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

Rum's gaze was cold and indifferent as he quickly recalled Gin's recent unusual behavior.

Those who seemed to execute orders meticulously, yet deliberately deviated from them at crucial moments; those seemingly insignificant alienations and covert constraints—all suddenly came together at this moment, weaving a net.

[Could it be that he really knows the truth about Cohen's mission?]

Rum's fingertips traced the surface of the table, his eyes as cold and icy as a deep pool: [Now they're even tacitly allowing Cohen to be sent to the Metropolitan Police Department; it's clear they're gradually eroding my power.]

This move was extremely cunning and underhanded.

Gin cleverly absolved himself of responsibility, used the Metropolitan Police Department to eliminate his confidant, and ultimately left him with a bitter pill to swallow, unable to find a legitimate reason to retaliate.

"Fine."

Rum sneered and slammed the empty glass down on the table, the porcelain bottom making a crisp sound.

"Cohen was a dispensable piece; without him, I still have countless pieces to use."

He suppressed his surging anger, his gaze returning to the diagram of the secret passage on the screen. His fingertips slid lightly across the screen, finally stopping at the location of the deepest secret room.

Sealed there are the core parameters of the ES Dark Amber Project, which he secretly backed up. It is his trump card that he has been secretly cultivating for many years, and it is also the last bargaining chip he will use to restrain Karasuma Renya in the future.

The morning mist had not yet dissipated, and a pale blue halo of light seeped in through the lattice windows of the Kudo family home, spreading out in a hazy pattern on the wool carpet.

Just after the seven o'clock bell rang, Kudo Yuki's eyelashes trembled, and her consciousness was pulled out of the chaos.

The scent of cedar lingered around her nose; it wasn't her usual aromatherapy, but it felt unfamiliar yet comforting. She moved her neck, raised her hand to rub her eyes, and touched a warm, soft surface.

I opened my eyes abruptly, and what came into view was a man's jawline. The morning light outlined his thin lips and nose, and his eyelashes cast shadows under his eyelids—it was Amuro Tooru.

He lay on his side, facing her, breathing evenly, still fast asleep.

Her short hair was messily plastered to her forehead, revealing a gentler side than her usual alertness and sharpness.

Kudo Yuki's heart skipped a beat, her cheeks flushed, and she instinctively tried to pull back, only to find her wrist gently held in his palm, the grip light and warm.

"Hmm..." she hummed softly, trying to pull her hand back, startling the person next to her.

Amuro Tooru's eyelashes trembled slightly as he slowly opened his eyes.

Those eyes, brimming with shrewdness and probing, still veiled by sleep, looked at her and said softly, "Awake?"

His voice was hoarse from the early morning, which only made Kudo Yuki more embarrassed.

Kudo Yuki pulled her hand back and shrank back towards the bed, her cheeks flushed: "What are you doing in my room?"

Amuro Tooru sat up and straightened his slightly disheveled clothes: "You fell asleep on the sofa in the living room last night. It was chilly outside, so I carried you back to the room. I just stayed by your side and didn't do anything else."

The mouse squatted at the door, its eyes fixed on them, its chubby little paws holding sunflower seeds, its head nodding slightly, as if it saw through the secret but kept it to itself.

"Mouse!" Kudo Yuki glared at it helplessly. "What are you looking at?"

The mouse stuffed the sunflower seeds into its mouth, turned around with its rear end facing them, and ran back to its little nest, its posture clearly saying, "I know, but I won't say."

Amuro Tooru watched this scene and chuckled softly, unable to hide the amusement in his eyes: "It seems that the mouse has adapted to the current situation even before you have."

Kudo Yuki recalled the events of the previous night—the study was brightly lit, and she, Amuro Tooru, Kudo Yusaku, the Kuroba father and son, Sawada Hiroki, and Okiya Subaru sat around a table, analyzing the scattered clues about the organization until late at night.

Later, overwhelmed by exhaustion, she couldn't stay awake any longer and fell asleep on the sofa in the study, completely unaware of what was happening afterward.

Kudo Yuki looked up at Amuro Tooru, her brows furrowed slightly, her eyes full of confusion: "Why don't you go back to the guest room to sleep?"

Amuro Tooru stroked the dark pattern on his cuff, the morning light softening the sharpness at the corners of his eyes, his tone filled with indulgent laughter: "The heating in the guest rooms is broken, and the maintenance person said it can only be fixed this morning."

He glanced at Kudo Yuki's reddened ears: "Last night you were muttering 'ES Dark Amber blueprints have flaws' in your sleep, so I was keeping watch over you so you wouldn't wake up to look for the information."

Kudo Yuki pursed her lips, momentarily speechless.

The mouse didn't hold back in exposing him: "He just wanted to stick to you! Last night he could have asked Yusaku Kudo or Shuichi Akai to watch over you, but he insisted on doing it himself, and he even secretly switched the guest room heater to the malfunction setting!"

