Shirou's clones number 30 million

"No, let's finish running the remaining locations as soon as possible. Thank you for your help this time."

"If it weren't for you, I would never have thought of such a solution."

"Moreover, I am truly grateful for the trouble you have gone to with me on all these trips."

"You're welcome." Hayami Shirou smiled and waved his hand. "As a detective, this is my duty."

“As far as I know, no detective would go to this extent.” Kuroba Dao paused, then smiled and said, “Even Sherlock Holmes in the novels wouldn’t be this considerate of a thief.”

"Therefore, Shirou Hayami is a one-of-a-kind detective in the world."

After boasting, he suddenly felt a little embarrassed and changed the subject with a smile:

"Mr. Kuroba is clearly alive, so why has he kept it a secret from Kaito for over ten years?"

"Because it has been revealed that Kaito Kid is actually Toichi Kuroba. If I am still alive, they will definitely keep bothering me endlessly."

Kuroba Touichi frowned slightly and said in a deep voice:

"I'm not afraid myself, but Kaito was too young back then, and those people didn't know any limits when they did things."

"Therefore, the best way is to disappear without a trace."

"However, I never expected that Kaito would become the new Phantom Thief Kid five years ago."

Hayami Shirou nodded slightly. So it was for his family after all?

That's true. There are only a few reasons why a world-class magician could fake his death.

As they were talking, the car stopped in front of a mansion.

An elderly man in formal attire stood in front of the door, leaning on a cane, surrounded by numerous bodyguards standing ramrod straight.

Upon seeing this, Hayami Shirou and the other person immediately got out of the car.

Although I had made a reservation in advance, I never expected to receive such a grand welcoming ceremony.

"Mr. Lyon, I'm very sorry to have kept you waiting."

"No, it is my greatest honor that you two have graced us with your presence."

Once inside, Toichi Kuroba quickly explained why he chose to become Kaito Kid.

“I see… You’ve really gone to a lot of trouble, Mr. Kuroba.” The old man paused for a moment, then said with a smile, “I hadn’t really paid much attention to what happened back then, and if the two of you hadn’t brought it up, I would have almost forgotten about it.”

Hayami Shirou secretly breathed a sigh of relief, thinking to himself:

Great, this issue has been resolved smoothly.

Of all the families I've visited, this is the easiest one to talk to.

Previously, I had encountered many very difficult types.

In those situations, to save time, Hayami Shirou could only rely on his excellent observation skills to find out the other party's predicament on the spot.

Every family has its own problems, and with careful observation, you can generally gain some insights.

Help the other party solve their difficulties, and in exchange for that, hope the other party will not pursue the matter.

This approach is the mainstream method during this long journey.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, at the old man's request, Kuroba Toichi performed a magic trick on the spot.

Afterwards, the two took a group photo with the elderly man.

After leaving the elderly person's home, the car drove to the next location.

"This time it's much faster than expected. It seems the plan will have to be changed again."

"Thank you for your help, Detective Hayami."

"You're welcome. There are still 7 households left in this country that we haven't visited yet. Based on the previous phone appointments, we can visit 2 more today."

Is there enough time?

"Wait a moment, let me check the map."

Soon, following the navigation, the two arrived at the new mansion.

Unlike the previous location, this place also attracted a number of reporters in addition to the victims.

As soon as the two got out of the car, microphones were swarming around them.

"Mr. Kuroba, since you are still alive, why have you not appeared all these years?"

"Mr. Kuroba, since you, many famous magicians have emerged in the world. What are your thoughts on this?"

"Detective Hayami, some newspapers claim you are the Sherlock Holmes of the 21st century. How do you see yourself compared to Sherlock Holmes?"

Because there were so many reporters, it took the two a lot of effort to get to the person in question.

Looking at the reporters around him, Kuroba Toichi frowned.

Although I knew it wouldn't always go smoothly, who would have thought I'd encounter so many reporters?

How did these reporters know their whereabouts?

"Could you please leave for a moment? Once I have finished dealing with everything, I will definitely hold a press conference to give you all an interview."

