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

Chapter 554 Conan: Why am I the only one who shrunk? (2 updates)
"Thud—!!"

After a deafening explosion, the entire gambling ship trembled violently in the pitch-black night, its hull began to tilt, and its steel frame emitted a teeth-grinding twisting sound.

The raging fire engulfed the upper deck, and thick smoke billowed into the sky, turning half of the night sky red.

As the ship capsized, massive waves surged outwards like ferocious beasts, creating walls of water several meters high, and the sea instantly boiled. Broken wreckage and burning debris fell into the sea, splashing up sprays of water.

Shiraishi E piloted a high-speed yacht, speeding through the churning waves.

The boat rocked violently, and with almost every wave that crashed over it, the yacht would leap high into the air before crashing back down into the sea, splashing up icy water.

On the yacht, Yusaku Kudo, Kogoro Mouri, and Heiji Hattori were awakened by the violent rocking. Kogoro even rammed the boat twice and let out a painful scream.

"Ugh... Where am I?!" Heiji clutched his throbbing head, looking around in bewilderment.

"Aren't we... in the lab?" Kogoro Mouri rubbed the spot where he had been hit.

Yusaku subconsciously reached for his glasses, only to find they were nowhere to be found. He could only say, "It seems... we've been rescued."

Shiraishi E, steering with one hand and without turning her head, said, "Awake? Congratulations, you've escaped with your lives."

Kogoro Mouri then realized what was happening and quickly grabbed the back of his chair, shouting to E Shiraishi, "Shiraishi! Did you save us?!"

Shiraishi E's lips curled up slightly: "Otherwise what? I'm lucky I got here quickly, otherwise the three of you would have sunk to the bottom of the sea."

Kogoro Mouri was immediately moved to tears and flattered him repeatedly: "It's all thanks to you, Shiraishi! You're the most reliable one in crucial moments!"

Yuzaku nodded slightly, his tone steady: "Thank you."

Heiji grinned broadly and gave a thumbs-up: "Thanks! I, Hattori Heiji, will remember this life-saving grace!"

Suddenly, Kogoro Mouri seemed to remember something, his expression changed drastically, and he grabbed Shiraishi E's shoulder: "Wait! Where are Ran and the others?! Is she alright?!"

Shiraishi E was so shaken by his movements that the steering wheel veered off course, almost crashing into the floating wreckage. He said irritably, "Don't move! I'm steering the boat!"

As he spoke, he took out his phone with one hand and dialed Xiaolan's number.

The call connected quickly, and Xiaolan's anxious voice came through: "Hello?! Hui, how are things over there?!"

While maneuvering the yacht to avoid the waves, Shiraishi E briefly replied, "The people have been rescued; all three are on my yacht."

On the other end of the phone, Xiaolan visibly breathed a sigh of relief, her voice even choked with emotion: "That's great...that's really great..."

She paused, then hurriedly asked, "Can my dad answer the phone?"

Shiraishi E glanced at Kogoro, who was huddled in his seat, and handed him the phone directly: "Ran is looking for you."

Kogoro Mouri was about to reach out to take it when he suddenly froze—he was now in the form of a child, and his voice had changed. How was he going to explain this to Ran?!

Shiraishi bought a voice changer from the bandit shop and pretended to take it out of her pocket and toss it to him: "Put it on."

Kogoro caught it in a flurry of activity, but didn't know how to use it. Fortunately, Yusaku helped him out, and he finally learned how.

Kogoro Mouri cleared his throat before answering the phone: "Hello, Ran?"

"Dad!!" Ran's voice instantly filled with joy: "I'm so glad you're alright! Sonoko and I are safe now! Are you all alright?"

Hearing his daughter's voice, Kogoro Mouri's eyes welled up with tears, but he tried to keep his voice calm: "We're evacuating, and we'll be reunited soon. Kudo and Heiji are fine too, so don't worry."

Xiaolan nodded repeatedly, and although she knew her father couldn't see, she couldn't help but smile: "Yes! I'll tell the others!"

The father and daughter chatted briefly for a few more minutes before Kogoro Mouri reluctantly hung up the phone. He let out a long sigh, slumped into his seat, and complained, "Sigh, Kudo. Your money is really hard to earn!!"

Yuzuo glanced at the briefcase and smiled, "I'll give you a bonus this time!"

"Really? That's great!" Kogoro Mouri laughed heartily, but when he thought that he was still a child and couldn't drink or go to Ginza, his laughter stopped.

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

A few days later, at the Mihana Sakura Hotel, penthouse suite.

Sunlight streamed into the room through the floor-to-ceiling windows. Conan, Yusaku Kudo, Kogoro Mouri, and Heiji Hattori sat around the sofa in a subtle atmosphere.

Kogoro Mouri scratched his head, looking annoyed: "Tsk, shrinking is such a hassle! I haven't dared to go home these past few days, and I could only lie to Ran and say I was out drinking, but she gave me a real dressing down!"

Heiji Hattori slumped onto the sofa and sighed deeply: "I'm even worse off! Kazuha keeps asking me why I'm avoiding her, and I couldn't come up with a reason, so I could only tell her to go back to Osaka first... As a result, my mom called me and yelled at me, asking if I had gotten into some trouble outside!"

