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

The morning light streamed through the glass windows of the Mori Detective Agency, spreading across the desk and making the coffee cup on the table shine.

Kogoro Mouri sat at his desk, his fingers clattering on his laptop keyboard, but his eyes were glued to the trending news pop-up on Nichiuri News.

"Hmph, this guy's just unlucky." He leaned back, his swivel chair creaking slightly. "It's better to be exposed before he becomes a minister than to fall from grace after actually gaining real power."

"Dad, what are you saying?" Ran Mouri walked over with a freshly brewed oolong tea in hand, her gaze suddenly stopping when she looked at the screen.

The warm steam blurred her slightly furrowed brows.

As Kogoro Mouri resumed his commentary on the political machinations in the news, she quietly retreated to a secluded spot by the window, swiped the name "Yuki Kudo" across her phone screen, and pressed the call button.

At this moment, in the secret weapons base, only the faint morning light remained in the bedroom.

Kudo Yuki lay on her side, her wisps of hair brushing against Amuro Tooru's arm, the scent of caramel macchiato mixed with faint gunpowder lingering on his shirt.

The man's even breath fell on the back of her neck, carrying the warmth of the morning. His hands were still around her waist, and his knuckles occasionally caressed her gently with each breath.

The phone on the bedside table suddenly vibrated, and the buzzing sound made the two of them frown almost simultaneously.

Kudo Yuki's eyelashes trembled, and her eyes, not yet fully open, were veiled with a hazy mist. She didn't move, afraid of waking Amuro Tooru, but simply shrank back, her fingertips barely reaching the edge of the phone as she passed over Amuro Tooru's wrist.

She didn't even have any contacts, but instinctively swiped to answer the call, her voice still nasal from sleep: "Hello, who is this?"

"Sister Xue?" Ran Mouri on the other end of the phone was taken aback, then softened her voice, "Aren't you up yet? I'm sorry, did I disturb your rest?"

Kudo Yuki glanced up and noticed that the curve of Amuro Tooru's eyes seemed softer, probably because he hadn't been woken up yet. She held the phone to her ear and whispered, "It's nothing, I just woke up. Ran, why are you calling all of a sudden? Is there a case?"

"It's not a case." Ran Mouri seemed to be walking towards a quieter place. "It's... the trending topic on Nichiuri News, did you see it? It's about when you and Sera went to get something yesterday and left it at the hotel restaurant, and this morning it was revealed that what happened last night."

"Hmm?" Kudo Yuki's sleepiness instantly dissipated. She subconsciously tried to sit up, but Amuro Tooru's hand around her waist gently pulled her up.

The man's eyes were still closed, but his voice was low and hoarse from just waking up. He whispered in her ear, "What's wrong?"

Kudo Yuki felt a slight flush on her cheek as her breath brushed against her ear. She quickly covered the receiver with her hand, turned to Amuro Tooru and shook her head, then said into the phone, "I haven't checked yet, I just woke up this morning. Ran, are you worried... that the case will be affected?"

“It’s not that I’m worried about being implicated,” Ran Mouri’s voice carried a hint of concern, “It’s just that you mentioned before that this congressman’s team is a bit troublesome. Now that this has happened, will anyone cause trouble for us?”

Kudo Yuki felt a warmth in her heart, her fingers gently brushing against the phone screen: "I'm fine, Ran. That case was almost over anyway, so it's okay even if it's affected. But you, the agency hasn't been busy lately, and Conan hasn't been causing you any trouble, has he?"

"Conan has been much better behaved lately. It's just that the other day he was messing around with experiments at Dr. Agasa's house with Ai and almost spilled the beaker." Ran Mouri's voice was tinged with laughter, and you could vaguely hear Conan calling out "Ran-neechan" in her voice.

Before Kudo Yuki could reply, she suddenly felt a furry touch on her knee.

The mouse was perched on tiptoe in the crook of her legs, its round eyes fixed on the phone's receiver. Its chubby little paws were tugging at the seam of her pants as it kept shouting, "The politician that Ran Mouri mentioned is trending! I just checked the backend and saw that someone deliberately edited the hotel surveillance footage into a mess, and posted a story about a mysterious woman meeting with a politician involved in a case. There are a lot of online trolls stirring up trouble!"

Kudo Yuki paused, the heat from her ear tips still lingering, but her brows furrowed first. She whispered reassuringly into the phone to Ran Mouri, "I understand, Ran. Don't worry, I'll handle it. If Conan insists on investigating, remember to stop him."

Amuro Tooru, who had already opened his eyes beside him, still had a lingering sleepiness in his eyes, but his tone was a bit somber: "Someone deliberately cut out the hotel's surveillance footage and hired online trolls to stir up trouble, trying to make a big fuss about the politician's matter."

Ran Mouri was silent on the other end of the phone; only her soft breathing could be heard through the receiver.

