Conan: Death is Watching Me

Chapter 261 A Soul from 3 Years Ago

Late at night, at the Kido Detective Agency.

"The point scored before the second-half injury timeout allowed Tokyo Soul to defeat Tokyo Noval and win the Tokyo tournament!"

Gao Mo removed his vest and put down his coat in the entryway. When he took off his shoes and went inside, the living room TV was still playing a recording of a football match.

Ai and the black cat huddled together on the sofa, one at the head and one at the tail.

She was sleeping soundly.

Ai Haibara seems to be a big fan of soccer players, but after the bomb bus incident, she gave up going to watch the game live.

Gao Mo was just about to find a blanket when Xiao Ai, who was still half asleep, rubbed her eyes upon hearing the noise.

"Why are you back?"

"Let's rest for two days."

Gao Mo draped his coat over Xiao Ai's shoulders and turned to walk into the kitchen.

"Today we encountered a case of a murderer who burned a body in a park and had been hiding for four years. The police couldn't find him, so he ended up hiding in an unfinished building next to the park... By the way, it seems that the murdered girl also became a ghost, and she even thanked us at the end."

"You can see now?" Xiao Ai asked in surprise.

"I can't see her, she's probably hiding, but she's not an evil spirit, so I ignored her."

Unlike ordinary undead, evil spirits attack people who can see them, such as Ai Haibara.

Gao Mo tied on an apron and opened the refrigerator: "I've been working hard all day and haven't eaten. How about some fried rice with eggs?"

"I'm not hungry."

Ai covered her mouth and yawned a long yawn, then got up and turned off the TV.

"The Tokyo Soul team is having a parade this weekend, do you have time?"

"procession?"

"Yes, we were just short of winning the championship trophy every year before. This time, we finally turned the tide and won the championship for the first time."

"With holidays and protests going on, the police will probably impose martial law..."

Gao Mo paused as he met Xiao Ai's furtive glance.

"Let the doctor take you there. I'll keep watch around here."

"No," Ai said, shrinking back again. "Anyway, there will definitely be a lot of people there, so I might as well just stay home and watch the live broadcast on TV... I just wanted to remind you that no matter what your reason is for becoming a police officer, don't forget those police officers who died. Being a police officer only looks glamorous."

"I know."

A name popped into Gao Mo's mind—Matsuda Jinpei.

There are quite a few characters in "Detective Conan" who seem to be the main characters but actually die.

He probably wouldn't have bothered with a police disguise before he had access to the HeartNet network.

"Don't worry, basically no one can kill me now."

"Don't say things like that." Ai drooped her eyelids.

I've been watching a lot of TV dramas lately, and some of them feature characters who make wild predictions and end up with bad outcomes.

……

weekend.

After a commendation ceremony, Gao Mo, along with three other groups, was assigned to the parade area to enforce martial law.

The incident began when the Metropolitan Police Department received a strange fax that appeared to be threatening.

"Very interesting things happen when the Soul Team holds a parade..."

Chiba didn't understand.

"Could this be a malicious joke played on someone? Was it really necessary to send us out?"

“If this gets sent to the Metropolitan Police Department, it’s no small matter. They’re very sensitive right now, worried that some kind of bomb might cause trouble again.”

Gao Mo, wearing sunglasses, took a sip of his iced cola and glanced at the crowded people out of the corner of his eye.

In the end, Ai didn't come, but an unexpected figure appeared.

"Scared, weren't you? Hehe," Ma Lubian Yuanzi had put on an exaggerated ghost makeup, which almost made Xiao Lan scream. "Xiao Lan's fear of ghosts is just irresistible."

"Ugh," Xiaolan's heart pounded, "What are you trying to do?"

"I'm learning disguise. How's my technique? Pretty impressive, right?"

Sonoko proudly removed her makeup.

"But scaring Xiaolan is no challenge at all, Xiaolan is afraid of ghosts anyway."

"I'm not afraid of ghosts!" Xiaolan argued vehemently. "I went to a haunted house with my dad a couple of days ago, and it was all a hoax!"

What does lying have to do with Xiaolan's fear of ghosts?

"You still haven't told me why you suddenly started learning disguise?"

"Well... keep it a secret."

Gao Mo withdrew his gaze and turned to the crowd of onlookers, who were gathered in layers upon layers.

The teams in the parade were nowhere to be seen.

To be honest, he had absolutely no interest in football, because in his past life...

Well, soccer seems to be especially popular in Tokyo, I wonder if it's a preference of 73 (a nickname for a player). Baseball seems to be more popular in Osaka, and basketball and tennis are also doing alright.

