Survival Manual of the Science Fiction World

Knock, I'm too late, I've missed out.

“Aside from the manner of their deaths, these three people have no connection whatsoever, so the case is currently at a standstill.”

Just then, Yusuke Sakata suddenly rushed in with a disk, saying that he had found the connection between the victims and that the key to solving the case was the councilor, Goji.

Hattori pulled his hat up to the front and waved to everyone with a cool air: "I will find out about this. Kazuha knows where I live, so you can go ahead."

Chu Ming glanced at Conan hiding inside Hattori's clothes, then at Hattori's belly, which looked as big as if he were ten months pregnant, and decisively chose to join the team.

"I'll go take a look too!"

Before getting in the car, Chu Ming patted Hattori's belly: "Male mother, judging from your belly, you're probably about ten months along. You should be giving birth soon. I'm a doctor, I'll help you. Come on, inhale, exhale, push..."

Hattori, looking completely cooperative, patted his belly and said, "Baby, you have to grow up well."

Chu Ming unzipped Hattori's jacket and carried out Conan, who was staring blankly outside.

"Congratulations to this male mother, father and son are safe and sound~" Then he weighed Conan in his hand, "The baby weighed 18kg at birth, not bad, good nutrition~ It's just that the baby is a bit pale, doesn't look much like you."

Hattori, with a mischievous smile, teased Conan, "Baby, I'm your mom—"

Hearing Chu Ming's obvious sarcastic remark, he couldn't help but roll his eyes at him: "How do you look like me? Look at those eyes and that nose, they're so alike—"

Conan, looking at Sakata Yusuke who was staring at the three of them in disbelief, couldn't help but blush: "You two, that's enough!!"

Chu Ming and Hattori couldn't help but burst into arrogant laughter.

After everyone got into the car, Yusuke Sakata adjusted the rearview mirror and asked, "Won't Mr. Mori worry about you bringing this child out?"

Conan leaned against Chu Ming: "No, I'll call Uncle later and tell him."

Halfway through the drive, Yusuke Sakata suddenly spoke up: "Heiji, we've already found out the address and phone number of that suspicious woman you mentioned from her license plate. Her name is Sumie Okazaki..."

After explaining the basic situation, he turned to Hattori and asked, "Should we go to her house first?"

"That's good, maybe she knows something."

"Then I'll call her first."

……

Just as Yusuke Sakata hung up the phone, Hattori looked in the rearview mirror at an apartment building that was gradually disappearing into the distance and shouted.

"Oh no, we've already passed Xidu Apartments!"

Yusuke Sakata panicked: "What do we do? This whole section is a one-way street, it'll take a long time to go around..."

"I'll run there faster!"

Heiji Hattori decisively unbuckled his seatbelt, and Conan, seeing this, understood and opened the car door.

"What the hell are you doing?! This is in the middle of the road! Are you trying to kill yourselves by jumping off moving cars?!"

Chu Ming roared as he got out of the car, slammed the door shut, and scooped up Conan, who was about to be hit, and rushed forward.

The cars behind were forced to stop, and the drivers couldn't help but stick their heads out and yell at the driver.

Even as he ran, Chu Ming kept talking, constantly berating Conan, whom he was carrying and swinging around.

"You're so small, what if the car behind you doesn't see you and runs you over? You—"

"Brother Chu Ming—stop, stop shaking me. I don't think I'll necessarily get hit and killed, but you might shake me so badly I'll get a concussion."

"Tsk." Chu Ming casually made an interjection, tucking Conan under his arm.

"Can't I just run by myself?" Conan asked weakly, counting the paving stones as he stood parallel to the ground.

"You have short legs and run slowly, let me help you. You're welcome."

Conan silently clutched his head, and even after Chu Ming arrived and put him down, he still felt dizzy.

'Ding-dong—Ding-dong—'

I rang the doorbell several times, but there was no response from inside.

Hattori had a bad feeling. He pushed open the door, but the room was empty.

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Chapter 172 Getting By with Cuteness

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Chu Ming leaned against the wall, while Hattori and Conan squatted beside the body, looking at the woman lying in the public toilet. The police, who had arrived quickly, also began taking photos and conducting their routine investigation.

"I called her and told her not to go out, so why did she still come down?" Hattori frowned.

"The killer was able to get her downstairs, so does he have something more important than her life? Or is it possible he impersonated a police officer to trick her into coming down..."

Chu Ming squatted on the ground, reaching out to pull the knife out.

