Traveling back thirty years to Conan, intercepting Princess Eri

Hearing the busy tone coming from the receiver, Ikeba Shizuka stood in the phone booth, her chest heaving slightly and her cheeks burning. It took her a while to calm down.

"Really... what nonsense are you talking about..."

She muttered a complaint under her breath, patted her cheeks, and waited for the blush and embarrassment on her face to fade slightly before taking a deep breath and squeezing back into the crowd.

Chibo Jinghua thought that since she had been gone for so long, Lin Xiuyi would have noticed and would definitely ask her where she had gone, or at least take a look at her.

However, when she returned to her previous spot, she found Lin Xiuyi and Tomizawa Chikage huddled together, heads close together, whispering intently to each other, completely unaware of her return.

The tacit understanding and closeness between the two seemed particularly glaring to Ikeba Shizuka, who was extremely anxious at the moment.

The tenderness and anticipation that had just arisen in Ikeba Shizuka's heart from helping make the call were instantly replaced by a strange anger and disappointment.

She bit her lower lip, deliberately took heavy steps, and moved closer, wanting to hear what "important" things they were discussing, to the point that they completely ignored her.

Just then, Lin Xiuyi's words, spoken in a very low voice but slightly clearer due to his focus, drifted into her ears:

"...We can't get in from the front, it seems we'll have to think of another way."

"I just observed the architectural structure of the exhibition hall. There seems to be an staff passage at the back, and a ventilation duct entrance over there..."

"Security is currently mainly focused on the main entrance and the interior of the exhibition hall; there may be loopholes in other areas."

"Qianying, where do you think would be a good place for us to sneak in?"

Chikage Tomizawa replied in the same low voice, "The employee exits are definitely locked, and forcibly breaking them will alert people. The ventilation ducts are an option, but we don't know their internal structure, and our clothes are too conspicuous..."

Ikenami Shizuka heard it clearly: the two of them were actually discussing how to illegally break into the exhibition hall that had been sealed off by the police!

"You two!"

Ikeba Shizuka could no longer contain her anger, and disregarded the scattered onlookers around her.
"You're actually discussing how to trespass into an exhibition hall that's been sealed off by the police? Don't you know that's illegal? That's obstructing official business!"

Lin Xiuyi was startled by Chi Bojinghua's sudden angry shout. He awkwardly scratched the back of his head.

"Well... we had no choice. We couldn't get in directly, and we needed to find out the authenticity of the notice and the conspiracy behind it as soon as possible. Time was of the essence."

"If the imposter actually makes a move, or has other intentions, the consequences would be unimaginable..."

He was telling the truth, but to Ikeba Shizuka, it sounded more like sophistry and shirking responsibility.

She was about to retort when Tomizawa Chikage, standing beside her, became even more agitated.
"We must protect the Terracotta Army! We absolutely cannot let it be stolen! Otherwise, I..."

She paused abruptly, swallowing back the part about "I'm going to have to take the blame for this."

But these words, which ended abruptly and were full of unfinished thoughts and strong emotions, made Shizuka Ikebab pause for a moment.

The anger in her eyes subsided slightly, replaced by confusion and a hint of surprise.

Seeing Tomizawa Chikage's eager expression, as if she wanted to rush in and carry the terracotta warriors away immediately, a misunderstanding arose in her mind:
Could it be that... this seemingly unconventional girl actually possesses such a strong sense of justice and responsibility deep down?
This realization caused a subtle change in Shizuka Ikenami's perception of Chikage Tomizawa.

Although she still harbored resentment towards the relationship between Lin Xiuyi and Tomizawa Chikage, at least Tomizawa Chikage's display of righteousness at this moment made it impossible for her to continue her condemnation. Ikenami Shizuka took a deep breath, trying to calm herself, her tone softening slightly, but still carrying a chill.

"Alright, there's no need for you to come up with those illegal and terrible ideas here. I just... I already called Uncle Gang Si."

"He promised to help contact the Third Investigation Division. We should have news soon."

"Really?!" Upon hearing this, Tomizawa Chikage's anxious expression was instantly replaced by surprise.

If legal entry is possible, that would be ideal, allowing for site inspection while avoiding unnecessary risks.

Lin Xiuyi also breathed a sigh of relief and sincerely thanked Chi Bojinghua.

Chibo Jinghua turned her face away, refusing to look into his sincere eyes, afraid that her hardened heart would soften again.

She gave a dismissive snort, her tone still distant: "You don't need to thank me. Since that terracotta warrior is an important exhibit that Osaka borrowed from China, as a resident of Osaka, I have a responsibility and obligation, both publicly and privately, to help protect it. Helping you get in is for that purpose as well."

Lin Xiuyi and Fu Zeqian exchanged a glance, both realizing that she was being insincere, but they couldn't say anything more at the moment and could only nod to indicate that they understood.

……

As Ikenami Shizuka said, they didn't have to wait long.

About twenty minutes later, the middle-aged police officer who had previously been so forceful in preventing Lin Xiuyi from entering emerged from the side door of the exhibition hall with a stern face. His eyes scanned the crowd, quickly pinpointing the location of Lin Xiuyi and her two companions. He pushed his way through the crowd, giving Lin Xiuyi a complex look, clearly having received instructions from his superiors.

“You three,” the officer’s voice was still cold, but his tone was no longer as unapproachable as before, “come with me. You can go in now.”

Lin Xiuyi was overjoyed, and Tomizawa Chikage also breathed a sigh of relief.

"However, you can't go through the main entrance. There are a lot of media and onlookers there right now. If you go in from there, it will have a bad influence, and we won't be able to explain it."

The officer pointed to an inconspicuous alleyway on the side of the exhibition hall.
"Go in through the employee entrance at the back door."

"Okay." Lin Xiuyi quickly nodded in agreement. As long as she could get in, it didn't matter which door she went through.

Following the police officer's directions, the three went around to the back of the exhibition hall.

It was relatively quiet here, with only two officers from the Third Investigation Division on duty.

After verifying their identities, the police officer opened the inconspicuous iron gate, allowing the three to enter the slightly dimly lit employee passageway, which was piled with cleaning tools and miscellaneous items.

The air was filled with the smell of disinfectant mixed with dust.

They walked along the passage for several dozen meters, pushed open another door, and suddenly found themselves in the main area of ​​the exhibition hall.

On the first day of the Osaka Festival, Hideaki Hayashi and others had visited this exhibition hall with great interest, so they were quite familiar with its overall layout and main exhibition areas.

Following their memories and the signs, they quickly found the special exhibition area for this celebration, the hall displaying the Terracotta Army. (End of Chapter)