I'm in Conan, I'm not a gangster

Chapter 386 Too Many Answers Mean No Answers (2 Updates)
The sea breeze, carrying salty moisture, swept over the rocks. Xiaolan tiptoed on the slippery rock face, her light blue skirt ruffled by the wind like waves.

She turned back and flashed a bright smile at the camera: "Hui! Make sure to capture the rainbow in the background!"

"Received!" Shiraishi E knelt on one knee on the beach, her black hair stuck to her forehead with sweat.

He squinted his left eye as he adjusted the DSLR settings, his index finger rapidly pressing the shutter button.

The sound of "crackling" mingled with the rising and falling waves.

He instructed, "Yuanzi, tilt your head fifteen degrees to the right, and raise He Ye's straw hat a little higher!"

"Kazuha, take another half step to the right, and your pearl hair clip is reflecting light."

Vermouth leaned against the shade of a palm tree, idly fiddling with the temple of her sunglasses.

As she watched Shiraishi E being bossed around and having her camera angle adjusted by the three high school girls, she suddenly chuckled: "Serving as a human selfie stick for high school girls for three hours, Shiraishi-kun, don't you think that's a waste of your youth? Don't you want to... pursue a more exciting life?"

Without looking up, Shiraishi E changed the telephoto lens on the camera and said slowly, "Simplicity is the best... Besides, there aren't many years left for such simple days."

"Especially next year, barring any unforeseen circumstances, the three of them should study hard and focus on preparing for the college entrance examination."

"These carefree days are numbered. If we don't cherish them now, we'll never have the chance to cherish them again."

There was one more thing he kept to himself—"I've even bombed the Tokyo Tower, what could be more exciting than this?"
“…” Vermouth looked somewhat surprised; she hadn’t expected to receive such an unexpected answer.

She understood that the other person wasn't simply enjoying the mundane routine of life, but rather foresaw the future of being apart more often than together, which was why they were making the most of their time together now.

The memories in Vermouth's mind began to churn involuntarily.

Memories of twenty years spent amidst the smoke of war and lies flood my senses like a rising tide.

The training ground was perpetually cold and damp; the withered pothos plants on the windowsill of the safe house; the lingering smell of gunpowder mixed with the odor of whiskey…

"Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication"... She felt that such words should be spoken by someone who had experienced life and death, not by a male high school student.

She scoffed, "What are you pretending to be so mature for, you little brat?"

Xiao Lan walked over at this moment and warmly invited, "Miss Chris, would you like to take a picture together?"

Vermouth instinctively wanted to refuse, but looking at Ran's enthusiastic and expectant eyes, she swallowed the words that were about to come out of her mouth.

“You can take pictures.” She ripped off her sunglasses and tossed them to Shiraishi E, a gentle smile curving her bright red lips. “But the photos can’t be uploaded online.”

"I'm a fairly well-known actor in Europe and America. If my fans find out about this, my peaceful vacation will be over."

Vermouth knew she was violating the assassin's code, but she was willing to trust these three high school girls.

"Yes, yes, we definitely won't upload it!!" Xiaolan clasped her hands together in assurance, then excitedly pulled Vermouth over.

Sonoko skipped and jumped, putting a daisy wreath on her blonde hair, while Kazuha took a few pretty seashells.

Vermouth didn't strike a professional pose, letting herself be manipulated by several girls in less-than-elegant positions.

When the shutter clicked for the 37th time, she suddenly realized that the muscles in the back of her neck were completely relaxed—a dangerous state she hadn't experienced in twenty years.

At this moment, she finally understood—why so many legendary assassins ultimately drowned in the arms of women.

Vermouth felt that this ending was not bad for her.

………………

It was noon, and the hungry group decided to find a restaurant for lunch. Following Vermouth's recommendation, they walked along the stone path and arrived at Chaoming Pavilion, the island's most famous restaurant.

The wooden building is filled with the aroma of seafood, and the walls are decorated with fishing nets and seashells, creating a charming island atmosphere.

"Wow! The seafood donburi here looks amazing!" Sonoko pointed excitedly at the picture on the menu, her eyes sparkling.

Xiaolan smiled and nodded: "I heard that their tuna is caught that day and is especially fresh."

Kazuha curiously flipped through the specialty dishes: "Mermaid Island's special seaweed tea... It sounds so unique, would you like to try it?"

"........."

Amidst laughter and conversation, everyone quickly finished their lunch.

Vermouth elegantly picked up her teacup, took a sip, glanced at her watch, put the cup down, and smiled slightly: "Excuse me, everyone, I need to take a nap later, so I'll have to take my leave and go back to rest."

"Miss Chris, are you free this afternoon?" Xiao Lan extended a warm invitation, saying, "We're planning to play volleyball on the beach at four o'clock this afternoon, would you like to come along?"

After a moment's thought, Vermouth smiled slightly and said, "If I have time, I will definitely go."

She stood up, gently straightened her skirt, and nodded to everyone: "Well then, I hope you all have a pleasant afternoon."

After saying that, she turned and left, her high heels clicking crisply on the wooden floor, and her figure quickly disappeared at the restaurant entrance.

After a satisfying meal and a busy morning, the three girls were exhausted and wanted to return to the hotel to rest.

However, before going back, I need to go to the Stone House to return the mermaid costume I rented this morning.

The shop owner smiled and took the clothes, carefully inspected them, and after confirming that there was no damage, readily refunded the deposit.

Back at the hotel, Shiraishi E said goodbye to the three girls and went into her room.

After opening the door, he saw Heiji and Conan lying on the tatami mat, enjoying the fan and drinking cold drinks.

"How's the investigation going?" Shiraishi asked after closing the door.

"We've already investigated Saori Kadowaki's specific situation very thoroughly," Conan replied, letting go of his habit.

Heiji interjected, "But strangely, she mysteriously disappeared on the island... The villagers at the dock also clearly stated that she did not leave the island by boat."

Shiraishi E sat down next to them, unbuttoned the buttons on her shirt, and said, "Don't even think about it. In this situation, she should be dead by now!"

"Is it really that bad?" Heiji frowned, feeling that the other person had drawn a conclusion too quickly.

He countered, "Her family situation is terrible; perhaps she just doesn't want to be found by her family?"

"Besides, what the villagers at the dock said might not be true... He may not have seen Kadowaki Saori leave the island, but what if Kadowaki Saori disguised herself as a tourist and left quietly?"

Conan chimed in, "Also, maybe she's hiding at a friend's house right now and has asked her friend not to tell anyone where she is!"

Listening to these counterarguments one by one, Shiraishi E looked at the two of them with an expression of utter disbelief and said irritably, "Too many answers mean there are no answers!!"

For a moment, Conan and Heiji were both speechless, unable to come up with a rebuttal!
Shiraishi E waved her hand and said, "Forget it, this isn't my case to investigate, so do whatever you want! I've been filming all day, I'm going to take a break."

As he spoke, he found a comfortable spot to lie down and prepared to rest.

Conan and Heiji wanted to say something, but seeing that the other person had already lain down, they felt embarrassed to disturb them.

Moreover, they also possess the pride of high school detectives and won't easily ask for help!
(End of this chapter)