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

Kuroda Hyōe stood up, his gaze sweeping over the flashing routes and markers on the screen: "I will coordinate with the various organizations to deploy support around the core area. Kudo, Amuro, Kagekawa, this mission involves a multi-faceted operation, and its success or failure hinges on this one line. I'm counting on you."

Suddenly, a new video link came in from the corner of the screen. The middle-aged man in the dark uniform was sitting upright in a chair. He was none other than Yosuke Makino, the director of the Ocean Buoy Bureau.

His gaze fell on the deployment map on the screen, and he said in a deep voice, "Commander Kuroda, the ocean buoys have sealed off the 20-nautical-mile waters surrounding the core area as planned, and the patrol boats are rotating every 15 minutes. No unregistered vessel can get close. Ms. Kudo's plan is bold, but the logic is closed. I look forward to the follow-up actions."

Kudo Yuki's eyes flashed with cunning. She held the tin tea canister between her fingers and, while Kuroda Hyōe turned around to confirm the details of the sea blockade with Makino Yosuke, placed the top-grade "Nine-Bend Red Plum Tribute Tea" next to the computer screen.

The anti-counterfeiting seal on the can complements the data stream on the screen.

She ended her voice chat with Morofushi Kagemitsu, then grabbed Amuro Tooru's wrist: "Let's go, Tooru!"

Before Amuro Tooru could react, she dragged him straight to the computer room at the end of the corridor, a helpless smile flashing in her purplish-gray eyes.

The mouse, inside Kudo Yuki's pocket, muttered, "Go! Go! Does Hiroki, the little genius, have any delicious cookies? The blueberry flavor last time was amazing!"

The door to the computer room wasn't closed properly, and the crisp sound of keyboards being typed could be heard from inside.

Kudo Yuki pushed open the door and immediately saw Sawada Hiroki sitting in front of the computer, with code flashing on the screen.

Without a word, she rushed over, hugged the boy's shoulder with one arm, and picked up the laptop and black backpack from the table with the other: "Hiroki, come with me!"

Hiroki Sawada was startled by her hug. He looked up and saw who it was. His eyes lit up, but then he frowned. "Sister Xue, now? I'm still optimizing the firewall cracking program for 'ES Dark Amber'. I'll be able to complete the final stress test in three minutes to ensure that accessing the quantum server won't trigger an alarm."

"We can't wait any longer!" Kudo Yuki pulled him up and walked towards the door without stopping. "Chief Makino just confirmed the sea area is under blockade. We have to get out of here right away."

"Did you save your program to the USB drive? The quantum server in the core laboratory has special defenses. When you're cracking it, remember to use the chip I gave you. It can shield against electromagnetic interference and can also disguise itself as normal system data flow."

“It’s all stored. It’s in the encrypted box in the side pocket of the backpack.” Hiroki Sawada obediently followed her.

“I also added a reverse tracing program to access the server and locate all the backup databases of 'ES Dark Amber'. I also planted a delay virus on Rum's terminal so that the monitoring system would be paralyzed for ten minutes when he notices it, which would be enough for Mr. Kuroba to complete his operation.”

"As expected of Hiroki!" Kudo Yuki smiled and ruffled his hair, then turned to look at Amuro Tooru, who was slowly following behind.

"Toru, did you bring the spare key to the Kudo family mansion? Let's go there to stay first and get Hiroki's equipment set up. During the operation on the night of the full moon, he will need to remotely assist Uncle Toichi and Kaito. The anti-eavesdropping shielding device there was specially modified by Father and can completely bypass the organization's signal monitoring."

Amuro Tooru quickly caught up and reached out to straighten her backpack strap, which was about to slip off.

“I brought them. But you’re just leaving Supervisor Kuroda and Director Makino in the meeting room like that, and even making fun of his past. Aren’t you afraid he’ll give you three times the intelligence gathering tasks later?”

"What are you afraid of?" Kudo Yuki turned around and winked at him, her voice full of slyness. "I already left the Nine-Bend Red Plum as an apology gift for the old master! Besides, he wouldn't really punish me—after all, who else but me could make Rum and Vermouth check each other, and also get such a powerful technical assistant like Hiroki?"

Hiroki Sawada instructed, "Sister Yuki, Brother Amuro, I just detected abnormal fluctuations in the network of the core area. It's Rum's technical team scanning the outer defenses. Should I set up a fake node in advance to mislead them into thinking that the core defense is focused on the eastern warehouse?"

“No need.” Kudo Yuki shook her head, her eyes sharp. “Let them investigate. The more irrelevant things they find, the more relaxed Rum will become. Once Vermouth receives the news, he will be too busy guarding against internal strife to bother investigating the loopholes in their defenses.”

