Traveling back thirty years to Conan, intercepting Princess Eri

"Miss Jinghua, are you alright?"

The young police officer quickly reached out to support the staggering Ikehata Shizuka.

"No, it's okay, thank you."

Ikeba Shizuka's cheeks were already flushed with embarrassment and anger, and the moment the police officer helped her up, they turned even redder, almost to the point of bleeding, and even her ears were burning hot.

She forcefully broke free from the officer's hand, and before he could say anything more, she quickly turned around and ran to a corner of the yard as if fleeing. She stood with her back to everyone, trying to calm her racing heart and her feelings of shame and indignation.

She could faintly hear the suppressed laughter of the police officers behind her, along with some hushed whispers, making her wish she could disappear into the ground.

Chibo Jinghua bit her lower lip in frustration, cursing Lin Xiuyi a thousand times in her heart.

It's all that guy's fault. He deliberately scared her and made her look bad in front of so many people.

But then she thought back to the moment she was startled and grabbed Lin Xiuyi's arm, and the sense of security she felt made her feel a subtle warmth in her heart, and her cheeks became even hotter.

Lin Xiuyi, who was not far away, took in all of this. Seeing Chi Bo Jinghua huddled in the corner with her back tense, he couldn't help but shake his head with amusement.

This dignified and assertive Miss Chibo is extremely concerned about her image, and her loss of composure just now will probably make her depressed for quite some time.

However, seeing her shed her pretense and reveal such a girlish side is a pleasant surprise.

Lin Xiuyi suppressed her smile and turned to walk back into the villa.

The villa still reeked of a faint smell of blood and dust.

Lin Xiuyi took a deep breath, preparing to continue searching for clues inside the villa.

I was interrupted by Ikeba Shizuka just now, and there are still many corners that I haven't had time to examine carefully. Perhaps we can find some key evidence that the police have overlooked.

But he had only taken a few steps when he heard light footsteps behind him.

Lin Xiuyi turned his head and saw the young police officer who had been bumped by Chi Bojinghua earlier walking quickly behind him with a gentle smile on his face.

Lin Xiuyi raised an eyebrow, slightly surprised.

He assumed the other party had also come in to inspect the scene, since there were traces everywhere in the villa that needed to be examined, so he didn't pay much attention.

After giving the other person a quick glance, Lin Xiuyi turned around again and wandered around the first floor on his own, his eyes scanning the overturned sofa, the scattered tableware, and the faint scratches on the wall, trying to find clues.

To his surprise, the police officer followed him at a distance that was neither too close nor too far.

He walked into the living room, where the other person was standing at the doorway.

He walked to the restaurant, and the other person followed him to the restaurant entrance.

He went up the stairs to the second floor, and the other person followed closely behind, not saying a word, just quietly following along.

That deliberate presence was impossible to ignore.

Lin Xiuyi's brows gradually furrowed. This police officer's words and actions were too abnormal, and he felt that the other man's eyes were somewhat familiar, as if he had seen them somewhere before, but he couldn't remember where.

The two walked in silence to the door of a study on the second floor. This was Shimazu Katsu's study, where the police had previously searched the place. The safe had been opened, and all the valuables inside had been stolen, leaving only some scattered documents and ledgers.

Lin Xiuyi stopped and turned around abruptly, staring sharply at the police officer behind her, about to question him about why he had been following her.

Unexpectedly, the police officer spoke first: "Gentleman Phantom Thief, we meet again."

These words caused Lin Xiuyi's pupils to contract sharply, and his expression instantly turned serious.
"You are Kuroba Touichi!"

The identity of "Gentleman Thief" was only introduced once by Chikage Tomizawa to Toichi Kuroba; no one else knew it.

The fact that this police officer could use that title means that he could only be Kuroba Toichi, who is skilled in disguise and appears and disappears like a ghost.

Lin Xiuyi's gaze swept carefully across the other person's face, trying to find any trace of disguise.

Sure enough, a faint trace of glue could be seen behind the officer's ear, and there was a slight difference in skin tone on his neck, clearly indicating that he had been carefully disguised.

The young police officer chuckled, raised his hand to cover his face with his sleeve, and when he lowered it again, his previous face was gone, replaced by a handsome and refined face with deep eyes and the usual playful smile on his lips. It was none other than Kuroba Toichi.

He casually ripped off his police uniform jacket, revealing a black bodysuit underneath, making him look completely different from the police officer he had just been.

"It is an honor to see that Mr. Lin still remembers me."

Kuroba Touichi bowed slightly, his tone flippant. His gaze swept across the study before settling on Lin Xiuyi, and he asked with a half-smile, "..."

"Why isn't Miss Phantom Thief by your side today? Aren't you partners?"

"This has nothing to do with you, does it?" Lin Xiuyi said irritably.

He had never liked Kuroba Toichi's mysterious and scheming nature, and the other party's appearance was too sudden.

At such a sensitive time, it's highly unlikely that Kuroba Toichi, disguised as a police officer, would have infiltrated the crime scene simply to say hello.

"Tsk tsk, Mr. Lin's temper is still so fiery."

Kuroba Touichi clicked his tongue, walked to the window, glanced at the tranquil pond in the courtyard below, and revealed a playful smile.

"However, to be fair, this Miss Chi Bo is not only beautiful, but also has a dignified, gentle and generous temperament. Mr. Lin is quite lucky to be surrounded by so many outstanding ladies."

Before he could finish speaking, Lin Xiuyi coldly interrupted him, her tone clearly impatient.
"Kuroba Toichi, stop spouting nonsense. You went out of your way to disguise yourself as a police officer and sneak in here, you must have something to say, right?"

"Get to the point quickly, I don't have much free time to chat with you!"

"Don't be so impatient."

Kuroba Touichi shrugged, his mocking smile fading slightly. Seeing Lin Xiuyi make a move to turn and leave, he quickly spoke up.
"I'm really just trying to be helpful, I don't mean anything by it. The group that robbed the Terracotta Warriors last night are no ordinary thieves, so please don't let your guard down."

"Do you need to say that?" Lin Xiuyi sneered. "In one night, they murdered more than twenty members of the Shimazu Katsu family, from the elderly to children, leaving no one alive. Their methods were so cruel that they were appalling. Ordinary thieves would never dare to do that. I knew they were no good people long ago."

Kuroba Toichi slowly wiped the smile from his face, his expression turning serious, and said in a low voice,

"You only know one side of the story. The guy you fought last night who used the thin thread, nicknamed Spider, and the person who was in charge of driving and providing backup in the port area and was skilled in disguise—they both come from the same mysterious organization." (End of Chapter)