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

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

"The mailbox outside is full again." Tachibana Maya carried a huge pile of letters into the house and complained to Tohru Tono, who was sitting on the sofa. "Can't you clean it out regularly?"

"There's nothing important about it, so it's not worth the effort to look at it normally."

Maya Tachibana scattered the letters on the coffee table in front of Toru Tohno, picking through them: "It's true, I remember the last time I helped you with your letters, they were all written by some strange women."

She grabbed a white envelope: "Like this... Twilight Villa? What kind of hotel invitation is this? Girls these days are really bold."

"Twilight Villa?" Toru Tohno was taken aback. "Are you sure that's the name of the inn?"

"Huh? Isn't that right?" Tachibana Maya opened the letter. "The esteemed technology detective cordially invites you to a detective gathering at the Twilight Villa..."

"Ugh, another detective job. How boring."

Maya Tachibana threw the letter into his arms and collapsed onto the sofa like a corpse.

Tohru Tono took the letter and read it carefully.

However, he vaguely remembered the case, after all, Twilight Villa was indeed a very famous place.

Chapter 146 My Lan is the Queen of Card Games

The letter was inlaid with tadpole-shaped characters in gold lettering:

We cordially invite you to participate in "The Last Unveiling Feast of the Century." As the bells toll on the seventh evening, crows will guide you to uncover the long-forgotten truth of the annex.

—The Phantom of God's Forsaken Child

"This kind of over-the-top, adolescent writing style..."

It's clearly an imitation of Kaito Kid.

Tohru Tono took out his phone and called Kaito Kuroba.

"Huh? You said you received the letter I sent."

Kaito Kuroba's voice also sounded puzzled.

"Yes, the signature says 'The Phantom of God's Forsaken Child,' which is the English for 'young goat'—kid. The only one that comes to mind is Kaito Kid, right?"

"Uh... this kind of cringey name doesn't sound like something I would come up with."

Kaito Kuroba clearly doesn't understand how others perceive him.

"Heh." Tohru Tohru chuckled dismissively. "Do you need me to read those pretentious invitations of yours for you?"

Kaito Kuroba seemed insulted: "Damn it, how dare they use my name to scam people... Send me the address of that place, I want to go and see it too!"

"You're going? There are a lot of detectives in that area. Even if I don't expose you, Conan will definitely be very interested in this... By the way, because of your invitation, I heard that your good classmate Hakuba Saguru is also going to go and take a look."

"Uh......"

Kaito Kuroba fell silent.

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

The rain was drizzling outside the window. Toru Tono got out of the taxi and opened his umbrella. Because it was late, the mansion that should have been magnificent looked like a haunted house.

“Karasuma Renya…”

Earlier, when he passed the last fork in the road, he clearly saw a sign that read "Karasuma Renya Residence".

Toru Tohno was still somewhat curious about this wealthy man who was almost certainly the organization's first boss, but unfortunately, he couldn't contact the boss through normal channels, nor was it the time for him to force a meeting with the boss.

As you walk up the steps, you see several top-of-the-line luxury cars parked in front of the mansion, including an Alfa Romeo, a favorite among the Japanese.

The detectives in this world are indeed all rich guys.

"toot"

He picked up the doorbell and knocked a few times. Soon someone came to open the door.

"Welcome." The person who opened the door was a short-haired lady named Ishihara Aki dressed in a maid outfit.

"You must be Mr. Tono?"

"Ah."

Tohru Tono folded up the umbrella and put it in the rain gear bin by the door.

"Please come into the living room first. Please feel free to call me if you need anything."

The maid bowed to him again.

Toru Tono walked into the living room and found it to be nothing short of a luxurious card and billiards hall.

The blond, gentlemanly Hakuba Saguru is playing billiards with a man in a green suit, while the formally dressed Kogoro Mouri is playing chess with an old lady, looking somewhat sweaty.

If you shift your gaze to the vicinity, you'll see a card table where Ran, Conan, and a very mature-looking woman are gathered around, presumably playing cards.

Tohru Tono naturally walked to the empty seat and sat down.

"Eh? Tousan, you also received an invitation."

When Xiaolan saw him sit down, her already happy face became even brighter.

"Yes, I was completely shocked when I received the letter."

He glanced at the card game on the table and raised an eyebrow.

You can tell who the winner is just by looking at Conan's sullen face and the beautiful woman sitting opposite Ran, whose expression isn't much better.

As expected of a lucky girl, she never loses to anyone when it comes to playing cards.

