Ke Xue: The thief Cao is actually myself

Chapter 622 A new storm has appeared! (Please give me a monthly ticket!)

"Xiaolan, Bai Ye..."

While they were talking in low voices, Nakamichi and Zhi, who were walking in front, seemed to have noticed something. He suddenly stopped and looked back at them, forcing a stiff smile on his face: "What are you two talking about? Are you so engrossed in the conversation?"

As he spoke, his eyes glanced back and forth between Bai Ye and Mao Li Ran with a subtle hint of vigilance and suspicion, like a frightened wild beast, always on guard against potential threats.

Mao Lilan's heart suddenly shrank when she heard this, as if it was grasped by a cold and powerful invisible hand, and her breathing became rapid instantly. Fortunately, she had been with her boyfriend Bai Ye for a long time, and she had experienced many dangerous situations, and gradually honed a calm and strong heart.

She made a prompt decision and stopped talking to Bai Ye instantly. Then, a pure and innocent smile suddenly appeared on her face. She said coquettishly, "Uncle Zhongdao, let's just chat. They say that the fireworks show will be very lively. I can't wait to see those beautiful fireworks."

As she spoke, she gently and affectionately shook Bai Ye's arm beside her. The gesture was natural and intimate, and her expression was lively and playful. They looked just like a couple immersed in sweet love and looking forward to participating in the grand event. Their every move was full of longing and yearning for the fireworks display. Anyone who saw it would only feel warm and beautiful, and would never have any doubts.

Bai Ye also understood and cooperated perfectly, with a smile as warm as the spring breeze on his face. That smile was warm and sincere, without a trace of deliberateness. He nodded and agreed, "Yes, Uncle Zhongdao, I have heard that this fireworks display is grand and exciting, and I have been looking forward to seeing it with my own eyes. I was just discussing with Xiaolan which location to go to first, so that we can avoid the crowded crowds and enjoy the beautiful fireworks."

His tone was relaxed and casual, his eyes were open and clear, without a trace of deliberate disguise, and every detail was just right, as if he had just been discussing the topic of the fireworks display with his girlfriend, immersed in the joy of enjoying the gorgeous fireworks.

Zhongdao Hezhi stared at them closely, his eyes like a sharp blade, trying to find a flaw in their expressions and words to judge the truth of their words. After staring for a while, he slowly spoke, and a more stiff and ugly smile appeared at the corner of his mouth. There seemed to be a trace of unwillingness in that smile, and it seemed that he was pretending to be calm, with a bit of helplessness and doubt: "Is that so? Then you have to hurry up, the fireworks display will not wait for anyone, and the wonderful fireworks display may start soon."

After saying that, he looked at the two of them deeply again before turning around and continuing to walk forward. His back seemed relaxed, but in fact he was secretly on guard. Every step he took was cautious, as if there were a pair of prying eyes hiding behind him.

Looking at the back of Nakamichi Kazushi walking away, Mao Lilan and Bai Ye looked at each other. The smiles on their faces just disappeared without a trace in an instant, and were replaced by slightly frowned brows, revealing her many doubts about Nakamichi Kazushi.

Through Nakamichi Kazushi's performance, Mao Lilan now feels that her elder's behavior is more and more strange. Every move and every word seems to be hiding a secret.

I just don't know what the other party is planning, and how many secrets they are hiding.

What puzzled her even more was what kind of secret could make Nakamichi Kazushi, a detective of the Chiba Prefectural Police Department, so anxious and frightened that he would even go against his professional ethics and try every means to conceal it?
What kind of shocking secret is the truth behind this?
The more Mao Lilan thought about it, the more she felt that things were not simple, and her curiosity and desire to explore were ignited.

Thinking of this, Mao Lilan subconsciously pursed her pink lips, which turned slightly white due to her inner tension and thinking. Then, she took a deep breath and quickened her pace to catch up.

When everyone stepped out of the door of the hot spring hotel and walked towards the fireworks festival venue, the bustling streets outside and the depressing and dull atmosphere inside the hotel formed a very sharp contrast.

