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

In the living room, after sending an encrypted message, Subaru Okiya looked up at Yuki Kudo: "I've had the FBI monitor the reporter's social network, and we'll report it immediately if any organized individuals make contact. But as for Mother... it would be best to move her to a different place for the time being."

“I’ll talk to Aunt Mary first thing tomorrow morning,” Kudo Yuki gently scratched the chin of the hamster on her leg, and the little guy squinted his eyes comfortably.

The mouse muttered, "Moving our place? What if the fritillaria cirrhosa and tangerine peel pastry and the strawberry jam cheese also 'move'? I hope we don't leave them behind!"

Kudo Yuki's lips curved slightly. While the two were thinking, she lightly flicked the mouse's little head: "Your cheese isn't going anywhere, but if you keep fiddling with the zipper, it might 'transfer' to the professor's lab table first."

The mouse immediately pulled its chubby little paws to its chest, rubbed against Kudo Yuki's palm with a wronged expression, and softened its voice: "I won't dig anymore, okay... but when we move, I have to check the bag first, so that I don't miss any snacks."

Akemi Miyano picked up the hot milk on the table. "If you're looking to move, I have a secluded safe house here, which was arranged by Supervisor Kuroda. It's also convenient for daily supplies."

Subaru Okiya nodded in thanks.

In his message to the FBI, besides instructing them to keep an eye on the reporter's social media, he also quietly added, "Keep an eye on Gin's movements; Rum may be up to something soon."

However, he couldn't say this in front of everyone, since his identity as "Subaru Okiya" couldn't be directly linked to Shuichi Akai's intelligence network.

Dr. Agasa emerged from the lab, holding a refrigerated blood sample storage container: "The sample is ready. Tomorrow, Ai and I will compare it with Ms. Elena's sketch again. Maybe we can find the key structure for 'avoiding the darkness'."

Kudo Yuki nodded in agreement: "I will try to get Aunt Mary's opinion on the accommodation issue tomorrow morning. As for your father, Mr. Tsutomu... who knows, he might pick up your mother and Masumi and take them to Haneda Yasuharu's house."

Subaru Okiya tapped the screen of his phone to turn it off, then put the device back in his pocket, silently calculating in his mind: [Although Yasuharu Haneda's house is secluded, his mother is stubborn and might not be willing to move easily. I need to find a way to get the FBI to secretly send more protection personnel.]

After finishing her hot milk, Akemi Miyano said goodbye, "Mr. Aoi is still waiting outside, Yuki. I'll have him give you a ride back to Poirot Cafe on his way."

Kudo Yuki put the mouse she was holding in her palm into the inside pocket of her coat, gently pressing it with her fingertips: "Thanks, I'll be careful on the road."

The mouse burrowed into the pocket, its chubby little paws tugging at the fabric as it muttered, "Going back to the coffee shop would be great! Maybe I can catch the leftover strawberry jam and cheese from the kitchen. If someone else takes it all, I'll rummage through the professor's lab notebook tonight!"

Kudo Yuki simply lowered her head, smiled faintly, and remained silent.

The hamster's mind was full of snacks, which eased the tense atmosphere considerably.

Dr. Agasa scratched the back of his head and locked the blood sample storage device in the cabinet: "Xiaoxue, I'll let you know as soon as I find anything tomorrow."

Subaru Okiya stood by the entrance hall, recalling Yuki Kudo's words about Tsutomu Akai, and thought to himself: [If Father really appears, perhaps Mother will agree to the transfer, but they must not know my true identity behind this mask.]

Akemi Miyano had already reached the door. She turned back and waved to Yuki Kudo: "Mr. Aoi's car is at the alley entrance. I'll go and wait for you."

She paused, her gaze sweeping over Subaru Okiya. Their eyes met briefly, and without a word, they both understood the longing in each other's eyes.

The past relationship and affection between the cousins ​​have long been a thing of the past; now, all that remains is a silent prayer for each other's safety.

Kudo Yuki had just reached the alley entrance when she saw Mr. Aoi's car parked under the streetlight.

Akemi Miyano was standing next to the passenger seat waiting for her.

Once inside the car, Aoi drove it out of the alley. The warm light of the streetlights shone through the car window. He looked at Kudo Yuki in the rearview mirror and asked, "At Professor Agasa's house earlier, I heard you mention moving. Did you run into some trouble?"

Kudo Yuki pressed her fingertips against the inside pocket of her coat, feeling the gentle movement of the mouse inside. Her gaze fell on the streetlights flashing past the car window, and she spoke slowly, "I should say MI6 will be in trouble."

Aoi stared ahead, her eyes filled with worry: "MI6's troubles? Is it related to those transnational cases you helped the European police investigate before?"

