Ke Xue: The thief Cao is actually myself

Chapter 723 Genta, the God on the Other Side! (Seeking Monthly Tickets!)
However, Conan and his friends, who had just landed from the ventilation duct exit, hadn't even had a chance to catch their breath when they clearly heard the shouts of the robbers coming from outside the warehouse.

It turned out that the robbers had observed them entering the ventilation duct through the monitoring system, and then quickly launched a meticulous, almost carpet-like search of the surrounding area.

Every corner and every passageway was within their investigation scope.

"I found those little devils! They've hidden in the ventilation ducts!" A robber shouted excitedly into the walkie-talkie, his voice echoing through the empty and silent department store.

"Quickly go and block them nearby, don't let them escape!" The Kamen Rider's command came from the other end of the walkie-talkie, his tone ruthless and resolute.

Upon hearing this devastating news, which felt like a bolt from the blue, Ayumi's once rosy cheeks turned deathly pale, devoid of any color. Her eyes were filled with fear and helplessness. Mitsuhiko and Genta's expressions also turned extremely grim at the same moment.

Conan's expression was also extremely solemn, but he did not choose to surrender and give up the fight.

With the calmness and decisiveness cultivated over many years of detective work, he quickly turned his head, his eyes scanning every corner of the warehouse like a sharp hawk, not letting go of any possible clues, trying to find a new way out of danger for himself and his friends.

Soon, he made a new discovery.

At the other end of the warehouse, there was a hidden door.

The door was in an extremely secluded location, as if deliberately hidden. The surrounding mountains of goods partially concealed it, making it easy to overlook without careful observation.

Conan's eyes lit up, and he quickly waved gently to signal his friends to follow. Then he cautiously walked towards the door.

He was extremely cautious with every step he took, his footsteps as light as a cat's, afraid of making even the slightest sound and alerting the bandits.

Just as they were about to reach the door, they suddenly heard a low, wary voice from behind it.

Although the sound was not loud, it was exceptionally clear in the quiet environment.

"The boss said we must find those brats, we absolutely can't let them get away," a bandit said in a low voice, his tone cold and cruel.

“Yeah, if they run out and call the police, we’re all doomed. If this gets out, we’ll all be in deep trouble!” another robber chimed in, his voice tinged with obvious anxiety and worry.

Conan felt a chill run down his spine and thought to himself, "It seems these robbers are no fools. They are so meticulous that they even arranged for accomplices to guard the door."

Behind them, bandits relentlessly pursued them, while at the exit, guards stood watch, ready to pounce.

At this moment, they are in a dilemma, caught between a rock and a hard place, attacked from both sides.

But Conan was not intimidated by the seemingly insurmountable predicament before him.

After all, he is not only a detective who always upholds justice, hates evil, and is determined to fight evil to the end, but also the only mature "adult" in the Junior Detective League who can protect his friends from harm.

Regardless of his identity, he would never, ever allow Ayumi and her group of innocent, adorable little ones to fall into the hands of those bandits and suffer any harm.

Thinking this through, Conan quickly looked around, trying to find anything that might be useful.

Soon, he discovered that there were some boxes of goods piled up in the warehouse.

He narrowed his eyes slightly, his gaze lingering on the boxes for a moment, and a plan flashed through his mind.

These boxes might be key to their escape, used to make noise and distract the robbers.

Thinking of this, he leaned down gently, lowered his voice, and cautiously and quickly said to his friends, "We'll use these boxes to make some noise, distract the robbers at the door, and then take the opportunity to rush out."

"it is good!"

The friends nodded firmly, indicating that they understood. Although fear still lingered in their eyes, there was even more trust in Conan and a determination to overcome difficulties together with him.

So Conan and Genta cautiously approached the cargo boxes.

The two men first carefully observed their surroundings to make sure they hadn't attracted the attention of the robbers. Then, they exchanged a glance and suddenly pushed over several cargo boxes.

A loud crash, like a thunderclap from a clear sky, suddenly echoed through the almost deathly silent warehouse, instantly shattering the original tranquility and their temporary peace.

Upon hearing the sound, the robbers at the door instantly became alert, as if facing a formidable enemy. One of them gripped his weapon tightly, his knuckles turning white from the force, and shouted, "What's that sound?" His voice was filled with tension and unease.

"Who's there?" another robber asked, his tone full of vigilance.

"Could it be those brats?" the first robber guessed.

“Possibly!” the second robber replied confidently.

"Let's go check it out!" The two exchanged a glance, a fierce glint in their eyes, then opened the door without hesitation and rushed toward the direction from which the sound came, their steps quick and powerful.

Seeing this, Conan immediately seized the fleeting opportunity and whispered to his friends, "Run!"

Then, he and his friends rushed out the door like arrows released from a bow, their steps hurried and they dared not linger for even a moment.

Unfortunately, this time, their luck was really bad.

He hadn't run far when, without warning, Yuan Tai crashed hard into a pile of goods on the side.

With a loud bang, the cargo overturned, creating a series of noisy sounds that were particularly jarring in the open space, instantly attracting the attention of the surrounding bandits like a powerful magnet.

"I see them! They're over there! Catch them!" A sharp-eyed robber spotted Conan and the others fleeing and shouted without hesitation.

"Don't let them escape!" Upon hearing this, the other bandits, like wolves smelling blood, swarmed towards Conan and his friends with greedy glints in their eyes.

Upon seeing this, Conan's pupils constricted sharply, and he inwardly cried out in alarm. He never imagined that despite all his careful planning, he would overlook Genta's oversight at this crucial moment.