"Brother Chu Ming, what are you doing! Don't ruin the scene!" Conan stopped him in time.

"I just wanted to see what was in her wallet..." Chu Ming was stopped by Conan, and he didn't try to pull it out by force.

"What else could be in a wallet? Money, driver's license, photos..." Hattori said, then suddenly realized something.

Conan excitedly stood up: "It's a driver's license!"

Hattori grabbed Sakata Yusuke and said, "Come on, let's check their driving violation records. Maybe that's the reason!"

Chu Ming added, "Since the previous phone call mentioned old friends and past events, it means they know each other. It doesn't necessarily mean driving violations; it's also possible they were in training together."

With this clue, Yusuke Sakata hurriedly went out to make a phone call.

A short while later, he returned, bringing with him some bad news.

Twenty years ago, there were six people who participated in the training camp to take the driver's license test together. In addition to the four deceased, there was also the village councilor and the currently fugitive, Numabuchi Kiichiro.

Hattori picked up the faxed training photos, frowned, and pondered carefully: "Then—shall we go to Councilor Goji now? Let's ask about what happened back then."

Sakata Yusuke nodded, and Chu Ming followed lazily behind, thinking about what excuse he would use to leave later.

He only remembered that Numabuchi Kiichiro was discovered by Conan and Ran together, but he couldn't remember the exact location. But looking at how engrossed Conan was in solving the case, could it be that he messed up the plot?

Should he go back and find Xiaolan now?

Just as he was pondering this, Xiaolan suddenly appeared at the door.

"Conan! What are you doing here! Your sudden disappearance worried Dad and me to death! If Inspector Sakata hadn't called Ms. Kazuha, we wouldn't have known you were here!"

Conan looked utterly defeated, and Chu Ming asked in confusion, "Didn't you say you were going to call Uncle and Ran to tell them?"

"I forgot—" Conan said guiltily.

Inspector Otaki waved to Conan from behind: "Come on, kid, I'll take you to the chief's house first."

Conan grabbed Hattori's leg and activated his [Cute and Clever] skill: "No, no, I want to be with Heiji-nii-san~ Right, Chu Ming-nii-san~"

Chu Ming glanced at Conan, his face completely innocent, and patted his stomach: "But I want to go eat..."

Conan, disregarding the condemnation of this 'traitor,' quickly shook Hattori's leg, trying to get him to say a word for him.

Hattori thought for a moment, then led Conan to a corner. The two whispered to each other for a while, and Conan walked over to Chu Ming with a face full of reluctance.

Before getting on the bus, Chu Ming grabbed Conan and hugged him tightly to prevent him from sneaking onto Hattori's bus again if he wasn't paying attention.

Conan strained his whole body to reach Hattori's car, but unfortunately, Chu Ming cruelly shoved him inside.

Hattori waved smugly in their direction, "Goodbye~"

Conan was furious in the car, while Chu Ming was happily discussing with Ran and Haha how delicious Hattori's mother's cooking was.

Suddenly, Officer Ōtaki received a phone call: "What? You found Numabuchi Kiichiro's car on Minoo Mountain? Wait, I'm on my way."

Officer Otaki apologized to everyone, turned the car around, and drove towards Minomiyama.

Conan sat up straight instantly, his eyes gleaming.

"Don't you miss your brother Heiji?" Chu Ming mocked him.

Conan sullenly said, "That's too much! It's inconvenient for kids. If this were my old self..."

Chu Ming covered his mouth speechlessly and whispered in his ear, "You'd better shout louder so that people outside the car can hear you."

Conan looked up and saw Ran and Kazuha staring at him curiously: "Before? What happened to Conan before?"

Conan broke out in a cold sweat instantly: "Uh, not before, but before. I mean, I did something wrong before, and I won't do it again..."

Xiaolan nodded: "Yes, you haven't been back for so long. I thought you had fainted in the bathroom. I even asked Dad to go in and look for you. When we go back to Tokyo this time, I'll take you to the hospital to get checked out."

Conan's eyes were full of confusion: "Hospital? What are we going to the hospital for?"

Ran patted Conan's head: "It's okay. Brother Chu Ming is right. Sometimes you have to go to the toilet ten or more times an hour, and each time it takes a long time. I'm worried that something might be wrong with your health."

???

Conan wanted nothing more than to bite Chu Ming to death. Didn't Chu Ming know perfectly well why he ran to the toilet?