Conan: Death is Watching Me

Chapter 192 The New Magician, Toyama Haruki
Zheng Yingjia.

The sound of sirens gradually faded into the distance.

Gao Mo and his group went to the restaurant on the first floor for a meal in a silent atmosphere.

Because of the sudden murder, Mrs. Zhengying only prepared a simple hot pot stew.

"I'm sorry this happened..."

Mrs. Zhengying smiled wearily, but managed to compose herself and greet everyone.

Ten years ago, my husband left home because he lost his notebook and never came back... I only found out now that it was related to his two apprentices.

If she had stopped her husband from taking Himegami Nobuko as his apprentice back then, would today's tragedy have been avoided?
“Nobody wants this to happen,” Fan Tianli sighed, pushing up his sunglasses. “But once this is over, the teacher will most likely come back.”

"Don't try to comfort me. If he were still alive, he would have come back long ago."

Mrs. Zhengying looked sad as she gently stroked her aged face, as if she had returned to the time when she performed on stage with her husband as his assistant.

"Anyway, Fan Tian, ​​could you please form the Zhengying Magic Troupe? Can you carry on the illusion magic that my husband is so proud of? I know you haven't performed for 5 years, but now we can only rely on you."

"I……"

Fan Tianli hesitated, glancing at Mrs. Zheng Ying, whose eyes were full of expectation, before turning to Gao Mo and the others. Even his sunglasses couldn't hide the struggle on his face.

Gao Mo hasn't seen this guy take off his sunglasses in the past few days; he looks like this day and night.

“Mrs. Zhengying,” Gao Mo said, trying to smooth things over, “Mr. Fan Tian has decided to make a comeback in our magic troupe. Let’s give him some time.”

“Yes,” Fan Tianli quickly agreed, “I am now preparing to start over with the Kido Magic Troupe. I will definitely carry on my teacher’s illusion magic if I have the opportunity in the future.”

"Is that right?"

Mrs. Zhengying glanced at Gao Mo, then turned around and took out a notebook covered with sticky notes.

"My husband's notes are probably gone forever, but I'll give you mine. They contain a lot of the essence of illusion magic, and I hope they'll be of some use."

"Your teacher's wife also has notes?"

Fan Tianli's voice was filled with fear; he was now somewhat agitated by the mere mention of notes.

It's as if some kind of curse exists; countless magicians have died because of the notebook.

"Don't worry," Mrs. Zhengying said helplessly, "Your entire magic troupe can read this notebook; it's just a record of some thoughts."

Fan Tianli secretly wiped the sweat from his forehead, opened his notebook in front of everyone, and stared blankly at Mrs. Zhengying as he looked at the "Christmas Tree" magic trick recorded in it.

It's exactly the same reasoning as that high school detective's.

If Hoshikawa Dogo hadn't been used for crimes, perhaps the case wouldn't have been solved so easily.

"Boss," Kaito Kuroba was still a little upset about losing to Heiji Hattori, "I should be considered a member of the Magic Troupe, right? Can I help out in the Magic Troupe in the future?"

"I'm fine, let's see how Rimi is." Gao Mo took a sip of juice.

As long as he doesn't come across as real, it's fine.

“That’s possible,” Rimi Remnant replied, “but are there any issues with the school? The Magic Troupe will be getting busier and busier, and they might have to travel all over the country.”

“I’ll be fine during the holidays,” Kaito Kuroba grinned. “I just want to gain some experience so I might become a magician someday.”

"Oh right, your father is Kuroba Toichi... Well then, if you have time, our magic troupe welcomes you anytime." Remnant Satomi had her own agenda.

When Kuroba Kaito debuts, he can work for the Kido Magic Troupe first. Whether he leaves or stays later, it will benefit the troupe.

"What about me?" Nakamori Aoko felt a bit superfluous.

“Aoko is fine too, but you should focus on your studies right now,” Remnant Satomi recalled her difficult journey in magic. “I dropped out of school because I didn’t know anything and I’ve loved magic since I was little.”

"Satomi-neechan is amazing! Her magic performance was so wonderful."

"Haha, everyone thought I was a freak when I was a kid."

"how come……"

Gao Mo buried himself in his food, while checking his notes on the projector amidst the lively conversation of the others.

The number of stars continues to increase steadily.

This time, he chose the ordinary "crime-solving" task.

I don’t know if that’s why I didn’t draw Kaito Kuroba’s abilities—even though he already had several of the opponent’s main abilities.

The book drawn was "Hoshikawa Dogo's Magic Guide".

It's all standard magician professional knowledge, but it's more formal than Kaito Kuroba's, focusing on stage performance, and is truly professional guidance suitable for magic troupes.

