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

Chapter 736 Returning to Tokyo and Delivering Medicine
After a series of exhausting crises, the altimeter finally showed that they had reached a safe enough altitude to parachute above the sea. Shiraishi E, who had remained calm and in control throughout, pulled the main parachute without hesitation.

"Whoosh—!"

A giant umbrella suddenly bloomed against the azure sky, like an auspicious cloud, instantly catching the rapidly falling crowd and bringing a strong yet incredibly reassuring upward pull.

The howling wind that had been blasting into my ears suddenly subsided, and the speed of my descent abruptly slowed down. The whole world seemed to switch from a fast-forwarded disaster movie to a soothing landscape mode.

They finally escaped the weightlessness of freefall and began to drift slowly down towards the boundless blue sky below in a relatively stable and tranquil manner.

Perhaps it was because the meteorite whose trajectory was forcibly altered by Conan's "Golden Shot" completely exceeded the expectations of some kind of "rule";

Or perhaps, the Grim Reaper, who controls misfortune, saw the football break through the atmosphere—a completely illogical maneuver—and thought these guys were utterly unreasonable, simply wasting their time and energy.

In short, in the time that followed, the persistent malice seemed to have truly lost heart and reluctantly gave up.

From opening the parachute to landing smoothly on the cool sea, splashing a small amount of water.

Then, with everyone helping each other, using the buoyancy of the parachute and staying in the small inflatable lifeboat that they "luckily" found, they waited for rescue... Throughout the whole process, everything was calm and there were no more accidents.

There were no sudden shark fins, no eerie ocean whirlpools, no malfunctioning signal flares, and even the weather was exceptionally cooperative, with warm sunshine and a gentle sea breeze.

This almost luxurious "normality" made people, who were used to perilous situations, feel a little uncomfortable.

As rescuers pulled them one by one from the sea onto a solid deck and wrapped them in warm blankets, Ran, Sonoko, Yukiko, and Eri truly realized that they had actually survived that epic and absurd air disaster.

A profound, indescribable mix of exhaustion and relief welled up inside me.

They looked at each other, disheveled yet unharmed, then gazed at the distant sky and sea that had once swallowed passenger planes and countless lives, before finally fixing their gaze on Conan, who was wringing out his clothes, and Shiraishi E, who looked calm as if she had just gone out for a walk.

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

When the flight carrying the shaken group finally landed smoothly at Tokyo International Airport.

The moment the cabin door opened and her feet touched solid ground, Xiaolan almost blurted out, her voice filled with lingering fear and deep exhaustion: "I never imagined flying could be so dangerous! Such a terrible accident happened on the way there, and on the way back, we encountered another accident!!"

Sonoko, who followed her off the plane, scratched her head and muttered in confusion, "That's not right... Logically speaking, airplanes shouldn't be this dangerous!"

"I've taken so many flights before, even international long-haul flights, and they've all gone smoothly. Why is it that this time, there have been so many twists and turns both ways?"

This heiress of the Suzuki Group, who travels by plane as frequently as she takes a taxi, has never before encountered such a series of "surprises".

Standing to the side, Eri Kisaki wore the wry smile typical of lawyers, a smile that betrayed a failed attempt at logical analysis. She gently pushed up her glasses and said, "I guess... we can only attribute it to our bad luck this time. There doesn't seem to be a more reasonable explanation."

Even someone as convinced of evidence and logic as her had to temporarily resort to the mysterious concept of "luck" when faced with this series of low-probability events.

Yukiko was the last to slowly sway down, her face contorted with grief, letting out a series of lamentations: "Aaaaaah~~~ All my carefully selected limited-edition clothes, new bags, and meticulously chosen jewelry!! In an instant, they were all reduced to ashes in that explosion! My heart aches so much!"

More than the terrifying experience of flying through the air, the complete loss of her fashion items seemed to be what worried her more.

Seeing this, Sonoko patted Yukiko on the shoulder and comforted her, "Don't worry, don't worry, it's okay! We bought high-value travel insurance, they will reimburse you for the full amount."

“We have detailed purchase records from those brand stores. When we get back, I'll contact them and have them prepare a copy exactly the same and send it directly to your home! I guarantee it will be identical!”

Upon hearing this, Yukiko breathed a long sigh of relief as if she had been pardoned, her face regaining its radiance. She felt that this "shopping trip," which had almost cost her her life, had not been entirely in vain.

Conan, standing a little distance away, heard every word of their conversation. His little brows furrowed tightly, and his worldview, which had just stabilized, began to shake violently again.

