Traveling back thirty years to Conan, intercepting Princess Eri

"Lin, where are you?"

A slightly hurried voice came from the corridor, accompanied by heavy footsteps, as he approached the study on the second floor.

Upon hearing the sound, Kuroba Tou stopped and quickly walked to the window of the study.

He reached out and pushed open the window, and a fresh scent of grass and trees wafted in.

Outside the window is the backyard of the Shimazu family villa, densely covered with tall camphor and maple trees, their branches intertwined to form a lush green canopy.

Without the slightest hesitation, Kuroba Touichi braced his hands on the windowsill, leaped out of the window like a nimble swallow, and landed lightly and silently without making a sound.

Before Lin Xiuyi could get close to the window, Kuroba Toichi's figure disappeared without a trace in the woods.

Lin Xiuyi walked to the window, looked down at the woods in the backyard, and seemed to be deep in thought.

Kuroba Toichi's reminder still echoed in his ears, and the threat from the "Zoo" organization and the clues about the Life Gem were like a tangled mess in his mind.

"Lin, so you're here," Ikenami Takeshi's voice came from behind.

He pushed open the study door and walked in, his forehead still covered in fine beads of sweat, his face somewhat pale, clearly exhausted from a busy night.

Takeshi Ikenami glanced at the open window, then at Shuichi Hayashi, a hint of doubt flashing in his eyes, but he didn't ask any further questions.
"I just received orders from the police chief to immediately return and hold a press conference to announce the results of the investigation."

"The villas here will be completely sealed off. No one is allowed to enter except for the police officers who remain on duty."

"Aren't you going to investigate anymore?" Lin Xiuyi turned around, a look of surprise on her face.

There are still many corners in the villa that haven't been thoroughly explored.

Although the ledger was found as crucial evidence, the sudden halt to the investigation seems rather illogical.

"The current results are sufficient to deal with the outside world."

A helpless smile appeared on Ikenami Takeshi's face as he rubbed his throbbing temples.

"The minister's idea is to finish the press conference first, calm the public down, and then send people back to continue the secret investigation after dealing with the reporters."

He paused, lowered his voice, and added solemnly,
"This matter is currently at the center of a storm, and the entire population of Osaka is paying close attention."

"If we continue the open investigation now, and it uncovers people or things that shouldn't be investigated, potentially implicating Osaka's elite, things could get complicated..."

"This will not only trigger greater social unrest, but also put our police force in a dilemma."

Upon hearing this, Lin Xiuyi instantly understood the good intentions of the Osaka Police Headquarters and also grasped the helplessness in Ikenami Tsuyoshi's words.

Based on the ledgers and evidence found so far, it is sufficient to prove that Shimazu Katsu was the mastermind behind hiring thieves to steal the Terracotta Army. He himself was killed by the thieves because the mission failed, and died in the infighting.

In this way, the police only need to release the investigation results to the public and then do their best to apprehend the escaped gang of thieves, which will give the public an explanation and quell the storm.

However, if the investigation continues in depth, the situation will be different.

As a prominent and wealthy family in Osaka, the Shimazu family has been operating in Osaka for many years and has deep roots. They must have had intricate business dealings with many powerful and influential people and business tycoons.

It's possible that some of these individuals are involved in the looting of the Terracotta Warriors, or may have secretly funded Shimazu Katsu, or colluded with the "Zoo" organization. The attack on the Terracotta Warriors, the tunnel explosion, and the massacre of an entire family have thrown Osaka into a state of chaos, causing public panic, media outcry, and immense pressure on the police.

Under these circumstances, the police leadership naturally did not want to create any further trouble or provoke those powerful figures; they only wanted to quell the situation as soon as possible and stabilize public sentiment.

As for the secrets hidden behind the scenes, we can only conduct a secret investigation after the storm has passed.

"I understand, I'll go back now."

Lin Xiu nodded. He understood the police's difficulties and knew that now was not the time to delve into deeper secrets.

The most urgent task is to quell public panic and maintain social stability.

Seeing that Lin Xiuyi understood the stakes without needing much explanation from him.

Takeshi Ikenami nodded in satisfaction, a relieved smile on his face.

The two walked out of the study side by side and went down the stairs.

In the living room on the first floor, the police officers were methodically cleaning up the scene, packing the collected evidence into boxes, and preparing to take it back to the police station for testing.

The once messy living room gradually returned to some order, but the lingering smell of blood in the air still made people feel heavy-hearted.

Stepping out of the villa, the sunlight was blinding, and Lin Xiu subconsciously squinted.

In the courtyard, several police officers were setting up a cordon, completely sealing off the villa's gate, with a "No Entry" sign standing nearby.

Ikeba Shizuka was standing next to the car, arms crossed, looking impatiently at the police officers who had blocked the gate.

Upon seeing Lin Xiuyi and Ikenami Gangji emerge, the girl immediately hurried to greet them.

Police completely sealed off Shimazu Katsu's villa, leaving four officers on guard to prevent unauthorized personnel from entering and vandalizing the scene. They then drove to the Osaka Police Headquarters to hold a press conference and announce the progress of the investigation.

Looking at the firmly sealed villa gate, Ikeba Shizuka frowned in disgust, her tone full of dissatisfaction: "Honestly, instead of chasing after the vicious thief and finding out the truth as soon as possible, they're busy holding press conferences and dealing with those reporters. What kind of business is this!"

"The primary duty of the police is to maintain social stability and calm public sentiment."

Lin Xiuyi walked to her side and comforted her gently.

"Rumors are rampant outside, and journalists like to make unfounded accusations and report things recklessly. If a press conference is not held as soon as possible to reveal the truth, it could easily cause greater chaos and panic in society."

"Those thieves will be caught sooner or later, it's just a matter of time, no need to rush."

"I know all that, but I still feel uncomfortable."

Ikeba Shizuka shook her head helplessly, her eyes filled with regret and anger.
"Those innocent servants who died, as well as the elderly and children, they are still waiting for the murderer to be brought to justice, they are still waiting for fairness..."

Lin Xiuyi fell silent; he could understand Ikeba Shizuka's feelings.

Those innocent victims certainly deserve our sympathy. They shouldn't have been involved in this conflict, but because of Shimazu Katsu's greed and the thieves' cruelty, they lost their precious lives.

Lin Xiuyi sighed softly, then said firmly, "Don't worry, I won't let those murderers get away with it. I will find their trail and avenge the dead." (End of Chapter)