The establishment of the Time Travelers Alliance began in the first year of Conan

Chapter 60 "Shock! Thousands of scholars disappeared without a trace!" (Seeking monthly/recommendation votes and subscriptions)

Unlike the researchers who were protected in the Alliance base.

The boundaries of science, or the gray area.

Except for Ye Wenjie and Evans, most of the people there do not have TDD.

Alliance = Gray Party, but Gray Party ≠ Alliance.

Gray is a bait thrown by the Alliance to the [Story Timeline].

"Just a bunch of old guys stuck in stale, worn-out ideas."

——Comments from a researcher at the Narratology Laboratory.

This group of researchers who think about the nature of the Conan world every day are rarely bothered by such boring philosophical questions.

They are just "crazy".

But just like the Alliance's plan, the appearance of the Gray Side means one thing for both the [Real Timeline] and the [Story Timeline].

The beginning of a new story.

For each country, it began with the disappearance of several scholars from several prestigious schools in theoretical physics.

At that time, the newly established alliance was very careful to select scholars who were either young and unknown or very old.

Their disappearance or suicide could be explained by many things.

Until an unknown detective discovered the writings left by a scholar.

"Time no longer exists."

The disappearance was finally resolved by the [Story Timeline] with an equally ridiculous reasoning.

But now, the [real timeline] is about to begin to reinterpret its truth——

In an inconspicuous archive room of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, detective Sato Shoji is sorting out long-accumulated old files.

Under the dim light, he flipped through the dusty folders, intending to finish this boring task as quickly as possible.

However, an unexpected record caught his attention.

“Why is this year’s file here?”

This is a file that records the disappearance or suicide of several scholars in different fields more than a month ago.

Sato frowned and opened the folder to see if the time was wrong.

But his frown deepened as he read further.

These cases were characterized as isolated incidents at the time.

There was even a red stamp on the folder that read "Case Closed: Common Crime/Disappearance."

but--

Sato's eyes fell on a disturbing note:
"Dead man leaves note: 'Time no longer exists.'"

These words lingered in his mind.

He decided to delve into the details of each case.

What’s strange is that these missing scholars are not only from Japan, but their professional fields are actually related to each other.

Most of them are engaged in theoretical research in physics.

With doubts, Sato immediately compiled a detailed report and attached all the clues of related cases. With the report, he ran to the chief of the criminal police office and knocked on the door excitedly.

"Sir! You need to see this!"

■■■■ was busy filling out official documents when he looked up with a slightly frown.

"What's wrong, Sato? What's the case again?"

"This is no ordinary missing person case!"

Place the folder and your report on the table.

"There are clear signs of collusion in the disappearances of these scholars, and the connections between time, field and context are chilling."

Sato Akiji expressed his judgment with certainty.

"I suspect this is an organized large-scale murder!"

■■■■ took a glance at the report and his frown deepened.

"Sato, these cases are all overwritten and closed without even proof of a crime. You're wasting your time."

"Commander ■■, please take another look at these details!"

The responsible criminal police officer couldn't help but run to his superior.

He eagerly turned the report to the middle page and pointed to the line he had specially marked.

"This is the schedule I pieced together from the archives. All the disappearances occurred within a single week."

"The disappearance of one scholar in one place may be a coincidence, but the disappearance of multiple scholars in the same field, even from different countries, in such a short period of time is definitely not a coincidence!"

■■■■He picked up the file and looked at it carefully for a few times, his expression gradually becoming serious.

But he still shook his head.

"Even so, this is a closed case, and you know if you really want to investigate further, there will be a lot of resistance."

"Captain ■■, if someone is truly manipulating these cases, then the organization behind the scenes is very likely still in existence and is carrying out even more covert activities!"

"That's enough, Sato!"

■■■■'s tone became more serious. He had always respected him, but this time he really couldn't support such behavior.

This matter involves too many scholars and many countries.

This also means that if this matter causes further trouble, many departments will be involved.

