Ke Xue: The thief Cao is actually myself

Chapter 694 He's still just a child! (Seeking monthly votes!)
"Well……"

Time passed slowly in this slightly oppressive atmosphere, as if each second was stretched out. Finally, Conan's familiar groan rang out again.

Bai Ye glanced at Kudo Yukiko, whose complex expression was a mixture of worry and helplessness, then turned to look at Kudo Yusaku beside her. He then calmly stood up, his face still bearing that enigmatic smile that seemed to conceal endless secrets, and said, "Mr. Yusaku, Ms. Yukiko, it seems that our long-awaited plan can finally officially begin!"

"Okay, let's proceed according to the original plan."

Yusaku Kudo and Byakuya exchanged a glance, and an uncontrollable gleam of excitement flashed in both of their eyes.

After all, they had poured a lot of effort into this meticulously planned and long-prepared "prank," and now that it was finally about to begin, how could anyone not be excited?

Yukiko Kudo forced a smile, clenched her fists, and tried to calm her tangled emotions, preparing to face whatever was to come.

Her heart was filled with confusion and fear, wondering what unknown challenges awaited her behind this chaotic emotional entanglement and amusing pranks.

But she knew in her heart that she had already embarked on a path of no return, and could only muster her courage and grit her teeth to keep going...

The three of them began their preparations according to the plan.

Yusaku Kudo busied himself checking the mechanisms and gadgets that had been meticulously set up to prank Conan, making sure everything went smoothly.

Bai Ye assisted from the side, seemingly focused on the task at hand, but his eyes would occasionally drift towards Kudo Yukiko, as if reminding her of his presence and the unresolved entanglement between them.

Yukiko Kudo tried her best to focus on her preparations, but her mind was constantly occupied by various thoughts. She worried that Byakuya might do something outrageous while playing pranks on Conan, and she was also afraid that she might accidentally reveal a weakness when facing Yusaku Kudo, causing more trouble.

This double worry followed her like a shadow, leaving her exhausted, but she had no choice but to persevere.

Soon, everything was ready.

They arrived outside Conan's room and peered through the crack in the door, watching Conan pretending to be fast asleep, completely unaware of the "surprise" that was about to unfold.

Yusaku Kudo made a gesture, and the three of them quickly got into character, quietly hiding in their pre-arranged positions as planned, ready to give Conan a "surprise"...

……

A chill washed over me like a tidal wave, and my body trembled slightly uncontrollably...

"Unfamiliar ceiling..."

Conan let out a faint, almost inaudible groan, slowly opened his eyes, his gaze filled with confusion and bewilderment.

He felt dizzy and his consciousness was still a bit blurry, as if he had just struggled to wake up from a nightmare.

Conan blinked laboriously, still seemingly a little dazed, but soon his sharp gaze fell upon himself—he was currently bound hand and foot, the ropes tightly constricting his body, causing him excruciating pain with every movement.

The glaring incandescent light overhead forced him to squint. After his eyes adjusted, he finally made out his surroundings—a spacious, somewhat dilapidated kitchen, its walls covered in mottled marks, seemingly telling tales of bygone years. A musty, stale, and murky smell filled the air, making him feel uneasy.

"Where am I? This looks like a kitchen? But why am I here?"

Conan's mind was in a mess as he tried to recall what had happened.

Soon, memories flooded his mind like a burst dam. He clearly remembered being suddenly drugged from behind, and in the last moments before losing consciousness, he saw Edogawa Fumiyo, who was disguised as his mother, the mysterious man in black, and Professor Agasa, who was unaware of the approaching danger and was slowly driving into the ambush.

Upon realizing this, Conan's face instantly turned ashen, and a powerful fear surged through his body like an electric current.

Could it be that he was really 'kidnapped' by the accomplices of the two men in black who had forced him to take drugs and turned him into a child?
A strong sense of crisis gripped him, causing his heart to pound rapidly, as if it were about to burst out of his chest.

He didn't know why the Black Organization had kidnapped him, but recalling the words he heard before he fainted, he couldn't help but seriously suspect that his identity as high school detective Shinichi Kudo might have been exposed.

Given the Black Organization's consistently ruthless nature, once his identity is confirmed, they are likely to target those around him. Professor Agasa, Ran, Uncle Mori... everyone close to him could be in grave danger.

Thinking of this, Conan was extremely anxious, his heart filled with worry and self-blame.

He immediately tried to get up and run away, but the dizziness that felt like being hit by a heavy hammer in his head, and the waves of discomfort that surged through his body, were like invisible shackles that bound him tightly, making it difficult for him to move.

"Damn it, my head is still spinning!"

Conan couldn't help but mutter a curse under his breath, his voice tinged with anger and helplessness. Then, he gritted his teeth, trying to shake off the unpleasant dizziness with sheer willpower.

He struggled desperately, trying to flip himself up from the ground, but because his hands and feet were tightly bound, his balance was completely disrupted, and he stumbled and almost fell straight to the ground.

Fortunately, he reacted quickly, and thanks to his good physical fitness and adaptability developed through regular training, he managed to avoid making too much of a commotion.

"The second floor?" Conan finally regained his balance and, ignoring his discomfort, looked around. With his keen observation skills, he made a judgment: "So, they took me to the second floor of this house while I was unconscious!"

Conan cautiously approached the window, carefully observing his surroundings through the narrow crack. As his observation deepened, his brow furrowed more and more. The second floor, while not particularly high by conventional standards, made his current bound and gagged situation exceptionally difficult.

Moreover, although the ground floor was covered with snow and the windows were not completely closed, jumping down in this restrained state would not only make it impossible to escape, but would also likely result in serious injury, making escape even more difficult.

