Rebirth from Conan

Chapter 172: The name of drug A is actually to commemorate...

After taking the cell phone out of his clothes, Xia He was stunned.

It was not for any other reason, but because the phone that was ringing was not his own, but Rum's.

"Hello?" Xia He answered the phone.

"Xia He, it's me." Vermouth's voice sounded from the other end of the phone.

She already knew that Rum had been caught by the FBI.

At the same time, it is also clear that Xia He will definitely use Rum's identity to contact Karasuma Renya.

"Why are you calling?" Xia He said.

"I want to ask, have you caught Karasuma Renye?" asked Vermouth.

The air was silent for about four or five seconds.

"No."

Xia He chose to answer truthfully and asked Vermouth: "Are you sure that you have never seen Karasuma Renye in person in these forty years?"

"Of course. Any questions?"

"without……"

Vermouth's answer was so straightforward that Xia Hegang's doubts were slightly alleviated.

"Then I have one more question."

"what is the problem?"

"I asked you this before at my house. Why... have you maintained your appearance of being in your twenties for so many years?"

"Are you really so curious about this matter?" Vermouth laughed when she heard this.

And before Xia He could answer, she continued, "Actually, I took APTX1894."

"APTX1894?"

What the hell is this?

Xia He and Shinichi blinked at the same time.

"Yes, 1894, the predecessor of APTX4869."

APTX is the abbreviation of Apoptoxin, which is composed of the two words "apoptosis" and "toxin".

As for why the number 4869 is added at the end...

This is because 4869 is pronounced as "Sherlock" in Japanese.

"It is said that my great-grandfather... Karasuma Ren'ye, had a close relationship with Arthur Conan Doyle, the author of Sherlock Holmes, when he was young. That is why he gave this medicine such a name as a memorial."

Karasuma Renya was born 140 years ago.

If we calculate according to the correct timeline before Shinichi shrunk into Conan...

That is, 1996 minus 140, we can conclude that Karasuma Renya was born in 1856.

Arthur Conan Doyle was born on May 1859, 5...

Very similar age.

Even Karasuma Renya is three years older than Conan Doyle!

It is possible that they had a close friendship.

"Then 1894..."

Xia He was about to ask what the meaning of 1894 was, but Xinyi spoke first, "It was the year Ronald Adair was assassinated, and this case was also related to Holmes' mortal enemy, Professor James Moriarty."

Professor Moriarty again?

Xia He recalled the old man he had met in the virtual game before.

It seems that Karasuma Renya really likes this novel written by his good friend.

"So, this APTX1894...what is its effect?"

"As you can see, it can keep the user young forever."

"Youth forever..."

So awesome?
Hearing these four words, Xia He was slightly moved. However, Vermouth's next words immediately made him give up the idea of ​​researching this drug with all his strength, "Are you envious? I am in my fifties, and I still have the same youthful appearance? But in fact, this drug has great side effects..."

On average, there are thirty days every month, and Vermouth spends nearly half of the nights in severe pain.

Not just the limbs, but every inch of skin on the body, including every bone.

The pain was even worse than being eaten by ants.

But she could only endure it silently until the next morning, when she fainted from the pain.

This was also one of the main excuses she used to shirk the task assigned by Karasuma Renya.

And besides that...

"Although youth is eternal, life span has not been extended. This means that when I am in my eighties or nineties, when my life is about to end, my body and appearance will return to their original state overnight."

Using decades of pain to exchange for a youthful appearance...

Is this a good deal?
At least for Vermouth, it is completely negative.

But she had no choice.

It was because she didn't take this medicine voluntarily.

That's why she hates all researchers who study Drug A.

Including Shiho Miyano and Shiho Miyano's parents.

The same logic went into why she actively accepted the mission some time ago and wanted to kill Shirley.

"That's really sad."

Xia He smacked his lips.

Rather than suffering from severe pain every day, it is better to grow old naturally.

Since we can’t extend our lifespan anyway, why live such a hard life?

Are you asking for trouble by not being pure?

“Oh, how pitiful…” Hearing these two words, Vermouth laughed at herself, “Now you know why I want to get rid of this organization, right?”

“I think I understand a little bit.”

Is it out of hatred for the organization?
Or was it out of disgust for his great-grandfather?
In short, these are not what Xia He wants to know.

What he is more concerned about now is still the whereabouts of Karasuma Renya.

"But according to what you said... If the Black Organization only started researching Drug A after you joined, then how did Karasuma Renya survive until then?"

Without the help of external forces to help Uramaru Renya stay alive, Xia He really didn't believe that the old guy could still live to this day after being a hundred years old.

At the very least, he must have taken Class A drugs.

As for whether he took APTX1894 or APTX4869, Xia He had no idea.

"I'm not sure about this." said Vermouth.

"Really?" Xia He raised his eyebrows, "So, why did you call? Is there anything else?"

"I...I want to ask, do you have any children there?"

"Are you talking about the half-year-old boy in the black one-piece suit?" Xia He said, glancing at the child.

The Black Organization is indeed a Black Organization. Even babies have to wear black uniforms...

"Yes, it's him. Can you give the child to me?" Vermouth continued.

"What do you think? Who would hand over such a young child to a criminal?"

"But if I get arrested, there will be no one to take care of the child."

"Just give it to an orphanage, or give it to a family in need. You don't have to worry about that."

"Then you don't plan to return the child to me?" Vermouth's voice began to become cold, just like the time when she first met Xia He in London.

"Give it back to you? Of course."

However, Xia He seemed not to hear it.

He just smiled slightly, and then said, "Take the information about Karasuma Renya in exchange. Before you meet your boss, keep him as a hostage with me for the time being."

(End of this chapter)