Some of the content seems to come from the notes of the master of illusion magic, and overall it is no less impressive than Reiko Chikamiya's puppet magic.

"Mr. Kido."

After dinner, Fan Tianli, after careful consideration, approached Gao Mo alone.

"I've thought it through. If you're willing to trust me, I can try to become the leader. However, I also don't know how far the Kido Magic Troupe can go..."

"I believe you."

Gao Mo directly interrupted the not-so-confident Fan Tianli.

"With the legacy of Master Sei-ei and Reiko Chikamiya, our magic troupe will definitely have a place in this world."

Han Tianli has many shortcomings, but he is very suitable for the current Kido Magic Troupe.

Gao Mo watched Fan Tianli walk away, then thought for a moment and secretly sent a message on his phone.

The next upgrade is to make the magic troupe famous.

Keeping Fan Tianli shouldn't be a problem, but that alone isn't enough.

chatroom.

Shadow: Join the Kido Magic Troupe under a different magician identity.

Hell Puppet Master: Received.

Gao Mo quietly read Gao Yuanyao's reply.

He also wanted to observe Takato Yoichi closely, so arranging for him to join the magic troupe was a win-win situation.

Such a criminal genius is undoubtedly in danger if his abilities have no place to be used.

Being busy makes it easier to stay in control.

Gao Mo turned his gaze to the moonlit night outside the window.

He both wanted Gao Yuanyao to become the agent of death, but he didn't want it to happen so soon.

The most urgent task is to quickly improve one's own rank.

……

Kido Detective Agency.

Heiji Hattori was still excited about solving the case.

Solving the case itself is nothing special, but this time, working with Gao Mo to solve the case over the phone brought a great sense of accomplishment and recognition.

The smooth reasoning process was also an unprecedented experience.

In the past, when has solving a case not been fraught with difficulties?
He believed his reasoning ability was second to none, but he was repeatedly held back by his clue-gathering skills.

What's even more amazing is that it was recognized by the Metropolitan Police Department inspector.

It is said that Inspector Megure used to work with Shinichi Kudo frequently, and when he said that he was better than Shinichi Kudo, he was definitely not joking.

"What? You're not going back to Osaka?" Kazuha, who was still packing her luggage, clenched her fists.

"Kazuha, you should go home first," Hattori called home, unable to find his father to boast, but his emotions were still exceptionally high. "I feel that I am more suited to Tokyo."

"You're transferring schools?" Kazuha panicked.

"Transfer schools?" Hattori seemed interested. "That sounds like a good idea..."

If it weren't for his strict family rules, he wouldn't want to go to school at all.

I don't know why, but ever since Shinichi Kudo disappeared, going to school has become infinitely more tiring than before. It feels like I'm taking exams every single day. "No, no!" Haba hugged Hattori's arm tightly like a baby, "You're Hattori from Kansai, transferring schools is absolutely not an option!"

"Idiot, why are you hugging me so tightly?" Hattori felt the firmness within the softness, and his dark face flushed red. "I didn't say I wanted to transfer schools, and my parents would never agree. I just thought I'd come to Tokyo whenever I had time. Anyway, I've already mastered everything at school."

"That won't do!" Kazuha continued to hold on tightly. "What makes Osaka inferior to Tokyo?"

"..."

living room.

Ai was watching TV on the sofa, holding her black cat, when she heard noises coming from the direction of the guest room, and her eyelids kept drooping.

It would be troublesome if this young couple really stayed at the agency.

She'd had enough of being fed dog food in her past life, did she have to go through it again?
And what if Gao Mo can't stand it and wants to find a girlfriend too?
She's happy with her life now and has finally found a sense of home; she doesn't want to become superfluous.

aptx4869 is a cursed drug. She secretly took a temporary antidote in the laboratory. Although she was temporarily restored, the feeling of being targeted by death also came at the same time. Fortunately, she was able to get rid of the crisis after shrinking back to her original size.

The moment the person who took the drug shrank, it seemed as if they had already been placed on the death list.

If the problem of death cannot be solved, even if there is an antidote, it cannot be used.

Ai sipped her cola and watched the TV news again.

"A flight exploded after takeoff in the United States, but several students who did not board the plane survived..."

……

The next day.

Despite his reluctance, Hattori Heiji was eventually pulled away by Kazuha and could only return to Tokyo on the next holiday.

Before Ai could even feel happy, she watched as the Magic Troupe moved into the office.

Fan Tianli plans to continue his roadshow to build popularity while preparing for the magic troupe's first venue magic show.

The date is set for next month, which is when Satomi Zanma takes control of the living puppet.

"Distant mountains, distant knowledge?" Satomi looked at the magician who had come to apply for the job with a puzzled expression, feeling that he seemed somewhat familiar. "I don't think I've ever heard of you before."

