Conan: Death is Watching Me

Chapter 212 Yoko's Party Invitation

"Wow!"

Toilet.

While using the restroom, Gao Mo briefly reviewed his online personas and network of contacts.

Everything else is fine, but the main problem with the Black Organization is that it easily causes trouble for his friends, and he currently doesn't have the power to completely eliminate this scourge.

The most crucial thing right now is still Takato Yoichi, or more precisely, the future Takato Yoichi.

Takato Yoichi is now just an ordinary human who possesses extremely high intelligence and superb magic skills, which is why he was able to commit a crime.

"Kido-senpai," Yoko Okino appeared at the end of the corridor and called out as Gao Mo came out of the restroom, "There's an engagement party at a friend's house tomorrow night. Would you like to come along? Terumi and the others will be there too."

"Huimei?"

"It's Hoshino Terumi. Back when we were in a group, Terumi seemed to have a crush on her."

"Uh……"

Gao Mo didn't really have any recollection of it. He hadn't inherited all the memories; those unimportant ones had long since faded.

Hoshino Terumi was a member of Yoko Okino's former group "Earth Ladies Team", but they had almost no interaction.

"It's such a rare opportunity for our group to reunite, it would be such a shame if our seniors weren't here," Yoko Okino said, clasping her hands together. "Please!"

"That's fine, but please don't keep calling me 'senior' anymore. Just call me by my name."

"Then... is Kido-nii okay?"

Outside the corridor, the man with the mustache leaned against the wall, completely petrified. His mind kept replaying "engagement" and "Kido-san"... He couldn't help but imagine Yoko Okino snuggling in Gao Mo's arms, acting coquettishly, followed by the sound of a baby crying.

No, no... Miss Yoko actually...

"What are you doing here, Dad?" Ran and Sonoko went to the restroom hand in hand and were surprised to see the man with the mustache looking utterly dejected.

"Mr. Mori?"

Yoko Okino said happily.

"Xiao Lan, you guys should come too. Kaoru is also a fan of Mr. Mori, and it seems like she's been followed by a peeping tom lately. She said she wants to hire a detective to investigate."

"got engaged……"

The man with the mustache didn't listen at all and still looked utterly hopeless.

"Miss Yoko is getting engaged."

“It wasn’t me,” Yoko Okino said with an awkward smile. “It was my friend Kaoru, you should know her too.”

"Let's talk about it the day after tomorrow."

Gao Mo left first.

He wasn't particularly interested in other celebrities, but Yoko Okino was his first friend since coming into this world, so attending a party wouldn't be a problem for him.

The only thing that bothered him was that the man with the mustache was also invited.

This is no longer an ordinary party.

"Kido-kun," Sonoko said nervously, "we're planning to go to a karaoke bar after the banquet, would you like to come along?"

"Sing?"

"How about watching a movie instead..."

“Watching a movie is good,” Kaito Kuroba said with a grin. “I remember there’s a sequel to a popular movie that’s been released recently. It’s a really interesting phantom thief movie.”

Xiaolan asked in surprise, "You mean that Phantom Thief movie? Come to think of it, there's definitely a Phantom Thief craze right now..."

"Forget it, the sequel is bound to be terrible," Sonoko said uninterestedly. "Besides, it's just a copycat of Kaito Kid, just an arrogant cross-dressing thief. I don't know what's so great about him."

Arrogant... cross-dressing...

Kaito Kuroba's face darkened, and he gritted his teeth in hatred.

Damn it, is everyone seeing him like this now? Who's spreading these rumors?

“I have things to do later,” Gao Mo shook his head and said, “You guys go have fun, put it on my tab.”

Jirokichi Suzuki's treasures are arriving in Japan next week, and he needs to make some plans.

Whether it's impersonating Kidd or challenging the police, it's a skill-based endeavor, and the earlier you prepare, the better.

In particular, the mission requires a front-page news story... Although Kidd's name can basically get him a front-page spot, he has nothing to say if he is taken away by some major news.

He needs to create a sensation, but also avoid causing any trouble.

He certainly wouldn't do something like Kidd's plan to blow up the downtown substation last time.

Gao Mo had a headache.

Why is the Magician's level 5 upgrade quest so bizarre? It's like they're using Kid as a template.

What if he actually becomes a professional thief in the future?
“Mr. Kido,” Director Ochiai greeted Gao Mo with a smile, “the famous sword Kikuchiyo that your company has entrusted to our museum will be exhibited next month along with other ancient art pieces. You are welcome to come and see it when you have time.”

