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

Chapter 727: Exciting, isn't it? (2nd update)
Leaving the enclosed space of the hospital filled with the smell of disinfectant, the afternoon sun lazily spilled onto the street.

Shiraishi E and Conan tacitly chose not to linger, but instead walked along the street for a while, eventually spotting a brightly lit Burger King at a corner.

For the two who had just gone through a life-or-death race and were nearly exhausted, high-calorie fast food was undoubtedly the most direct and effective way to replenish their energy.

The restaurant was filled with the distinctive aroma of fried food, and the background music was mixed with the noise from the ordering counter.

They found a relatively quiet booth. Shiraishi E ordered a regular set meal, while Conan looked at the menu and ordered a long list of dishes without hesitation.

When the dishes were served, even the well-traveled Shiraishi E couldn't help but be taken aback.

In front of Conan was a small mountain of hamburgers, chicken wings, and several large cups of cola. He watched as the short elementary school student beside him devoured the food with a speed and appetite completely disproportionate to his size.

Five hamburgers, four Cokes, eight chicken wings... and in the blink of an eye, only wrappers and bones remained.

Shiraishi E picked up a French fry and couldn't help but raise an eyebrow and exclaim, "Hey... how do you manage to fit so much food into such a small body? Your appetite is comparable to that of a sumo wrestler."

Conan had just swallowed the last bite of his hamburger when he heard this, and he let out a long sigh.

He picked up a napkin and wiped his mouth, his tone tinged with barely perceptible frustration: "It's not that I can eat a lot... it's just that this body, which keeps changing size, requires a huge amount of energy to maintain. Especially... especially after strenuous exercise or injury, the energy deficit is even greater."

Clearly, what he had experienced earlier had depleted his energy, and now he needed to replenish it.

After finishing the hamburger in his hand, he finally stopped, leaned back in his chair, and gently rubbed his slightly bloated stomach, preparing to let his digestive system catch its breath.

Taking advantage of this brief moment, Conan immediately took out his phone, his brows furrowed slightly, and his fingertips quickly swiped across the screen.

He recalled the "Noah's Ark" that Shiraishi E had mentioned before, a term that he found very intriguing.

Using his proficient online search skills, combined with access to databases that require special privileges, he began an in-depth investigation.

After a flurry of information retrieval and filtering, his expression gradually turned serious.

He looked up at Shiraishi E, who was leisurely eating fries across from him, and said in disbelief, "This 'Noah's Ark'... it's not some simple hacking program at all, it's an artificial intelligence! A super AI that is said to have the ability to learn and evolve on its own!"

He paused, his eyes filled with confusion, and continued, "But according to all the publicly available records and rumors, wasn't this AI project called 'Noah's Ark' completely terminated, shelved, or even destroyed two years ago following the suicide of its genius developer, Hiroki Sawada? How could this be..."

Shiraishi E shrugged, not intending to reveal any more information, and said, "I don't know more about the specifics than you do. Vermouth is very tight-lipped; she only said she needed it to 'pick locks.' All we can do now is wait for her next instructions."

"Tch...that woman is really awful!" Conan put down his phone with a disgruntled expression, taking a big gulp of cola as if venting his anger. "Always so secretive, hiding crucial information!"

He wanted to dig deeper, but found that all the useful information about "Noah's Ark" on the internet seemed to have been deliberately erased or had extremely high access barriers set up, and he could no longer find any more valuable content.

Just then, Shiraishi E pointed to the television hanging in the corner of the restaurant wall with the hand holding the fries, a playful smile on her lips: "Hey, detective, look at that."

Conan followed his gaze and his attention was immediately drawn to the local news being broadcast on the television screen.

The news footage showed the skyscraper where they had just caused such a ruckus in the background, with a striking and exaggerated headline at the bottom: "Crazy Robbers Spotted in Los Angeles! A Real-Life Fast and Furious Scene!"

The host, in an excited tone, vividly described their "heroic feat," accompanied by blurry dashcam footage, terrified interview clips from eyewitnesses, and a composite sketch released by the police.

From the bizarre beginning of "robbing a bank but taking nothing," to the crazy car chase in the streets that "left dozens of police cars far behind," to the thrilling scene of "leaping over buildings like a stunt show and brazenly hijacking a helicopter," and finally the explosive ending of "an unidentified armed helicopter appearing, launching an attack, causing the target helicopter to crash into a building"...

Scenes of "news" processed and embellished by the media, accompanied by highly impactful visuals and sound effects, flashed before Conan's eyes.

He was holding his Coke cup, completely stunned, as if watching a Hollywood blockbuster that had nothing to do with him.

A strong sense of unreality enveloped him.

He, Shinichi Kudo, a high school detective who believes in justice and truth, never imagined that one day he would become the protagonist of such outrageous "crazy deeds," making headlines in Los Angeles news media and remaining a hot topic for a long time!
"How was it?" Shiraishi E's teasing voice rang in his ear, interrupting his daze. "Was it exciting?"

