Conan: Death is Watching Me

Chapter 193 The Legend of the Snow Demon

"Kikuemon is that famous ceramic master. I was a guest at their house yesterday, and something terrible happened... You've probably heard about it, right? This teacup was a special gift from the master to me..."

"Wow!"

Toilet.

Gao Mo went to the toilet, and even with the sound of water, one could still hear the smug laughter of the man with the mustache.

This guy was walking around the First Investigation Division like a pet; he even tied a rubber band to his teacup and let it wander around.

He now cares more about self-improvement than about material possessions.

Even the worst professional books, such as "Nagato Hideomi's Guide to Novels" and "Hoshigawa Dogo's Guide to Magic," are worth well over ten million yen.

"Boom!"

Gao Mo stared at the projection of his notes on the mirror.

Just as he was thinking about how to further improve his magic skills, he suddenly heard a series of thunderous sounds.

My consciousness seemed to be pulled into another space, where a plane with its lights flashing crashed into a snow-capped mountain, and the scene before me was then replaced by torrential rain and lightning in the night.

The sound of a heartbroken girl crying in the wind and snow, accompanied by the firelight, carried on the breeze.

"Give me back my mother!"

"give me back!"

"Officer Takagi?" The shouts from outside the corridor startled Gao Mo.

It was Yumi from the traffic class who mysteriously called out to Takagi.

"I'll tell you a secret, yesterday I got Miwako drunk and asked her, and she said that she really does have someone she likes in the First Investigation Division, and it might even be you... You're really something."

"No, no way?" Takagi stood there dumbfounded, her heart pounding.

"What are you doing here, Takagi?" Sato Miwako, with short hair, walked by. "Did Yumi say something weird to you?"

"Yes... no, she didn't say anything, she didn't say anything at all."

"is it?"

"Sato," Megure called out from his office, "come with me later to handle the 2 million yen bank robbery. The investigation headquarters is located at the Beika Police Station... Huh? What are you two doing there?"

“It’s nothing,” Sato said, her cheeks slightly flushed. “Inspector Megure, let’s go now.”

It's all Yumi's fault; she got her drunk and tricked her into revealing information.

"What about me?" Takagi asked hopefully. "Can I come along too?"

“You have other things to do,” Megure said ruthlessly. “I’m leaving the follow-up to Hoshikawa Dogo’s case to you. Those reporters will definitely come looking for us once they get the news, and you also need to handle Hoshikawa Dogo’s female fans.”

"But……"

Takagi reached out and watched Sato and Megure walk away.

Thinking about it carefully, even if Sato really does have someone he likes, it doesn't seem like it might be him.

“Officer Takagi,” Gao Mo closed his eyes, pulling himself out of the sudden hallucination, “If you like her, you’d better confess quickly. I think Officer Sato probably prefers a more decisive man. If you’re always indecisive, she might get snatched away one day.”

"what?"

“If this guy confesses directly, he’ll have even less of a chance,” the young nobleman Shiratori Ninzaburo walked into the conference room and patted Takagi on the shoulder. “You should just give up. Officer Sato will never choose you. My priority is definitely above yours.”

"Officer Shiratori?" Takagi lowered his head in embarrassment.

“By the way, I’m an inspector now,” Shiratori Ninzaburo said with a relaxed smile. “With my intelligence, it shouldn’t take too long for me to be promoted to superintendent.”

The inspector... has caught up with Megure.

Upon hearing this, Gao Mo glanced at Shiratori Renzaburo.

He looks exactly like the White Bird that Kid disguises himself as. If there's any difference, it's that he's a bit more arrogant and likes to put on airs.

"This must be Mr. Kido?" Shiratori Ninzaburo noticed Gao Mo and greeted him with a polite smile. "I hope we can have the opportunity to cooperate in the future."

"Will do."

Gao Mo gently shook hands with Shiratori Renzaburo.

Polite as they were, they were even more arrogant than the Shiratori he remembered, and it was clear they were just being polite.

"I'm going to find Inspector Matsumoto," Shiratori said, one hand in his pocket, waving as he left. "Takagi, you continue to attend to Mr. Kido."

Takagi looked like a wilted eggplant, his energy and spirit completely depleted.

Shiratori is a police inspector, Sato is a police assistant inspector, while he is just a patrol chief and doesn't know when he will be promoted to police assistant inspector.

"Officer Sato definitely likes Shiratori..."

"Giving up so easily? If you really like Officer Sato, don't give up so easily," Gao Mo thought of the guy's projected text, which was almost always related to Sato. "Do you want me to help you find Officer Sato? We'll find out who Officer Sato likes by trying..."

"No!" Takagi exclaimed in shock.

"Humph."