Just as Kudo Yuki was about to ask further, she heard Ran's tentative, even lower voice: "Yuki-neechan... that voice just now, was it Mr. Amuro?"

Kudo Yuki's cheeks instantly flushed, and she subconsciously glanced at Amuro Tooru beside her.

The man was propping his head up with his hand, his eyes still showing the languor of early morning, but his fingertips were gently brushing against the fabric of her clothes at her waist, as if teasing her silently, while the tips of his ears were quietly turning red—he clearly hadn't expected Ran Mouri to be so perceptive.

"Ah... yeah, he's right next to me." Kudo Yuki replied, forcing a smile, trying to make her tone sound natural. "He woke up early this morning and we were talking about something."

"Woke up early?" Ran Mouri's voice suddenly held a knowing smile. "But the way Yuki-neechan sounded just now, it was like she was still lying in bed. And Mr. Amuro's voice... it sounded so close to you."

These words left Kudo Yuki completely speechless, and he could only laugh awkwardly without replying.

Amuro Tooru, who was standing next to her, suddenly leaned closer and spoke softly into her phone receiver in a low voice with a hint of a smile: "Good morning, Miss Ran. I'm sorry to have interrupted your call. Yuki and I just woke up and haven't had time to get ready yet."

"!!!" Ran Mouri on the other end of the phone exclaimed as if her secret had been exposed, then immediately lowered her voice, "So you guys... really do live together! Yuki-neechan, you're so unfair, you didn't even tell me about something this big!"

Kudo Yuki glared helplessly at Amuro Tooru, who innocently raised an eyebrow at her, his fingertips gently circling on the back of her hand.

She could only explain over the phone, "I was looking for an opportunity to talk to you and Sonoko, but I just haven't found the right time yet."

"Then when will you..." Ran Mouri's words were interrupted by a series of hurried footsteps.

Conan asked with a hint of helplessness, "Ran-neechan, have you finished talking with Yuki-neechan?"

"Oh? Okay, I'll be right there!" Ran Mouri quickly agreed, then hurriedly said into the phone, "Sister Xue, I'll hang up now. I definitely want to have a good chat with you after I'm done with this busy period!"

The moment the call ended, Kudo Yuki breathed a sigh of relief and turned to meet Amuro Tooru's smiling gaze. "Alright, now the whole world knows we're living together."

She reached out and pinched his cheek, her tone slightly reproachful.

Amuro Tooru took Kudo Yuki's hand and stroked her knuckles with his fingertips, but his gaze darkened: "Never mind that for now, what Yuki just said is the important thing."

Kudo Yuki slid down Amuro Tooru's palm and finally intertwined his fingers with his.

The morning light had already crept over the edge of the bed and landed on the mouse's fluffy back, turning that fuzzy figure into a warm gold.

The little guy seemed to sense the seriousness in their tone, and stopped his earlier shouting, using his paws to shuffle forward along the bedsheet.

"I just followed the source code of the trending topic and found that the account that originally posted the edited video was linked to a private IP! Moreover, this IP's login history is very regular. It logs in at 3 a.m. every day and logs off at 7 a.m., just like the work schedule of a reporter rushing to finish a story."

Kudo Yuki's fingertips paused slightly, and she subconsciously sat up straight. The morning light slid down her hair, reflecting tiny glimmers in her eyes: "A reporter? Could it be a paparazzi following a politician?"

“Unlike ordinary paparazzi!” Mouse immediately shook its little head, gesturing in the air with its chubby little paws.

"After checking this IP's browsing history over the past three months, I found that it hasn't paid attention to any entertainment gossip. Instead, it frequently visits the public document pages of the congressman's office and even dug up the congressman's team's financial reimbursement disclosures from last year. This is more like a reporter who specializes in covering current affairs, and the kind who is 'keeping a close eye' on this congressman."

Amuro Tooru tapped his fingertips on the bed sheet and said in a deep voice, "Political reporters usually don't use such 'wild' methods. Editing surveillance footage and hiring online trolls to stir up trouble is more like someone is pushing him from behind the scenes, allowing him to take advantage of the situation."

He turned to look at Kudo Yuki, "When you went to the hotel to pick it up yesterday, besides Sera, who else knew your whereabouts?"

Kudo Yuki frowned as she recalled, gripping Amuro Tooru's hand tightly: "Only Conan, Ran, and Sonoko knew that Masumi and I went to retrieve the items we left at the restaurant, and I specifically avoided the hotel's main security cameras, so how could we have been filmed..."

"Maybe it wasn't you!" The mouse suddenly jumped, its chubby little paws slapping the bed sheet.

"I glanced at that edited video. Most of the footage showed the senator's back as he walked into the restaurant. You were just briefly visible in the corner of the frame, and they didn't even get a clear shot of your face. They might have been there specifically for the senator, and you just happened to be 'collateral damage' and used as a publicity stunt."

