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

Chapter 534 Target Ireland (2nd Update)
Kudo Residence, Living Room

Yusaku Kudo walked out of the kitchen carrying a tray, the rich aroma of coffee and the refreshing scent of beer mingling in the air.

He placed a steaming cup of black coffee in front of Shiraishi E and handed Kogoro Mouri a glass of iced beer.

"Thank you." Shiraishi E took the coffee, took a small sip, and raised an eyebrow slightly. "Blue Mountain? Mr. Kudo, you certainly have good taste."

Yuzuo smiled slightly: "After all, we need your help, so we have to show some sincerity."

Kogoro Mouri had already taken a big gulp of beer and exhaled a satisfied breath before asking, "So, what exactly do you need our help with?"

Yusaku did not answer immediately, but walked to the floor-to-ceiling window, turning his back to the crowd.

Sunlight streamed through the glass, casting a long shadow on his back and onto the floor.

He paused for a few seconds before slowly speaking: "You all know about the Twin Towers skyscrapers, right?"

Shiraishi E stroked her chin, thinking that Yusaku was a bit of a show-off!
And he pretended to be completely calm and collected, such a sophisticated act!
No wonder Shinichi loves to show off and act all the time... Turns out he learned it from you, his father!
Kogoro Mouri scratched his head, looking bewildered: "What happened to the Twin Towers? Didn't they explode?"

Conan, standing to the side, couldn't help but facepalm, wanting to complain but not knowing where to begin.

Yusaku turned around and patiently explained, "Actually... that explosion was related to me."

"What?!" Kogoro Mouri jumped to his feet, nearly knocking over his beer glass. "Kudo, you're not kidding, are you?"

Yusaku shook his head with a wry smile and began to recount the whole story.

"Wait, wait, wait!" Kogoro Mouri was dumbfounded. "You mean, someone blew up the whole building to kill you? That's way too much!"

Shiraishi E, on the other hand, appeared quite calm, merely tapping her coffee cup lightly with her fingers: "It seems the other party has quite a background."

Yusaku sighed, "I originally hired a professional security team, but it turns out they couldn't handle this level of threat. So..."

He looked at the two men and said, "I hope to get your help."

"Me?" Kogoro Mouri pointed at his own nose, looking incredulous. "Kudo, are you sure you haven't got the wrong person? I may be good at solving cases, but this kind of assassin... you're giving me too much credit."

He recalled the fear he had felt last time when he was dominated by that assassin named Gin!

Shiraishi encouraged him, "Detective Mouri, you're too modest. Don't forget you're the Metropolitan Police Department's recognized sharpshooter."

And you've just received an epic buff in the M28.

What's there to be afraid of?
As long as you don't run into someone like Gin who can go toe-to-toe with a cheater, you don't need to be a coward.

These words made Kogoro Mouri regain some of his composure, and he unconsciously straightened up a bit. He stroked his chin, revealing a smug smile: "Hahaha, you're right! Since you think so highly of me, Kudo, I'll definitely help you with this! But..."

He rubbed his fingers together, revealing a sly smile. "My fees aren't cheap, you know."

Yusaku was prepared and calmly stated a figure: "Ten million yen a month, how about that?"

"Pfft—!" Kogoro Mori spat out the beer he had just drunk: "W-how much?!"

Conan was so anxious he was jumping up and down, desperately trying to signal to his father: Dad! Are you crazy? Giving Uncle so much money!
Yusaku simply patted Conan's head to calm him down and continued to tell Mori, "This is the basic salary. There will be additional subsidies in case of special circumstances."

Kogoro Mouri's eyes had turned to money; he grabbed Yusaku's hand and said, "Deal! When do we start work?"

“You can start work now.” Yusaku replied, then turned to Shiraishi E: “Shiraishi-kun, what are your thoughts?”

Shiraishi E put down her coffee cup and shrugged: "A monthly subscription is out of the question, I still have to go to school. But..."

He gave a meaningful smile. "If it's just temporary support, I wouldn't mind lending a hand."

Yusaku's eyes lit up: "That's enough... Come with me!"

The four moved to the study.

Yuzuo closed the door and drew the curtains, instantly plunging the room into a tense atmosphere.

He walked to the writing board and pinned several photos onto it.

“There were many assassins who attacked me last time, but I only have information on the whereabouts of one so far.” Yusaku pointed to a photo of a blond foreign man.

He said, "Codename 'Ireland' is an elite assassin within the organization."

Kogoro Mouri leaned closer for a look, then scoffed dismissively, "This is the foreigner? He doesn't look anything special. Want to arrest him? Leave it to me!"

Yuzuka solemnly warned, "Don't underestimate him. Ireland is not only a sharpshooter, but also a terrifying close-combat fighter. Records show that he once took down an entire special agent squad with his bare hands."

