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

Chapter 673 Compromise and Retreat (2nd Update)
Under the frenzied barrage of the Gatling mini-cannon by Shiraishi E, a weapon that could be described as a deadly weapon, the originally precarious battle situation was violently reversed in an instant!
The second wave of ground attacks launched by the Black Organization was like hitting an invisible wall of death made of scorching metal. It was completely crushed in just half a minute, leaving only a mess and mutilated corpses.

The ear-piercing hum of the motor ceased, and the Gatling gun's six scorching barrels slowly stopped spinning. The air was thick with an overwhelming stench of blood, gunpowder, and a strange... burnt protein smell.

Shiraishi casually placed the heavy weapon on the windowsill, making a soft "clang" sound.

He turned around, a hint of lingering enjoyment from the intense exercise on his face, and looked at the still-shaken crowd behind him. He raised an eyebrow and asked, "How was that? Wasn't that cool?"

However, the adoration or amazement he expected did not materialize.

His response was an uncontrollable, heart-wrenching sound of dry heaving and vomiting!

"vomit--!!!"

Ran, Sonoko, Yumi Miyamoto, and Naeko Miike almost simultaneously turned pale, turned around abruptly, and either leaned against the wall or squatted on the ground, vomiting violently with tears streaming down their faces.

The scene before them was far too bloody and brutal. The courtyard, resembling a slaughterhouse, and the mangled corpses assaulted their senses of sight and smell, making their stomachs churn.

Even Sato Miwako, who was used to seeing murder corpses, turned pale at this moment. She barely managed to hold back from vomiting on the spot, but her throat was bobbing up and down, clearly indicating that she was in great discomfort.

The impact of this battlefield-style, large-scale direct physical destruction is far greater than that of a typical criminal case scene.

Seeing how disheveled they were from vomiting, Shiraishi shook her head repeatedly, her tone tinged with helplessness and disdain: "Tsk, their mental fortitude is still lacking... They can't even handle this little thing?"

He turned to look at Conan beside him.

The boy's face was ashen, his lips were tightly pressed together, and his body trembled slightly, clearly showing that he was also trying his best to endure great discomfort and nausea.

But he held on and didn't vomit. He just looked out the window at the hellish scene with a complicated expression, as if he was forcing himself to adapt to and understand this extreme violence.

Just as the sounds of vomiting echoed throughout the hall, filling the air with an embarrassing and sour smell—

Sizzle...

Suddenly, a burst of static crackled from the loudspeaker on the wall. Then, a voice altered by a voice changer, filled with anger and a chilling aura, resounded throughout the hall. It was Rum!
"Damn thugs!!" Rum's voice was distorted with rage. "It's you again!! Destroying my lab time and time again! Are you trying to pick a fight with me?! Who sent you?!"

Upon hearing this address, Shiraishi E paused slightly, then a playful smile appeared on her lips as she replied easily, "Ah... would you believe me if I said this was purely a beautiful accident?"

"I don't believe you for a second!!!" Rum instantly burst into a tirade, his voice changer unable to mask his furious emotions, "You damn troublemaker! You lunatic!"

After hurling a few curses, Rum seemed to forcefully suppress his anger, his voice turning cold and threatening again: "Listen! I don't have time to waste with you! Now, I'll give you a way out!"

"I'll have my men retreat immediately, and you can pack your things and get out of here right now! But—leave all the test subjects intact, especially that one! Otherwise…"

Shiraishi E countered with interest, "Otherwise what? What if I say no?"

"Otherwise?!" Rum's voice suddenly turned frenzied: "Then I'll activate the self-destruct mechanism of this building right now! You, this laboratory, and your ridiculous sense of justice will all be utterly destroyed!! Nobody will get anything!"

Upon hearing this, Shiraishi E raised an eyebrow, her tone tinged with suspicion: "A self-destruct device? That sounds pretty scary. But how do I know you're just bluffing to trick us into laying down our weapons and leaving obediently?"

"Hmph! They won't shed tears until they see the coffin!" Rum sneered.

A clear, synthesized electronic voice immediately came through the loudspeaker:
[Self-destruction system activated]

[30-minute countdown begins]

【29: 59】

【29: 58】

If this was an erroneous operation, please enter the stop code to undo it within five minutes.

The cold, chilling countdown ticked down like a hammer blow, striking everyone's heart with each strike.

Shiraishi E finally frowned.

Ran, Sonoko, and the others also stopped vomiting, their faces turning even paler, their eyes filled with terror.

Conan also clenched his fists unconsciously.

A few seconds later, the countdown stopped abruptly.

The self-destruct system has been terminated.

Rum's icy voice rang out again, filled with an arrogant sense of control: "Now, do you believe me? You have five minutes to decide! Will you leave the test subjects alive, or... turn them all to ashes!"

After he finished speaking, the broadcast went completely silent, leaving only a deathly silence in the hall and the sound of increasingly heavy breathing.

Immense pressure loomed over everyone like a dark cloud.

Shiraishi E's gaze swept over the terrified, pale-faced crowd, and she broke the silence: "You've all heard the situation. To fight or to make peace, to stay or to leave... tell me your thoughts?"

