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

"The tranquilizer is sodium oxybate, and the dosage is three times the medical standard. It will take at least two hours to be fully metabolized."

Ai Haibara shone the flashlight into Vodka's pupils and looked up at Jinpei Matsuda and Kenji Hagiwara. "If we want to get a confession, it's best to wait until he's more conscious. Forcing him now might cause his memory to become confused."

Hagiwara Kenji placed the locator on the coffee table, the red dot on the screen slowly flashing. "Amuro has dual locators on him, so even if he wakes up and wants to escape, it won't be easy. But then again, Karasuma Renya is using him as a test subject for the 'Amber' project. Can Gin really sit still?"

Vodka suddenly groaned, and his fingers curled up unconsciously, as if he was having a nightmare.

Matsuda Jinpei leaned closer and vaguely heard him muttering words like "rum," "data," and "gin." His voice was vague but filled with obvious fear.

"It seems he knows a lot." Matsuda Jinpei stood up and took out a recorder from his pocket. "When he wakes up, we'll start by asking him about the APTX4869 data. Someone has to come forward as a witness to Rum's data tampering."

The door of the safe house was gently pushed open.

Subaru Okiya took off his meditative cap, holding a coded document in his hand. "Kagekawa Raku just sent a message saying Vodka's name is on the list of applicants for human experimentation. The reason for the application is '92% physical compatibility, suitable for brainwashing equipment tolerance testing.'"

Miyano Akemi's head shot up, her voice trembling. "Brainwashing device? Is the Dark Amber Project really doing something like that?"

Haibara Ai held her sister's hand, her fingertips icy. "Not only that, but the experimental logs I got from Mr. Kagekawa show that they want to use the device to control government officials and corporate executives. Karasuma Renya even plans to use it on people in the public security system. Fortunately, Sister Xue intercepted the blueprints in advance."

Hagiwara Kenji leaned against the wall, tapping his fingers. "So, Vodka isn't just a witness to Rum's data tampering, he's also a victim of Project Dark Amber. If we can get him to testify against Karasuma Renya, it would be a major breakthrough in bringing down the organization."

Matsuda Jinpei squatted in front of Vodka and poked his cheek with his finger. "I'm afraid this guy has been too deeply brainwashed by the organization and won't dare to tell the truth even if he wakes up. Gin is still in the organization. If he dares to turn against us, Gin will be the first to not forgive him."

"Gin won't touch him." Subaru Okiya walked to the window and looked at the moonlight outside. "Vermouth sent a video. When Gin saw Vodka lying on the lab table, the anger in his eyes was even greater than when he saw Rum.

He's already discovered that Karasuma Renya has a bug in his communicator, and he's just playing along—he cares about vodka more than we thought."

Haibara Ai pulled out a syringe from the medical kit. "I'm going to mix a mild awakening agent that will wake him up early without irritating his nerves. Do you want to use it now?"

Hagiwara Kenji nodded. "Yes, the sooner we get the confession, the sooner we can seize the initiative. Karasuma Renya's men might still be lingering nearby. The longer the night, the more trouble we have."

Ai Huihara slowly pushed the awakening agent into Vodka's veins. Not long after, Vodka's eyelids began to tremble and a muffled moan came from his throat.

Jinpei Matsuda immediately pressed the recorder and blocked the door to prevent him from suddenly attacking.

"Water..." Vodka opened his eyes and scanned the people around him blurryly. When he saw Akai Shuichi's disguise, his pupils suddenly contracted, "You are... from the FBI?!"

"Looks like he's conscious now." Hagiwara Kenji sat on the sofa across from him and handed him a glass of water. "Don't be nervous, we won't hurt you. As long as you answer the questions honestly, you can save your life. For example, why did Rum tamper with the data of APTX4869?"

Vodka clenched the water glass tightly in his hand and remained silent for a few seconds, his eyes full of struggle: "I can't say it... If I say it, Rum will kill me, and Brother Gin won't let me go either..."

"Gin wants to bring down Rum even more than you do now," Subaru Okiya said in a low voice. "He knows that Rum sent Cohen to assassinate a woman, and he also knows that you were used as a test subject. Vermouth has already sent him the video of you in the lab. Do you think he will still stand on Rum's side?"

Vodka shuddered, spilling the water from his glass. "Big Brother knows... He knows I'm being used as an experimental subject?"

"Not only did he know, he also tried to visit you, but was denied permission by Karasuma Renya." Hagiwara Kenji took out his mobile phone and called up the screenshots sent by Amuro Toru - that was the communication record between Gin and Karasuma Renya, and the content was all about the dispute over "banning Vodka from visiting."

