The unscrupulous detective in Conan

Chapter 1420 That Despicable Freeloader Auntie
Fujino left the Sato family.

After walking for a while, I felt that walking was too troublesome, so I found a small alley and took out my motorcycle.

However, just as I took out the motorcycle, a message arrived:

"I'll be waiting for you at the park next to the intersection of the Capital Bay Coast Expressway and the Outer Ring Road."

The message was sent by Vermouth.

Fujino took out his phone and glanced at it, and he knew what was going on.

There must be another job coming in!
Fujino didn't even need to think to know why Vermouth, that old lady, was sending him a message.

Of course, it's also possible that the older woman wanted to catch up with him or something.

After putting his phone away, he rode his little motorcycle, turned around, and planned his route directly towards the park the other person had mentioned.

However, he soon found himself in an awkward situation.

I don't know where it is.

There are tons of parks in Tokyo. It's practically an undeveloped area. You could plant a couple of trees and decorate it and it would be a park. There are tons of parks just along the Metropolitan Expressway.

Although the boundary was indicated, finding it is still a bit troublesome.

Fujino never looks at paper maps or anything like that.

That thing is even more outrageous; it's rife with secrets just in the Tokyo area alone.

As for a traffic map, he didn't have one.

Well, these days, it's really troublesome to find a place without a precise location.

There are in-car navigation systems, but there aren't any navigation or mobile map apps available.

Even car navigation systems with built-in maps are high-end products and extremely unintelligent.

It can only be said that in this world of science fiction, although the times are developing very quickly, some things are still very abstract.

"However, this gives the software side a lot of potential..."

Fujino pondered for a moment and suddenly realized that this was also a way to make money.

Snatching those software deals in advance—I never dared to think about it before, but now I can.

Especially on mobile devices, there is great potential for future development.

Perhaps one day I can discuss with Hiroki about making an extra profit.

Technically speaking, there are no problems at all with Hiroki around.

Fujino pondered for a moment, but didn't think too much about it.

Let's meet up with the older lady first.

…………

Fujino parked his motorcycle in the park's parking lot and immediately spotted the old lady's sports car.

Yellow, very flashy.

It seems this is the place the old lady was referring to.

Fujino pondered for a moment, then entered the park.

This park is called Log Park, and you can tell from the name that there are a lot of trees inside.

The greenery is quite tall, and it looks like there's a baseball field there too.

Fujino walked along the path in the park, and after a while, he saw a noblewoman wearing a long black dress, a black hat, and blonde hair sitting on a park bench, looking at what appeared to be children out playing.

Fujino walked slowly forward and sat down beside her. She then said calmly, "You're a little late. I've been here for a while."

"Next time you ask me out, just tell me the location and don't try that riddle game."

Fujino glanced at her. "Playing with codes like this, it'll take some searching to find the place you mentioned."

"Our communications cannot be exposed."

"It's just a habit."

Vermouth had a slight smile on her face, looking like a kind old aunt, not at all like a villain.

Fujino didn't ramble on for long, then asked, "So, what kind of work do you need to do this time?"

Vermouth said calmly, "Find someone."

Fujino paused, somewhat puzzled: "If the organization wants to find someone, why would they need to make a big deal out of it?"

To be honest, in his opinion, it was no big deal for the organization to find someone.

I reckon they can issue household registrations to people with ease.

If they want to arrest someone, it probably won't take too much effort.

Vermouth was aware of this as well, and calmly explained, "To be precise, it's about finding information about a person."

"We don't know who the other party is either."

Upon hearing this, Fujino frowned and pressed, "What's the purpose?"

Bell leaned back against the seat behind him, raised his head slightly, and explained, "Of course, it's to help people clean up their messes."

As she spoke, she stood up: "Want to take a walk with me, big sister, to clear your head?"

"Auntie, right?"

"You really have a foul mouth."

Fujino glanced at the old lady, then stood up: "So, what do you mean by 'mess'?"

"A little mouse betrayed the organization."

