Conan: Death is Watching Me

Chapter 164 The Second Egg of Memory, Death Comes Knocking
"call out--!"

"boom!"

7 points.

Under the tense gaze of the police officers lying in wait, a large number of fireworks rose from the castle tower, blooming into enchanting fire flowers in the night sky.

"what happened?"

"Who's setting off fireworks? Kidd?"

"There are still more than 7 hours left!"

All the police officers inside and outside the castle tower were on high alert, wondering what had happened.

Inspector Chaki, who was leading the team, hurriedly shouted, "Don't panic! Everyone stay put and wait for orders!"

"No matter what Kidd does, proceed according to the original plan!"

"fireworks?"

On the other side, Nakamori Ginzo and two subordinates were guarding a secret warehouse, with a communication device for emergency contact placed next to them.

"Officer, there's some commotion at Osaka Castle..."

"Don't make a fuss, that's not Kidd."

Nakamori Ginzo remained calm and confidently crossed his arms.

"It's not even 3 a.m. yet!"

"Boom!"

Waves of colorful fireworks lit up the sky, as if a grand opening performance was underway, drawing everyone's attention towards the castle tower.

At the top of Babel Tower in the night wind, Kidd's white cloak fluttered even more violently, like a flag.

Below, by the escalator, Conan, facing the cold wind, activated his tranquilizer watch and aimed intently at Kid, as if he would fire at any moment.

"Surrender, Kidd!"

"Humph."

Kidd chuckled and put away the remote control, not continuing to blow up the substation.

"Who is that person you are talking about?"

"Did you think I would tell you?"

Even though he knew it would be difficult to hit Kid, Conan didn't remove his watch.

"Kid, why are you targeting the Egg of Memories? And what does 'The Magician of the End of the Century' mean?"

"I have no obligation to answer your question, but..."

Kidd, holding onto the brim of his hat, lightly leaped and transformed into a white shooting star in the night.

"Here's a piece of advice: I'm not the only one eyeing that egg."

"Kid!"

Goodbye, little detective.

Kid's gaze swept over Conan, and the sudden change of tactics by Nakamori Ginzo flashed through his mind.

Deliberately testing his reaction...

Is that you? Kuroba Rokuro!

"You really didn't just disappear like that."

"call--!"

Conan remained alone at the top of the tower, gently holding onto the railing, quietly watching the white hang glider disappear into the city night.

The person who's eyeing the egg...

Are those people like Qian Jiangyi?

Why is it important to emphasize this?

Shaking his head, Conan checked the time on his watch.

In any case, Kidd's actions should end here.

Judging from Kidd's actions, he will not continue to steal the Egg of Memories.

First, notify the police...

"Can't get in touch with Officer Nakamori?"

"Yes, just to be on the safe side, unless Nakamori contacts us, we won't know where he is."

At the castle tower, Officer Chaki, after being informed of the details, looked helpless.

Nakamori is fine, the key issue is that the Egg of Memories is still with Nakamori.

"I really didn't expect the time in the announcement to be 7:20."

"In that case, Officer Nakamori won't contact us for another 7 hours?"

"That bastard Nakamori..."

……

Secret warehouse.

After the fireworks display ended, Nakamori Ginzo remained calm and composed, arms crossed.

Two subordinates complimented, "As expected of Inspector Nakamori, nothing happened."

"Hmph, keep waiting. We'll contact Officer Chaki again at 3 a.m.... no, 4 a.m.!"

"Yes!"

The two subordinates were filled with enthusiasm, looking at Nakamori with admiration.

A police officer is a police officer; although he can't catch Kidd, he always seems to have a knack for predicting things.

This time, we'll definitely be able to save the Egg of Memories.

"Cheer up, let's hang in there for another 8 hours!"

"Yes!"

……

the next day.

After dismissing the group of people, including Inui, who came to ask questions again, Gao Mo went to the art museum to meet with Natsumi Kosaka at the agreed time.

The hungover man with the mustache arrived with the Suzuki couple, while Conan, taking advantage of the opportunity, sneaked into the chairman's office despite the man's annoyed glare.

As for Hattori Heiji, after being assigned the task of protecting the girls by Gao Mo, he was then taken on a trip to Osaka—today's itinerary is a food tour.

“My great-grandfather’s name was Xi Yi. He participated in the making of other Easter eggs and married a local Russian woman…”

Natsumi Kosaka is a stunningly beautiful mixed-race woman dressed in a business suit. She has long blonde hair, and while she is gentle and dignified, she also has a lively and playful side. Her eye color is the same gray as that of Aoran Urasawa.

After meeting Gao Mo, accompanied by the old butler, she immediately began to tell everyone about her background.

"The year after the revolution broke out, the two returned to Japan together and my grandmother was born. My great-grandmother passed away soon after... Nine years later, my great-grandfather also passed away at the age of 45."