Ran and Sonoko exchanged a glance, their faces filled with struggle and reluctance.

They were kind-hearted, and the thought of returning the child who had just suffered the pain of shrinking and falling into a coma to those cold-hearted people to their deaths was agonizing.

But the reality is cruel. If they don't hand it over, Rum will indeed activate the self-destruct program, and all of them, including the child, will turn to ashes along with the laboratory. The three policewomen, Sato Miwako, Miyamoto Yumi, and Miike Naeko, also wore grave expressions.

Their professional instincts and sense of justice made them extremely resistant to this compromise, but as adults, they were more aware of the consequences of "doing the impossible."

Faced with the choice between total annihilation and saving the lives of the majority, they painfully chose the latter, nodding with difficulty to agree to exchange their children for a chance to survive.

Finally, everyone's eyes turned to Conan.

To everyone's surprise, Conan, the usually righteous and even somewhat stubborn young detective, calmly nodded, his voice, though still childish, unusually clear: "I also agree... to hand the child over for now."

"Conan? You..." Ran looked at him in surprise.

Conan pushed up his glasses, the lenses reflecting a cold light, and calmly analyzed, "Think about it calmly. A lot of researchers and hostages have already escaped."

"Unexpectedly, they have definitely been captured by those men in black by now."

"This means that even if we fight to the death to protect this child and perish here with us, the organization can still obtain enough data and experience from those who escaped, and may even directly capture a few key researchers."

"They will soon be able to create a second and a third smaller test subject... then our sacrifice will become meaningless, just a pointless death."

This cold yet incredibly realistic analysis was like a bucket of cold water poured over everyone's heads, leaving Ran and Sonoko speechless and forced to admit that what he said made sense.

It's easy to die a tragic death, but it's difficult to die a meaningful death.

Seeing this, Shiraishi E was about to speak, seemingly wanting to insist on something, when Conan quickly interrupted him, saying, "Brother Shiraishi! I think it's better not to fight!"

He took a deep breath and pointed out the most crucial practical problem: "Yes, you're strong, and you might be able to fight your way out. But what about us? We feel energetic right now because we drank that stimulant!"

"Once the effects of the drug wear off and the side effects kick in, we'll all collapse into a limp mess, unable to even lift a gun! At that point, even someone as strong as you, are you really confident you can protect the six of us who are completely incapacitated, all while surrounded by the organization?!"

This sentence acted as the last shackle of reason, completely restraining any potential impulses from running away with passion.

After listening, Shiraishi stroked her chin and had to admit that Conan's considerations were indeed thorough.

If he really wanted to fight Rum to the bitter end, he was confident that he could lead them out unscathed.

However, this would significantly increase the difficulty.

Moreover, the main purpose of bringing them here this time was to "experience life" and "run a dungeon," with the aim of training and broadening their horizons, rather than to actually fight to the death with the organization's core members.

Once you've had your fill of fun and the experience is complete, it's wise to call it a day.

So he nodded and finally made a decision: "Okay, you're right. There's no need to keep fighting to the end."

Upon hearing this, Conan finally breathed a long sigh of relief, feeling his back soaked with cold sweat.

He was genuinely afraid that Shiraishi E would become blinded by rage and act recklessly.

Then, Shiraishi E raised her head and said loudly to the empty hall, "Fine, Rum... you win this time. I agree to your terms! You can take the person, and let us leave."

Rum's processed, emotionless voice immediately came over the loudspeaker: "Very good! A wise man submits to circumstances. My men have begun to retreat. If you don't believe me, you can see for yourselves with your drones."

Without further ado, Conan immediately took the drone back into the air and carefully observed the surroundings of the nursing home through the camera. Sure enough, the large convoy of vehicles and people that had been there earlier was now quickly and orderly evacuating, disappearing into the distance.

"The organization's people are indeed already retreating," Conan confirmed.

"Let's go." Shiraishi E no longer hesitated, waved her hand, and took the lead in walking downstairs.

The crowd supported each other and followed behind him.

They crossed that courtyard, which resembled a battlefield, once again, each step landing on sticky pools of blood and indescribable wreckage.

The intense stench of blood and the horrific scene were unbearable for Ran, Sonoko, Sato Miwako, and the others. They vomited almost as they walked, their faces as pale as paper, in excruciating pain.

This stretch of road was nothing short of torture for them.

After finally managing to walk out of the horribly warped metal gate, they found the place deserted, with only the night wind blowing through. A black Hummer, clearly "left behind" by the other side, sat silently at the entrance.

Shiraishi stepped forward with extreme caution and quickly and professionally inspected the vehicle's surroundings and chassis, confirming that there were no booby traps or bombs installed and that the fuel tank was full.

He then opened the car door and got into the driver's seat.

"Get in the car! Hurry up!"

Ran, Sonoko, Conan, Miwako Sato, Yumi Miyamoto, and Naeko Miike helped each other, practically crawling into the back seat of the car. Each of them looked disheveled and dazed.

The engine roared to life, the Hummer's headlights flashed, tearing through the night as it sped away from this hell on earth.

All that remained were the burning ruins behind him, the corpses scattered everywhere, and the little boy abandoned in the laboratory, his fate uncertain.

(End of this chapter)