"Look, for you, he even dared to challenge Karasuma Renya. Now, if you just tell us the truth, we can help you, and you won't have to worry about your life when you return."

Vodka's breathing quickened, tears suddenly streaming from his eyes. He wiped his face with a hand, his voice tinged with tears, "Rum tampered with the data so he could use a metabolite of APTX4869 to treat his left eye... His left eye was injured by Akai Tsuchimure in the Haneda Hiroshi case, and he's been relying on medication to maintain his vision for years. He heard APTX4869 could repair cells, so he decided to give it a try."

Jinpei Matsuda pressed the pause button on the recorder and exchanged a look with Kenji Hagiwara - this was exactly as they had speculated before.

"What about the 'ES Dark Amber Project'?" Subaru Okiya pressed. "Do you know the specific details of this plan? Did Rum tamper with it?"

When the "Amber Project" was mentioned, Vodka's body shrank noticeably, as if he remembered something terrible.

"I... I only know that they were developing brainwashing equipment. Rum wanted to transform the equipment into a weapon that could control people, and he wanted to target people in the public security system... When that person found out, he didn't say anything on the surface, but he transferred me to the lab as a test subject. In fact, he was warning Rum..."

He suddenly grabbed Hagiwara Kenji's wrist, his eyes full of pleading: "You must save Big Brother! That adult installed a bug in his communicator, and Rum also wants to get rid of him because Gin found out that he had prevented Cohen from assassinating that woman..."

Hagiwara Kenji patted the back of his hand, signaling him to calm down. "We won't put Gin's life in danger, but you have to tell us everything you know. For example, Rum's secret base and the backup laboratory address for the 'Amber' project."

Vodka closed his eyes, as if making up his mind. "Rum has a secret warehouse in Capital Bay, where the core components of the 'Amber' device are hidden... The backup laboratory is in the shipyard in Gunma Prefecture. I've delivered experimental samples there before. There are three password-protected doors there, and the password is that gentleman's birthday..."

The communicator in Jinpei Matsuda's pocket suddenly vibrated. It was a message from Date Kou:

Rum is moving towards the Gunma Prefecture Shipyard, and Gin has caught up with him!

Subaru Okiya stood up and grabbed his coat from the sofa. "I'm going to the shipyard to support and investigate. You stay here and keep an eye on Vodka. By the way, organize his confession and send it to Manager Kuroda."

Hagiwara Kenji nodded, watched Akai Shuichi disappear at the door, then turned to Matsuda Jinpei and said, "It looks like this good show isn't over yet."

Matsuda Jinpei put away the recorder, glanced at the still-trembling Vodka, and picked up the locator from the coffee table. "At least we have leverage now. As long as Gin can hold off Rum, once they get the core data of Amber, we can completely wipe out the organization's lair."

After packing up her medical kit, Ai Haibara exchanged a glance with Akemi Miyano, both of them holding a glimmer of hope. Perhaps this time, they could truly escape the shadow of the organization and embrace true light.

When we returned to Poirot Café, it was already eight o'clock in the evening.

A warm yellow light was still on in the cafe. Conan was sitting at the bar, poking at an unfinished piece of cake with a fork in his hand. When he saw Kudo Yuki and Amuro Toru come in, he immediately put down his fork and came forward, his eyes sparkling: "Sister Yuki, Mr. Amuro, you're back! How's Vodka? Did you tell me the clue?"

"He was taken to a safe house by Officers Hagiwara and Matsuda." Kudo Yuki walked behind the bar, opened the refrigerator, and saw that one piece of dark chocolate she had hidden in the innermost part was missing. She deliberately narrowed her eyes and poked Conan's forehead, "Did some kid secretly eat the chocolate I put in the innermost part of the refrigerator?"

Conan's ears instantly turned red. He quickly waved his hands and took two steps back. His eyes drifted to the streetlight outside the window and he quickly changed the subject: "I, I didn't! By the way, Sister Xue, Mr. Subaru just came back. He said that Gin had left the warehouse, but he found a small eavesdropping device in the corner of the warehouse. It looks like it was installed by Karasuma Renya's people. Maybe he is still listening!"

Amuro Toru sat on the chair next to him, poured himself a glass of warm water, and added with a smile: "The eavesdropping device can come in handy. We can deliberately spread some false news to make Karasuma Renya mistakenly believe that we are still keeping an eye on the warehouse in Capital Bay."

