Phantom Thief of Heart!but conan

Chapter 1101 Gambling
As for communicating with Tang Ze, it is a very common thing for Shuichi Akai.

Although it's not as bad as Amuro Toru, because he plays the role of Karasawa's guardian and works in a cafe, so they have to be together every day, but Karasawa still comes to Shibuya to find him many times.

So much so that even the young detective who only occasionally worked with Tang Ze was very familiar with Iwai Munehisa's identity, which shows that they actually exchanged information very frequently.

However, since it was only recently that Tang Ze confessed his identity to him and told him what roles he had played over such a long period of time, this was the first time that Shuichi Akai faced this identity directly.

"Is this also part of your disguise?" Akai Shuichi observed Tang Ze for a while, then raised his hand to point to his hair.

Not only is the color of this white hair very different from Tang Ze's own hair color, but the hairstyle and hair quality are also quite different.

And if you observe it closely, you can see that it is not a simple wig. Both the hairline and the hair roots look exactly like real hair.

The more he observed, the more Shuichi Akai felt impressed by the military advisor who was now giving him advice.

...It's not Conan's fault that he couldn't find Karasawa's problem. Before confirming that Karasawa also has the ability to disguise himself, which is comparable to Vermouth and even more deceptive at times, it would be difficult for the unlucky detective to expose Karasawa's disguise.

"It might be more accurate to say that it's part of my ability." Tang Ze nodded without any modesty.

"So, their 'silver hair' is based on a similar principle?" Akai Shuichi pointed downwards.

This is a hint of Curacao lying in the ward.

"You have doubted this question too."

"Of course, that color is not a natural hair color, right? Especially for Gin..."

Shuichi Akai made a subtle expression, and Tang Ze quickly got what he wanted to express and couldn't help but burst out laughing.

Indeed, that was Gin after all. Just imagining how he would take care of his long hair every day was already distracting. If we imagine him bleaching and dyeing his hair...

"The nature is quite different. However, I have indeed considered this direction." After laughing, Tang Ze became a little more serious, "So I plan to start from Curacao's perspective and study his situation."

"Oh? It seems that you already have an idea of ​​how to deal with her." Akai Shuichi raised his eyebrows.

In his plan, or rather, in Conan's plan, the unexpected situation of Curacao was not taken into consideration. In fact, since most of the intelligence personnel on the Rum side were mystics like Bourbon, if Karasawa had not specifically reminded them, even if Curacao and Rena Mizunashi were sent to the hospital together, they would not be aware of her special nature.

For members of an action group like them, it takes a lot of luck to get to know a lot of Rum guys.

Like Bourbon, if it weren't for the fact that they joined the organization at a similar time and had cooperated before they got the code name, even if they had originally come to Tokyo to receive a mission to monitor Tang Ze Zhao's movements, which required cooperation with Bourbon, it would still have taken a lot of effort to find out who Bourbon was.

At least in Conan's plan, there is definitely no chance of an unexpected factor like Curacao...

"It's not impossible to let her disappear from the organization's sight..."

And dying in an accidental explosion is actually a very suitable way for a codenamed member of the organization to die. After all, dying in various accidents or murders that have nothing to do with the red-black confrontation is part of what the members of the organization have to endure, right?

"But I believe that Rum will not give up just like that. It is better to let him despair more thoroughly."

Even though his eyes were covered by a patch, Tang Ze still smiled with his eyes curved.

If Rum's living space is not compressed bit by bit, how can he carry out his subsequent plans?
"Is this the reason why you came to see me in this way?" Akai Shuichi smiled without surprise, took two steps outside, leaned against the railing of the rooftop, and asked indifferently.

The organization's monitors have already ambushed near the hospital and are also keeping an eye on the area surrounding the hospital. There is no reason for Tang Ze, who is deeply involved in the organization's actions, not to be aware of this.

They had to go out of their way to have a conversation with him in a place where he could be easily exposed to observers. It could only be intentional.

"Just to be cautious. We have to leave some room for imagination to numb their suspicion, right?" Tang Ze did not deny his statement.

At this point, even if Karasawa did not explain it to Toru Amuro, when the news of the so-called death of Akai Shuichi came, Toru Amuro would only disbelieve the authenticity of the news even more strongly than before. This time there was actually no need to disguise himself and test the FBI.

Because Toru Amuro knew without even thinking that something must have happened to Karasawa, and there was no need to doubt that Shuichi Akai must not be dead.

