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

Amuro Toru leaned over to make sure Rum's breathing was steady before standing up and speaking to the group, "First, ask him about the progress of the instrument calibration for the 'ES Amber Project' lab. Karasuma Renya has been pressing for updates lately, so he won't doubt that reason. Only Koyuki can directly contact that person."

He looked at the communicator parameter table in Zhu Fu Jingguang's hand.

"Regarding the chip, we said the signal jammer detected unusual fluctuations and suspected a chip malfunction, so we temporarily removed it for investigation. When we asked about the backup communicator, we blamed it on 'internal signal interference within the organization'. We also mentioned that Gin was investigating the 'source of the information leak', which distracted him from dealing with Gin and making him too busy investigating us."

Kudo Yuki held the lab pass in her pocket and said, "Why don't we give him a way out? Just say that although Gin was keeping an eye on Cohen, I helped him suppress it. Let him return to the organization and focus on his own work. This way, we can find an opportunity to infiltrate his backup lab."

Zhu Fu Jingguang raised his pen and added a note next to the parameter table: "This is a good step. Rum is already defensive against Gin. If you say this, he will only rely more on your 'information channel', and subsequent infiltration of the laboratory will be less hindered."

Ai Haibara sorted the anti-stress drugs in the medical box.

"When he woke up, he said that during the preoperative examination, he did detect abnormal frequency bands from the chip, which conflicted with the frequency of the shielding device. Rum had only a limited understanding of medical equipment, so he just believed it."

Miyano Akemi stood aside, her fingertips clutching the edge of her shirt. "Maybe I can help. 'Wu Yi' mentioned hearing people in the hallway talking about how 'Gin's been keeping an eye on the lab's entry and exit records lately,' which made him even more convinced that Gin was targeting him and had no time to figure out the chip's authenticity."

Amuro's eyes darkened. "Amei's words were a timely addition, perfecting the 'Gin's pressure' scene. Remember, just mention 'discussions', don't reveal any specific details. Rum hates people deliberately passing on information; vague fragments of information only seem real."

Hagiwara Kenji knocked on the wall. "Connect the monitoring equipment next door. We can listen to Xiaoxue and Rum's conversation from here. We can add our own words in real time and keep an eye on Rum's reaction to prevent him from getting suspicious."

Matsuda Jinpei leaned against the door frame, twirling his lighter. "I'm going to check the wiring next door and expand the signal shielding range to prevent Rum from hiding a backup communicator."

Yi Dahang walked to the communicator in the corner and said, "I'll guard the door. If there's any movement, sound the alarm immediately. You guys focus on dealing with the situation inside."

Kudo Yuki pondered: "Ai, how many minutes will it take for Rum to wake up?"

Huiyuan Ai paused with her fingertips on the edge of the medical kit and looked at the monitor curve: "Three minutes at most. The sedative is metabolized quickly and the pupils are reacting to light."

Kudo Yuki stood in front of the surveillance screen in the safe house and looked towards the room next to Rum's. "Kenji, connect the monitoring line now. Avoid blind spots in the corridor surveillance. Don't leave any traces."

Kenji Hagihara gripped a mini screwdriver and worked on the wall circuit board, sparks flying from the metal contacts. "The blind spots for corridor surveillance are marked on the map. Connect the monitoring line within three minutes and synchronize it with the sound in the rum room."

There was a sound of electricity coming from the connecting cable, and a green prompt "Monitoring Connected" popped up on the screen.

Jinpei Matsuda just turned the signal jammer knob to the maximum.

Shushu squatted beside his shoes, tugging at his trouser legs and yelling, "Xiaoxue, the instrument next to him is flashing red! Rum's fingers are moving, he's about to wake up!"

Toru Amuro glanced at Yuki Kudo, who immediately walked to Rum's bedside, put his fingertips on his wrist, pretending to check his pulse.

"Forty seconds left." Ai stared at the accelerated heart rate on the monitor and hid a tranquilizer in the pocket of her white coat. "His metabolism is faster than expected. If there's any abnormality later, I can give him half a dose under the pretext of 'replenishing nutrients'. It won't arouse suspicion."

Miyano Akemi walked to the door and deliberately dropped the folder. When she bent down to pick it up, she glanced at the corridor and made a "safe" gesture after confirming that there was no one there.

The sound of fabric rubbing against each other came from the monitoring device next door.

Toru Amuro pressed the communicator switch with his fingertips, signaling everyone to be silent.

Amid the buzzing sound of the monitor's current, Shushu tugged at his trouser legs, "Xiaoxue, Rum's eyelids are moving fast. He's secretly squinting!"

Amuro Toru lowered his voice into the microphone: "Xiaoxue, he's pretending to be awake, don't reveal any flaws."

Zhu Fujingguang circled "chip abnormality" in the parameter table and blamed it on Haibara Ai.

Ai Huihara moved the tranquilizer to a more convenient place and put it to the communicator: "As planned, slow down your speech when mentioning the equipment calibration progress. I will monitor his attention through his pulse."