As Vermouth walked, she looked around and slowly explained, "Before his defection, perhaps to protect himself, he also took the organization's list of undercover agents with him."

Fujino: "..."

Another undercover agent, huh?

How come everyone in your distillery is an undercover agent?
Fujino didn't even want to complain anymore, but after thinking about it, he felt that something was wrong.

The organization's list of undercover agents?
Hmm, this doesn't seem to be a list of undercover agents in the organization?

Fujino asked in confusion, "Is the list you mentioned the list of people they infiltrated in your organization, or the list of people you infiltrated in their organization?"

Vermouth glanced at it and laughed, "Of course, it's our list of undercover agents on their side."

Fujino looked speechless: "You guys, besides having a ton of undercover agents, even your own undercover agents have defected..."

"It's just a cat-and-mouse game." Vermouth was quite philosophical about it: "That's how undercover agents are. They're just creatures that live in the shadows and will die the moment they see light or darkness. To survive, they'll betray each other, no matter which side they're on."

As she spoke, her eyes darted over mischievously: "Leaving aside these little rats, the most crucial thing is the list he has."

"I don't know, are you interested?"

Fujino thought for a moment, then asked, "Are all the people on the list undercover agents sent out by the organization?"

Vermouth pondered for a moment: "I'm not sure either, after all, this isn't something I'm familiar with. But besides the people in the organization, there are quite a few people here who have been turned or threatened by the organization."

She thought for a moment: "Considering that the guy who betrayed us was a senator's secretary, I guess the people on the list are all politicians, or people close to politicians."

"So, do you have any ideas now?"

"..."

Fujino pondered for a moment and then realized the value of the undercover agent list.

In the world of Detective Conan, the distillery is essentially a concept machine.

He can randomly appear on any person out of thin air.

Anyone could be a member of the organization.

The elderly woman sweeping the floor next door, or the old man turning on the hotpot, might very well be some kind of cadre from the organization working outside.

If we interpret this in a normal way, it means the organization has a large network of people outside, covering various levels of politics and business. This list is probably made up of infiltrators within the Japanese political world.

However, he wasn't particularly interested in this kind of thing.

The main problem is that even if we get it, it won't be of any use.

Now that you know, can you just go up and kill them all?

If they were to go on a killing spree, Batman would go door-to-door to deliver warmth to each person on the list and kill them all.

My involvement in this plan will be exposed.

Okay, now is not the time to think about these things.

Fujino snapped out of his thoughts and asked about the crucial point: "Let's put the list aside for now. Since that guy is your undercover agent, you must have already confirmed his identity."

"Logically speaking, you should have killed him long ago. Why are you still looking for someone now?"

"Furthermore, the information is still unclear..."

Fujino frowned and deduced, "The list has fallen into someone else's hands?"

Vermouth was not surprised that Fujino was able to deduce this.

After all, he's a detective...

Without wasting any words, she explained, "Someone killed him before the organization could. By the time they found him, he was already a corpse. Moreover, the murderer also took the card containing the organization's list of undercover agents."

"This case has now been classified as a serial murder case by the police. If that card falls into the hands of the police, it will be a real problem."

"When the time comes, the higher-ups will follow this card and search for each person. The political resources that the organization has worked so hard to acquire will probably all vanish overnight."

"Similarly, the list will naturally be taken away by someone else."

As Fujino listened to Vermouth's story, he suddenly felt that the plot was somewhat familiar.

Yeah, it should be that movie where Ran dodges bullets.

This makes sense.

It's nothing that someone took away the list of infiltrators from some organization.

It's even quite reasonable.

This is a comparison.

After all, he still remembered that one day the Japanese National Police Agency's Public Security Bureau would be hacked by an organization, which would then steal the list of undercover agents from intelligence organizations all over the world.

Isn't that hilarious? You have someone else's list of undercover agents, and then you get caught up in the whole thing.

It can only be said that this perfectly fits the classic impression of Japan often doing outrageous things.

Fujino wanted to laugh whenever he thought of that scene from his memory.

