Ke Xue: The thief Cao is actually myself

Chapter 721 This is unscientific, but very much in line with Detective Conan's style! (Seeking monthly votes!)
"Catch them!! Don't let these brats get away!"

Upon seeing this, the man in the Kamen Rider costume instantly turned ashen, like the sky before a storm, utterly hideous. Then, his roar, like a thunderclap, exploded throughout the cramped storage room!
There were witnesses lurking inside the building! And they were a bunch of immature, damned kids!

This sudden, devastating turn of events cast a deadly shadow over his meticulously planned and seemingly inevitable robbery.

No! He had to deal with these brats immediately; he couldn't let them ruin his plans!
"Damn it, you brats, don't even think about running away!!" The bald, burly man reacted quickly, instantly revealing his ferocious nature. He cursed a vulgar curse and swung the crowbar at Yuan Tai's back with all his might, as she had just crawled out of the closet in a disheveled state.
The crowbar whistled past, creating a whooshing sound. It was clear that this was a deadly attack, intended to kill Yuan Tai!
"Genta! Danger!"

Conan keenly sensed the imminent, deadly crisis. His heart clenched as if gripped tightly by an invisible hand. In this life-or-death moment, there was no time to think; his body's instincts compelled him to react with lightning speed.

He darted out like a black lightning bolt, kicked with all his might a nearby shelf piled with empty cardboard boxes!
"Crash-!"

The shelf, which had been kicked violently, let out a painful and piercing groan and shook violently, as if it could not bear the weight.

The heavy empty cardboard boxes on the top layer instantly lost their balance and, with a tremendous force, crashed down like cannonballs, hitting the bald, burly man wielding the crowbar squarely!
"Ah!" the big man cried out in terror, instinctively retreating quickly and raising his hand to block, thus abruptly stopping the crowbar that was originally going to hit Yuan Tai.

The cardboard box crashed to the ground with a dull, heavy thud, kicking up a cloud of choking dust that instantly spread like a thick fog, separating the big man from Yuan Tai.

"Yuanta...run! Run!"

Conan's voice pierced through the swirling dust, sharp and urgent, "Towards the emergency exit!"

Amidst the billowing dust, Ayumi and Mitsuhiko could no longer hide and leaped out of their hiding places with screams.

Ayumi reacted quickly, pulling Genta up as he was still lurching forward. Mitsuhiko grabbed a tattered cardboard tube from the ground amidst the chaos. The three of them followed Conan closely without hesitation, running like wild horses toward the small door at the other end of the storage room that Conan had indicated!

"Chase them! Chase them! Don't let a single one escape!"

Behind them came the furious roar of a man dressed as Kamen Rider, a voice that seemed to shake the entire storage room. It was accompanied by the angry howl of a bald, burly man and the painful cry of pain after being hit by a cardboard box.

"Ah...you brats, you're not getting away today!"

Footsteps, curses, and the clatter of items being roughly kicked aside created a chaotic mess in the cramped storage room.

Conan trailed at the back of the group, his eyes sharp as an eagle's, rapidly scanning his surroundings as he sprinted. He could clearly hear the furious footsteps rapidly approaching from behind!

Before the dust had completely settled, the two menacing bandits had already fiercely pushed aside the boxes blocking their way and pounced on them like hungry wolves smelling blood!
The dim light at the exit ahead was like a beacon of hope in the darkness, their only way to survive.

However, the relentless pursuit of the desperate criminals made that short distance of a dozen meters feel as long and fraught with danger as crossing a chasm between life and death.

A chilling sense of crisis, like a deadly venomous snake, coiled tightly around the necks of every running teenager, making it hard for them to breathe...

Just then, Conan's gaze suddenly fell upon an idle shopping cart nearby. This cart, originally intended for mall staff to transport goods, had now become the key to their possible escape.

A thought suddenly struck Conan, and an adventurous idea instantly took shape in his mind.

"Everyone, get on the cart!" Conan shouted, rushing forward and pulling the cart to the middle of the road.

Although Genta, Ayumi, and Mitsuhiko didn't understand what Conan was going to do, they jumped onto the cart without hesitation because they trusted him.

Conan quickly jumped onto the front of the cart, gripped the handles tightly with both hands, and gave it a push. The cart slid out of the aisle like an arrow!
"Want to run? It's not that easy!"

The man dressed in the Kamen Rider uniform saw Conan and the others jump onto the cart and run away. A sinister glint flashed in his eyes, and he and the bald giant quickened their pace to catch up.

The trolley glided rapidly down the aisle, occasionally bumping into the adjacent shelves with loud "bang" sounds due to its high speed.

But Conan, with his quick reflexes, skillfully adjusted his direction time and time again, avoiding more serious collisions.

"This can't go on, they'll catch up soon!" Mitsuhiko said anxiously.

Conan struggled to control the cart while pondering a solution. Suddenly, he saw a corner ahead, where goods were piled up.

"Hold on tight!" Conan shouted, then spun the handlebars sharply, and the stroller sped towards the corner.

Just before hitting the cargo, Conan twisted the handlebars again, and the cart narrowly missed the edge of the cargo as it made a dangerous turn. The cargo fell off due to the impact of the cart, forming a temporary obstacle at the corner.

"Damn it!" came the angry curses of the bandits behind them. They had been blocked by the suddenly appearing obstacle and had to stop to clear it.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, Conan and the others continued speeding through the mall in the shopping cart...

……

"Damn it, they actually got away!"

Watching Conan and the others walk further and further away and gradually disappear from sight, the man in the Kamen Rider uniform gritted his teeth in anger, his frustration surging like an uncontrollable tide.