Miyano Akemi walked over to the monitoring device. "Do you want me to go to the corridor and 'chance' run into the patrol now? Just mention that Gin is checking the entry and exit records."

Amuro Toru shook his head and stared at the monitoring screen: "Wait until Xiaoxue hands over the steps before going. Moving now will make him suspicious."

Kudo Yuki, wearing a half-covered butterfly mask, kept her fingertips firmly on Rum's wrist. Her eyelashes drooped slightly, obscuring the expression in her eyes. She spoke deliberately slowly, "Rum, are you awake? During the preoperative monitoring, the medical equipment detected an abnormal frequency band on your communicator chip. It conflicts with the frequency of the shielding device in the room, so we temporarily removed it for investigation."

Shushu crawled under the table along the hem of Amuro Toru's trousers, grabbing the table legs with his chubby paws. "Xiaoxue! He tapped his fingers three times in the quilt, just like he did last time to signal Cohen!"

Amuro Toru added into the microphone, "Mention the calibration chart for the ES Dark Amber and use the lab's urgent priority to divert his attention."

Kudo Yuki pulled a folded parameter sheet from her pocket and handed it to Rum. "This morning, the old man asked about the progress of the ES Amber core instrument calibration. He said the first round of simulation tests will be next week. The engineer you're working with said the data is off, and only you can sign it. I brought the sheet here specially."

Rum opened his eyes, first scanning the parameter table, then looking at Sora's wrist, and asked in a low voice, "Where's the chip? Did you find any results?"

The fingers under the quilt did not move, but the knuckles were quietly tensed.

Shushu, who was sitting under the table, pricked up his ears and tapped the tip of Amuro Toru's shoe with his chubby little paw: "Xiaoxue! There's something vibrating in his pocket! It's very light, it's not a communicator!"

Amuro Toru tapped the microphone with his fingertips: "Bring the backup communicator and lead it to the organization's signal. Don't let him touch his pockets."

Kudo Yuki's fingertips were still resting on Rum's wrist. "The chip is still being tested. The technical team said it might be caused by signal interference from last week's organization. By the way, where's your backup communicator? I was trying to synchronize the shielding frequency just now but couldn't find it. If the old man asks about the progress, it will be troublesome without the communicator."

Her eyes fell on Rum's coat pocket.

"Gin was in the lab this morning, investigating the 'source of the information leak'. It would be bad if he caught you making a mistake."

Rum's pulse beat faster, and he frowned. "The backup communicator is in my office drawer. I'll have my subordinates deliver it later."

As he was about to get up, Kudo Yuki held his arm down: "You just woke up, and the sedative hasn't been metabolized yet, so don't get up. I agreed with the old man, and he said you should sign the calibration sheet this afternoon. Now just rest."

Miyano Akemi's disguised voice came from the monitoring device next door. She deliberately stepped heavily. "Excuse me, I'm going to get Rum's medical records. You said Gin was checking the lab records? What happened?"

The sound was just loud enough for Rum to hear.

Rum's face darkened as he scrutinized Kudo Yuki: "Why is Gin checking the in and out records? He should be keeping an eye on the traitor."

Kudo Yuki lowered her eyelashes and softened her tone, "Who knows? But don't worry, I suppressed the incident with Cohen last time, and Gin didn't find any evidence. You go back to the organization and focus on dealing with 'ES Amber'. I'll take care of other miscellaneous matters."

These words hit the nail on the head for Rum.

What he is most worried about now is that after Karasuma Renya finds out that he wants to use APTX4869 to restore his left eye, he will continue to weaken his own power. He is even more afraid that Gin will take the opportunity to cause trouble for him.

Rum's shoulders relaxed a little. He took the pen and signed the parameter sheet. "Have the engineer modify the calibration data according to the points I've highlighted in red. Don't make any mistakes. Return the chip immediately after inspection. No one else is allowed to touch it."

The rat under the table suddenly screamed and scurried over to Amuro Toru's feet, "Xiaoxue! He secretly pressed something in his pocket! It's like a miniature button!"

Amuro Toru said urgently: "Haihara, give him half a dose of tranquilizer and replenish the nutrients! He might have triggered the device!"

Ai Huiyuan came forward with a syringe and a mask on, and said calmly, "Mr. Rum, your blood pressure is a little low. Please give me some nutrient solution."

Without waiting for his reaction, he quickly gave him an injection and injected medicine.

Rum wanted to resist, but his eyelids were heavy. He stared at Kudo Yuki: "You..."

He fell asleep again before he could finish his words.

Kudo Yuki withdrew her hand, her fingertips stained with sweat. "He's soundly asleep. Kenji, quickly go to his office and find the backup communicator and the device in his pocket. Don't let his subordinates find out."

Hagiwara Kenji grabbed his toolbox and went out, gesturing to Matsuda Jinpei: "Double the signal shielding range. I'll be back soon."

Matsuda Jinping spun his lighter and turned the knob of the shielding device: "Don't worry, I guarantee that even the fly's signal won't get through."

Amuro Toru walked over to the surveillance screen and saw that Rum's breathing curve was steady. He then looked at Shu Shu, who was chewing a biscuit under the table. "The device in his pocket might be an emergency signal device. We need to find it as soon as possible."