Kikuchiyo...

I almost forgot about that.

Gao Mo felt a slight pang of regret.

Even though it was only a year ago, it felt like a long time had passed for him.

Both the Mihara Art Museum case and the Suwa Kumaji case were cases he handled during his first phase, when he seemed to be living a precarious life and lacked any sense of security. Actually, he didn't invite Director Ochiai this time; he was working at the museum under a pseudonym back then.

The other party just happened to be at the Mihua Restaurant.

In addition, there was another uninvited guest...

"It's strange, we haven't heard from that guy lately," said Nakamori Ginzo at the banquet hall entrance, his expression displeased upon hearing that Suzuki Jirokichi was going to arrest Kid. "Just don't cause us any trouble, that guy isn't someone you can just catch easily..."

“That’s because your police are incompetent,” Suzuki Jirokichi said confidently. “If it were me, I would never give Kaito Kid a chance to escape!”

Ginzo Nakamori, father of Aoko Nakamori, father-in-law of Kaito Kuroba, and the Metropolitan Police Department's "Phantom Thief Kid" expert.

The information about the person resurfaced in Gao Mo's mind.

To complete the upgrade task, this uncle is unavoidable; in fact, it can only be attributed to this guy.

……

the next day.

While Ai was organizing the mailbox, Gao Mo approached Professor Agasa again.

"Fly a helicopter?" The doctor looked incredulous. "Why do you think I can fly a plane? An old friend of mine is quite good at it, but..."

"I'm just asking."

Gao Mo casually grabbed a bag of the doctor's snacks.

After yesterday's banquet, he originally intended to devise his own plan, but in the end, he chose to give up and decided to adopt a "borrowing" approach instead.

There's no need to make things difficult for yourself.

Of all the magic tricks Kid used in "Detective Conan," he was particularly impressed by "Skywalk," which is also very suitable for direct use.

They just need an assistant to provide support, preferably someone who can also pilot a helicopter.

His current assistant candidates are Ai Haibara and Professor Agasa.

It seems we need to think of some additional solutions.

Fortunately, it's just a one-time task, so finding an assistant shouldn't be too difficult.

"What are you trying to do?" Ai asked curiously.

She rarely saw Gao Mo like this, as if he was about to do something bad.

But then I realized it was impossible.

"fine."

Gao Mo was about to briefly explain his actions when his thoughts were suddenly interrupted by the vibration of his phone in his pocket.

It's a mustache.

"Kido, it's about time we went over there," the mustachioed man said excitedly. "Hurry up!"

"Isn't it still early?" Gao Mo asked, a bead of sweat on his forehead.

He remembered the party was in the evening.

It's only noon now.

"What's too early?" the mustachioed man snorted, tilting his head back. "The sooner we get there, the better we can help out. Everyone says they want to meet me, the great detective."

"hehe."

……

Maori Detective Agency.

At the celebration, the man with the mustache, who was still acting like he was dying, seemed to have a second spring. He got up early in the morning, humming a song and carefully dressing up, as if he had become a different person.

When Gao Mo appeared downstairs at the Mouri Detective Agency, he almost thought he had mistaken someone for someone else.

Even his usually unkempt mustache had been styled with hair wax.

"Dad, is this really necessary?" Xiaolan felt ashamed and didn't even want to go out with Xiaohuzi.

"What do you know?" The man with the mustache had specially rented a nice car. "We're going to the house of a big star, not just Ms. Yoko, but also several other beautiful stars from the Earth Ladies team. This is their first reunion since they disbanded, it's really a rare occasion..."

"You take these things so seriously." Xiaolan felt a wave of weariness as she worried about her mother, Eri.

With Dad in this state, when will we be able to reconcile and restore Mom and Dad's relationship?

A reconciliation seems a long way off.

"I heard that the Earth Ladies were very popular back then, and there was even a rumor about her dating Kido-san," Sonoko squeezed onto the bus, seemingly having done her research. "Unfortunately, the members later had conflicts and disbanded, leaving only Yoko Okino still singing."

"You know quite a lot."

The man with the mustache glanced at the garden with surprise, but found the young lady much more agreeable.

"You're in for a treat today! Earth Ladies will be performing their old debut songs at the party – it's an absolutely unique experience!"

"You're the lucky one, Uncle."

Conan pouted.

Little Mustache's snoring kept him from getting a good night's sleep yesterday.

He was fed up with sharing a room with the mustachioed boy, and the boy's words carried no weight.

(End of this chapter)