Traveling back thirty years to Conan, intercepting Princess Eri

Seeing the gang leader point his gun at the innocent hostages again, the middle-aged man knew he could no longer hide the truth and had no choice but to accept the situation.

He took a deep breath, slowly raised his hand, took a black notebook from his pocket, and handed it to the thug.

"Surely this can prove it?"

The cover of the manual features a clearly visible police badge, which is particularly eye-catching.

The gang leader glanced at a tall, burly henchman beside him.

The man immediately stepped forward, snatched the police handbook from Officer Ida's hand, and carefully handed it to the gang leader.

The gang leader took the handbook, rudely flipped it open, and glanced at it. When he saw the photo and job title in the handbook, his eyes narrowed slightly.
"Oh, it's Inspector Date. My apologies for not recognizing you."

He paused, fiddling with the police handbook in his hand, his tone full of mockery.
"I've been busy all day, hoping to make a deal with you cops, but I didn't expect you to actually mingle with the hostages. That's saved me a lot of trouble."

"A deal?" Officer Ida frowned.

Lin Xiuyi, who was on the ceiling, was also slightly taken aback, and her doubts were instantly dispelled.

No wonder he felt something was off earlier.

Since it was a robbery, the target should have been money. However, these robbers had already looted the jewelry counters on the third floor. Logically, they should have immediately fled with the stolen goods.

Why would we stay in the same place, hold hostages, and waste time?

It turns out their real purpose wasn't robbery at all, but taking hostages and trying to make a deal with the police!
Lin Xiuyi quietly adjusted his posture, lying on the metal pillar, and paid closer attention to the movements below.

He glanced down at Officer Ida, then at the gang leader, his mind racing.

Since the gang leader's goal is a transaction, the hostages should be safe in the short term. But what is the content of the transaction?
If the deal falls apart, the robbers may resort to desperate measures, and the consequences could be disastrous.

What kind of deal do you want to make?

Officer Ida stepped forward and asked in a serious tone.

He knew that every word and every action now concerned the lives of more than thirty hostages, and there was no room for error.

The thug leader's smile grew even more smug. He raised his hand, patted the pile of stolen goods beside him, and said in a relaxed tone:
"Two months ago, you arrested a group of drug dealers at the port and seized a large quantity of drugs, right?"

He paused, a ruthless glint flashing in his eyes.
"One of them is named Kuroda Jiro, who is my younger brother."

"My deal is simple: release my brother and I'll release these hostages immediately. How about it?"

"By trading one person for so many innocent lives, you're making a killing. Isn't that a great deal?"

"I'm just a patrol chief, just a lowly policeman."

Officer Ida frowned and said in a serious tone,

"Release of drug dealers involves major cases, and I have no authority to make such a decision."

He was telling the truth. Kuroda Jiro was involved in a major drug trafficking case; the circumstances were heinous and the impact was enormous.
Let alone a mere patrol officer, even the police chief of the jurisdiction has no authority to arbitrarily decide to release a suspect.

“It’s okay. If you can’t make the decision, then call someone who can.”

The gang leader waved his hand dismissively, pointed to the telephone on the counter, and spoke with an unquestionable command in his tone.
“That phone still works. Call it now and find your superior, someone who can make the final decision.” “But I’m warning you, you’d better hurry. My patience is limited. Don’t force me to take action against these hostages.”

As soon as he finished speaking, he raised his double-barreled shotgun again, pointing the muzzle at a mother holding a child in the crowd.

The mother was so frightened that she trembled all over and quickly hugged her child tightly in her arms. Her body was shaking uncontrollably and tears kept falling down her face.

The hostages around them were too scared to breathe, their eyes filled with fear, and they all looked at Officer Ida, hoping that he could come up with a solution as soon as possible.

Looking at the scene before him, Officer Ida could only grit his teeth and nod in agreement.

“Okay, I’ll make the call. But you must promise that you won’t harm any of the hostages while I’m on the phone.”

"Don't worry, as long as you cooperate honestly, I will not hurt them."

The gang leader sneered, slowly lowering his shotgun, but his eyes remained fixed on Officer Ida, as if afraid he might try something.
"But you'd better not try to be clever. My men are all watching. If you dare to say anything out of line, you know the consequences."

Officer Ida didn't say anything more, turned around and walked towards the telephone, each step heavy, her heart filled with anxiety and trepidation.

Lin Xiuyi, perched on the ceiling, stared intently at Officer Ida's retreating figure.

He quietly pulled a folding knife from his pocket, gripped it tightly in his hand, and prepared to act at any moment.

Officer Ida walked to the telephone, took a deep breath to calm herself, then picked up the receiver and slowly dialed the police station's number.

The moment the call connected, he could clearly hear his superior's familiar voice on the other end of the line: "Hello, this is the Kanagawa Police Department. Who is this?"

"Chief, it's me,"

Officer Ida tried to keep her voice steady, but a slight tremor was still visible.
“I am currently trapped in a department store in the city center. There has been a robbery here, and more than 30 hostages have been taken by the robbers, including me.”

There was an immediate silence on the other end of the line. After a long while, the director's shocked and anxious voice finally came through.

"What? Are you alright? What's the situation with the robbers? How many were there? Did they have any weapons?"

“I’m fine, Chief,” Officer Date said quickly. “The robber has a gun. His goal isn’t robbery, but to make a deal with us. He demands that we release Kuroda Jiro, a drug dealer we arrested two months ago, or he will harm the hostages.”

Silence fell again on the other end of the line. Officer Ida could hear the chief's rapid breathing; he was clearly deep in thought as well.

A few minutes later, the director's voice came again, his tone heavy and helpless:
"Tell the robbers that I can't make this decision on my own; it requires the approval of the head of headquarters. I'll call and report right now..."

"Understood, Director."

Officer Ida's heart sank; just as he had expected.

"So? Did they agree?"

Seeing Officer Ida hang up the phone, the gang leader immediately asked impatiently...

"Tell me quickly! Have you agreed to release my brother?"

"The chief said he couldn't make the decision either. This involves a major case and requires the personal approval of the Kanagawa Police Headquarters Chief," Officer Date said truthfully. "The chief has already reported to headquarters and will give you a reply as soon as possible. Please be patient..." (End of Chapter)