"I'm a newcomer too."

Gao Yuanyao smiled slightly, his gaze inadvertently sweeping over the members of the Kido Magic Troupe.

Upon discovering that the remaining members of the Fantasy Magic Guild were still there, he understood why Shadow had come alone.

This magic troupe is indeed a good place for me to hide.

His magical abilities shouldn't be overlooked.

On the surface, they're members of a magic troupe, but in reality, they're agents of death... That should be quite interesting.

"Welcome to our Kido Magic Troupe."

After testing "Distant Mountains Know" and discovering his outstanding magic abilities, Fan Tianli was overjoyed and immediately passed the interview.

The remaining Satomi, the spiritual medium Sakuraba, and this rookie magician.

The Kido Magic Troupe finally had enough foundation to create a sensation.

It might be even more popular than the Fantasy Magic Troupe.

"Captain," Sakuraba said, his dark circles under his eyes adding to the ominous aura, "I don't want to perform spirit magic anymore."

He truly didn't want to bring misfortune to the Kido Magic Troupe and repeat the mistakes of the Fantasy Magic Troupe.

"Aren't you overthinking this?" Fan Tianli said speechlessly, taking a puff of his cigar. He felt that this medium had suffered too much trauma. "The deaths of other people have nothing to do with you. There aren't really ghosts in this world."

"But……"

"Okay, I'll talk to the boss about this. If you're really worried, you can practice some other magic tricks first."

Haruka Toyama (Yoichi Takato) received a magic manual. He first looked at Ai Haibara, who was peeking up the stairs, and then continued to observe the group members, especially Sakuraba, who seemed to have seen a ghost.

He didn't know if ghosts existed in this world, but he had already seen Death.

Upon closer examination, it was discovered that each case seemed to bear the marks of death.

There are also numerous unbelievable death cases online.

"Speaking of which," Haruka Toyama asked, puzzled, "don't we have our own place? Isn't this a detective agency?"

"This is the boss's office. The Magic Troupe was only recently established, so they can only temporarily house us here," explained Satomi Zanma.

"Where is the boss?"

The distant mountains and the image of Gao Mo appeared in his mind.

Last time at the Dead Bone Plains Hotel, Gao Mo was the least noticeable one, but that Osaka detective works there, so he must be quite capable.

I'd like to meet him if possible.

"Uncle Kido went out on some business," Ai said as she came downstairs carrying the black cat. "You can ask me if you have any questions."

"This child..."

"She is the child of the boss's relative and lives at the firm."

Satomi seemed to really like Ai, and tried to ingratiate herself by giving her a plush doll she had bought on the way, but Ai ignored her and walked away.

"Wow, this kid really has a personality."

……

Metropolitan Police Department.

Gao Mo did not intentionally avoid seeing Gao Yuanyao; he was simply summoned to the Criminal Investigation Department along with the man next door with the mustache.

As two detective agencies that have recently had a lot of dealings with the police, they have officially joined the police's cooperation list and received a bonus for assistance from civilian experts—not much, but it is certainly a good way to save face.

It can also be seen as an improvement in social status.

In the future, we will cooperate more closely with the police and will be given priority as an external aid when necessary.

Gao Mo yawned and walked into the conference room.

He called it a collaboration, but he doubted it was going to work out; not all police officers are like Inspector Megure.

He could sense a faint malice.

It's estimated that many police officers don't really welcome these amateur detectives—in their eyes, every time these detectives solve a case, it's an indirect slap in the face to the police.

"Kido-kun, want to have some tea together?"

When the man with the mustache opened the prize money and found that it was only 30, he clearly didn't care much. Instead, he kept showing off the ceramic teacup in his hand, almost poking it directly in front of Gao Mo.

"I don't drink tea."

"Give it a try, their tea is really good." The man with the mustache was beaming.

The teacup looked rather rustic, quite different from the tea sets in the conference room, like something you'd find at a street stall.

However, Gao Mo carefully examined the teacup with his appraisal skills and noticed its unique patterns.

It appears to be the work of the renowned ceramic artist Kikuemon.

Gao Mo understood the thought of the mustachioed man being invited to Kikuemon's house.

"Has something happened to the Kikuemon family?" Gao Mo asked casually.

"Huh?" the mustachioed man exclaimed in surprise. "How did you know I have a teacup worth millions? Oh dear, Kikuemon insists on giving it to me no matter what, I can't refuse!"

"??"

"What? Can't you tell? You can't judge a lot of things by their appearance. I didn't expect this thing to be worth ten million at first, hehehe!"

The man with the mustache laughed triumphantly, and before Gao Mo could say anything, he continued to pester the dark-faced Inspector Megure.

"Would you like some tea, Inspector Megure?"

(End of this chapter)