Amuro Tooru's earlobes were slightly red. He deliberately avoided Kudo Yuki's probing gaze, picked up his coat from the back of the chair, and stood up: "I'll go downstairs to prepare breakfast. You can lie down for a while longer?"

"No need." Kudo Yuki threw off the covers and got up, the hem of her pajamas brushing against her ankles. "I have to go check if Conan is awake. I can't miss my cute little brother's funny expressions."

The mouse exclaimed, "He's just feeling guilty! He stayed by your bedside for ages last night and even secretly touched your hair. If I hadn't been watching, who knows what he might have done!"

Amuro Tooru paused, turned his back to Kudo Yuki with a helpless and indulgent smile, turned around and went downstairs, whispering, "Rat, if you talk nonsense again, I'll replace the sunflower seeds with dried carrots."

"Threatening me? I've learned from experience." The mouse hopped onto Kudo Yuki's shoulder, its chubby paws on its hips. "I'm not afraid! Yuki, look at him, he's furious!"

Kudo Yuki couldn't help but chuckle, and scratched the mouse's fluffy chin with her fingertips. The soft touch made the little guy squint its eyes comfortably, and it made soft gurgling sounds in its throat.

She turned around, changed into a cardigan and trousers, and went downstairs in soft-soled slippers. Low conversations could be heard from the living room, mixed with the rich aroma of coffee.

Yusaku Kudo sat on the sofa by the window, a newspaper between his fingers, but his gaze was not on the words on the page. Instead, he looked at the original documents containing clues about the organization spread out on the coffee table, his brows furrowed slightly.

Hiroki Sawada sat beside him, his laptop screen lit up, displaying a preliminary structural diagram of the "ES Dark Amber Project," which was compared with the drawings provided by Rumi Wakasa, marked with red annotations.

Several vulnerabilities in key nodes were repeatedly circled, which coincided with what Kudo Yuki had been talking about last night.

Subaru Okiya leaned against the French windows, holding a cup of warm black tea. His gaze swept over everyone in the living room, as if he were analyzing the current situation or secretly keeping an eye on a target who had not yet appeared.

"Good morning, Father, Hiroki, Shuichi Akai," Yuki Kudo greeted with a smile, her gaze sweeping over the empty sofas. "Conan's not up yet?"

Kudo Yusaku put down his newspaper, looked up at her, and said with a smile, "Your mother is upstairs with him. She probably stayed up too late with us last night and is still sleeping in."

He changed the subject, a hint of amusement in his eyes, "Looks like you and Amuro get along well?"

Kudo Yuki's cheeks flushed, and just as she was about to explain, Amuro Tooru came out of the kitchen carrying breakfast. His white shirt sleeves were rolled up, revealing his forearms, and the air was filled with the aroma of toast and fried eggs.

Breakfast is ready.

He placed the plate on the coffee table, his gaze falling on Kudo Yuki's flushed cheeks, a smile flashing in his eyes: "Come and have a taste?"

Hiroki Sawada closed his notebook, got up and walked to the dining table. He picked up a piece of toast, took a bite, and mumbled, "Mr. Amuro's cooking is still as good as ever. By the way, Yuki-san, I just compared the blueprints provided by Professor Wakasa and discovered that the brainwashing module of the 'ES Dark Amber Project' has a fatal flaw. As long as a specific interference program is connected, the entire device can be paralyzed."

"Really?" Kudo Yuki moved closer to Hiroki. "Let me see!"

Subaru Okiya walked over, picked up a cup of coffee, and said slowly, "If Rum discovers this vulnerability, he will definitely try to fix it, or even use it against us. We need to develop a countermeasure as soon as possible, and it would be best to obtain the complete core data before he takes action."

Kudo Yusaku put down the clue in his hand. "Kuroba has already gone to investigate the location of Rum's secret room. With his abilities, he should be able to get news by today. You asked him to keep an eye on Rum before, and he has figured out Rum's recent whereabouts and patterns. He has also obtained the blueprints for the security system of the secret room."

Kudo Yuki nodded, feeling somewhat relieved. She looked up at Kiko's room upstairs, finished her breakfast, and went upstairs to open the door.

Conan had just woken up, his sleepy eyes not yet fully open, when he saw his older sister and mother looking at him with smiles. The next second, he belatedly realized that he had been held in Yukiko's arms and slept all night.

Conan's face flushed instantly, and he struggled to sit up: "Mom! Sister! Why are you looking at me like that?"

Yukiko chuckled and gently poked his forehead: "Our little detective stayed up until the wee hours last night. If I hadn't carried you here, you might have slept in the car all night. But speaking of which, Shinichi, seeing you sleeping in my arms like this reminds me of how you used to cling to me when you were little."

"Mom!" Conan frowned helplessly, his cheeks turning even redder. "I already told you to call me Conan in front of others."

