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

Conan quickly scrolled the message up, afraid that Kudo Yuki and Amuro Tooru would see it. He secretly glanced up and saw the two of them discussing their support route for the night, then breathed a sigh of relief and typed a reply quickly:

How long will the transport truck be parked? Did you see clearly what was loaded on the truck?

The message had barely been sent when Ai Haibara's reply popped up:

The doctor checked the security camera footage from the roadside convenience store. After about ten minutes, two men in black suits got out and handed a silver briefcase to Saeki's secretary. The briefcase looked quite heavy. The secretary took it and put it directly into her car without opening it.

Conan frowned, his little mind racing: [The silver briefcase...could it be a testing part for "ES Dark Amber"? Or some smuggled goods Rum is going to trade with Saeki?]

Just as he was about to ask another question, Ai Haibara's second message popped up:

The doctor also discovered that the truck's license plate was fake, and the registration information pointed to a freight company that had been deregistered, just like the shell company of the winery last time.

"What's wrong?" Kudo Yuki noticed Conan staring at his phone, lost in thought, and reached out to ruffle his hair. "Is there any new news from Ai?"

Conan quickly put his phone back in his pocket, his ears still red: "N-nothing serious! It's just that Haibara said the professor made a new detective gadget and asked me to pick it up when I have time."

He deliberately changed the subject, but didn't notice the smile that flashed in Amuro Tooru's eyes. Just now, when Conan was typing, he caught a glimpse of the words "transport vehicle" and "silver briefcase" out of the corner of his eye, and he already had the answer in his mind.

Amuro Tooru opened the car door and helped Kudo Yuki and Conan get in.

As he got into the driver's seat, he heard the little mouse in his arms muttering, "Conan's hiding of his phone was so obvious! Ai Haibara must have sent a very important message, otherwise he wouldn't have been so nervous~"

Amuro Tooru asked casually, "Conan, the new gadget Haibara mentioned earlier, is it a tracker or a bugging device? The miniature camera that Dr. Agasa made was very helpful in the warehouse last time."

Conan's hand, which was gripping the seatbelt, paused, and his ears burned again: "N-nothing said what it was...maybe it's a new tranquilizer dart!"

He avoided Amuro Tooru's gaze and secretly glanced at Kudo Yuki in the passenger seat, only to see her looking down at her phone, her fingertips rapidly tapping on the screen, clearly also keeping up with Ai Haibara's messages.

As Kudo Yuki put away her phone, she met Amuro Tooru's gaze. They didn't speak, but exchanged information with a single glance:

The transport vehicle and the silver briefcase are most likely related to tonight's transaction.

She gently scratched the chin of the mouse in her arms, thinking to herself: [Could the part Rum is trading with Saeki be the core component of "ES Dark Amber"? If I could get my hands on it, maybe I could figure out how the device works.]

Amuro Tooru sensed her thoughts and tightened his grip on the steering wheel slightly, but changed the subject: "Kazami just sent a message saying that Akai Tsutomu has already arranged the Haneda residence, so Sera and her daughter can settle in directly there. However, given Sera's temper, she'll probably have to argue with you a bit before she leaves."

“It’s okay to say a few words,” Kudo Yuki laughed. “As long as Aunt Mary nods, she can’t do anything about it.”

Amuro Tooru caught a glimpse of Conan secretly checking his phone, clearly still pondering Ai Haibara's news.

The car turned into the street where the hotel was located.

Amuro Tooru glanced in the rearview mirror and saw the dark-colored car weaving through traffic. The retro-styled lines and wheel design instantly made him recognize it as the antique car collected by Haneda Yasuharu.

The figure in the driver's seat was tall and imposing, exuding a calm and composed aura even through the car window. There could be no one else but Tsutomu Akai.

“It’s the Haneda family’s car.” He said casually, but out of the corner of his eye he caught a glint of shrewdness in Kudo Yuki’s lowered eyes.

Kudo Yuki had a vague idea: [Mr. Tsutomu arrived earlier than expected, probably because he was worried about Aunt Mary's safety and wanted to check on the new place beforehand.]

Amuro Tooru gazed at the street scene flashing by, a smile playing on his lips: "Mr. Akai Tsutomu should bring Ms. Mary's usual black tea this time. Last time when I went to the Haneda residence with Yuki, I saw a lot of Darjeeling tea in the tea cabinet."

Conan, sitting in the back seat, suddenly looked up upon hearing this: "Uncle Akai? Why is he here to pick me up?"

“I asked Shuichi Akai to make the contact.” Yuki Kudo turned her head. “Aunt Mary will feel more at ease with her family around, given her current condition. Moreover, Mr. Tsutomu is familiar with MI6’s counter-tracking methods and can help us investigate potential threats around the Haneda residence.”

