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

Shiho Miyano's face was flushed with an unnatural redness, her scalp was very relaxed, and her eyes were completely unfocused—it was clear that she had a low-grade fever.

At the same time, his eyes were wide open, and he showed no signs of weakness in his movements, which gave people a very contradictory feeling.

"So why are you drinking coffee so late at night?" Toru Tono turned to Shiho Miyano and said.

“A standard cup of black tea containing 240 milligrams of caffeine will contain more than 47 milligrams of caffeine.”

Shiho Miyano retorted in her cool, clear voice.

"I see." Tohru Tohno continued gazing out the window. "So this is why we're standing here?"

This is clearly not the truth.

"Are you that 'starlight'?"

Shiho Miyano went straight to the point without any preamble.

“When we ordinary people chat, we usually start by talking about everyday things…” Tohno Toru remarked, then paused for a moment, “Yes, it seems you got quite a bit of information from Tachibana Maya.”

"But when I was working for the Black Organization, I heard that 'Starlight' was a high school girl with a perverse sense of humor."

Shiho Miyano took a step back, looking Toru Tono up and down. "You have a cross-dressing fetish?"

"...Please don't put it so harshly." Toru Tohno's tone was very normal, as if he didn't think there was anything shameful about it. "By pretending to be a disadvantaged person of the opposite gender, the probability of his identity being discovered will be minimized."

"It's a very simple line of reasoning."

"Most people wouldn't do that."

No one is an 'ordinary person'.

"So I don't chat about 'family matters' when we're having a conversation."

Tohru Tohru paused for a moment, then chuckled, "If my impression is correct, you really do have a sharp tongue."

“Same to you.” Shiho Miyano took another step forward, walked to the French window, and looked at the black pine tree in the yard.

The way it swayed in the downpour reminded me so much of myself in the past.

"Thank you for saving my sister and me," she suddenly said.

"Haven't I already said that?"

"This time it's on behalf of my sister."

"Your sister thanked me too."

"That's ultimately different."

Tohru Tohru thought she was being a bit dramatic. "There's nothing to thank me for. I saved you so you could work for me and research APTX-4869."

He was speaking the truth very seriously.

"..." Shiho Miyano didn't refute anymore, her head slightly lowered, seemingly lost in thought.

"Do you remember Shinichi Kudo?" It was rare for someone to keep him company in the middle of the night, and Tohno Toru gradually became interested in chatting. "He's the high school detective who lives two doors down from me."

"Did he really shrink?" Shiho Miyano thought of the missing elementary school uniforms of Shinichi Kudo's family, and the list of experimental subjects whose names she had changed from "unknown" to "dead".

"Yes, he is now using the alias 'Edogawa Conan' and is living in the house of his childhood friend."

"Edogawa Conan? I think I've heard my sister mention him before."

Shiho Miyano had some recollection of this cobbled-together name.

"Taking advantage of a child's body to gain benefits? It seems this Kudo-kun isn't a good person either."

"He's just an ordinary pervert. To say that this detective with an overflowing sense of justice isn't a good person is a bit of an exaggeration."

“You’re not a girl, so your perspective on things is always a bit different from ours.”

“An 18-year-old with two doctoral degrees is hardly a typical girl, is she?” Tohno said with a laugh. “I thought someone like you would be better at observing people.”

"You are being extremely rude."

"Then I apologize."

"No need—just offer me a higher salary later."

"You still want your salary?"

"...Isn't this a matter of course? Do you expect me to work for you for free?"

"Tsk."

"So you don't even plan to pay your employees?"

Shiho Miyano remained silent.

"Judging from your appearance, you don't seem like someone who can't afford a salary."

"Then you've misjudged the situation."

"...I don't ask for much. Half of what I have in the Black Organization is enough for my daily expenses."

What is your annual salary?

"About 2000 million yen."

"...Is it too late for me to fire you now?"

"Please pay compensation."

"Forget it then."

