Ke Xue: The thief Cao is actually myself

Chapter 697 Conan: I was terrified! (Seeking monthly votes!)
"I think I'd better hide in the refrigerator!"

Conan's gaze swept eagerly around the room, finally settling on the slightly worn-out refrigerator.

The refrigerator looked quite large, seemingly just big enough to fit his small body.

"Tick tock..."

However, just as he was about to move toward the refrigerator, a sudden and strange noise unexpectedly entered his ears, successfully attracting all his attention.

"Hey, what is this sound?"

Conan frowned slightly, his eyes revealing doubt and wariness. He looked in the direction of the sound, his gaze landing on the blanket he had used when he broke the bottle.

"When I smashed the bottle, the wine seemed to have all flowed down there." At first, Conan didn't pay much attention, thinking it was just a normal phenomenon of wine flowing naturally. But when he got closer and examined it carefully, his pupils suddenly contracted, and an expression of disbelief appeared on his face.

"Wait...this is it?"

Conan hurriedly reached out and lifted the blanket, only to find a hidden space underneath, just the right size for him, a small child, to hide inside.

Conan stared intently at that space, then turned his gaze to the nearby refrigerator. His eyes flickered slightly, and his thoughts raced.

The refrigerator, in terms of space, can indeed accommodate his small body.

However, there are significant risks involved.

If the masked man and his accomplices suddenly decide to find something to eat and casually open the refrigerator, he would be completely exposed. If he were to face them face-to-face, he would be utterly helpless and in despair.

But the hidden space beneath the blanket is different.

This location is in a blind spot of normal vision, making it relatively hidden and less likely to attract attention. Compared to a refrigerator, it offers a greater degree of security. If he can cleverly utilize this space to conceal himself properly, he could very well evade the masked man and his men's search.

Thinking this, Conan's eyes brightened. He felt that he might have really found a more ideal and safer hiding place than the refrigerator...

……

the next day.

"What? That brat is gone?"

When the masked man woke up to such devastating news, which was like a bolt from the blue, he felt an inexplicable anger surge up in his heart. His face instantly turned extremely gloomy, like the dark clouds before a storm, so black they seemed to drip water.

Looking at the ropes that had been cut and carelessly thrown on the ground, and the kid who should have been tied up here but was nowhere to be seen, Fumiyo Edogawa looked anxious and hurriedly said, "Yes, when I woke up, I found that he was gone!"

"Gone? A living person, how could they just vanish into thin air?"

The masked man spoke through gritted teeth, his eyes revealing a complex mix of ferocity and resentment. His mind raced, trying to glean from the faintest clues in his memory Conan's memory a possible hiding place or escape route.

“They must have escaped through the window…” Edogawa Fumiyo said, pointing quickly to the window beside him, his tone filled with unwavering certainty.

Upon hearing this, the masked man's face grew even uglier, and he couldn't help but grit his teeth and shout angrily, "Damn it!" With that, he rushed to the window like a gust of wind, eagerly peering down.

However, all he could see was a vast expanse of pure white snow, so pristine that there wasn't a trace of the little devil.

"He must have taken advantage of the snow while we were asleep..." Fumiyo Edogawa, peering out the window, speculated, her voice tinged with frustration, "...to jump down from here..."

"But even if he used the snow to cushion his fall, it's impossible for him to run so fast and so silently!"

The man in sunglasses stood to the side, his brows furrowed, his face full of confusion.

“We’re all top-notch members of the organization. If someone really escaped, there’s no way we wouldn’t have noticed!”

He also went to the window and carefully observed the situation outside, trying to find even the slightest clue in this seemingly calm and still snowfield.

"Hmph, this little devil is too clever for his own good; he might have some tricks up his sleeve that we don't know about!"

The masked man snorted coldly, a fierce glint flashing in his eyes. He then turned and paced rapidly back and forth in the room, his mind racing as he considered a countermeasure.

Fumiyo Edogawa said urgently, "No matter what methods he used, we have to chase after him quickly! We absolutely cannot let him get far away!!" With that, she turned around and hurriedly prepared to walk outside, determined to catch up with Conan who had escaped.

However, just as she reached the door, she found that the masked man and the man in sunglasses were still standing there, showing no sign of making any move. She couldn't help but ask anxiously, "What are you two doing? Hurry up and go find that brat!"

The masked man's eyes narrowed, and he said in a deep voice, "Wait a minute... that brat is still in the room!"

Fumiyo Edogawa looked astonished and asked, "What did you say?"

"Well, it's not impossible!"

The man in sunglasses stroked his chin and analyzed, "He made us think he had escaped, but actually, he was right here waiting for us to leave!"

He paused briefly, then slowly turned his gaze to the refrigerator beside him, a confident smile playing on his lips. "As for his hiding place, if I'm not mistaken, it should be here!" The masked man nodded slightly, a hint of certainty in his eyes. "That's right, it can only be here!" With that, he slowly pulled a pistol from his pocket, the dark muzzle pointing at the refrigerator, while simultaneously reaching slowly towards the refrigerator door…

Hearing the conversation between the masked man and the man in sunglasses, Conan, hiding under the blanket, felt as if his heart was being gripped tightly by an invisible and cold hand, and a strong sense of tension instantly swept through his entire body.

Oh no, has his hiding place been discovered?
Before he could react, the conversation in the living room abruptly stopped, replaced by a steady yet chilling sound of slow footsteps relentlessly approaching the location of the blanket.

The sound of footsteps, each one like a heavy hammer blow to Conan's heart, made his heart leap into his throat. His hands unconsciously clenched into fists, his nails digging deep into his palms, yet he was completely unaware.