He couldn't help but lean closer to Shiraishi E, who had a calm expression, and asked in a low voice with a hint of worry, "Shiraishi, do you think... that Grim Reaper who's been haunting us might not give up and might chase us all the way here?"

His daily life in Beika Town was already "colorful" enough; he didn't want to add an international version of the death curse on top of that.

Upon hearing this, Shiraishi E's lips curled into a meaningful smile, her tone relaxed yet carrying a certain certainty: "Don't worry, it won't happen. You're the one who can run wild on other people's turf, but no one dares to easily come to your turf to run wild."

Conan was speechless and couldn't help but complain, "What nonsense are you spouting? Can't you be serious for once?!" What kind of nonsensical analogies are these?

Shiraishi E laughed and patted Conan's head: "I'm just stating the most important truth... Anyway, we're safe now that we're back here. Don't worry."

Seeing that Shiraishi E was unwilling to explain further, Conan wisely stopped asking questions.

Moreover, in his subconscious, he still stubbornly resisted this kind of mystical and superstitious belief.

Even after experiencing so many inexplicable accidents, the detective-like part of him, who firmly believed in logic and science, was still desperately searching for seemingly reasonable explanations:
'That's right, it must all be a coincidence! An accident with an extremely low probability but still possible! Aircraft malfunction, bad weather, mechanical failure... Yes, that must be it!'

He nodded vigorously, trying to use the bricks of reason to reinforce the worldview wall that had been shaken to its breaking point.

————————————————————

Shiraishi E dragged her slightly tired but excited body back to the Miyano villa.

Pushing open the door, a familiar sense of tranquility washes over you, a stark contrast to the breathtaking atmosphere of Los Angeles.

He went straight to the kitchen, skillfully took out coffee beans, and as the grinder hummed, a rich aroma of coffee began to fill the air.

As he waited for the coffee to brew, he let his thoughts drift back to the journey that had just ended—the plane explosion, the skydiving, the meteorite falling from the sky… every scene was absurd and bizarre, yet it had all actually happened.

"Although it was fraught with danger," he said, picking up his freshly brewed black coffee, taking a sip, and feeling the bittersweet aroma spread across his tongue, a smile unconsciously creeping onto his lips. "But after experiencing so much, I feel it was all worthwhile, quite... interesting."

Just then, a suppressed, slightly hoarse cough came from the direction of the living room, interrupting his reminiscence.

Shiraishi E turned her head and saw Akai Mary wearing a loose light gray casual outfit, walking down the stairs.

Her face seemed paler than usual. As she walked, she covered her lips with the back of her hand, coughing lightly every now and then, her brows furrowed, clearly feeling unwell.

"Still coughing?" Shiraishi E asked with concern, leaning against the counter with her coffee cup in hand. "Is the medicine not working?"

Mary sat down on the sofa in the living room, shook her head, and said in a slightly hoarse voice from coughing, "It's no use... Elena and my niece have already diagnosed me." Her tone was filled with a helpless resignation: "They said it's not a common cold and cough, it's the side effects of that drug... APTX-4869 that are continuously affecting my bodily functions, and ordinary drugs are unlikely to be effective."

Shiraishi E took another sip of coffee and pondered, "Have you found a solution?"

Mary poured herself a glass of water, without coffee—her current physical condition didn't seem suitable for caffeine intake.

She gripped the water glass, her knuckles tightening slightly: "They are trying to find ways to alleviate the symptoms... but Elena says that ultimately, the most fundamental solution is to completely remove the drug residue from the body."

"In other words... taking the complete antidote will restore me to my original adult physique. Only then can my body's immune system and other functions operate normally, and this root cause of the cough will disappear."

Shiraishi E nodded in understanding.

He was about to say something more about the progress of the antidote when he keenly noticed that when Mary said these words, there was not much joy in her eyes about to return to normal; instead, a very faint and elusive sense of loss flashed across her face.

He was somewhat surprised, put down his coffee cup, and asked directly, "What's wrong? Judging from your tone, you seem... not very happy that things can go back to normal?"

Mary raised her eyelids and glanced at Shiraishi E, her eyes conveying a sense of "you really don't understand women."

She gave a soft hum, quite frankly, her tone tinged with self-deprecation and barely perceptible regret: "Of course I'm not entirely happy... What do you think women are thinking? What woman doesn't wish her youth could stay longer, even if it's just staying at eighteen, an age that sounds so wonderful?"

She paused, looked out the window, and lowered her voice: "Before, I knew I couldn't do it, so I would only think about it occasionally, and then face reality and accept the passage of time. But now... there is an opportunity right in front of me, but I have to give it up myself. It would be a lie to say I'm not disappointed."

