Conan: Death is Watching Me

Chapter 267 The Vanished Heroic Detective

evening.

Kido Detective Agency.

"National Karate Championship... Makoto Kyogoku of Beika High School, the undefeated kicking prince..."

When Gao Mo returned home, Xiao Ai was still busy in the kitchen, humming a cheerful tune as she fried a steak, while the black cat beside her moved its round black eyes back and forth following Xiao Ai's movements.

The television in the living room continued to play. A handsome man with dark skin and a buzz cut looked dashing and had a powerful presence in front of the camera, but he didn't seem to be very good at dealing with reporters. He didn't say a word from beginning to end, so the reporter had to hand the microphone to someone else next to him.

"I see. So you decided to study abroad because you couldn't find any competitors in China?"

"Wow, that's really confident and powerful!"

"I heard that Kyogoku was born in Izu..."

Gao Mo watched Kyogoku Makoto on TV with great interest.

This person is not just invincible in the national high school competition, but truly invincible throughout Japan. He is the pinnacle of karate in the world of "Detective Conan" and one of the few characters whose fighting prowess breaks through the world's conventional wisdom.

He is also Sonoko's love interest in the original work, and secretly likes Sonoko.

Hmm, so now he's this guy's love rival?

Gao Mo felt a sudden ache in his teeth.

I almost forgot about that.

However, the two in this world aren't a couple, so Kyogoku Makoto wouldn't come looking for trouble with him.

"Is it over?" Ai brought a fragrant steak to the table.

"Yes, we don't need to go to the Metropolitan Police Department anymore."

Gao Mo took a bottle of juice from the refrigerator.

His time as a police officer suddenly ended, and he found it somewhat difficult to adjust.

Working at the Metropolitan Police Department certainly doesn't offer the same freedom as being your own boss, but the relationships with colleagues are quite unique, and most importantly, you're never worried about running out of cases.

but……

Gao Mo calmed down and reviewed the projected notes.

Level 5 Criminal Investigator Talent - [Intelligence Sharing].

He can now access police intelligence at any time, regardless of the area.

This has gone beyond the scope of ordinary talents; it seems that every level 5 professional talent is extraordinary.

If it weren't for the requirement of a level 5 profession for rank advancement, he would really like to see what level 6 is all about.

The next tier 4 requires two level 5 professions.

Gao Mo's gaze swept over his own information.

Compared to the beginning, his current stats are quite impressive, with a massive amount of talent and abilities that are all at level 5.

Even if we can't suppress Takato Yoichi and he really becomes a Shinigami Agent, it doesn't seem like a big deal.

[Extraordinary Abilities: Eagle Vision, Seeing Through the World, Mind Web]

[Professional Talents: Quick to get into character, enduring skill with age, expert in disguise, leader of children, photographic memory, logical reasoning, flashes of inspiration, human voice changer, special effects makeup, mental prowess, magic hand, magic eye 2, imitation, magic mechanisms, magic heart, magic realm, ever-changing]
Bomb disposal expert, reconnaissance expert, firearms expert, driving expert, intelligence sharing expert.

[Book Abilities: Reasoning lv5, Makeup lv5, Shooting lv5, Voice Changing lv5, Acting lv5, Treasure Appraisal lv5, Magic lv5, Assassin Comprehensive lv5, Bomb Disposal lv5, Medicine lv3, Gourmet lv3, Cooking lv3, Photography lv2, Writing lv2, Driving lv3]
Ice skating level 0

剑术lv2（lv5），空手道lv2（lv5），柔道lv2（lv5），综合格斗lv2（lv5）】

[Storage Pool: 380 Stars]

[Occupations: Detective Lv5, Actor Lv5, Magician Lv5, Criminal Investigator Lv5]

……

He also had ideas for the remaining two professions.

Going to work is really torture. At least police officers can move around freely. It would be unbearable to be stuck in a fixed office.

Freelancing is undoubtedly the best fit for him.

He can try being a writer, freelance journalist, or photographer, and it won't take up too much of his energy.

The reporter didn't know why the data entry hadn't been successful.

Perhaps I could start with novelists. I'm already familiar with University Library, so I could try submitting my work.

The writing level is a bit low, only slightly better than a novice, just the level of an average writer who's just trying to make a living.

Only at level 3 can you make a name for yourself.

Furthermore, writing ability alone does not guarantee fame; a bit of luck and talent are also required—he seems to lack the necessary talent and can only acquire it through career advancement.

Hopefully, the job requirements for inclusion won't be too high; otherwise, it will be a vicious cycle.

"The bombs planted in the Teitan High School gymnasium have been removed by the police. It is said that one of the officers defused all the bombs beforehand. The perpetrators' plot..."

Ai switched the TV to the news channel.

"The bomber was killed in a car accident while on the run. Police have now confirmed his identity. This is the second bomber in seven years..."

