Conan, I'm an actor

The researcher shuddered. He was just an ordinary researcher and had never seen anything like this before. Without any hesitation, he directly entered the password for the laboratory door.

After seeing that the gate had been successfully opened, the thugs didn't stand on ceremony with the researcher and knocked him unconscious.

"Hurry up!" the middle-aged man in the lead said. "The alarm has already sounded. The Metropolitan Police Department will be here in half an hour at most. I don't want to fight them. Let's grab our things and leave."

"Do we really have to bring such a dangerous thing?" one of the team members asked, frowning.

"Of course not. The employer said we just need to burn this place down. What a troublesome guy." The man called the boss immediately ordered his men to start setting up the scene.

When they left, they took the researchers to a safe place, which was also required by their employer.

"Boss, who is this guy? Why does he have so many troublesome requests?" one of the team members said angrily. "Can't we just take care of that guy in the research institute?"

“In that case, we’ll lose the final payment,” the boss said with a dark face. “Are you an idiot? Besides, isn’t this a good thing? If someone is involved in murder, the search efforts against us will be even more intense.”

“But I think stealing deadly bacteria is also a serious problem,” one of the subordinates said in a low voice. “Those guys will definitely think that we’ve already taken some of those bacteria, and they’ll set up roadblocks and other things to check us.”

“We don’t carry any germs, and besides, our weapons are all well hidden, how could they possibly be found?”

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

An hour later, the Metropolitan Police Department held an emergency press conference.

"Today, shortly after 9:50 PM, the National Tokyo Institute of Microbiology in Nishitama City was suddenly attacked by a seven-person armed group. After subduing two security personnel, the group coerced the on-duty researcher to break into the highly secure laboratory." Counselor Tadayoshi Uno glanced at the press release on the table. "A few minutes later, they detonated a plastic bomb inside the laboratory and then fled."

"Counselor!"

"I'd like to ask you a question!"

"Counselor."

Almost simultaneously, all the reporters raised their hands, indicating they wanted to ask questions. This was big news, a big story that they absolutely couldn't miss.

The counselor had a headache, feeling that this incident would cause him to lose a lot of hair. He then raised his voice to suppress the reporters' voices, "The bombed laboratory contained some kind of very dangerous bacteria, which is currently presumed to have been taken away by a criminal group."

Upon hearing the phrase "dangerous bacteria," the reporters immediately began whispering among themselves. This was no joke; a misstep could lead to a major public health emergency, and each such emergency resulted in numerous deaths.

"This bacterium has a mortality rate as high as 80%, and so far, there is no way to completely cure it." Tadashi Uno paused, waiting for the reporter's question.

"Could the explosion have caused bacteria to leak out?" a female reporter asked loudly, skipping the roll call.

This was extremely impolite. Tadayoshi Uno could have ignored the reporter's question, but considering that many people wanted to know the answer, he answered seriously, "That's not possible. The explosion was very powerful. Even if there were any bacteria left, they should have been completely burned away long ago. This has been confirmed with the director of the research institute."

All the reporters breathed a sigh of relief. If there had really been a risk of a leak, their first thought would not have been to write some rubbish article, but to run away to a safe place abroad for a while.

Just then, a male reporter raised his hand and asked loudly, "What is the criminal group's objective?"

Tadayoshi Uno glanced at Toshiro Odagiri to the side, and only spoke after seeing that he did not react, "We cannot know for sure at the moment, but we cannot rule out the possibility of a biological terrorist attack."

Chapter 335 Anthrax

The moment Tadayoshi Uno uttered his words, the entire venue erupted in commotion. Some astute reporters had already guessed the purpose of the Metropolitan Police Department's meeting. These bastards are clearly trying to cover it up; it's always the same!

"Therefore, I would like to request your assistance." Toshiro Odagiri cleared his throat. "To avoid unnecessary panic, please limit your reporting to the explosion incident and do not touch on any topics that may involve bacterial or biological terrorism."

"Does that mean we're going to temporarily block the news?" a reporter asked.

"Um, are the bacteria stored in the lab anthrax spores?" a gentle voice suddenly asked.

"It seems so..." Tadayoshi Uno's expression changed. Could it be that the news had already leaked?

"The news has already appeared on the Nichiuri TV website, and Nichiuri TV has reported on the incident. Their reporter, Rena Mizunashi, is broadcasting live from the scene," the reporter said, holding up his phone. "As far as I know, anthrax spores can survive for more than 20 years in a dry, room-temperature environment, and for decades in fur. Once a ranch is contaminated, the spores can survive for 20 to 30 years. They can only be killed by direct sunlight for 100 hours, boiling for 40 minutes, dry heat at 140°C for 3 hours, high-pressure steam at 110°C for 60 minutes, and soaking in a 10% formaldehyde solution for 15 minutes, or in a freshly prepared phenol (5%) and 20% chlorinated lime solution for several days."

