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

Toru Amuro carried Kudo Yuki and walked towards the safe house.

The evening breeze lifted the corner of his clothes, carrying a faint aroma of coffee and cedar. Kudo Yuki buried her head in the crook of his neck and muttered softly, "Actually, I can walk by myself..."

"Shh." Amuro Toru lowered his head and rubbed his nose against the top of her hair. "Let me hold you for a while. I haven't had a proper word with you since Rum exposed his vest until now."

His voice softened. "Just now in James' car, you said Rum was afraid of Mr. Wakasa. But there's another reason, right? You knew that Mr. Wakasa had the key evidence in the Haneda Hiroshi case, so you deliberately spread the news to panic Rum."

Kudo Yuki raised her eyes, meeting his smiling gaze. She couldn't help but curl her lips. "I can't hide anything from you. The fragment of the prosthetic eye in Wakasa-sensei's hand contains the original code for the 'ES Amber Project'. That's what Rum wants to hide the most. I want him to know that the secret he cares about most is already in our hands."

The rat in the pocket yawned and said lazily, "Alright, alright, stop talking about the case! Go home quickly, I'm still waiting to eat the dried fish that Amuro Toru grilled!"

Amuro Toru chuckled softly and shook his arm gently, pretending to wake the little fur ball up: "If you make trouble again, there will be no dried fish tonight."

The street lights downstairs in the apartment building were emitting a warm yellow light. Toru Amuro walked into the elevator holding Kudo Yuki and pressed the floor button with his fingertips.

Kudo Yuki looked at his serious profile and suddenly reached out to pinch his chin: "Toru, tomorrow Wakasa-sensei will come to Poirot, you have to behave well - after all, you are now the 'gold medal clerk' in my store."

Amuro Toru held her hand, gently stroking her knuckles with his fingertips, his eyes full of tenderness: "I promise to satisfy Boss Kudo."

The elevator door slowly opened, and he carried her out of the elevator with a brisk pace. For him, whether facing the conspiracy of the organization or protecting the person in front of him, he was already prepared.

Conan watched Amuro Toru walk into the elevator with his sister in his arms before turning around and pressing the button for his own floor. His fingertips unconsciously stroked the detective badge in his pocket, his brows furrowed, and he was already muttering in his heart:

[The video of Rum's cross-dressing is too crucial. The movements, the sounds, it's impossible to escape from Wakita Kanenori's involvement with Rum!]

"But that sniper rifle in Wakasa-sensei's hand... What is she going to tell her sister tomorrow when she goes to Poirot? Don't rush into revenge on Rum alone."

[And that backup lab for the "ES Amber Project" that my sister mentioned. Mr. Amuro just mentioned that Gin is looking for Vodka's whereabouts. If Gin knew that Vodka's hand was used as a test subject, he would definitely turn against the organization. Gin would be a more difficult variable to deal with than Rum.]

[I clearly have all these clues, but I still feel like there's something missing. What did I miss?]

The moment the elevator door closed, Toru Amuro quietly tightened the strength of his fingertips, holding Kudo Yuki more firmly.

Shushu half-stuck out of her pocket, its chubby paws scratching at the fabric and shaking it. "Conan's frown just now must have made him think about Gin again!"

Amuro Toru chuckled softly, "He's worried about more than just Gin. The key thing is what Wakasa-sensei will bring tomorrow."

The elevator door slowly opened at the entrance of the safe house, and Amuro Toru walked into the entrance holding Kudo Yuki.

The sensor light on the entrance cabinet lights up with warm light.

Toru Amuro bent down and gently placed Kudo Yuki on the sofa. As soon as his fingertips touched the sock cuffs at her ankles, Kudo Yuki gently pressed the back of her hand.

"I can do it myself. You go and take a look at Shushu's dried fish and nut cakes." Kudo Yuki shook his pocket, and the little fur ball inside immediately made a rustling sound.

Shushu stuck out his little head and stared straight towards the kitchen with his chubby little paws.

Toru Amuro didn't move, but instead squatted down and insisted on rolling up her trouser legs.

The redness of his ankle was more obvious than in the evening. His fingertips, covered with calluses, gently pressed the swelling and said in a very soft voice, "Teacher Wakasa will come to Poirot tomorrow. You will have to move around. You must apply cold compresses tonight."

As soon as he finished speaking, a slight electric sound suddenly came from the headset in his pocket.

Amuro Toru pressed the switch.

At this moment, Vermouth's voice was filled with laughter: "Bourbon, it seems you don't have time to take the 'overtime task' tonight?"

Kudo Yuki raised an eyebrow.

Shushu had already jumped out of her pocket, squatted on Amuro Toru's shoulder, and whispered into the headset: "Vermouth! Are you here to steal Amuro Toru's time again?"

Amuro Toru patted the little fur ball's head helplessly and asked solemnly into the headset, "Just say it, is there any news over there?"

