Conan: I'm really not the mastermind behind the scenes

The night is dark.

The hustle and bustle of the day gradually faded away, and soon only a few guests were left in the restaurant. In order to have more energy to attend the opening ceremony of the art museum tomorrow, many people returned to their rooms early to rest.

In a room on the 10th floor, Ryu Hanchuan was still wearing the green jacket and pink-purple shirt he wore during the day. He stood by the floor-to-ceiling window in the living room, holding his cell phone and talking to someone on the phone.

"……very nice."

The other end of the phone was not quiet. My friend's envious voice came along with the sound of the tram announcement in the background: "You really have more freedom than me now. I was called to work overtime early this morning and I'm just getting on the tram now."

Hanchuan Long laughed and said, "This is why I resigned from Nichimei. Who wants to see those old guys' faces every day and be ordered around by them?"

This floor is the hotel's premium guest rooms, with excellent sound insulation. Even if he laughs loudly, people from the neighboring rooms will not rush over and scold him for disturbing others.

"Hey...if I wasn't so tired, I would also like to go to the new art museum."

A friend who I knew when I was a reporter and now works at another TV station smiled bitterly, then changed the subject back to him: "So you arrived in Osaka a day early. Did you meet Chairman Suzuki? Is the egg of memories really like the rumors say?"

Speaking of this, Hanchuan Long showed a trace of displeasure on his face, and he looked out the floor-to-ceiling window.

His room faces west, and he cannot see Osaka's iconic buildings, the castle tower or Tsutenkaku, but he is right opposite the newly built Suzuki Museum of Art.

It is said that Chairman Suzuki specially invited the best designer in the country to design this art gallery. A large amount of glass was used in the construction process. Now, under the reflection of the light, it is like a pearl falling on dark velvet, emitting dazzling brilliance.

"... Hanchuan? Hanchuan, are you listening to me?"

Hanchuan Long was distracted by what he was watching for a moment and almost forgot that he was still on the phone.

Hearing his friend's urging voice, Hanchuan Long turned and walked away from the floor-to-ceiling window and sat on the sofa in the middle of the living room.

There were two cushions on the sofa, and a laptop connected to a DV. He was saving all the images he had taken today into the computer, and he was already halfway through.

Hanchuan Long pressed a few times on the keyboard, opened the folder used to store data, and replied at the same time: "I didn't see the eggs, but I met several unexpected people..."

He thought of his busy morning and smiled again: "Three of them asked me to meet them alone. One of them is tonight and will be here in ten minutes."

"Meet alone?"

The other party's tone became hesitant: "But Hanchuan, didn't you say that someone seemed to be following you recently? Would it be dangerous to meet with strangers casually now?"

Hanchuan Long sneered, "I'm not a woman. How could it be dangerous to meet someone at night? I think you are too timid, which is why you lost that opportunity a few years ago and have not been promoted until now."

The friend on the other side fell silent.

"But speaking of danger, there may be an incident during tomorrow's opening ceremony."

Kanchuan Long thought of the other guests, and his face was full of a smile of watching a show without any hesitation: "The new Tokyo detective, Maori Kogoro, was also invited. I wonder if the chairman received a threatening letter, and he didn't hear anything at all."

The two chatted for a while, and seeing that the time was almost up, Hanchuan Long hung up the phone first, threw the phone on the sofa, and stood up to stretch his body.

As he twisted his stiff head, he recalled what his friend had just said on the phone.

——Didn’t you say that someone seemed to be following you recently?
"..."

Hanchuan Long sighed in his heart.

He knew that he had a bad temper and was easily disliked by others, but as for the enemies who hated him enough to want to kill him, the only one was probably a group of people in the United States a few years ago.

Thinking of this, Hanchuan Long looked at his computer again. When he saw the folder marked "Photography" on the desktop, something flashed across his eyes.

Although he had agreed to delete all the data after receiving the money, and those people also took away his mobile phone and computer, he secretly backed up the data at his friend's place to prevent them from silencing him. Now those things are in this computer. Now several years have passed, and everything has been fine. It seems that the other party has kept his promise... If there is no problem this time, delete these things too. After all, this kind of thing can be used as a handle to threaten him, or it can be a death warrant for others to kill him...

"Dong dong."

At this time, there was a knock on the door.

Hanchuan Long came to his senses, glanced at the time on the computer, and found that it was 5 minutes earlier than expected, but he didn't care.

He turned off the computer, disconnected the data cable connected to the DV, carefully placed the computer in the safe in the room, and then walked over to open the door.

With a click, the electronic door opened. Hanchuan Long was stunned when he saw the person outside the door.

"Why is it you? Who... who is this guy?!"

With a bad premonition coming to his mind, Hanchuan Long raised his voice, and then he made the most wrong decision of his life - he subconsciously took a few steps back and retreated completely into his room.

By the time Hanchuan Long realized that this was wrong and wanted to escape or shout loudly, the two people opposite him had already entered the room and one of them covered his mouth with his hand.

He smiled at him politely, with the courtesy of an actor facing his audience, and his blue eyes gazed into his.

"—please relax, sir."

Han Chuanlong's body stiffened, and he instantly lost all strength to resist.

The door was closed gently, and the entire corridor fell silent again. No one knew what had just happened.

……

The next day, the sun rose as usual.

Edogawa Conan woke up at about the same time as usual.

He opened his eyes drowsily and found that there was someone sleeping on the bed next to him - their suite had two bedrooms, with two beds in each bedroom, and Xiaolan was sleeping in the other one - Kogoro Mouri was lying on it with his legs spread out.

Edogawa Conan slept very soundly last night, and he didn't even know what time the other party came back. He yawned and got out of bed, planning to wash up first, and then ask Mao Lilan if she wanted to go downstairs for breakfast together.

However, before he reached the door, he heard someone knocking on it.

"Boom boom boom!"

"Mr. Maori - Mr. Maori! Are you there? Please open the door!!"

The huge noise made Conan Edogawa and Ran Mouri, who had also woken up, walk out of the room. They looked at each other and looked towards the door together, feeling a familiar sense of uneasiness in their hearts.

"It's so early in the morning, can't we sleep?!"

Maori Kogoro was finally awakened by the shock. He walked out of the room angrily, not even bothering to put on his slippers, and ran straight to the door. Edogawa Conan immediately followed behind him.

"Who on earth is that?!"

Kogoro Mouri opened the door, and before he could ask more questions to the person who disturbed his sweet dream, the waiter grabbed him with a pale face, stretched out his hand and pointed in a direction with trembling hands.

"Mr. Maori, please go and have a look. Mr. Kanchuan in room 1004... he has been killed!"

Edogawa Conan's eyes widened, and he turned and ran over there. (End of this chapter)