"This one……"

"So the high temperature generated by the explosion cannot completely eliminate anthrax spores, right?"

Tadayoshi Uno's face was ashen; he truly knew nothing of this matter, and the director of the research institute had lied to him. Meanwhile, Toshiro Odagiri's expression was equally grim. He had underestimated the seriousness of the situation and the media's ability to dig up news; his words had been enough to cement his place in shame.

Just as the situation was deteriorating and about to get out of control, the reporters' phones suddenly started ringing frequently.

A police officer came in from outside with a laptop and placed it in front of Odagiri, as if something unusual had happened.

Odagiri looked at the screen and said, "Our Red Siamese cats have attacked the National Tokyo Institute of Microbiology and successfully obtained the killer bacteria. We will announce the next operation within seven days. Please stay tuned."

Odagiri crossed his arms. "The bacteria really were taken away."

"But weren't the red Siamese cats wiped out ten years ago?" Tadayoshi Uno asked, frowning.

But the reporters below couldn't hold back any longer. Both the red Siamese cat's notice and the live broadcast on Nichiuri TV eliminated any possibility of information suppression. News is all about timeliness; time is money, and being even a step behind means you're already outdated.

"Minister, is it no longer necessary to block the news?" Finally, a reporter asked a direct question.

"It seems there's no other way," Odagiri said with a hint of helplessness.

Upon hearing Odagiri's words, the reporters immediately rushed out the door, clearly preparing to work through the night on their news reports.

Meanwhile, Rena Mizunashi, who was outside the laboratory, was also driven away by Metropolitan Police Department personnel, who said it was too dangerous there.

After being taken to her apartment building by the station staff, she took out her phone and made a call. "The red Siamese cat did a very thorough job. It blew up the entire laboratory. Now the entire microbiology research institute is under lockdown. I estimate that a comprehensive disinfection and prevention campaign will be needed afterward."

"I understand," Shinjo's voice came through the microphone. "This incident didn't arouse any suspicion, did it?"

“The explosion happened on the way back from the interview. The route was planned several days in advance, so no one would suspect anything.” Rena Mizunashi paused for a moment. “How did you know that the Red Siamese Cats were going to attack the National Tokyo Institute of Microbiology?”

"The company's been short on cash lately, so we were planning to borrow some money from those shady accounts. We happened to find this transaction, so we investigated it further." Xincheng whistled. "What's wrong? Is there a problem?"

“It just feels like all of this is too coincidental, as if you arranged it all on purpose.” Rena Mizunashi took out the apartment key. “I even suspect that the person who hired the red Siamese cat was you.”

"The red Siamese cat was eradicated more than a decade ago, and the organization was involved in that process."

"Huh? So the current Red Siamese cats are a re-established team from the original crew?"

"Didn't you understand? It was an annihilation. Everyone died; there were no survivors. After all, they were attacking capitalists from conglomerates, so they really bit the hand that fed them. It's said that even special forces were deployed."

"That……"

“They’re probably just imposters.” Shin-chan shrugged. “They probably think the Red Siamese cats are more famous, and since all the people who own Red Siamese cats are dead, they’ve chosen to impersonate them.”

"How did you know?"

"Their weapons and ammunition all came from within the organization; they were just scrap metal that hadn't been disposed of yet. I estimate they've only been in contact with firearms for no more than three months."

"Can you help me arrange to go abroad?"

"Where to?" Shinjo's lips curled into a smile. "I know you're worried about your brother. You can bring him to the base. Even if those guys want to use bacteria, they'll have to find a big city with a large population, like Tokyo or Osaka. Deserted islands like Kuroroshima aren't their target."

"But……"

"You're a CIA agent now, you can't just abandon your post. Even if I arrange for you to go on a business trip with Nichiuri TV, where can you go? Europe or America? In America, Gin and the authorities are locked in a fierce battle, and people are practically getting their heads smashed to pieces. As for Europe, that's the organization's headquarters. Are you planning to walk right into their trap?"

Rena Mizunashi bit her lip. It seemed she had no choice; in this situation, she could only follow Shinjo's arrangements.

After arranging things for Rena Mizunashi, Shinjo went to see Conan. If he wanted to board the sky ship, he had to listen to him and create a new image for himself according to his requirements.

