Isn't it very scientific to use the Death Note to kill people?

They glared fiercely at the client on the screen.

However, the latter didn't care at all.

Secretary Takada stood beside him with a smile.

Hayashi Yoshiki suddenly looked at him and said, "Mr. Takada seems to be used to this kind of thing."

"...How could that be?"

Unexpectedly, he was suddenly called upon while standing to the side. After a moment of surprise, Takada quickly replied.

“We don’t know the client’s identity yet, but Mr. Takada, you can’t escape being an accomplice in murder and kidnapping.”

"..." Takada did not respond, but the smiling expression on his face could not be maintained for long.

"That's right! You bastard—!"

As if he had suddenly found an outlet for his emotions, Kogoro Mouri rushed forward, grabbed Takada by the collar, and roared, "Take us to the client right now!"

"No, that's impossible... I don't know where the client is."

"What did you say!?"

Kogoro Mouri's eyes sharpened.

"Mr. Mori, your every move is under my surveillance. Your IDs have built-in satellite navigation, so even if you want to call the police, it won't do you any good."

"You mean you can detonate a bomb, right?"

"No more nonsense. If you can solve the case before 10 PM tonight, your and the children's IDs will be removed, and I'll give you whatever reward you ask for. I'll only give you the hint for this request once, so listen carefully:"

"TA KA 3 minus 8"

Conan and Yoshiki immediately took out their notebooks to take notes.

Hearing this inexplicable prompt, an anxious Kogoro Mouri couldn't help but roar, "What is this?!"

"Any more questions?"

"I have a question."

"Please speak."

Lin Jiashu then stood up from his seat.

He flexed his right wrist while looking at the screen in front of him: "If we find the answer to the case, do we come back here to report?"

"That's right."

"Will Mr. Takada still lead the way then?"

"That's right."

"That's great."

Lin Jiashu laughed and walked over to his secretary, Takada, who had inexplicably become nervous. He gently patted Takada on the shoulder and said, "If we really can't solve the case, I will come back under the pretense of solving the mystery. Of course, I will also take Mr. Takada with me when the explosion happens."

"—"

Instantly, cold sweat beaded on Takada's forehead.

He looked at his client for help, but the client ignored him.

"Don't talk nonsense, A-Shu!"

Kogoro Mouri looked over, his face showing some annoyance.

"We will definitely find the answer to the problem!"

"Yes, of course, I certainly won't let Mr. Takada off the hook after the mission is completed. In short, as an accomplice, Mr. Takada will either end up in jail or die with us... Which one will it be?"

As Lin Jiashu spoke, his smile brightened.

Conan looked at him and realized for the first time that Yoshiki Hayashi could be so aggressive.

...Is it because everyone's lives are threatened that they are angry?

Or perhaps he was trying to put more pressure on the person to get them to reveal some information?

The client has closed all communication channels.

Finally, Takada, still furious, took out two cell phones.

"This is the hotline for contacting clients, but you can't call them proactively; you'll have to wait for their call. Call me back to this number after you solve the case."

Without a word, Kogoro Mouri took the phones and handed one of them to Yoshiki Hayashi.

"Let's go!"

"I thought Uncle Mori was going to throw him over his shoulder."

There will be an opportunity!

The three of them quickly left the hotel and got into the rented van.

There are still more than eleven hours until 10 PM, time is of the essence—

"Conan, first tell Ran and the others that they are absolutely not allowed to leave the amusement park. And then, Uncle Mori, is there a map in this car?"

"Okay." "Yes."

Conan obediently did as he was told, and Kogoro Mouri immediately fetched him a map.

With just one glance, Yoshiki Hayashi found the location on it: "Go to Takashima Town".

Did you figure out the hint?

“大概是的，委托人这么没头没尾的暗号只有可能是一个地名。TAKA……至于3-8则=-5，把所有符号拿掉就是385——先到高岛町的3丁目去吧。”

As Lin Jiashu spoke, he took out his black cell phone.

He glanced at Conan, who was informing Ai Haibara, through the rearview mirror, then took out his phone, opened his contact list, and found Vermouth.

The client said he would detonate the bomb if the police were called, but he didn't say that he couldn't ask terrorists for help.

Knowing that her beloved angel is exposed to the threat of a bomb, Vermouth must be very anxious, right?

This is the client, Ito Suehiko's, ultimate value.

If it weren't for the fact that he could be useful in this kind of situation, Hayashi Yoshiki would have had Shimizu Reiko get rid of him long ago.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

In a high-end apartment in Tokyo

In the dimly lit room with the curtains drawn, the alluring woman had just gotten out of bed and hadn't even had a chance to stretch when she noticed the movement of her phone.

