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

Back at the secret weapon base, Conan handed the silver pendant to Morobushi Kagemitsu, turned around and locked himself in the bedroom without saying anything, and quickly reviewed his experiences during the day in the quietness of the room.

Leaning against the door, Conan first focused on Rum's voice - it was not a natural human voice, but a synthesized sound mixed with the noise of electric current, like the jamming of old mechanical gears.

"It's too deliberate, there's no flaw at all."

He pondered: "Is it because he's been relying on a voice-changing device for a long time, or is there something wrong with his voice? Either way, it points to the extreme preparations he's made to conceal his identity. Rum's caution is far beyond imagination."

The synthesized voice could neither identify the age nor the emotion, making Rum look like a cold command transmitter.

Then, the image of the control room on the top floor of the old Kanagawa Department Store emerged in my mind:

Standing in front of the console, Yuki Kudo compared the fingerprint simulation image on the computer with the black box, pointing out the key details - when Rum pressed the fingerprint, the index finger of his left hand would unconsciously "lift up the orchid finger", causing the inner lines of the fingertip to appear "diagonal folds", and this was exactly the matching gap that Mr. Hashimoto had overlooked.

"My sister always catches the details that others miss!"

Conan marveled inwardly: "'Tall and tall' and hunchbacked' are in stark contrast to the vague descriptions of Rum as 'tall' and 'hunchbacked'. This will be an important screening criterion for future targets."

The two clues seem unrelated, but both point to Rum's core appeal of "trying hard to conceal his true appearance and status."

Conan realized that the more he hid, the more flaws he might expose.

My thoughts naturally extended to Kudo Yuki.

Conan admired her ability to make many unsolved clues come to life, but he was also worried about her situation:

Kudo Yuki cooperates with Wakasa Rumi and Vermouth at the same time, but hides her identity from both sides. "This move is too risky."

He also clearly remembered that Kudo Yuki had exposed the trick of "sending Cohen to assassinate the woman, but actually letting others finish it off" in front of Amuro Toru on the phone to Rum. At that time, Amuro Toru's tense profile

Conan concluded: "Sister said this on purpose for Mr. Amuro to hear. It was both a way to test Rum and to hint at the contradictions within the organization. Mr. Amuro must have realized that this was a potential breakthrough point."

Conan is also full of considerations for Kudo Yuki's two collaborators. Wakasa Rumi, as Rachel Asaka, the only survivor of the Haneda Koji case, holds the core truth of the case.

"She is willing to cooperate. Does she really want revenge, or does she have other intentions? We must keep a close eye on her movements."

Although Vermouth and Kudo Yuki agreed to work together to destroy the organization, they concealed their key identities from each other.

"Her purpose has always been vague. Is she helping her older sister to fight Karasuma Renya, or does she have selfish motives?"

More importantly, no one in the organization knows that Vermouth is the granddaughter of Karasuma Renya. "Once this secret is exposed, the entire organization will be shaken."

Conan walked to the bedside and sorted out the core trump cards: [The identity of the elder sister "Fine Wine" must not be exposed. This is the biggest bargaining chip; and the relationship between Vermouth and Karasuma Renya may become a key to overthrowing the organization in the future.]

In the living room, Zhu Fujingguang's fingertips caressed the silver pendant, the metal surface still retaining a trace of Conan's warmth. He did not dismantle it immediately, but simply placed it gently in the center of the coffee table, his eyes fixed on the window.

The small building where the base was located was hidden behind dense shade of trees. Only sporadic lights shone through from the residential area in the distance, like crushed stars, reflecting the complex emotions in his eyes.

Conan's silence when he handed him the pendant just now reminded him of the police academy many years ago.

Toru Amuro always likes to convey key information in this concise way.

He stood up and walked to the window, his voice low: "Conan just came back and gave me a silver pendant, but judging by his condition, he should have made an important discovery in the old department store in Kanagawa during the day."

Amuro Toru's slightly hurried response came from the other end of the phone, and there seemed to be the sound of cars passing by in the background: "I just finished dealing with the organization's final work, I'll be there soon."

Zhu Fujingguang hung up the phone with Amuro Toru, and his fingertips fell back on the silver pendant.

He knew the purpose of this pendant - it was a secret communication channel that would allow him to avoid the organization's surveillance when he sneaked into the Karasuma Group headquarters in the future. Conan handed it to him at this moment, obviously confirming the security of the channel.

There was a slight sound of a door lock turning in the entrance hall.

Amuro Toru pushed the door open and walked in, his black windbreaker still carrying the coolness of the night. "Where's the pendant?"

He went straight to the point, his eyes swept across the coffee table, and when he saw the silver object, he stopped.

"Here." Morobushi Kagemitsu stepped aside. "Conan hasn't come out since returning to his room. Judging by his state, he's probably sorting out clues about the Kanagawa Department Store. Just like you back in the police academy, he always likes to ponder important discoveries alone."

