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

Morofushi Kagemitsu had no idea what his childhood friend was doing.

He drove to Wunai General Hospital and stopped on the side of the road opposite the hospital. The two police officers didn't get out of the car immediately; instead, they rolled down the window and looked at the impressive hospital in front of them.

"Patients undergoing heart surgery at this hospital are usually placed in wards on the seventh floor," Ishigami said to Morofushi Kagemitsu, looking at the information on his phone.

Itakura Taku mentioned heart surgery in his diary, so they had researched all the well-known hospitals in Gunma before they came. This hospital, the largest in Anchu City and even the entire Gunma Prefecture, was naturally within their scope of investigation.

After thinking for a moment, Morofushi Kagemitsu said, "There are too many people around here, and we're not sure where Itakura is. We can split up."

Public security officers are not police officers; there is no rule requiring them to work in pairs. In fact, due to the nature of their positions, they often operate alone.

Ishigami didn't object. He glanced at the time and said, "I'll go to the inpatient department to inquire first. You can wander around other places by yourself. Be careful and feel free to contact me."

Morofushi Kagemitsu nodded and watched Ishigami leave. After waiting for about ten minutes, and making sure no one was paying attention to the car, he got out and walked towards the hospital.

It's afternoon now, and there aren't many people coming for initial consultations anymore. The information desk is empty, and a few medical staff who have nothing to do for the time being are huddled together whispering something. Ishigami has also long since disappeared.

Morobuchi Kagemitsu glanced around discreetly but found nothing amiss.

He planned to visit the cardiology department and the archives. Just as he was about to start walking upstairs, a somewhat familiar voice drifted over from afar.

"Dad, should I call Mr. Aoyagi and ask where he is now?"

Zhu Fu Jingguang: "..."

That voice, and that name...

He turned around and saw two people he had visited last Saturday riding side by side on the escalator, slowly descending from the second floor to the first floor.

It really is Ran Mouri and Kogoro Mouri.

When two people who knew his identity as a public security police officer appeared, Zhu Fujingguang had a headache. There was really no cover around, so he had no choice but to take out a mask, put it on, and sit on a chair in the rest area next to him, trying to avoid being monitored.

Ran Mouri was completely oblivious to the actions of the people below. After the elevator arrived, she took out her phone, looking as if she was about to make a call at any moment.

"Wait, Ran." Kogoro Mouri, with his hands in his pockets, stopped his daughter, yawning as he spoke. "He just sent an email saying that Conan isn't interested in visiting her and went off to play around nearby. They'll go back to the hotel on their own later."

Ran Mouri paused, then put down her phone: "Really?"

Kogoro Mouri said nonchalantly, "That's how it is. Let's go. Let's go back and organize our documents first, then go out for dinner. Honestly, that hotel doesn't even offer a decent dinner service."

Ran Mouri still looked a little hesitant, but she finally nodded and said somewhat shyly, "Dad, I need to go to the restroom. Could you please wait for me for a moment?"

Kogoro Mouri waved casually, looked around, noticed a rest area in front of the information desk, and strode over.

Morofushi Kagemitsu, sensing his approach: "..."

Changing seats now would be too conspicuous. Feeling the bench sink heavily as someone sat down, Morofushi Kagemitsu sighed helplessly in his heart.

Kogoro Mouri's expression was no longer as nonchalant as it was in front of his daughter. He took out his phone, but before he could turn on the screen, he seemed to sense something and turned to look to his side.

The former criminal investigator and the current police officer's eyes met.

Both of them were taken aback, but their emotions differed.

Kogoro Mouri was first surprised, then his expression became conflicted, and then he seemed to have made up his mind...

He suddenly stood up and, under the slightly surprised gaze of Morofushi Kagemitsu, sat down beside him.

"Excuse me, could I borrow a cigarette? I see you have my usual brand. I'm craving a cigarette, and I just finished mine," Kogoro Mouri asked.

Talking about smoking inside a hospital sounds really strange, so Morofushi Kagemitsu decided to respond first to see what the other person was up to.

He said in a low, hoarse voice through his mask, "Let me see if I have any left."

As he spoke, Kogoro Mouri raised his hand and held it up in front of him.

Morofushi Kagemitsu glanced at his sleeve, his gaze suddenly stopping on a certain spot, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.

When Kogoro Mouri saw the change in the policeman's eyes, he knew he had been discovered. He breathed a sigh of relief and then patted the policeman on the shoulder, saying, "Thanks."

Morofushi Kagemitsu raised his hand, and in the split second that Mouri Kogoro pulled his hand away, he silently pressed down on the thing that the other had deliberately slapped on his clothes. "It's nothing, just a small favor."

