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

Kudo Yuki swiped her finger across the tablet screen, freezing the image on the moment when Vodka turned to the side. He had a black-covered folder tucked under his arm, with the words "Experiment Log" faintly visible in gold lettering at the corner. Several test tubes with blue labels were scattered on the corner of the table.

The little mouse, its chubby paws pawing at the edge of the screen, almost touching it with its nose, exclaimed, "Stabilizer? The seventh batch? What are they going to mass-produce?"

Amuro Tooru put down the cup-wiping cloth and leaned over to stare at the background of the lab bench in the screen: "There are maintenance ports for ventilation ducts on the lab wall. If Kagekawa wants to install surveillance cameras, that's the best location—it won't be discovered during routine inspections, and it can cover the entire workbench."

He pointed to the corner of the screen with his fingertip, "Look here, there is slight rust at the pipe joint, which means it has not been inspected for a long time, which is perfect for hiding miniature devices."

Kudo Yuki rewound the video to the beginning, listening carefully to the vodka's muffled report, and suddenly paused: "'The phrase 'The Boss wants to inspect it personally' is crucial. Given the distillery's style, anything that Karasuma Renya would personally intervene in must be extraordinary."

She looked up at Amuro Tooru, "Did Kagekawa mention the security configuration of the three underground floors? Like access control?"

“Not yet.” Amuro Tooru looked away and picked up the cup-wiping cloth again. “He only mentioned that the surveillance in the duty room has a five-minute blind spot every hour, which is just enough time for him to sneak into the third basement level through the ventilation duct, but he hasn’t figured out what’s going on inside yet.”

The mouse straightened up, its chubby little paws patting the tablet screen: "I feel like the distillery's experiment mentioned 'stabilizer,' could it be related to the previous APTX4869? The seventh batch... could it be that they're improving the drug again?"

Water droplets from the rim of the glass dripped down Amuro Tooru's fingertips.

"You mean...they're going to mass-produce a modified version of the drug specifically for one person?"

“It’s just a guess.” Kudo Yuki handed the tablet back to Amuro Tooru. “But next time Kagekawa goes, we need to have him pay attention to the contents of the experiment log. Even if he only manages to photograph a few lines, we might be able to deduce their purpose.”

She looked down and poked the mouse's little head, "Don't just look, remember to grow your intelligence."

The mouse shook its little head but didn't let go of the tablet. Instead, it buried its chubby face in the shadows beside the screen and muttered, "This is what I call 'combining movement and stillness'! Staring at the screen helps you find clues, and thinking about snacks is to 'recharge' my tense brain."

Amuro Tooru put the tablet back in the drawer, turned around and brought out a plate of warm Sichuan fritillary and tangerine peel pastry from the kitchen. The sound of the porcelain plate lightly tapping against the bar interrupted the two's bickering.

The little mouse picked up a piece of shortbread, and with its chubby paws, it shoved the rest toward itself, mumbling, "A recorder is great! Maybe we can hear Vodka and Gin arguing. Last time, he got yelled at by Gin for taking the wrong reagent and had to hide in the hallway smoking!"

Kudo Yuki ignored its banter and focused her gaze on the frosting on the plate of Sichuan fritillary and tangerine peel pastry on the bar. Her tone became calm: "Kagekawa's identity cannot be exposed. This is a gradual process."

Amuro Tooru wiped the last cup clean and turned it upside down on the drainer. He glanced at his watch; it was just past 11:30. A thin layer of fog had already covered the glass windows facing the street, completely separating the night from the warm yellow lights inside the shop.

“Taking it step by step is the best way.” He turned and leaned against the bar. “But we also have to be prepared for both possibilities. If Yingchuan is suspected, the surveillance cameras in the ventilation ducts must have an automatic self-destruct trigger to leave no clues for the distillery.”

Kudo Yuki's gaze fell on the mouse, which was happily eating, and she smiled, "I'll leave these kinds of tasks to the mouse. It always guarantees to complete similar tasks in the past. Don't you agree?"

The little mouse still had half a piece of dried tangerine peel pastry in its mouth. Upon hearing this, it looked up and hurriedly wiped its mouth with its chubby little paws, causing powdery sugar to fall onto the bar counter.

"This mouse...this mouse can certainly do it! It's just a matter of crawling in through the ventilation duct to put it there!"

It stood tall with its round body, trying to appear reliable, but because it moved too quickly, it almost slipped off Kudo Yuki's shoulder.

Kudo Yuki reached out and patted its little belly, her smile widening: "Yes, yes, our little hamsters are the best. But if you rashly crawl in, be careful not to fall and hurt your bottom."

The mouse hurriedly clung tightly to Kudo Yuki's phone with its chubby little paws, its little tail taut, and stubbornly insisted, "This mouse won't drop it! Last time I crawled through the ventilation duct to find the lost strawberry jam, it was ten times more complicated than this and I didn't make a mistake!"

