Ke Xue: The thief Cao is actually myself

Chapter 696 Heart-Pounding Battle! (Seeking monthly votes!)
"Ta Tata..."

The footsteps, like heavy hammer blows, stopped abruptly at the door again. Conan's heart leaped into his throat, as if it would jump out of his throat at any moment.

Fortunately, judging from the subsequent movements, the person seemed to be just pacing around the area unconsciously, and did not seem to notice his unusual behavior.

Moreover, Conan gleaned some crucial good news from their subsequent conversation.

“However, Kogoro Mouri is a detective with some reputation, and he has a certain degree of fame in Tokyo. If we rashly take action against his family, it could very likely cause unnecessary trouble.” The masked man’s voice carried a somber, thoughtful tone. “Therefore, we need to carefully consider this matter before taking action against his family, and we cannot act hastily.”

The man in sunglasses pondered for a moment, then nodded. "Hmm, what you said makes a lot of sense. So, let's make the plan even more meticulous. For example, we can observe him secretly for a while, and wait until Kogoro Mouri, this so-called famous detective, gradually reveals his true colors without Shinichi Kudo's support, and slowly disappears from the public eye. Then, we can find an opportunity to make our move, and it will be done without anyone noticing, and it won't cause too much of a stir."

Fumiyo Edogawa frowned slightly, a complex mix of emotions welling up inside her. She felt a deep worry for her companion's insane idea, yet also a sense of helplessness in the face of the organization's orders. She quickly chimed in, "That's right, that's right. Even if we send their whole family to their doom this way, it probably won't attract too much attention. But in the time before we deal with them, we must focus all our efforts on completing the transaction the organization assigned us. We mustn't let a small mistake ruin the bigger picture and jeopardize the organization's grand plan."

The masked man gave a soft "hmm," then said in an icy tone, "There's no need to worry too much about the deal; just proceed as planned. As for this brat, no matter what, we absolutely cannot let him escape our control."

As he spoke, he seemed to glance at Conan through the crack in the door, as if intentionally or unintentionally.

Conan barely dared to breathe, his heart pounding in his chest like a frantically beating war drum. At the same time, his mind raced, searching for a solution. Since they didn't seem to be planning to attack the Mori family immediately, it meant he still had time to escape and quickly warn Uncle Mori and the others to prepare for battle.

"By the way, speaking of which, after learning that the drug can shrink people..." As if unwilling to let the masked man pay too much attention to Conan, or perhaps having other plans in mind, Fumiyo Edogawa quickly changed the subject, "What exactly are you planning to do?"

A chillingly cruel smile instantly appeared on the masked man's face, like a demon from hell eyeing the soul of its prey. "In short, let's kill that man we're trading with tomorrow cleanly and efficiently first, and then find a suitable opportunity to take care of this brat as well!"

"Haven't I repeatedly emphasized this to you already?" Fumiyo Edogawa finally couldn't hold back any longer, her voice filled with obvious anxiety and helplessness. She couldn't help but shout, "The organization has clearly demanded a thorough investigation into the side effects on this brat! My superiors have also clearly and explicitly ordered me to bring him back unharmed. Are you pretending not to understand?"

"Hmph..." The masked man snorted coldly, his eyes full of disdain, as if he were scoffing at Edogawa Fumiyo's words. "Someone who knows the organization's secrets still dares to dream of keeping him alive? He's just daydreaming!"

Fumiyo Edogawa wanted to argue a few more points, trying to turn the tide: "But..."

"Stop talking... No buts!"

The masked man whirled around, his movements as swift as a leopard. His gun was instantly aimed at Fumiyo Edogawa, his eyes as cold as unyielding ice, resolute and ruthless. "I've made up my mind! No one can change my mind!"

Fumiyo Edogawa stared in horror, her hands trembling uncontrollably as she reached for her heart, as if it were about to stop beating. She said incredulously, "You're pointing a gun at your own people? Are you crazy? Besides, taking that brat back is a firm order from above. If you openly disobey, none of us will get away with it!"

Seeing that things were getting out of hand, the man in sunglasses quickly stepped forward to dissuade him: "Yes, calm down. We're all comrades working for the organization. Why make things so tense?"

"Enough! My mind is made up, and there is no going back!"

The masked man remained expressionless, like a cold stone statue, his tone exuding unquestionable authority. "Furthermore, if that brat were truly as important as they claim, the organization would naturally have dispatched capable individuals to handle him. Since that lord didn't specifically instruct me on anything, it means he's not that important at all! Now, our primary task is to ensure this brat doesn't become a problem for us and ruin the organization's grand plans!"

Fumiyo Edogawa was terrified, her body trembling uncontrollably. Her hand trembled as she touched her heart, her eyes filled with resentment and helplessness. But under the threat of the gun in the masked man's hand, she had no choice but to submit and whispered, "I understand."

Seeing this, the man in sunglasses could only helplessly shut his mouth and say nothing more.

For a moment, the room fell into a suffocating silence, as if time itself had frozen in the tense and oppressive atmosphere.

“Speaking of which…” Seeing that Fumiyo Edogawa and the man in sunglasses were no longer arguing, the masked man slowly put away his gun, the ferocity on his face gradually fading, and he seemed to regain some calm. “Have you already told that man the location of tomorrow’s transaction as usual?”

Fumiyo Edogawa took a deep breath, trying to calm her turbulent emotions, but perhaps because of what the masked man had just done, her voice still trembled slightly: "Let's stick to the old method we've always used!"

The masked man nodded, looking as if he had everything under control, and said, "The transaction is set for 1 PM. We need to get a good night's sleep now, recharge our energy, and prepare for tomorrow's operation! We absolutely cannot afford any mistakes!"