Amuro Toru picked up the pendant, stroking the cool metal surface with his fingertips, but his eyes were looking at Conan's bedroom door: "The scene he went to with Xiaoxue during the day, Xiaoxue's side..."

At this moment, the bedroom door opened with a "click" and Conan walked out with a freshly drawn sketch in his hand, which marked the "orchid finger" posture of Rum when pressing the fingerprint, as well as the fingerprint characteristics of "diagonal folds".

"Kagemitsu-san, Mr. Amuro," he said, walking up to the two of them and placing the sketch on the coffee table. "This is the key characteristic of Rum that my sister discovered. It's much more useful than descriptions like 'tall' or 'hunchbacked.'"

Zhu Fujingguang picked up the sketch and his eyes fell on the label "Orchid Finger." He frowned slightly. "This subtle habit is difficult for most people to notice. Xiaoxue's observation skills are truly amazing. However, since Rum deliberately used synthesized voices to hide his identity and used this unique little gesture, it is even easier to identify him."

Amuro Toru looked at the sketch, then looked at Conan's tense but sharp face, chuckled, and reached out to ruffle Conan's hair: "It seems that our little detective and his 'older sister' have already laid the first net for Rum."

Conan slapped his hand away, his eyes serious: "Vermouth herself is hiding this secret. If it is exposed in advance, we are not ready to deal with the chaos in the organization. I always feel that Wakasa-sensei is approaching my sister for revenge."

Amuro Toru paused, then put away his smile. "Wakasa Rumi's desire for revenge is as strong as her actions are unpredictable. The FBI has been keeping an eye on her for a long time. Akai is now hiding under the guise of Okiya Subaru. He knows that Miyano Elena and his mother are sisters, and his interest in the Haneda Hiroshi case is no less than ours."

Zhu Fujingguang spread the sketch flat on the coffee table and pointed his fingertips at the marked area of ​​"diagonal folds".

"Rum's information needs to be relayed to Manager Kuroda as soon as possible. With him coordinating with the Metropolitan Police Department and the FBI, the scope of the investigation can be significantly narrowed."

Conan nodded and turned his gaze to the window.

"Sister, you have to deal with Wakasa Rumi and Vermouth while also keeping an eye on the 'ES Amber' project. Luckily, Kidd is making good progress. He's now focused on improving his disguise skills. Once he's fully proficient, he'll be able to infiltrate the Karasuma Group headquarters to gather information."

When mentioning Kidd, his tone slowed down a bit: "Come to think of it, my sister just told us a while ago that Kidd is actually our cousin, and his father and my dad are twin brothers. This relationship is really well hidden."

Amuro Toru recalled the daily routine at Poirot Café, a faint smile playing on his lips. "Every time that guy comes to the café to look for Xiaoxue, he pretends to be an ordinary customer. If I hadn't known he was preparing for an undercover operation, I would have suspected he was really planning to steal the magician's divination cards that Kuroba Toichi left for Xiaoxue."

The door lock at the entrance turned again, and Kudo Yuki pushed the door open and walked in with the cool evening breeze outside, holding a brown paper bag given by Sera Masumi.

As soon as she changed her shoes, a furry shadow fell on her shoulder.

Shushu slipped out through the collar of her coat, tugging at the ends of her hair with his chubby claws, muttering, "Mr. Amuro! Next time Xiaoxue goes on a mission, can you please not just stay in the cafe? It's tiring for me, Shushu, to protect Xiaoxue!"

Hearing this, Amuro Toru bent down and spoke softly to Shushu, with a hint of helpless laughter in his tone: "I will definitely follow you next time. But you, little guy, are better at hiding than me by hiding in Xiaoxue's collar. You obviously completed the protection mission very well."

As soon as he finished speaking, he heard Shu Shu snort from Kudo Yuki's shoulder, and his furry body shrank into the crook of Kudo Yuki's neck again, obviously still feeling uncomfortable.

Kudo Yuki smiled and placed the brown paper bag on the coffee table. She rubbed Shushu's head and said, "Majun is here to give you a 'return gift'."

Kudo Yuki untied the knot of the brown paper bag.

Amuro Toru leaned over, his eyes falling on the exquisitely wrapped Japanese confectionery in the bag. "Ms. Sera is quite thoughtful, knowing that you prefer the pastries from Tsuruya Yoshinobu. However, the return gift of Jin Jun Mei black tea inside is clearly her mother's masterpiece."

Kudo Yuki took out two boxes of plainly packaged Japanese confectionery from the bag, and her fingertips brushed over the gold-plated logo of "Tsuruya Yoshinobu". A light pink card slipped out from between the boxes and landed lightly on the coffee table.