Shiratori Renzaburo stood at the corner of the corridor, listening to Gao Mo's conversation, his thick, drooping eyebrows slightly raised.

"Takagi, Takagi, this concerns my lifelong happiness, so I won't hold back. As long as I find an opportunity to go on a business trip with Officer Sato, I'll give you a romantic confession..."

……

Japanese TV station.

Eiichi Yamagishi, who accompanied Yoko Okino to record the program, contacted Gao Mo.

"Domoto, you haven't been in the public eye for a long time, you didn't even participate in the TV series version of 'City Detective'... If this continues, you will be replaced soon."

"I can accept gigs, but the duration can't be too long."

Gao Mo left the Metropolitan Police Department, still thinking about the hallucination he had seen earlier.

It wasn't a premonition, but it was somehow connected to death.

"Are you really not considering a TV series?" Yamagishi Eiichi asked unwillingly. "This is a great opportunity to solidify your popularity. If you don't act in it, it's like giving it away to someone else for nothing."

"I don't need to consider jobs that take longer than a week."

Gao Mo hesitated for a moment but still refused.

He didn't want to waste several months on a TV series.

The only thing missing to advance an actor to level 5 is a perfect professional performance, which has nothing to do with acting. There are plenty of ways to make money this way, so it would be foolish to waste a few months on it.

“In that case,” Eiichi Yamagishi said helplessly, “Yoko is going to Hokkaido to film a movie next week, why don’t you come along too?”

"Hokkaido?"

"Yes, the crew of 'Snow Demon' invited Yoko to make a cameo appearance. A week should be enough, but the environment might be quite harsh. They said it would be in the snowy mountains."

"Snow Mountain, Snow Yaksha..."

Gao Mo's brow twitched, and he could faintly hear the girl crying again.

Does the note provide guidance?

The fact that the notes could elicit a reaction indicates that the rules of death—which Ai believes vengeful spirits have immense recycling value.

At least two people will die.

"How is it?" Yamagishi Eiichi asked wearily. "This is the only time that's relatively short right now."

He's really unlucky to have encountered such a lazy and unambitious artist. He originally thought he would become the next phenomenal idol.

"This one will do," Gao Mo agreed after thinking for a moment.

The magic troupe doesn't really need his help right now—they have the foundation of the Fantasy Magic Troupe, plus the gimmick of Reiko Chikamiya's legacy with Master Seikage, and finally, there's the top magician Haruto Toyama (Yoichi Takato)...

It's foreseeable that it will become a lucrative business in the future, and becoming famous is only a matter of time.

……

Hokkaido.

A village called "Beibing Village" is located deep in the snow-covered mountains. What used to be a summer resort has become a terrible snow hell in winter.

Gao Mo, wearing a thick sweater and carrying his luggage, got into the production crew's van.

Eiichi Yamagishi suddenly said he'd be a few days late and asked him to take care of Yoko Okino while he was there. The crew treated him like a newcomer, bossing him around and giving him all sorts of instructions.

"Hoohoo!"

As the van drove into the mountains, the wind and snow outside grew heavier.

The barren forest, the snow-covered mountains, the desolate and lifeless snowscape.

Looking out the car window, one could almost hear the cries of despair.

Gao Mo's eyes narrowed slightly.

He has confirmed that the hallucinations he saw are related to this place.

Ten years ago, a plane crash occurred here, and there are related records in the Kudo family's study archives.

Because it caused a huge sensation at the time.

Several survivors miraculously survived the crash, including a famous painter.

The villa that the film crew rented this time happened to belong to that painter.

"The weather is getting worse, hurry up, or we'll be in trouble if we get trapped in the mountains."

"Everyone says we should come early, otherwise we won't encounter this kind of weather."

"What can we do? Blizzards are common here in winter, and we've already brought them early. In a few days, even the mountain roads will be blocked."

Most of the people inside the car were asleep, as if it were a separate little world, with only the director and a few others discussing the filming plan.

The script was titled "The Legend of the Snow Demon Murder Case," but it was actually just a prank show.

Before setting off, Yamagishi Eiichi reminded Gao Mo that he might also be a target of a prank.

boring.

I even went all the way to Hokkaido to film this...

A bright light suddenly appeared in the wind and snow, and upon closer inspection, a wooden villa could be seen nestled in the snow.

A car had already parked in front of the villa – the light came from the car's headlights.

Gao Mo's eagle eyes pierced through the heavy snow and saw a man and a woman getting out of a car; they seemed vaguely familiar.

Shiratori Ninzaburo?
As soon as the van stopped, the two people who had walked to the villa's entrance turned around.

One of them was Shiratori, who had just been promoted to police inspector, and the other was Sato Miwako, whom Takagi had been longing for.