Kogoro Mouri's face turned deathly pale instantly, and cold sweat beaded on his forehead: "A dozen... a dozen special agents? Unarmed?"

Shiraishi E, however, studied the photograph with great interest: "Even the strongest weapon can't withstand bullets. The question is, where should we make our move?"

Yusaku switched to a picture of a cruise ship: "He will board the 'Casino Royale' on Friday night." He paused: "However, security on the ship is very strict, and it's difficult to bring weapons on board using conventional methods."

At this point, his gaze fell on Shiraishi E.

Shiraishi E then understood why Yu had approached her.

He stroked his chin and thought for a moment before saying, "I can bring some things in... but the quantity is limited."

He gestured: "At most three long guns and three short guns, any more than that would be risky."

Yusaku smiled with satisfaction: "That's enough. We can discuss the specific action plan in more detail later."

-----------------

Friday noon, Teitan High School rooftop
The midday sun shone on the rooftop, and a gentle breeze brought the crispness of early autumn. Xiaolan and Yuanzi leaned against the railing, eating their bento boxes and excitedly discussing their weekend plans.

Shiraishi E sat lazily on a bench, squinting her eyes and enjoying this rare moment of leisure.

"Shiraishi-kun!" Sonoko suddenly turned around, her eyes sparkling. "I have great news for you! Kazuha is coming to Tokyo this weekend!"

"Oh?" Shiraishi E opened her eyes slightly, a smile appearing on her lips. "That's great, you'll finally have company."

Xiaolan smiled gently, "Yes, we plan to take her to the newly opened theme park and the new dessert shop in Ginza..."

Shiraishi E stretched and said apologetically, "I have something to do this weekend, so I probably won't be able to spend time with you."

Sonoko waved her hand dismissively and said, "It's okay! You'll just be yawning all the time if you come with us anyway, so you might as well go do your own thing!"

Ran nodded, "If you have work, go ahead and do it. We'll take good care of Kazuha."

Shiraishi E smiled, but her gaze drifted thoughtfully into the distance. He gave a soft "hmm" and said nothing more.

--------

The school bell rang, and students poured out of the school gates like a tide. Xiaolan and Yuanzi, carrying their schoolbags, were discussing where to go shopping when suddenly, Xiaolan's phone rang.

"It's Kazuha!" Ran answered the phone with surprise. "Hello? Kazuha?... What? You're already in Tokyo?!"

Sonoko immediately leaned closer, her eyes wide: "Huh?! Didn't you say you were coming tomorrow?"

On the other end of the phone, Kazuha's voice carried a hint of helplessness: "Sorry, Heiji suddenly said he had something important to do, so he came early... We're at Shinjuku Station now, would it be convenient for you to pick us up?"

"Of course it's convenient!" Xiaolan said quickly. "You guys wait here, we'll be right there!"

After hanging up the phone, the two girls exchanged a glance, immediately changed their plans, and ran towards the subway station.

----------

Amidst the bustling crowd, Ran and Sonoko spotted Kazuha and Heiji standing by the pillar at a glance.

Kazuha, wearing a light blue dress, was standing on tiptoe, looking around, while Heiji, looking impatient, had his hands in his pockets and kept glancing at his watch.

"Kazuha! Heiji!" Ran waved and called out.

"Ran! Sonoko!" Kazuha ran over happily and hugged them tightly. "Sorry for suddenly changing the plans!"

Sonoko chuckled and pinched Kazuha's cheek: "What does it matter! We'll welcome you anytime!"

Heiji walked over, scratched his head, and said, "Um... I'll leave Kazuha to you guys. I have something to do, so I'll be going now."

"Huh?" Ran asked in confusion, "Heiji, aren't you coming with us?"

Heiji waved his hand, his expression somewhat serious: "I'm in Tokyo this time to investigate a case, so I probably won't have time to play with you guys."

Kazuha pouted and muttered under her breath, "We agreed to come here for fun, but it's all work now..."

Heiji pretended not to hear and waved to them: "Anyway, I'll leave Kazuha in your care! See you later!" After saying that, he turned around and quickly disappeared into the crowd.

Sonoko watched his retreating figure and pouted, "That Hattori guy, still the same as ever, disappears as soon as there's a case."

Kazuha sighed, but quickly cheered up and took Ran and Sonoko's arms: "Never mind him! Let's go have fun! What are some fun places to go in Tokyo? I've been looking forward to it for so long!"

Ran smiled gently and said, "Don't worry, we've already planned it! We'll go shopping in Harajuku first, and then we'll eat some super delicious crepes!"

Sonoko blinked and said mysteriously, "There's a surprise tonight!"

"What surprise?" Kazuha asked curiously.

"It wouldn't be a surprise if I told you now!" Sonoko laughed heartily, pulling the two of them towards the station exit: "Let's go, let's go, Tokyo's nightlife is amazing!"

(End of this chapter)