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

The mouse hopped around, muttering to itself for the crow, "This bird has the same coded markings! They're part of the same signal shielding system as the chip. It's trying to peck the chip to break free!"

This discovery silenced everyone in the study.

Kuroba Toichi twirled the divination cards in his hand, the star chart swirling under the light: "Karasuma Renya's pet bird has fallen into your hands, and is still resisting the restraints he left behind... That's interesting."

Kudo Yuki stroked the crow's feathers.

As if sensing her comfort, the crow gradually slowed its pecking, but still nuzzled its head against her palm, its eyes full of dependence.

Kudo Yuki recalled the traffic accident the system had written for her, in which she saved Karasuma Renya, who was wearing a helmet, and gave her the codename "Fine Wine" as protection. Perhaps from that moment on, this crow had already been quietly placed by her side, both as a surveillance device and as some kind of secret connection.

“It’s crying for help.” Curaçao’s voice trembled. “It’s exactly the same cry for help as the Jägermeister signal, only it’s stronger, like it’s been imprisoned for a long time.”

The crow seemed to agree with her, pecking at the chip again before swooping down to Kudo Yuki's side, gently tugging at her sleeve with its beak, its gaze fixed on the location of the Golden Villa on the Tottori Prefecture map.

“It wants us to go to the Golden Villa.” Conan held up his tablet and leaned closer, the screen still displaying the coordinates of the secret room. “Perhaps it knows the secret inside the secret room, or even the exact location of that document.”

Amuro Tooru tapped his fingertips on the table: "Rum has already brought Jäger into the villa. If we rush over now, we can catch him off guard. Manager Kuroda's informants have already set up surveillance around the area, and Kazami is also lurking on the scene. With their cooperation, we have a great chance of winning."

Mouse added, "The residual fluctuations from the brainwashing equipment in the villa are affecting this bird. If it can get close to the secret room, it might be able to help us interfere with the equipment's operation!"

Kudo Yuki nodded and reached out to tuck the crow over her shoulder.

The crow obediently lowered its body and buried its head in the crook of her neck.

“Let’s go.” Kudo Yuki stood up first. “Since it wants to break free of its restraints, let’s give it a hand. And let Rum see that the game he thought he controlled has already been turned upside down.”

Kudo Yuki took a few steps and turned back to look at Kudo Yusaku, smiling and flattering him: "Father, may I use the time at the Golden Villa as a reference in your book 'The Dark Baron'?"

Upon hearing this, Yusaku Kudo's eyes lit up with a smile: "If my daughter wants to use reality as material, there's nothing wrong with that. However, the dangers of this Golden Villa are far more thrilling than the scenes in 'The Dark Baron,' so remember to leave the detective in the story a way out."

Conan quipped, "The Golden Mansion is gilded on the surface and hides a secret room inside. It's exactly the same as the 'fake mansion, real trap' setting in 'The Dark Baron.' It's like bringing the 'deception' from the novel into reality. No wonder Dad always says that the villains he writes are inspired by 'real-life idiots.'"

The study door was gently pushed open, and Yukiko walked in carrying a fruit platter. Her fluffy curly hair swayed slightly with her steps, and the smile in her eyes was impossible to hide.

She placed the fruit platter on the table, first pinching a strawberry between her fingers and stuffing it into Kudo Yusaku's mouth, before turning to look at Conan and playfully poking his forehead.

“How can you say that about your father, Shinichi? Back when your father was writing ‘The Dark Baron,’ he locked himself in his study for three days and three nights, and I had to bring him coffee. Now, a real-life ‘golden villa’ has been delivered to your door, and you’re complaining about the source of your inspiration.”

Her gaze swept over the star chart divination cards on the table, then fell on the docile raven perched on Kudo Yuki's shoulder. A sly glint flashed in her eyes as she reached out and ruffled Kudo Yuki's hair.

"However, my daughter Xiaoxue wants to use real-life events as material, and I wholeheartedly support her. Maybe after this matter is over, we can collaborate on a book called 'The Mystery of the Golden Villa.' You can record the details of the case, and I can polish it into a suspense story. It will definitely be more popular than your father's 'The Dark Baron.'"

She raised her hand to cover her mouth and chuckled: "Last time you helped Inspector Megure solve the jewelry theft case, he complained to me that your thinking in solving cases was more bizarre than that of detectives in novels. Now it seems that the conspiracies and tricks in reality are much more exciting than those depicted in writing."

Yukiko Kudo's gaze swept over Tooru Amuro, and she saw him helping Yuki Kudo organize the communication terminals on the table. Her smile deepened, and she deliberately dragged out her words: "Speaking of which, how about Furuya also become the second male lead in the story? After all, 'undercover detectives' are a rare trope in reality. Yuki will be in charge of solving the mystery, and you will be in charge of protecting her. Readers will definitely love this kind of plot."

