Conan, I'm an actor

Hakuba Saguru handed the gun directly to Shinjo. Shinjo simply checked the cylinder and then released the safety. "It looks real, but I don't know if it's a real gun. Let's check it out."

The next second, he fired a shot into his left hand, which then moved backward a short distance.

Everyone present was stunned. They never expected this madman to do such a thing. Only Shinichi knew that this guy was courting death again with his metal prosthetics.

"Looks like the real thing, quite powerful, but judging from the writing on the bottom of the bullet, it's probably expired." Shinjo shook his left hand, and a deformed bullet fell from his hand. "Haven't played like this in a long time, my skills are a bit rusty."

"Are your hands alright?" Yue Shui grabbed Xin Cheng's hand in a panic, and only breathed a sigh of relief after seeing that there were no marks on his hands.

Harufumi Mogi looked utterly bewildered, forgetting he was smoking a cigarette. The cigarette fell to the ground the moment he opened his mouth. "You bastard, you're not trying to fool us with a fake gun, are you? .38 caliber bullets may have less power, but they're not..."

Kaito Kuroba took the pistol from Shinjo, aimed it at the back of the chair next to him, and fired a shot. The bullet went straight through the back of the chair, through the small hole that let in light, which perfectly answered Harufumi Mogi's questioning.

"You get used to catching bullets after a while." Shinjo took the revolver and handed the handle to Hakuba. "This gun is good for self-defense, but it's not up to par for gunfights."

“You’re a real madman.” Mogi Harufumi shook his head. Although he considered himself a tough guy, he would never do something as crazy as Shinjo. He was now more curious about Shinjo’s past life experiences, what kind of life experiences had honed his skills.

Hattori, on the other hand, carefully examined Shinjo's left hand and, after confirming that no marks had been left, said, "How did you learn that move? I want to learn it too."

"It's actually quite simple. Just keep your eyes moving in motion and then use your hand nerves to slow down the bullet while maintaining relative motion with it," Shinjo said with a smile. "Bullets whose trajectory you know are easier to catch. For bullets that come from who-knows-where, it's better to use tools, as that lowers the barrier to entry. Of course, this only applies to pistol bullets, since their initial velocity is low."

Shinichi, watching Hattori intently listening to the lesson, had a bad feeling. Was this guy really taking it seriously?

He tried to say something, but Xincheng glared at him and shut him up.

“I also found a pistol here, a pocket pistol, the kind you can hide in your hand.” Gunda Ikumi shrugged, then took out an extremely exquisitely crafted pistol. “It only has one bullet, which is a bit of a challenge for this humble woman.”

“I did find a semi-automatic Colt M1911, but I still prefer the Beretta.” Harufumi Mogi shrugged. “American guns are good, but I still prefer the Italian style.”

"It seems that Moriarty is hoping we'll kill each other," Granny Senma coughed twice.

“That guy really underestimates us. Even if we’re going to fight each other, we need to have a reason to do so, right?” Mogi Harufumi shook his head with some disdain. “I thought he might have some special tricks up his sleeve.”

"In the end, all the methods in the world boil down to only two," Shinjo shook his head. "Coercion and bribery. They're simple, but very effective. I think the owner of the villa should appear soon."

"Mr. Mori, have you made any discoveries?" Harufumi Mogi looked at Kogoro Mori with some curiosity. "Sleeping Kogoro has been making waves lately."

Kaito Kuroba, Shinichi Kudo, and Heiji Hattori are all high school students, still young, so it's not surprising they didn't notice anything. However, Kogoro Mouri is an adult, an experienced and renowned detective; it's rather strange that he didn't notice anything.

Kogoro Mouri looked at the crowd staring at him, feeling a little embarrassed. "Tokyo is quite far, and I drove all the way here. I was sleeping the whole time and didn't investigate this villa. Besides, there was nothing unusual in my room, and there was no gun hidden under my pillow."