He personally prefers martial arts now and spends his free time at the martial arts dojo.

"Officer Matsuda," Shiratori, disguised, approached and immediately spotted Gao Mo, who was standing casually at the intersection, "You know about that matter, right?"

"Ok?"

"It was Sato and Takagi's date."

Like a spy, Shiratori looked around.

“Next week is Sato’s day off, and Takagi specifically asked for leave on that day. We immediately realized something was wrong… Then Takagi confessed that he was going to a tropical ocean park. We plan to go there to keep an eye on him and prevent him from doing anything strange…”

What and what?
Gao Mo curled his lip.

Takagi is really useless; this date is probably over.

"Do you want to join?" Shiratori asked cautiously. "I'm currently the commander of the tracking team, and we absolutely cannot let Sato fall into Takagi's hands!"

"Didn't you get rejected on your blind date with Officer Sato? Why don't you give up?" Gao Mo observed Xiao Lan and her group across the street.

Fat Genta stood directly on top of the mailbox and climbed up with Mitsuhiko to take pictures of the parade.

“I was only rejected once, I won’t give up easily,” Shiratori’s smile was stiff. “As long as they haven’t officially started dating, I still have hope… Besides, I think Sato only went on the date because Takagi helped him out last time.”

Licking the dog.

Gao Mo really wanted to tell this guy who his real partner was, but he had no reason to say it.

Forget it, he'd better not meddle and make things worse.

What's the point of talking about love?
Stay single with him.

“But then again,” Shiratori looked at Gao Mo and hesitated, “when you were transferred to the First Division, I thought you would definitely become my biggest competitor, because you look exactly like Matsuda three years ago, except that your skin is a bit dark.”

"Matsuda Jinpei?"

"Yes...how did you know?"

The white bird looked surprised.

"Have you not……"

“Officer Sato mentioned it to me, so I looked into it,” Gao Mo pushed up his sunglasses. “It seems to be Sato’s first love?”

"It's not exactly a first love. Matsuda Jinpei only stayed for a total of 7 days," Shiratori said with a wry smile. "It's just that his sacrifice was a huge blow to Sato. He left such a deep impression on Sato with his life. How can we compare to him?"
Unless we also die in the line of duty, perhaps we can turn the tide...

"puff!"

Gao Mo almost spat out the cola he had just drunk. It's one thing to set a flag for yourself, but why drag him down with you?

Besides, he doesn't like Sato's type—when they're together, he feels like they're just good buddies.

"It is said that Matsuda Jinpei could have defused the bomb and evacuated safely," Shiratori said with a sigh, his head bowed. "But the location of the second bomb was only revealed at the very end. In order to get the hint, he sacrificed himself and saved everyone in the hospital."

"So that's why everyone's so sensitive about receiving this fax?" Chiba thought to himself, his heart heavy.

"Yes, because the case was initially solved by sending a fax to the Metropolitan Police Department."

"That prisoner is a real bastard!"

"That's right, the bomber deliberately wanted to see us police officers make a fool of ourselves. If Matsuda Jinpei had chosen to save himself back then, that guy would definitely have spread the news that the police were cowardly and failed to save the hospital..."

"The other party's initial plan was to trap a policeman in a Ferris wheel car and then make him see the clue..."

Gao Mo listened calmly to Shiratori and Chiba's conversation.

A bomb countdown image vaguely appeared in my mind.

"Brave police officer, I commend your courage... Three seconds before the bomb explodes, I will display a notification indicating the location of another, even larger firework. Best of luck in your continued efforts..."

That was Matsuda Jinpei's last memory, the content displayed on the bomb's LCD panel.

In the final seconds, after the notification appeared, Matsuda Jinpei simultaneously sent Sato a suicide note-like email: "Beihana Central Hospital... ps: I quite like you."

Gao Mo's gaze was deep.

Matsuda Jinpei voluntarily handed over his soul to Sato because of him, and even forcibly settled the "Bomb Disposal Guide".

The undead that are absorbed normally cannot display their names on the notebook projection.

Matsuda Jinpei, however, was an exception.

The policeman seemed to be conveying his own thoughts—but what were they?

Surely you're not asking him to help you seduce Sato, are you?

“Officer Matsuda?” Chiba woke Gao Mo up and said, “Do you think this threat is from that bomber? Three years have passed, and that guy might jump out again.”

If anyone could completely solve this bombing case, he felt it had to be Gao Mo.