A hint of a smile flashed across Amuro Tooru's eyes as he turned and took out a palm-sized metal box from under the bar, gently placing it in front of Kudo Yuki.

"This contains a positioning chip. It's lightweight and its signal can penetrate three layers of concrete, making it perfect for mice to carry." He ran his fingertip along the groove on the box. "The switch is designed as a push-button type. Press it once to start, and press it again to destroy the data. Even if it's discovered, it won't leave a trace."

The mouse immediately went over, sniffing the metal box with its little nose, and tentatively touching the grooves with its chubby paws: "Won't this thing be uncomfortable? What if I take it up the pipe and it gets bumped against the wall and falls down?"

“No.” Amuro Tooru opened the box. Next to the device inside was a soft black webbing. “The webbing can be secured to your back. The tightness can be adjusted. It won’t chafe you and will also ensure that the device won’t slip off.”

"In addition, the recorder has a battery life of 72 hours. Kagekawa will pick it up at the same time the day after tomorrow. You just need to hide it in the maintenance port of the ventilation duct—just like you hide your snacks."

"That's definitely no problem!" Mouse immediately agreed, her little eyes sparkling, as if she had already equated the task with "hiding snacks".

Kudo Yuki looked at it and shook her head helplessly, gently pinching its round belly with her fingertips: "If you delay things because of your gluttony, be careful that Amuro Tooru doesn't take away all the dried tangerine peel pastries you've hidden."

"No way!" The mouse immediately shrank back into its belly, its chubby little paws tightly gripping the metal box. "This mouse knows what's important! It's not too late to have a snack after we finish the mission—but Amuro Tooru, you have to promise to leave me two extra pieces of strawberry jam cheese after the mission is over!"

Amuro Tooru was amused by its straightforward request and nodded in agreement: "Okay, as long as the mission goes smoothly, in addition to strawberry jam and cheese, I'll also make you a caramel pudding."

The little mouse immediately cheered, its tiny paws hopping lightly on the bar counter, almost shaking the tangerine peel pastry in the porcelain plate off.

Kudo Yuki quickly pressed it down, turned her gaze to Amuro Tooru, and said in a deep voice, "Tell Kagekawa again that the security on the third basement level of the winery is definitely stricter than we thought. Even if there are five minutes of blind spots in the surveillance, we still have to be careful."

“I know.” Amuro Tooru’s smile faded, and his fingertips tapped lightly on the bar. “I’ve already told him to prioritize his own safety. If there’s really no chance, he should give up. There’s no need to force it. After all, what we need most right now isn’t a single intelligence report, but people who can stay undercover for a long time.”

He looked up at the glass window facing the street; the fog had condensed into tiny water droplets, which slowly slid down the glass.

The little mouse seemed oblivious to the seriousness in their tone, still rubbing against the box, its little head filled with the sweet aroma of caramel pudding after completing the task. Every now and then, it would poke the grooves on the box with its chubby little paws, mimicking the action of pressing a switch.

Amuro Tooru raised his hand to look at the wall clock above the bar, then turned to Kudo Yuki and said, "It's well past closing time now, and the fog is thick on the streets. There are few cars on the road at night. It's much safer to stay in the cafe's lounge tonight than to go to the apartment alone."

He pointed to the corridor behind the bar: "I aired out the bedding this evening and left a small night light on. You can just take your hamster and go straight there. I've also stored the pastries from the kitchen in the warmer. You can heat them up and eat them tomorrow morning."

The mouse stuffed the box into its system space and said, "It's good to leave it here! I can guard the snacks without having to walk in the dark—I don't want to smell the aroma of strawberry jam in the fog and end up slipping and falling on my butt!"

Kudo Yuki looked at the small figure bulging in the inner pocket, then at the concern in Amuro Tooru's eyes, and nodded in agreement: "Then I'll trouble you. I'll open the door with you tomorrow morning."

But the mouse seized the opportunity to jump onto Amuro Tooru's shoulder. "What about Haro? Won't it go hungry?"

Amuro Tooru turned his head to the side, a faint smile appearing in his eyes: "I filled Harlow's dog food this morning, and I also changed the water in the automatic water dispenser. He's probably napping on the cushion in the entryway right now."

The mouse perked up its ears, its chubby little paws tugging at his collar and shaking: "Really? Will it miss me? Last time I called it a bad dog, and it actually barked twice. Can it sense my presence?"

Amuro Tooru gently touched the mouse's round belly with his fingertips, unable to hide the smile in his eyes: "If Haro knew you were thinking about it, it might wag its tail a little more tomorrow. But it can't smell the cheese you hid in the snack box."

The little mouse immediately buried its head in his collar and muttered in protest, "I'm not thinking about it! I'm just worried it'll go hungry... Besides, it's wagging its tail because I left it half a piece of jerky last time, not because it misses me!"