"No news, but there is a 'gift'." Vermouth's voice suddenly dropped. "Vodka's latest status in the lab. Fine Wine and I each captured a screenshot and sent it to your encrypted email. Also, Gin went to the lab today and stayed in the parking lot for a full ten minutes. You'd better watch the surveillance footage of him at the time; the look in his eyes didn't look like he was 'obeying orders.'"

The headset connection is disconnected.

Kudo Yuki came over and said, "Vodka is Gin's only weakness. If the old man keeps doing this, he will rebel sooner or later."

Shushu jumped back into her hand, the little fur ball rubbing against her fingertips. "I just heard Vermouth mention 'fine wine' in Amuro Toru's earpiece! Can she tell that Xiaoxue is the fine wine?"

Amuro Toru had just applied an ice pack to Kudo Yuki's ankle when a look of certainty flashed in his eyes. "No. Vermouth wants to completely destroy the winery, and the 'fine wine' is her only springboard to access Karasuma Renya's core secrets. Even if she has doubts, she will never take the initiative to expose them."

He picked up his phone and opened his encrypted email account. Two videos immediately popped up on the screen. In the video, Vodka was wearing a baggy lab coat. His face was pale, but he still smiled at the camera innocently: "Brother, when I get stronger, I will keep an eye on you."

Kudo Yuki clicked on the attachment, and Conan suddenly sent a video call request.

The boy on the screen was still in his pajamas, his brows still furrowed. Ran Mao's voice came from behind him: "Shinichi, it's almost ten o'clock, are you still discussing the case with Sister Xue?"

Conan immediately turned around and shouted, "It will be ready soon."

When he turned back, his tone lowered a little: "Sister, I just checked the instrument drawings of the 'ES Amber Project' with Huibara, and found that the one given by Mr. Wakasa is missing the marking of the core chip. She will come to Poirot tomorrow, you must find out the whereabouts of the chip!"

"I remember it." Kudo Yuki nodded with a smile, and caught a glimpse of Amuro Toru walking towards her with an ice pack, dried fish and nut cake.

"By the way, tomorrow Officer Matsuda and the others will deliver the interrogation records from Nagano. Do you want to come with Poirot to take a look?"

Conan's eyes lit up, and just as he was about to agree, he was interrupted by Mao Lilan's voice: "Shinichi! If you don't sleep, you will be late tomorrow again!"

He hurriedly said goodbye to Kudo Yuki, and before hanging up, he shouted, "Sister, remember to ask Mr. Amuro to bake more ham sandwiches!"

Amuro Toru had already applied an ice pack to Kudo Yuki's ankle. He picked up a nut cake and placed it in front of Shushu. Seeing the little fur ball wolfing it down, he said, "Tomorrow when Wakasa-sensei comes, I'll have Poirot suspend business for two hours."

Kudo Yuki held his hand, her fingertips gently stroking his knuckles: "You have already arranged this, right?"

Amuro Toru looked down at her, his eyes full of tenderness. "I have to take care of you and the case. I can't let you be in any danger. Hiro sent a message today saying that Kagekawa Raku's identity has recently gained a lot of trust at the winery. He has found a backdoor route to the laboratory. When the time is right, we can let him try to get in touch with vodka."

Shushu finished his nut cake, burped, and jumped onto the sofa, curling up in a ball. "Then I'll go with you to Poirot tomorrow! I'll help you keep an eye on Wakasa-sensei's bag to see if she brought the core chip!"

Amuro Toru chuckled softly and reached out to move the little fur ball next to Kudo Yuki: "Okay, then I'll trouble you to be the 'little observer' tomorrow."

Meanwhile, Gin was sitting in the driver's seat of a black Porsche, staring at a video of Vodka on his phone.

The man in the picture was wearing a white lab coat and his face was pale, but he was still smiling at the camera: "Brother, don't worry, when I become stronger, I will go on missions with you."

Gin gripped the phone tightly with his fingertips, and the screen reflected the cold light in his eyes.

He picked up the communicator and whispered into the microphone, "Boss, Rum hasn't behaved unusually tonight, and Cohen is still monitoring the target person as planned."

Karasuma Renya's hoarse voice came from the other end of the communicator: "Very good. Let Rum go to the laboratory tomorrow. I want him to personally verify the latest brainwashing procedures. Remember, keep an eye on him and don't let him play tricks."

Gin replied, "Yes."

After hanging up, he pulled out another phone from his storage compartment and opened the email from Vermouth. Inside was a map of the laboratory's backup power distribution. The email ended with a single sentence: "Jia Jiu said this is the key to 'save' Vodka."

Gin stared at the screen, a faint smile appeared on the corner of his mouth. He stepped on the accelerator and the Porsche disappeared into the night.

At the Kaiseki restaurant on the corner of Ginza, the warm yellow paper lanterns make the wooden facade look particularly warm, and the rich aroma of matsutake broth mixed with the light fragrance of cherry blossoms wafts out from the half-open sliding door.

