Ke Xue: The thief Cao is actually myself

Chapter 589 A new storm has appeared! (Please give me a monthly ticket!)

Maori Kogoro was caught off guard by Conan's sudden and unusually serious look, and even felt a little guilty. He coughed unnaturally, trying to cover up his embarrassment and uneasiness, and said in a pretentious and somewhat authoritative tone of an elder: "You are just a little kid, why are you worrying about it? Officer Megure and his team have been in the police force for many years and are very experienced. They are very familiar with handling such cases and will definitely handle everything properly."

Having said that, his eyes involuntarily wandered and he didn't dare to meet Conan's firm and sharp gaze.

Because, not only Conan, but Kogoro Maori himself also knows that the person who picked up the gun may not have done it unintentionally, but it was a deliberate plan.

However, no matter how hard he racked his brains, he still couldn't figure out why the other party picked up the gun and what he planned to do with it.

If the other party simply mistook it for a toy gun and picked it up without knowing why, or if he picked it up out of curiosity and wanted to collect it, then the situation might not be too bad and there is still room for improvement.
But if the other party picked up the gun with the intention of using it to commit a crime, then it would be really troublesome.

Thinking of this, Kogoro Mori's brows unconsciously frowned again, and an indescribable, heavy feeling of uneasiness surged in his heart, as if a huge rock was pressing on his heart.

Bai Ye listened to the conversation quietly and suddenly said, "Conan is right. That pistol is crucial. Moreover, I always feel that this matter may not be as simple as we think."

Hearing this, Conan quickly looked at Bai Ye, with a glimmer of surprise in his eyes: "Brother Bai Ye, do you think so too? I have always suspected that this case is far from over. We must always pay attention to various clues and not miss any subtle details that may be related to the case."

Bai Ye nodded slightly, his eyes deep and steady, as if he could see through everything: "Yes, we must remain vigilant about this. Because, on the next trip to the hot spring village, unexpected things may happen, and the disappearance of this pistol may just be the beginning of a series of events."

Maori Kogoro frowned and waved his hands impatiently, trying to dispel the uneasiness that lingered in his heart: "You two should stop guessing here. Maybe the pistol is just temporarily unavailable and will appear safely in a short time."

Bai Ye shook his head slightly, his expression serious, his tone full of unquestionable firmness: "No, I don't think it's that simple. From the clues we know so far, the timing of the disappearance of the pistol is too strange. Moreover, there are surveillance cameras near the alley, but they didn't capture anything. There are no clues at the crime scene. All of this is really wrong."

"So, I suspect there is a higher probability that there is a deeper conspiracy behind the loss of the pistol. For example, that person might be planning to use the pistol to achieve some ulterior motive."

Conan pushed his glasses on the bridge of his nose, and wisdom flashed behind the lenses: "Brother Bai Ye is right, uncle. We can't take it lightly. Take the previous cases as an example. Many seemingly isolated incidents are inextricably linked in the end. The loss of this pistol may be related to some cases around us or to upcoming cases, and may even lead to more serious consequences."

"For example, if it falls into the hands of someone with bad intentions and is used to commit crimes in crowded places, the consequences will be disastrous. It will cause immeasurable harm to many innocent people."

When Kogoro Maori heard what the two said, he couldn't help but feel a chill in his heart, and his feeling of uneasiness grew stronger.

"Okay, you're right. It seems I was careless."

Taking a deep breath, Maori Kogoro put away his previous perfunctory attitude and looked serious: "So what should we do next?"

As he spoke, he turned his gaze to Bai Ye and Conan beside him, his eyes revealing a hint of eagerness and expectation, hoping to get some feasible suggestions from the two.

Bai Ye lowered his head and thought for a moment, then said, "From the way he committed the crime, he acted quickly and cleverly to avoid surveillance, leaving no obvious traces. This is not something that an ordinary person can do. He must be a meticulous and experienced veteran. He also has certain anti-reconnaissance capabilities. He is likely to have received professional training or has relevant criminal experience, and is familiar with the police's investigation methods and procedures, so he can deal with it so calmly."

Maori Kogoro nodded and agreed: "I thought so too, but I just don't know where to start the investigation."

After saying that, he turned his gaze to Conan with a hint of expectation in his eyes, as if he hoped that Conan, this little guy who was always very smart and could always come up with unexpected ideas at critical moments, could provide him with some useful suggestions and bring a glimmer of hope for solving the case.

Noticing his expectant look, Conan pushed his glasses up, with wisdom flashing behind the lenses: "We can start by recalling the details of the case. Uncle, think about it carefully. Before and after the pistol was lost, were there any strange noises around, or did you smell any special smells?"

As he spoke, he sorted out various possibilities in his mind, his eyes behind the glasses flashing with thought, "Sometimes, some seemingly insignificant details can often be the key to solving a mystery. Just like the key piece in a puzzle, it seems insignificant, but it can make the whole picture complete."

"For example, strange noises may indicate the suspect's whereabouts, and special smells may be related to the tools or objects used by the suspect."

Maori Kogoro frowned and tried to recall. The wrinkles on his face were twisted together, as if he was struggling with his memory: "Let me think... The scene was chaotic, with people coming and going, and the noise was very noisy. I seemed to hear a slight sound of footsteps, but I didn't pay much attention to it, thinking it was a passerby. As for the smell, there seemed to be a faint smell of cigarettes, but there are usually homeless people smoking in that alley, so I didn't think it was anything special."

Conan and Bai Ye looked at each other, and Bai Ye said thoughtfully: "The slight footsteps and the smell of smoke may not be unrelated. The person who picked up the pistol is likely hiding among those seemingly ordinary passers-by. While we are in the hot spring village, we must pay special attention to the people around us, especially those who behave abnormally or have flickering eyes."

