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

Chapter 718 Crime is a distinctive feature of Los Angeles culture (1st update)
The sports car drove smoothly through the streets of Los Angeles, but the air inside the car seemed to freeze.

Conan, sitting in the back seat, was curled up, his hands tightly covering his chest, and fine beads of sweat were seeping from his forehead.

His breathing became rapid and irregular, and an unnatural blush rose on his fair cheeks.

"It's so hot..." he managed to utter two words, his voice already hoarse from the pain.

Shiraishi E turned around from the front seat and calmly observed Conan's situation.

The boy's body is changing at a visible speed—the children's clothes that used to fit well are starting to feel tight, the cuffs and trouser legs are gradually getting shorter, and his fingers and toes are slowly growing longer.

"It seems the drug is starting to take full effect." Vermouth observed all this through the rearview mirror, her tone carrying a touch of the calm of a scientific observer.

Suddenly, Conan let out a heart-wrenching scream.

The voice was not like that of a child at all; it gradually became deep and mature through pain.

His body convulsed violently in the seat, his bones making a chilling "crackling" sound, as if each bone was breaking and then growing back.

"Ugh—!" Another painful cry burst from Conan's throat.

In that instant, his body stretched out suddenly, and his originally youthful face underwent an astonishing transformation in a few seconds: his cheekbones became higher, his jawline became more defined, and the roundness of a child was replaced by the angularity of a teenager.

The clothes that originally fit well were torn into strips by the drastic changes in his body, barely hanging on his suddenly grown body.

In a short while, the little detective in the back seat disappeared, replaced by Shinichi Kudo, panting and soaked in sweat.

He slumped into his chair, his chest heaving violently, his eyes filled with the bewilderment and pain of his transformation.

“It’s truly amazing.” Vermouth’s voice broke the silence in the car from the front seat. Her gaze swept over Shinichi through the mirror. “Although it’s not the first time I’ve seen this kind of change, it’s still incredible every time.”

Shinichi jerked his head up, his wet bangs sticking to his forehead. His eyes were filled with shock and disbelief: "You... how did you know..."

Vermouth chuckled softly, a hint of smugness in her voice: "I've done quite a few things for your father. Despite his and Professor Agasa's best efforts to conceal it, I still managed to find out the truth."

She paused, her tone becoming more playful: "After all, it seems very suspicious that a high school detective like Shinichi Kudo would suddenly take such a long leave from school. Moreover, the timing of your appearance after you shrunk coincides too closely with the time when Shinichi Kudo disappeared."

These words left Shinichi speechless.

He always thought he had hidden it well, but he never expected that in Vermouth's eyes, it would all be so obvious.

A sense of frustration welled up inside him, and he lowered his head, silently processing the fact.

"Put your clothes on first." Vermouth's voice brought him out of his thoughts. She pointed to the travel bag on the back seat. "Although Los Angeles is very open-minded, it's better not to go naked unless it's something special."

Shinichi then realized his predicament; his enlarged body had completely torn his original clothes, leaving him almost half-naked.

A wave of embarrassment washed over him, and he quickly pulled over the travel bag next to him. When he opened it, he found several sets of men's clothing neatly folded inside, from underwear to outerwear, and the sizes were perfect for his current body shape.

He quickly chose a dark blue casual outfit to wear; the fabric was soft and comfortable, and the cut was so perfect it seemed tailor-made.

Just as he was buttoning up the last button, he suddenly realized something—these clothes couldn't have been prepared on the spot; Vermouth had clearly anticipated that he would revert to his original form at this moment.

A feeling of being completely controlled stirred up a sense of unease within him.

He looked up, his gaze complex as he looked at Vermouth in the driver's seat: "You planned all of this?"

Vermouth didn't answer directly, but instead gave him a meaningful smile in the rearview mirror: "How does it feel, Kudo-kun? The feeling of having your own body again."

Shinichi wiggled his fingers, feeling the familiar sensation of his adult body.

Despite his displeasure with Vermouth's schemes, the familiar feeling of being able to temporarily escape the body of a child still stirred his emotions.

"Why are you helping me?" he finally asked, his voice filled with wariness and confusion.

Vermouth turned the steering wheel and drove the car onto a relatively quiet street: "I've already said I need your help. And you, in your adult form, are obviously more useful than in your elementary school student form."

As they spoke, Vermouth's sports car slowly pulled over to the side of the road with a low engine hum.

The wheels landed precisely on the curb, perfectly aligned, as if this position had been planned all along.

Shiraishi E and Kudo Shinichi turned their gazes to the window almost simultaneously. Before them stood a magnificent building—the City National Bank.

This skyscraper still stands out among the towering buildings in downtown Los Angeles, its reflective glass facade gleaming with a cool light under the bright California sun.