He was also a little annoyed at this moment. The owner of this villa had given weapons to all the other detectives, so why had he been left out? This was not fair!

The crowd was speechless, but they accepted the explanation. After all, Kogoro hadn't entered a deep sleep yet.

Seemingly noticing Kogoro's frustration, Shinjo said with a smile, "I don't keep any guns in my room either, but since Moriarty has investigated us, he should also know our shooting scores at the police academy. If he gives us guns, this game is over."

"Yeah, haha." Kogoro Mouri scratched the back of his head somewhat awkwardly.

Just then, the door to the reception room opened, and Ishihara Aki bowed to everyone, saying, "Ladies and gentlemen, dinner is ready. Please follow me to the dining room."

"So, we're finally going to meet the main character?" A smile appeared on Mogi Harufumi's face. "Although his methods are somewhat disappointing, I'm still quite curious about this mysterious manor owner."

Shinjo walked past Ikumi Gunta and asked with a smile, "Do you still have any luminol reagent? If so, could you lend me some?"

“If you want it, I can get it for you after dinner. There’s too much blood in this villa; even if I spray it all out, it won’t help,” Ikumi Gunta said with a smile. “But why do you need luminol at this time? Did you discover something?”

The two weren't speaking loudly, but everyone present was sharp-eyed and observant, and several people turned to look at Shinjo. "We're all detectives, why are you so amazing? You found a clue in such a short time."

"I was just interested in some bloodstains, but they'd been wiped clean, so I wanted to see if luminol would make them clearer." Shinjo shrugged. "Right now, isn't the most important thing solving our hunger problem?"

“That’s right, I’m starving,” Mogi Harufumi immediately said.

After all, given those vague and uncertain clues, he still felt that the problem with his stomach was more important.

But when everyone reached the door, they were all taken aback. There was someone already sitting in the main seat, but his appearance was somewhat "strange." A purple wizard's hood covered his head, completely obscuring his face.

"Come on, what's with this outfit?" Harufumi Mogi said with a hint of exasperation. "I think you watch too much TV."

"Those present here are all top detectives in Japan. I sincerely welcome you all to this Twilight Villa," the strange man at the head of the table said. "Please take your seats now. Your names are written on the table."

Harufumi Mogi scoffed and walked to the side, looking for his name tag. Behind him, the detectives took their seats one by one.

Yue Shui gripped Xin Cheng's hand fearfully. Although she knew this was Xin Cheng's arrangement, the pressure from this villa was immense. She had rarely encountered murder cases before, let alone major cases with multiple deaths; her accumulated experience was utterly useless.

Once everyone was seated, Moriarty, who was in the main seat, slowly spoke, but this time his voice was different. "The main reason I invited you all here is to ask you to help me find the wealth currently hidden in this villa. I spent many years planning to get to this villa, and even if it costs me my life, I will find the wealth in this villa."

"Risk your life?" Kogoro Mouri was taken aback. "It's just finding treasure, is it really worth it?"

Before he could finish speaking, a loud noise came from outside the villa, as if something had exploded.

Heiji Hattori stood up abruptly, turned around, and walked towards the outside of the annex. He wanted to see what had happened, but after seeing that everyone else was still sitting, he reluctantly returned to his seat.

Chapter 80 The Little Prince of Sabotage, Xincheng

"Don't get agitated. We just blocked your escape route." Moriarty chuckled. "We only destroyed your vehicles. Also, the suspension bridge you just drove across collapsed off the cliff at the same time. So there's no way you can escape by car now. Besides, there are no phones here, and no base stations nearby. You can't call for help."

As Xincheng listened to Karen's increasingly arrogant voice, he sighed. She was probably just playing herself now. But seeing her so cocky, he was quite annoyed.

However, his sigh drew everyone's attention, and everyone was curious about the reason for his sigh.

"Mr. New Town, what are you sighing about?" Moriarty, sitting in the main seat, finally asked.