However, I'm currently secretly dating an older woman, so I'll hold off for now.

After thinking for a moment, he put on a serious face and asked Vermouth, "So, this time the BOSS gave you the task of getting your hands on that list?"

Vermouth nodded slightly, neither confirming nor denying, and then explained, "However, compared to the BOSS's mission, I'm more concerned about whether you're interested in this information."

Fujino: "..."

Why are you speaking in such a sultry, old lady-like manner?
He said: "They don't care what the tortoise thinks; they just want their owner to be happy."

Um, even Fujino felt that the metaphors that automatically came to mind were a bit perverted.

Fujino snapped out of his freakish thoughts and said calmly, "The list—why not take it if it's free? What's your plan?"

Upon hearing this, Vermouth smiled slightly, seemingly satisfied with the answer, even feeling as if her plan had succeeded as expected.

She said calmly, "To find the list, we need to find the guy who killed that rat..."

"As for finding that guy, the organization is probably not up to the task, since professional matters should be left to professionals."

"For disguise, a similar build would be best. There are very few women in the police force, so it would be quite troublesome for me to impersonate a female police officer. Also, the rank can't be too low, which would make things very complicated..."

As she spoke, her tone seemed full of helplessness: "Under normal circumstances, this would be a huge headache for me."

"But thankfully you're here."

"And finding murderers is your old profession."

She smiled and said, "So, this time I'll have to rely on you."

Fujino: "..."

I see now. You old auntie don't want to put in any effort this time, and you're just waiting for the credit to fall on your head, right?

That wretched female aunt!

Fujino inwardly complained, feeling extremely annoyed by the old lady's freeloading behavior.

But then he suddenly realized...

It seems that I've shielded Elder Matsumoto Kiyoshi from a disaster, haven't I?

Putting aside whether being impersonated will affect his political achievements, just being arrested is bad enough.

He remembered that Matsumoto had been impersonated by that Irishman this time.

They were even locked in a dark room and starved for several days.

If it weren't for those little kids from the Junior Detective League, they probably would have starved to death.

Fujino narrowed his eyes, then chuckled softly, "What, you want someone to work for you for free and not give you anything in return?"

The older woman continued with a charming smile, "Isn't the list the best reward?"

Fujino: "..."

Good grief, they really want me to work for free!
He was particularly indignant at the old lady's behavior of wanting credit without doing any work.

I'm going up to investigate the case, and you're just lying around in the back, huh?
Can I make you lie flat?

Fujino glanced at her and then said, "The BOSS must have given you manpower when he gave you this mission, right?"

"You're refusing to use your own manpower and just coming to freeload off me?"

For an operation like this, the BOSS must have assigned someone to handle it.

However, Vermouth was very dissatisfied with this manpower.

He could only shrug helplessly: "The boss gave it to that Irish guy. Although he has some brains, not many..."

"I trust you more than that Irish guy."

"If someone else gets involved, it will be very difficult for them to get your name on the list."

"Moreover, if things go well, the boss will definitely give you credit for this."

Fujino said "Oh," and then added, "Then I should thank you, right?"

The older woman tilted her head, a gentle smile on her face, and said, "Don't be so polite, after all, he's yours now..."

"Hey."

"...?"

"It disgusts me."

Belmode: "..."

I don't understand, I don't think I'm bad-looking!

The older woman couldn't help but question her life. If a normal man saw this, he would definitely have his heart racing and fall in love with her irresistibly, right?
What does his expression mean?
Why is there no hint of conquering or longing for the beauty in his eyes, only disgust?
Do I look like a disgusting person to him?
Vermouth cursed inwardly. Although she had no intention of pushing him into bed, she was still very unhappy.

This is truly the first time I've ever encountered a man like this!

Fujino crossed his arms and looked at the older woman whose face had clearly turned pale. He didn't care what she was thinking and simply said calmly, "No matter what, you're coming with me this time."

"Whenever something happens, you're always the one who gets pushed out to take the blame."

(End of this chapter)