The bank entrance features a revolving bronze door, flanked by uniformed security guards who warily scan passersby.

“City National Bank.” Shinichi Kudo read the bank’s sign above him in a low voice, his brow furrowing involuntarily. “What are we doing here?”

Shiraishi E leaned back lazily in her chair, a half-smile playing on her lips: "I bet she wants us to rob this bank."

"Just the three of us?" Shinichi Kudo raised his voice incredulously. "Robbing one of the most secure banks in Los Angeles in a completely unfamiliar country, with no knowledge of its internal structure? That's no joke."

Vermouth let out a pleasant chuckle, reached into the travel bag in the back seat, took out two black hoods, and casually tossed them to the two people in the back seat.

The hood is a standard bandit style, with openings only for the eyes and mouth, and is made of thick and elastic material.

“Kudo-kun, it seems you guessed wrong this time.” Vermouth’s red lips curved into a dangerous arc: “Shiraishi-kun is absolutely right, we’re here to rob a bank.”

Shinichi Kudo looked down at the heavy hood in his hand, feeling his worldview being shattered: "Are you kidding me? Didn't you say you were bringing us to experience the culture of Los Angeles?"

In stark contrast to Kudo's resistance, Shiraishi E had already neatly put on the hood, the black fabric completely concealing his face, revealing only a pair of calm, almost indifferent eyes.

“Crime is one of the defining characteristics of Los Angeles.” Shiraishi’s voice came from under the hood, carrying a strange sense of resonance.

Vermouth laughed even harder upon hearing this, and gave Shiraishi E an approving look: "You're absolutely right! Darling, you know so much. That's right, crime is an integral part of Los Angeles culture, and today I'll show you how it works."

As she spoke, she reached into the travel bag again, this time taking out not clothes, but two Uzi submachine guns and several magazines full of bullets.

She skillfully handed the weapons to Shiraishi E and Kudo Shinichi respectively, her movements as fluid as if she were handing out candy.

Shinichi Kudo gripped the cold submachine gun, his fingers tingling: "Hey! Can you stop joking around? Shiraishi! Show some normal reaction! She asked you to rob a bank, and you just obediently accepted?"

After taking the submachine gun, Shiraishi E professionally inspected all the parts of the weapon, pulled the bolt to confirm that it was working properly, and then loaded the magazine: "Well, she must have her reasons for doing this. Anyway, I'm just killing time, so it's not bad to do something exciting."

"That's no excuse for your involvement in a crime!" Shinichi Kudo was practically exasperated. "Can you please respect the law? We're detectives, not criminals!"

He couldn't understand Shiraishi E's almost morbid capriciousness, and instead stared intently at Vermouth: "What exactly do you want? You can't just leave us confused and clueless, letting you do whatever you want, can you?"

At this moment, Vermouth calmly began to take off her fashionable coat, revealing her hot figure.

Then, she picked up the bank employee uniform and began to put it on.

“Your mission is simple,” she explained, adjusting the collar of her uniform. “It’s to rob a bank at gunpoint, attract everyone’s attention, then take me hostage and demand to enter the vault. There, I’ll find what I want.”

Although Shinichi Kudo was displeased, he immediately turned his head away politely, looking out the window at the bank entrance: "What is it that's worth all this trouble?"

Unlike Kudo's evasiveness, Shiraishi E stared directly at Vermouth, who was putting on her uniform, and asked bluntly, "What's in it for me?"

Vermouth gave Shiraishi E an admiring look, her red lips slightly parted: "I like sensible children like you. Don't ask questions you shouldn't ask... After it's done, you can make me an 'excessive' request. As long as it's within my ability, I will definitely fulfill it."

Upon hearing this, Shinichi Kudo immediately turned around, a sharp glint in his eyes: "I want to know everything about your organization!"

“Okay, it’s a deal!” Vermouth agreed with surprising ease.

Shiraishi E glanced at Kudo Shinichi with displeasure: "Hey, I'm not interested in that organization."

Shinichi Kudo quickly apologized, "I'm so sorry, I'll definitely make it up to you later!"

Vermouth had already straightened her uniform. She tucked the last strand of her blonde hair into her bank clerk's hat, instantly transforming herself from a fashionable woman into a capable bank employee.

She glanced at her watch, her tone turning serious: "Gentlemen, remember, once inside the bank, you are ruthless robbers, and I am an innocent employee being held hostage. Play your part well; it's a matter of whether we leave alive."

She opened the car door and added one last time, "You have fifteen minutes to get ready. The operation will begin in fifteen minutes. Wish us luck, you two handsome young men!"

After saying that, Vermouth swaggered towards the bank entrance.

(End of this chapter)