"Police refuse to disclose the identity of the heroic officer? But eyewitnesses claim..."

"Heroic police officer suspected of being missing?"

……

Metropolitan Police Department First Investigation Division.

Despite the bombing case being perfectly resolved, the three teams still looked exhausted, and Sato's face was filled with a mix of emotions.

"How could he suddenly disappear?" Inspector Megure was completely baffled. "Did Matsuda deliberately disappear? Maybe he just turned off his phone..."

“Inspector Megure,” Chiba said, equally shocked, as he returned to his office with a document in his hand. “It’s not a simple disappearance. There’s no file on Inspector Matsuda in the archives. It’s as if Inspector Matsuda never existed in this world.”

"How could there not be?" Inspector Megure's voice rose. "Could Matsuda, who's been with us these past few days, be a ghost?"

Chiba's face turned pale: "I've already called Matsudahara's unit to confirm, and they said there's no such person as Matsuda Shinichi. There was never such a person in the first place. Officer Matsuda, he..."

"Perhaps it's true."

Sato gripped his phone tightly.

There is only one email that has been saved for 3 years.

“I went to the address where Matsuda was registered, and it was an apartment building that had been burned down three years ago. It’s as if Matsuda disappeared from this world after get off work.”

"You mean Matsuda is a ghost?" Megure's eyes widened. "That's a huge joke. How could there really be a ghost?"

“It might not be a ghost,” Shiratori pondered. “It could be someone impersonating someone else, and now that they’ve achieved their goal, they’ve left… What I don’t quite understand is, what was their purpose in doing this?”

Looking back on the days she had known Gao Mo, Bai Niao was completely bewildered.

Surely they couldn't have come specifically to stop him from pursuing Sato, could they?

"He came back to settle the bombing case."

Sato took a deep breath, looked at the email on his phone, his gaze gradually hardening, and pressed delete.

Goodbye, Matsuda, but I will never forget you.

In a daze, she seemed to see Matsuda Jinpei again, not when the Ferris wheel exploded, but right in front of her in his office, still with that cool look, smiling and waving.

"Sato?"

Megure's chubby face twitched. Following Sato's gaze, he scratched his hat and sighed.

“I will explain this to my superiors, and those reporters will also have to figure out how to deal with it… Whether he is a man or a ghost, he has really left us with a big problem.”

……

Luxury apartment.

Judy, who had just finished showering, sat in front of the French windows wrapped in a bathrobe, talking on the phone with someone.

"Completely untraceable? How could such a brilliant detective simply disappear? No one noticed anything amiss for so long, and only after he vanished did they say he never existed..."

"No, no! I really have met this detective, and I even spoke to him personally. He's definitely not one of the organization's people!"

Judy was in a real bind.

"I'd also like to know what happened."

……

In the same building, Rei Shiruya was cooking while watching a TV report. The explanation from Yuya Shimokami in the middle of his earpiece made him frown repeatedly.

"Matsuda?"

It certainly couldn't be someone from the organization.

It's not even something a human could do.

He appears and disappears without a trace, something he himself cannot do. From the perspective of the police system and even the national level, such a person is somewhat terrifying; his ability to remain hidden is frightening.

But why did he feel a sense of familiarity when they met?
Could it really be Matsuda Jinpei who has returned?
Rei Furuya looked serious, then burst into laughter.

The existence of the Grim Reaper is more believable than the existence of ghosts.

If there are truly dead souls, why would the police be needed to arrest criminals?

"No matter what, I have to thank you properly." Furuya Rei murmured, glancing at the fleeting image of Matsuda Shinichi in the television replay.

Because of his status, he couldn't easily step forward to avenge his friend, a feeling that lingered like a needle in his heart.

Now I've finally gotten rid of a worry.

“There’s another strange thing,” Kazami Yuya said hesitantly, “It seems that the body of the bomber was stolen by someone.”

……

The body is gone?

Kido Detective Agency.

Gao Mo's brow twitched suddenly.

Because of his talent for "intelligence sharing," he was able to freely access information held by the police. He originally wanted to see if there were any new cases, but instead received a seemingly insignificant message.

He was quite certain that the bomber died on the spot.

Did the body escape on its own, or was it stolen by someone?

Gao Mo's eyes flickered.

He didn't think there were any other bombers, and even if there were, they wouldn't pose a significant threat to him.

But if it's about being resurrected from the dead...

Then we need to consider whether Death is choosing a substitute.

It's unlikely that they would skip over Gao Yuanyao and choose a bomber instead.

Gao Mowei closed his eyes.

There was no trace of the bomber in the prophecy.

Let's see how the police investigate. They can't just let the body of a serious criminal go missing.

"Kirouto-nii!"

"It smells so good!"

Sonoko's excited voice rang out from outside.