Despite saying that, the little chubby paw secretly tightened Amuro Tooru's tie, clearly remembering how Haro had played with toys in the entryway earlier.

Kudo Yuki put away the snack box on the table, looked at the interaction between the human and the mouse and shook her head helplessly: "Stop fooling around, or Amuro Tooru's tie will be crooked."

She picked up her coat from the bar, and as soon as her fingertips touched the fabric, she felt the mouse inside the pocket suddenly nudge.

The little guy had somehow crawled back inside and was now using his chubby little paws to pull at the fabric, pointing towards the secret weapons base.

Amuro Tooru straightened his tie and took out a small bag of dried strawberries from the drawer. "This is for your little 'follower' as a midnight snack, so it won't be rummaging through the cupboards looking for treats in the middle of the night."

The mouse immediately perked up its ears in the pocket, sniffing hard through the fabric with its little nose: "It's freeze-dried strawberries! Amuro Tooru, how did you know I like this?"

"Last time I was tidying up the shelves, I saw you secretly hiding the fallen dried strawberries in the gap under the bar." Amuro Tooru said, suppressing a laugh, and pointed to the lounge at the end of the corridor, "The lights are already on, and there's a kettle inside, so you can take a hot shower before bed."

Kudo Yuki took the dried strawberry, bent down and took the hamster out of the pocket and placed it in her palm: "Then let's go and rest first, and you should finish work early too."

The little mouse immediately picked up the dried strawberry and hopped away from her palm towards the base, not forgetting to turn back and call out, "Goodnight, Amuro Tooru! Remember to save me some warm tangerine peel pastry tomorrow!"

Amuro nodded with a smile, watched the two enter the base, and then turned off the main light at the bar.

The glass windows facing the street were shrouded in mist, with only the small nightlight above the bar casting a warm yellow glow, reflecting the movement of his fingertips across his phone screen.

He was sending a message to Yingchuan, supplementing the precautions for the ventilation ducts, and specifically added a sentence at the end:

If anything unusual is detected, evacuate immediately; there is no need to linger. —Bourbon

In the bedroom at the base, the hamster was lying next to the pillow, munching on dried strawberries. Its chubby little paws would occasionally rub against the tablet that Kudo Yuki had placed on the bedside table, where a screenshot of the brewery laboratory was still on the screen.

Kudo Yuki reached out and pulled it into the blanket, gently pressing her fingertips against the metal box on its back: "You can't be this greedy tomorrow."

The mouse, clutching the last piece of dried strawberry, mumbled, "Got it!"

The fog outside the window was still spreading, and the night light in the base bedroom cast the shadows of the two people and the mouse on the wall, warming them so much that they could temporarily forget the gloom of the distillery.

Amuro Tooru quietly pushed open the door.

The mouse curled up in the corner of the blanket, half a freeze-dried strawberry dangling from its mouth, a box pressed under its paws, its breathing as soft as down. "If I get up late tomorrow, Amuro Tooru will definitely give the tangerine peel pastries to the guests..."

Its sleep-talking drifted out, its chubby little paws still trying to pry the box into its arms, "I need to check the lock on the insulation layer, so Harlow doesn't pry it open..."

As soon as Kudo Yuki adjusted her sleeping position, a warm chest pressed against her back, and when her waist was embraced, she could smell the caramel scent on Amuro Tooru's shirt.

The evening pastries smelled of Poirot's Cafe. Her fingertips brushed against the back of his hand wrapped around her waist, her voice slightly hoarse with sleepiness: "Not asleep yet?"

"I just replied to Yingchuan's message, and then listened to a certain young master's 'bedtime plan'." Amuro Tooru rested his chin on the top of her head, his breath tickling her earlobe, his voice low, and his fingertips lightly tapped the pillow beside her.

There were still strawberry crumbs left by the hamster there. He smiled as he gently massaged her waist and abdomen, soothing Kudo Yukiko's agitated emotions.

Kudo Yuki's lips curved slightly as she turned to the side, meeting the warm light in Amuro Tooru's eyes.

She snuggled closer to him, pressing her face against his shirt, her voice as soft as a whisper: "We have to get up early to see Aunt Mary tomorrow, go to sleep first."

"Sleep, I'm here." Amuro Tooru tightened his arms, holding her even closer, his chin brushing against the top of her head, his palms resting on her waist and abdomen, steadily protecting her.

As night deepened, the fog outside the window continued to spread across the glass, and only the steady breathing of the three people remained in the room.

The mouse was fast asleep, clutching the metal box, occasionally muttering something about snacks in its sleep; Amuro Tooru's heartbeat was steady, and the sound traveled through his shirt to Kudo Yuki's ears, becoming the most reassuring lullaby; Kudo Yuki leaned against him, her brows completely relaxed, temporarily leaving the gloom of the brewery behind, and gradually fell asleep.