Conan: Death is Watching Me

Chapter 118 The Cross-Dressing Master Phantom Thief Kid
"Clap clap clap!"

April Fool's Day Eve.

The cacophony of helicopter rotors disrupted the night.

A large number of police officers gathered around the Beihu Hotel.

On the hotel rooftop, a white cloak fluttered in the wind, and a tall dress hat, a monocle, and a face backlit by the light made her look exceptionally young.

"You're surrounded, Phantom Thief Kid!"

The helicopter searchlight descended, but Kid remained calm with his hands in his pockets, facing Hattori Heiji and little Conan who had been waiting for a long time in the beam of light.

"A high school detective? Ha! If a phantom thief is a highly skilled and creative artist who steals treasure, then a detective can only follow in his footsteps, at best a critic..."

"Kidd, surrender!" The rooftop door was kicked open, and a squad of police officers rushed in.

"Officer Nakamori, you arrived quite quickly."

"Enough talk! I've already solved the mystery, I've been waiting for you!" the mustachioed officer leading the team said smugly. "This time, you won't be able to escape with a hang glider again..."

"I'm sorry, Officer Nakamori, I was just playing around with you guys tonight."

Kaito Kid chuckled and withdrew his right hand, his cloak strangely unfolding into a glider, and a mini flashbang slid out from his sleeve.

"After all, it was said from the beginning that it was April Fool's Day."

"what?"

"boom--!"

The flashbang exploded, and by the time everyone reacted, only a cloud of smoke remained.

"Disappeared!"

"Damn it, use radar to track it!"

"There are no other flying objects nearby..."

……

The next day.

Gao Mo disguised himself as "Domoto Ichi" again and walked into the Nichiuri TV building with a morning newspaper in his hand.

Last night, Phantom Thief Kid tricked everyone, and the big move he made has been the talk of the town all the way here.

The front page featured a furious, mustachioed police officer—Kaito Kuroba's future father-in-law, Ginzo Nakamori, who had recently been transferred to the Second Investigation Division to specifically handle Kaito Kid.

They are said to be experts at dealing with Kidd, and often recover stolen gems from him.

Well……

"Over here, Domoto!"

Eiichi Yamagishi waved and called out from the sofa in the rest area.

Yoko Okino followed beside her, her simple and plain red outfit still making her stand out and impossible to ignore, this beautiful and popular idol.

"You're the Domoto Hajime that Kido-senpai mentioned?" Yoko Okino was meeting Gao Mo's disguise for the first time, her curious gaze sweeping over him. "Strange, haven't we met before?"

"Yoko knows how to use such old-fashioned pickup lines?"

Two young actresses took off their sunglasses and came to the rest area, greeting Yoko Okino with smiles; their personalities were quite different.

One was a trendy girl with short hair, and the other was a well-behaved girl with her hair in a bun. They seemed to have just finished recording a show and hadn't even removed their makeup yet. They were each followed by their respective managers.

"This newcomer is amazing. He became the focus of society with his first acting role. If the actor for the new character hadn't already been chosen, he would definitely be the next character."

"But be careful, I heard that many of Hijikata Kosaburo's fans are unhappy with you, saying that you rose to fame by stepping on the hopes of period dramas..."

Kazuka Inoue and Azusa Yamamoto.

Gao silently identified the two individuals.

There are quite a few actors and celebrities in the Conan world, and many of them are stars from his previous life in the real world.

Some changed their names, while others simply used their original names.

"You can't say that, because that case wasn't designed by Domoto."

Director Gondo arrived at the appointment with his briefcase.

"Alright everyone, shall we go to the meeting room first? Although we've already discussed this, there are still some plot points that need adjustment, and the age of the lead actor will definitely need to be lowered appropriately..."

"Miss Yoko, are you going to participate in the film too?" Gao Mo asked, looking surprised.

“Yes, after all, Kido-senpai asked me to take care of you, and it just so happens that I was able to free up my schedule,” Yoko Okino laughed. “Neither of us were able to join the Samonji crew, so let’s do our best and overshadow Samonji together!”

Ha ha.

Gao Mo ignored Yoko's joke.

But speaking of Hijikata Kosaburo's fans...

While the fandom of actors may not be as exaggerated as that of idols, it's not surprising that some oddballs still emerge.

He has indeed risen to power by stepping on Hijikata Kosaburo, not only in terms of popularity but also by snatching film projects.

One thing to note.

“This is the revised script,” Director Gondo said, taking out several photocopies in the conference room. “The preliminary preparations are basically complete, and the filming period will be about two months. We need to coordinate everyone’s schedules.”