My grandfather and my parents died in a car accident when I was five. I was raised by my grandmother... but last month my grandmother also passed away. I returned to China from Paris to deal with her belongings, and then..."

Natsumi Kosaka took out the tattered piece of paper, which had been torn in two, from her handbag.

“This old blueprint seems to belong to my great-grandfather. It depicts the Egg of Memories, but it’s different from the Egg of Memories that the Suzuki family is displaying. That’s why I wanted to ask Mr. Kido about it.”

"Indeed, it is also an egg of memories."

The man with the mustache stared at the tattered paper for a while.

"It's not just the pattern that's different, it's also inlaid with gemstones... Kido, are you sure your appraisal is accurate?"

“Of course, no problem. The reason it’s a little different is because there are two Memory Eggs.” Gao Mo mentally reconstructed the blueprints.

"Two?" Conan, who was about to think, looked at Gao Mo.

"Or rather, the Egg of Memory was split into two. If you look closely at this diagram, you'll see that the two eggs are different sizes. The one below is the Egg of Memory that I identified, while the one above..."

Gao Mo turned to the seated Natsumi Kosaka.

"Does Miss Kosaka's family own a castle?"

"Huh?" Natsumi Kosaka blinked. "My grandmother did live in a castle, which my great-grandfather built after he returned to Japan... Is there a problem?"

"The second Egg of Memory should be in that castle, and this egg is very likely the key to finding the Egg of Memory."

Gao Mo looked at the blue egg of memory placed on the table.

"Besides the clockwork mechanism, there are some very special mechanisms inside, which is why I said there are hidden secrets."

“My great-grandfather loved making mechanical props,” Natsumi Kosaka said with a slight smile. “He was also known as the ‘end-of-the-century magician’ back in the day.”

"The magician of the end of the century?"

Conan thought of Kid's advance notice.

"Miss Xia Mei, may we go to that castle to take a look? Maybe we can find the second Egg of Memory."

"You brat!" The man with the mustache, unable to contain his anger any longer, punched him on the head. "What trouble are you causing now?"

"It's alright, Detective Mori."

Natsumi Kosaka smiled gently.

"I also want to find the second Egg of Memories."

The man with the mustache opened his mouth: "But we still need to use the first egg..." Suzuki Tomoko, who had been silent until now, suddenly spoke up: "I can lend you the Suzuki family's egg, but I will go to that castle myself."

"Mrs. Suzuki?"

"Tomoko," Chairman Suzuki asked in surprise, "what are you going to do?"

When did my wife become interested in this kind of thing?

“Is that not allowed?” Tomoko Suzuki scoffed. “I’m very interested in the magician of the end of the century. Besides, finding the second Egg of Memory would also benefit our art exhibition.”

There's no need to go in person.

Chairman Suzuki muttered to himself.

"Butler Sawabe," Natsumi Kosaka asked the old butler behind her, "the castle should still be able to accommodate guests, right?"

“No problem, Miss,” the old butler replied with a slight bow. “The castle is usually taken care of, so we just need to hire one more maid.”

"That's good."

"I feel reassured," said Natsumi Kosaka.

"Everyone can come and visit my castle for a few days. It's okay if you can't find it."

“With Mr. Mori’s help, we’ll definitely be able to find it,” Chairman Suzuki complimented. “We also hope that it can be exhibited at our museum for a few days.”

"no problem."

Natsumi Kosaka seemed pleased with the attention she received and extended a warm invitation.

"There haven't been any guests at the castle for a long time. If Grandmother were still alive, she would be very happy."

Gao Mo stood calmly to the side, unsure of what to say about Kousaka Natsumi's reaction.

How can you be happy when you invite "Death" to your door?

He originally intended to go alone, but now not only is the man with the mustache coming along, but even Mrs. Suzuki is insisting on joining in.

There's no way to change the plan now.

……

Osaka Castle Hotel.

Gao Mo opened his suitcase and carefully examined the high-tech pistol "A Yin".

In addition to regular rubber bullets, a set each of tranquilizer grenades, smoke grenades, and fire extinguishing grenades was also provided.

The opponent was, after all, a top-tier assassin wanted globally, not an ordinary criminal.

According to Ai's reminder and information on the crime website, Shi Kaobing is an expert marksman and has never missed a shot.

"Do you really want to go?"

Ai helped pack the clothes and took out a pair of Conan-style glasses from her backpack.

"These are specially reinforced glasses that the doctor rushed to make. They've removed unnecessary functions like tracking and installed a bulletproof lens in the right eye... I know you won't let me follow you, so be careful."

"Thanks."

Gao Mo accepted the bulletproof glasses.

He didn't think Scrooge could hurt him, but having some protection was better than nothing.

"I'll come pick you up after everything's over..."

Ai raised an eyebrow and interrupted Gao Mo: "We'll be taking the Suzuki family's ship back to Tokyo."

