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

Zhu Fujingguang was speechless for a moment.

Conan Edogawa, drawn by their conversation, looked over and noticed Morofushi Kagemitsu's troubled expression. He asked worriedly, "Has something happened?"

"The expression on your face when you were reading the email just now was almost the same as when I found you in the freezer last time, after you woke up," Aoyagi Akimitsu said leisurely. "Could it be that something went wrong at work again?"

Morobuchi Kagemitsu's fingers trembled almost imperceptibly.

He might show a little emotion for a moment when he first saw the email, and then instinctively hide it, but that was caught?
...No, don't overthink it. Although the person opposite seems unreliable and sometimes his actions are enough to raise your blood pressure, he is, after all, like Ray and Shuichi Akai, an undercover agent sent out by the FBI. We can't underestimate his abilities.

Zhu Fujingguang tried his best to suppress the strange feeling in his heart and find a suitable reason.

"My comrade is temporarily out of contact, and headquarters plans to send reinforcements."

Aoyagi Akimitsu didn't react much, but Edogawa Conan frowned as he thought about the contents of the email sent by Mouri Kogoro.

“Mr. Morofushi, it takes at least three hours to get from Tokyo to Gunma, and applying for cross-regional operations also takes a lot of time. Why don’t you come with us before the support arrives? It’s safer with more people.”

Morofushi Kagemitsu paused for a moment, knowing that what Edogawa Conan said was true.

It was fortunate that he and Ishigami came to investigate quietly, but now that someone has gone missing, the situation has escalated, and the Metropolitan Police Department will have to go through a different procedure to send reinforcements.

No matter where you are, these official procedures are always so cumbersome and complicated, and they can get stuck even when lives are at stake. Aoyagi Akimitsu was an exception last time; he was able to summon an armed helicopter to strafe with a single phone call entirely because of his special status. Any other police liaison officer simply couldn't have done that.

Thinking of this, Morofushi Kagemitsu turned to look at Aoyagi Akimitsu, who smiled at him and did not object to Edogawa Conan's words.

"Then I'll trouble you."

After a moment's hesitation, Zhu Fujingguang finally accepted the offer.

In fact, even if Conan Edogawa hadn't extended an invitation, he wouldn't have stayed.

Now that we know there are problems inside this hospital, we can't continue acting alone. We should wait for more reliable companions to arrive.

Even if a companion goes missing or is in danger somewhere here, he will not go looking for or rescuing them alone.

This is the cold-bloodedness, or rather, the rationality, of the police.

……

After leaving the hospital, the two returned to their hotel.

Their room was at the end of the corridor. As soon as Conan Edogawa entered, he nervously looked around. He only relaxed halfway after Aoyagi Akimitsu made a gesture beside him.

He lowered his voice and couldn't help but ask again, "You really didn't hide anything?"

Because Kogoro Mouri had been bugged, they suspected that while they were away from the hotel, Chairman Takeuchi had someone sneak into their room and install a "gift" there as well. So on their way back, they agreed to check first and only let Morofushi Kagemitsu in once they were sure it was safe.

Aoyagi Akimitsu said helplessly, "Trust me a little more in this regard. I'm not so bad that I can't even tell if someone has broken into my room."

"Check the rooms next door as well," Conan Edogawa reminded them.

Aoyagi Akimitsu hummed in agreement and led him into the adjacent bathroom and bedroom.

There was only one bedroom, without a bed, just tatami mats and two quilts. After checking both rooms and confirming they were safe, Aoyagi Akimitsu opened the bedroom window.

The living room window faces the street, while the bedroom window has a poor orientation, overlooking another two-story shop next door, with a narrow alley running between them. Normally, the sunlight would be completely blocked, but this actually made things convenient for them.

A moment later, Morofushi Kagemitsu climbed up. Without taking off his gloves and shoes, he turned directly to Aoyagi Akimitsu: "Is the room alright?"

“This place doesn’t have any, and it’s hard to say what’s going on with Mr. Mori,” Aoyagi Akimitsu replied.

Conan Edogawa was equally worried about this, but he quickly came up with a solution: after finishing his meal, he could find an excuse to go into the next room for a walk.