Hei Yudao held the bamboo chopsticks between his fingertips and put the grilled sea bream into his mouth. The sweet taste of the fish meat still lingered between his teeth, but the shadow of the wide-brimmed hat quietly obscured the sharp light in his eyes.

The searchlights on the helipad outside the window suddenly lit up, and a black helicopter with dark patterns on it was slowly landing. The airflow created by the propellers caused the cherry blossoms on the roadside to fall, and even the wind chimes at the door of the restaurant were jingling.

He dipped his finger in yuzu sauce seemingly nonchalantly, but his eyes were fixed on the figure who got off the plane first.

The man was wearing a well-ironed black suit with straight shoulders, but it couldn't hide the sinister look around him. The dark eye mask on his left eye shone coldly under the light. It was Rum, who was stirring up trouble within the organization.

Hei Yu Daoyi's fingertips paused for half a second, and a very faint, almost invisible arc appeared at the corner of his lips, as if he just caught a glimpse of an ordinary businessman returning late. He continued to lower his head and savor the pickled food on the plate, but his sharp ears caught every word of the conversation dozens of meters away.

"Cohen, I told you to keep an eye on Wakasa Rumi, not to play fast and loose with Gin!" Rum lowered his voice to a whisper, wearing headphones. "She's going to the Poirot Café tomorrow, and only that detective and Amuro Toru will be with her. This is the perfect time to take action. Don't you understand?"

Cohen's voice, cold as ice, echoed from the other end of the communicator, without a trace of emotion. "Gin said that the master has ordered you to go to the laboratory tomorrow to verify the brainwashing procedures of the 'ES Dark Amber Project' first. I will be responsible for monitoring Wakasa Rumi for the time being. You are prohibited from taking any action without authorization."

"Gin...it's him again!" Rum's breathing suddenly became heavier, his chest heaving violently, and a hint of cruelty flashed in his right eye under the eye mask. He clenched his fists suddenly, and his knuckles knocked on the helicopter door, making a dull sound.

At this moment, the phone in his pocket suddenly vibrated, and the word "Boss" jumping on the screen instantly made him suppress his anger.

After answering the phone, his tone instantly changed to one that was respectful to the point of being flattering: "Boss, you contacted me so late at night, do you have any instructions?"

"Tomorrow morning at ten o'clock, be at the main lab promptly." Karasuma Renya's hoarse voice came through the receiver. "I've asked Vodka to cooperate with the latest brainwashing test. You will monitor the entire process. There must be no mistakes in the data. Don't let me know that you have other intentions."

A flash of calculation flashed across Rum's eyes, so fast that it seemed like an illusion. He quickly bent down and replied, "Yes! I will personally monitor every step and will not let you down!"

After the phone call was hung up, the respectful look on his face immediately faded away, and he kicked the black suitcase next to him hard, as if to vent his dissatisfaction.

"Put me at the back door of the spare laboratory and bypass the surveillance." He ordered the driver coldly, his tone full of impatience.

It was not until the roar of the helicopter gradually faded away that Hei Yu Daoyi put down his bamboo chopsticks and took out a deck of magician's divination cards from his windbreaker pocket with his slender fingers.

It was the same deck he had given Kudo Yuki some time ago. The gold-stamped patterns on the cards gleamed in the light. He picked up a "Hermit" card with his fingertips and gently waved it towards the moonlight outside the window. The figure on the card seemed to blend into the night, and a flash of understanding flashed in his eyes.

At this moment, the phone vibrated and an anonymous message popped up. The sender was none other than Kudo Yuki:

Uncle Touyi, Rum has been keeping an eye on Mr. Wakasa recently. Tomorrow, Mr. Wakasa will go to Poirot to discuss clues about the Haneda Hiroshi case. Please help me keep an eye on the movements in the laboratory, especially whether he will come into contact with vodka in advance.

Hei Yu Daoyi chuckled and tapped "OK" on the screen with his fingertips, along with an emoticon of a magician bowing.

He stood up and walked to the bar to pay the bill. Passing by the window, he glanced in the direction where the rum had disappeared. A plan already formed in his mind: "It seems this civil unrest at the distillery will soon have new twists."

At this moment, the cold light in the underground laboratory was as pale as frost. Vodka was sitting on a cold metal chair with a transparent infusion tube inserted in his arm, and light blue liquid was slowly flowing into his blood vessels.

The words "Brainwashing program loading - 37%" were jumping on the screen in front of him. He stared at the screen drowsily, and vaguely remembered how Gin looked when he last came to see him.

The man stood outside the glass door, his black windbreaker making him look even taller. The cold light in his eyes contained a hint of emotion that he couldn't understand. He just said "wait" and turned away.

"Brother...when will you come to pick me up..." Vodka muttered to himself, his voice so soft that it was almost inaudible. He tilted his head and leaned back in the chair and fainted.