Kudo Yuki glanced at Miyano Akemi in the passenger seat, then looked away and nodded, saying, "As for the specific details, nothing has happened yet. I hope that what I was thinking about in advance turned out to be just unnecessary worry."

Akemi Miyano, gripping the handrail by the car window, turned her head slightly upon hearing this, her eyes filled with confusion: "MI6? Is that the British intelligence agency mentioned in the news before? How come they're suddenly involved with us?"

Kudo Yuki lowered her eyes, feeling the mouse in her inner pocket as if it were an online support: "It's indirectly related, I guess. When I was investigating Nagano Trading Co., Ltd., I had a brief contact with MI6, and recently I met with one of them, so I guessed that I might be in danger."

Akemi Miyano frowned slightly, a hint of confusion in her eyes: "Nagano Trading... is that the company behind those previous smuggling cases? But why would MI6 be involved in transnational cases in this country?"

The mouse rubbed against Kudo Yuki's fingertip, its voice reaching her ears: "She doesn't know about the Akai family. Should we make up another reason?"

Kudo Yuki didn't look up, but gazed at the shadows of the trees passing by outside the window and said slowly, "Because that was a joint operation."

"A joint operation?" Miyano Akemi's confusion hadn't lessened, her fingertips unconsciously tracing the edge of the armrest. "But aren't these transnational smuggling cases usually led by Interpol or local police stations? How come it's the turn of the British intelligence agency?"

Shushu suggested, "She's not familiar with the intelligence system, so why not link it to 'case involvement'? That would be reasonable and wouldn't reveal anything."

Kudo Yuki looked up: "Because Nagano Trading Co., Ltd. is the brewery's financial transit point, it appears to be a shell company when investigated."

Akemi Miyano's fingers, gripping the armrest, suddenly stiffened, and the confusion in her eyes was instantly replaced by vigilance.

"A transit point for the distillery?" Her gaze swept across the car window, as if worried that someone unrelated might overhear her. "But when you investigated them before, you didn't mention anything about MI6."

Kudo Yuki casually remarked, "Whenever it comes to matters related to the brewery, all the international organizations know that cooperation is the only way. Nobody wants the brewery to continue causing trouble in their country. And covert operations are the best way to deal with this risk and safeguard security."

The air inside the car seemed to have been chilled by the words "winery," instantly becoming several degrees heavier.

Akemi Miyano's gaze was fixed on Yuki Kudo's face: "But there should be limits to how we can work together... After all, MI6 is a foreign agency. Aren't they afraid that their interference in this matter will backfire on ordinary people?"

Kudo Yuki gently rubbed her fingertips against the mouse's back inside her pocket, feeling the warmth of the little guy rubbing against her fingers.

The mouse understood the unspoken meaning and said, "She's worried about being implicated. Xiaoxue, you need to keep her calm."

“They are more afraid of things getting out of control than we are.” Kudo Yuki raised her eyes, her tone as calm as if she were talking about something ordinary. “The distillery’s reach is too far; one country alone cannot clean it up. MI6 is only responsible for tracking the funding chain in Europe. We are still investigating the clues here ourselves. Each side is in charge of its own area, and we will not overstep our boundaries.”

Aoi's hand on the steering wheel paused slightly. The light from the streetlamp shone on his profile, reflecting the thoughtful look in his eyes: "But you want to move your residence because you're afraid the liquor company will find important intelligence through MI6's leads?"

"It's to prevent accidents." Kudo Yuki looked at the small bulge in her pocket.

The mouse was gently patting her palm with its chubby little paws, as if to comfort her.

"The distillery has been making more frequent moves lately, and no one can say for sure whether they might suddenly target old cases. Moving to a safer place is just a way to avoid trouble."

Akemi Miyano loosened her grip on the handlebars, but she was still not completely at ease: "But 'safety' is never temporary..."

"Prevention is better than cure." Kudo Yuki interrupted her, pressing her fingertips against the hamster's tense little body in her pocket. The little guy clearly hadn't expected her to bring this up suddenly.

"I'm telling you this today not only to let you know the risks, but also to tell you something else: there are relatives of yours in MI6."

Akemi Miyano's expression instantly turned confused, and even her breathing slowed down: "My relatives? But apart from Shiho, everyone in my family..."

She recalled that they had talked about Mary Akai before leaving Professor Agasa's house, and her eyes were filled with disbelief. "She's from MI6... How is that possible!"

Kudo Yuki suppressed her hesitation and softened her tone: "It's true. And your relatives are both MI6 agents."

She deliberately left room for maneuver, neither revealing the connection to the "Akai family" nor letting Miyano Akemi fall into deeper suspicion.

Aoi gripped the steering wheel, his gaze in the rearview mirror now more inquisitive. Although he didn't know the details, he sensed an unspoken truth in the words.