Amuro Tooru's ears turned slightly red, but when he looked up, he had regained his composure and nodded, saying, "It is my honor to provide material for Ms. Yukiko and Ms. Yukiko's works."

Yukiko Kudo smiled and waved her hand, then took out a pair of Bluetooth earphones from her handbag and handed them to Yuki Kudo: "Remember to take good care of yourself, otherwise not only will your dad's novel lack material, but I'll also lose a daughter I can go shopping with. Furuya should be worried too."

Kudo Yuki coughed twice, her tone slightly teasing: "Mother, I can almost feel your appreciation for beauty through the communicator. Do you want to spend a little more time with Father? I don't want to be a third wheel here, letting the wind blow through my comfort zone."

Conan couldn't help but roll his eyes inwardly: [His sister is blatantly saying that Mom is openly admiring handsome guys again.]

Yukiko wasn't embarrassed at all when her thoughts were exposed. Instead, she covered her mouth and laughed even harder, her fingertips tracing the back of Kudo Yusaku's hand: "Our Yukiko's mouth is getting sharper and sharper, just like your dad's when he wrote mystery novels, hitting the nail on the head."

She turned to look at Amuro Tooru, her cunning even more pronounced. "But Furuya is indeed admirable. He can be a coffee shop employee, an undercover detective, and now he can even be Koyuki's protector. Such an all-around talent is a rare character even in novels."

Amuro Tooru's ears were still slightly red, but upon hearing this, he simply nodded gently and handed the neatly arranged communication terminal to Kudo Yuki.

"The communication channel has been tested and will be synchronized in real time by Kuroda's undercover agents. Kazami can also respond at any time."

Amuro Tooru's gaze swept over the crow perched on Kudo Yuki's shoulder.

"Its condition is very stable, and the energy fluctuations within its body can resonate with the instruments in the sealed room. Perhaps when we arrive at the villa, we can first let it sense the specific location of the instruments."

A soft snort came from the side. Ai Haibara stood next to Hiroki Sawada with her arms crossed, her eyes gleaming with mischief: "Mr. Furuya's speed in organizing the communicator is even faster than when he's making coffee in Poirot."

Her gaze swept over Amuro Tooru's still reddened ear tips, her tone flat yet teasing, "But you're much more composed when carrying out missions than when dealing with Ms. Yukiko's teasing."

Kudo Yuki couldn't help but laugh out loud, and the crow on her shoulder gently nuzzled her neck.

Amuro Tooru shook his head helplessly and tapped the screen of the communication terminal with his fingertips: "If Miss Haibara has any air conditioning to talk about, why don't you help me check the stability of the jamming program? After all, once we get to the villa, I'll need you to crack the encrypted data in the lab."

“You don’t need to remind me of this little thing.” Ai Haibara walked to the table and quickly typed on Hiroki Sawada’s computer, and a string of code popped up on the screen.

“The encryption method of Project ES Dark Amber uses the organization’s early algorithms, and I have already reserved a port for cracking it.”

She looked up at Amuro Tooru, then changed the subject, "But you, Mr. Furuya, were much more nervous last time at Poirot, when you deliberately told customers 'sold out' to save the last slice of lemon pie for Yuki-nee."

Conan chimed in, "Yeah, yeah! I was right there! Mr. Furuya, you pretended it was 'randomly chosen,' but you clearly meant it for my sister!"

“Conan.” Amuro Tooru said with a hint of helplessness, but did not refute. He simply looked at Kudo Yuki, his smile softening slightly. “We’ll naturally keep the flavors that Yuki likes.”

Ai Haibara gave a soft snort, ceasing her teasing and focusing on the computer screen, but the faint smile at the corner of her lips betrayed her true feelings.

Hiroki Sawada muttered to Conan, "Haibara-nee's attitude towards Furuya-san is much better than before."

Conan nodded, thinking to himself: [After all, we're all on the same side. Joking around is one thing, but we'll still help each other out when it counts.]

Amuro Tooru glanced at the docile crow perched on Kudo Yuki's shoulder, then at the group interacting around him, his fingers tightening on his communication terminal: [With these people here, our chances of winning this battle against Rum have increased even further.]

The study door was pushed open, and Subaru Okiya stood in the doorway, glancing at everyone in the room: "Sorry I'm late."

His gaze lingered briefly on the crow perched on Kudo Yuki's shoulder. "We encountered some minor troubles on the way, but they've been resolved."

Kudo Yusaku raised his eyes and smiled lightly: "Mr. Akai is ten minutes late for the agreed time. It seems there are more 'spies' along the way than expected."

Subaru Okiya nodded, walked to Hiroki Sawada's side, and his gaze fell on the encrypted code on the computer screen.

“The instrument fluctuations of Project ES Dark Amber can be detected as weak signals from three kilometers away, and the Golden Villa is now more secure than before.”

He lightly tapped the screen with his fingertip.

“Hiroki’s firewall is very well done, but the organization’s latest tracing program can penetrate three layers of protection. I have added reverse tracing code.”