Gao Mo had just come to his senses when he saw that Xiao Ai had the same brown wavy hair.

"Today was terrifying! Someone planted so many bombs in the sports storage room, but the exam went very smoothly..."

Gao Mo stared intently at Yuanzi, who was intentionally or unintentionally showing off her hair, his pupils dilating slightly.

The scene of my impending death seemed to be right before my eyes.

Aside from Ai's unique chic and mystery, the two look almost identical at first glance, except that Sonoko is more lively and cute.

"Kiroto-san?"

Sonoko called out to Gao Mo, who was lost in thought, with a smug look on her face.

"We're planning to go to the tropical amusement park tomorrow. What do you think of this design? If Kido-san likes it..."

“I won’t be going tomorrow,” Gao Mo put down his chopsticks and left the table. He paused as he walked past Yuanzi. “This look doesn’t suit you. Change it back quickly.”

"Eh?"

Sonoko stared blankly as Gao Mo returned to his study.

My heart feels empty.

A week of intense studying was all for the purpose of passing the exam smoothly, then going to the tropical amusement park to celebrate and start a new battle plan.

The plan failed before it even began.

“He’s right,” Ai’s eyebrows twitched the moment she saw Sonoko’s new look. “You’d better change it back quickly.”

"I-I know."

Sonoko walked out of the office feeling dejected.

Gao Mo appeared on the second floor, watching Sonoko and Ran meet up.

The terrible thing is that Sonoko is still shrouded in an aura of death even after the bombing.

I don't know if it can be completely resolved.

If that doesn't work, are we supposed to force Sonoko's inevitable death and then use the notebook to change her fate?

Memories of Sonoko flashed through Gao Mo's mind.

Sonoko in this world is indeed somewhat special; it seems that one can sense her uniqueness—unlike Ai, who can see the dead, Sonoko seems to be exceptionally sensitive to the aura of death.

Of course, it's also possible that it's because of his influence.

Those who defy fate not only reverse their own destiny but also change the destiny of others.

"Ran," Sonoko said dejectedly, "does Kido-nii hate me?"

"How could that be?" Ran comforted her. "I think Kido-nii is just worried about you. There's no need to change your look. Sonoko is cute as usual. Just be yourself."

"Although I know you're trying to comfort me, it does sound much better."

Take a deep breath in the garden.

"Don't worry, Ran, I, Sonoko Suzuki, will not be defeated like this. Operation 17, begin preparations!"

How come this is the 17th time?

Ran was puzzled, then she saw Sonoko ruffle her wavy hair and tie it all up with a hairband.

With her best friend so highly motivated, she doesn't need to worry too much.

"What are we going to do this holiday? Go to the ocean park again?"

"No, I'm going to Izu. That's where I'm on my home turf!"

"..."

the next day.

The bombing case remains a hot topic. The media somehow learned of the existence of the heroic police officer "Shinichi Matsuda," and for some unknown reason, they did not expose the truth that "Shinichi Matsuda" was a fake policeman.

It seems they acknowledged the existence of such a police officer, but declined all interviews.

"It is said that after solving the bombing case, Detective Shinichi Matsuda went abroad for further studies, and the Metropolitan Police Department specially promoted him to the rank of Inspector. After completing his studies, he may have the opportunity to become a Superintendent?"

"In just over a month since Officer Matsuda was transferred to the Metropolitan Police Department's First Investigation Division, he has already solved numerous cold and major cases, including the Shushiro case, the arson case, the Ye Caisan robbery gang case, and the serial psychopathic attack case..."

Now, having solved both the post office robbery and the high-profile serial bombings, he truly deserves the title of "super detective"...

The office's living room.

Gao Mo savored Ai's long-awaited breakfast of fried eggs while watching the news.

Life has returned to its mundane routine, and he habitually uses news reports as a diversion, but several programs in a row have been discussing his pseudonym.

It appears that this was orchestrated by high-ranking officials in the Metropolitan Police Department.

Shinichi Matsuda has been almost deified, to the point that no one pays attention to other aspects of his life.

Let these guys do whatever they want; he probably won't be using the "Shinichi Matsuda" alias anymore.

“Oh, right,” Ai suddenly mentioned, “that young lady said she’s going to Izu for a few days and asked if we were interested.”

"Izu?"

Gao Mo then realized that it had been a while since he had enjoyed the summer scenery.

Beach, sea breeze, sunshine, long legs...

"I won't go with you guys," Gao Mo said, calming himself down.

He was certain that the threat to Sonoko's life had persisted, and that it hadn't disappeared even after the design was changed back.

It’s endless.

Did Sonoko encounter so many deadly dangers in the original work?

"You want to go alone by yourself?" Xiao Ai drooped her eyelids, unable to resist rolling her eyes.

What kind of bad habit is that?

Going out to play feels like being a secret agent.

(End of this chapter)