Conan: What alias? That's my struggle!

Inspector Megure's voice wasn't loud, but it struck Lin Ye's chest like a muffled blow.

Cold sweat instantly seeped out from his back.

Barrett, huh.

M82.

Anti-materiel sniper rifle.

How do you explain this thing appearing in an ordinary doctor's closet? It's inexplicable! Lin Ye's mind was suddenly filled with resentment towards the idiotic system.

Are you afraid the police won't arrest me?

"Get me in here first, give me prisoner status next week, and the job is done, right?" Lin Ye had already cursed the system tens of thousands of times in his mind.

"Dr. Hashimoto?"

In reality, Inspector Megure urged, his gaze growing increasingly sharp.

"I..." Lin Ye stammered.

"Officer, I really have amnesia."

Although it was indeed the truth, he himself felt that his words were weak and powerless.

Inspector Megure's lips twitched. Sato Miwako, standing beside him, added expressionlessly, "Dr. Hashimoto, illegal possession of firearms and ammunition is a very serious crime in Japan. Although it usually falls under the jurisdiction of the Public Security Police and not our First Investigation Division—"

She paused for a moment, her gaze sweeping across Lin Ye's face like a knife.

"However, as evidence found at the scene related to the murder, we have the right to take him back for investigation first." This is a very righteous policewoman.

She is also a policewoman in the world of Detective Conan.

She was indeed extremely beautiful and had a dashing appearance.

Lin Ye simply wasn't in the mood to appreciate beautiful women.

Go back to be investigated?

Lin Ye felt a chill run down her spine.

In the world of Detective Conan, how many suspects have been told by Inspector Megure to "go back for questioning"? Countless. But how many of them have actually been taken back and released unharmed?

No!

Lin Ye had watched hundreds of episodes of Detective Conan and never noticed it!

"No...I..." Lin Ye's mind raced, his mouth moving before his brain could process it. He saw Officer Sato pull out handcuffs and felt increasingly panicked.

Fortunately.

The savior of this era has arrived.

Shinichi Kudo's voice came from inside the room.

"Wait a minute, Inspector Megure."

The voice was calm and unhurried, carrying a kind of inexplicable reassuring certainty.

Lin Ye and Inspector Megure both looked towards the doorway.

Then, Shinichi Kudo walked out, holding a dark blue ID book in his hand, with his signature expression on his face.

The smile that only appears after discovering some clue.

"It seems that Dr. Hashimoto has a legal gun license."

He spoke up to help Lin Ye out of the predicament.

"Um?"

Inspector Megure paused for a moment, then subconsciously took the identification book and flipped it open to take a look.

Shinichi Kudo added, "I found a safe with a combination lock in the corner of the room, guessed the combination, and opened it. Inside were money, gold bars, and this."

He casually remarked that he "guessed the password," as if cracking someone's safe was as easy as solving a riddle. Of course, Lin Ye didn't have time to criticize his reasoning skills.

His attention was entirely focused on the words "gun license".

A legal gun license?

Can Barrett batteries be legally owned?

What kind of operation is this?

He glanced quickly at the identification in Inspector Megure's hand—it certainly looked legitimate, with a photo, a stamp, and various characters he couldn't understand.

"Can Barrett rifles be legally owned?"

Inspector Megure was clearly also caught off guard; he examined the identification document several times before finally turning his gaze to the equally astonished Lin Ye.

"Dr. Hashimoto, what happened?"

Inspector Megure, whose mind seems to slow down when he's around detectives, is clearly asking a novel kind of nonsense.

"Officer, I have amnesia..."

Lin Ye sighed helplessly. He used the same excuse from beginning to end—it was unavoidable; he truly knew nothing about such matters.

The system promised an identity, but it didn't provide any corresponding background information. Therefore, Lin Ye's face was filled with helplessness, a genuine and unpretentious expression of his inner turmoil.

He was telling the truth.

Whether it was the system's power or the brewery's resources that were truly at play, only heaven knows. Inspector Megure stared at him for a long while, seemingly trying to determine the truth of his words.

"Perhaps Dr. Lin Ye has some identities that we are not yet aware of," Shinichi Kudo said thoughtfully, offering a reasonably plausible explanation.

His hint seemed to make Inspector Megure's brain work, as if he had thought of something, and his expression immediately changed like a Sichuan opera face-changing act.