"Hmm!" The man in sunglasses and Fumiyo Edogawa nodded silently. After the three of them whispered a few more words, their footsteps gradually faded away, as if they were going to find a place to rest.

Conan's tense nerves relaxed slightly when he heard them leave, but he knew he was still in danger and could not afford to be careless.

At that moment, he had only one thought in his mind: to escape this dangerous place as soon as possible, to inform the police and Uncle Mori about the Black Organization's conspiracy, and to stop their evil deeds.

Thinking this, he turned his gaze back to the half-open toolbox in the corner, where the faintly visible wine bottles caught his attention once again.

However, Conan knew very well that although the masked man and the others had gone to rest, they were probably not yet in a deep sleep. If he made any noise, he could very likely wake them from their light sleep.

Therefore, he needs to continue to wait patiently.

The best time to escape, without a doubt, is after Fumiyo Edogawa and the others have fallen into a deep sleep.

Therefore, he could only continue to suppress his anxiety and wait patiently.

"Hoo..." After an unknown amount of time, accompanied by a faint, snoring sound, Conan's eyes lit up slightly, knowing that the right opportunity he had been waiting for had finally arrived.

However, to ensure absolute certainty and maximize the chances of a successful escape, he suppressed his anxiety, which was like that of an ant on a hot pan, and waited a little longer.

Only when the sound of his deep sleep became clearer and more steady did he slowly take a deep breath, enduring the excruciating discomfort that came from being tied up for so long, and begin to move slowly and laboriously toward the toolbox.

Because his hands and feet had been tightly bound for too long, every small step he took was accompanied by a piercing pain as if he were being stabbed by a sharp blade, as if all the joints in his body were protesting strongly in this painful way.

But at this moment, Conan was filled with the belief of escaping, and he couldn't care less about the pain that followed him. After all, if he couldn't escape in time, not only would his own life be in danger, but Ran Mouri and the others he cared about so much would also likely face annihilation.

He would rather suffer more pain himself than let the people he cares about be in danger.

"Okay, wrap the bottle in a blanket, then smash it..."

After a difficult struggle, he finally managed to reach the toolbox.

He then carefully wrapped the bottle in a blanket, each movement slow and cautious, to avoid making even the slightest noise that might alert the masked man and others outside the door.

"Now cut the rope with the shards..."

Trembling, he picked up a shard of glass from a broken bottle, its edges sharp, and began to frantically cut the ropes binding his hands.

The sharp edges of the glass rubbed against the rope, producing a faint but exceptionally clear hissing sound in the silent space. Each friction felt like it was cutting directly into his nerves, causing his heart to beat faster involuntarily.

Sweat streamed down his forehead like beads from a broken string, quickly blurring his vision. But he held only one belief in his heart: he could not stop for even a moment.

After an unknown amount of time, through his almost obstinate persistence, the ropes were finally worn through, and his hands were freed. Ignoring the stinging pain from the abraded wounds on his wrists, Conan quickly untied the restraints on his feet.

He gently moved his hands and feet, which ached so much they were almost numb, trying to get the blood circulating more smoothly and to conserve as much strength as possible for his escape. Then, like a cautious night owl, Conan tiptoed slowly toward the door.

As he walked, the old wooden floor seemed to deliberately provoke him, creaking and groaning under his feet. Each sound was like a loud announcement of his presence to an enemy lurking in the darkness, instantly making his heart leap into his throat.

He tried his best to lighten his steps, but the sound was still particularly abrupt and jarring in the otherwise silent space where even breathing could be heard clearly.

Fortunately, the masked man and the others seemed to be sleeping soundly, and the annoying noise did not wake them from their sweet dreams, which was a stroke of good luck amidst misfortune.

Reaching the doorway, Conan slowly crouched down and cautiously peered through the crack in the door.

The next moment, three figures, some leaning back in chairs and others lying lazily on the sofa, sound asleep, came into his view.

"Great, all three of them are asleep."

Looking at the scene outside the door, Conan couldn't help but feel a surge of joy.

"However, that man even wore a mask while sleeping, which was really creepy!"

Conan pondered to himself, his heart filled with curiosity about the face hidden beneath that mask.

Of course, reason told him that this was not the time to satisfy his curiosity.

At this critical moment, removing the mask from the masked man's face would be tantamount to courting death.

As for when to uncover the masked man's true identity, it will naturally be after he successfully escapes this place and leads the police to capture the masked man and his accomplices. At that time, it won't be too late to resolve this doubt in my heart.

After taking a deep look at the sleeping masked man and the others, Conan frowned and turned his gaze to the window.

At present, although the masked man and others have fallen into a deep sleep, the living room where they are located is like an insurmountable barrier, which is right in front of his carefully planned escape route.

To successfully escape from here, you must pass through the living room.

The key point is that the masked man and the others were just asleep, not unconscious. In addition, these people came from the Black Organization, so their alertness and sharpness must be far beyond that of ordinary people.

In this situation, choosing to escape from the living room direction is undoubtedly not a wise choice.

One wrong move and you could be caught on the spot by the masked man and his gang.

Since he couldn't choose the direction of the living room, he was left with only one other option: the window.

"But how do we get out from the second floor?"

Conan stood by the window, gazing at the snow-covered, white world outside, his brows furrowed into a deep frown.

"Although there is snow below, jumping down from here is far too dangerous!"

Jumping from the second floor rashly, even with the snow providing some cushioning, would still likely result in injury. And if injured, his mobility would be severely limited, making it virtually impossible for him to escape the Black Organization's pursuit.

He had to come up with a more reliable and comprehensive solution.

Thinking this, Conan's eyes darted anxiously around the room, not missing a single corner, trying to find other objects that could be used...

(End of this chapter)