Transmigrated into Conan, his ability is Rhodes Island

2-22 Beikacho, Tokyo 3:00 pm

"Oh, Shinichi, you've come at the right time! Come and try out my new invention." Dr. Agasa heard a noise in the living room, so he peeked out from the basement door and found Shinichi Kudo, dressed in a jersey and shorts, sitting on the sofa in the living room.

Shinichi Kudo gave a casual reply, but remained focused, staring straight ahead. The dim light from the television screen illuminated his concentrated face; his eyes were fixed on the image, his brows slightly furrowed.

"What are you looking at, Shinichi?" Professor Agasa asked curiously as he leaned closer.

"It's a press conference held by the police regarding a case," Shinichi Kudo explained simply to Professor Agasa, his eyes fixed on the speaker. "It was originally scheduled for this morning, but it seems to have been postponed due to some unforeseen circumstances."

At this point, Shinichi Kudo flashed his signature half-moon eyes. "Seriously, I was supposed to play soccer this afternoon."

Dr. Agasa followed Shinichi Kudo's gaze to the television screen. Just then, the news anchor finished saying, "We are now going live to the Metropolitan Police Department's press conference." The scene then shifted, zoomed in, and focused on the podium.

Suddenly, the room fell silent. Amidst the flashing lights, the Superintendent General, the Chief of the First Investigation Division, and the Metropolitan Police Department spokesperson filed onto the podium.

After the spokesperson gave a brief introduction to the case, the head of the First Investigation Division adjusted the microphone and said with a serious expression, "Dear friends from the media, this is not an ordinary gang fight. Our preliminary investigation has revealed the complexity behind this case—the individuals involved all exhibit abnormal psychological states and behavioral patterns, as if they were being guided by an invisible hand toward a bloodbath..."

Professor Agasa, sitting in front of the television, turned to Shinichi Kudo and asked, "Shinichi, what do you think?"

Shinichi Kudo rested his chin on his hand, his gaze fixed on the screen. He thought to himself, "This section chief looks a bit haggard, with sunken eyes and heavy dark circles. He's obviously been working overtime for many days..."

Dr. Agasa: "Huh?"

Shinichi Kudo continued his reasoning: "His forehead is a bit bluish, like a recent injury... Considering the fact that the press conference was postponed, could it be that a new case has occurred?"

On the television, the section chief continued, "Based on the survivors' testimonies, our preliminary assessment is that everyone present experienced hallucinations to varying degrees. This may be due to the induction of some new type of drug, or it may be a case of 'mass hysteria' triggered by a sudden, intense stimulation. We are still investigating this further..."

"Why didn't he just say 'mind control' instead of 'mass hysteria'? Does that mean the police haven't found any evidence at the scene to support their suspicions...?"

Shinichi Kudo, standing outside the television, muttered to himself, seemingly lost in his own world.

The ever-so-perfect straight man, Dr. Agasa, immediately asked, "What's the difference between the two?"

"Mass hysteria manifests as a collective outbreak of symptoms without any obvious organic lesions. The biggest difference between the two lies in the key phrase 'without any obvious organic lesions.' If, as the police suspect, the cause of this situation is some kind of new drug, then theoretically it should be detectable. In that case, the police would not have used the term 'mass hysteria' to describe the case."

"I see." Dr. Agasa suddenly realized.

The press conference reached its final stage, and the Q&A session with the media began.

They naturally wouldn't notice these minor changes in word choice; they are more concerned with seemingly strange yet eye-catching words, or content that can attract more attention and bring more coverage to their reports.

"Hello, Section Chief. Has the police identified any potential perpetrators of psychological manipulation or sources of the drugs involved?"

"We are making every effort to investigate and have already cooperated with many domestic and international research institutions and law enforcement agencies to try to identify the possible psychological manipulators and the technical support forces behind them as soon as possible."

"Based on your description, these gang members appear to be driven to engage in violence by some form of mind control. Is the police concerned that this new type of crime might have a wider impact on public order? What preventative measures and countermeasures are in place?"

"The police are taking the potential social impact of this new type of crime very seriously and have activated emergency plans, strengthened community security patrols, and are also using media campaigns and public education activities to remind the public to be vigilant, consciously resist new types of drugs, and guard against similar methods."

"Could you please disclose what specific scientific and technical analyses the police have conducted? Does this evidence reveal any clues linking them to international criminal organizations?"

"...The investigation is still ongoing, and we will share intelligence with law enforcement agencies in other countries in a timely manner to jointly combat transnational crime..."

……

Meanwhile, our newly appointed international police officer walked out of a photo studio in Shizuoka Prefecture.

The shop window perfectly reflected his current appearance: short black hair, dark brown eyes, looking about twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, with striking and handsome features yet approachable, and skin with a healthy honey hue from long hours of outdoor work.

He once again expressed his gratitude to the kind-hearted Kenji Hagiwara—if it weren't for him, he might still be on the bus back to Shizuoka right now—after hearing about his predicament, the other man generously lent him money for the Shinkansen.

This includes the money spent on taking an ID photo for Comrade Lin Aiguo.

If this were a research paper, the recipient would definitely be mentioned in the special acknowledgments. For example, "In the process of completing my open-source project, I would first like to thank Kaito Kuroba for his technical support... Secondly, I would like to thank Kenji Hagiwara, whose funding was his motivation and support in completing the project..."

The system said with satisfaction, "That's great. Even your state of mind has become one of love and peace in your Lin Aiguo form."

"What nonsense are you talking about? This is just who I am," Qiu Yuan replied, bending slightly and smiling as he asked the elderly man beside him if he needed help crossing the road.

"You still say no... Before, everyone called him 'old man, old man,' but now, under this cloak, they've started calling him 'old man'!"

The old man's eyes lit up, and with a speed beyond his years, he grabbed Akihara's arm and asked him with concern if he had a girlfriend.

Akihara's smile was somewhat stiff as he subtly tried to pull his hand back.

"Tsk tsk tsk, you've padded them, haven't you? If you pull them a few more times, your newly padded shoulders will be exposed." The system gloated.

The old man was already talking about his 25-year-old daughter, where she lived and had a stable job. Just then, two people walked towards them from across the street, chatting and laughing.

As Akihara and Hikaru were struggling, Akihara glanced at them out of the corner of his eye and suddenly stopped.

The two were Akemi Miyano and Shuichi Akai.