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

Chapter 431 Family History
Morofushi Kagemitsu is unaware of the bombing at the Beika Hotel, nor is he aware that his two friends are involved.

He rushed back to the Metropolitan Police Department after receiving an email from the superintendent.

"I'm so sorry, Morofushi." The manager who had given him leave earlier apologized the first thing he did upon seeing him. "You were still on vacation, but I called you back."

Zhu Fujingguang shook his head to indicate that he didn't care: "You must have something important to tell me if you suddenly contacted me."

"This is indeed a troublesome matter. Come with me."

When business was brought up, the manager's expression turned serious. He stood up from behind his desk and gestured for Morofushi Kagemitsu to follow.

The two didn't walk far, but crossed the quiet corridor and arrived at another room on the same floor.

The room wasn't large, and only one of the several computers inside had its screen lit. The person working at the computer was typing away on the keyboard, and when someone came in behind him, he didn't even look up. There was another person standing behind him, whom Morofushi Kagemitsu recognized as Ishigami, and he nodded slightly in greeting.

As the administrator approached, the person in front of the computer finally realized what was happening and hurriedly stood up: "Administrator."

"How is it?" the manager asked bluntly.

The man frowned: "This is just an ordinary USB drive. Apart from those documents, there are no special programs on it."

The manager didn't say much, just gestured for him to leave. The door opened and closed softly, and the room fell silent.

Full of doubt, Morofushi Kagemitsu did not speak, but his eyes inadvertently glanced at the still-lit computer screen.

This is... a diary?
He paused, stunned, after seeing the format above.

“Ishigami, please explain the situation to Morobuchi first,” the administrator said.

Ishigami turned to Morofushi Kagemitsu, his expression as serious as if carved by a knife: "We have discovered a programmer who is suspected of having had contact with the organization."

"A programmer? How did you find out?"

Morofushi Kagemitsu wasn't too surprised. He had once infiltrated the organization and knew exactly who they liked to associate with.

"This afternoon, three people came to the Metropolitan Police Department to report a case. They were from three different companies and said that a programmer who had been hired by them had gone missing. One of them last made clear contact with him last week."

Ishigami paused, then inserted a brief introduction of his identity:
"That programmer's name is Itakura Taku. He used to work for several well-known game companies. He left Mantian Company two years ago and has been a freelancer ever since, earning income by taking on individual commissions. It is said that he has a strange habit of disappearing for a period of time before the deadline."

Morofushi Kagemitsu pondered for a moment: "Having a strange habit of disappearing and then coming directly to the Metropolitan Police Department to report it... has they discovered something wrong?"

"Five days ago, he sent them a video, saying that he was currently unwell and had received a large order. The other party was far more sincere than they were. He said that after his heart surgery, he would prioritize completing the other party's order and would delay delivery to theirs. On the same day, one of the clients received a USB drive from the other party."

"He commissioned me to develop a shogi game, which didn't require much storage space. He thought the USB drive contained the finished game program, so he opened it directly, but it only contained a few documents."

Ishigami looked at the screen, and Morofushi Kagemitsu understood: "This is it?"

“You can sit down and browse through it,” the manager said.

This manager had a decent temper and wasn't as concerned about the hierarchy between superiors and subordinates as some leaders. Morobushi Kagemitsu sat down naturally and quickly began browsing.

The diary started two years ago.

【8月7日

A man with reddish-brown eyes suddenly came to me and said he was very interested in a piece of software I had left over from when I worked in the United States a few years ago, and hoped that I could continue to develop it.

That's strange. I only developed that software halfway before abandoning it. How did he know?
So I rejected him.

The man left without saying much.

What a strange guy. He doesn't look well, even in summer he wears all black from head to toe...

"...It should be Glenn."

Based on his appearance, Morofushi Kagemitsu made a preliminary judgment, then looked at the date: "At this time, in Rai... I mean Akai, shortly after his undercover identity was exposed and he withdrew from the organization."

Although he and Rei Furuya left earlier than Shuichi Akai, they learned when Akai was exposed through newly sent undercover agents.

He scrolled down the page, reading line by line, his expression growing more and more serious with each line.

The matter didn't end after Itakura Taku rejected Glenn. In the months that followed, every entry in his diary mentioned that shadowy shadow that occasionally flashed through his life.