After hearing these candid and honest words, Shiraishi E was taken aback for a moment, then couldn't help but chuckle and shake her head, saying, "Miss Mary, I didn't expect... you to be so surprisingly frank about this kind of thing."

His laughter stopped abruptly as soon as he finished speaking, as if it had been paused.

"...Oh no!" He slapped his forehead, a look of realization and regret on his face. "I was so busy dealing with those unexpected events and the trip that I almost forgot about the important matter!"

As he spoke, he didn't bother to savor his coffee any longer. He tilted his head back and drank the remaining half-cup of coffee in one gulp, then put the cup in the sink and hurriedly walked towards the villa gate.

This sudden action made Mary frown. Looking at Shiraishi E's hurried back, she raised her voice and asked, "Hey! When are you free? I have something to discuss with you."

Shiraishi E didn't stop walking, but simply raised her hand and waved it behind her. Her voice came from the doorway: "Let's wait a couple of days... After I finish dealing with this important matter, I'll come back to see you in a couple of days!"

Mary watched his figure disappear behind the door and replied casually, "Okay. I'll wait for you for two more days."

--------

Inside Eri Kisaki's apartment, all was quiet, with only the occasional low rumble of the city outside the window.

After a tumultuous trip to Los Angeles, Eri Kisaki finally felt her tense nerves relax when she returned to this familiar personal space.

The first thing she did was to fill a tub with warm water and slowly immerse herself in it, letting the warmth envelop her tired body.

The rising steam blurred her vision, and she couldn't help but recall every detail of this journey.

"It's lucky to have survived such a disaster..." She closed her eyes, letting the water flow over her skin, her mind flashing back to the terrifying scene of the plane going out of control and making an emergency landing, still feeling lingering fear.

"But surviving two...two consecutive plane crashes can't be called luck, it's practically a miracle!"

However, what evoked more complex emotions and a slight flush in her cheeks than the two air crises that would be etched in her memory was the almost frenzied party held in a Los Angeles hotel deep in her memory.

The unrestrained laughter, free from the constraints of daily life and identity, the actions that would never be done in normal times... the images flashed by, making her face feel even hotter as she soaked in the hot water.

"This is ridiculous..." she murmured to herself, with a hint of disbelief and embarrassment, yet also a secret, suppressed sense of exhilaration.

She never imagined that something like this would happen to her in her entire life.

But it happened anyway, so real, as undeniable as those two disasters.

This made her deeply realize once again that life is unpredictable and the future is always full of unforeseen variables, whether it be disasters or... those unconventional "accidents".

After relaxing in the warm water for a long time, until the water cooled slightly, Eri Kisaki finally got out of the bathtub.

She dried herself off, changed into a silk robe, fastened her belt, and planned to go to the study to organize her thoughts and prepare for the mountain of work that would inevitably pile up tomorrow.

However, as she dried her slightly damp hair with a towel and stepped out of the bathroom, she suddenly stopped in her tracks.

Only one warm yellow floor lamp was on in the living room, casting soft light and shadow.

In that hazy halo, a figure was leisurely leaning back on the sofa. Who else could it be but Shiraishi E?

Eri Kisaki paused for a moment, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes, but it was quickly replaced by understanding and a faint joy.

Having brushed with death, many of my past concerns and reservations no longer seem so important.

She finally understood what she truly cared about in her heart.

So, her surprise turned into a slightly teasing laugh. She walked closer, her tone gentle yet knowingly mocking: "You... are you in such a hurry? You won't even give me a moment to catch my breath?"

Shiraishi E smiled as she watched Shiraishi approach, her face flushed and still damp from her bath. Her smile held a hint of apology, but more so a long-awaited anticipation.

“I originally wanted to give you a surprise while I was in Los Angeles…” he explained calmly, “but one thing after another happened and I completely forgot about it. Now, I’m making up for it.”

"A surprise?" Eri Kisaki sat down on the sofa next to him, her robe flowing freely, releasing a faint scent of shower gel. Her curiosity was piqued; she turned to look at him. "What surprise?"

Shiraishi E did not answer immediately, but instead slowly took out a small, seemingly ordinary sealed bag from her pocket.

Inside the bag, a red and white capsule lay quietly.

He held it in his palm, presented it to Eri, and gazed at her calmly. Slowly, in a voice that was almost a whisper yet incredibly clear, he asked:
"Attorney Fei, do you believe... that rejuvenation really exists in this world?"

(End of this chapter)