Conan: I've been linked to the tech tree system.

Vodka walked behind Gin, closing the open door behind him, as if shutting down Pisco's hopes.

"Gin..."

Piske spoke in a dry voice.

"What are you doing?"

So that's how it is. The boss sent out the formidable lineup of Gin and Vermouth as "assistance" not for that insignificant councilor at all...

The sound of the metal door hinges closing completely was particularly jarring in the deathly silence.

Gin tapped the Beretta's barrel with his knuckles, his silver hair gleaming like a blade in the cold light seeping in from the vent.

"How stupid of you, Pisco."

He chuckled, though it was unclear what he was mocking.

"Why not kill the photographer immediately and destroy the negative?"

“Photographer? What are you talking about?” Piske didn’t understand.

"I think your photo will be in tomorrow morning's newspaper."

"And it's a close-up of you firing at the ceiling."

Gin glanced at "Starlight," who stood behind him, seemingly unconcerned.

The task was easy; Pisco handed the flaws to them without them even needing to create any suspicion.

It's unbelievable that Pisco has fallen to the point where he's being photographed by photographers... and even discovered by "Starlight".

Am I really getting old?

He left for a while because he heard "Starlight" say that Pisker had been photographed, so he went to check it out.

I didn't expect it to be true.

Vodka stood silently at the door, blocking Pisk's last escape route.

"what?!"

Piscoe was completely flustered; Gin never jokes.

Moreover, as the organization's henchman, he wouldn't be swayed by personal gain...

"Just now, she said she could let me leave!"

Piske said loudly.

"You idiot, you didn't actually believe Starlight's nonsense, did you?" Gin sneered, the muzzle of the gun sliding down the old man's trembling cheekbone to behind his ear.

"What right does she, an outsider, have to interfere?"

Piske broke out in a cold sweat on the back of his neck.

"Oh dear, you can't say that."

"Starlight" laughed behind him.

"At least I genuinely want you to live through today—if you don't get caught red-handed."

"Unfortunately, you should blame yourself for having degenerated to the point where you can't even perform an assassination properly, right?"

“You’ve planned this all along…” His hunched back slammed against the oak barrel, the aged whiskey echoing hollowly within. “You’d even extract the last bit of value…”

Starlight toyed with the transfer agreement, the paper fluttering between her fingers like butterflies: "How could that be? I clearly gave you a choice."

"No, you can't kill me." Pisco's voice trembled as he felt Gin's finger tighten on the trigger. "I've been his slave for so many years...you can't kill me..."

"I'm sorry, this is the order he gave directly not long ago."

Gin gave a cold smile. "You got to where you are today by relying on the organization's power. It's time to wake up from this dream."

"Let's wait until the Yellow Springs to do the rest."

Pisco's pupils dilated slightly, and memories of his many life-or-death experiences in his youth made him draw his pistol from his waist with lightning speed.

But can he be faster than Gin?

The bullet holes and the unseeing eyes spoke the answer.

"Walk."

Gin glanced at the dead body and at "Starlight" standing there surveying the cellar, then gave the order to vodka.

The two quickly left.

"Tsk."

Tohru Tono impatiently poked the barrel, and the amber-colored liquor flowed onto the ground.

He pulled out an incendiary bomb from his system space and threw it forcefully to the spot.

boom!

The brilliant blue flames instantly engulfed the entire row of wine racks, and the wine, aged for who knows how many years, exploded into amber waves in the high temperature.

Flames shot out, whipping up the corpse's graying temples.

The metal door was red-hot from the heat. Toru Tono watched helplessly as the wine cellar burned completely before opening the door and leaving.

-----------------

Conan was deep in thought on the first floor.

The truth of the case has become clear, and most of the other suspects have been eliminated. Now, only the automobile chairman named Kenzo Masuyama remains.

He just made an excuse to go to the bathroom, but he hasn't come back yet.

Could it be... no, the police have sealed off the area, and besides, he's a public figure, he can't leave this building.

That is......

boom! ! !

The ground suddenly trembled, and Conan even heard the booming sound of something exploding.

! !

what happened?

Conan was startled.

"Let's go down and take a look!"

The police also noticed something was wrong, and Inspector Megure led a team of officers down into the underground.

Conan followed behind them.

As Conan followed Inspector Megure and his group down the stairs, thick smoke billowed down the corridor. The scorching air, carrying the aroma of burnt whiskey, stung their eyes.

"Go call the fire truck!" Megure shouted into the walkie-talkie.

Conan stopped in front of the wine cellar.

It's pointless now. Judging from the situation in the corridor, the wine cellar is completely on fire, with an entire warehouse of alcohol as an accelerant. All clues will be destroyed.

Indeed, Conan has every reason to be certain that the burning of the wine cellar is inextricably linked to Pisco in the organization, and most likely it is Masuyama Kenzo.

But why...

Chapter 138 What a self-proclaimed greenhorn!

"In short, Inspector Megure, please keep my part of this case confidential."

Conan stands on the balcony of Professor Agasa's house, holding a ribbon, and speaks on the phone in Shinichi Kudo's voice as Inspector Megure.

“That’s fine.” Inspector Megure’s voice was tinged with doubt. “But what exactly happened? After Representative Tonguchi was killed, his entire family disappeared.”

"The house of the murder suspect, Chairman Masuyama, has been burned to the ground again. I'm really confused by this case."

As expected, arson is part of the organization's habit of clearing out clues.

According to Inspector Megure, Kenzo Masuyama's body was found in the sake cellar, and his house was burned down... Considering his identity as the murderer of Congressman Tonguchi, he is very likely the same Pisco.

In other words, the organization discovered that Pisco had been photographed by reporters using flash photography, and immediately killed the exposed Pisco...

Conan broke out in a cold sweat as he analyzed the situation, feeling the terror of the Black Organization for the first time.

That was too fast...it's completely illogical.

Gin and vodka weren't present at the scene, so they couldn't possibly have known that Pisco had been photographed by reporters.

So, does that mean Pisco was not the only member of the organization present at that memorial service?

Thinking of this, a suspicious figure flashed through Conan's mind.

The JK girl who inexplicably appeared at the scene.

"Kudo? Is he still there?"

While he was still in a daze, Inspector Megure called him again after not hearing a sound for a while.

"Ah, yes, Inspector Megure." Conan snapped out of his reverie. "I can't say anything right now... Anyway, I'll let you know as soon as I have any news."

"Hey, Kudo-kun..." The person on the other end sounded even more confused.

Conan immediately hung up the phone.

A dark shadow lingered in his mind.

-----------------

In contrast to Conan's gloomy mood, Tohru Tono was in a good mood.

Vermouth truly lives up to her reputation as Conan's mother; she's such a kind person, giving him a wonderful gift as soon as they met.

Tono flicked the agreement in his hand.

It's just a simple transfer of absolute control, but it says "Yitiao Group" on the document.

Who would have thought that the incredibly arrogant guy was one of Pisco's men?

No wonder they act so brazenly; it turns out they're relying on their boss's seniority within the organization.

But from now on, that big tree that provided shade is gone, isn't it?