Amuro Tooru nodded in agreement: "Xiaoxue is right. Our focus now is on preparing for the rendezvous. Your program is key. The encryption algorithm of the quantum server may be updated at any time, and you will need to adjust the cracking strategy in real time."

The three of them ran quickly out of the office building. Kudo Yuki pulled Sawada Hiroki along, while Amuro Tooru followed beside him, the equipment in their backpacks swaying gently with each step.

Through the conference room window, you could still hear Kuroda Hyōe and Makino Yosuke discussing the details of the rendezvous.

Kudo Yuki smiled and muttered to the window, "Senior, Chief Makino! I'm off to run away with Hiroki now! Senior, remember to smile more, otherwise you'll have more wrinkles than the organization's secrets. Be careful, in a couple of years, Inspector Morofushi Takaaki will be teasing you about this again, saying you're 'more old-fashioned than the deep mountains of Nagano'!"

Without waiting for a response from inside, she grabbed the two of them and ran away.

The computer room door was still open, and the code on the screen was still flashing. In the conference room, the originally tense atmosphere was broken by this joke, and it became so quiet that you could hear breathing.

Kuroda Hyoue stopped in his tracks, his ears visibly turning red. His usually composed gaze suddenly sharpened, and a vein throbbed on his forehead. He clenched his fists and turned around, suppressing his anger: "Kudo Yuki! You little brat, what nonsense are you spouting! Next time we meet, I'm going to give him a piece of my mind!"

Yosuke Makino, sitting on the other end of the screen, raised an eyebrow upon hearing this, a smile flashing in his eyes, but he didn't interrupt, instead watching Kuroda's reaction with great interest.

Kuroda Hyōe was known for his impartiality and incorruptibility, and only Kudo Yuki dared to "provoke" him so openly, yet he was still unable to retaliate.

As Kuroda was about to take a step to chase after him, his gaze inadvertently fell on the premium black tea in front of the computer screen.

The tin tea caddy is exquisitely crafted and looks very valuable; it's a treasure he's been longing to own but hasn't had the chance to acquire yet.

Kuroda Hyoue paused, his anger freezing on his face, replaced by a deeper sense of helplessness: [This girl, she always uses this manipulative way of diverting attention, and yet she can never find fault with it.]

Meanwhile, on the computer screen, the personnel from all sides who were originally listening to the deployment were now in an uproar.

James didn't show any exaggerated expression: "Miss Kudo is indeed exceptionally courageous. She remained calm during the deployment and was able to grasp the personality of Manager Kuroda. With this kind of temperament and insight, it's no wonder that she became a core figure in the undercover organization."

The FBI liaison officer beside him lowered his voice, with a hint of amazement: "She actually knew about the private interactions between Superintendent Kuroda and Inspector Morofushi. Her intelligence-gathering ability is truly admirable."

The CIA representative, a blonde woman, picked up her coffee and took a sip: "What an interesting person. Seemingly casual, but every step she takes is carefully calculated."

"Using a can of good tea as an apology not only gave Kuroda, the manager, a way out, but also strengthened mutual trust. This sense of propriety is better than that of many veteran agents."

The MI6 liaison officer sighed and rubbed his forehead, finding it both funny and exasperating: "Commander Kuroda is known in the intelligence world for his meticulousness and ruthlessness, I never expected to be rendered speechless by a young girl. But..."

His gaze fell on the premium black tea next to the screen. "This can of Jiuqu Hongmei is a limited edition, and it's only available at a price. Miss Kudo may seem silly, but she's actually very thoughtful. She eased the tense atmosphere without being impolite. She's quite remarkable."

Yosuke Makino said with a hint of amusement, "Kuroda, this girl is indeed a good prospect. She can adjust the atmosphere under high pressure. With her around, the chances of winning this game will be much greater."

Kuroda Hyōe stared at the can of premium black tea, his face turning pale and then flushed. Finally, he let out a heavy snort but did not chase after it.

He reached out and stroked the tin can, his tone still harsh, but without the anger from before: "You brat... if you dare to talk nonsense again, I'll send you to sort out nearly ten years of old cases in the organization!"

Even so, a gentle light flashed in his eyes.

Amuro Tooru stood at the entrance of the office building, watching Kudo Yuki drag Sawada Hiroki away, his purplish-gray eyes filled with helpless doting affection.

The mouse giggled, "Xiaoxue is so naughty! Kuroda Hei's face is almost as red as a purple cabbage! Should we bring her some anti-wrinkle cream next time?"

Kudo Yuki's laughter drifted back on the wind: "Senior, Director Makino! Next time I'll bring you some limited-edition Hokkaido wagashi!"

Kuroda Hyōe looked at the empty doorway, then at the premium black tea beside the screen, and finally picked up the tea canister. He addressed James, Makino Yosuke, and the others on the screen in a deep voice: "The meeting continues. Regarding the rendezvous plan, each organization must submit a detailed personnel deployment list and communication encryption scheme within two hours, ensuring that information is not leaked during the operation."