Although Kuroba Toichi spoke sincerely and was mild-mannered, news is all about timeliness.

Naturally, no one stepped back; the microphones remained all around.

Some even put the microphone to their mouths.

Seeing this, Hayami Shirou immediately stepped in front of Kuroba Toichi and warned him:

“Mr. Kuroba, you go inside and talk to the person involved. I'll handle these reporters.”

"I'm sorry to trouble you."

"You are welcome."

Hayami Shirou smiled nonchalantly.

These reporters are like sharks that have smelled blood; they're not so easy to get rid of.

It would be better to use suggestive magic during the answering process to send them away without them noticing.

Chapter 402 We're even

Chapter 402, Section 403: We're even.

Two weeks later, Shirou Hayami returned to Tokyo.

This trip wasn't a publicity stunt, but it seemed to have served a similar purpose.

Towards the end of their journey, the two were accompanied by a large number of reporters at each location they visited.

Even the scene where Kuroba Toichi asked the person involved for forgiveness was filmed by reporters.

This situation was quite awkward for the two of them.

What was originally supposed to be Kaito Kid's journey of self-redemption has turned into a highly anticipated show.

However, thanks to the presence of reporters, the victims deliberately acted very magnanimously in front of the camera, showing no concern about having their gems stolen.

Back at the detective agency, just as Shirou Hayami was about to push open the door, he suddenly heard voices coming from inside.

Do you have any requests that require your assistance and would you be able to come to my location?

Shirou Hayami wasn't surprised by this; being a detective is a profession that never allows for rest, especially for famous detectives.

Once you become famous, all sorts of requests will come your way.

Pushing open the door, one is greeted by the sight of the eldest daughter of the Sanzenin family, Ai Haibara, and Maria, who is pouring tea for them.

This combination left Hayami Shirou puzzled, prompting him to subconsciously begin to deduce the reasoning.

These three people don't have much interaction in their lives, so they definitely couldn't have come together.

Ai Haibara and I aren't that close. She doesn't come to me unless she needs something, so she might be a client.

As for the eldest daughter of the Sanzenin family, it's even easier to guess; she must be waiting for me here out of sheer boredom.

However, the problem is that Ayasaki Hayate doesn't seem to be here, so how did they open the door and come in?

"Where's Xiao Sa? Isn't he here?"

“Welcome back.” Sanzenin Nagi immediately stood up. “Ayasaki has gone to complete a case, and I’m here to help out as a new employee of the Hayami Detective Agency.”

Because Shirou Hayami wasn't there on the day of Kaito Kuroba's wedding, his prepared confession plan didn't come in handy.

While she breathed a sigh of relief, she also felt a little regretful.

So, after much deliberation, she went back to her original plan.

He volunteered to come here as an assistant, taking advantage of Shirou's absence to create a fait accompli.

Fortunately, Hayate Ayasaki is not a difficult person to talk to.

Moreover, he couldn't resist the combination of the young lady and her older sister.

"Oh...? You hired yourself?" Hayami Shirou chuckled, then turned to Haibara Ai. "So, what's the matter, Miss Haibara?"

"I...I want to ask you for help in finding my sister's whereabouts." Ai Haibara paused for a moment, then said with a complicated expression, "Although Conan said he saw my sister die with his own eyes, I always have a feeling that my sister is still alive."

Hayami Shirou sat down on the sofa, rubbing his chin with his hand, and fell into deep thought.

Some people have been dead for many years, but many people still believe they are not dead.

Kuroba Toichi was like that, and so was Miyano Akemi.

However, her intuition was correct; her older sister, Akemi Miyano, was indeed alive.

"You're right, she's not dead, but her situation over the past five years is no different from that of someone who has already died."

"What's wrong with my sister?" Ai Haibara stood up involuntarily.

"Wait a moment, let me call and ask."

As they were talking, Shirou Hayami took out his phone and dialed a number.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, they quickly got down to business.

"Warden Takahashi, how much longer does Akemi Miyano's sentence last?"