuro Toru been cut off?"

Kudo Yuki immediately pressed the communicator and said in a deep voice, "The other party has activated the loudspeaker threat in the control room on the top floor. Immediately strengthen the security on all floors and prohibit unauthorized personnel from approaching the top floor!"

Suddenly the door of the control room on the top floor was kicked open.

Kenji Hagiwara dodged the iron rod coming from behind the door and pinned the attacker to the edge of the console with his backhand; Jinpei Matsuda quickly handcuffed the man to the pipe.

The console screen flickered with snowflake patterns, and Rum's voice, wrapped in the hum of electricity, came from the loudspeaker: "Don't think a few fluorescent markers can ruin the plan. Everyone here will become a 'collection'."

Conan lay at the entrance of the ventilation duct, his fingertips rapidly tapping away at the laptop. The code kept trying to break into the remote control system. He lowered his voice and said to the two people below, "Rum is remotely controlling the detonator. The signal source is not inside the building. We need to cut off his connection to the control console first."

Matsuda Jinpei patted the control panel and sneered, "How dare you show off such an outdated remote control system?"

He took out a special tool and disassembled the console panel.

Kenji Hagiwara squatted down, shone his flashlight on the internal wiring, and pointed out accurately: "Cutting this blue line can temporarily block signal transmission."

"Here, cutting this blue line can temporarily block signal transmission."

Jinpei Matsuda's tool is about to touch the line.

Rum raised his voice over the loudspeaker, his tone threatening. "Don't waste your energy. Cut off the signal? The lives of those politicians in Kanagawa, and even Hashimoto Shin, now hang on your phones. I'm counting down thirty seconds. Either restore the control console to normal, or watch as the 'collection' and the entire building are reduced to ashes!"

Jinpei Matsuda's hand stopped above the blue line, his brows twisted into a knot, but he showed no intention of retreating.

He sneered at Hagiwara Kenji: "You only know how to use hostages as shields?"

Kenji Hagiwara squatted beside the control console, shining the flashlight steadily on the line.

"He's controlling it remotely, and the signal source isn't in the building. Delaying this will do us no good. Conan, can you try to bypass the signal and directly locate the situation in the monitoring room?"

Over the loudspeaker, Rum's voice, laced with ruthlessness, pierced the control room through the cacophony of electricity: "Twenty seconds! Don't even think about playing tricks. If the console is disconnected for more than ten seconds, those old guys in Kanagawa and Hashimoto Shin will be the first to be sacrificed!"

Matsuda Jinpei didn't move his hand holding the tool, his eyes as cold as ice. He sneered into the loudspeaker: "You're using hostages as bargaining chips, and you're qualified to discuss plans?"

Hagiwara Kenji remained crouched, his flashlight fixed firmly on the blue line. He whispered to Conan in the ventilation duct, "The signal source is remote, and the risk of hard disconnection is too high. We need to find a way to stabilize the hostages at the same time."

Conan's fingertips tapped rapidly on the portable computer, and the code on the screen scrolled faster and faster: "The signal from the monitoring room is encrypted. I'm trying to crack it and see what's going on inside at the same time..."

Before he could finish his words, Rum's angry shout suddenly came from the loudspeaker: "What's going on? Why is the signal disconnected? Reconnect it for me!"

Then came the panicked voices of Rum's men: "Boss! No! The signal is being jammed, and the remote control system can't connect to the console!"

In the control room, Jinpei Matsuda raised an eyebrow, retracted his tools, and patted the console. "Oh, it's broken already? The old man's equipment is even less reliable than his mouth."

Hagiwara Kenji straightened up immediately and pulled out his communicator. "This is the top-floor control room. The remote signal from those people has been interrupted, and we can't connect to the control console. Requesting confirmation of the hostage situation in the monitoring room."

Miwako Sato's clear voice came from the other end of the communicator. In the background, the clamor of a crowd evacuating could be heard. "Roger that! We're sending people to the monitoring room. Ogino and Yumi are still downstairs directing the flow of people. No abnormalities have been detected so far."

She added, "Matsuda, be careful and don't force it."

A smile appeared on the corner of Matsuda Jinpei's mouth, and he said "hmm" softly into the communicator, with a gentle tone in his voice.

Conan crawled out of the ventilation duct and squatted beside the console to continue operating the computer. "It wasn't us who cut off the signal. It looks like external interference. It might be a backup plan arranged by Manager Kuroda. But Rum will definitely not give up. We must find a breakthrough in the monitoring room as soon as possible."