Kudo Yuki pressed her fingertips against her brow bone, her eyes flashing with a cold light beneath her eyelashes: "If it's really as I suspect... I have no choice but to break into Rum's backup lab."

As they were talking, Amuro Tooru had already parked his car in the temporary parking space in front of the hotel.

The antique car in the rearview mirror also slowly came to a stop.

Akai Tsutomu lowered the car window, his gaze briefly meeting Amuro Tooru's in the rearview mirror. There were no extra pleasantries; a single glance was enough for them to confirm each other's purpose.

Kudo Yuki opened the car door and turned around to see Akai Tsutomu getting out. His gaze towards Kudo Yuki held a gentle warmth: "Miss Kudo, thank you for your hard work. Are Mary and Masumi upstairs?"

“I’ve already spoken to the front desk about room 2113.” Kudo Yuki stepped aside to make way for her. “Go check with Kazami to confirm the support route, and I’ll take you upstairs.”

Akai Tsutomu nodded, his gaze pausing slightly as it swept over Conan: [This child's features are so similar to Miss Kudo's, and also to a young Shinichi Kudo. Could it be...]

Conan felt a little uncomfortable under Akai Tsutomu's gaze, and his little hands twitched slightly as he gripped the hem of his clothes.

He already knew from Kudo Yuki that this man was Akai Shuichi's father, but the probing look in the man's eyes always made him worry that his identity would be exposed.

Kudo Yuki stepped forward at the opportune moment, gently placing her fingertips on Conan's shoulder, and changed the subject with a smile: "Mr. Tsutomu, Aunt Mary has been talking about the Darjeeling tea you brewed these past few days, saying that the hotel's black tea is too weak. Let's go upstairs quickly, lest she get impatient."

Akai Tsutomu withdrew his gaze, a faint smile curving his lips, and followed Kudo Yuki into the hotel lobby.

Amuro Tooru turned to meet up with Kazami, when the mouse in his arms suddenly whispered in his ear, "Mr. Tsutomu looked at Conan so seriously just now! Did he discover Conan's secret?"

Amuro Tooru didn't stop walking, only replying in a low voice, "Don't make wild guesses."

A quick glance of understanding flashed across his eyes: [Akai Tsutomu is, after all, an MI6 member; his observational skills are undoubtedly excellent. He's probably already seen through most of Conan's little tricks of concealing his abilities.]

Inside the elevator, Conan secretly tugged at Kudo Yuki's sleeve and asked in a voice only the two of them could hear, "Yuki-neechan, will Uncle Akai find out...?"

Before she could finish speaking, Kudo Yuki interrupted her with a look.

She made a "shh" gesture with her fingertips to her lips, but was actually communicating with the mouse in sync with her: "Even if Mr. Wuwu suspects something, he won't say it easily. The most important thing now is to keep Aunt Mary calm and not let her panic because she's worried about Zhenchun."

The little mouse nestled in her pocket, nodding its head: "That's right! Akai Maria is still a middle school student. If she gets excited, she might attract the attention of the brewery!"

The elevator doors opened with a "ding," and the door to room 2113 opened from the inside.

Sera Masumi peeked out and her eyes lit up when she saw Akai Tsutomu in disguise. Then she deliberately put on a stern face and said, "Dad! Why are you so late? Mom and I have been waiting for you for ages!"

Mary Akai followed behind. Although she had the figure of a middle school student, her aura was still sharp. When she saw her husband, the coldness in her eyes softened a little, but she still stubbornly said, "Who was waiting for him? I was just afraid that Masumi would run away."

As Akai Tsutomu entered the room, his gaze fell on Mary. He placed the tea canister he had brought on the coffee table and said, "Knowing you don't like the tea in hotels, I specially brought Darjeeling that I had stored from last year."

Mary gripped the sofa armrest with her fingertips, her ears slightly red: "Who wants to drink your tea? I'm just afraid Zhenchun will make a fuss about wanting to drink it."

Despite saying that, her eyes never left the can of black tea. It was her favorite brand before she shrunk.

Sera Masumi leaned over, snatched the tea canister, and shook it: "Dad, you're so unfair! You only bring snacks for Mom, but not for me?"

Akai Tsutomu sighed and ruffled her hair, then pulled a box of sweets he'd bought at Metropolitan Station from his trench coat pocket. Sera Masumi beamed as she unwrapped the package.

Conan sat on a single sofa in the corner, secretly taking out his phone to send a message to Ai Haibara, but he caught a glimpse of Yuki Kudo gesturing to him to calm down.

He looked up and met Akai Tsutomu's gaze, which held a hint of inquiry, but he didn't ask any questions. Instead, he turned to Kudo Yuki and said, "I've already done a preliminary check of the security at the Haneda residence downstairs. I haven't found anything unusual yet, but we still need to have them keep an eye on a few more dark corners tonight."