Someone has broken into my house again.

My belongings were moved around. No valuables were stolen, but their locations changed... I called the police, but there was no follow-up...

I installed a camera, but it was useless; it was completely destroyed, and the damaged unit was just left where you could see it as soon as you entered the door.

[I reported it to the police, but there's still no follow-up... Is someone suppressing information about me? Are there their people in the police force? Or is it simply a case of a pay thief neglecting to act?]

I'm so tired. If this continues, will I get killed...? Because I haven't been able to sleep for so long, my heart is getting increasingly painful. I called a friend to complain about it.

The most terrifying thing happened: they left me a note saying they could send me for heart surgery... Were they listening to me?

I give up. I don't want to live like this anymore. I left a note, the same one they gave me last time, saying I accept their terms.

The other party left me their phone number, and when I called, a woman answered. She spoke in a forceful tone, like a queen...

Morofushi Kagemitsu paused here, and Ishigami, noticing his movement, asked, "Could this woman be Anisette?"

"..."

Morofushi Kagemitsu looked at the words left by Itakura Taku, slowly shook his head, and said in a resolute tone:
"No. She's ruthless in her actions, but she never speaks forcefully. She's more like the kind of rich young lady who likes to act cute and make others say nice things to coax her."

The administrator paused subtly for a second at this detailed description: "...Is that so? It seems to be another female member."

Zhu Fujingguang was looking at the screen, unaware of the gaze from his superior.

Itakura Taku's diary has reached its final entry.

I saw the man with the reddish-brown eyes again. This time he brought a few people with him. They didn't come up; they stayed downstairs at my apartment building.

He said my computer was broken and hoped I would go directly to their place to have surgery, which I agreed to.

I asked him if I could have a few days to pack my luggage, and he agreed.

I could tell he was the leader, but I also had a feeling he was the easiest to talk to, at least easier than that tough woman. So I asked him a question:
Did you take me there back then?

The man replied, "I'll only be traveling with you for a short time. We'll get off when we pass through Nagano, and the others will continue to take you to Gunma. Your heart condition can't wait any longer; we'll take you to the hospital immediately." "If you have friends you want to say goodbye to, you can leave them a message now. I won't stop you, but please don't mention us casually."

Then he removed the listening device in front of me, and after he left, I looked up the hospital.

That hospital is famous for its kidney transplant surgery, but I've also found several cases of medical malpractice in recent years. Is it really reliable? ...But I have no other choice.

I started packing. I didn't know how much stuff I had to pack. I figured I wouldn't be coming back this time, so I had to make a video to inform those clients. One of them was a friend from the past. I wanted to give him some software that I had already developed as compensation.

After tidying up, only the computer and furniture remained in the room. I sat down in a chair and began to write this diary entry.

I still don't understand what they want to do with that program.
Its existence was a mistake. I initially developed it just to make the game more fun, and I never thought of using it for this purpose.

It brings humanity almost equal amounts of hope and despair.

I remembered what the woman who answered my phone had said.

I couldn't take it anymore and shouted at her, "Who exactly are you people?"

She laughed...

It wasn't until he saw this that Morofushi Kagemitsu understood the real reason the administrator had summoned him.

"We are both God and the devil. Because I want to reverse the flow of time and bring the dead back to life..."

He muttered the words to himself, then said, "I've never heard of such a rumor when I was in the organization. It's utterly absurd."

How can the dead be brought back to life? If the line between life and death were so easily blurred, then this world would have long since…

Morofushi Kagemitsu quickly calmed down, forcing himself not to think about that sentence in detail, and returned to the main topic: "When that person saw the contents of the USB drive, he felt something was wrong, so he and others came to report the case?"

“No, he initially thought it was written by Itakura Taku on purpose to break the contract, and didn’t take it seriously,” Ishigami said. “But the day before yesterday, when he and two other people went to find Itakura Taku again, they found that his house in Nakano had been burned down, and the police could not contact Itakura Taku.”

"He hesitated for two days before deciding to call two other people to come and report the case. The person who received him happened to be one of our people from the First Investigation Division. As soon as he heard about it, he immediately notified us to take over the case."

Morofushi Kagemitsu finally understood the whole story: "So, we're going to..."

……

"Gunma?"