Yosuke Makino nodded, his gaze returning to the deployment map, but a faint smile inadvertently appeared on his lips.

Meanwhile, a subtle upward curve appeared at the corners of Kuroda Hei's tense lips: [This girl always manages to ease tensions in the most unique way.]

In the courtyard of the Kudo family home, the trees beside the gravel path sway gently in the wind, letting a few leaves fall.

The car stopped in front of the entrance hall, and the villa gate was pushed open from the inside.

Conan, dressed casually, stood at the door. Seeing the three figures rushing towards him, he pushed up his glasses and said, "Sis, Mr. Amuro, Hiroki, you've finally arrived."

His gaze fell on the black backpack on Hiroki Sawada's shoulder.

"The hacking program is ready? I just tried to hack into the outer network of the Karasuma Group's core area and found that their firewall is much stronger than before. Rum's technical team is indeed scanning frequently."

"With Hiroki here, this little trouble is nothing." Kudo Yuki let go of Sawada Hiroki's hand and bent down to change her shoes.

The little mouse poked its head out, its chubby paws gripping the edge of the pocket as it peered inside. "It tastes like strawberry cookies! I want to trade it for candy!"

Amuro Tooru smiled and took Kudo Yuki's backpack, his purple-gray eyes full of doting: "Let's go inside first. Hiroki's equipment can't get damp."

A temporary work area had already been set up in the living room.

Laptops, encrypted routers, and signal jammers were neatly arranged. Ai Haibara sat on the sofa, adjusting a silver instrument. When she saw everyone come in, she looked up and said, "The electromagnetic interference intensity in the core area is 30% higher than expected. I modified the signal amplifier to ensure that Hiroki's remote operation will not be delayed."

Kudo Yuki walked over to her, gave her a thumbs up, and pushed Sawada Hiroki to the front of the work area.

"Hiroki, first import the crack program into the main computer and adapt it to Ai's amplifier. I'll go make you some hot tea; you're all thirsty from running around."

Amuro Tooru followed her into the kitchen, closing the door behind him, and lowered his voice: "Just now in the office building, you deliberately used black tea to distract Manager Kuroda, were you actually afraid that the gazes of those people in the conference room would 'burn' Hiroki?"

Kudo Yuki paused in her action of adding water to the kettle, turned around and winked at him: "You understand me best. Hiroki's computer skills are too special in the field. If anyone in the organization finds out about his talent... Although the senior is reliable, it's better to avoid trouble. It's the easiest way to shut him up with a can of black tea."

"A jar of limited edition Nine-Bend Red Plum wine is indeed more effective than a thousand words."

Amuro Tooru leaned against the door frame, a smile playing in his purplish-gray eyes, his fingertips stroking the necklace that Kudo Yuki had personally made for him.

"But aren't you afraid that Rum's informants might be infiltrated within the United Organization?"

The white steam from the boiling water spilled over Kudo Yuki's cunning eyes: "So what if I sneak in?"

She raised her hand to brush away the rising steam from the tea, and the warm yellow light made the smile in her eyes seem a little fainter.

"The informants in the alliance are either pawns planted by Rum or overseers placed by Karasuma Renya. None of them can figure out the details of 'Fine Wine,' and this identity is my shield."

Kudo Yuki turned around, her back to Amuro Tooru, her gaze fixed on the deep night outside the window.

“But what I’m most worried about is Hiroki… I can’t let him repeat the mistakes of Itakura Taku. The fate of that genius programmer is the most accurate reflection of how organizations treat ‘tools’.”

Amuro Tooru's fingertips caressed the necklace, the smile fading from his purplish-gray eyes, replaced by a more somber expression: "Hiro and I analyzed Itakura Taku's emails back then. The organization only knows how to plunder those who are 'useful.' If Hiroki's talent is exposed, even with the protection of his 'Fine Brew' identity, Rum will stop at nothing to seize him."

"But don't worry, I've had Hiro completely disguise Hiroki's public programming records, so that he only appears to be a boy who is good at basic algorithms, and all traces related to quantum cracking have been wiped clean."

“Hiro is still the most meticulous.” Kudo Yuki turned around, her eyes blurring with tears. “But Rum’s technical team is just as sensitive to abnormal data streams as Hiroki. Last time they cracked the Osaka branch’s server, he almost managed to trace Hiroki’s temporary IP back to it.”

"Fortunately, Hiroki reacted quickly and used the frequency hopping technique you taught him to bypass the tracking. He also took the opportunity to plant a fake virus on the other party's terminal, making him think that the tracking was an FBI decoy node."

Amuro Tooru chuckled, his ear tips turning slightly red: "That kid learns things faster than me, and he can apply his counter-surveillance skills to other situations, even to virus disguise."

To be continued...