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

Rei Furuya turned and left, and the two went downstairs. They waited at the door for a short while before a car pulled up.

In the driver's seat was a colleague from the Metropolitan Police Department whom Morofushi Kagemitsu knew; he nodded to him. Aoyagi Akimitsu opened the back door and got in first, while Morofushi Kagemitsu hesitated for a moment before also getting into the back.

They couldn't force the FBI to take a statement from the police, but they could still get what they wanted through simple conversation.

“Mr. Aoyagi, we’ll take you back to Anchu City first,” said Morofushi Kagemitsu.

Aoyagi Akimitsu sat in a very casual posture, his elbow resting on the car window and his head propped up. He responded with a curt, "Oh, thanks."

The police officer in the front row started the vehicle without saying a word, and the car left the Nagano Police Headquarters and headed towards Gunma.

There was still no one on either side of the road, only the flickering light of the streetlights shining into the car. Suddenly, Qingliu Binguang's eagle broke free from his arms and flew out of the car window. He wasn't in a hurry; he simply followed its gaze out of the car.

After a moment of mental deliberation, Morobushi Kagemitsu decided to start with himself.

“Thank you so much this time, Mr. Aoyagi. If it weren’t for you, the child and I would probably be in grave danger.” He said earnestly, “We apologize for the shooting attack on you by Takeda. The Nagano Police Headquarters and the Public Security Bureau will give you an explanation.”

Aoyagi Akimitsu looked away and turned to look at him. The streetlight shone on his face, and Morofushi Kagemitsu saw him smile at him.

“It’s nothing,” Aoyagi Akimitsu said. “It’s not just for two important lives, but even if it’s just for myself, I have to lend a hand. It would be a big problem if the child I live with and the police got lost together.”

Morofushi Kagemitsu didn't find it offensive. After all, this reason was more convincing than believing that a foreign intelligence agent was a selfless good person.

He then asked another question: "When the police surrounded you and Furuya arrived, I didn't see you with your phone. How did you contact the embassy?"

"She helped me make the contact. At that time, our communication was still going strong. When she heard something was wrong on my end, she immediately helped me make the contact."

Morofushi Kagemitsu paused for a moment, this answer was within his expectations. He tentatively asked, "Mr. Aoyagi, is your... informant lady an information broker here?"

The question was direct, but it was perfectly reasonable for him to ask it. Whether as a police officer or as someone who was rescued tonight, he had every right to investigate the other person's identity.

Aoyagi Akimitsu looked at him, his smile undiminished: "No, she's a bit special. If you knew about her, you would definitely cause trouble, so I won't say anything. Let's skip this topic."

The police officer in the front row, who had been listening to their movements, couldn't help but ask, "Could it be some kind of fugitive?"

"I don't know, I haven't been following your wanted list," Aoyagi Akimitsu said. "But don't worry, the trouble she can cause you is probably not as great as mine."

Morofushi Kagemitsu: "..."

Sometimes the FBI's bluntness is really... leaving you speechless.

He was really curious about this mysterious helper, because not only him, but Zero, who had been kidnapped by Glenn, also received assistance from an unknown person tonight.

That person not only knew of the organization's existence, the base's location, and its current movements, but could also accurately send messages to Rei Furuya and Administrator Kuroda. The probability of two powerful "helpful people" suddenly appearing at the same time was extremely low; he suspected it might be the same person.

Unfortunately, Aoyagi Akimitsu refused to tell him, so he couldn't continue asking.

As Morofushi Kagemitsu pondered what to ask next, Aoyagi Akimitsu said to him, "How's that base doing? You should have started a rescue operation there after we left, right?"

Zhu Fujingguang almost refused to answer questions involving public security operations, but considering that the other party was one of the parties involved, and that he did indeed need to ask about things inside the base, he said, "Yes, people have already been sent."

"Have you rescued anyone yet?" "...Not yet."

This answer seemed to be within Aoyagi Akimitsu's expectations. He fiddled with his phone, "It's a pity it's too late now, otherwise I could find you helpers and equipment, but..."

He seemed to recall something, and a regretful expression crossed his face: "I remember you didn't really like American aid, especially the kind of rescue missions that involve running deep into the mountains and forests. I think there was an even more serious incident before, and the Japanese side refused it back then."

Morofushi Kagemitsu paused for a moment, then spoke again, his voice unchanged: "Thank you for your kindness, Mr. Aoyagi, but this is an accident that occurred within Japan, and we are capable of conducting search and rescue operations independently."

He slightly emphasized "within Japan" and "capable".

Aoyagi Akimitsu understood, and as he looked at Morofushi Kagemitsu, his smile seemed to deepen.

Morofushi Kagemitsu was baffled by his reaction: "Mr. Aoyagi?"

"Don't misunderstand." Aoyagi Akimitsu said gently, "I'm not laughing at you. I'm just thinking that although you and Furuya know each other well, your tempers are quite different. He's more irritable, while you're better at being patient. It's really no fun teasing you."

Morofushi Kagemitsu: "..."

The police officer, who had weathered countless storms and was indeed adept at patience, took a deep breath: "Mr. Aoyagi, Furuya is also an excellent police officer who manages all his emotions well during work. We are no different in that respect."

“Really?” Aoyagi Akimitsu asked back. “But I met him three years ago. We were teaching at the same school. When I deliberately complained to him about the safety issues in Japan and the troublesome social interactions, I always felt like he was going to smash a bottle in my face any second.”

Morofushi Kagemitsu: "…………"

Three years ago, Aoyagi Akimitsu was not yet a police liaison officer working as a diplomat, but an FBI agent who had come to Japan undercover to conduct an unknown investigation. Given Zero's personality, it was normal for him to be hostile towards him.

...No, wait!
He reread those words, vaguely realizing something, and unconsciously sat up straight: "You, could it be that three years ago you already..."

“Yes, I knew back then.” Aoyagi Akimitsu smiled. “My observation skills are average, and my blond, mixed-race appearance makes it hard for people to immediately associate me with a local police officer, but fortunately…”

He didn't finish his sentence, not because he deliberately interrupted, but because the police officer driving the car suddenly slammed on the brakes just as he was about to speak.

The inertia caused Zhu Fujingguang to sway to the side. He struggled to steady himself and looked ahead warily: "What's going on?"

Could it be an organization? But he knew the organization's attack procedures very well. This car didn't have privacy glass, and there was no protection around him. A real attack would either be a direct sniper shot or a blown-out tire or fuel tank, not something like this.

"Something flew by ahead," the police driver said, feeling wronged.

Aoyagi Binguang peeked out from the gap in the front seat, and after seeing something, he opened the car door next to him and got out.

As Morifushi Kagemitsu watched him walk forward, remembering his troublesome identity, he had no choice but to get out of the car and quickly follow.

Aoyagi Akimitsu stopped beside a telephone pole and crouched down. The eagle that had caused the driver to slam on the brakes flew down from above and landed on his shoulder.

He and Morofushi Kagemitsu, who arrived later, looked together at the figure under the telephone pole.

It was a cat, a cat they recognized very well; they had seen it in the hospital archives this afternoon.

The ragdoll cat was also looking up at them, its light fur tinged with a hint of scarlet. (End of Chapter)