Kudo Yuki took off her butterfly mask and rubbed her brows. "Not yet. He said the call was encrypted. Mingmei acted well just now. Rum believed Gin and targeted him."

Miyano Akemi walked over to her, clutching the folder: "I'm following the plan. The main reason is that the opportunity you provided just caught him off guard."

Huibara Ai packed up the medical kit and looked up: "Rum's heart rate is fluctuating, and the sedative is about to wear off. We need to find a backup communicator and equipment before he wakes up next time."

Zhu Fujingguang added, "I pulled up the layout of his office. The backup communicator is in the third drawer on the left, with a combination lock. I'll send the cracking program to Yan Er."

Yi Dahang was standing by the door and raised his hand to signal, "Quiet, there are footsteps in the corridor. They sound like Rum's subordinates, coming to deliver something."

Kudo Yuki put her mask back on and walked to Rum's bedside: "Akira, go deal with it. Tell Rum to rest and ask them to put the things at the door."

Miyano Akemi nodded, turned and walked towards the door, just opening it a crack.

The subordinate outside asked, "Master Fine Wine, is Master Rum awake? We are delivering the documents."

Miyano Akemi smiled and blocked the door: "No, the doctor said you need to rest more. I'll help you take the documents in, you go back first."

After the subordinates left, Miyano Akemi handed the documents to Morifushi Kagemitsu: "They also carried a black box, it was very heavy, I don't know what it was."

Amuro Toru flipped through the documents, his eyes glaring. "This is the list of core components for the ES Dark Amber. Rum is definitely onto something. Shushu, was that vibration you just heard coming from this box?"

Shushu shook his little head and scratched his ears: "No! The vibration sound is very light, like a bug's chirping. This box is heavy, it must be it!"

Kudo Yuki walked to the window and looked at the office building in the distance: "I hope Kenji will hurry up. We don't have much time."

Zhu Fujingguang's communicator lit up.

Kenji Hagihara sent a message:

Found the backup communicator and microlocator! Destroyed them, head back!

Amuro Toru breathed a sigh of relief: "Very good, come back and avoid the surveillance, don't leave any traces."

On the monitoring screen, Rum's heart rate gradually stabilized.

Huiyuan Ai put away the monitor: "This time the tranquilizer will last for two hours. We have time to pass on the information of the core components in the list and let the FBI prepare in advance."

Kudo Yuki took the copy of the list and said, "I'll encrypt it and send it to Manager Kuroda. I'll also ask about the situation with Akai Shuichi. After all, Gin is still watching the lab, and we have to be on guard against him suddenly interfering."

Shushu jumped onto the table and pointed his chubby paw at the surveillance screen: "Xiaoxue! There's a man in a hat outside looking in! He's not one of us!"

Toru Amuro leaned in front of the surveillance screen, staring at the black figure that flashed by, his eyes solemn: "Is it Rum's men? Or..."

He suddenly stopped, remembering the news from Subaru Okiya that Rum had recently hired a few bodyguards to deal with "troublesome matters".

Kudo Yuki picked up the communicator: "Kenji, speed up! Rum's bodyguards may be nearby! Matsuda, check the signal shielding again, don't let them discover our location!"

Matsuda Jinpei lifted a corner of the curtain and observed: "The shielding area covers the entire floor. Their communicators are useless."

A few minutes later, Hagiwara Kenji pushed open the door and came in, clutching the disassembled micro-locator in his hand. "Alright, the locator signal has been cut off, and the backup communicator is also destroyed. I saw a few people in black clothes in the corridor. They should be bodyguards, but I avoided them."

Amuro Toru patted his shoulder and looked at everyone. "Now let's divide the work. Date will guard the door, Matsuda and Kenji will keep an eye on the bodyguards, Akemi and Huihara will organize the list of 'ES Dark Amber', Hiro will be responsible for encrypted transmission, and Xiaoxue and I will keep an eye on Rum and be ready for any emergencies at any time."

Everyone took action, and the only sounds in the monitoring room were the typing of keyboards and the sound of electricity.

Kudo Yuki walked to the side of Rum's bed, looked at his sleeping face, and ran her fingertips across the words "ES Dark Amber" on the parameter table - this brainwashing control plan must not allow Karasuma Renye and Rum to proceed smoothly.

The rat under the table rubbed her trouser leg: "Xiaoxue, don't worry, I haven't taken action yet."

Amuro Toru walked over to her, quietly held her hand, and said in a voice that only the two of them could hear, "Don't be nervous, I'm here. Once we deal with the rum, we can completely wipe out the 'distillery' and save the vodka as well."

Kudo Yuki looked up at him, the fatigue in her eyes was replaced by warmth, and she nodded slightly.

When Rum's bodyguards found him, their black leather shoes stepped onto the last step in the corridor. The leader raised his hand to signal the two behind him to stop, and knocked lightly on Rum's door with his knuckles: "Lord Rum, we have been ordered to take you back to the laboratory."

To be continued...