"Oh dear, Dr. Hashimoto, it was all a misunderstanding! But please understand, anyone would be nervous if such a big gun suddenly appeared in the closet!"

Legal gun licenses are only issued to a few sensitive professions. The old policeman suddenly laughed and patted Lin Ye on the shoulder.

That's how seasoned professionals are.

He immediately started laughing it off.

Lin Ye's shoulder ached from the officer's pat, and he forced a smile that looked more like a grimace.

"I understand, I understand..." Lin Ye had no choice but to agree. Although this was his home, only those with the right could speak loudly.

"Thank you for understanding. But speaking of which, Dr. Hashimoto..." Inspector Megure's smile faded, and he said seriously, "That bump on the back of your head is quite heavy. Amnesia can be a serious matter. Should I arrange for someone to take you to the hospital for a checkup?"

The police officer's concern, though late, arrived.

"No need. After all, I'm a doctor myself, and I know that amnesia caused by this level of brain trauma can only be recovered slowly over time with rest." Lin Ye subconsciously refused. He didn't want to deal with the cops right now, since his identity was really not clean at all.

"Huh?" Inspector Megure paused for a moment, then laughed awkwardly, "Right, right, you're a doctor, I almost forgot! Hahahaha..."

The atmosphere suddenly became somewhat awkward.

"If you can remember common sense and the knowledge you've learned, then your amnesia isn't too serious." Shinichi Kudo nodded and naturally took over the conversation.

"Inspector Megure, since the gun license is legal, let's put this matter aside for now. Dr. Hashimoto isn't in a good condition to continue this ordeal, so let him rest for a bit while we go over the case with him." He was still more interested in solving the case than in a doctor's amnesia.

Inspector Megure nodded: "Alright."

He turned to Lin Ye, his tone much more amiable: "Dr. Hashimoto, please have a seat. Let Shinichi tell you what happened today. We'll do some finalizing work here, and you can come to the police station tomorrow to give a statement."

After saying that, he left the room with Sato and Takagi.

Lin Ye watched them leave and let out a long sigh.

Another hurdle has been overcome.

This is the second time tonight that I've been pulled back from the edge of the cliff.

The person who pulled him away both times was the same person.

He turned to look at Shinichi Kudo.

The high school detective was leaning against the table, his hands in his pockets, giving him a thoughtful look.

"Thanks," Lin Ye said sincerely.

Shinichi Kudo didn't respond to that question. Instead, he pulled up a chair, sat down, and began to recount the whole story.

"This afternoon, Matsumoto Masao, a wealthy man from the south of the city, held an engagement banquet at his estate. There were about fifty guests, all of whom were celebrities from various circles."

"Midway through the banquet, Masao Matsumoto was found dead in his study. The cause of death was cyanide poisoning; traces of poison were detected in his wine glass."

"But this is just the beginning."

Shinichi Kudo's expression turned serious.

"Subsequently, we discovered three more bodies in different locations within the estate—Matsumoto Masao's fiancée, his personal secretary, and an actress who had been invited there. The four victims died in different ways, but all pointed to the same conclusion—"

He looked at Lin Ye.

"There were two murderers. They disguised themselves as you and the dead woman in the bed, and infiltrated the party as 'Dr. Hashimoto and his female companion.'"

This is a typical case of "Ke Xue" (a pseudonym for a writer).

Lin Ye's heart sank.

It was indeed a disguise.

It really was Vermouth.

"According to eyewitness testimonies, someone saw 'Dr. Hashimoto' appear near the study around the time of the incident, acting suspiciously. 'Mr. Hashimoto's female companion' was seen walking out of the actresses' dressing room, also acting suspiciously," Shinichi Kudo recounted the events.

He paused for a moment and then continued, "I felt something was wrong at the time. Because I had met the real Dr. Hashimoto, which is you—and there are witnesses who said that an hour before the banquet started, someone saw you in your parking lot and greeted you, saying that you wouldn't be attending the banquet."

"That's why I suspect that the real you and your female companion have been murdered." Shinichi Kudo clearly stated his reasoning.

Upon hearing this, Lin Ye fell silent.

He was now almost certain that Vermouth was behind this. Using his identity to commit murder was most likely a mission from the Black Organization.

Were those people who were killed targets of the organization?