He caught a glimpse of Kudo Yuki's suppressed laughter and quickly added, "Sister, please don't laugh! I was just too sleepy to notice..."

Kudo Yuki walked over and gently placed her fingertips on Conan's forehead. The touch was warm but not hot, which eased her anxiety a little.

She sat down on the edge of the bed, her gaze falling on the boy's flushed cheeks, unable to hide her smile: "Little detective, you've finally decided to wake up? If you hadn't gotten up, Hiroki would have eaten all the fried eggs Toru made."

Yukiko smiled and let go of Conan's hand, then stood up and ruffled Conan's hair. "You two siblings chat. I'll go downstairs and see if Yusaku has any new information."

The door closed gently, leaving only the brother and sister in the room, along with a hamster squatting on the bedside table, its chubby little paws still clutching half a sunflower seed.

Conan sat up, ran his fingers through his hair, and muttered, "Sis, you're teasing me along with Mom."

His ears were still flushed, and he subconsciously pulled the blanket tighter to hide his embarrassment at being carried back to the room by Yukiko.

The mouse squatted on the bedside table, clutching half a sunflower seed and swaying back and forth, muttering, "He's clearly clinging to Aunt Yukiko, but he's still being stubborn."

Amuro Tooru, sitting in the living room, picked up his coffee. His ears twitched slightly as he heard the mouse's words, and a hint of a smile flashed across his eyes.

Kudo Yuki smiled and said, "Okay, okay, I won't tease you anymore."

The Golden Villa, which was destroyed by Kudo Yuki and his group, is still shrouded in smoke and morning mist.

Amidst the ruins, charred beams and pillars leaned precariously against the collapsing dome. The residual heat of the explosion lingered, and the air was filled with the smell of burnt bricks and molten metal. Debris occasionally fell from above, splashing softly in the silence.

Several dark figures moved through the ruins, cautiously searching every corner. The leader was a remnant of Rum's trusted men, ordered to retrieve the remaining fragments of the alliance agreement, unaware that this was a ruse by Kudo Yuki.

"My lord, the location of the secret chamber has been confirmed, but the entrance has completely collapsed, and the core area has been completely destroyed. We can't even find a complete chip."

The subordinate's voice, tinged with barely concealed panic, reached Rum's ears via the communicator.

Rum sat in the back seat of the black sedan with the raven emblem, his eyes darker than the morning mist outside. He naturally didn't believe that the core parameters of the alliance agreement could be destroyed so easily.

That was his secret backup, encrypted in such a complex way that even Karasuma Renya might not be able to completely crack it. Yet Kudo Yuki and his group were able to find the location of the secret room and completely destroy it. There must be a mole behind this.

[Gin? Or someone else?] Rum was filled with doubt, a sharp glint in his eyes.

A frantic cry came through the communicator, accompanied by the clanging of metal: "Sir! There's a trap here!"

Rum's brow furrowed suddenly.

Deep within the ruins, Kaito Kuroba hid behind a partially collapsed beam, manipulating a miniature remote control with his fingertips, a playful smile playing on his lips.

He was still covered in dust, and his disguised face was ordinary, blending perfectly into the dilapidated surroundings.

Through the miniature screen on his wrist, he could see Rum's men triggering the traps he had set up.

Those seemingly random scattered steel bars are actually connected to specially made smoke bombs and signal jammers. Once touched, they will release a dense fog that obstructs vision and cuts off all communication signals.

"Tsk, Rum's men are nothing special." Kaito Kuroba scoffed, swiping his finger across the screen to switch to another camera feed.

That was the back entrance to the Golden Villa. Subaru Okiya was leaning against an old locust tree, holding a cup of long-cold red tea, his gaze fixed on the chaos amidst the ruins.

Subaru Okiya naturally noticed Kaito Kuroba's presence and saw through who had set up those traps, but he did not intervene.

His mission was to monitor Rum's movements and confirm whether he had truly lost the backup of the ES Dark Amber Project. Now, it seems that Rum's reaction has provided the answer.

He raised his hand to take a sip of black tea, pondering: [Rum won't stop here. Who will he target next?]

Rum rolled down the car window halfway, his gaze piercing through the billowing smoke and dust, landing on the chaotic ruins.

His fingertips tapped on the inside of the car door, the text message Gin had just sent echoing in his mind: "The core area of ​​the Golden Villa has been destroyed, and the backup parameters of the ES Dark Amber have been lost."

His sinister gaze grew even darker. Of course, he didn't believe Gin's claim of "no trace left." When Cohen was taken to the Metropolitan Police Department last night, he had already anticipated that Gin would take advantage of the chaos to make a move. However, he didn't expect the other party to act so quickly, even managing to find and destroy the trump card he had hidden deep inside the secret room.

"Useless." Rum scoffed under his breath, his tone filled with suppressed rage. His men, whom he had sent to investigate the scene, had not yet returned; it was obvious they had been purged by Gin.

To be continued...