Conan: Science Cartoonist Kudo Yuji

Because the fire blocked the way, Qingshan had to detour from the side of the West District, wasting half an hour to reach the hospital closest to the explosion site.

Although the fire was fierce, there were many firefighters at the front, and they managed to isolate the hospital. Once the car was away from the main traffic artery, he immediately jumped out, walked through the burn patients being carried into the hospital, and rushed directly to the police-only medical building.

"As expected, you're here!"

Upon seeing a familiar-looking police officer, Qingshan, panting heavily, startled the five silent men. They looked at the Minister of Transport, exchanged glances, and gave Zhongping a shove.

"Minister Aoyama, what are you doing here?"

"As soon as the explosion happened, I arranged for all the traffic police officers who were on leave or off duty to come to Xicheng District to maintain order. Some people say that this is the only hospital that is still standing in this area."

Qingshan's words were easy to understand. If he hadn't seen these public security police officers when he arrived, then they would probably have died in the explosion.

"So that's how it is. As you can see, Minister Aoyama, of the 12 people who went, only five of us survived."

"Only...only the five of you?! What about Yura?!"

Aoyama feigned anger: "We...the three of us came from Tokyo together. His mother saw us off at the train station before we left. Kazami and I promised her we would take care of him."

"Minister Aoyama, please don't be angry."

The police officer leading the group of 12 stood up from his seat, looking equally helpless.

“This search mission was directly dispatched by the Tokyo Public Security Bureau, and we must comply. Tayura had long wanted to quit working in Osaka, so I took it upon myself to have him join the infiltration and search team.”

"So he...died on the front lines of the search...he did it for the country." Aoyama patted his head: "The police on the other side detonated a bomb? Impossible, those guys wouldn't be that ruthless."

"This……"

Zhongping glanced back at everyone, saw the leader nod, and then sighed.

“The people we’re chasing aren’t…the police officers from the Northern government.”

"How could someone who isn't a police officer have such a large explosive charge?! Do you think I'm stupid?!"

Aoyama waved his hand: "I don't care about all that, Tayura and him..."

"His upper body was blown off, and we only... only managed to keep one of his feet. Now, along with the other bodies in the rubble, we've sent them to the morgue of this hospital, in preparation for their burial later."

"Find out as soon as possible... whether the information from Tokyo is true or false, or if it's a deliberate attempt to lure you there? And the source of the bomb."

Aoyama pointed at Nakahira, took out his phone to contact Kazami, and saw several young people and a middle-aged man standing at the back of them. He glanced at them and walked over.

[That man doesn't seem to be from Osaka...] "Excuse me, have you seen a group of high school students? Mr. Otaki!"

"Young Master Hattori! What are you doing here!"

The lead policeman's exclamation made Aoyama, who was heading to the morgue, stop in his tracks. He glanced at the young man called Hattori out of the corner of his eye, and then disappeared around the corner before the last man turned around.

"What's wrong?"

Maki Nohara glanced at her father, who was fiddling with his watch and looking back through the reflection, then turned around and found nothing there.

"Was it that person from earlier?"

"nothing."

Yuji Kudo shook his head, then looked at this capable man who had been placed in the Osaka Police Headquarters Public Security Department by Heiji Hattori, and had marginalized all the people he had sent.

So he's Otaki's son...

"You just said high school students? What do you mean?" Otaki put his arm around Hattori Mamoru's shoulder, urging him to leave the area quickly.

“There are a few children who came to the West District. We lost contact with them, so we rushed over here.” Hattori Mamoru glanced at Kudo Yuuji.

"We were originally going to the police headquarters."

“We don’t know about those children you’re talking about. The entire West District has become hell.” Zhongping advised, “Let’s leave first.”

"No, I have to find them."

Hattori Mamoru pointed to Kudo Yuuji and told Otaki everything that had happened at the Sasaki residence.

"Prime Minister Kudo's daughter? And you mean he was just planning to take over the police headquarters?"

Otaki glared at Kudo Yuuji with a grim expression.

"Don't look at me like that. After all, I'm helping you guys. Otherwise, we still wouldn't know where Sasaki Kiyose is."

Yuji Kudo took his phone out of his pocket.

"Then, Officer Otaki, please explain the situation at the time." (End of Chapter)