At that moment, he dared not even breathe, as if his heartbeat had frozen. In extreme tension, his brain, like a frantically operating precision machine, frantically considered countermeasures at an extraordinary speed…

"Give me your life, you brat!"

With this furious shout filled with murderous intent, the masked man forcefully pulled open the refrigerator door.

However, to his surprise, when he opened the refrigerator, all he saw was an empty interior; there was no sign of the little devil they had expected hiding inside.

Having witnessed this scene, Fumiyo Edogawa crossed her arms, a slightly mocking expression on her face, and said coldly, "What's going on? I think you guessed wrong!"

The man in sunglasses narrowed his eyes slightly, a hint of anxiety flashing in them. He quickly said, "What do we do now? If this brat gets out and reveals our secrets..."

Meanwhile, Conan, hidden under the blanket, clearly heard their conversation, and a wave of tension washed over him.

He knew that he had only been lucky enough to escape danger temporarily, but the danger was still ever-present and had not truly gone away.

To completely eliminate the masked man and his threats, and protect those he cares about, he must patiently wait for the perfect opportunity. He must not only extract as much useful information as possible from the masked man's conversations, but also seize the moment to find the best chance to escape.

Thinking this, he carefully curled up in that small space, barely daring to breathe, his ears pressed tightly against the ground, listening intently to the sounds outside.

The masked man's brows furrowed deeply, a ruthless glint in his eyes. After a moment of contemplation, he said decisively, "Don't panic. He's just a child. Even if he runs away, it'll be difficult to contact the police in a short time. Let's set off immediately and proceed with the transaction as planned. After the transaction, we'll find a way to find him and deal with him. As for Kogoro Mouri's family, we can't wait any longer. We must act quickly to avoid any unforeseen complications."

"Yes!" Fumiyo Edogawa and the man in sunglasses exchanged a glance and replied in unison.

The three quickly packed their belongings and prepared to leave the room.

Just as they were about to step out of the room, the masked man suddenly stopped, his eyes scanning the room again as if searching for something. He felt something was amiss, but couldn't quite put his finger on it. "Wait," he said, "we can't let any possibility slip by so easily. You two thoroughly search the other rooms, including every corner and every piece of furniture. Don't overlook even the slightest clue."

"Let's start in the living room!"

"All right!"

The man in sunglasses and Fumiyo Edogawa exchanged a glance, a hint of helplessness flashing in their eyes, but they immediately turned around and began searching each room meticulously, almost like a carpet search.

They pressed down on the sofa repeatedly, carefully examining every dent to find any hidden mechanisms where Conan could hide. Even though the table was piled with all sorts of messy clutter, they didn't hesitate to pry it apart piece by piece, leaving no gap unchecked. Even the inconspicuous, narrow, almost imperceptible crevice in the corner of the wall couldn't escape their keen eyes and was scrutinized inch by inch.

The entire living room was instantly turned into a mess after their commotion, with items scattered haphazardly all over the floor, as if it had just been ravaged by a small storm.

Hearing the chaotic, heavy footsteps outside, Conan, hiding under the blanket, barely dared to breathe. His heart pounded wildly in his chest, as if it would burst out. The violent pounding was especially loud in the silent, tense atmosphere, and he even worried that the people outside would hear him. His brain was working at high speed, frantically searching for a way to escape.

After all, he knew very well that although the place where he was hiding was relatively secluded, it was only a matter of time before he was discovered by the meticulous search conducted by the man in sunglasses and his men.

His mind raced through every detail of the room, trying to dig out a key item or location from the corners of his memory that could turn the tide and help him escape...

Suddenly, his thoughts froze on one place—the refrigerator!
The refrigerator was the masked man's primary suspect from the beginning, and it had already been searched by them. However, precisely because of this, it created a blind spot effect, easily overlooked in people's subconscious.

After a fruitless search, people often subconsciously assume that there is no need to search this place anymore, and thus shift their attention to other places.

If I could hide inside the refrigerator right now, I might be able to escape this dangerous situation by using this unexpected hiding place.

However, although the man in sunglasses and Fumiyo Edogawa had gone to search other rooms, the masked man remained standing at the kitchen door like a cold-blooded guardian, never leaving for a moment.

In this situation, acting rashly is tantamount to walking into a trap, which will only expose oneself instantly and put oneself in a hopeless situation.

Therefore, he had to wait patiently until the other party searched other rooms before seizing the opportunity to move.

At that moment, Fumiyo Edogawa was frantically rummaging through drawers and cabinets in the living room, muttering to herself, "Where did that brat hide? Did he really run away?"

Her voice was filled with anxiety and deep doubt. As the search time ticked by, she still couldn't find any trace of Conan. Her movements became increasingly hurried and frantic, and the once neatly arranged items were scattered everywhere in disarray.

The man in sunglasses intently examined his surroundings, his eyes sharp, not missing a single detail, trying to find any clues Conan might have left behind, even just a footprint or a piece of clothing.

The masked man stood in the kitchen doorway, like a statue exuding a chilling aura, his gaze coldly scrutinizing the surroundings as if trying to see through everything in the space. Suddenly, he spoke, his voice as piercing as an ice pick: "This place is only so big, and the door is locked tight. He couldn't have vanished into thin air; he must still be here. If not in the kitchen, then he must be in another room. Search carefully; even if there's only a pinhole in the wall, find it for me."

The man in sunglasses and Fumiyo Edogawa responded in unison, "Yes!"

After saying that, the two threw themselves wholeheartedly into the new round of investigation, their earnestness suggesting they wouldn't give up until they found Conan...

(End of this chapter)