"Damn it, what should I do? And is Professor Agasa still safe? Has anyone else been captured by those men in black like me...?"

Conan was extremely anxious, filled with worry and anxiety about his own situation and Professor Agasa's personal safety.

Just as Conan was racking his brains, desperately trying to figure out a way to escape, a slightly unfamiliar, gloomy male voice suddenly rang out like a thunderclap in the silent space, instantly attracting all his attention, "What? You haven't killed him yet?"

Immediately following was a female voice that he knew all too well. It was none other than the fat woman who claimed to be his mother—Edogawa Fumiyo. Her voice trembled slightly, as if she was trying her best to explain something, or as if she was pleading with him, "Please don't make things difficult for me, okay... This is an order from my superiors!"

"Hmph, orders from above? I think you're just being soft-hearted! If he gets away, we're all doomed!" The unfamiliar male voice grew increasingly angry, its tone filled with a naked threat, like a sharp blade that sent chills down one's spine.

Conan felt a chill run down his spine. Judging from the conversation, could it be that these people had received orders to kill him?
No, I can't just sit here and wait to die. I have to find a way to escape and check on Professor Agasa's safety as soon as possible, otherwise the consequences will be unimaginable.

He suppressed the dizziness that felt like his head had been struck by a heavy hammer, and the waves of discomfort coursing through his body, and dragged his heavy, weak body toward the door with difficulty. Then, he pricked up his ears, listening intently to the conversation outside, trying to glean as much useful information as possible from their fragmented words, searching for even the slightest possibility of escape from this desperate situation.

He knew that every second was precious and could not be wasted. He had to remain absolutely calm in order to find a glimmer of hope for escape from this desperate situation.

"It really is that woman who claims to be Fumiyo Edogawa!"

Conan held his breath and cautiously pressed himself against the crack in the door. However, in the next second, a bone-chilling cold instantly spread from the soles of his feet to his entire body—

Through the crack, he could clearly see his old acquaintance, Fumiyo Edogawa. Standing beside her, besides the young man in sunglasses who had drugged him, was a man in black wearing a strangely smiling mask!
The smile on the mask seemed particularly sinister and terrifying in the tense atmosphere, as if it concealed endless malice.

"But who is that masked man standing in front of her? Could he be another member of the Black Organization?"

Conan had a strong impression of the man in sunglasses, after all, it was this man who had drugged him when he wasn't looking near Professor Agasa's residence. Moreover, from the man's words at the time, Conan could tell that this man must be an accomplice of Fumiyo Edogawa.

But this masked man was someone he had never seen before.

At this moment, a doubt arose in his mind: Did this person belong to the same gang as the man in sunglasses, Edogawa Fumiyo?
Well, judging from their positions, the masked man is probably with Edogawa Fumiyo and the man in sunglasses. Moreover, judging from their attitude towards him and the aura emanating from the masked man, his status seems to be above that of Edogawa Fumiyo and the man in sunglasses.

However, within a single day, he unexpectedly came into contact with three accomplices of the men in black. For a moment, Conan was at a loss for words, unsure whether to lament his extraordinary luck or his terrible misfortune...

As he silently complained, Fumiyo Edogawa's voice rang out again, this time with a hint of obvious reluctance, "But... but he's just a child!"

Conan's heart skipped a beat. Judging from the tone of their conversation, the fat woman who called herself Fumiyo Edogawa didn't seem to want to hurt him. Perhaps he could try to find a way out of his current predicament by talking to her.

With this in mind, he dared not relax for a moment and continued to listen intently, trying to extract more key information from the subsequent conversation.

"A child? He's no ordinary child! Don't forget what our mission is!" the masked man said viciously, his voice seemingly coming from the depths of hell, filled with coldness and ruthlessness, leaving no room for negotiation.

"Of course I won't forget our mission, but that's precisely why we can't kill him!" Fumiyo Edogawa hurriedly defended himself.

"Oh why?"

The masked man snorted coldly and threatened, "If you can't give me a reasonable explanation, don't blame me for being impolite!"

Fumiyo Edogawa hurriedly explained, her voice tinged with anxiety, "Because his superiors said his drug side effects were an exception, so they had to bring him back to the organization."

The man in sunglasses chimed in, "That's right. This is a miracle that has been hard-won. If it can be successfully replicated and rejuvenation achieved, it will bring unprecedented changes to the organization and may even change the entire world order."

As he spoke, a fanatical light gleamed in the man's eyes, as if he could already see the new world they would rule.

So that's why they haven't killed me yet.

As Conan suddenly realized this, he also understood that he had to seize this opportunity and devise a way to escape as soon as possible. Otherwise, if he were taken back to the organization, he would face even more brutal torture, and might even pose a greater danger to those around him.

With this in mind, he continued to listen intently, not missing a single subtle sound, hoping to find more useful clues to help him complete his escape plan...

The masked man remained silent for a moment, seemingly weighing the pros and cons. Then, he spoke slowly, his tone still icy: "Fine, since it's the superior's order, we'll spare his life for now. However, you two keep a close eye on him. If anything goes wrong before bringing him back to the organization, you know the consequences!"

Fumiyo Edogawa and the man in sunglasses exchanged a glance and nodded hurriedly, "Yes, yes, don't worry, we will definitely keep an eye on him."

Hearing this from inside the door, Conan secretly breathed a sigh of relief, knowing his life was temporarily safe, but he knew his situation was still dangerous.

Therefore, he must find a way to escape as soon as possible, not only for himself, but also for Professor Agasa and others who may be threatened.

He began to carefully observe the room's surroundings, hoping to find some tools that could help him escape...

(End of this chapter)