Ke Xue: I picked up a bottle of sherry at the beginning.

"That's..." Turning towards Conan, Kusakabe cast his eyes to the ground.

"I asked Yuba to go there to investigate the 'NAZU illegal access incident'... After learning that the access data was still at the game company the suspect had been entering and leaving, Yuba tried to steal it... but was caught by the public security detectives."

Kusakabe bit his lip in regret.

"The police's 'assistants' sometimes have to conduct dangerous and illegal investigations. Because of this, the relationship between the 'police' and their 'assistants' is closer than blood relatives. It's definitely not a relationship sustained solely by money, but by a sense of mission. It can be said to be a shared purpose..."

As he said this, Kusakabe recalled what happened last year:

After being arrested, Haneba was transferred to the detention center, and Kusakabe immediately went to the detention center to meet him.

Haneba appeared in the interview room, avoiding eye contact with Kusakabe and sitting down in front of the transparent protective panel. Kusakabe gave the prison officer a look, and the prison officer, who was supposed to be present, left the room.

"Why didn't you tell me during the interrogation that you were my 'assistant'?"

Yuba glanced up at Kusakabe and shook his head slightly. "I can't let your status as Public Security Prosecutor be revoked because of my mistake."

Kusakabe couldn't help but lean forward and put his face close to the protective plate: "Rather than me, you should consider yourself now. This is my request and order!"

"I know better than anyone the bitterness of having one's identity stripped away," Yuba said, hanging his head in regret.

"Bang!" Kusakabe slammed the protective plate between the two of them. "Please! Think about your own life!

Haneba raised his face, as if to reach over the barrier, and overlapped his hand with Kusakabe's. "The lives of many Japanese people are far more important than my own."

This is what Kusakabe often says.

"You've always said that. I share the same ambition as you."

Although Yuba looked extremely haggard, the look in his eyes when he looked at him was stern. Kusakabe could not say anything and could only grit his teeth.

He understood - just as nothing could shake his faith, no matter how he tried to persuade him, Haneda's will would not change.

Kusakabe decided to confess everything to Sayoko, who was responsible for the theft in Haneda. He called Sayoko out from the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office in the corridor where he could see the entrance hall from afar.

"Haba is my accomplice. I'm the one who caused him to commit the theft—"

"Even so, we must sue him."

"What?!" Kusakabe, who was overlooking the entrance hall, turned back to Sayoko in surprise, "Could it be the Public Security Police again..."

"Don't worry, in order to prevent him from revealing your name, I will make the trial go smoothly." Sayoko said with a smile and put her hand on Kusakabe's shoulder.

"That's not what I'm talking about!"

After being waved away by Kusakabe, Sayoko turned around and left without changing her expression.

Afterwards, Kusakabe came to the Metropolitan Police Department to negotiate directly with the public security police. Just as he was about to enter the main gate, the phone in his pocket vibrated.

It was Sayoko calling.

"Hello."

"Haba committed suicide...huh?" Kusakabe couldn't help but let go, and the briefcase in his hand fell to the ground.

"The reason is still unclear, but he committed suicide immediately after being interrogated by public security police in a detention center, which was unprecedented."

The call ended with a thud, and the phone slipped from Kusakabe's hand. Before Kusakabe, who knelt dejectedly, stood the towering Metropolitan Police Department.

He curled up and screamed.

This man has a will as strong as steel, this man who said, "The lives of many Japanese people are much more important than my own life."

Just like that, in front of everyone, she cried like a baby.

Classic Japanese Run

Thinking back to the past year, Kusakabe once again looked up at the red brick building across from the Metropolitan Police Department. Every time he saw that building, the events of the day when Hanaba committed suicide would gradually resurface in his mind.

"He forced Hanaba to commit suicide... His killer was a public security police officer!!"

"So that's why you planned to drop the detector on the police..."

Kusakabe, still kneeling on the ground, confirmed Amuro's words, "When I learned that the day of 'Shiratori's' return would be the anniversary of Hanaba's death, from then on..."