“It shouldn’t be,” Gao Mo gathered his thoughts. “If it were that bomber, he would at least have indicated the location of the first bomb, instead of sending a vague threatening fax… Let’s be careful, we can’t rule out the possibility of other bombers.”

"Yes!"

Shiratori responded seriously before realizing what was happening.

He's a police inspector, why is he acting like a lackey?

I almost got led astray by Chiba.

"Hey you guys," a police car pulled up to the side of the road, and Yumi from the traffic department rolled down the window, "what are you doing here, you grown men? Miwako and Takagi's date is supposed to be next week, right?"

“Of course I know,” Shiratori said, also putting on camouflage glasses. “We’re here to work today because there might be a bomber around.”

“Whether it’s work or not,” Yumi pointed to the cars across the street, “if you don’t move your cars quickly, I’m going to give you a ticket! Honestly, there are already so many illegal parkings today!”

"Sorry, I'll drive away right away."

Chiba scratched his head in embarrassment, hurriedly took out his keys, and ran towards the car.

Gao Mo glanced around casually and suddenly noticed a middle-aged figure disappearing into the crowd.

If he wasn't mistaken, the other person initially had shopping bags in their hands, but after walking past Chiba's car, their hands were empty.

"Wait, Chiba!"

The mental network unfolds, and the entire road area is instantly integrated into the realm of thought.

Gao Mo felt a constant alarm bell ringing in his heart. He turned around and saw Qianye about to move the car. Suddenly, he took a step forward and pounced on Qianye as she turned around in a daze.

"Everyone, lie down!"

"boom--!"

At the other end of the parade.

While on patrol, Sato was somewhat distracted. He took out his phone to check emails he had saved three years ago when he suddenly heard a loud explosion nearby.

"What happened? Where did that explosion come from?!"

Megure got off the bus with a startled cry.

"Stop the march immediately and evacuate all spectators!"

"Inspector Megure!" Takagi shouted anxiously, "It looks like Inspector Matsuda's car exploded!"

"what?"

"Matsuda..."

Sato stared blankly at the thick smoke rising from the other side of the rioting crowd, his heart aching intensely.

“We’re fine,” Gao Mo said, pressing down on Chiba. He quickly took out his walkie-talkie and reported to the overturned and burning car across the street, “Someone put a shopping bag with a bomb under the car… It seems the car is completely beyond repair.”

"Idiot! What's the point of worrying about cars at a time like this?!"

Megure's roar came through the walkie-talkie.

"From now on, no one is allowed to approach the vehicles!"

"boom--!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Takagi's car was overturned by the violent explosion, causing even more chaos among the already frightened crowd.

Megure, who was planning to track down the bomber, had to do everything he could to maintain order at the scene.

If a stampede were to occur with so many people, it would be a serious matter.

"Calling for backup!"

"Has the explosives disposal team arrived?"

"Sato?"

Sato stared at the exploded vehicle for a while before being woken up and hurriedly joined the crowd evacuation work.

Megure sighed softly with a somber expression, patted Takagi on the shoulder, and instructed, "Keep an eye on Sato. She doesn't seem to have gotten over the incident from three years ago."

"Huh? Three years ago?"

……

The scene of the first explosion.

Gao Mo had a general look at the wrecked car.

The explosion did indeed occur under the chassis.

If it's the same on Takagi's side... is it a gang crime?

Moreover, it seems they deliberately chose vehicles far away from crowds. As for whether it was targeting the police, it's hard to say for now—although they were police cars, they don't usually have sirens on, and they even disguised themselves to avoid revealing their identities.

Gao Mo's mind raced, a deluge of information converging, causing his head to throb slightly.

There was too much information, especially from the spectators in the nearby parade.

"What? The camera has been stolen?" Genta and his group's voices came from the intersection.

"Really, during the explosion and commotion just now, someone took it from behind, and I almost got stepped on."

"Matsuda!" Megure ran over, covering his hat. "How's it going on your end?"

No one was injured.

Gao Mo picked up a piece of debris from the explosion.

"The perpetrators used plastic explosives, which were detonated remotely. It is not yet known whether they were targeting our police; it seems that their main purpose was to create chaos."

“No, the other side almost killed our police officers. We should treat it as a case of police involvement first,” Inspector Megure’s chubby face became even more serious. “The investigators must check all the police cars first…”

“Inspector Megure,” Kosei said thoughtfully, looking at the endless parade of spectators, “I know what you’re worried about, but this case is different from three years ago. The bomb they used was simple and crude; it was a deliberate attempt to alert the police and draw their attention. Their real purpose is very suspicious.”

(End of this chapter)