He's in Detective Conan, and he's the mastermind behind everything.

The reason he chose Aoyagi Chisato as Kiyoko's backup identity was that she was usually completely invisible, and her thick bangs covering most of her face were secondary.

Now that she has been chosen by Vermouth, it's probably for the same reason.

Seriously, is the world really that hostile to introverts?

Kiyoko was currently in a campus-themed room at a love hotel, sitting at a desk drawing on a plaster bust. Hearing Hotaru's words, she didn't immediately understand, but quickly gave a brief reply:

"I told her to keep her distance in class, and that I don't get along with other girls either. If we get together, it might double the ostracism we'll face. As for keeping a diary, I specifically asked her about it, and she said no, but I haven't been to her house, so I can't be completely sure."

After saying these two sentences, Qingzi's thoughts became clear. She glanced at the plaster statue in her hand, and her delicate eyebrows furrowed slightly.

"Has Aoyagi been replaced by Vermouth?"

"That's most likely the case. Keep adding details. I need to know if she's fishing for us, and whether you've exposed any risks, before deciding on our next move."

Hotaru thought that Vermouth's phone call to Kenta Nakamichi was very suspicious.

Even if she misunderstood her current identity and relationship with Kenta Nakamichi and wanted to clear herself up as soon as possible, she only needed to state the part about "you are a good person" at the end. Why did she have to add the part about Kiyoko Yukimatsu?

Was she doing this to use Kenta Nakamichi to get the news to someone else's ears?

In the class, Hotaru only has one friend on the surface: Kenta Nakamichi.

Furthermore, since Aoyagi Chisato considers Yukimatsu Kiyoko a friend, Vermouth may have approached her under that identity, and it's possible she accidentally discovered some information, learning that there is another Yukimatsu Kiyoko in this world.

If Vermouth also caught wind of some rumors within the brewery, she would inevitably suspect Hotaru.

Therefore, the news that Aoyagi Chiso was replaced could be a case of entrapment.

Ying Sheng definitely needs to figure this out.

Kiyoko quickly recounted her experiences with Aoyagi Chisato. Hotaru pondered the details in his mind but couldn't find much useful information. In the end, he decided to hold off for now and wait until Monday to make a personal contact to confirm.

"I'm sorry, Kiyoko, accidents always happen. Try to master the art of disguise as soon as possible; that will make everything much simpler," Hotaru said.

"What about the voice changer?" Qingzi asked.

"I've already had someone visit Professor Agasa, but he was quite cautious about the voice changer, which could potentially be used for criminal purposes, and politely declined. He's not someone who can be swayed by money, so we'll have to find another way in this regard."

"Well."

"It's certainly difficult to reach Vermouth's level in the short term, but changing your natural voice should be achievable. Kiyoko, for now, find a role model you like to imitate. I will also invite professionals to teach you later."

Kiyoko sighed softly, "It seems like this is the only way. It's so troublesome. Hotaru, you should know that I'm actually a very lazy person."

Ying Sheng chuckled: "I've always thought you were very diligent. Sorry, I'll try even harder."

"I should be apologizing. I wish you all the best."

"Thank you for your kind words, goodbye."

After hanging up, Ying Sheng dialed Hua Ying Xiwang's number again and explained the arrangements. Twenty minutes later, he and Xiao Lan arrived at the Crimson Rose Bar.

Xiao Lan had never been to a bar before. When Ying Sheng pushed open the heavy, retro British-style door, the humid air rushed in. Before she could even see what was inside, her heart started pounding, and she felt an urge to escape.

But following the force in her hands, she still managed to take a step.

The light inside the bar was much dimmer than outside, but unlike what she had imagined, it wasn't a dazzling array of rotating lights. Instead, it was quite soft, casting a mysterious and warm glow on the dark floor.

A faint aroma of alcohol and tobacco filled the air, not particularly pleasant, but certainly not unpleasant. Perhaps it was the scent of youth and hormones mixed in, which, when it landed on the skin of the men and women scattered around the booths and bar, even gave the lights an ambiguous hue.

Walking through the crowd toward the bar, Xiaolan felt that everyone around her was staring at her, this oddball who didn't fit in at all.

But she cautiously observed her surroundings for a while with trepidation and found that there were indeed some people looking at her, but their gazes were no different from those they used to look at others.

Moreover, after noticing Ying Sheng in front of her, most of them would either sigh or smile and look away.

Xiao Lan vaguely understood a principle: once she entered this place, she would already be one of them.

However, when Ying Sheng leaned against the bar and casually ordered a "Dreamlike Splendor" drink, Xiao Lan still raised her hand to stop the bartender and glanced at Ying Sheng.

"Ah this..."

Ying Sheng scratched his head: "This is a bar."

Xiaolan scoffed, "What's the difference?"

"........."

Ying Sheng slumped down and turned his head: "A glass of ice water." He then pointed to Xiao Lan, "Give her a glass of milk; she's still a minor."

Xiaolan rolled her eyes at him: "I only want water."

The bartender agreed, left for a moment, and returned with two flat-bottomed glasses filled with a clear liquid. He placed them on the bar, pushed them towards Ying Sheng with his left hand, and asked with a smile:

Has Mr. Firefly found true love?

"I think that's probably it."

Ying Sheng smiled and reached for the wine glass, but Xiao Lan snatched it away before he could.

Ying Sheng and the bartender were both slightly stunned and looked over in astonishment. They saw Xiao Lan very carefully take a sip, slowly put down her glass, and give them both a cold smile.

What is the temperature of this glass of ice water?

“Ice water is of course zero degrees Celsius.” Ying Sheng said seriously, tilting his head. “Jessica, did you pour me lukewarm water?”

The bartender looked completely innocent: "I'm sorry, sir, I may have used the wrong bottle."

