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

Chapter 394 Vermouth's Ecstasy and Worry (1st Update)
After their dive, Vermouth and Ran's group returned to the town, ate a simple meal, and then said their goodbyes.
After returning to the villa in the back hill, she strode up the stairs, her silk dress swaying gently with each step.

As soon as her fingers touched the bedroom doorknob, a faint smell of tobacco entered her nostrils.

In an instant, Vermouth's body tensed up, and her right hand silently slid towards the holster hidden on her inner thigh.

The light shining through the crack in the door indicated that someone was in the room.

"Who's there?" she asked in a cold voice.

"Long time no see, Vermouth." A deep, husky male voice came from inside the room.

The familiar voice startled Vermouth.

Impossible. Absolutely impossible!

She hurriedly pushed open the door and saw Gin with silver hair standing with his back to her by the window, his long shadow cast long by the sunlight on the floor.

He slowly turned around, his cold green eyes staring directly at her, a wisp of smoke rising from the cigarette dangling from his lips.

"Gin?" Vermouth asked, unable to hide her surprise. "Weren't you dead? The police have confirmed your identity; the DNA test..."

Gin sneered, took out his cigarette and flicked off the ash: "DNA? You think the organization can't even handle something this simple?"

"...How did you survive?" Vermouth asked suspiciously. "The missile's range is so wide, you had no chance to escape."

Her brain was working at lightning speed as she spoke.

After entering the room, she casually closed the door behind her, her movements so elegant that it was as if the shock she had just experienced had never existed.

Soon, Vermouth thought of a possibility and said, "So... you ran away?" She raised her eyebrows, her tone carrying just the right amount of sarcasm, "That's not like you."

“Style?” Gin scoffed. “Living is style, Vermouth! As it turns out, my judgment was right—that madman blew the entire sewage treatment plant flat with a missile!”

A cold glint flashed in his eyes: "If it had been a second later, the person standing here now would truly be my ghost!"

While he was imprisoned, Gin heard an explosion outside and ran away quickly without hesitation.

However, instead of running towards the drain, he endured the stench and filth and went upstream.

And facts have proven his judgment to be correct.

When Vermouth heard that Gin had escaped so easily, she immediately understood: "So... it was a trap from the beginning, right? This was Rum's arrangement."

"Given the extent to which the organization has infiltrated governments around the world, getting them to release an individual is just a matter of paying a small price."

"Rum is using the pretense of saving you, but his real goal is to kill that ruthless thug!"

Gin didn't say anything, he just quietly smoked his cigarette.

Silence is also an attitude.

Vermouth knew she had guessed correctly.

"Why?" She turned around, her eyes filled with confusion. "Why does Rum want to kill that ruthless bandit so much?"

Gin sneered and said, "That ruthless bandit threatens the survival of the organization, and Sherry is still in his hands!! Rum believes this guy is more dangerous than the FBI and CIA combined."

“...That’s true.” Vermouth understood Rum’s thoughts.

When facing hostile intelligence agencies or organizations, Rum can use money to corrupt and divide them, turning a group of people against their cause so that they will cause problems within their ranks.

But the ruthless bandit was alone, and Rum was at a loss, which was a huge headache.

Not to mention that the other party also kidnapped Sherry, which is equivalent to obtaining the secret of APTX4869.

"I understand."

She finally understood the situation. Although she was a little annoyed that Rum had kept it from her, she still acted nonchalantly and said, "You came to see me specifically not just to tell me about this, right?"

Gin didn't keep them in suspense, but simply said, "You have a new mission."

As he spoke, he took a document out of the inside pocket of his trench coat and handed it to him.

Vermouth caught the document, took it out and looked at it; her expression instantly turned strange.

Because her mission was to identify Yusaku Kudo.

Vermouth had never been so grateful that she had studied acting; otherwise, she would have been unable to suppress her smile at this moment!
Now, not only did she suppress her smile, but she also managed to put on a frowning, displeased expression and said, "This kind of thing can be left to the subordinates... Why do I need to take charge of it personally?"

With that, Vermouth tossed the document aside.

Gin didn't bother with Vermouth's attitude. If she was unhappy, she could go talk to Rum. He was just passing on the mission.

"Tell me about your investigation, especially about the guy who teamed up with Shuichi Akai to arrest me. Have you found anything?" Gin said coldly.

He hadn't forgotten the two people who had personally arrested him.

Vermouth then understood why Gin had come to her room to wait for her.

Although she didn't find out who the masked agent was, she did find a lot of relevant information.

After using these materials to get rid of Gin, Vermouth started to have a headache.

She had originally planned a good show tonight, having Shiraishi E sneak into the villa and secretly rescue Conan and Heiji. But she never expected Gin to show up!
This caught her completely off guard.

