Conan: Science Cartoonist Kudo Yuji

"A close...blood relationship?"

Ookahara Mi immediately widened her eyes. Given this family tradition, many people present naturally understood what Ootaki meant, although the young lady's focus was slightly different.

"It's just a low-level family that's been pushed to the front, yet they still manage to do something like this. This Sasaki Kiyose is incredibly tactless."

“Young lady, it’s inappropriate to say such things in this kind of situation…” Iori Ritsu noticed the meaningful look in Hattori Heiji’s eyes as he looked over, and hurriedly nudged Ookahara Mi’s elbow.

“Miss Iori, servants in the Ooka family are not allowed to have excessive contact with their masters. Didn’t Mr. Iori tell you this?”

"As far as I know, Mr. Iori's relationship with the Ooka Group is merely one of employment. Ms. Ooka is far too presumptuous. I have serious doubts about the Ooka family's methods of training their children."

Hattori Heiji glanced at the gloating Nohara Hiroo and urged Otaki to continue his explanation.

“Our investigation revealed that, with the help of nearby survivors, we obtained all the information about Takuya Ono and Kiyose Sasaki within three hours.”

The large projection screen behind Heiji Hattori suddenly fell from the top floor and then began to play a scrolling video.

"This morning, Takuya Ono's former homeroom teacher bought a bottle of oolong tea at the convenience store and then walked into the apartment building under the watchful eye of someone who makes cheap sizzling pork liver."

Perhaps because the homeroom teacher was dressed very differently from those in Xicheng District, many witnesses saw her carrying a black duffel bag as she entered the apartment building.

"The previous homeroom teacher? The black duffel bag, could it be a bomb?"

Maki Nohara glanced at her father and Shinichi Kudo, who was sitting next to her drinking beer as if no one else was around, and then asked Conan on her right.

"It's hard to say. It would be great if we could figure out what was in that black bag."

Conan looked at the screen on the wall.

"In the past month, four murders have occurred at Kaifang Academy. All of them were in the same class as Takuya Ono. First, the daughter of the homeroom teacher, Ms. Uchitake, drowned in the school swimming pool, so she resigned. Then, Kamisuke, a boy who was close to Takuya Ono, killed his mother and then committed suicide. Finally, Matsuki Rikka, a girl who was suspected of having a romantic relationship with Ono, committed suicide."

Otaki presented several cases that had been completely ignored by the criminal police.

"So that's why she was the former homeroom teacher..." Conan nodded, connecting the girl's drowning to these people.

"This afternoon, Kaifang Academy was holding its annual outstanding student talk show, and Ono Takuya was speaking as the top student in his grade. However, some students said that he knelt on the ground and cried out in pain during his speech. Our police are still searching for him who has disappeared."

Otaki's words left Nohara Maki puzzled. "Strange, why didn't those guys who modified the formula mention this?"

"Because those guys skipped school to sneak out and attend the memorial service, right? I suspect they had no idea about the representative giving a speech." Conan thought of the mentally unstable Osaka students at Sasaki Manor: "But with deaths happening at school one after another, don't they even bother to investigate? Looks like a bunch of slackers..."

"You can't impose your own standards on others. Not everyone is a disciple of Sherlock Holmes. Most people can only barely reach the standard of being a disciple of Conan Edogawa."

As for Kogoro Mouri's disciples, they are no ordinary people.

"Wh...what? Even if you praise me now, I won't be happy."

Conan's awkwardness made Maki feel a little strange. Her gaze shifted back and forth between her father and Conan, and then she suddenly gasped.

"It hurts!"

She clutched her head, which had been hit hard, and turned to glare at Detective Kudo, whom she usually used as material for her articles, feeling guilty.

You can't argue with this person. If I want to continue working as a journalist after returning to Tokyo, I'll have to rely on him for a living.

"Ms. Nohara, it seems like you also read some strange comics."

"What Detective Kudo said was a bit profound, I couldn't understand it at all, he really is a famous detective."

"No, no, Ms. Nohara understands immediately, living up to the high praise of the renowned reporter."

[Have they suddenly started praising each other like that?]

"Hey, why is everyone leaving the meeting room?"

Looking up, he saw that the police officers who had just been in a meeting had all left in small groups. Nohara stood up, holding onto the table, and looked at his father in confusion.

"The great Hattori-sama has gone to his beloved Kaifu Academy, ready to display his talents."

"So you went to solve a case, right?" (End of Chapter)