However, no matter how dissatisfied he was with Genta, this "useless teammate," he had no time to vent his frustration at the moment.

After all, the situation is extremely urgent. There are blockades ahead and pursuers behind. If we are not careful, we could be doomed.

In this extremely critical situation, pursuing Yuan Tai would not only be futile, but would only make the already dire situation worse.

Thinking this, he gritted his teeth, a resolute glint in his eyes, and then, leading his companions, he sprinted forward with all his might. Behind them, a group of bandits relentlessly pursued them.

A thrilling chase unfolds once again within this vast department store...

……

Meanwhile, just as Conan and his friends embarked on a new round of escape, in another corner of the city, inside the Mouri Detective Agency.

"Sorry, I'm late!"

Ran Mouri, with light steps and youthful energy, gently pushed open the door of the Mouri Detective Agency.

As she closed the door behind her, she smiled apologetically and said gently, "I'm so sorry, Dad. Sonoko and I had so much fun playing outside today that we completely forgot about the time. I'll go to the kitchen to cook for you now, please wait a little longer!"

However, when she walked briskly into the house, the scene that greeted her was not the focused and dedicated look of her father, Kogoro Mouri, when he was working.

A figure was lying on the ground, fast asleep and unconscious.

Beside this figure, a pile of empty beer bottles lay haphazardly.

The empty wine bottles, leaning haphazardly, seemed to be telling the story of their owner's indulgence and laziness.

It was clear that her elderly father, as usual, had been indulging in alcohol and neglecting his work while she was away at school.

"father!"

Seeing this scene, Ran Mouri pursed her pink lips, a hint of dissatisfaction and helplessness flashing in her eyes.

When will her father finally learn from her boyfriend and be a little more reliable?

Even if only one-tenth of her boyfriend were reliable, her mother wouldn't have separated from him for ten years and still refuse to move back in.

But she also knew how difficult it would be to change her muddle-headed father.

Or rather, so many years have passed, if things could really change, her father would have made changes long ago, so why has he remained the same for the past ten years?

Moreover, from another perspective, it's better for her father to drink at home than to go out gambling on horse races every day and lose everything, or to go to nightclubs to have fun with those young ladies, isn't it?
Thinking this, Ran Mouri sighed softly, a sigh filled with helplessness and resignation. Then, she looked around, wondering how to deal with the pile of garbage that had just been produced in her home.

As it turned out, she was slightly taken aback when she looked at it.

Because, besides a drunken, confused middle-aged man and the mess he made at home, Conan, who usually behaves like a little adult, obediently doing his homework and reading detective novels, was nowhere to be found this time.

But there haven't been any cases in the neighborhood recently, have there?

Could it be that her childhood friend, whose body unexpectedly shrunk, went to Professor Agasa's house nearby to chat with him?
But putting aside the fact that she didn't receive a message from the other party saying that they were going to visit Professor Agasa, it's already so late. Even if they were going to chat with Professor Agasa, they should have come back by now, right?

Filled with doubt, she couldn't help but reach out and gently nudge Kogoro Mouri, who was lying on the floor snoring loudly, wanting to ask about Conan's whereabouts. "Wake up..."

"What?" Kogoro Mori slowly rubbed his sleepy eyes, which were narrowed into slits. His voice was filled with drowsiness and obvious dissatisfaction as he muttered, "Why are you disturbing my sleep! Can't you see I'm sleeping soundly!"

Ran Mouri frowned slightly and asked anxiously, "Dad, where is Conan? He should have been home from school by now, right? But he's not in the room at all."

"I don't know!" Kogoro Mori mumbled, his words somewhat indistinct. "How would I know why such a lewd thing happened?"

After saying that, he lay down, arched his backside, and prepared to go back to sleep.

Forget about Conan, that little brat can go wherever he wants, what does it have to do with him!
Seeing her father's incoherent words, seemingly still rambling in his sleep, Ran Mouri's delicate eyebrows furrowed tightly, her anxiety and dissatisfaction instantly igniting like a flame. She raised her voice and shouted, "Dad!"

Ran's call woke Kogoro Mouri, who was still very sleepy. He had no choice but to open his sleepy eyes again, his eyes full of resentment, and said helplessly, "That brat Conan, he should have gone to the nearby department store, right? Hasn't he been enjoying playing with that group of brats called Genta and Mitsuhiko lately?"

As he spoke, he yawned, his mouth agape as if it could swallow an egg. "This time, I guess he went to the department store to see the doll show with those kids again, right?"

Ran Mouri's worries did not lessen after hearing her father's words.

Although Conan often goes to the department store with his friends, the fact that he hasn't returned so late tonight makes her feel uneasy.

“But Dad, he usually comes home long ago by this time and tells me beforehand. But today there’s been no word from him at all, and I’m still a little worried.” Ran Mouri bit her lip slightly, a hint of worry flashing in her beautiful eyes.

Kogoro Mouri waved his hand impatiently, rolled over, and muttered, "Oh, you're overthinking it. That kid's clever enough, what could he possibly do? Maybe after watching the puppet show, he'll run off to play somewhere else."

Ran Mouri, however, couldn't share her father's ease; her intuition told her something was amiss. After a moment's hesitation, she decided to call Professor Agasa. She quickly walked to the phone, picked up the receiver, and gently pressed the familiar number.

After the call connected, Professor Agasa's kind and familiar voice came through the receiver: "Hello, Ran, what's up?"

Ran Mouri hesitated for a moment before revealing her purpose, "Doctor, did Conan come to see you today? He hasn't come home yet, and I'm a little worried."

(End of this chapter)