Kudo Yuki's voice came through the communicator, calm and clear. "Attention, top floor! Rum is commanding from a black car, not in Kanagawa. His men are guarding the monitoring room. The hostages include Kanagawa politicians and Hashimoto Shin. Hashimoto Shin is willing to get rid of Rum, which may be a breakthrough point."

Manager Kuroda has made it clear that Amuro and Morobushi cannot participate in this operation. We will proceed as planned. The crowd downstairs has been 70% evacuated. Miwako and the others will prioritize controlling the monitoring room to prevent Rum from taking any desperate measures.

Shushu clung to Kudo Yuki's shoulder and whispered, "Xiaoxue, Amuro-san can't come over. Will there be any problems with the black car downstairs?"

Kudo Yuki responded telepathically: "I've asked Officer Date to keep an eye on it. He can handle it."

In the control room, after receiving the news from Kudo Yuki, Hagiwara Kenji immediately said to Matsuda Jinpei, "Hashimoto Shin wants to get rid of Rum. When we take control of the monitoring room later, perhaps we can start with him to reduce the conflict."

Matsuda Jinpei nodded and was about to speak when Hagiwara Chisu's voice suddenly came through the communicator, with a hint of impatience: "Kenji, what are you guys dawdling on the top floor for? That Yokomizo guy is trying to rush me to lead the team to the monitoring room. If we don't hurry up, he might ruin everything!"

Hagiwara Kenji smiled helplessly and said into the communicator, "Sister, don't get angry with Officer Yokomizo. We're heading to the monitoring room right now. You just need to meet us downstairs."

After hanging up the communicator, he looked at Matsuda Jinpei and said, "Let's go. If we don't go now, my sister and Officer Yokomizo will start arguing in the hallway."

Conan closed his computer and followed the two of them. "I cracked some of the surveillance footage in the monitoring room and can see that there are three guards inside, all armed. The hostage is tied up in a corner. Hashimoto Shin is sitting at the very edge, secretly observing the guards' movements, as if looking for an opportunity."

Just as the three of them reached the door of the control room, Rum's voice suddenly came through the loudspeaker again, even more aggressive than before: "Do you think that if the signal is cut off, it will be over? There is a backup trigger device in the console!

I'll give you the last seven minutes to hand over the investigation data on the 'ES Dark Amber' project. Otherwise, even if I can't connect remotely, I can have my men manually activate the device!"

Matsuda Jinpei paused, glanced back at the control console, and sneered, "Backup device? The old man did have a trick up his sleeve. But he forgot that this is our territory."

Hagiwara Kenji took out his tools and said, "Conan, can you locate the backup device in the monitoring room? We can go in and destroy it while saving people."

Conan nodded: "The surveillance footage shows a black box next to the console. It should be the backup device. But the guards are always standing by, so it's hard to get close."

At this time, Kudo Yuki's voice came again: "There is a ventilation hole on the west side of the monitoring room that leads directly to the top floor corridor. Conan can enter from there and destroy the device while the guards are not paying attention. You attract attention from the main entrance and cooperate with the outside. I have asked Officer Date to keep an eye on the periphery at the same time to prevent Rum from sending reinforcements."

Matsuda Jinpei's eyes lit up: "That's a good idea. Conan, can you do it?"

Conan patted the anesthetic needle watch in his pocket: "Don't worry, it's okay."

Hagiwara Kenji glanced at the time and said, "Rum, give us ten minutes. We have to hurry. Matsuda, you go to the main gate to draw fire. I'll meet Conan in the corridor. Once the device is destroyed, we'll rush in to rescue them."

Jinpei Matsuda responded.

Miyamoto Yumi's voice came through the communicator again: "Kenji, Matsuda, we've arrived downstairs at the monitoring room. According to Manager Kuroda's instructions, we'll tie down the guards at the door. You can proceed! Oh, and give Morobushi a message for me. Tell him to stay in his designated position and stop worrying!"

Kenji Hagiwara smiled and shook his head, then made an "action" gesture to Jinpei Matsuda.

Jinpei Matsuda gripped the baton tightly in his hand and strode towards the main door of the monitoring room, deliberately making footsteps.

The guards in the monitoring room immediately became alert and looked towards the door.

Conan took the opportunity to crawl into the west ventilation duct and crawl into the monitoring room.

In the loudspeaker, Rum was still making threats, but he no longer had the confidence he had before, and was obviously anxiously trying to find a way to reconnect the signal.

In the control room, all that was left was the flickering snowflake pattern on the console screen and the gradually quieting street outside the window.