Remembering a hint from a superior, ■■■■ stuffed the report into the cabinet.

"Okay, I'll try to report it to the higher-ups," he said.

Of course, Sato's report ultimately fell on deaf ears. After all, after the first [cycle], the CYZ Alliance's power had expanded to a terrifying degree.

Even if someone in the [real timeline] really discovered the clues.

For the Alliance, it only needs to "close the case" of this clue in the next [cycle].

Then, as the [loop] ends, the undiscovered reality is fixed.

Not to mention the pawns that the alliance has placed in key positions in various departments—

In any complex bureaucracy, there's always someone who makes the call on what's urgent, right?
It's just a few theoretical scholars who disappeared for a few weeks or months.

This dark cloud hanging over the heads of various government departments did not begin to dissipate until the CYZ Alliance, the [story timeline] and the [real timeline] reached an agreement at that moment.

More importantly, the alliance deliberately made a bigger noise—

A nuclear physicist has gone missing from a Western military base.

And a nuclear warhead.

When the senior general who was on a "business trip" finally returned to his office, he was "surprised" to find out.

"What?! Germans is missing from the base?! And there's a nuclear warhead!"

Faced with such a major event, even the most sluggish bureaucratic system has to work hard to get things moving as quickly as possible.

Of course, all this was done in secret, without being discovered by other departments.

After all, this is a perfect excuse for other departments to attack.

However, it would be better if we didn't investigate, because if we did, something really might go wrong.

As Sir Humphrey said, "What if they find out something?"

Some things cannot be weighed down even if weighed a thousand pounds.

So the classic four-step method appeared again——

In the first stage, we declare that nothing happened.

In the second stage, we say maybe something is happening but we shouldn't take action.

Stage three, saying maybe we should take action, but we can’t do anything.

Stage 4: Maybe we could have done something at the time, but it’s too late now.

Everything was supposed to be covered up.

After all, for a major Western country, the loss of one or two nuclear bombs is not unheard of in the past.

But at what cost?

In the time between the second [cycle] and the third [cycle].

Lin Sheng didn't know how many scholars the Alliance had abducted back from outside—

Even the Science Frontier was established to better serve this alliance initiative.

Except for Ye Wenjie and Evans, the two people who truly belong to the alliance.

The other scholars who remained in the Gray Side all chose to join after "indirectly" learning clues about the "truth."

Truly useful people will be promoted to the alliance to make real contributions.

Some of them were eliminated from the league due to lack of ability.

It is more because they refuse to believe the truth out of their own "persistence" and want to fight against the stone with an egg.

The anger quickly grew under Ye Wenjie's leadership.

They also constitute a huge force.

Even with the alliance's financial and intelligence support, the whole world is transparent to them.

Besides, it's pretty easy to hide anything from the politicians unless it's something really important or real-world research with applications.

They pay very little attention to theoretical research.

For politicians, science is like a tool.

Rather than formulas and research that explain the truth of the universe, they are more obsessed with the "art" of playing with people's hearts.

So what if you are smart?

Without funding, you can't do anything.

But the fact is that the development of human society is driven by this group of people.

Without the discovery of fire and the invention of electricity, there would be no world today.

Finally, under the resistance of this [real timeline], the Alliance also lifted the suppression of that information.

On that day, leaders of various government departments received one urgent intelligence letter after another.

Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, Office of the Superintendent General.

London MI6 underground archives.

The Situation Room at the Pentagon in Washington.

……

This time, the government departments finally realized that something was wrong. Not only the police, but they were so anxious that even the military system took action.

Some anxious people even couldn't wait for the verification and report from the intelligence department below, and chose to call the other side directly -

Sometimes the relationship between enemies and friends is so blurred.

In the end, the result of tracing back to the source of everything pointed to Japan.

The first missing scholar disappeared on a street in Tokyo, Japan.

Surveillance records showed that he walked into a small path and never appeared again.

(End of this chapter)