Conan: Death is Watching Me

Chapter 272 Ai: This is all I can do.

"call!"

Police hospital.

After Gao Mo removed his disguise, he took a car from Shibuya to the entrance and ran wildly into the hospital building.

Professor Agasa and Conan's group stood guard in the corridor, each with injuries. The professor had his head wrapped in bandages, while the children only had minor scratches.

"What happened? Where's Ai?" Gao Mo's gaze swept quickly over everyone.

"Ran and Sonoko are taking care of her inside. Although the doctor said she's alright, she hasn't woken up yet," Professor Agasa said, blaming himself. "If we hadn't gone to the Metropolitan Police Department to give our statements today..."

Ayumi said sadly, "Ai got hurt while saving us."

Conan followed Gao Mo into the ward, glancing cautiously at Gao Mo's calm face: "I wasn't planning on bringing her along, but she insisted on coming, saying she had something very important to do..."

There was a foreigner who seemed to be trying to enter the Metropolitan Police Department just like us. Haibara was the first to notice something was wrong. By the time I realized what was happening, the laptop in that person's hand suddenly exploded, and we almost...

Haibara was supposed to be the furthest away, but for some reason, she was the most seriously injured.

Gao Mo stepped forward and examined it himself.

The long-calm sea of ​​my heart is now suddenly engulfed by a storm.

He was too careless.

The future will change; just because it is not foreseen does not mean it will not happen.

Not dying doesn't mean you won't encounter danger or get hurt.

"Kido-nii, Ai-chan..."

The faces of Sonoko and Ran beside them were full of worry.

After a preliminary examination, Gao Mo touched Xiao Ai's forehead with his fingers, feeling the cool sweat.

Fortunately, it's just a feeling of exhaustion.

After taking the medicine and shrinking, she doesn't actually become a child, but rather "shrinks." Her recovery ability and vitality far surpass those of ordinary people—this is Ai's explanation of her condition.

"Kido..."

Seemingly sensing Gao Mo's arrival, Xiao Ai weakly opened her eyes, ignoring the pain in her arm, and took out a piece of paper with burn marks from her pocket.

“This is a crucial clue… That person probably intended to hand it over to Matsuda Jinpei at the Metropolitan Police Department, but didn’t know that the policeman had already died in the line of duty, which is why they came to the Metropolitan Police Department…”

Gao Mo took the note.

Apart from two strings of Russian words, there are only incomplete and strange patterns that look like the ¥ symbol.

"That's all I can do." Xiao Ai forced a smile, and because there were outsiders present, she could only hold Gao Mo's fingers tightly.

Personally, she didn't want Gao Mo to be involved in such a major case, but she also knew that she couldn't stop him.

Just like before, Gao Mo always walks among dangerous murder cases, as if gambling with death.

This time it's just more dangerous.

Gao Mo sighed inwardly, finally understanding why Ai was the most seriously injured—it was all to protect this note.

Even though they couldn't remember anything, they still risked their lives to find clues.

He didn't know what to say.

Regardless, Ai tried her best to help.

He can't even get angry when he's like this.

"Don't do such reckless things again," Gao Mo said, holding Xiao Ai's small hand tightly. "I will hand this clue over to Detective Kindaichi. No matter who the culprit is, they will definitely pay the price for their crimes!"

"That's good. Tell him to be careful."

Ai closed her eyes again, and Ran, who was next to her, couldn't help but gasp in surprise.

"Ai!"

"It's nothing, she's just asleep," Gao Mo glanced at the note in his hand and turned to Xiao Lan and the other girl, saying, "Could you please stay here and take care of her?"

Ai is not in mortal danger; her coma is mainly due to mental exhaustion, as she is at her weakest point.

“Yes!” Sonoko nodded vigorously. “I’ve already told my parents I’ll be staying here tonight. I can take care of Ai.”

"We'll stay and take care of Haibara too!"

Three little ones were peeking out of the doorway.

"Now it's our turn to protect Ai Haibara!"

Gao Mo had no interest in the children. He left the ward and only looked back at Conan, who had quietly followed him out, when he reached the entrance of the corridor: "I know you can't hold it in, but I can only investigate with peace of mind when you're here—if the culprit knows that Ai found the note, he might come here to silence her."

"Huh?" Conan was startled before he could even feel embarrassed about being caught.

"That foreigner was blown up at the entrance of the Metropolitan Police Department, right? That means the killer was constantly monitoring him, whether it was real-time location tracking or something. Anyone who had contact with a foreigner would definitely have attracted the killer's attention."

Gao Mo met Conan's resentful gaze directly.

"Can I trust you?"

"Hmm." Conan pondered for a moment, then nodded and looked at Gao Mo's calm face.

Although he appeared calm, he was undoubtedly angry.

"I've been to the scene. The explosive was inside the laptop that person was carrying. It was completely destroyed. The only clues, besides the note, are a business card—the business card of Matsuda Jinpei from the 3rd Division of the First Investigation Division," Conan reminded him.

"I know."