Jinpei Matsuda deliberately hit the wall with his baton outside the main door of the monitoring room, making a muffled "dong, dong" sound.

"Rum's minions, hiding in there like cowards?" He said in a mocking tone, turning his ankle slightly, deliberately letting his shadow fall on the door. "If you don't come out, we're going to break it down!"

From inside the door came the frantic footsteps of the guards, mixed with whispered scolding. "Don't be fooled! They're trying to lure us out!"

"Guard the door! The boss said if we can hold out for seven minutes, we'll finish them all off!"

Kenji Hagiwara, clinging to the corridor wall, observed the gap in the monitoring room door in the dim light. He lowered his voice into the communicator and said, "Conan, where are you? We can hold the main entrance for at most one more minute."

Conan's slightly hurried response came from the ventilation duct: "We're almost above the monitoring room. We can hear voices from inside. The guards are all staring at the door. The backup device is on the right side of the console. There's a red button on the black box!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the guard's angry shout suddenly rang out in the monitoring room: "Who is talking?!" Then there was the sound of tables and chairs moving. Obviously, someone noticed the movement in the ventilation duct.

Matsuda Jinpei's eyes flashed, and he suddenly kicked the door. The loud bang echoed through the corridor. "Grandpa, I'm here! If you have the guts, come out and show me! What's the point of hiding in there?" He deliberately raised his voice, clacking his baton against his palm, successfully drawing the guard's attention back to the door.

Inside the duct, Conan took the opportunity to push aside the grille of the vent and use the dim light from the console screen to see the interior clearly:

Three guards had their backs to him, staring at the door. Five hostages were tied up in the corner.

As expected, Shin Hashimoto was sitting at the very edge, quietly scratching the rope on his wrist with his fingernails, his eyes filled with anxiety and vigilance.

"Mr. Hashimoto, don't make a sound, I'll help you." Conan made a silent gesture to Hashimoto Shin, pressed the anesthetic needle watch with his fingertips, and aimed at the back of the neck of the guard closest to the backup device.

With a slight "whoosh" sound, the man swayed his body and fell straight to the ground.

The other two guards were startled and looked back, but before they could draw their guns, Conan had already jumped out of the ventilation duct, and the football belt in his hand ejected a football, hitting one of the guards' knees accurately.

The man fell to his knees in pain, and Matsuda Jinpei took the opportunity to kick open the half-open door and swept his baton across, knocking the last guard unconscious to the ground in an instant.

"Pretty quick." Matsuda Jinpei bent down to pick up the weapon on the ground and raised his eyebrows at Conan.

Hagiwara Kenji immediately rushed to the hostages and quickly untied the ropes, "Don't panic, everyone. We are police officers. We are safe now."

The rescued politicians were still in shock. Only Hashimoto Shin stood up, walked quickly to the control console, pointed at the black box and said hurriedly: "This device has a countdown! Rum said that once it starts, it can't be stopped unless he unlocks it with his fingerprint!"

Upon hearing this, Conan immediately rushed to the console and fumbled quickly with his fingertips on the backup device. Sure enough, he found a fingerprint recognition area on the side of the black box, and a red countdown of "6 minutes and 12 seconds" was jumping on the screen.

"Unlocking requires Rum's fingerprint. It will take at least five minutes to crack. There's not enough time!"

He gritted his teeth and cold sweat oozed from his forehead.

Kenji Hagiwara squatted down to check the device wiring, his brow furrowed. "The wiring is connected to the load-bearing columns of the entire building. Direct damage will trigger a local explosion."

Suddenly, Kudo Yuki's voice came from the communicator: "Officer Date has spotted a black car moving downstairs towards the monitoring room. Rum might have to come here himself! He has a spare remote control, so we must deal with the device before he arrives!"

Shin Hashimoto suddenly grabbed Conan's wrist, his eyes firm: "I know Rum's fingerprint habits! He always uses his left index finger to press his fingerprints, and there is a very small scar on the edge of the fingerprint - I saw it last time when I handed him a document!"

Conan's eyes lit up, and he immediately called up the fingerprint simulation program on his computer: "That's enough! You describe the scar location, and I'll generate a simulated fingerprint!"

Matsuda Jinpei walked to the window and watched the black sedan with the silver crow logo slowly pull up downstairs. He said solemnly into the communicator, "Rum is downstairs with two bodyguards. Can you hold Sister Meiwako back?"

"Got it! We're going around to the back of the car and trying to hold him back!" Sato Miwako's voice came along with the sound of tires rubbing against the ground.

To be continued...