Two tall, strong men, trying to subdue a few immature, calloused kids, not only failed but were also outmaneuvered and toyed with by the brats, forced to watch helplessly as they fled further and further away. If word got out, it would be utterly humiliating and disgraceful!

What worries him even more is that if Conan and the others manage to escape, their meticulously planned robbery will likely fall apart and be a complete failure.

Thinking of this, the man dressed in the Kamen Rider costume could no longer suppress the anger and unease burning within him. He roared angrily into the walkie-talkie in his hand, "Guard room, did you hear me!"

"Turn on the lights! Turn on all the lights!"

The robber in the guardhouse seemed not to have heard his command clearly and replied in confusion, "What did you say? I can't quite hear you!"

The masked superhero man's face darkened, and he almost roared, "It's brats! There are brats here!" "Turn on the lights! I have to find them!"

“But if we turn on the light…” The robber in the guard room hesitated, his face showing difficulty.

It's important to know that at this time, almost all department stores have already closed down and are shrouded in quiet darkness.

Turning on the lights rashly at a time like this could easily cause unnecessary trouble.

For example, passersby might see the lights and become suspicious, which could attract unnecessary attention, or it might even attract the attention of nearby patrolling police officers.

If that situation were to occur, their meticulously planned and determined robbery would face the terrible consequence of total failure.

"Stop talking nonsense and turn on the light!"

Having been tricked by a group of kids, the man dressed as Kamen Rider had lost his patience. His eyes widened in anger, and he roared fiercely, "You little brats, you can see my face!"

"If we don't arrest them, we're all doomed!"

"Is that so?" The two robbers in the guard room exchanged glances, seeing the same worry and helplessness in each other's eyes. Finally, they sighed helplessly and said in unison, "We understand. We'll turn on all the lights right away!"

As they spoke, one of the robbers quickly walked to the control panel and pressed the light control button without hesitation...

……

On the other side, Conan successfully led his friends to temporarily escape the pursuit of the man dressed as Kamen Rider. However, his expression did not relax; instead, it became even more serious.

Because he knew very well that this escape was only a temporary respite.

The department store had limited space, and all exits had been sealed off by the robbers, making it like an airtight cage. They could neither escape nor receive outside help.

Not to mention, the outside world is unaware that this department store has been targeted by a gang of robbers, and no one is coming to their rescue.

In this situation, as long as the bandit group does not give up the search and conducts a thorough, floor-by-floor search, they will eventually be found again.

Once discovered, these children, with their frail bodies, would be no match for the robbers.

Moreover, the bandits were not just a few individuals; they were at a significant disadvantage in terms of height, physical strength, and numbers.

Unless they can come up with some ingenious plan to defeat the bandits one by one before they have fully assembled, and subdue them in batches.

While the idea is wonderful, putting it into practice is easier said than done.

After all, he was no longer the high school detective who was full of vigor and solved many strange cases with his intelligence and agility, but a short, weak six or seven-year-old child. His friends were not like his childhood friend Ran Mouri, who had the amazing strength to punch a telephone pole; they were just a group of innocent little kids who were still in elementary school.

With a lineup like theirs, if they were to fight against a group of vicious bandits, they would probably be trapped in a desperate situation in no time.

As he pondered this, Conan's gaze unconsciously wandered and scanned his surroundings.

When his gaze swept over a shelf piled high with quilts not far away, his tightly furrowed brows relaxed slightly, and a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes before they lit up.

Because, with the help of these blankets and some other items, perhaps even though they are just a few children, they could deal with the bandits who are relentlessly pursuing them.

They didn't even need to expend much effort, nor did they need to fight that band of robbers head-on.

Thinking of this, Conan quickly turned around, looked at his friends with a determined gaze, and said in a low but confident voice, "Don't panic, everyone. I've got an idea. We can use these blankets and find some rope to set a trap for the pursuing robbers. If we can successfully trap them, we can buy more time to figure out how to escape or contact the police."

"Conan, tell me, what should we do?"

"That's right, we'll listen to you."

Although fear still lingered in Ayumi, Mitsuhiko, and Genta's eyes after hearing Conan's words, their trust in Conan made them nod in agreement without hesitation.

Conan pondered for a moment, then began to assign tasks methodically. "Genta, you're strong, go and pull a few blankets down from the shelf. Mitsuhiko, look around for a rope. Ayumi, help me clear out this clutter and make some room."

"it is good!"

Yuan Tai immediately ran to the shelf, grabbed a quilt with both hands, and yanked it down. He then pulled down several more, panting heavily, but with a determined look on his face.

Mitsuhiko started searching every corner. A moment later, he excitedly emerged from a corner piled high with clutter, waving several pieces of rope of varying lengths and shouting, "Conan, there's rope here!"

Ayumi wasn't idle either; she helped quickly clear away some scattered debris in the passageway to make room for the group to set up their trap.

Conan directed everyone to lay several blankets layer by layer in the middle of a relatively narrow passageway, which was the only way the robbers would get there.

Then, Mitsuhiko handed over a rope, which Conan took. Together with his friends, they tied the rope tightly to the shelves on both sides of the aisle, at a height just high enough to trip someone.

Meanwhile, to make the trap more concealed, Ayumi also found some scraps of cloth and gently covered the rope, making it look like random piles of junk on the ground at first glance.

Once everything was ready, Conan and his friends hid in a dark corner nearby. They huddled together, barely daring to breathe, their eyes fixed on the end of the corridor, nervously awaiting the arrival of the robbers...

(End of this chapter)