On the streets, the lively atmosphere of the fireworks display hits you like a surging tide, and the laughter of the crowd and the hawkers’ cries are intertwined to form a sea of ​​joy.

The colorful lanterns swayed gently in the breeze, emitting a soft and warm light, making the entire street look like a dream.

However, she didn't know if it was Mao Lilan's illusion, but she always felt that behind this seemingly happy and peaceful scene, there was an indescribable tension and uneasiness in the air.

This feeling is like the calm before the storm, making people inexplicably flustered.

She had a premonition that this seemingly ordinary day was destined not to pass peacefully. A bigger storm might be approaching quietly not far away, and they were about to be caught in the center of the storm and face the truth and crisis hidden in the darkness.
With this idea in mind, Mao Lilan pretended to be relaxed along the way, cleverly disguising herself as an ordinary girl immersed in the joyful atmosphere of the fireworks festival.

Her eyes seemed to wander around aimlessly. Sometimes she seemed attracted by the colorful and unique shop signs on the street and her eyes stayed there for a long time. Sometimes she seemed to be infected by the unrestrained laughter and playfulness of passers-by and the corners of her mouth unconsciously rose.

But in fact, her attention was firmly fixed on Nakamichi Kazushi in front of her. Every subtle movement and every unintentional turn of his head were keenly seen by Mao Lilan.

At the same time, her mind was rapidly sorting out the known clues. Those seemingly unrelated fragmentary details kept interweaving and colliding in her mind, trying to piece together a complete puzzle of the truth.

Why did Nakamichi Kazushi repeatedly prevent people from meeting Horikoshi Yumi? What was his ulterior motive? Was it emotional entanglement or interests?

Is all this intricately and inextricably linked to the grand and lively fireworks display that is about to begin?
The more Mao Lilan thought about it, the more confused she felt, as if she was in a huge mystery. The key to solving the mystery might be hidden in this fireworks display, hidden in a corner under the lively appearance, waiting for her to dig and discover...

……

"Wow! So beautiful!"

"Yes, it's really beautiful! This trip was really worth it!"

“I hope I can come here again next year to watch the fireworks!”

When everyone arrived at the venue of the fireworks display, colorful fireworks were blooming in the night sky. The huge noise made the air tremble, and wave after wave of sound seemed to drown the whole world.

The cheers and exclamations of the crowd intertwined to form a sea of ​​joy. Everyone's face was illuminated by the fireworks, and they were immersed in this splendid atmosphere and enjoyed this wonderful moment to the fullest.

"Hey! Xiaolan, we are here."

Because they set off early, Kogoro Mori had already grabbed a great seat and was now sitting on the ground, enjoying the beautiful fireworks with Atsushi Omura and Conan.

As soon as he noticed the appearance of Mao Li Ran, he waved his arms excitedly and shouted, trying to attract Mao Li Ran's full attention.

Mao Lilan's eyes lit up instantly and she said happily, "Dad!" Her voice was full of joy and intimacy of seeing her relatives. It was crisp, pleasant, cheerful and lively. It sounded particularly beautiful in this lively atmosphere, like the sound of nature.

Conan looked at Mao Lilan and Bai Ye walking hand in hand, and his face suddenly looked a little ugly. He opened his mouth slightly and was about to say something, but at this moment, another firework exploded in the sky, and the deafening sound instantly drowned out the words he was about to blurt out.

"Huh? Why are there only two of you?"

Kogoro Mouri did not notice his jealousy, but his face was full of confusion. He looked back and forth between Mouri Ran and Byakuya, his brows slightly furrowed, his eyes full of confusion.

Didn’t you say to call for help?
How come it's still the same crew until now, not one more or one less?

Didn’t you call anyone over?

Yumi, that girl, loves sleeping so much that she even refuses to attend the fireworks display just to sleep?
"Ah, just the two of us? Dad, what are you talking about? Uncle Nakamichi, Uncle Yukio, Aunt Noriko and the others are here too!"

Mao Lilan was slightly stunned and quickly turned around to look around, only to find that Bai Ye was indeed the only one left by her side.