Tohru Tohno calculated his income and realized that 2000 million yen was not much... Compared to the hidden income that Shiho Miyano might bring him, it was just a drop in the ocean.

Moreover, in the world of Detective Conan, a year... feels like I could earn hundreds of millions of dollars.

"I'll keep your salary at this level, but please make sure you work hard."

"Thank you very much." Shiho Miyano's expression of gratitude was flat and emotionless.

Tohno Toru suddenly remembered Tachibana Maya; he realized he hadn't paid her a salary yet...

It's not the scarcity that's the problem, but the inequality. Before, she was the only employee, and things were fine when this opportunity wasn't offered. But now that she's been given to Shiho Miyano, it's really hard not to give her one too...

Fine, considering that woman has been quite dutiful, let's give her a few million yen.

Toru Tono felt like a defeated gentryman whose hard-earned money was suddenly being coveted by others.

'We'll raise the prices of the items we sell to the Black Organization in the future, and try to make back the money.'

He secretly resolved to shift the economic burden onto the Black Organization.

Anyway, the organization has a lot of people and money. They can blow up a lab or a building whenever they want. They shouldn't be too bothered by a few bucks.

“I have a question,” Shiho Miyano continued, “Since you are ‘Starlight,’ have you sold many weapons to the Black Organization?”

"Of course, plasma guns are a best-selling product over there—although the organization's codenamed members don't seem to like using them much."

"...Don't you feel that your hands are stained with blood because of those weapons?"

"What a strange idea." Toru Tohno gave her a puzzled look, thinking that this person must have gone crazy from studying biology. "If you take a kitchen knife and kill someone, are you going to arrest the person who forged the knife instead of you?"

"But......"

Tohru Tono interrupted her, "And how do you know that I might have gotten my hands on blood because of these weapons?"

As he spoke, a cruel smile appeared on his lips. "Perhaps, the number of lives Gin has taken is nothing compared to mine?"

Tohru Tohru's smile was cold at this moment, completely different from the warm smile he usually wore.

The howling wind outside seeped into the room through the gaps in the French windows and sneaked into the sleeves of the pink pajamas.

Shiho Miyano hugged her shoulders, feeling a chill run down her spine.

Chapter 83 Kogoro Mouri is good at renting cars

"Okay, look over here!"

In the back seat of the car rented by Kogoro Mouri, Sonoko Suzuki, like a street performer on a bustling street corner, shouted loudly in her energetic voice.

"First, take out a plain white handkerchief."

Sonoko sat in the middle of the back seat, pulled out a clean white handkerchief from somewhere, and pressed her thin back against the seat back as much as possible, showing her actions to Toru Tono and Ran Mouri on both sides.

"Then, take a red string and a silver ring."

Tohno Toru saw clearly this time that the items were all taken from the Dior handbag that she had placed at her feet.

"Yes, yes." Xiaolan nodded enthusiastically, looking very interested.

"Then, miss, could you please tie a knot in the very center of this line for me?"

"Oh, okay." Xiaolan took the red string, threaded it through her slender hands, and tied a small knot in the middle. "Is this okay?"

"Okay! Now please place the knot in your palm."

"Place the ring aside, then place the handkerchief on top of it."

Sonoko placed the handkerchief over Ran's hand.

"The next step is to witness the miracle!"

Sonoko turned to Tono and said.

"Mmm." Tohno Toru tried his best to look interested.

"My ring has been bewitched by a demon and has slipped into this handkerchief." Sonoko placed her hands on the handkerchief and began to wriggle like an octopus, as if she were casting a spell.

Then she reached into the handkerchief and stirred it around...

"All right!"

Sonoko ripped open the handkerchief, grabbed both ends of the red rope, and stretched it open. Sure enough, a silver ring was hanging next to the knot.

"Look, this red string somehow got threaded through the ring!"

Sonoko said with a smug look on her face.

"Amazing!" Xiaolan clapped and laughed.

Tohru Tohno: "..."

So where did this person learn magic? Something about their style just doesn't seem right.