——This guy can bring back the dead, so why worry about the living being killed? You are worrying about nothing!

However, we still need to prepare for the performance to be performed for the organization.

Since the trap set for Shuichi Akai this time is more realistic and less likely to be questioned by the organization, it is natural to lay the groundwork for Bourbon's suspicion.

"If you want to deal with Rum, you still need some special means." Tang Ze took two steps forward and stood side by side with Akai Shuichi. "This is a somewhat risky plan - maybe there is also the factor that I have made it too difficult for myself - but, just like your plan. It's a gamble of all-out risk, isn't it?"

"You want to use more covert means to deal with him." Without further questioning Tang Ze's thoughts, Akai Shuichi said firmly, "This may be more difficult than simply eliminating him. He has been in that place for decades. Regardless of whether you recognize his abilities and character, he is a high-level person who has integrated into that system. This is tantamount to trying to replace the foundation of a building without anyone noticing."

This is a very risky plan.

All those who are planning against the organization want to do is to remove the pieces of this built fortress bit by bit.

According to all normal logic, this plan must be carried out step by step, from the outside to the inside, replacing and dismantling its structure bit by bit.

Using undercover agents is a risky move in itself, which is equivalent to handing a building block made of completely different materials into the hands of the organization, hoping that they will be unaware of it and put these fragile building blocks into the key structure without any doubt.

However, Tang Ze's plan was even more radical than that.

He set his sights on the building block that was pressed at the bottom. If it was pulled out, the entire structure would collapse in half.

"Yes, I know. This is very aggressive. Even though I have prepared for this for a long time, I dare not assert that I will succeed. I can only plan while trying to predict the other party's human nature and psychology and wait for that flaw. This is very fanciful, I know."

Without telling Shuichi Akai the details directly, Karasawa simply agreed with his evaluation.

"But you choose this path because it must be because it will cause less loss and achieve better results."

"Yes, if I can succeed, it will be a 'peaceful handover' and won't alarm many people."

"And you've prepared a way out."

"That's right. If anything goes wrong, Bourbon has shown enough offensive power now. He can mobilize his power and cover up everything as internal criticism and power struggle."

When Shuichi Akai heard this, he turned around and looked carefully at Tang Ze who was standing next to him for a moment.

Perhaps it was because his current appearance was closer to Tang Ze's true inner self, or perhaps the last conversation had some effect. Tang Ze now spoke more directly than usual and was not reluctant to share some of his inner emotions with him.

Even though Shuichi Akai, who had experienced a similar stage, did not know Karasawa's specific plan, he still felt the surging emotions hidden behind this brief conversation.

"You don't seem to want to wait that long." Akai Shuichi chose to reveal this hidden emotion.

Tang Ze didn't answer, but just looked up at the sky.

"I brought back Morobushi Kagemitsu, aka Scotch, from the dead. Not just him, but many more... You've seen this with your own eyes."

"Yes."

"But I can't find them. I tried my best, but I couldn't find a way to bring them back. I'm not omnipotent." Tang Ze exhaled, "Now, it's hard for me not to regard Rum as the enemy who killed my relatives. I can't wait any longer."

Karasawa did not use any descriptions or attributives, but Akai Shuichi already knew who he was talking about.

This kind of anger, this kind of doubt and hatred will not be too obvious on the surface, but it burns in the heart all the time, quietly, slowly, and endlessly.

Akai Hideki has experienced this personally and can better understand Tang Ze's situation.

He pulled the cigarette out of the corner of his mouth, moved it farther away from Tang Ze, and said as if answering an irrelevant question: "Have you ever tried to find my father? Maybe you should call him uncle, or aunt or something."

As he expected, Tang Ze gave a positive answer.

"Akai Tsuchitake? I tried that too, but to no avail. I also brought that thing to you, but it also had no effect."

Without turning around to look at Akai Shuichi, Tang Ze was not surprised that he would guess this.

Tang Ze did exactly that, on his way to the hospital shortly after Ida Kou returned.

Now, the task of the previous major stage has been successfully completed, and the remaining desire stones have condensed into a second golden strange skull. It is time to consider the next goal.

The miracles that Desire Stone can accomplish are far beyond imagination, as if it could exhaust the limits of dreams, so naturally it cannot be wasted.