Soon, Xincheng arrived at the agreed location; it was already past midnight.

He hadn't expected Conan to choose his house as the meeting place. He was all alone in the villa; it seemed like the FBI agents had all disappeared.

"Wasn't this place already rented to the FBI?" Shinjo asked, frowning. "Where are they? Why did they leave so quickly?"

"They left shortly after the Suzuki Express incident, seemingly having obtained what they wanted," Conan said, staring at Shinjo. "I tested it a few more times afterward, and I believe my deduction was correct."

"You're a famous detective, if you don't even have this much confidence, then what are you doing here?" Shinjo yawned. "Why did you decide to tell me this?"

“I’ve discovered a fatal flaw in my reasoning, an accomplice,” Conan said, staring at Shinjo. “That gold frame was very likely brought in and replaced by someone else!”

“You need to provide evidence before you speak.” Shinjo rolled his eyes. “I heard Haibara talk about that incident. Her reasoning was quite good, but you didn’t find the glass in the end, so it was all for nothing. Afterwards, railway staff checked along the line and didn’t find any glass shards or anything like that. I saw the brochure for that train’s first-class carriage; it could only be opened a little bit. If it can’t be opened completely, a person can’t throw it with all their might, and glass is so heavy, it can’t be thrown very far.”

Conan lowered his head and thought about it for a moment, then realized that it seemed to be true, and stopped worrying about it.

He originally intended to talk to Xincheng, to try and trick him, to see if there were any loopholes in his chat history. If there were, it would mean that he was also involved in this incident, and that he was very likely the accomplice.

But his answer had no flaws whatsoever. According to Haibara, the window opening angle was determined by the first-class brochure, and at least for now, he couldn't find any fault with it.

Soon, Shinjo changed his face according to Conan's request, and then made a few minor modifications.

"By the way, what excuse did you come up with for yourself?" Shinjo asked while applying his fake mustache. "You didn't mean to go to Europe or America to study, did you?"

"How did you know?!" Conan exclaimed in surprise.

"With a brain like yours, what good excuse could you possibly come up with?" Xincheng rolled his eyes. "I bet you also had your parents buy a property in New York, just to deal with these kids. If they go there to look for you, they'll find an empty house where you just happen to be away, right?"

"Correct!"

“Then let’s change the study abroad location to the Middle East,” Xincheng said with a smile. “There’s fighting every few days there. Even if those kids want to go, their parents won’t let them.”

"That's a good idea." Conan rolled his eyes. "I'll think about it carefully and let you know when I've made up my mind."

"Tsk!" Xincheng said with a smile, "There's another woman after this, who also knows disguise, and she'll be my partner. She'll be going on the skyship with me, and her disguise will be your mother."

"Who?"

"Don't ask too many questions if you're in the organization."

"Why did you bring her along?" Conan asked nervously. "Is something going to happen? Please don't do anything rash, this trip..."

"Don't worry, it's just an extra layer of insurance." Xincheng rolled his eyes. "Apart from the media, almost everyone boarding this time is someone I know."

"Why did you bring such a dangerous person along?"

"As for the reason, you'll find out by looking at tomorrow morning's newspaper."

"Tomorrow morning's newspaper?" Conan was taken aback. "Has something serious happened?"

"Oh, right, bring antibiotics." Xincheng stroked his chin. "If you don't have any at home, it's best to buy some at the hospital."

Conan's curiosity was piqued, but when he tried to ask more questions, Shinjo refused to elaborate, telling him to just watch the news the next morning.

The next morning, Conan was woken up by a phone call before he was even fully awake.

"Hey Kudo, did you see the news this morning?" Hattori's loud voice immediately came through the microphone.

"Has something big happened?" Conan yawned as he went to the bathroom to wash up. "I just woke up and haven't had a chance to watch the news yet."

"Yesterday, an armed group calling themselves Red Siamese Cats attacked the National Tokyo Institute of Microbiology in Nishitama City and took away deadly bacteria from the institute."

"Pfft!" Conan sprayed out all the mouthwash he had just swallowed, coughing violently as he asked, "What did you say!"

"What are you doing? This is such a big deal, Uncle Mori probably already knows about it," Hattori said with a hint of helplessness. "You can see it just by turning on the TV. Even TV Tokyo is broadcasting it right now."

"That looks pretty serious." Conan picked up the newspaper and turned on the TV.

He quickly finished reading the main content, and after reading it, he rubbed his throbbing temples. "It seems like this is a big deal."

Just then, the host's voice came from the television station.