Gao Mo walked out of the hospital clutching the note.

Ai's judgment was correct; the foreigner did indeed come for Matsuda Jinpei.

He had already learned this from Sato, as he was sharing police intelligence.

Sato just couldn't understand why the other person had Matsuda Jinpei's business card.

Three years ago, due to a sudden transfer, Matsuda Jinpei only had three days between receiving the business card and his death...

Looking back at the police hospital, Gao Mo's anger flared up like a red lotus.

Originally, it was only meant for Furuya Rei, but now the fire has spread directly to his side.

He no longer cares about what happened three years ago.

The missing Rei Furuya, the wedding that received threatening letters, the foreigner who was silenced... Since the other party chose to show their face, they were destined to leave traces that would allow him to find them.

If he were the other person, how would he hide himself?

"Ok?"

Gao Mo sensed a spying gaze outside the hospital, but when he turned around, he only saw the tall man in the knitted hat walking away.

Akai Shuichi...

Gao Mo opened his mouth, but ultimately did not call out to the other person.

An email was sent to his Kindaichi mailbox—

[Mr. Kindaichi, we can provide some information regarding the bombing at the Metropolitan Police Department's main gate. If you are interested, please...]

us?

Is it the police?
Gao Mo pictured Rei Furuya in his mind and quickly replied with an OK.

It's highly likely that Furuya Rei wants to see him, and he also wants to know what Furuya Rei's current situation is.

After confirming that there were no tails around, Gao Mo walked straight to the nearby station. When he left the station's restroom, the Kindaichi disguise was back online.

Upon arriving at the agreed location, a black sedan was parked on the side of the road, where several young men in suits, with keen eyesight, had been waiting.

"You must be Mr. Kindaichi? Please put this on." One of them handed Gao Mo a blackout blindfold.

They're quite professional.

But it was no use. Even with his sunglasses on, Gao Mo could clearly visualize the surroundings as he sat in the car.

Even though the car circled around several times, its real-time location never deviated from Gao Mo's calculations.

He didn't intentionally dig up the location of the police's secret base; it was just his instinctive control over his own safety.

About half an hour later, the car finally stopped in front of an old warehouse—it seems like there are old warehouses everywhere in Japan.

Gao Mo was led into an elevator leading underground. After the blindfold was removed, he was in front of a spacious underground space. In the center, Furuya Rei was sitting leisurely in a specially constructed glass-enclosed room, savoring a glass wine.

Gao Mo's eyes flickered slightly as he noticed the blue-purple collar around Furuya Rei's neck, with two different liquids on either side...

Information about the parking garage explosion flashed through Gao Mo's mind instantly.

bomb.

“Mr. Kindaichi, I’m sorry to have invited you here in this way,” Furuya Rei said, picking up the antique landline phone he was using to make a call. “This should be our first formal meeting, right? I hope you won’t tell Mr. Kido about this conversation…”

No, I should say don't tell anyone. I think you've probably guessed who I am.

Gao Mo sat down outside the glass room. He could see the urgency in Furuya Rei's eyes. His outward elegance and calmness were just acting—this was probably a required course for public security officers.

"What are you..."

“I’m sorry to have troubled you,” Rei Furuya said, standing up. “Because of this bomb around my neck, I have to hide in the Public Security Bureau’s underground shelter. We’re separated by specially reinforced glass, and cell phone signals are blocked…”

We don't know if this thing is a time bomb or a remote-controlled bomb, and we don't know how to disarm it. We have to admit, we're out of options.

But don't worry, even if an explosion occurs, you won't be injured, and the ground won't even notice.

“Three years ago, an explosion occurred in an old warehouse, killing five people,” Gao Mo said calmly. “They were your people, weren’t they?”

"As expected of Kindaichi, the top detective of the Kido Detective Agency. We seized a similar bomb and sent it to a shelter for analysis, but an explosion occurred for unknown reasons, and all the people involved died."

Rei Furuya closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"I am currently unable to move around easily, so I can only entrust this to you. Among the outsiders, you are the only one I trust right now."

A police officer next to him handed Gao Mo a specially made mobile phone.

“Use this to contact us from now on,” Furuya Rei continued. “It contains the phone number of my best subordinate, Kazami Yuya, who can assist you with the investigation, but only for this case. In addition, there are photos and details of the bomb from three years ago, as well as photos of my four colleagues who met the bomber back then.”

The second person from the left is Matsuda Jinpei, who defused the bomb. The others, from left to right, are Morofushi, Date, myself, and Ogiwara. Except for me, everyone else has now died in the line of duty.

Rei Furuya paused slightly as he spoke.

"I also have files on my phone about what happened 3 years ago. Because of the police intervention, all information was blocked by the higher-ups, so the reports to the outside world were all about a gas leak, but in reality we encountered a bomber and defused the bomb."

Also, I was injured when the bomber ambushed me with a grenade. To save me, Morofushi shot the bomber in the right arm; that guy probably still has a bullet hole in his right shoulder.”

