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

Chapter 746 The Cocoon's Press Conference

With Mary's concise and clear introduction, Sera Masumi finally matched the name with the face and recognized her family member whom she had never met before—her gentle but somewhat socially awkward aunt, Miyano Elena.

The eldest cousin, Akemi Miyano, with her gentle, smiling eyes and kind demeanor; and the cousin who has become a child but whose aura is the most extraordinary, Shiho Miyano, who is now Ai Haibara.

When she further learned that the mysterious drug her mother Mary had taken to shrink her body was developed by Ai Haibara herself, Sera Masumi was utterly shocked.

Her green eyes widened instantly, as if she had discovered a new continent, and she surrounded Ai, exclaiming in amazement, "Really?! Cousin, you're amazing! How did you do that? What's the principle behind that drug?"

Ai Haibara originally thought this was just a normal family breakfast reunion, but she didn't expect her cousin to be such an energetic and incredibly curious chatterbox.

Faced with Sera Masumi's barrage of questions, she initially managed to maintain a polite facade and give brief replies, but soon the incessant questioning began to test her patience, making her feel irritated.

Seeing that Sera Masumi had no intention of stopping, Ai Ai simply put down the half-eaten toast in her hand, picked up a napkin, and elegantly wiped the corner of her mouth.

She raised her icy blue eyes and looked at Sera Masumi with an almost professorial gaze, her tone calm yet undeniable: "Since you're so eager to know..."

The next moment, Ai Haibara began her "little lesson".

She began by discussing the initial design goals of APTX4869, covering topics such as the controlled induction of programmed cell death, the aberrant regulation of telomerase activity, and the effects of certain compounds on specific growth hormone receptor pathways…

She spoke at a steady pace, using precise words, and a series of professional terms and biochemical concepts rained down on Sera Masumi like a dense hailstorm.

Sera Masumi initially tried to keep up with the pace by widening her eyes, but after less than two minutes, her gaze began to wander, as if her mind was filled with a tangled mess of yarn.

Terms like "apoptotic bodies," "signal transduction," and "gene expression profile" were more incomprehensible to her than the most complex murder cases.

She felt as if she was listening to gibberish, not a scientific explanation, with countless incomprehensible molecular formulas and cell structure diagrams flying before her eyes.

A deep sense of regret welled up inside her. Sera Masumi wished she could turn back time and push her out of her chair, having just asked that intrusive question.

She secretly glanced at Ai, only to see that the other girl was speaking with unusual seriousness and focus, as if she were completely immersed in the ocean of science.

This made her even more embarrassed to interrupt, so she could only force herself to pretend to listen attentively, while inwardly she was already wailing.

Feeling dizzy and lightheaded from listening, Sera Masumi moved her lips, trying to find an excuse, such as "I'm going to get a cup of coffee," to escape the scene.

However, as soon as she raised her eyes, she met Ai Haibara's sharp gaze, which seemed to see through everything and carried a faint warning. The words that were about to come out were instantly swallowed back in fear.

She shrank back, and could only continue to sit upright, silently enduring this completely incomprehensible pharmacological baptism with tears streaming down her face.

Mary, who was standing to the side, saw everything. Looking at her usually lively and energetic daughter, who was now like a kitten being pinched by the scruff of her neck, looking dejected and not daring to make a sound, she couldn't help but smile with a pleasant curve.

Instead of trying to help her out, she found it quite amusing, a hint of schadenfreude flashing in her eyes.

She turned her gaze with satisfaction to Ai Haibara, who was "giving a lesson," and the more she looked, the more she admired her.

This child is calm, wise, and has a powerful presence, especially when she's focused on something—that undeniable authority... Mary couldn't help but say, "Hmm, this niece, her way of doing things and that drive, is really just like me!!"

Upon hearing this, Elena Miyano, who was sitting next to Mary, followed the gaze to her youngest daughter, nodded knowingly, and softly echoed, "Indeed... Shiho's serious expression is very similar to yours, Mary."

She then thought to herself: "The same serious demeanor, the same composure and imposing presence beyond his years!"

Overhearing her mother and aunt's conversation about how her daughter "looks like you," Akemi Miyano, sitting opposite them, couldn't help but lean slightly closer to E Shiraishi, who had been quietly eating, and whispered in a voice only the two of them could hear, "...What kind of mother would say her daughter looks like someone else's child..."

Upon hearing this, Shiraishi E lowered her head and chuckled softly, replying in a similarly low voice, "Never seen it before, have you? Now you have."

Mingmei smiled, covered her mouth, and nodded repeatedly.

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The two-day trip to Nagano Prefecture quietly came to an end amidst the refreshing mountain breeze and the tranquil atmosphere of ancient temples.

The Miyano family, along with Emi Shiraishi, Mary, and others, embarked on their journey back to Tokyo.

Naturally, Sera Masumi also accompanied her mother and her group.