“What about IoT terrorist attacks?”

Conan asked, standing in front of him. Kusakabe looked up. "I didn't originally plan this, but as a prosecutor, I can't let innocent people be prosecuted!"

"To prove that Kogoro Mori was not the culprit, they launched the IoT terrorist attack..."

"Ah," Kusakabe replied weakly, "but in the blink of an eye, the scale of the damage exceeded our expectations."

"You can't add to your crime. Tell us the password you changed after illegally accessing the system!"

"The Public Security Procuratorate is an expert in protecting justice. I will not lose justice like Yuba again!"

Kusakabe declared as he stood up and Amuro held his shoulders from behind.

"Tell me the password quickly.

"Then arrest me! Even if you interrogate me, I will remain silent."

"Prosecutor Kusakabe."

Watching Kusaka 27 shake off Amuro's hand, Izumi took out his cell phone and turned the screen towards him.

The picture shows a rooftop helipad shot from the air. There is a person standing next to the H logo. As the camera approaches, the figure is gradually enlarged.

"Mr. Kusakabe."

The figure clearly captured in the photo called out, "How...how is this possible?!"

Kusakabe began to doubt his own eyes. The person standing on the rooftop helipad was none other than Hanaba, who had already committed suicide.

"Why would Haneba...!"

"This is the real-time image from the Metropolitan Police Department." Quan Yi smiled cunningly while holding the mobile phone.

"This...what's going on?" Kusakabe, who was completely confused about the situation, couldn't help but take a step back and look at Amuro.

"The public security officers who interrogated him in the detention center had him fake suicide and give up his previous life in order to conceal the fact that the public security prosecutor was using an 'assistant'. Furthermore, in order to prevent the public security prosecutor from having an 'assistant', they also had to keep this matter secret from you."

Looking at the stunned Kusakabe, Amuro continued, "You have done something illegal, so you must deal with it yourself, and you don't have the ability to do so. This is the decision of the public security police."

Kusakabe lowered his head unwillingly, his body trembling slightly. Quan Yi slowly approached him with his mobile phone in hand.

"Mr. Hanba has a very strong sense of justice, so strong that he believes he is more qualified to be a judge, right? So when he was dismissed from his position as a judicial trainee and had nowhere else to go, you made him your 'assistant.'"

"That's right." Yuba looked up from the phone screen.

"Mr. Kusakabe saved me from the lowest point in my life. Although our relationship lasted only two years, Mr. Kusakabe said, 'Thanks to you, I can fight as a public security prosecutor.' So now, I am fighting like this."

Kusakabe was already in tears without knowing when, and the unstoppable tears fell like raindrops.

Thinking back, seeing Yuba being carried out screaming at the Judicial Institute's graduation ceremony was the beginning of it all. Yuba's sense of justice was too strong, and somehow it felt so similar to me that I couldn't ignore it.

"Mr. Kusakabe, please tell me the new password." Yuba's voice came from the mobile phone held by Quan Yi, and Kusakabe suddenly looked up.

"Hurry up! Tell me the password!" Urged by Quan Yi, Kusakabe bit his lips tightly.

"But if the public security police still have as much power as they do now..."

"Mr. Kusakabe!" As Yuba called out, Amuro pointed his index finger at the Metropolitan Police Department.

"If the detector falls there, there's no way Hanaba will be safe!"

Hearing this, Kusakabe suddenly realized, "Bringing the still-living Hanaba to the Metropolitan Police Department's rooftop helipad just to get the password... How despicable! Is this how the public security police act?!"

At the same time, the Emergency Disaster Countermeasures Headquarters faced a tense situation.

The big screen displayed disaster prevention maps, NAZU data images and images of "White Bird", and the ministers and government officials all looked anxious.

"'White Bird' is about to enter the atmosphere!"

Following the counselor's report, the Chief Cabinet Secretary roared, "Hasn't the password been figured out yet?!