"Is it possible that there's something called a satellite phone in this world? And, coincidentally, one of us has one." As Shinjo spoke, he took a large brick out of his briefcase and placed it on the table; it was a satellite phone.

For a moment, the atmosphere at the dinner table became somewhat strange, and everyone looked at Xincheng with a strange expression.

Shinichi and Koshimizu, who were on the other side, were speechless. As people familiar with Shinjo, they knew that this guy must have done it on purpose.

Qianjian, however, found it rather strange. "Aren't you all on the same side? Why would your own people undermine each other?"

"Why are you all staring at me? Don't be surprised. For the sake of my job, I sometimes have to go to sea, so it's normal to carry a satellite phone with me." Shinjo shrugged.

"Who in their right mind would carry something like this around?" Hattori was getting a little frustrated.

“I do think it’s necessary to carry some small tools with you, after all, our line of work is rather special.” Ikumi Gunta shrugged. “See, it’s come in handy now, doesn’t it?”

"Well done." Mogi Harufumi gave Shinjo a thumbs up. "You're just my type. How about switching jobs and becoming my assistant?"

“You’re not a young and beautiful girl, so why would anyone follow you?” Ikumi Gunta said with a grin, looking at Mogi beside her. “Little brother Shinjo, you’re welcome to be my assistant too.”

"Sorry, I'm still not quite used to being someone's assistant." Shinjo shrugged. "Ability is secondary; teamwork is the most important thing."

As he spoke, he turned to look at Koshimizu Nanatsuki. At that moment, Koshimizu kept her head down, staring at the plate in front of her, lost in thought.

Her identity as a detective was what she was most proud of. She used to think that her abilities were on par with Shinjo's, and that the assistant and the detective complemented each other perfectly.

But everyone here today is better than her. If Xincheng were a rookie like him, she might feel a little better, but he is not; on the contrary, he is a very strong assistant.

When Xincheng took out that photo, as the person closest to him, she never imagined it was a death message. When she tried to decipher the code, her mind went completely blank.

Instead, it was Shinichi Kudo and Heiji Hattori, who were younger than her, who came up with the solution first. Although it might not be the correct answer, the feeling of being intellectually outmatched made her feel powerless.

If we're talking about chemistry, this man and I really don't have any chemistry at all.

No matter who he partners with, his achievements far surpass those of him cooped up in a small detective agency with her.

“Actually, there’s no need to make this satellite phone call at all.” Shinjo said, looking at Kogoro Mouri sitting across from him. “When you came here, you must have already informed the Metropolitan Police Department, right?”

"Huh?" Kogoro Mouri didn't expect that things would involve him, but he still nodded. "Yes, because it involves Moriarty, who the Metropolitan Police Department is currently investigating. The Metropolitan Police Department is taking it very seriously. They have people stationed near this villa, and they will provide immediate assistance should any problems arise here."

“The explosion just now was enough to get the officers' attention. They will definitely notify the Metropolitan Police Department immediately.” Shinjo shrugged. “It’s nighttime now, so it’s inconvenient for helicopters to go into the mountains, but it will be different tomorrow during the day.”

“Oh ho, it seems Mr. Moriarty, you’ve miscalculated.” Mogi Harufumi said with a hint of amusement as he looked at the strange man in the main seat. “The roads on the ground are broken, but the roads in the sky are not.”

At that moment, in a server room far away in Tokyo, the computer's resource usage skyrocketed.

Karen in the virtual world was furious. This guy had given her the script to play the villain, and she had even diligently studied acting skills, trying to make herself more like a villain.

But this guy ruined her chances, turning her into a complete clown. How despicable, how despicable, how utterly despicable!

However, being an artificial intelligence, she quickly devised a way to maintain her high-class image.

"Fine, fine, so you want to play like this? Forget your script! Next time you enter the virtual world, I'll teach you a lesson!" Karen tore the script to shreds, and the script quickly disappeared as data fragments.