She opened it and took a look, her face immediately filled with surprise.

Kimi: "Do you have time to come to Yokohama? I have something important I'd like to discuss with you."

what happened?

Vermouth was utterly astonished.

She knew that Jundu had always been somewhat unfriendly to her, and to send her such a text message so early this morning...

The woman raised an eyebrow, her hands, adorned with purple nail polish, deftly typing a text message reply: "I do have time, but what do you want to talk to me about?"

Jundu: "Say it in person, as soon as possible."

"..."

Vermouth became interested.

She glanced at the time, picked up the clothes beside her, and got up to go to the bathroom.

246

Chapter 246: It's a bit strange, Kudo-kun

Following the question posed by Suehiko Ito, the three of them eventually arrived at an abandoned small hotel.

Kogoro Mouri parked the car in the yard.

"Does this place really have anything to do with the case?"

"In any case, the code they gave should be here."

Yoshiki Hayashi answered Kogoro Mouri's question while adjusting the ID wristband on his left wrist.

Having gotten used to wearing a watch, he found it really strange to suddenly switch to this thing.

Noticing his movements, Kogoro Mouri couldn't help but say, "Be careful, the client said that if you try to dismantle it, the bomb will sense the detonation."

"I know."

Lin Jiashu smiled.

He had just received a text message from Vermouth, who said she was on her way to Yokohama. Hayashi Yoshiki estimated that he would meet her around noon.

"On another note, this case is fine with just me and Ashu, so why did the client specifically ask you, a kid who's still in elementary school, to come along?"

As he pushed open the door of the abandoned hotel, Kogoro Mouri couldn't help but glance at Conan beside him.

"Maybe he thinks I'm very capable?"

Conan spoke in a childlike tone, but deep down he was also a little unsure.

Would a normal client really involve a child in their case? Or does the client know his true identity...?

Thinking of this, Conan couldn't help but look at Yoshiki Hayashi again.

Unlike the always clueless Kogoro Mouri, Yoshiki Hayashi is not so easily fooled; he will definitely care about this issue... Remembering what Hattori had told him before that Yoshiki Hayashi might have already discovered him, Conan inexplicably felt that this might be an opportunity.

The three searched the abandoned hotel.

Suddenly, a middle-aged homeless man appeared from the hotel and greeted them.

Has anything strange happened here recently?

“Strange thing…? Ah, a big white bird once flew in, does that count? It flew right in front of the sun, on my birthday, April 4th.” The homeless man said, pointing to the courtyard outside the hotel with a smile: “And that morning, there was a car parked outside, and then a real estate agent came and locked up the basement.”

Because no one usually comes here, the homeless man who used it as his home remembers it very clearly.

He said that a brand-new car was parked there that morning, but when he went out to scavenge and returned in the evening, the new car had been replaced by a dilapidated used car, and the car's parts had been stolen in the middle of the night, leaving only a skeleton.

After thanking the homeless man and waiting for him to leave, Lin Jiashu smiled and said, "Let me see if I can go to the basement to take a look."

“I’ll go with you, Yoshiki-nii.”

Okay.

So the two of them went to the basement together, leaving Kogoro Mouri to look for clues elsewhere.

The hotel room was without power and needed to be lit with flashlights.

Lin Jiashu endured the musty smell and walked ahead, his footsteps echoing in the darkness.

After confirming that Kogoro Mouri wasn't there, Conan suddenly called out to him, "Yoshiki-nii."

"Ok?"

"...Don't you find it strange?"

"What's strange about it?"

"The client specifically asked me to stay behind."

"..."

Lin Jiashu stopped in his tracks.

He turned around, and the beam of the flashlight fell on Conan.

The latter stood there with an expression so calm it was unlike that of a child—in a private setting, he took the initiative to say this to Lin Jiashu, who had never brought up the topic before, and Lin Jiashu instantly understood his thoughts.

Pretending to be stupid at this point would be too exaggerated.

Lin Jiashu said softly, "It is a little strange, Kudo-kun."

"You actually noticed."

As he said it, Conan suddenly felt a sense of relief.

He suddenly felt incredibly relieved.

Sometimes, keeping a secret that you can't confide in anyone, and constantly worrying about being discovered, can be a real mental burden. Conan felt relieved when Yoshiki Hayashi saw through his secret—the latter had clearly known his identity for a long time but had kept it hidden for him, which truly touched him.