A knowing glint flashed in Amuro Tooru's eyes. He raised his hand and ruffled the little mouse's head, his tone calming down: "No matter who it's aimed at, find this reporter first. Mouse, can you find out the real identity corresponding to this private IP address?"

The mouse puffed out its little chest and wagged its tail proudly: "With me on the case, of course there's no problem! This IP address was linked to an old email address. I just followed the registration information down to the email address and found a name—Matsumoto Kenta. He used to work in the political affairs department of the Nichiuri Shimbun. He suddenly resigned half a year ago. I heard that he had a fight with the editor-in-chief before he resigned. Apparently, it was because the newspaper suppressed an in-depth report he wrote about this congressman."

"A retaliatory leak?" Kudo Yuki reacted instantly. "He held a grudge because his reporting was suppressed, so he deliberately released the edited video to blow things up by taking advantage of this politician's scandal?"

Amuro Tooru shook his head: "If Matsumoto Kenta just wanted revenge, there would be no need to drag you into this, let alone spend a lot of money to hire online trolls. There must be someone behind this who wants to use him to link the politician's scandal with you and disrupt our previous investigation."

The morning light had already filled the entire bedroom. Mouse squatted between the two of them, its round eyes no longer lively but serious: "Shall we go find this Matsumoto Kenta now? I can locate his current address; it's in an old neighborhood in the city."

Kudo Yuki and Amuro Tooru exchanged a glance, both seeing the same decision in each other's eyes.

Amuro Tooru said, "Let's go now. We need to find out his background first and see who's backing him up."

Kudo Yuki was about to get up when Amuro Tooru grabbed her arm. He leaned close to her ear, his voice still hoarse from the morning: "Don't rush, put your clothes on first. It's getting cold outside, I'll find you a thick coat."

Seeing the two of them being so lovey-dovey, the little mouse covered its eyes with its chubby paws: "Hey, I'm still here! Can't you wait until we've finished dealing with this before you show off your affection!"

Kudo Yuki's cheeks flushed, and she gently pushed Amuro Tooru away before getting up to get her clothes.

Amuro Tooru watched her retreating figure, the tenderness in his eyes gradually fading, replaced by coldness: [No matter who's behind this, daring to drag Kudo Yuki into this, he won't let them get away with it.]

Kudo Yuki turned around with her coat in hand, but the mouse was nowhere to be seen in the bedroom: "Huh?"

Amuro Tooru's suit pockets bulged, and the sound of chubby little paws tugging at the fabric could be heard.

"Don't bother looking, it's right here." Amuro Tooru patted his pocket helplessly.

Following James's commanding manner, Mouse instructed, "Quickly call Kazami Yuya! Have him go to Matsumoto Kenta's place to question him first. If that guy is stubborn, or if someone behind him tipped him off beforehand, it won't be too late for us to step in!"

Before the commotion in the pocket had even stopped, the mouse added, "I've already sent the address to your phone. Kazami is an old acquaintance, reliable. Let him handle things first, then we'll get ready and go take over, so as not to waste time!"

Amuro Tooru raised an eyebrow, his fingertip quickly swiping across the phone screen to find Kazami Yuya's number.

The moment the call connected, Mouse whispered in his pocket, "Tell him not to wear a uniform! Tell him to go in civilian clothes and say he wants to talk to Matsumoto about old times. Don't reveal your identity right away!"

Kudo Yuki watched Amuro Tooru respond to Kazami on the other end of the phone while helplessly dealing with the "commands" in his pocket, and couldn't help but smile. She handed him a thick coat and said with a smile, "Alright, you two go ahead and make your arrangements. I'll change my clothes and be done in a minute. Don't keep Kazami waiting too long."

Amuro Tooru took the coat and gave the last instructions into the phone: "Be discreet, contact me immediately if anything happens."

After hanging up the phone, he reached into his pocket and poked the mouse in his pocket, his tone tinged with amusement: "When did you learn to boss my people around?"

The mouse corrected confidently, "That's called a reasonable division of labor! I'm in charge of intelligence, Kazami is in charge of errands, and you're in charge of protecting Sister Xue. Isn't that perfect!"

Kudo Yuki, having changed her clothes, walked over: "And what about me? What am I responsible for?"

"You're in charge of..." Mouse's voice grew louder, "You're in charge of exposing our conspiracy at the crucial moment!"

The coldness in Amuro Tooru's eyes gradually faded, replaced by a gentle warmth. He picked up the scarf draped over the back of the chair, reached out and wrapped it around Kudo Yuki's neck, smoothing out the wrinkles: "Alright, let's stop talking. Kazami should be arriving soon, and we should set off too."

The mouse rattled in the pocket: "Let's go! This time we're going to find the person who's been pulling these tricks behind our backs and teach them a lesson they won't get away with!"

Kudo Yuki smiled and nodded, then reached out and took Amuro Tooru's hand.

The mouse in the pocket seemed to be cheering on the upcoming investigation.

To be continued...