Conan snapped out of his complicated thoughts and glanced speechlessly at the man beside him who seemed to be thoroughly enjoying this way of "fame." He opened his mouth, wanting to retort as he habitually did, but in the end, he honestly nodded, with a mix of exhaustion and excitement that he couldn't quite explain, and sighed in admission: "Okay... I admit it, this is indeed... very exciting. I've never done anything this exciting in my entire life."

Upon hearing this, Shiraishi E chuckled. A glint of all-knowing insight seemed to flash in his usually nonchalant eyes. He lowered his voice and said in an almost seductive tone, "Trust me, you'll get used to it. Maybe... you'll slowly come to love this feeling of walking on the edge of a knife."

Conan immediately rolled his eyes dramatically and replied decisively, as if trying to convince himself: "I would rather die than fall in love with this feeling!! This is simply challenging my bottom line as a detective!"

However, deep down, he couldn't completely deny the lingering, indescribable thrill that remained after the adrenaline surge.

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Pushing open the heavy door of the hotel suite, Shiraishi E and Conan were greeted not with the tranquility they had expected, but with a battlefield "occupied" by shopping bags.

The spacious sofa in the living room, the carpet, and even the elegant glass coffee table were piled high with all kinds of colorful shopping bags and boxes.

Paper bags emblazoned with well-known brand logos were stacked upon each other, and some open boxes revealed glimpses of brand-new clothes, shoes, hats, and sparkling accessories. The air seemed to be filled with the unique scent of new items.

Conan looked at the scene, which resembled a small department store counter, and his lips twitched involuntarily. His tired brain subconsciously began to calculate the size of these items and their possible frequency of wear.

He couldn't help but mutter to himself, "Did they... bring back half of the shopping street? Can they really wear all that stuff?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Shiraishi E nudged him with her elbow, lowering her voice and offering a knowing smile, "Conan, these ultimate questions about women's shopping philosophy are best left unsaid. Just keep them to yourself. Say them out loud..."

He made a throat-slitting gesture, glancing towards the direction leading to the terrace, saying, "This could easily provoke public outrage, and the consequences would be unimaginable."

Conan immediately realized what was happening, quickly covered his mouth with his hand, and nodded repeatedly like a frightened hamster, his eyes filled with the realization that "I understand, I understand, my survival instinct is at its peak."

The two carefully traversed this "shopping results display area," as if crossing a minefield.

The glass doors leading to the huge open-air balcony were wide open, and the sounds of people talking, cheerful music, the tempting sizzling of grilled meat, and the gentle lapping of the waves all mingled together and rushed towards you.

The view from the balcony contrasts sharply with the interior. Warm string lights twinkle around the railings and greenery, like a flowing river of stars.

In the center of the spacious area, an exquisite outdoor grill is emitting mouthwatering smoke.

Most eye-catching were the four women who had already donned summer attire—

Xiao Lan chose a refreshing light blue two-piece bikini, which accentuated her well-proportioned and healthy figure, and was smiling as she flipped the meat skewers on the grill.

Sonoko, dressed in vibrant fluorescent pink, boldly displayed her energy, holding a brightly colored cocktail in her hand and swaying gently to the music.

Eri Kisaki, dressed in an elegant dark green one-piece swimsuit with a light gauze over it, sat on a lounge chair, smiling as she watched the lively scene before her.
Yukiko, on the other hand, wore a classic black bikini that accentuated her still-perfect curves. She was adding dressing to a salad bowl, her posture languid and alluring.

Upon seeing them return, Sonoko was the first to greet them with a glass of wine, her face flushed with excitement: "Oh my! You two busy people are finally back! Look at you, all covered in dust and dirt. Go take a shower and change into something comfortable! The party has only just begun, tonight we're not leaving until we're completely drunk!"

She waved her arms enthusiastically, almost spilling the wine in her glass.

At this moment, Conan felt like every bone in his body was screaming for him to lie down. After a day of intense activity, his nerves and physical strength were severely exhausted. What he craved most right now was a soft bed and at least ten hours of deep sleep.

However, seeing the expectant looks from everyone and feeling the overflowing joyful atmosphere, he really couldn't bear to spoil everyone's fun.

So, he forced out a smile that suited his "elementary school student" identity—a slightly sleepy but obedient one—and nodded: "Okay...okay, Sonoko-neechan."

In contrast, Shiraishi E seems much more adapted.

He laughed heartily, his eyes quickly scanning the sizzling food on the grill and the chilled drinks in the ice bucket, and replied very readily, "No problem! Give us ten minutes, and we'll be joining the fray right away! You'd better save some good food for us!"

As he spoke, he patted Conan on the back, signaling the little guy to cheer up, and then pulled the yawning Conan along, turning to head towards their respective rooms, ready to wash away their fatigue and dust and immerse themselves in the seaside party under the night sky.

(End of this chapter)