……

Not long after, Ran Mouri returned. She walked quickly to Kogoro Mouri and said to him, "Alright, Dad, let's go home."

She twitched her nose slightly, catching a familiar scent, and frowned: "Hmm? You just went for a smoke again?"

"It's just a cigarette, don't make such a fuss," Kogoro Mouri said nonchalantly. "Let's go."

He led his daughter out of the hospital building, walking at a leisurely pace. Only after they had walked a considerable distance did his fist, which had been clenched for a long time, finally slowly relax.

After Aoyagi Akimitsu parted ways with him, Kogoro Mouri saw the note tucked inside his notebook.

The only sentence on it was written in crooked handwriting: "There's something wrong with the Takeuchi family. That person might have planted a listening device on you."

The other party was an FBI elite, and Kogoro Mouri decided to take his warning seriously, so he remained vigilant during the subsequent questioning to avoid asking sensitive questions.

After all, this is Gunma, a remote town very close to the mountains. There are no police officers he can trust around him. He has a sense of justice, but he won't rush in like a young detective. He'll try to survive this first.

He never expected that he would encounter police officers from the Metropolitan Police Department in the hospital.

Kogoro Mouri doesn't particularly like the Public Security Bureau. This stems from the fact that he had a case stolen by them when he was a policeman, as well as some unpleasant rumors among his former colleagues. However, it's far from a deep-seated hatred.

and……

"Just make sure you're safe first. The disappearance of the international student is somewhat related to the Takeuchi family, and I'll investigate. Don't worry, apart from the listening device in my cuff, I haven't found anyone watching me."

P.S.: On my way here, I saw two police officers from the Metropolitan Police Department outside an apartment building. I've met them before and know their information; they're both very reliable people. If you're really worried, you can ask them for help if necessary.

He wasn't lying to Ran Mouri; Aoyagi Akimitsu did send him an email while he was questioning the two men.

While reading the email, Kogoro Mouri was silently complaining about how he didn't know the sender and how he could ask for help. What if he contacted the wrong person? Unexpectedly, he ran into the person at the hospital in the blink of an eye.

He was a police officer from the Metropolitan Police Department who had just visited the detective agency last Saturday, shown them his identification, and whose identity was 100% confirmed.

Although many people say that the police cannot be trusted, this situation is special, so he followed Aoyagi Akimitsu's advice and informed the other party about the matter, hoping for a peaceful resolution...

With mixed feelings, Kogoro Mouri returned to the hotel with Ran Mouri.

……

Meanwhile, at the hospital.

There's something fishy about the Takeuchi family; that person might have planted a listening device on you.

"..."

Morofushi Kagemitsu rode the escalator up, recalling the contents of the note, feeling a bit of a headache.

He could roughly guess who wrote it; it was probably Aoyagi Akimitsu, who had traveled with the Mori father and daughter but for some reason separated from them.

Some clients of detectives don't completely trust them, and it's common for them to have someone secretly keep an eye on them. If only Kogoro Mouri was being monitored and sought his help, Morofushi Kagemitsu could have completely ignored it.

The problem is that Aoyagi Akimitsu seems to be involved.

He's a diplomat, after all.

—He was a diplomat who, seeing that reinforcements hadn't arrived in time, summoned US armed helicopters to straf the enemy without paying any price afterwards.

Even though he thought the other person's personality was relatively mild when they had talked face-to-face before, as a Japanese public security officer who had witnessed the tragic scene on the rooftop, Morofushi Kagemitsu really didn't dare to take the gamble.

In short, I need to tell Senior Ishigami first, and also inform the administrators that a new troublemaker has appeared here... no, a new problem.

However, where is Aoyagi Akimitsu now? Kogoro Mouri might not know the whole story, so he needs to ask Aoyagi for information as well. With such a striking appearance, he shouldn't be wandering around in a crowded place like a hospital…

While pondering, Morofushi Kagemitsu went up to the fourth floor.

The hospital's archives are located here.

He instinctively looked around, and as he swept his eyes around the corner in the distance, he caught something keenly out of the corner of his eye.

He was a young man wearing a black hoodie with a kangaroo pocket, a shoulder bag slung over his shoulder, and thin-rimmed glasses on his nose, exuding a refined, scholarly air.

He was looking at him too. In that instant when their eyes met, Morobushi Kagemitsu saw the emerald green eyes behind the glasses curve slightly. The other person seemed to smile at him before turning and leaving.

—In the darkness, those green eyes merged with another pair of eyes. (End of Chapter)