Gao Mo quickly flipped through the script.

Two months...that's definitely a bit long for him. Hopefully, this time he can build up the reputation of this online persona and earn more money in the future.

Otherwise, even if you can get achievement rewards, it may not be worth it overall.

“In that case, it won’t be released until at least the end of the year,” Yoko Okino calculated, “By then, Samonji will have already finished airing.”

That's how movies are; unlike TV series, they can't be filmed and broadcast simultaneously.

“It won’t be that slow,” Gondo said ambitiously. “The publicity has already started, and if there are no surprises, it should be released during the summer vacation.”

He's definitely going to capitalize on the popularity of the left-hand character.

Gao Mo remained silent.

Hopefully, there won't be any unforeseen circumstances—this project really can't afford to fail again.

……

Kido Detective Agency.

With a few days left before filming begins, Gao Mo continues to hone his acting skills at home, striving to reach level 3 before joining the crew.
In the living room, Hattori, unusually, didn't go anywhere, but his complexion wasn't very good.

"October 4th?"

"Yes, they said they would go back to the Elizabeth on April 19th to steal the real Dark Star."

Hattori Heiji slammed a photocopy of a new notice onto the table.

"They actually said that April Fool's jokes don't count... I think that kind of thief is just bluffing."

"Sorry to bother you," a plumber said as he walked out of the kitchen carrying his tool bag. "We didn't find any major problems after the inspection, but we still need to be more careful in the future, as many parts of this house are quite old."

"sorry to bother you."

Gao Mo signed his name on the form and then glanced at the plumber who was looking down.

Just a moment ago, the other party seemed to smile at Osaka Black Chicken.

"Are you talking about Kaito Kid?" the plumber asked Heiji Hattori. "I've heard a lot about him too. Not only the police, but even famous detectives can't do anything about him."

“That’s because he didn’t run into me,” Hattori Heiji’s forehead twitched. “On the 19th, I’ll definitely teach him a lesson and personally send him to jail!”

"Good luck," the plumber laughed. "I'll be visiting the Elizabeth then, and I hope to see Phantom Thief Kid arrested."

After the plumber left, Kazuha came downstairs with a worried look on her face: "What should I do? I didn't bring a dress to Tokyo at all. I can't possibly go to the banquet on the ship like this, can I?"

"Why don't we just not go? We're not going on a trip..."

"What? Heiji, are you going to leave me all alone?"

"No, it's just..."

Hattori Heiji reluctantly turned to Gao Mo.

"Kido-kun, are you guys going?"

"I don't have time; I'll be traveling for work for the next two months."

Gao Mo turned his gaze away from the plumber's retreating figure.

Before impersonating someone, Kidd would conduct scouting and observation to replicate the personality and behavioral habits of the target.

Is this plumber actually Kaito Kuroba?
If that's the case, it's incredibly impressive. He was so close just now and couldn't see any flaws at all.

It's estimated that the only way to tell is by physically grabbing the face or taking off the clothes.

but……

Gao Mo turned back to his study, made a call to the repair company, and raised an eyebrow after confirming that no one had been sent to inspect the equipment.

I wouldn't make a special trip just to mess with Hattori Heiji.

Who is this guy planning to impersonate next?
"This is such a hassle," Hattori Heiji said, slipping away from Kazuha and fleeing into his study. "We should have sent her back to Osaka a long time ago..."

"Hattori."

Gao Mo thought for a moment, then suddenly spoke up to remind him.

"I've heard that Kidd's disguise skills are unparalleled. Don't let him impersonate me. If you see me, remember to pinch my face hard."

"Pinch my face?" Hattori Heiji asked in surprise. "Is that really necessary?"

"Just in case, I don't want to be impersonated and messed around... If it's convenient, I can try it on other people too."

Gao Mo coughed lightly.

That's all there is in my family.

Kidd likely used him and Kazuha as options for disguise—that guy is also an expert at cross-dressing.

Osaka Black Chicken is, after all, his employee; it's never wrong to give him a heads-up.

“I understand,” Hattori Heiji nodded, puzzled, “but where exactly are you going on this business trip? And it’s going to last two months…”

"It might not be two months, it's just to lay low for a while and let 'Kido Takamori' completely retire from the industry."

Gao Mo has already explained the previous live television broadcast to those around him.

"Also, I heard that Kid especially likes to disguise himself as a pretty girl, so keep an eye on Kazuha."

“Impossible,” Hattori Heiji laughed. “No matter how skilled he is, he can’t completely transform into a woman, let alone Kazuha… If he were to disguise himself as Kazuha, I would recognize him immediately!”

(End of this chapter)