As for Nakamichi Kazushi and Ayashiro Yukio, they had long disappeared.

"How come everyone is gone? We were clearly walking together just now!"

There was a hint of anxiety in Mao Lilan's tone unconsciously. She subconsciously clenched the corner of her clothes, and her slender fingers turned slightly white due to the force, revealing her inner anxiety.

On the one hand, the fireworks display site is now crowded with people, and the noise is deafening. If you are not careful, it is very easy to cause trampling accidents, and it is easy to get separated from your companions;
On the other hand, Nakamichi and Zhi's previous suspicious behavior, those evasive words and dodgy looks made her involuntarily speculate the worst.

She was very worried that her elders might encounter danger.

Bai Ye squeezed her little hand and comforted her, "Don't worry, Xiaolan, they should just be separated by the crowd. There are too many people!"

Mao Lilan pursed her pink lips, which turned slightly white due to her inner tension and worry. "Is this right?"

As she spoke, her eyes scanned the crowd around her, trying to find those familiar figures.

The couple Ayashiro Yukio and Ayashiro Noriko were probably separated from them accidentally because there were too many people around them and it was too crowded.

But for Zhongdao and Zhi, the situation is not so clear.

After all, the other party's previous actions were quite suspicious, and every move seemed like he was plotting something behind the scenes.

She seriously suspected that the previous probing between her and her boyfriend might have aroused the other party's vigilance. In order to get rid of their "surveillance" and continue to implement his ulterior "plan", he deliberately separated from them with the help of the surrounding crowds.

Hearing their discussion, Omura Jun stood up from the ground, patted the non-existent dust on his pants, and with a bit of enthusiasm on his face, he volunteered: "Is that so? Then... I'll go look over there."

After saying that, he turned and ran to the side with quick steps. His figure soon disappeared in the crowd, leaving only his hurried back.

"Hey, Chun, don't go..."

Seeing this, Maori Kogoro opened his mouth quickly, trying to stop him, but his voice was instantly drowned out by the noisy voices and fireworks around him, and dissipated in the lively air. What's more regrettable is that Omura Jun had already run far away, leaving only a blurry back, and soon disappeared in the torrent of the crowd.

Mao Lilan shook her head helplessly and sighed, with a hint of fatigue and helplessness in her words, like a silent complaint about the various unexpected situations along the way: "What a busy trip!"

Maori Kogoro was speechless, and sighed: "Yes!"

In this situation, going out to look for someone at this time is almost as difficult as ascending to heaven. Not to mention finding the person, even Omura Jun himself might get lost in this vast crowd and would not be able to come back in a short time.

Mao Lilan stood there, looking at the direction where Omura Jun disappeared, feeling anxious and helpless. She took out her cell phone and wanted to call Ayashiro Noriko and others, but found that the signal was only weak. With the interference of the crowded crowd and the noisy fireworks, the communication became extremely unstable.

"We can't just sit there and wait."

Mao Lilan made up her mind secretly. She turned to look at Bai Ye, her eyes revealing determination, then she leaned close to his ear and whispered, "Bai Ye, I don't think Uncle Nakamichi and Zhi would disappear for no reason. He must have gone to a place that is crucial to his plan. There are so many people at the fireworks festival, it is a good time for him to act. We must find out what he is planning, and Uncle Omura must not be in trouble. I can't let him be in danger because of helping us find someone."

At this moment, another bunch of fireworks exploded brilliantly in the night sky, illuminating her determined yet slightly worried face.
Bai Ye stared at Mao Lilan's determined face. Knowing that his girlfriend was kind-hearted, he nodded without hesitation. At the same time, he reached out and gently held Mao Lilan's hand, giving her strength and support: "Okay, but there are so many people here, we must be careful and not act rashly."

At this point, Bai Ye paused, then added, "I remember that the direction Zhongdao and Zhi disappeared last was the snack street over there. There are more people and it's noisier there. Maybe there are key clues hidden there. We can go there first."

Mao Lilan nodded slightly and replied softly: "Hmm..."

(End of this chapter)