“I’ve already spoken to Toru.” Kudo Yuki leaned back on the sofa. “Masumi, I have some things to discuss with your aunt and uncle. Could you please go back to your room and pack your things first? Just think of it as a visit.”

Sera Masumi paused in her hand holding the sweets. Although somewhat reluctant, seeing Kudo Yuki's serious expression, she pouted and nodded, "Okay, I'll come and keep watch for you guys as soon as I'm done cleaning up!"

As she spoke, she carried the tea canister and confectionery box into the bedroom. As she closed the door, she couldn't help but steal a glance at Akai Tsutomu, her eyes revealing an unspoken dependence.

The room fell silent instantly. Conan put his phone back in his pocket and sat up straight.

Kudo Yuki opened the morning news on her phone and showed them a photo of Aunt Mary's profile being protected by Sera Masumi in the crowd.

"That's why I came here—the photos have gone viral online, and the people from the distillery might have found their way here by following the clues."

Akai Tsutomu's gaze fell on Mary's profile in the photo, and his brows furrowed instantly: "The news is spreading faster than expected, and the brewery's tracking capabilities won't give us much time to move on."

He turned to look at Mary, his voice softening, "We must move to the Haneda Mansion tonight. I know its security better than anyone else."

Mary Akai loosened her grip on the sofa armrest a little, staring at the photo of Sera Masumi protecting her, her throat tightening: "Masumi doesn't know about these dangers yet, I can't let her get involved again."

The news photo on the screen was magnified so that Mary Akai's profile was clearly visible.

Kudo Yuki raised an eyebrow and considered, "I've already asked the head of the Ooka family to help me with this photo. He's using the former prime minister's connections to push it to a hotter social headline and temporarily suppress this report."

She looked up at Mary Akai, her gaze suddenly darkening, her warning unequivocal: "But this is only a temporary measure, it won't last long. It's best if the brewery doesn't find out, but once they trace it back to you through the photos..."

Kudo Yuki paused deliberately, watching Mary's expression tense up instantly, before slowly stating the consequences, each word carrying weight: "At that time, you will only have one situation—being captured and taken to their laboratory as a test subject. They will find out why APTX4869 caused changes in you, after all, you are one of the few cases that are 'surviving and showing obvious physical reactions'."

Mary Akai's fingertips dug into the sofa armrest, staring at the photo on the screen. The shock and anger of an adult surged within the body of a middle school student, but her voice was hoarse with a childish quality due to her physical changes: "These bastards... they actually managed to dig up a photo like this."

Akai Tsutomu reached out and placed his hand on the back of his wife's hand; the warmth of his palm eased her tense shoulders slightly.

He looked at Kudo Yuki, his eyes as deep as a bottomless pool: "What exactly is the connection between the 'ES Dark Amber' project you mentioned, the drug on Mary's body, and the purpose of the distillery capturing her?"

"It's not certain yet, but the three are definitely connected." Kudo Yuki swiped her finger across the phone screen, bringing up the photos of the laboratory debris that Haibara Ai had just sent.

"Haibara discovered that the brewery has been expediting the transport of core components for 'ES Dark Amber' recently. The message Conan just received indicates that the silver briefcase handed over by the transport vehicle is most likely one of those components."

Conan's little face was serious: "Moreover, the license plate of that car is fake. The registration information points to a shell subsidiary of the Karasuma Group, which is the same as the winery stronghold we destroyed last time."

Akai Tsutomu tapped his fingertips lightly on the edge of the coffee table, his gaze falling on Conan's small face before turning to the photos of the laboratory fragments that Kudo Yuki had pulled up. His brows furrowed even more: "Fake license plates, shell companies, the distillery's methods are still the same old tricks, yet they always manage to leave us with no solid evidence."

He suddenly turned his attention to Mary Akai, "Given your current physical condition, if they were to target you, you wouldn't be able to fight back with all your might."

Mary Akai bit her lip, her middle school student fingers still digging into the sofa armrest, her voice full of resentment: "I can't keep hiding forever."

Kudo Yuki turned off her phone screen, her tone as calm as if she were dissecting a complex case: "Now is definitely not the time for a head-on confrontation—while the brewery is keeping an eye on you, Rum and Karasuma Renya are also testing each other. If we act rashly, we will only become targets in a three-way battle."

She looked up at the Akai couple, a calculating glint in her eyes: "So I took a long detour and used the FBI's encrypted communications network to contact Mr. Tsutomu. I had him pick you and Masumi up to go to the Haneda residence so that you could get out of sight as soon as possible."

"I left two body doubles in the room next to the hotel, dressed in clothes similar to yours and Zhenchun's, and deliberately walked past the front desk's surveillance cameras. My purpose was simple: I wanted to see who would follow the clues in the photos."

"Whether it's Rum's men or Gin's surveillance agents, as long as they dare to touch this 'bait,' I can tear a hole in them first and follow the clues to find their hideout."

To be continued...