At this moment, Kudo Yuki's phone rang. It was a text message from Vermouth:

Gin has started checking the experimental records of the "ES Amber Project". He seems to suspect that the master wants to make Vodka a permanent experimental subject. The master asked you to report to the headquarters tomorrow. He may ask you about rum. You'd better prepare your speech in advance. - Vermouth: Absinthe

After reading it, Kudo Yuki handed it to Amuro Toru. Conan also came over curiously and stood on tiptoe to stare at the screen.

"Gin has already started checking the experimental records of the 'ES Amber Project,' and he seems to suspect that he wants to turn Vodka into a permanent experimental subject." Kudo Yuki explained softly, "Vermouth said that Karasuma Renya asked me to report to headquarters tomorrow and might ask about Rum."

As soon as Toru Amuro finished reading, Conan immediately grabbed the corner of his clothes, his eyes full of anticipation: "Mr. Amuro! I want to go tomorrow too! I can pretend to be the lost child that Sister Xue met on the roadside and follow her to the headquarters! Maybe I can help - for example, look at the layout of the corridors of the headquarters, or pay attention to whether there are any strange rooms!"

Kudo Yuki ruffled Conan's hair, feeling helpless and amused. "Conan, you have to agree to two conditions: First, you must stay with me or Toru when we get to headquarters. You absolutely cannot run around. Second, no matter what you see or hear, you must not act impulsively. Gin is very wary of children now. If he finds out that something is wrong with you, you'll be in big trouble."

Conan immediately straightened his back and nodded vigorously: "I know, Sister Xue! I will definitely be obedient and will definitely not cause any trouble!"

Shushu, who was lying on the bar, scratched the table with his chubby little paws. "Xiaoxue, do you want to bring your divination cards with you to headquarters tomorrow? You used them to figure out Rum's whereabouts last time, so maybe they can help this time."

"Of course I should bring it." Kudo Yuki took out the divination cards from her bag and responded telepathically.

Conan immediately went over, picked up the card and looked at it, "This is a gift from Uncle Kuroba, right? I saw you use it to analyze clues of the organization with Huibara before!"

Kudo Yuki traced her fingertips across the lines on the divination cards and put them away. When she looked up, her eyes were calmer. "Conan, I've changed my plans. You stay in the cafe and wait for news from us."

Conan pouted immediately and was about to retort when Amuro Toru smiled and ruffled his hair: "Be good, the surveillance in the headquarters corridor is more dense than you think. If you follow her in, it will distract Xue."

He pulled a communicator from his pocket. "Here, you can listen to our conversation in real time. If you notice anything unusual, press the red button on the side. Officer Ida and the others will immediately call for support."

Conan held the silver communicator in his hand, rubbing the red button on the side with his fingertips. The disappointment in his eyes was hidden for a moment, but he nodded slightly: "I will guard here."

Conan took out the detective badge and stuffed it into Amuro Toru's hand. "Take this with you. If the communicator is interfered with, you can still use it to communicate."

Kudo Yuki looked at his serious expression and gently scratched the tip of his nose with her fingertips: "We will come back safely. Before we leave, we have to wait for a guest to visit."

The door was pushed open and the wind chimes jingled.

Wakasa Rumi stood at the door, the hem of her beige windbreaker still stained with a little night dew. She raised her hand to gather her scarf, her eyes falling on Kudo Yuki behind the bar, a hint of tension hidden in her eyes.

"Sorry for being late, Miss Xue." She walked to the bar and sat down, her fingertips unconsciously stroking the rim of the cup. When her eyes swept over Amuro Toru next to her, she paused slightly - the memory of knocking this man unconscious in the basement of Shiraji Ranch was still clear, and she did not have any extra hostility at this moment, just nodded lightly as a greeting.

Shushu, who was lying on the bar, tapped the table with his chubby little paws: "Xiaoxue, she has the fragment of Rum's artificial eye in her pocket."

Amuro Toru paused as he held the water cup, then pushed it towards Wakasa Rumi and said calmly, "Teacher Wakasa, you're looking for Xiaoxue tonight. Did you find anything new about the Haneda case?"

Wakasa Rumi lowered her eyes to hide the fluctuations in her eyes, and tapped the table with her fingertips: "I already know the truth about the Haneda case."

She looked up at Kudo Yuki, took out the silk-wrapped fragments from her inner pocket, placed them on the bar, and gently pushed them away.

"This was found at Rum's old base last time. It's a fragment of his left prosthetic eye. There's still a bit of APTX4869 reagent residue on it. The evidence you're looking for might be hidden inside."

To be continued...