Conan reached out and picked up the card. After seeing the beautiful handwriting, he smiled and read out: "Sister Xue, it was my mother's idea to pair the fruit with Jin Junmei. She said she had something to discuss in detail. Let's meet at Haneda Yasuharu's villa in a few days. Someone will pick you and Mr. Amuro up. You two need to be there to explain this matter clearly. Don't be late!"

Amuro Toru rubbed his chin with his fingertips, his eyes darkening slightly. "Haneda Yasuharu's villa? Sera Masumi's mother is Akai Mari, also known as Akai Shuichi's mother. She suddenly asked to meet with Xiaoxue and me, so I'm afraid it's not just a simple 'discuss something in detail'."

After Conan finished reading the card, Amuro Toru rubbed his chin with his fingertips, his eyes falling on the words "Haneda Yasuharu's Villa". "The Haneda family is deeply involved in the Haneda Hiroshi case. Sera's mother's request to meet at this time is probably more than just a 'detailed discussion'."

Conan put the card back on the coffee table, pointed his finger at "Haneda Yasuharu's Villa", frowned slightly: "Haneda Yasuharu is Haneda Hiroshi's father. He has been very low-key since the case happened. Sera's mother chose to meet there. It is very likely related to the details of Haneda Hiroshi's case, and perhaps also involves Wakasa-sensei - after all, she is the only survivor at the crime scene."

Kudo Yuki opened a box of Japanese confectionery and handed a piece to Morobushi Keimitsu. Her voice was calm but measured. "Aunt Mary has a special status. She specifically asked Toru and I to go with her. I'm afraid she wants to discuss matters involving collaboration between the Public Security Bureau and the FBI. After all, the Metropolitan Police Department, the FBI, and MI6 are all closely watching the organization's 'ES Dark Amber' project."

Amuro Toru tapped his fingertips on the edge of the coffee table, his eyes darkening. "Once the brainwashing equipment for the 'ES Amber' project is complete, important figures in both the political and business circles will be controlled, and the consequences will become uncontrollable. Now that various agencies have joined forces to shut down human trafficking dens, we've effectively cut off the source of their experimental subjects, but the core R&D base has yet to be found, so we must urgently initiate ambush."

When Zhu Fushigami's cell phone vibrated on the coffee table, he was tapping the sketch of Rum's fingerprint features with his fingertips, his eyes fixed on the mark of "diagonal folds".

The moment the screen lit up, the official sender's words "Human Resources Department of Karasuma Group Headquarters" made the aura around him suddenly converge - the resume submitted by the fake identity "Kagekawa Luo" finally received a response.

He clicked on the email, his eyes quickly scanned the text, his Adam's apple rolled slightly, and then he looked up at the three people opposite him.

"It's an interview notice from Karasuma Group. The position is a research assistant in the Biotechnology R&D Center. The interview will be held at 23: AM tomorrow in the R&D area on the rd floor of the headquarters building."

Zhu Fu Jingguang turned his mobile phone screen towards everyone, and the requirement in the email that "you need to bring your personal academic qualifications and copies of your experimental project reports" was clearly visible to everyone.

"R&D area on the 23rd floor..." Amuro Toru reached for his phone, his fingertips swiping across the address on the screen, his brows furrowed slightly. "That floor is outside the core R&D area of ​​the 'ES Dark Amber' project. The security level is two levels higher than that of ordinary office areas. In addition to the standard iris recognition, there's also a dynamic password lock, and the password changes every hour."

He paused and looked at Zhufu Jingguang. "The interview will go through three levels of security checks. Especially for the experience of 'participating in the development of small biological instruments' in your resume, you must go over the corresponding 'project data' in your mind in advance to avoid being exposed when questioned."

Kudo Yuki put down the wagashi in her hand, tapped her fingertips lightly on the coffee table, and her gaze fell on Morobushi Kagemitsu. "The resume was fabricated based on 'expertise in experimental data modeling.' During the interview, you should actively draw attention to 'human-computer interaction system optimization'—the 'ES Amber' project is currently in need of people who can optimize the equipment control module. Mentioning this point will increase the pass rate."

Shushu poked her little head out, and her chubby paw patted her collar: "Brother Jingguang is going to have an interview tomorrow. Xiaoxue and I will follow quietly and make sure we can help you keep an eye on the surroundings!"

Amuro Toru ruffled Shushu's fur and looked at Morobushi Kagemitsu: "I'll take you to the headquarters tomorrow morning. Manager Kuroda will also open temporary communication permissions."

Conan folded the sketch and put it in his pocket: "Sister, when you and Mr. Amuro go to Haneda's house, remember to synchronize Rum's fingerprint characteristics with the FBI. Mr. Akai will keep an eye on Mr. Wakasa, so we can cooperate with each other."

Kudo Yuki nodded and handed the last piece of wagashi to Morobushi Kagemitsu. "Get some rest and be confident for tomorrow's interview. The identity of 'Kagekawa Raku' is the key to our entry into the R&D area."

To be continued...