The first person he thought of was his parents. When that didn't work, he tried Miyano Akemi, Haibara Ai, and Akai Shuichi.

I don’t know if it’s because the idea and timing are not right, but the golden skull hasn’t moved at all. It makes people worry that the upcoming tiring tasks are just a scam planned by a dog and there will be no chance of a repeat.

Shuichi Akai actually didn't quite understand how Tang Ze was testing him, he just listened and nodded in agreement with what Tang Ze said.

"Well, so this situation may not be a matter of whether you try hard or not. They may not be dead at all, just like I believe my father is just missing and can't contact us for some reason. It is also possible that something went wrong and he is in some special state... I just need to know that the truth will be waiting for me at some time in the future, that's enough."

He threw himself into this vortex in order to find out the truth about his father's disappearance.

Even though more than ten years had passed and as time went by, Akai Mutake's hope of survival became increasingly slim, his heart never wavered.

Akai Tsutomu was not an irresponsible playboy. After marrying Mary, he became a good husband and father. Akai Shuichi still wanted to believe that as long as there was a way, his father would never give up. Even if he really faced death, he would definitely try his best to leave a final message to his wife and children.

The truth will not be buried with time. Sometimes, no news is the best news.

"...Not dead?" Tang Ze pursed his lips.

"It's unlikely, but it's not time to despair. Don't think too much. If you worry about so many things at such a young age, you might not grow taller."

"I'm already 18, I'm not going to grow much any more."

"That's not necessarily true. With your current appearance, if you say you are 14 years old in the United States, people will believe you. Maybe you are just developing a little late."

"That doesn't sound like a good thing..."

"Go to bed early and get up early. Don't be like other people my age who are still worried about these troubles. Only then will you have a chance to grow as tall as me."

Tang Ze glanced at his cousin who was nearly 190cm tall including the soles of his shoes. Even though he knew that the other party couldn't see him through the blindfold, he couldn't help but roll his eyelids.

Shuichi Akai reached out and patted his white hair, which was now so smooth that it didn't look like human hair. Without saying anything else, he inhaled the last bit of cigarette into his lungs.

Standing on such a path and being able to continue walking on it without wavering or questioning is already better than too many people.

"Oh, by the way, I knew it earlier than Bourbon this time, right?"

Before putting out his cigarette, Shuichi Akai asked in a teasing tone.

It is obvious that Tang Ze had taken the initiative to reveal his identity to Amuro Toru and did not conceal his true plan. The fact that he discovered the truth so late was not as calm as Akai Shuichi said.

Even though Toru Amuro is the more legitimate guardian in every sense.

The corners of Tang Ze's mouth twitched noticeably: "...Indeed. I haven't told him this part yet."

After all, he had prepared a backup plan in case the plan failed. Since the two lines were running in parallel, there was no need to inform him in advance for safety reasons.

Akai Hideya nodded, the corners of his mouth slightly raised: "That's good."

“…You really are…”

【rank up! Rank 4]

……

Lyon's indifferent voice, as if he was watching a good show, rang in his ears. Tang Ze was still stubborn. He ignored Lyon's mumbling comments and finished the second half of the sentence.

"Childish, Brother Xiuyi."

----

When Conan followed the direction that Shuichi Akai left and went to the rooftop, he only saw a bright red shadow flash by and quickly disappeared into the night under the fence.

He couldn't help but open his eyes wide and was slightly startled.

When did Joker target Shuichi Akai, and why didn't he receive any news?
It was completely reasonable for the other party to know about Shuichi Akai's existence and pay attention to the FBI, but such direct contact still made him feel that something was getting out of control again.

"Just now, that was..."

"'A friend who is a reliable source of information.'" Akai Shuichi answered tactfully.

It was the truth, absolutely true, but Conan's expression still turned speechless in an instant.

"I knew that if I let you live in my house, you wouldn't be able to escape this..." Conan muttered, relying on his height advantage to hide behind the guardrail, and didn't say anything else.

It's only natural that Joker is well-informed.

If there is any information in the world that could be hidden by the current Phantom Thieves, it can only be that the Phantom Thieves themselves were negligent and did not investigate at all.

Conan's only concern is...

"He didn't talk to you about any strange topics, did he?" Conan looked at Akai Shuichi's appearance and asked slowly.

As far as he knew and what he had seen with his own eyes, this kind of special case where someone was faced with a major decision, wanted to abandon his past life experiences, and had extremely strong personal abilities, could easily be lured by the Joker into becoming a thief.