She changed the two glasses, this time pouring water and getting ice from the same bottle on the bar, pushing both glasses in front of Xiaolan, and winking.

"Would you like to try them all, Miss Detective?"

Xiao Lan shook her head slightly and smiled, "It's mainly because you revealed yourself too early, Miss Jessica."

The bartender looked at Ying Sheng apologetically: "It seems I should pretend I don't know you."

"Please don't say you miss me, someone will be unhappy."

Ying Sheng picked up his wine glass and looked at Xiao Lan.

Xiaolan clinked glasses with him: "I don't believe what you're saying either. You're just deliberately provoking me, aren't you?"

I took it back, drank it all in one gulp, and sure enough, it was just ice water.

"Maybe."

Ying Sheng looked at Jessica: "Was there a handsome blond guy with dark skin who came by before?"

"No," she said, shaking her head.

"And what about the other suspicious people? They don't seem to be here to drink and chat, but rather to scout the place or meet someone," Ying Sheng asked again.

Jessica thought for a moment: "Aren't there people like this everywhere? Does Mr. Firefly have a specific target?"

"Of course not, just asking."

Ying Sheng turned his head to look at the doorway. The door was closed, and the wooden fences on both sides, which served as partitions, were covered with flowers and thorns. He took out his phone and glanced at the time: 8:55.

Five minutes passed in the blink of an eye, and the appointed time with Amuro Tooru arrived, but he still did not appear.

Ying Sheng turned around: "A cup of [Three Special Leaves Hidden]."

He looked at Xiaolan again, and said longingly, "I'll just take a look, I won't drink it."

Xiaolan sighed softly, "It doesn't have to be like this, just like I'm completely baffled."

“No, no, no, the base spirit for this drink is absinthe. I don’t like that taste. Just looking at it is enough.” Ying Sheng shook his head. After Jessica mixed the drink and brought it to the bar, he indeed only glanced at it and continued drinking water.

Xiao Lan curiously examined the glass of [Sanshu Yezang]. The stemmed glass was crystal clear, and the dark green wine trembled gently among the wisps of bubbles, like the breath of a forest merging into a tranquil lake, and then being brought to the world by the crystal.

About ten minutes later, Ying Sheng made a phone call and asked, "Is Chris not coming today?"

Hua Ying chuckled softly, "Big brother, she's already been here."

"Really? That's a pity."

Ying Sheng sighed, hung up the phone, and dialed another number, but no one answered.

He put his phone on the bar and started chatting with Xiaolan, discussing today's karate matches. Ying Sheng hadn't seen the morning matches, but he had watched every single one in the afternoon, watching very attentively. Xiaolan was skeptical about this, but in the end she had to admit that Ying Sheng was probably someone who could multitask.

What does that martial arts software mean?

While chatting casually, Xiaolan asked curiously.

"I asked Mr. Amuro to have someone make a little toy, but even I didn't have high expectations for its effect." At this point, Hotaru picked up his phone again. "Why hasn't Mr. Amuro arrived yet? Let me call and ask again."

He dialed the number, turned on speakerphone, placed it aside to let the phone ring, and sighed softly.

"Ran, do you know that I was planning to introduce Mr. Amuro to a woman, but it seems that both of them stood me up? I really hope that they have already met up in private, so that my efforts will not have been in vain."

Xiaolan rolled her eyes at him: "You have the potential to be a matchmaker. I'm telling you, just do whatever you want. If you're holding back because of me, I'll worry that you won't bring me to a place like this next time."

"Tsk, do you think I'm some kind of lustful young man, or do you think this bar is some kind of demon's cave?" Ying Sheng scoffed. "If you don't believe me, ask Jessica. This is just my usual self today."

Xiao Lan turned her head to look.

Jessica was wiping her wine glass with her head down, and said without looking up, "Most of the people who come here are bored and seeking a sense of reality. The kind of passion and fervor that Miss Lan is thinking of certainly exists, but it's rare here. There's more of it in Kabukicho."

The ringtone on Ying Sheng's phone had stopped, and a voice message had been played, saying that the owner was busy and no one was answering.

Xiaolan glanced at it, seemingly lost in thought: "So, this is a lower-class bar, right?"

"You could say that, it's a quiet bar."

Jessica smiled and raised her hand, pointing to an oil painting on the wall. Xiaolan looked in the direction she was pointing and saw a scene of a medieval knight fighting a demon.

On the dried-up, brownish-yellow riverbed, the demon's claws pierced the knight's chest, and the knight's sword severed the demon's arm. Their faces were blurred and chaotic, and large patches of blood almost blended their images into one, making them indistinguishable.

Xiao Lan suddenly felt a chill on the back of her neck.

Jessica laughed and said, "If the boss wasn't worried about business being too good, why would he hang up a painting like this?"

"What's its name?" Xiaolan asked.

Jessica thought for a moment: "It's called 'Blasphemy,' but I don't know what it means. Apparently, it's one of a series of works, and the others are in the art museum just a few steps away from us. I guess our boss must have some kind of collaboration with them."

Dangdang——

She tapped the medieval armor used as decoration next to her with a cocktail spoon and shrugged, "This also came from there. I actually think this style is quite strange, but it seems to be quite popular. Business here has always been pretty good."

Ying Sheng smiled and said, "That's style. Jessica, aren't you British? You should feel more at home with these things."

“I don’t like history. I only knew King Arthur from Fate.” Jessica glanced at her phone, which was already off, on the bar. “Will the person you’re waiting for still come?”

"Who knows... Hey, over here."

As they were talking, Ying Sheng suddenly raised his hand to greet the door. Several people looked over instinctively and saw a tall, slender figure push open the door and stand there, looking around with eyes that were not visible to the others under his baseball cap.