It seems unlikely that a good show can be arranged now; we might have to fight a tough battle.

With this in mind, Vermouth hesitated, wondering whether she should cancel the operation.

But she only thought about it for two seconds before quickly giving up on the idea.

No, we can't cancel!
Moreover, she couldn't reveal this information to Shiraishi E!

The other party must be kept in the dark.

Given that guy's cold-blooded nature, if he hears there's danger, he'll most likely just give up on saving them. At most, he'll call the police, which would be more than enough.

That would mean Conan and Heiji are doomed.

Gin didn't care whether the other person was the son of the Osaka Prefectural Police Commissioner; he didn't hesitate for a second when he fired.

In response, Vermouth secretly made things easier for him, for example by getting him to drink two more glasses of Gin, so as to impair his judgment as much as possible.

....................................

As night falls, the cheerful sound of taiko drums drifts across the sky above Mermaid Island.

Shiraishi E stood in front of the hotel, watching the three meticulously dressed girls walk out one after another.

"Wow, Kazuha, your yukata is so beautiful!" Sonoko circled around Kazuha, her fingers gently tracing the delicate wave pattern on her kimono. "This blue color makes your skin look so fair."

Kazuha twirled around shyly, the pearl hairpin in her hair shimmering under the light: "This was specially chosen for me by my mother!"

Ran straightened the cuffs of her pink yukata, her gaze sweeping around: "Speaking of which, where are Conan and Heiji? E, where did they go?"

Shiraishi E, dressed in a close-fitting blue kimono, was looking down at her phone when she heard this. She looked up and said, "They said today is an important day to find Kadowaki Saori, so they went to the festival early this morning."

"Tsk, those two really have no sense of teamwork at all, always acting alone." Sonoko pouted, displeased with their unauthorized actions.

She waved her hand dismissively and said, "Forget it, let's ignore them! I heard the Dugong Arrow is very effective this year, let's hurry over there!!"

The four of them walked towards the shrine along the mountain path adorned with lanterns.

The night breeze carries the scent of the sea, mingled with the aroma of takoyaki wafting from roadside vendors.

Kazuha suddenly stopped and pointed into the distance: "Look!"

The shrine halfway up the mountain was brightly lit, and hundreds of tourists lined up in a long queue, holding number tags.

The most eye-catching feature was the stage enclosed by paper doors and windows, upon which stood a hunched old woman. Her full head of silver hair was tied in an ancient bun, and the wrinkles on her face were as deep as tree bark.

"That's the legendary destiny," Xiaolan said softly, unconsciously tightening her grip on the number plate she had bought with her own money.

As they walked and talked, the group arrived at the shrine, the place where the dugong festival was held.

As the taiko drumming abruptly stopped, the entire venue fell silent.

The mermaid grandmother shakily raised the torch and, under the breathless gaze of everyone, lit the paper doors and windows.

The flames spread rapidly, like a living thing, engulfing the paper. Just as the paper was about to burn completely, three glowing numbers miraculously remained on the charred frame.

Kazuha jumped up suddenly: "I won! I won!!"

She excitedly waved the number plate in her hand, her cheeks flushed with excitement.

Two other people also cheered happily.

After the mermaid grandmother left, the witch island's Kimie reappeared, smiling as she said, "The lucky winner, please come up and receive the Dugong's Arrow."

Amidst the envious gazes of the crowd, He Ye jogged onto the stage.

Noticing the regretful looks on Ran and Sonoko's faces, Shiraishi E asked, "Did you see those reflective marks along the edges of the paper doors and windows?"

He lowered his voice: "Those are numbers written with potassium nitrate solution. They burn more slowly than regular paper, so they're the last to show up."

Sonoko's eyes widened: "So this is a chemical trick?"

“Of course.” Shiraishi E smiled, then reminded them, “Don’t tell anyone, let Kazuha be happy for a while!”

Ranko nodded repeatedly, indicating that she would keep the secret.

Once they realized it was just a trick, they weren't so jealous anymore.

After receiving the dugong arrows, everyone began to participate in the dugong celebration. During this process, there was only laughter and joy, and no heart-wrenching screams were heard.

No murders occurred throughout the entire incident.

This made Shiraishi E subconsciously focus her gaze on Shimabukuro Kimie, who was receiving guests, and she frowned, thinking: She didn't kill anyone?
Something's not right. They hadn't done anything, so Conan and Heiji started an investigation, just like in the anime.

So, it's not because of changes on her part, but because of other factors.

Soon, Vermouth's image flashed through Shiraishi's mind, and her brows relaxed.

(End of this chapter)