Conan pondered for a moment, then added: "Also, we can pay attention to whether there have been similar gun theft cases in the surrounding areas recently, and check the police station's internal case database to see if there are any case records with similar methods. Maybe we can find some clues to determine the whereabouts of this pistol and the possible conspiracy behind it."

Although the probability of such an event is small, after all, no one knows where the person who picked up the pistol will appear.

If the other party does not appear near the hot spring town, then they will have wasted their time and energy.

But it is always better to be safe than sorry. What if they bet right?

They can't let go of any hope.

Maori Kogoro sighed and said helplessly: "This is the only way. I hope we can gain something. If we can really find a clue and solve this matter, it will be a great achievement." Just when everyone was discussing heatedly, Maori Ran came back from the bathroom. She walked lightly and looked at the serious expressions of the three people with a puzzled look. Her curiosity was instantly aroused, and she couldn't help asking: "What are you talking about? Why are you all so serious?"

Maori Kogoro was shocked when he saw this, and waved his hands hastily, trying to cover it up in a seemingly relaxed manner: "Nothing, just a casual chat, some insignificant little things, don't take it to heart."

As an old father who loves his daughter, he doesn't want this difficult matter to ruin his daughter's good mood on the trip and cast a shadow on her journey.

In his heart, his daughter's smile is the most precious treasure and cannot be destroyed in the slightest.

Bai Ye and Maori Kogoro looked at each other and laughed as well, tacitly putting aside the serious topic just now, "That's right, it's just a casual chat, no big deal.

Conan's expression changed instantly, and he showed an innocent and bright smile, as if the tense and serious discussion just now had never happened: "Sister Xiaolan, we are guessing what fun things will be in the hot spring village. There may be a lot of delicious food and various interesting hot spring activities."

Mao Lilan frowned slightly, obviously doubtful about the answer and not very satisfied, "Really? Are you sure you are not discussing the gun?"

Bai Ye saw this and smiled slightly, trying to ease the atmosphere: "Xiao Lan, don't think too much, we are really just discussing the next trip. After all, this trip is for relaxation, and no one wants to be disturbed by some unimportant things."

Mao Lilan's eyes swept back and forth between the three people's faces, as if trying to find some clues from their expressions. However, the three of them acted very naturally, without any flaws. She sighed softly, and finally chose to believe them: "Okay, since you all said so, I won't ask any more questions. But if there is anything, you must tell me."

With her intelligence, how could she not see that Bai Ye and others were not telling the truth.

However, after all, among these three people, one is her father who raised her with great difficulty and gave her endless fatherly love; one is her boyfriend whom she has been thinking about and with whom she is in love; and one is her childhood sweetheart who grew up with her and with whom she has a deep friendship.

She believed that the reason why they didn't tell her the truth was for her own good, and she was also convinced that they would never harm her.

Maori Kogoro nodded quickly, with a smile on his face: "Of course, of course, you are our little princess, how could we hide anything from you?"

Conan also agreed repeatedly, trying to make Mao Lilan believe that it was just a casual chat: "Yes, Xiaolan sister, we are a team, and we will face anything together."

Bai Ye gently patted Mao Lilan's shoulder and said in a gentle tone: "Okay, Xiaolan. We just want to give you a surprise and guess the interesting things about the hot spring town in advance so that you can look forward to this trip."

He blinked deliberately, his eyes full of teasing and pampering, as if to say: "Don't worry, we won't let you down."

Mao Lilan looked at the sincere expressions of the three people and frowned slightly, with a hint of suspicion in her eyes. She glanced at everyone and found that everyone looked relaxed and seemed to have nothing to hide. She stopped investigating and just muttered softly, "You guys are always so mysterious. I don't know what you are doing."

Maori Kogoro was relieved to see that his daughter stopped asking questions, and quickly changed the subject: "By the way, Xiaolan, you went to the bathroom for so long, were you thinking about how to take the hot spring bath tonight to be the most comfortable?"

Hearing this, Mao Lilan blushed slightly and hit her father lightly, her tone full of shyness and intimacy as a girl: "Dad, you are talking nonsense again!"

She turned to look at Bai Ye and Conan, with a hint of anticipation in her eyes: "But to be honest, the hot spring town sounds really good. I heard that the hot springs there are natural, rich in various minerals, and are especially good for the skin. There are also many local specialties and interesting activities. I can't wait."

Conan took the opportunity to come over, his eyes bright and lively: "Sister Xiaolan, when the time comes, can we go to the hot springs together? I heard that the night view of the hot spring town is also very beautiful, maybe we can even see the stars."

Taking a hot spring bath with his daughter Xiaolan, that kind of thing, just thinking about it made his heart beat like a little rabbit, and all kinds of beautiful scenes emerged in his mind involuntarily.

Mao Lilan was amused by Conan's cute appearance and couldn't help showing a sweet smile: "Okay, then we will go to see the stars and eat delicious food together. I believe that this trip will be very interesting."

As for taking a hot spring bath together, well, that little idiot, forget it!

After all, other people didn't know who the other person was, so how could she not know?

She didn't want to take a hot spring bath with a man of the same age, and she didn't want her boyfriend to misunderstand her because of it.

With Mao Lilan's smile, the atmosphere finally relaxed.

The four of them continued to discuss their next itinerary, as if the tense atmosphere just now had never existed.

However, there was still a hint of barely perceptible worry in the eyes of Kogoro Mouri and Conan.

They knew that this trip might not be as peaceful as it seemed. In particular, the shadow of the missing pistol was like a heavy dark cloud that always hung over their hearts and could not be shaken off...

(End of this chapter)