To avoid unnecessary trouble and being seen by others, the agile Nanatsuki Koshimizu once again used her "invisibility technique," carefully curling up into a specially made large suitcase, which Sera Masumi casually pushed towards the parking lot.

When the familiar hustle and bustle and skyscrapers of Tokyo come into view again, an invisible sense of tension seems to quietly return.

Out of professional habit, Mary did not choose to stay at the relatively fixed Miyano family residence after arriving in Tokyo. She calmly analyzed the potential risks and believed that the place would be too conspicuous, which would not be conducive to the covert operations she needed to carry out next.

So, she decisively took her daughter, Sera Masumi, and Koshimizu Nanatsuki, who had been "liberated" from her suitcase, and checked into a business hotel located in a bustling area with a complex flow of people.

This location offers both offensive and defensive advantages, making it convenient for concealing her movements and allowing her to go out at any time to conduct her investigations and make her own plans.

“Living there is ultimately a bit inconvenient,” Mary explained to her daughter, her tone calm yet unquestionable, her eyes gleaming with the sharp light of a plan already in place.

She already had a blueprint in mind; what she needed was a temporary base that would be undisturbed and completely under her control.

However, this does not mean cutting off contact with family.

She made it clear to Elena Miyano and Ai that once they made any key progress in their research on the antidote for APTX4869, she would immediately choose to quietly go to the Miyano residence late at night to receive initial treatment or conduct a condition assessment.

This arrangement of maintaining a balance between closeness and distance ensures both freedom and safety of movement, while also guaranteeing timely follow-up treatment.

Shiraishi E did not interfere much with Mary's decision, maintaining a detached, observer-like composure throughout.

Just as Mary had settled into her accommodations and was taking a short break, he took the opportunity to stroll over to her and say in a casual tone, "It's good to have a plan. When you feel the time is right to go and catch up with MI6 and settle accounts, remember to take me with you."

He paused, his smile widening, and added, "Such a lively event, wouldn't it be a shame not to join in?"

Upon hearing this, Mary turned to look at him, her eyes showing no surprise, but rather a knowing "I knew it" kind of understanding.

She nodded emphatically, her tone resolute, carrying the certainty of having found a powerful ally: "Of course. Even if you hadn't said anything, I would have definitely brought you along. How could this situation be managed without you?"

As they spoke, an unspoken understanding flowed between them—a shared anticipation of a future storm.

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Inside the suite on the top floor of the Mihana Sakura Hotel, a sense of crisis, starkly different from the tranquil night outside the window, was palpable.

At this moment, Shiraishi E is deeply trapped in the "clutches of girls"—Ran and Sonoko are "holding him hostage" from both sides, doing some not-so-good things!
To this, Shiraishi E could only exclaim: The girl is full of energy!!

He struggled symbolically for a moment, then gave up resisting and let the two of them do as they pleased.

Just then, the phone on my clothes vibrated.

Seeing this, Shiraishi E reached out and grabbed the pants from the ground, took out her phone, and the screen lit up, displaying a number that had no name but made her eyes flicker.

He pressed the answer button and put the phone to his ear.

On the other end of the phone, Vermouth's unique and magnetic voice immediately came through, with a hint of lazy laughter, like a carefully crafted cocktail: "Good evening, my dear partner. Hope I haven't disturbed your... um, leisure time?"

"Thanks to you, I'm experiencing unprecedented vitality." Shiraishi E glanced at the actions of Koran and Sonoko.

They toned it down a bit, but they were still up to no good.

He responded softly into the microphone, "Just say it, what do you want?"

“There’s an interesting event I’d like to invite you to participate in.” Vermouth’s voice carried an alluring rhythm: “A grand game launch event called ‘Cocoon’ will be held in a few days at the Beika City Hall. I think you’ll be interested.”

"A game launch event?" Shiraishi raised an eyebrow, her tone revealing just the right amount of surprise. "I'm not particularly interested in video games. You specifically asked me to go... because of that USB drive?"

He connected the two things almost immediately.

“Brilliant!” Vermouth chuckled approvingly, like a night breeze brushing against harp strings. “You guessed right. I’ve found a top-notch ‘surgeon’ who specializes in this kind of ‘digital virus’.”

"But for the surgery to be successful, someone needs to infiltrate the 'cocoon's' internal system and precisely release it in the core area."

Her tone became serious and meaningful: "I need you to enter the game as my inside man, to create a brief 'backdoor' so I can gain control... It will only be a few minutes, but that will be enough to unlock it."

Shiraishi E paused for a moment, her gaze fixed on the dazzling Tokyo night view outside the window, her mind quickly weighing the options.

Infiltrating a highly anticipated game system and releasing a virus... this is undoubtedly a risky move, but also fraught with challenges!
I don't know if the "Bandit System" can be used in the game.

Thinking of this, Shiraishi E's lips curled into that familiar smile again, and she readily said into the microphone, "Sounds interesting. Okay, I'll participate."

(End of this chapter)