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

Butler Iori Muga walked up to the Mud Gathering members who were being held down by the car, his gaze falling on the patterns on their sleeves: "Think you can run away with your tail? You underestimate the Ooka family's ability to act."

One of the men struggled to lift his head, glaring fiercely at him: "Don't be so smug, the higher-ups at the Mud Ginseng Association won't let you get away with this!"

"The upper echelons?" Butler Iori Muga took out his phone from his pocket and pulled up the message he had just received. "I'm afraid you won't be able to wait any longer. The head of the family has already had people take control of all the locations of the Mud Gathering in the city. Your 'upper echelons' are probably at the police station giving statements right now."

The man's face turned deathly pale instantly, and all his previous arrogance vanished.

In the shadows at the alley entrance, Mouse clung to Kudo Yuki's trouser leg, standing on tiptoe to watch the commotion. Its chubby little paws patted her knee: "Yuki, look! They're all deflated! They were trying to crash into each other just now, but now they're like a deflated hovercraft. No matter how much they paddle, they can't make a ripple!"

Kudo Yuki bent down and picked it up, gently scratching its chin: "Thank goodness you reacted quickly, otherwise they might have really gotten away."

Amuro Tooru watched as the mud-related attendees were being escorted into a police car, then took out his phone and dialed the number of Yuya Tokimi.

"Kazami, the pursuers from the Muddy Ginseng Association have been apprehended. After you finish taking their statements, immediately send Matsumoto Kenta to the Kuroda Supervisor's office. Also, contact the Metropolitan Police Department to prepare to access the evidence left by Ozaki Yuichi. Apply for an arrest warrant tonight; we can't give the rest of them any breathing room."

"Understood, Mr. Amuro! I'll finish taking statements here in half an hour, and I'll make arrangements immediately afterward."

Amuro Tooru pressed the call button, the phone screen went dark, and he turned to look at Kudo Yuki, his eyes filled with warmth: "The evidence has been confirmed. Next, we just need to hand the items over to the head of the Ooka family. The Metropolitan Police Department and the Ooka family will take care of the subsequent interrogations and surveillance. The rest is no longer our concern."

Kudo Yuki stood up, holding the little mouse, her fingertips still feeling the soft texture of its fur: "I can finally breathe a sigh of relief. I was really afraid they would try something else."

The mouse climbed up her arm, its little head rubbing against her chin, as if it were asking for praise.

Amuro Tooru raised his hand to brush a stray strand of hair from Kudo Yuki's cheek: "If you hadn't helped the mouse block the end of the alley in advance, they would have had a chance to escape through the side road."

Butler Iori Muga strode over, holding a document in his hand, and respectfully handed it to Kudo Yuki: "Miss Kudo, this is what the head of the family asked me to pass on. It contains a list of the seized properties of the Mud Ginseng Association, as well as a summary of the testimony that you will need to sign for confirmation. You can take a look at it first."

Kudo Yuki took the document, glanced through two pages, and looked up at Iori Muga, the butler: "Don't you need me to go to the head of the Ooka family in person?"

“The head of the family said you were tired today and specifically told you not to make a special trip,” Butler Iori Muga nodded slightly. “If there is any additional information, I will contact you as soon as possible. In addition, the head of the family has arranged a car at the alley entrance to take you and Mr. Amuro back to Poirot Cafe.

Kudo Yuki carefully put away the documents, picked up the mouse, and walked towards the alley entrance first. The night wind lifted the hem of her clothes, leaving behind a series of light footsteps.

Amuro Tooru and Iori Muga, the butler, exchanged a glance. The latter nodded slightly in acknowledgment and turned to handle the subsequent handover matters.

Amuro Tooru quickly followed Kudo Yuki's figure.

Butler Iori watched the two walk towards the alley entrance, then turned to his subordinates and ordered in a deep voice: "Leave two people behind to cooperate with the Metropolitan Police Department in counting the evidence. The rest of you, return to the mansion immediately to report on the progress of the operation. Notify the Ministry of Justice to prepare supplementary materials for the seizure of Nissen's properties overnight and deliver them to the head of the household's study before nine o'clock tomorrow morning."

The subordinates received the order and quickly split up to take action.

Butler Iori Muga put away his serious expression and quickly caught up with the two people at the alley entrance, already holding a car key in his hand: "Miss Kudo, Mr. Amuro, please get in the car."

"The head of the household has instructed the kitchen to prepare a meal, which will be delivered to Poirot Cafe later. The two of you have been traveling a long way, so it's good to have some snacks to tide you over. We have arranged for people to check the route, so there will be no unexpected situations."

Kudo Yuki turned around with the hamster in her arms, and the little guy immediately poked his head out from her arms, sniffed the keys with his little nose, then tilted his head back to rub against her chin, chattering, "There's something delicious! Yuki, is it that sweet wagashi like last time? I want to eat matcha flavor too!"