As for why he was chosen, it's probably because the identity of "Dr. Hashimoto" is clean and respectable enough to avoid arousing suspicion.

And he, the unlucky fellow, was dragged into it.

But how does that explain why he wasn't silenced?

If your female companion is dead, you should be able to escape as well. The Black Organization never shows mercy when it comes to killing people, unless your identity was implanted in the system beforehand.

This confusing chain of cause and effect is somewhat difficult to understand.

He might not be so suited to be a detective.

"Um... let me digest this slowly."

Lin Ye covered his forehead.

"So, about this matter," Shinichi Kudo stared into his eyes, "Dr. Hashimoto, do you really remember nothing?"

He wasn't doubting Lin Ye; he was simply trying to get some clues. Before reverting to Conan, this human form of Conan didn't actually have much empathy.

In many cases, they can even resort to any means necessary to solve a case.

Lin Ye shook his head speechlessly: "I really don't remember anything. I don't even know who I am, let alone what happened tonight."

Shinichi Kudo stared at him for several seconds, then suddenly nodded.

"I trust you."

He made his judgment based on micro-expressions.

"You are an attending physician at Beihu Hospital, one of the top thoracic surgeons in the industry. You studied at a top medical school in the United States and were then hired back with a high salary."

Shinichi Kudo gave Lin Ye a brief explanation of Lin Ye's situation.

"Me? An expert?"

Lin Ye, a medical student, was somewhat bewildered.

He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but found his throat tightening.

"You'll remember eventually. Until then, you can get a certificate from the police station and take some time off." Shinichi Kudo patted Lin Ye on the shoulder.

He walked toward the door, then suddenly stopped and looked back.

"Oh, by the way, the safe's combination is your birthday." With that, the high school student walked out without looking back.

Lin Ye was stunned for a moment.

Birthday?

He doesn't even know what his original birthday was. If he did, would he still have amnesia? It seems that Shinichi Kudo also likes to talk nonsense!

The sounds of the troops returning to base came from outside—footsteps, voices, and walkie-talkies all mixed together—and gradually faded into the distance.

Lin Ye walked to the window and watched as police cars downstairs turned on their lights and drove into the night.

Before leaving, Inspector Megure came up to greet him and asked if he needed two officers to stay and protect him.

Lin Ye refused.

He really didn't want to have anything to do with the police at all right now, not only because he was afraid of being exposed, but also because he was afraid that Gin would think he was going to turn around and kill him.

"I can manage on my own. At least I haven't lost my common sense and I'm capable of living on my own." Lin Ye escorted Inspector Megure directly to the outside of his house.

Inspector Megure didn't press the matter, but simply reminded him to remember to come to the police station to give a statement the next day, and then left the scene of the investigation with his men.

The police car's taillights turned the corner and disappeared from sight.

The body was also taken away.

Lin Ye's bedroom was also sealed off. As for why it wasn't completely sealed off, well, the world of Detective Conan doesn't follow science; sometimes a house where someone died one day can be sold the next.

The entire building fell silent.

Lin Ye stood by the window, looking at her own face reflected in the glass.

Unfamiliar faces, unfamiliar rooms, an unfamiliar world.

He whispered the name:

"Hashimoto Rinyo".

To be honest, Lin Ye still felt it was all a bit surreal. Just a few hours ago, he was an ordinary college student who was swept away by a truck during his first cosplay session. When he woke up, he found himself in this ruthless world of Detective Conan, embracing a corpse when Shinichi Kudo caught him in the act.

There's a Barrett rifle in the closet, gold bars in the safe, and most importantly, Gin's missed calls in the phone's contacts, plus the identity of a Black Organization employee.

"What the hell is this villain's start?"

Lin Ye looked at the system in his mind.

[Until identity is refreshed: 6 days, 15 hours, and 07 minutes]

[Please prepare yourself, host.]

[Currently identified identity: Madeira]

[Affiliation: High-end winery]

[Position: Staff Member]

[Would you accept skills training for this identity?]

After some research, Lin Ye discovered that the assigned identity would not be refreshed by the appearance of a new identity, and each identity seemed to be able to receive professional identity skills training.

"What else is there to say? In order to survive in this dangerous world—just accept the training." The next moment, Lin Ye felt his consciousness being pulled into a completely new space.