Just as Morofushi Kagemitsu was about to say something, there was a sudden knock on the door.

"Hey, Aoyagi, Conan, you two are back, right?" Kogoro Mouri's loud voice rang out. "Ran found a nice restaurant nearby, want to go there for dinner together?"

Upon hearing it was him, Morofushi Kagemitsu's tense body relaxed. Aoyagi Akimitsu patted Edogawa Conan's head and gestured with his chin towards the door. The boy immediately understood his meaning, turned around, and ran out of the bedroom.

Suddenly, only the two of them were left in the room.

Hearing voices outside, Aoyagi Akimitsu asked considerately, "We're going out for a bit. Do you want me to bring you something back? What do you like to eat?"

"Anything is fine, I don't have any dietary restrictions."

Morofushi Kagemitsu had no appetite at the moment, but he knew he needed to replenish his strength.

Aoyagi Akimitsu nodded and turned to leave, but Morofushi Kagemitsu quickly reached out to stop him.

He glanced at the corner of the room, where Aoyagi Akimitsu's bag lay beside two neatly folded quilts: "Aren't you taking your things?"

Aoyagi Akira glanced over there and said nonchalantly, "There's nothing important inside, just some missing persons files, materials for disguise, and a novel to pass the time. Anyway, with you here, there's no need to worry about burglars taking it."

Aren't you worried that I'll peek?
Just as the thought crossed Morofushi Kagemitsu's mind, Aoyagi Akimitsu added, "That novel is quite interesting. If you're interested in social realism mystery, you can take a look."

Before Morofushi Kagemitsu could say anything more, Aoyagi Akimitsu closed the window and left the room.

After the two left, the room fell silent.

"..."

Looking at the empty room, Morofushi Kagemitsu didn't touch Aoyagi Akimitsu's things. Instead, he quietly found a corner—a place where he wouldn't be reflected in the window but could still immediately notice the door outside—and sat down quietly.

He took out his phone; it showed a reply from his boss. Thinking about everything that had happened that day, he sighed softly.

Knowing the efficiency of the higher-ups in the public security bureau as he does, it would be good if they arrived before midnight. He hopes that Senior Ishigami will be alright. As for that hospital…

Morofushi Kagemitsu wanted to review all the details of his day at the hospital, but he found that the deepest impression in his mind was those smiling, emerald green eyes, and the flutter in his heart when he saw those eyes.

"..."

……here we go again.

Aoyagi Akimitsu and Aniset are clearly different beings, something he had already figured out last time. Yet, just because Aoyagi happened to be wearing green contact lenses this time, turning the same color as Aniset, he felt...

Morofushi Kagemitsu remained silent for a moment, then picked up his phone.

He turned on the screen. It was getting dark outside, and he hadn't turned on the lights, so his phone became the only source of light in the room.

Instead of logging into the police's internal database, he opened a search engine and typed in what he wanted to find, just like an ordinary person curious about some important figure.

The United States Supreme Court, including the Chief Justice, consists of nine justices. According to the U.S. Constitution, they are nominated by the President and confirmed by the Senate. Their names and resumes are not secret and are publicly available…

Morofushi Kagemitsu didn't know his uncle Aoyagi Akimitsu's name or appearance, but he recognized him at a glance the moment he saw the group photo.

The man appeared to be in his fifties, white with gray hair. Even when facing the camera, his face remained expressionless, as cold as a stone pillar at the entrance of a courthouse. Though the years had eroded his features, traces of his former handsomeness were still visible.

—He looks very much like Aoyagi Akimitsu, so much so that anyone can tell at a glance that they are related by blood.

Morobushi Kagemitsu saw the name: Perun Nachash.

This surname doesn't look like it's spelled in English; it must be from another language.

However, this is not surprising. The United States is a country of immigrants and has accepted people from various countries and language families, so it is normal for some less common languages ​​to emerge.

He scrolled down further and saw the family background.

He married in XXXX (approximately twenty years ago). His wife is a program director at a television station. They have one daughter and adopted a nephew after his sister's death. His nephew currently works for the FBI.

"..."

Even Aoyagi Akimitsu's job has been exposed... but there's absolutely no information about his wife's or daughter's names or photos. (End of Chapter)