She couldn't help but smile, lightly scratching the tip of the mouse's ear with her fingertips, and whispered, "You'll find out when we get to the coffee shop."

Amuro Tooru stepped forward and opened the back door for her. His gaze swept over the restless little furball in her arms, and a smile appeared in his eyes: "Looks like the little mouse is already looking forward to the snack."

"Of course!" The mouse claws clung to Kudo Yuki's collar, trying to stick its head out of the car. "The Ooka family's sweets are so delicious, even sweeter than Poirot's cookies! But Amuro's sandwiches are great too!" Only Kudo Yuki could hear this. She covered her mouth and chuckled, then bent down and got into the car.

After the two were settled, Iori Muga walked around to the driver's seat and opened the car door, adding, "The meals will be packed in an insulated box. Once delivered, I will have the maid contact Mr. Amuro. Also, the head of the household instructed that if you two need any further assistance, please feel free to contact me."

Amuro Tooru nodded in agreement: "Thank you for your hard work, Mr. Iori."

As the car slowly started moving, the mouse immediately pressed itself against the window, its little paws gripping the glass as it watched the street scenes flash by. Every now and then, it would turn to Kudo Yuki and shout, "Yuki, look! That bakery is open! They even sell taiyaki! After we finish our snacks, can we go buy some more?"

Kudo Yuki followed its gaze and saw the morning sunlight shining on the street, with breakfast stalls steaming on the roadside. She gently coaxed it with her telepathy, "Have some snacks first. If you're still hungry, you can talk to Toru later."

Amuro Tooru turned his head to watch her gently coax the "air" in her arms. Without asking, he knew that it was the mouse making a request, so he took the initiative to say, "After we finish delivering the food, we can go and buy taiyaki. The freshly baked ones should taste good."

The mouse's tail swayed gently in Kudo Yuki's arms, and the atmosphere inside the car became lighter.

Iori Muga, the butler, gripped the steering wheel and, seeing the interaction between the two in the rearview mirror, a knowing glint in his eyes. He then drove the car toward Poirot Cafe.

Amuro Tooru turned sideways and picked up the black backpack from beside his feet.

The moment the zipper was unzipped, he took out the sealed bags inside one by one.

The transparent bag contained paper documents left by Yuichi Ozaki, a miniature voice recorder, and several hand-drawn maps marking the locations of the Mud Conference, with some dust and account books still clinging to the edges.

“These are all the evidence we recovered from Matsumoto Kenta,” Amuro Tooru said, neatly stacking the evidence on his lap. He then turned to the driver’s seat. “Mr. Iori, please pass this on to the head of the family later. Once you’ve confirmed it’s correct, please forward it to the Metropolitan Police Department.”

Butler Iori Muga's gaze swept over the sealed bags, his eyes narrowing slightly: "Rest assured, I will personally check the quantity and completeness to ensure there will be no oversights."

The car had just passed a traffic light.

Kudo Yuki tightened her grip on the mouse, her gaze fixed on the back of the driver in the front seat: "Mr. Iori, there's something I'd like to ask you. When you were an undercover police officer in the Ministry of Public Security, did you ever hear about the Karasuma Group? If so, could you share your impressions of this company?"

The previously lighthearted atmosphere inside the car suddenly quieted down.

Iori Muga, the butler, paused almost imperceptibly on the steering wheel. Her gaze in the rearview mirror fell on Kudo Yuki, then quickly swept over Amuro Tooru's instantly darkened face beside her: "Karasuma Group... I heard this name in some underground transactions when I was undercover."

He deliberately slowed down: "It claims to be a multinational company involved in pharmaceuticals and heavy industry, but in private, many people in the industry tacitly believe that it has a gray industry chain behind it. It's just that no one can provide solid evidence. It is said that people who have been in contact with core information either disappear or never dare to say a word again."

The little mouse, who had been pawing at Kudo Yuki's collar and wagging its tail, gripped her clothes tightly with its chubby paws when it heard the word "disappear": "That sounds scary... Is it worse than the Mud Ginseng Association?"

Kudo Yuki didn't speak, but gently stroked the mouse's back with her fingertips, her gaze still fixed on Iori Muga.

Amuro Tooru seemed to be reminding him: "Does the area where Mr. Iori is infiltrating overlap with the core sphere of influence of the Karasuma Group? Have you encountered anyone who seems to be connected to them?"

Butler Iori Muga shook his head, his expression somewhat grave in the rearview mirror: "I haven't had direct contact with them, but I've seen several people wearing black raven badges contacting my superiors. Later I learned that the badges were related to the Karasuma Group. However, those people were extremely vigilant and didn't leave any useful clues."