Look at the Phantom Thieves who are now so popular. When Joker thinks about recruiting, he gets really ruthless, forgets his feelings, and is willing to use any means.

Thinking back to those earth-shaking scenes, even those that caused the ground to sink, Conan's mouth twitched violently.

No, Mr. Akai really wants to get rid of the shackles of his identity and hide in the darkness more thoroughly, so as to avoid the organization's targeting and continue his unfinished business, but this is not the way to get rid of it...

He was really afraid that Joker would intervene and make Shuichi Akai die miserably in front of Gin, and then secretly rescue him.

It's not like he has no criminal record. Think about the tears he secretly shed for Miyano Akemi...

"They are also allies that can be trusted, aren't they?" Akai Hideichi glanced at the expression on Conan's face and controlled the corners of his mouth that wanted to curl up, "There's no need to be on guard, right?"

No wonder Tang Ze likes to tease this guy, the expressions on his face are too rich.

"...Let's not worry about that for now." Conan tried to ignore the interference of the HR next door who came out to intercept, and turned his attention back to the plan at hand, "Regarding the plan we have made, are you ready?"

"Of course. All necessary conditions have been prepared. What about you?"

"Well, I got my stuff back from the accident scene."

"Even though I know what you're going to do, I can't help but think that your plan is truly audacious, Conan-kun."

This was the second time he made a similar exclamation tonight. When Shuichi Akai remembered that the child in front of him was actually a little younger than Tang Ze, he couldn't help but sigh in his heart.

Although everyone says that the future belongs to the young, they are a little too young.

"You too, Mr. Akai. It's great that you can execute the details to this extent and that you are one of us, not someone with ulterior motives."

"Same to you, little brother."

"So, are you ready? Mr. Akai, we're going to make a big gamble where we're risking everything...are you interested in playing?"

----

"Stretchers for transport must be prepared, and there must be vehicles large enough to accommodate the stretchers."

James stood in the middle of the room, looked around at everyone in the room, and once again emphasized the principles of action.

"Three, at least three. We don't know what they will do, so we must prepare for the worst. If it really comes to that, we can only use these sleight of hand to disrupt their judgment and escape from here with Mizunashi Rena."

Several people in the room, including Judy who was standing next to him, exchanged glances silently.

The lack of specific position allocation is enough to show James' concerns.

He had to be prepared to consider that they were being monitored and that everyone's movements were within the organization's field of vision.

Only when the participants themselves do not know which vehicle is the real escape vehicle can the confidentiality of the plan be maximized.

"This is a last resort, we're just taking precautions." Seeing the tense atmosphere, Judy spoke up to ease the situation. "You are not allowed to use mobile phones or wireless communication devices. We have limited manpower, and there may be people with similar abilities among the other party's operations team. It's easy for intelligence to be taken away when exchanging information without seeing the person being interrogated."

"Well, this is a hospital. In order to consider the issue of medical equipment, mobile phones are not allowed in many areas. Relying entirely on mobile devices can easily lead to gaps in action. And mobile phones are also easy to be monitored. For the next action, I must verbally contact the team leader of each area, and the team leader will be responsible for contacting me." James nodded and made the key points clear. "This is a very risky thing. Everyone must be vigilant."

This efficiency will definitely be low, but in a hurry, this is the best temporary confidentiality method.

At this moment, Shuichi Akai opened the door of the ward and walked into the room with a serious atmosphere.

"...Xiu, where did you go before?" Judy glanced at Conan at his feet, pursed her lips, and barely controlled herself not to shoot at the child, "You almost completely missed the pre-station meeting."

"I have no problem. After seeing the vehicles you prepared, I roughly understand. Although it is not a very effective method, it is one of the few ways now. I understand."

Judy's eyes twitched twice when she heard his arrogant tone.

Even though this guy was her lover, she felt that they still had feelings for each other and there was some spark between them. Sometimes, she really wanted to punch him.

Akai Shuichi ignored her gaze, walked into the room with a smile, casually grabbed the coffee can on the table, and pulled open its pull ring with one hand.

Conan, who had been awake all night, looked at the can of coffee and couldn't help but think of something. His expression was subtly frozen.

...Forget it. With the war imminent, it’s better not to think about where the supplements you drink come from or whether there are any food safety issues when drinking them.

(End of this chapter)