"If this continues, we won't be able to access the detector!" As soon as the counselor finished speaking, everyone started to stir.

Come.

"Mr. Furuya, time is running out..."

Kazami's nervous voice came from the Bluetooth headset, and Amuro smacked his lips.

"Tell me the password!"

"Prosecutor Kusakabe! Speak now!!"

Urged by Amuro and Conan, Kusakabe was still hesitant, "But..."

A fierce struggle was going on in his heart.

If the code is revealed, the plan to discredit the Public Security Police will be in vain. However, if the detector falls on the Metropolitan Police Department, Yuba will...

……

In the control room of the NAZU*HAKUCH0 control center, prompt sounds were heard continuously.

On the main display showing the White Bird's track and current position, various systems were operating, each flashing red.

At the control consoles lined up in a row, flight commanders and controllers were busy operating, some of them even holding their heads in despair.

……

"Mr. Kusakabe."

Hearing Yuba's voice on Quanyi's mobile phone screen, Kusakabe, who was holding back tears, looked up.

"I have always believed in you. Is this your justice?...!"

These words pierced Kusakabe's heart deeply.

He had already vaguely realized it, after all, Quan Yi had said that to him, but he just pretended to turn a blind eye: sacrificing others to carry out one's own beliefs is not true justice.

Kusakabe cried and slowly said, "After illegally accessing NAZU, I changed the password to 170..."

……

Kazami received a call from Amuro in the corridor of the Metropolitan Police Department and shouted out the password.

The changed password was immediately transmitted from Japan to the NAZU-HAKUCHO control center, and the controller in the control room typed it on the keyboard and quickly pressed the Enter key.

The RROR displayed in the center of the controller immediately changed to SU0CESS, and the systems running on the main display also turned from red to green, and the staff cheered.

Just before entering the atmosphere, the "White Bird" activated reverse jets to reduce its speed and separate the return capsule.

"Password authentication successful. It seems we can correct the probe's trajectory."

Amuro received a call from Kazami and relayed it to Izumi and Conan. Before Izumi, Conan and Kusakabe could relax, "What?! Blackout?!"

Amuro said loudly while pressing the Bluetooth headset on his ear.

Blackout refers to a short period of time of about five minutes after entering the main layer.

"During this period, plasma will be generated, making it difficult to maintain communication. It's unclear whether the trajectory can be reliably corrected. Furthermore, there's a possibility that the parachute won't deploy..."

After hanging up the phone, Amuro conveyed Kazami's report truthfully to Izumi, Conan and Kusakabe.

"How could this happen..." Kusakabe suddenly stood up beside the stunned Conan.

"Yu...Hurry up and get Yuba out of there!" Kusakabe pushed Amuro away and rushed towards the Metropolitan Police Department.

"Prosecutor Kusakabe!" Izumi, Conan, and Amuro ran after him.

World famous painting - Xiao Ai's smile

"Haba! Where are you?!"

Kusakabe rushed onto the tarmac of the Metropolitan Police Department, but when he looked around, he couldn't see Yuba anywhere.

"...What's going on?!"

He stopped panting and heard footsteps behind him. Izumi, Conan and Amuro also followed.

"He's not here." Quan Yi said.

Kusakabe couldn't believe his ears: "...But, there is indeed -"

"What you see is a composite image." Quan Yi shrugged.

“……!” Kusakabe was stunned.

"Using drone aerial footage to synthesize it, it looks as if the person is really on the tarmac of the Metropolitan Police Department. He is now in a safe place," Amuro added.

Haneba is now at Dr. Agasa's house. The children are flying a drone over the Metropolitan Police Department while Dr. Agasa sets up a green screen in the living room and lets Haneba stand on it to film. Then Ai uses a computer to combine the two images.

"...I see." Kusakabe breathed a sigh of relief. Knowing that Hanaba wasn't here, he seemed finally relieved, but the problem wasn't solved yet.