In TV shows, characters who are about to die always say "after it's over".

"Crack!"

Guest rooms downstairs.

Pu Siqinglan was also wiping and maintaining her beloved gun, occasionally aiming at the photos on the wall.

Although the time was short, she still managed to find a lot of information.

Qian Jiangyi, a treasure hunter disguised as an art dealer, is her sure target on this trip.

Next are the people associated with the Egg of Memories...

Outsiders are not worthy to possess the dynasty's treasures.

"Ok?"

Pu Siqinglan paused, then suddenly heard footsteps approaching outside.

“Miss Qinglan,” photographer Han Chuanlong knocked on the door, “I have some important news, I wonder if you would be interested in hearing it?”

"What news?" Pu Siqinglan frowned and opened the door a crack.

"Traces of Maria, the third daughter of Nicholas II."

Han Chuanlong grinned, pulled out a ring, and barged into the room as if they were old friends. He was quite pleased with the changing expressions on Pu Siqinglan's face.

"As you probably know, after the Russian Revolution, the emperor's family was shot, but the remains of Maria and the crown prince were never found... I traveled to many places to investigate, and only now have I finally found a clue."

Han Chuanlong crossed his legs and sat down on the sofa.

"Guess what happened?"

"Where did you get this ring?" Pu Siqinglan took the ring and looked at it. When she saw the word "Maria" engraved on the inside, her expression changed again.

“You don’t need to worry about that,” Han Chuanlong said with a smile, taking back the ring. “It’s said that Maria has a pair of large gray eyes…”

"You don't actually think I have anything to do with Maria, do you?" Pu Siqinglan's face darkened.

“Who knows?” Han Chuanlong shrugged. “The woman that Kido Takamori met today looks exactly like Maria in her old photos. If I’m not mistaken, Maria and the dynasty’s treasures might be in Japan.”

……

After lunch.

Gao Mo and his group traveled by car to the Xiangsaka family villa. Conan wanted to come along, but Ran insisted on keeping him by her side.

but……

When they arrived at the villa at dusk, the man with the mustache was shocked and furious to find Conan in the trunk.

The hand that suddenly reached out from the luggage almost scared the mustachioed man's heart out.

"whee……"

"Hey you, you brat! When did you get up here?"

“Alright, Mr. Mori,” Tomoko Suzuki said, her tone still gentler towards the child. “Since he likes it, let him come along.”

"Honestly, how am I supposed to tell Xiaolan?" the man with the mustache said irritably. "I don't have time to take care of him..."

Gao Mo turned to look at the cars behind him.

Qian Jiangyi, Pu Siqinglan, and the secretary of the Russian embassy all drove over, but the freelance photographer Han Chuanlong was not there.

"Why are you here too?" The clerk was very wary of Inui, sensing that this man was not a good person. "Chairman Suzuki must have said that he wouldn't sell the Egg of Memories, right?"

“I’m just interested in the secret of the Egg of Memory,” Inui explained with a smile. “Maybe it can help me solve a historical mystery.”

"You, an art dealer, want to unravel historical mysteries?"

"Is that not allowed? You came over anyway, didn't you?"

"I was invited by Miss Xia Mei..."

"Miss Qinglan!" The man with the mustache was particularly excited about Pu Siqinglan's arrival. "It's great to see you again. Shall we have a few drinks together later?"

“Next time, Mr. Mori,” Pu Siqinglan politely declined. “I came here specifically because I heard that this place is related to the creator of the Egg of Memories.”

"Oh, what does it have to do with anything? We probably won't find any clues anytime soon."

"Smelly old man..."

Conan, whose eyelids drooped after being pushed away by the mustache, suddenly noticed the ring that had appeared on Urashi Seiran's finger.

Did you wear a ring before?
"Miss," a pair of twin maids emerged from the castle, "the guest rooms are ready. Would you like us to prepare dinner?"

"Leave dinner to me."

The old butler led everyone through the courtyard, and a castle-like building, seemingly from a fairy tale world, came into view.

It has a different style compared to the Karasuma family's Twilight Mansion.

It leans more towards fairy tales.

"It's very similar to Neuschwanstein Castle in Germany, isn't it? My grandmother loved living here too."

"I'm so proud," said Natsumi Kosaka.

"I'll show you around later."

Gao Mo glanced at the poker-faced twin maids, then his gaze swept over the elegantly styled castle.

It looks very beautiful, like a princess's castle.

But dark clouds were floating in the sky.

He had a strange feeling as he went up the mountain, and when he got closer, the familiar aura of death indeed enveloped the castle.

In addition...

Gao Mo glanced at Pu Siqinglan out of the corner of his eye.

After the woman arrived, he soon saw the projected text: "[Found the Dynasty's Treasure]".

As for the others, they also had unformed projected glimmers of light.

According to Ai, he is now absorbing the spirits of murder victims?
Someone was killed?
(End of this chapter)