As a beloved policewoman in the Metropolitan Police Department, Sato's captivating charm is undeniable even when bundled up in thick clothing—her heroic spirit, unlike that of ordinary beauties, stands out even more in the snow.

"Miss Yoko?"

Sato looked past Gao Mo's disguise as "Domoto Ichi" and looked in surprise at Okino Yoko, who was getting off the bus behind him.

"Why are you here?"

"The TV station arranged for us to record a program here," Yoko Okino said, her gaze shifting between Sato and Yoko. "Are you... on a date?"

“How could that be?” Sato laughed. “I’m just here on a business trip. I came here to take shelter from the sudden blizzard.”

"is it?"

Yoko Okino didn't quite believe it, assuming that Sato was just shy, so she didn't ask any more questions and turned to the director and the others.

"Director, can they come together?"

"Since he's Yoko's friend, of course there's no problem."

The bald director glanced at Sato a few more times, subconsciously assuming she was Yoko's celebrity friend, though she looked unfamiliar.

An unknown actor... perhaps there's something to develop in that area.

"This village of Beibing was established by pioneers who came after the Meiji Restoration. It is said that it was very poor at that time, and human trafficking often occurred. One snowy winter night, a woman who had been sold returned to the village with her baby in her arms, shivering from the cold, and knocked on doors everywhere..."

"However, no one was willing to open the door for her. Everyone was afraid of human traffickers, let alone selling her family..."

Finally, the woman and her child disappeared forever into the snow. Every winter, she would transform into a snow demon, killing people in the wind and snow, accompanied by mournful cries and the flickering flames of pain…

Gao Mo carried his luggage into the villa, and before he could even settle in, he heard several people talking in the living room while holding a script.

The director, with a sly grin, was trying to scare the actress.

"Hehe, the curse of the Snow Demon has long shrouded this place, which is why we came here to record the show. Who knows, someone might be killed by the Snow Demon."

"Ugh, why bring this up all of a sudden..."

The production team consists of five actors, including Gao Mo.

Besides the popular idol Yoko Okino, there is also a short-haired actress and two male actors.

Actress Rie Kano, 32, has a terrible temper and, like Gao Mo before, was a washed-up star. However, she seems to have recently found a powerful backer and is experiencing a second spring in her career.

Yusaku Daimon, a 35-year-old martial arts actor with thick eyebrows and big eyes, is quite handsome. He is very famous, but also a notorious playboy.

The remaining one, named Ken Munakata, has little presence, but is rumored to be a gay actor…

Apart from Yoko, none of them are normal.

“Hey, Domoto,” Yusaku Daimon called out, “could you bring our luggage in?”

"Do your own thing." Gao Mo ignored the guy and walked towards the guest room with Okino Yoko.

"cut."

Not only Yusaku Daimon, but the other actors also looked dissatisfied.

"He's just a newcomer; he's gotten a little fame and doesn't know who he is anymore."

"Yes, they have no respect for their seniors at all."

“But that’s all there is to it,” Yusaku Daimon sneered. “I heard that he’s not on the cast list for the TV series ‘City Detective,’ and Nichiri TV is planning to cast another well-known actor.”

"It wasn't like he was indispensable. He could have become popular just by changing his name and borrowing his persona. This guy just got lucky, but he thinks it's because of his own ability."

Gao Mo turned around and glanced at the actors who made no attempt to hide their true feelings.

Does this count as workplace bullying?

The entertainment industry does indeed value seniority, and even Yoko Okino is not immune to being bullied.

He won't tolerate these guys.

The actor is just a pseudonym for him.

This world is ultimately a detective world; fame and status are all meaningless. Even the chairman of a conglomerate can die at any moment, let alone a few ordinary actors.

“I’m sorry, Kido…Domoto,” Yoko Okino said worriedly, “they treated you like this because of me.”

Her immense popularity did not bring her sufficient industry standing; jealousy, resentment, and other forms of targeting from her peers were constant.

She was a little worried about the recording in the next few days.

Gao Mo and she might get pranked in all sorts of ways.

"Oh, right," Yoko Okino reminded, "try not to eat snacks and drinks outside. I brought a lot with me if you need them."

"fine."

Gao Mo unzipped the suitcase, and a dazzling array of snacks and desserts filled Yangzi's view, making the whole suitcase look huge.

"I brought some with me too."

"Yoko."

Sato came to find Yoko Okino, and when he saw the wholesale-looking snacks, his mind went blank for a moment.

"Are these... for sale?"

"Not for sale, but Officer Sato can take it if he likes it," Gao Mo said generously with a smile.

"you know me?"

Sato looked wary, but didn't think much of it after seeing Yoko.