Hiroki Sawada's eyes lit up: "Mr. Okiya's code logic is so unique! It's more concise and efficient than any FBI program I've ever seen before."

"I only know a little bit." Subaru Okiya avoided the main point, but his gaze swept over the communication terminal in Tooru Amuro's hand. Their eyes met briefly, and without saying anything more, they silently reached a consensus.

Kudo Yukimi, with Kuroba Kaito's cheeks bulging from eating a plate of matcha daifuku, mumbled incoherently, a sly glint in her eyes. She leaned closer with a mischievous grin, trying to trick him: "Kaito, is the dessert delicious?"

With half a pastry still in his mouth, Kuroba Kaito nodded vaguely upon hearing this, then quickly swallowed it before picking up another piece: "Of course it's delicious! Sister Xue, your pastries are even more to my liking than those imported desserts my dad keeps hidden away."

He took another big bite, matcha powder sticking to the corner of his lips.

Kuroba Toichi sat to the side, twirling magician's divination cards, the star chart flowing in his palm. Hearing this, he looked up at Kudo Yuki, a smile in his eyes: "This child has always been greedy since she was little. Back then, in order to steal the strawberry cake I hid, she even specially studied three lock-picking techniques."

"Dad!" Kaito Kuroba glared at him, dissatisfied. "That was so many years ago. Besides, didn't I teach you how to crack security glass later?"

Kudo Yuki suppressed a laugh and reached out to wipe the matcha powder from the corner of his lips: "Eat more if you like it, there's plenty more in the kitchen. You've been practicing your disguise skills so hard lately, have you figured out all the traps at the Karasuma Group headquarters?"

Kaito Kuroba hadn't even finished swallowing the matcha daifuku in his mouth when he heard this, his eyes lit up, and he patted his chest and said, "Of course! I haven't dared to neglect the task you assigned me, Sister Xue."

"I've mapped out the infrared sensor network on the third floor of the Karasuma Group headquarters, the voice-activated mechanisms on the fifth floor, and the fingerprint locks in the underground laboratory using a miniature drone. I even disguised myself as a cleaning staff member and infiltrated three times, figuring out the blind spots in their coffee shop's surveillance system!"

He leaned closer and lowered his voice, "But that place is really eerie. Last time I was almost affected by the low-frequency sound waves from the lab. Luckily I was wearing the soundproof earrings you gave me, otherwise I would have definitely been exposed."

Kuroba Toichi's divination cards stopped at the "Three of Pentacles," the star chart's faint light faded, and he looked up at Kudo Yuki, his smile deepening: "This child may be playful, but he's quite capable when it comes to serious matters. I've already encrypted the diagram of the mechanisms he drew and sent it to the terminal you specified using magician's techniques. I've also added some tips on dealing with hypnotic gases, all of which I figured out when I stormed the gem exhibition hall back then."

Kudo Yuki nodded in thanks, and the crow on his shoulder seemed to understand the words "Karasuma Group" and let out a low caw.

The mouse hopped around in her palm and muttered, "This bird is so sensitive to the fluctuations at headquarters! Just now, Kaito mentioned low-frequency sound waves, and the coded imprints inside its body were getting hot!"

Upon hearing this, Amuro Tooru's eyes darkened.

"Thank you for your hard work." Kudo Yuki sincerely thanked them. "We haven't figured out the core area of ​​the ES Dark Amber Instrument at headquarters yet. We may have to trouble Kaito to explore the layout of the old man's house on the tenth floor again. Safety first, no need to push yourself."

Kaito Kuroba swallowed the last mouthful of matcha daifuku and laughed heartily: "Don't worry, Sister Xue! I'll definitely find out everything about the top ten floors for you! But I heard that old man's study has a triple iris lock, so I'll have to figure out how to break it. After this Golden Villa incident is over, I'll bring the latest disguise tools and storm the headquarters again!"

With a flick of his fingertip, Kuroba Tou lightly flicked the divination card, and the star map landed on the "Chariot" position as it shimmered.

"This kid's infiltration skills are just like mine, but Karasuma Renya's rooftop has always been a forbidden area. Kaito, remember to use the Mirror Refraction Technique I taught you to avoid the motion sensors in the corridor. Also, if you encounter a guard wearing a crow badge, just use a smoke bomb to get away. There's no need to linger in battle."

He looked up at Kudo Yuki, his eyes filled with deep meaning.

"As you instructed, I have used the name of Phantom Thief Kid to lure out information about Blum's whereabouts on the dark web. Those peripheral members who are affiliated with Blum should be in disarray by now."

Kudo Yuki nodded. Suddenly, the crow on her shoulder raised its head and let out a short caw towards the window. The mouse jumped around anxiously in her palm: "It sensed Rum's signal! It's in the direction of the Golden Villa, and... there's also Gin's fluctuation! Gin seems to be on the phone with someone, mentioning 'vodka's experimental data' and 'the pieces should be cleared out'!"

To be continued...