Amuro Tooru's fingertip paused at the edge of the sealed bag, and he looked up at the rearview mirror: "Mr. Iori, since you've seen the Raven Emblem, have you heard that there are politicians who cooperate with the Karasuma Group?"

Iori Muga, the butler, was driving at a slower pace than usual. His expression in the rearview mirror shifted from serious to inscrutable: "Why would Mr. Amuro suddenly ask this?"

“I just find it strange,” Amuro Tooru said, but there was no hint of a smile in his eyes. “It would be too illogical for an organization of the level of the Mud Ginseng Association to be able to entrenched in the city for so long without the protection of powerful figures behind it. And if the Karasuma Group wants to stabilize its gray industry chain, what it needs most is a ‘protective umbrella’ from the political world.”

The mouse shivered, its voice trembling with fear: "A councilor? Is that the person who's always talking on TV? How could they be working with bad guys?"

Kudo Yuki gently patted its back, signaling with her eyes to calm it down: [Now is not the time to press for answers.]

Butler Iori Muga fell silent, as if weighing whether to reveal more.

The car drove through a quiet street, with only the sound of tires rubbing against the ground echoing inside.

Butler Iori Muga slowly began to speak: "The head of the family has conducted a private investigation and found that a councilor named 'Saeki' has promoted several industrial bills in recent years, all of which have benefited subsidiaries of the Karasuma Group. However, there is no concrete evidence, so it can only be considered speculation."

“Congressman Saeki…” Amuro Tooru repeated the name in a low voice, “I will have Kazami investigate his financial transactions. If there is any connection, this time we may be able to follow the clues to the Karasuma Group.”

The little mouse raised its head and whispered in Kudo Yuki's ear, "Yuki, I think I've heard this name before! Last time at the police station, I saw a man in a suit talking to a policeman, and his name tag said 'Saeki'! He even secretly passed something to the man in black!"

Kudo Yuki remained expressionless, simply adding to Amuro Tooru's words, "If this senator is really involved, does he have people in the Metropolitan Police Department? We need to be careful when we hand over the evidence."

Butler Iori glanced at her in the rearview mirror, a hint of approval in his eyes: "Miss Kudo is very thoughtful. The head of the family also instructed that the subsequent liaison with the Metropolitan Police Department should be handled by the Ministry of Justice to avoid the evidence passing through too many hands."

As the car approached Poirot Cafe, the blue sign on the street corner became clearly visible.

The mouse, however, had lost its previous excitement and remained nestled in Kudo Yuki's arms, its little head nuzzling nervously: "Will that Councilor Saeki come after us? If he's with the bad guys, he'll definitely retaliate against us."

Kudo Yuki gently scratched its ear tip, soothing it with telepathy: "Don't be afraid. With me and Toru here, and the Ooka family helping us, he won't dare to make a move. Besides, we have evidence. As long as we find his connection to the Karasuma Group, we can send him to the police station as well."

Amuro Tooru seemed to notice her subtle movement and turned his head to look at her: "The follow-up investigation will not put us in danger."

He then looked at the driver's seat. "Mr. Iori, please inform the head of the family about the information regarding Councilor Saeki when you return."

Butler Iori Muga nodded in agreement: "I will report to the head of the family immediately."

The car was parked in front of Poirot Cafe.

Meanwhile, the members of the Mud Association, who were being held in police cars, were unaware that their supposedly indestructible "empire" had already begun to crumble due to the events of that day.

Iori Muga, the butler, got out of the car first and went around to the back seat to open the car door for Kudo Yuki.

The sign of Poirot Cafe gleamed warmly in the sunlight, and the potted plants at the entrance had just been watered, with glistening water droplets still clinging to their leaves.

Butler Iori Muga took the bag of evidence from the passenger seat and handed it to Amuro Tooru: "I will keep these for now. After the head of the family confirms them, I will send them to the Metropolitan Police Department as agreed."

He took the insulated box out of the trunk and strode forward: "Mr. Amuro, shall I take the meal in first? Also, I will deliver the evidence to the head of the family within two hours, and I will send you updates via email."

"Thank you for your help." Amuro Tooru nodded in agreement, watching Iori Muga carry the insulated box into the cafe before turning around to follow Kudo Yuki.

As Iori Muga, the butler, came out of the coffee shop, the car drove away.

Kudo Yukitsugi walked into the cafe carrying the mouse and asked in a low voice, "You said you saw Representative Saeki handing something to a man in black at the police station. Do you remember exactly what it looked like? Did you get a good look at the man in black?"

The mouse tilted its little head and thought, gently patting its belly with its paw: "It's a small black box, and it looks like it has a crow pattern on it! The man in black's hat was pulled down low, and I could only see his gloves, which had a rum pattern on them!"

To be continued...