Gao Mo looked through the pictures on his phone. It was a group photo of the Metropolitan Police Department Police Academy. Furuya Rei and the others looked exceptionally young and full of energy.

"The pinkish-purple flames produced by that explosion were so unusual, didn't you find any other clues?"

“Yes,” Furuya Rei said helplessly, “What we defused three years ago was actually the second bomb. That guy had tested it with a small bomb beforehand, but that was all. There was no related information before that.”

We still don't know if the other side is male or female. The danger and difficulty of the enemy are beyond our imagination, so I hope you will be extremely careful during the investigation. Even if you have clues, do not act on your own. I will have Kazami secretly protect you..."

"No need, I liked someone when I was doing my research."

Gao Mo continued to review the documents.

Just as he had guessed, Matsuda Jinpei met the bomber after visiting his grave the day before he died, and then went back to meet up with Sato after defusing the bomb with the others.

Why is the other party only contacting you now?

“Probably for revenge. After all, we not only ruined his plans, but also injured him,” Furuya Rei said thoughtfully as he walked to the glass wall. “Others can be investigated through the police system, but I am different from Morofushi. There is no information about us outside, so this time he used the bomber’s body to lure me out.”

"I think I know why he put the bomb collar on you."

Gao Mo put away his phone and examined the bomb collar around Furuya Rei's neck once more.

"This is not a time bomb; it is detonated remotely. The reason the other side did not kill you directly was to lure out Morofushi, the policeman who shot and wounded him—because they did not yet know that Morofushi had died in the line of duty."

“I had a pretty good idea,” Furuya Rei said helplessly. “That’s how things are now. Afterwards, based on your investigation results, we will pay you a large sum of money as a commission. This is not only related to me, but also to the safety of this city.”

Gao Mo ignored the sense of responsibility and mission in Furuya Rei's eyes.

He felt indifferent to the country; he only wanted to protect himself and those around him.

After looking around the glass room, Gao Mo suddenly spoke up, "Can I go in and take a look?"

"Huh?" Rei Furuya almost lost control of his facial expression. "Even if it's not a time bomb, a remote-controlled bomb is still dangerous..."

"Don't worry, they won't detonate the bomb now. I just want to see if there are any clues on the collar bomb."

"If it's about finding fingerprints, we've already tried, and it's impossible for the other party to make such a mistake."

Rei Furuya hesitated slightly, but still let Gao Mo go after several police officers scanned and checked him.

He was curious; after all, it was a bomb. Wasn't this detective at all worried? How could he be so sure it wouldn't explode?

"Don't underestimate this small collar; its power is astonishing."

"Well."

Gao Mo went straight to the point, taking advantage of the opportunity to check the collar, and subtly exerted force with his fingers.

Level 5 bomb disposal is already the pinnacle of the world; anything beyond that is true science and the extraordinary. Coupled with his magic touch, there are almost no bombs that can stump him.

The real danger of this collar bomb lies in the two liquids; its structure itself isn't particularly complex, merely a combination of mechanical and electronic components.

The police were worried that unauthorized demolition would directly detonate a bomb, but he was not afraid.

He had already deciphered the bomb's structure as soon as he got his hands on it.

"Crack!"

“This bomber is indeed very skilled.” Gao Mo loosened the bomb collar.

Without damaging the signal receiver that would cause the bomb to detonate prematurely, they simply tampered with the mechanical structure to prevent the two liquids from mixing properly.

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, there shouldn't be any more explosions.

"Then I'll take my leave now."

Gao Mo turned and left the basement, then put his blindfold back on, accompanied by two police officers.

He could have simply removed the collar, but it wasn't necessary.

He's now a detective, not a bomb disposal expert, and even the police's bomb disposal experts wouldn't dare to touch him.

No matter what, Furuya Rei is a police officer, and as a boss, he has already done enough.

“Mr. Furuya,” Kazami Yuya frowned and stepped out of the shadows after Gao Mo left, “Are you sure you’re okay? Even a famous detective is still an amateur. He might end up losing his life because of it, just like that foreigner who was blown up in front of the Metropolitan Police Department.”

Kazami Yuya was somewhat bothered that Gao Mo didn't want his protection.

It felt like I was being rejected.

"It's not that we're incapable of investigating ourselves..."

“Don’t underestimate him,” Furuya Rei said, his gaze deep. “Having worked at the Kido Detective Agency for so long, I’ve found that his investigative abilities far surpass mine. Cases that I wasn’t confident I could solve, he could crack remotely with just one phone call, and…”

Rei Furuya subconsciously touched the bomb collar around his neck.

I have a feeling that something was tampered with on the collar just now.

We've been colleagues for a while, I wouldn't want to harm him, would I?
A little panicked.

"And what else?" Kazami Yuya was listening, but found that there was no follow-up.

"It's nothing. Just keep in touch with him. You can agree to any request he makes, as long as it's not too unreasonable."

Rei Furuya shook his head.

Even in such a terrible situation, he couldn't lose face in front of his subordinates; he was a man with burdens to bear.

(End of this chapter)