"Xiao Lan, haven't you introduced this person to me yet...?"

"Ikumi Gunda, who was dizzy from losing, asked a question."

"Ah." Ran slapped her forehead as if she had just remembered. "This is Mr. Tohno Toru, he's also a detective, you know?"

“You must be the recently famous science detective, Mr. Tono? You look so young and handsome.” Ikumi Gunta elegantly extended her hand to him. “Nice to meet you. I am Ikumi Gunta, and I am also a detective now.”

"I've heard of Ms. Gunda," Tohru Tohno said with a smile, gently grasping her fingertips. "May I join you?"

He was referring to the card game on the table.

"of course."

Ikumi Gunda couldn't be happier. There were three people at the card table: one had never lost before, and the other was just a child. Even if she won, she wouldn't feel a sense of accomplishment, not to mention that she could only manage a 50/50 win against the child.

Playing cards can be so frustrating it makes you question the meaning of life.

"Huh? Now that there are four of us, shouldn't we change the way we play?" Xiao Lan asked innocently.

"Hmm... if there are four people, we can definitely switch them up."

Ikumi Gunda had wanted to change for a long time.

When she first suggested organizing a card game, she thought that since the other two players were a child and a high school girl, she should choose a game mode that relied on luck so that they wouldn't have a bad gaming experience.

As it turned out, she was the one who didn't get any gaming experience.

"Since there are four of us, let's play a simple game of drawing jokers this time."

Ikumi Gunda put away the cards on the table, glanced around, and didn't see anyone else have any objections.

Her slender fingers moved incessantly among the cards, her eyes seemingly burning with a fighting spirit.

Come on, let her teach those arrogant JK girls and brats a lesson. Card games, which are full of strategic thinking, can't be won by luck alone!

......

Conan picked up the rightmost card from Ikumi Yagami's hand, glanced at it, and then threw it on the table.

Xiao Lan leaned over to take a look at the cards.

"Eh? Conan won again." Ran smiled and patted Conan's head. "Conan is so amazing."

The simple words felt like a critical hit, and Ikumi Gunda almost wanted to let out a sharp explosion.

Why am I still at the bottom?!

Tohru Tono, who was the first to run away, glanced at Ikumi Yata, who was gradually going crazy, and almost laughed.

He used to frequent places where card games were played. If he didn't have some skills, he would have been taken advantage of by those idle rich women who only knew how to urge others to drink.

With his unparalleled skills and most crucial ability—the ability to read a person's micro-expressions—he wins every game.

Xiaolan is incredibly lucky; even if she randomly picks a card, she can avoid the Joker, so naturally she won't come in last place.

What remains is a showdown between Conan, who is a bit unlucky and not a skilled card player, and Ikumi Gunta.

Other luck-based games would have been fine, as Conan's luck is really questionable, but Ikumi Gunda deliberately chose the Joker game, where psychological warfare plays a major role...

As it turns out, in this world, detectives who are transferred from coroners are indeed not as capable as detectives who have practiced their skills since childhood. In more than ten duels, Ikumi Gunta always ended in defeat.

Ikumi Gunda rested her chin on her hand and lowered her head, already feeling a bit homesick.

Chapter 147 Who is the leader of the FFF group?

"Guests, dinner is ready."

Not long after we started playing, the maid opened the door and came in to remind us.

The detectives and their families present all came out of the room and followed Ishihara Aki out of the "arcade".

Tohno Toru followed Hakuba Saguru out.

After driving Ikumi Gunta to the brink of a mental breakdown, he excused himself from the game and introduced himself to the detectives present.

Surprisingly, he was quite famous, probably because the cases he had recently solved had been in the newspapers. Most people recognized him before he even had a chance to introduce himself.

Hakuba Saguru, in particular, had his eyes light up after hearing that he had been in contact with Kaito Kid, and he subtly inquired whether Kaito Kuroba knew anything about him.

Toru Tono naturally pretended to be stupid; being targeted by the son of Superintendent General Hakuba would really make him feel helpless.

......

Ishihara Aki walked at the front, opened the door to the restaurant for the detectives behind her, and then stood in front of the door with her head slightly bowed, saying "Please come in," showing great maid etiquette.

Wearing a green suit, Harufumi Mogi walked in first, followed closely by the old woman, Kazuyo Chima, who had utterly defeated Kogoro Mouri in chess and was known as someone who could "solve cases while lying in an armchair and listening to his stories."

Incidentally, the Alfa Romeo parked at the entrance is Harufumi Mogi's beloved car, which he calls his "wife".