The air inside the car fell silent for a moment, with only the shadows of the streetlights silently passing by the car window.

Aoi slowed down and stopped in front of Poirot Cafe.

Kudo Yuki pushed open the car door, and the little hamster in the inside pocket of her coat immediately began to fidget restlessly, its chubby little paws scratching at her palm through the fabric, urging, "Hurry up and get in! I think I can smell the sweetness of strawberry jam, it'll be a disaster if the kitchen takes it away!"

Kudo Yuki gestured for it to be quiet, then turned and nodded to Miyano Akemi in the passenger seat: "Akemi, be careful on the road, and contact me immediately if anything happens."

Akemi Miyano opened the car door in response, her gaze sweeping over the coffee shop sign before returning to Yuki Kudo, a hint of worry still lingering in her eyes: "Be careful here too. If... if Aunt Mary has any news, I'll let you know."

Aoi leaned out of the driver's seat: "Ms. Kudo, I'm taking Ms. Akemi home. Call me anytime if you need anything."

The hamster in the coat's inner pocket immediately began to fidget restlessly, its chubby little paws scratching at her palm through the fabric, pleading urgently, "Hurry up and get in! I think I can smell the sweetness of strawberry jam! If the kitchen takes it away, we're doomed!"

Kudo Yuki responded with "Okay," and watched the car slowly disappear into the night before turning and walking into the coffee shop.

The mouse crawled out of the inner pocket, climbed up her arm to her shoulder, and stared warily at Amuro Tooru with its little head: "When I was talking about hiding cheese, the way he looked at your pocket was weird!"

Amuro Tooru picked up the warm milk from the bar and handed it to Kudo Yuki, gently touching her wrist and saying in a low voice, "Have a sip of something warm first."

He didn't directly respond to Shushu's words, but instead added as he turned to pick up the dessert box, "The kitchen left some strawberry jam and cheese, knowing that someone's 'little follower' was eyeing it, so we didn't take it away for the guests."

The mouse immediately sat up straight, its chubby little paws grabbing at Kudo Yuki's collar: "I knew he was the best! Yuki, hurry up and get the snack box, I want to sit at the bar and eat!"

Kudo Yuki took the milk and looked at the box of snacks that Amuro Tooru brought out from the kitchen. The corners of her lips curved up: "Just now at Professor Agasa's house, Akemi asked about MI6. I didn't dare to say too much, I only mentioned that her relatives are there."

Amuro Tooru placed his fork next to the dessert box, paused upon hearing this, and looked at the mouse peeking out from her shoulder. His voice deepened: "She still doesn't know all the connections of the Akai family?"

“They haven’t said yet,” Kudo Yuki said, poking the little mouse’s head. “Aunt Mary’s condition is unstable right now, and Masumi is also very impatient. If Akemi knew that her mother and Aunt Mary were sisters, and considering what the brewery did to the Miyano family, she might act impulsively.”

With a small piece of cheese dangling from her lips, the mouse mumbled, "She already asked in the car, 'Why is the joint operation MI6?' If we keep pressing her, we won't be able to keep it a secret! Amuro Tooru, do you want to help cover for us? Like, make up a reason like 'MI6 is assisting because British citizens are involved'?"

Amuro Tooru didn't refute, but simply picked up the cup-wiping cloth and continued wiping the cup: "I've already spoken to Manager Kuroda, and he'll send someone to secretly keep an eye on Akemi's residence. At least until she realizes what's happening, we can guarantee her safety."

The little mouse swallowed the last piece of cheese, rubbed its little paws on the bar counter, and suddenly pricked up its ears: "I think I heard the freezer rattling when I passed by the kitchen just now. Could it be that the Sichuan fritillary and tangerine peel pastries you hid are about to freeze solid?"

Kudo Yuki sighed and tapped its little head: "All you ever think about are snacks. The freezer defrosts on a schedule, and I already put the shortbread in the insulation compartment."

She turned to look at Amuro Tooru, "Has there been any new news from Kagekawa?"

Amuro Tooru paused in wiping the cups, took out a tablet from the drawer under the bar, unlocked it, and handed it to Kudo Yuki: "Kagekawa just sent it over half an hour ago. The video didn't show the whole interior of the lab, but you can see Vodka's movements clearly."

The moment the screen lit up, the mouse immediately moved closer to the tablet, its chubby little paws gripping the edge as it squinted to examine it closely.

The lighting in the scene is dim, and Vodka is standing next to the lab bench. He seems to be reporting to someone on the other end of the walkie-talkie. His voice is muffled after being filtered by the current, and you can only catch a few words like "stabilizer," "seventh batch," and "the boss wants to check it in person."

To be continued...