Traveling back thirty years to Conan, intercepting Princess Eri

The next person to rush in, Takeshi Ikenami, quickly pulled out handcuffs and neatly handcuffed Shinzo Mito's right hand to the bed railing.

The cold metallic touch made Shinzo Mito's body tremble violently, and his struggling movements instantly stopped.

Only after confirming that there were no other threats did Takeshi Ikenami breathe a sigh of relief.

He walked up to Director Shinkawa and looked him up and down.
"Director, are you alright? Are you hurt anywhere?"

Director Shinkawa was pale, his hand holding the cane was still trembling slightly, and his forehead was covered in cold sweat.

He was just one step away from death, and even now, thinking back on it, he still gets chills.

He glanced at the subdued Mito Shinzo, then at the broken vase and scattered lily petals on the ground, and sighed deeply.

That sigh was filled with weariness and age, as if he had aged ten years in an instant.

"I'm fine... thank you all."

Director Shinkawa's voice was terribly hoarse as he looked at Hayashi Hideichi and Hattori Heizo, his eyes filled with gratitude.

Hurried footsteps echoed down the corridor as Ikenami Shizuka, Kawada Hako, Yoshida Aoi, Maeda Yoto, and others rushed in.

When they saw the scene in the ward—Mito Shinzo handcuffed to the bed railing, shards of glass and flower petals on the floor, and bloodstains on Hayashi Hideichi's arm—everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

Lin Xiuyi then let go of his hand. He shook his numb left hand, and blood flowed down his forearm, dripping onto the floor and leaving bright red blood spots.

The wound wasn't deep, but the glass shards were quite long, and the flesh was torn up, making it look rather gruesome.

"Lin, your hand!" Chi Bo Jinghua immediately noticed the wound on his arm. The girl exclaimed and quickly took out a tissue from her pocket, wanting to press the wound against his arm. "It's bleeding a lot, you should get it treated quickly!"

"It's just a minor injury, nothing serious." Lin Xiu waved his hand, took a tissue and casually pressed it to the wound, then turned his gaze to the handcuffed Mito Shinzo. "Take care of things here first."

Hattori Heizo has already checked on Mito Shinzo's condition.

This once-powerful tycoon, who dominated Osaka's business world, now lay limp on the bed like a deflated balloon.

He stared blankly at the ceiling, muttering to himself incessantly.
"It's over...it's all over...the glory of the Tokugawa family...is gone..."

His dejected appearance had completely robbed him of his former imposing manner.

Takeshi Ikenami walked to the bedside, looked at Shinzo Mito, his face serious, and declared in a firm and resolute voice,
"Shinzo Mito, you are suspected of stealing national treasures and attempted murder. On behalf of the Osaka Police Headquarters, I hereby formally arrest you!"

His voice was exceptionally clear in the quiet hospital room, like a heavy hammer blow that struck Mito Shinzo's heart.

Shinzo Mito's body trembled violently, and his muttering stopped abruptly.

After a moment of silence, Mito Shinzo suddenly looked up: "I was just trying to hit him with the vase, at most it was considered an injury!"

“He’s the one who really wanted to kill me!” He pointed at Director Shinkawa. “He just admitted it himself; he originally intended to kill me!”

“You said it yourself, that was the original plan,” Ikenami Tsuyoshi replied irritably. “In fact, Director Shinkawa didn’t actually do anything; he was just talking. That can’t be considered murder.”

"As for you, no matter what, even if you injured someone, you have to come back with me for investigation!"

Director Shinkawa looked at his once most trusted old friend, his eyes filled with an extremely complex mix of emotions: disappointment, anger, heartache, and a touch of indescribable sorrow.

He opened his mouth as if to say something, but in the end, he just shook his head and said nothing.

Then, he turned around and bowed deeply to Lin Xiuyi and Hattori Heizo, his waist bent very low: "Thank you both. If you hadn't arrived in time, I'm afraid I would have..."

He didn't finish his sentence, but everyone understood what he meant.

Lin Xiuyi quickly helped him up and waved her hand, saying, "Director, there's no need for that."

He paused, then changed the subject, his gaze landing on Director Shinkawa's face as he asked earnestly,
"Curator, about that samurai sword..."

"I will cooperate fully with the police investigation."

Director Shinkawa immediately understood his meaning, nodded solemnly, and his eyes were firm.

"I will tell the police everything I know about how Shinzo Mito stole the katana."

"Also, he made a lot of records when he was researching samurai swords. The museum should still have them. I will have someone find them and hand them over to the police as evidence."

Hattori Heizo nodded, took an evidence bag out of his pocket, and carefully placed a large shard of glass from the ground into it as evidence of Mito Shinzo's attack.

He then asked Director Shinkawa, "Director, I have a question. When did you begin to doubt Shinzo Mito? Was it only after listening to our analysis yesterday?"

Director Shinkawa remained silent for a moment before slowly speaking.
"Actually... not long after he switched the babies ten years ago, I had a vague feeling that something was wrong."

“The feeling I get from that knife has changed,” Director Shinkawa said, his voice tinged with confusion. “Although it looks exactly the same, there’s just something inexplicably off about it.”

He shook his head with a wry smile, his voice filled with self-mockery.
“But he is my best friend, a brother I’ve known for many years. I told myself that I was overthinking it, that it was just psychological, that I was too nervous about the knife.”

"I'd rather believe it's just my imagination than doubt him..."

"Until yesterday, when I heard your analysis of the theft methods, I was forced to confront this possibility that I had been unwilling to face."

Director Shinkawa's voice was filled with pain.
"I came to the hospital today with my last hope that he would admit it and that it was all a misunderstanding... But I never expected that the truth would be even crueler than I imagined."

A brief silence fell over the ward.

Shinzo Mito seemed somewhat ashamed and silently lowered his head.

"Take him back to the police station first," Ikenami Takeshi instructed the officers behind him. "Have someone keep a close eye on him and interrogate him thoroughly. Also, immediately apply for a search warrant and conduct a thorough search of the Mito family's collection room. We must find that genuine samurai sword!"

"Yes, sir!" the officers responded in unison, immediately stepping forward and supporting Mito Shinzo from both sides.

Mito Shinzo lowered his head, staggered, and his shoulders trembled slightly; he had lost all his former imposing manner.

Watching his retreating figure being led away, Director Shinkawa slowly closed his eyes, and a tear finally slid down his cheek.

Thirty years of friendship ultimately succumbed to stubborn obsession. (End of Chapter)