Conan sat to the side, a slight smile playing on his lips, watching them with a smug look on his face.

Serves you right!
He has endured countless times the torment of being suspected by Ran after shrinking, and now it's finally the two of them's turn to experience it!
Yusaku Kudo remained calm, adjusting his glasses and speaking casually, "Actually, shrinking isn't all bad. At least my mind is sharper than it was in middle age, and I don't feel tired even when I stay up all night writing."

Kogoro Mouri glared at him: "Of course you don't care! You don't have to face your daughter's soul-searching questions!"

Heiji chimed in, "Exactly! And you can still fool us by claiming to be 'Yusaku Kudo's son' when you shrink, but what about us? We can't exactly say 'I'm Kogoro Mouri's illegitimate son,' can we?!"

Conan finally couldn't hold it in and burst out laughing.

Kogoro Mouri and Heiji Hattori glared at him simultaneously: "Hey! Shinichi Kudo! What are you laughing at?!"

Conan quickly waved his hand: "N-nothing... I just felt that you guys had it pretty tough." —Actually, he was secretly thrilled!
Just as everyone was complaining to each other, the suite door was pushed open, and Shiraishi E walked in with a disgruntled look on her face.

"You guys seem pretty relaxed, huh?" he sneered. "I'm the one who's been working the hardest, okay? These past few days, I've not only had to cover for you guys, but I also had to impersonate you to see Xiaolan and Heye!"

Kogoro Mouri gave an awkward smile: "Thank you for your hard work..."

Heiji scratched his head and said, "Sorry, Shiraishi."

Shiraishi E rolled her eyes and stepped aside: "Alright, the antidote is here."

Only then did everyone notice that a seventeen or eighteen-year-old mixed-race girl was following behind him—short brown hair, a cold face, and a pair of icy blue eyes that exuded a sense of aloofness.

Kogoro Mouri and Heiji Hattori looked on in bewilderment: "Who is this...?"

Kudo Yusaku smiled slightly and stood up: "Ms. Miyano Shiho, it's an honor to meet you."

Conan didn't recognize that Sherry was Ai Haibara, who sat at the next table.

Shiho Miyano glanced at them indifferently, said nothing, and took out several name-labeled vials from her bag and placed them on the table.

"Antidote, one dose per person."

Kogoro Mouri and Heiji Hattori couldn't wait any longer, so they grabbed it and swallowed it without saying a word.

Yusaku Kudo and Conan exchanged a glance, and out of trust in Emi Shiraishi, they each took the medicine.

A few minutes later--

"what!!"

"It's so hot!!"

"My bones are melting!!"

"........."

As the drug took effect, Kogoro Mouri, Heiji Hattori, and Yusaku Kudo's bodies stretched rapidly, their bones made slight "crackling" sounds, their muscles became firm again, and their faces returned to their original adult appearances.

"Hahaha! I'm back!" Kogoro Mouri excitedly touched his face and pinched his arm. "Great! I don't have to hide from Ran anymore!"

Heiji jumped up excitedly: "I can finally go home!!"

Although Yusaku didn't say anything, the corners of his mouth turned up slightly, clearly indicating that he was in a good mood.

however--

Conan looked down at himself; he was still in a child's body.

"Wait... why didn't I turn back?!" He looked up abruptly, staring at Shiho Miyano in shock.

Shiho Miyano crossed her arms and said calmly, "This medicine won't work for you."

"What?!" Conan was struck dumb. "Why?!"

Kogoro Mouri and Heiji Hattori were taken aback at first, then—

"Pfft, hahaha!" The two burst into laughter in unison.

"Kudo! You've finally met your match!" Heiji laughed so hard he slapped his thigh.

Kogoro Mouri gloated, "Looks like you'll have to stay a primary school student, Shinichi!"

Conan collapsed, clutching his head: "This is not scientific!!!"

Yusaku Kudo patted him on the shoulder and comforted him, "Don't worry, there will always be a way."

Shiho Miyano added casually, "Also, this antidote may not be permanent."

"What?!" Kogoro Mouri and Heiji, who were just overjoyed, froze instantly.

“Your bodies have different levels of resistance to APTX4869, and the effectiveness of the antidote may also be unstable,” she explained calmly. “If you suddenly feel unwell, remember to find a restroom to hide in immediately, so as not to shrink in public and cause a commotion.”

Kogoro Mouri's face turned pale: "You mean... we could turn back at any moment?!"

Heiji panicked too: "Does that mean we have to carry children's clothes with us all the time?!"

Shiho Miyano nodded slightly: "I suggest you prepare accordingly."

The two immediately wailed, "This is such a rip-off!!!"

Seeing their reactions, Conan suddenly felt a sense of balance, and a slight smile appeared on his lips: "Suddenly, I think I'm not so bad like this... as long as I don't have to worry about turning into a child at any time!"

Kogoro Mouri & Heiji Hattori: "Shut up!!!"

Shiho Miyano ignored their noise and calmly went over to draw a few more vials of blood from the four of them before signaling Emi Shiraishi to leave.

(End of this chapter)