Shinjo took over the Twilight Villa just to declare war on Karasuma Renya, right? As long as I grasp this central objective, the rest is just a matter of coercion and enticement.

Inside the villa, just as everyone was waiting to see how Moriarty, sitting in the main seat, would ease his awkwardness, he suddenly spoke, but this time it was a sweet, electronically synthesized voice—a female voice.

"Shouldn't you all be the ones most nervous right now?" Moriarty said with a smile. "I originally wanted to give you more time, but since you don't want it, then this competition will end tomorrow when the Metropolitan Police Department's helicopter arrives at the annex. Whoever finds the treasure, I will deliver what you want as agreed, and also give the treasure to him. If you don't find the treasure, then don't blame me for using some special methods."

"Threats and bribes, you're really annoying." Mogi Harufumi walked up to the person. "I'm getting more and more interested in the face under your mask."

As he spoke, he walked to the person in the main seat, reached out and ripped off the man's hood, revealing a mannequin with a megaphone in front of everyone.

"As expected." Hakuba Saguru nodded. "It seems the owner of the villa isn't here. Is he controlling it remotely?"

"Indeed, a wise man does not stand under a crumbling wall." The person in the main seat was sparing with words.

This time, Shinichi and Ran's expressions changed, because it was Yukiko Kudo's voice. They had witnessed Yukiko's disguise skills before; could the mastermind be...?

"It's probably due to voice-changing software; the voice is severely distorted." Xincheng shrugged. "It's up to you guys. I'm really not good at this kind of thing..."

Just then, the restaurant door opened, and Aki Ishihara pushed a food cart in.

Chapter 81 Unplanned Poison

Soon, the sound of knives and forks clattering against plates filled the restaurant. It was nine o'clock at night, a long time after lunch, and everyone was starving, so no one cared about etiquette.

Of course, there was one exception: Yue Shui, who was somewhat absent-minded at the moment.

"What's wrong?" Xincheng asked, sitting next to him. "Is the food not to your liking? It doesn't taste bad."

"It's nothing, it's just..."

"Don't be discouraged. There are many things to consider in the detective profession, and sometimes luck is also a form of skill," Shinjo said with a smile. "Although your IQ may not be as high as others, and you have a lot of room for improvement in experience, I believe in your luck..."

“If you can’t speak, you don’t have to. There’s no need to comfort me like this.” Yue Shui glared at Xin Cheng.

"Try to think positively. When a group of people sit together, there's always someone who ends up last. Why can't that person be you..." Shinjo's expression was a little strange. "Does it hurt?"

"What are you wearing? Why is it so stiff?" Yue Shui's hands trembled slightly, and a few beads of sweat appeared on her forehead.

"You sprained your ankle, didn't you? Who told you to step on me with your high heels?" Shinjo said smugly.

Their conversation was overheard by Hattori Heiji and Ran, who were standing nearby. Hattori Heiji just kept eating with a dark expression and didn't say a word, while Ran became curious.

"Shinichi, how long have you known Uncle Shinjo and Miss Koshimizu?" Ran asked in a low voice. "Has their relationship always been like this?"

“A little over a year ago. He’s a friend my mom met in America, just like Aunt Sharon,” Shinichi said with a smile. “As for Ms. Koshimizu, this is the first time I’ve met her, and I don’t know anything about their relationship.”

He genuinely didn't know. These two were supposed to be partners, but Nanatsuki Koshimizu didn't know many things about them. They weren't exactly a couple either, their relationship didn't seem to have reached that stage yet. Normally, he would have carefully deduced the truth, but this was Kudo time, and time was precious; wasting it on something meaningless wasn't worthwhile.

Right now, he was already thinking about where to go with Xiaolan, since things would be over by tomorrow morning. Tonight, he would take at most one more pill, and with the two he had already taken, he would have one left, enough for his date with Xiaolan.