Inside the Mouri Detective Agency, Kogoro Mouri looked up from behind his desk and saw Conan Edogawa, who had rushed over to find him as soon as he returned.

Conan Edogawa: "Something's happened in Gunma. An American tourist has gone missing there. Mr. Aoyagi and another FBI agent discussed it and decided that he would handle it."

After leaving the Beika Hotel, Aoyagi Akimitsu drove him to Professor Agasa's house, where he picked up the professor's new invention—an upgraded transmitter that was even harder to detect—before returning to the Mouri Detective Agency.

On the way, Aoyagi Akimitsu mentioned this to him. He also asked him to inquire with Mouri Kogoro whether he could accompany them when they set off the next day.

It wasn't that Kogoro Mouri was unwilling; he was driving himself, and there was plenty of room in the car. He was just a little puzzled: "Why do you want to come with us?"

"Mr. Aoyagi said that the reason for the other party's disappearance is still unclear, so he plans to go there secretly, hiding his identity and finding a fellow countryman, especially a child, to accompany him, so as to reduce the attention he receives."

After explaining, Conan Edogawa paused and said, "Also, he said it was work, so he could get the embassy to reimburse him for the car rental fee and the accommodation and food expenses for the past two days."

Upon hearing this, Kogoro Mouri immediately agreed: "Sure, we'll leave at seven o'clock tomorrow morning. Send him an email to let him know."

As Conan Edogawa bent down to write an email, the door to the agency opened and Ran Mouri walked in.

"Dad, I've packed everything." She looked down and saw Conan Edogawa. "Conan, you're back? Remember to go upstairs and unpack your luggage later."

She and Kogoro Mouri were both busy, one watching TV and the other tidying up, so neither of them knew what had happened at the game launch event.

Conan Edogawa didn't mention it either. After saying "okay," he only mentioned that Aoyagi Akimitsu was also going to Gunma this weekend.

"That's great." Ran Mouri was happy to be able to help. "By the way, I remember you told me that Mr. Aoyagi's car seems to have broken down recently? So is he here to hitch a ride with Dad?"

Conan Edogawa nodded first, then added, "Actually, he's already bought a new car. I came back in that one today. But that car is very conspicuous and not suitable for driving during investigations."

Ran Mouri paused, then remembered something: "I just saw a red sports car parked downstairs from upstairs. Could this be the one?"

"Yes." Conan Edogawa was still a little excited when he mentioned the car. "That's a Ferrari Dino 206 GT!"

"puff--"

Upon hearing this, Kogoro Mouri, who was drinking tea, immediately spat out the water he had just drunk and coughed repeatedly, choking on it.

Ran Mouri didn't quite understand this, but when she saw her father spraying water, she quickly came over to pat his back and said, "Dad, be careful."

Kogoro Mouri gradually recovered with his daughter's gentle pats on the back. He wiped the water from his chin, still unable to speak. Seeing him like this, Ran Mouri turned to Conan Edogawa:

"What's wrong with this car?" she asked, puzzled.

She's not very interested in cars, so she only knows their names and might not even recognize the logos.

Conan Edogawa explained to her, "Only 152 of these cars were ever produced. They are a limited edition sports car that is so rare that even if you offer a high price, there may not be anyone willing to buy it."

Moreover, unlike ordinary luxury cars, it has a story behind it.

The name Dino comes from Alfredo, the son of Enzo Ferrari, the founder of the Ferrari brand. Dino was his nickname.

As the eldest son, he was deeply loved and valued by his father and received the best education from a young age. His father always hoped that he could achieve something in his career and looked up to him very much.

Unfortunately, fate was unkind; this outstanding heir passed away at a young age, and the engine he helped develop was installed in that sports car. In his honor, the car was named "Dino".

It can be said that it symbolizes a father's love and remembrance for his deceased son.

"This kind of car should be displayed in a showroom and treasured, and he just drove it on the road without any appreciation." Kogoro Mouri recovered and muttered, stroking his chin, "Looks like his family is quite wealthy?"

Conan Edogawa was speechless at his focus.

However, a hint of curiosity also flashed through his mind.

He remembered that Mr. Aoyagi's uncle was one of the U.S. Supreme Court justices, but even a Supreme Court justice at the top of the judicial field wouldn't be that rich under normal circumstances...

Could it be from another relative?
(End of this chapter)