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

"Okay, Yoshiki-san, it's settled then."

"Okay, it's settled."

Lin Jiashu chuckled softly, then gently said goodnight: "But it's getting late, you have class tomorrow, right? Xiaolan, get some rest."

Goodnight, Yoshiki-san!

The girl hung up the phone with satisfaction, holding it to her chest. The slight warmth of the phone against her body felt like the steaming heat of the Hakone hot springs she had been longing for.

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 the dimly lit room, Rum's one eye stared back and forth between two photographs placed side by side on the table—one a photograph of Shiho Miyano as a child, and the other a photograph of Ai Haibara as she is now.

The striking similarity almost erases the traces of time.

The two photos show Shiho Miyano as a child, whose expression still retains a touch of childlike innocence. In contrast, the cool and aloof expression in the latter photo certainly doesn't resemble that of a child.

A mixture of excitement and ruthlessness surged within Rum.

APTX-4869...Rejuvenation!

This incredible reality now seems to be a reality, and it's so within reach... If he can grasp the secret, not only will his eyes be restored, but his power will also be unmatched!

Rum picked up his heavily encrypted phone and dialed a number.

The call was answered quickly.

"Hello? It's me."

"Bourbon."

Rum's voice was deep and carried an undeniable air of authority, "I have a task for you, and you need to carry it out in secret."

"Please give instructions."

"Go investigate that brat named Ai Haibara... You should know who he is, since you were on the submarine at the time."

Rum immediately gave the order, his single eye gleaming, "I need to know when and where she started appearing, who she usually contacts, and all her social networks. Find out everything!"

He paused deliberately, emphasizing his words: "Remember, it's a secret investigation. Don't alert them before you receive further instructions from me."

Amuro Tooru's heart skipped a beat when he heard the order on the other end of the phone.

Investigating Ai Haibara?

Yoshiki managed to fool Gin, but still aroused Rum's suspicion?

His heart sank slightly, but his voice remained calm and even: "Understood. What is the target's current basic area of ​​activity?"

"Mainly in Beika Town, I frequently visited Teitan Elementary School and Professor Agasa's house nearby."

Rum provided the information he already possessed, then his tone became meaningful, even carrying a hint of subtle provocation, "You'd better be careful during the investigation, Bourbon... the target seems to have a close relationship with Cointreau, don't accidentally end up like Binga."

The conflict between Bourbon and Cointreau was very noticeable within the organization—as it had been for Rum before.

After all, Cointreau had tried to take action against Bourbon several times, and had almost succeeded... Based on this, Rum had no doubt about Bourbon's hostile stance towards Cointreau.

Amuro Tooru on the other end of the phone was secretly relieved about this.

The personas that Yoshiki and I had deliberately created were very useful. At least Rum immediately assigned this task to me, giving me time to prepare him for what was to come.

He could almost picture the calculating smirk on Rum's face right now.

"So, is Cointreau really hiding something?"

"Stop talking nonsense, Bourbon."

"I understand. I will handle this carefully and avoid unnecessary trouble."

"very good."

Rum was satisfied with Bourbon's reaction, but he didn't relax. He then urged in an urgent tone, "Hurry up, Bourbon. I need to see results as soon as possible."

"Yes."

The call has ended.

Amuro Tooru put down his phone, his golden eyes calm and still in the shadows, but his tightly pursed lips still betrayed his inner turmoil.

In short, let's inform that kid first—

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.

The warm living room was filled with the aroma of black tea.

Yoshiki Hayashi and Eri Kisaki were sitting opposite each other on the sofa, with a brochure about a Hakone hot spring trip spread out on the coffee table.

"This hotel looks really nice, and the garden looks beautiful too."

Looking at the scenery in the promotional brochure, Eri Kisaki said with anticipation, "To be honest, it's been a long time since I've had a proper hot spring soak. This time, I really have to thank Ran for winning the lottery ticket."

Just as Lin Jiashu was about to respond, his phone vibrated very slightly in his pocket.

His expression remained unchanged as he casually took out his phone, his eyes quickly scanning the screen—the content was concise yet alarming: [Be careful, Rum has asked me to investigate Ai Haibara.]

With just one glance, all the ripples were perfectly contained within those smiling eyes. Lin Jiashu didn't even change the curve of his lips in the slightest. He casually tapped the screen a few times, as if he had just finished watching an unimportant advertisement, and then gently placed the phone screen-down on the armrest of the sofa.

“Yes,” he continued, “Aunt Eri is usually too busy with work, so this is a good opportunity for her to relax completely. Ran has been very worried about your health.”

Eri looked up, her gaze lingering on his face for a moment. She smiled, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear, and said with a knowing yet gentle teasing tone, "You guys aren't trying to use me to cover for you, are you?"

"...How could that be?"

Lin Jiashu was speechless.

"Don't worry, I'm really looking forward to it myself."

"But is it possible to arrange the time? It seems that the raffle tickets have a limited usage period."

“…Well, I can’t help it, after all, I have to lend you a hand.” Eri Kisaki smiled with her eyes narrowed. “Just work hard during this time, and then you can properly enjoy this three-day, two-night vacation.”

"In that case, I'll have to put in some effort to do some research on the surrounding area... I need to make sure Aunt Eri can enjoy her vacation."

"Seriously, how can there be such a considerate boy like Xiaoshu?"

Eri Kisaki immediately smiled brightly.

Seeing that she was indeed full of anticipation, Lin Jiashu finished his black tea with a smile and then got up to say goodbye.

He walked out of the door of Eri Kisaki's apartment building.

He took out his phone and dialed Amuro Tooru's number:

"Hello, Mr. Amuro—"

Chapter 92: An Unreliable Father

The morning sunlight streamed through the windows of the Mori Detective Agency, illuminating the dust particles floating in the air.

Xiao Lan, who woke up early, was in a good mood just like the bright sunshine that morning. She was humming a song as she carefully packed her suitcase in the living room.

Several neatly folded changes of clothes, her usual skincare products, and in addition, a headband for washing her face, a face towel... After arranging these things neatly, she thought for a moment and finally picked up the set of cosmetics that she didn't use often and put them into her suitcase as well.

When Conan, still in his pajamas, rubbed his eyes and came out of the room, he saw Ran happily stuffing various snacks into her small bag.

Good morning, Sister Xiaolan.

Good morning, Conan.

Xiaolan gave him a sweet smile, "Breakfast is ready. Go eat after you've washed up."

"OK……"

Conan yawned lazily.

He felt that Xiaolan was a little too happy today and was about to wash up when he noticed the conspicuous makeup bag as he passed by the open suitcase.

He seemed to suddenly become clear-headed.

Seeing Ran still hesitating about what drinks to bring, he asked, "Ran-neechan, aren't you only going to the hot springs with Aunt Eri this time? Why did you bring cosmetics?"

Although she has some makeup skills, Xiaolan almost never wears makeup.

They rarely even go out to play.

Xiao Lan's hand paused almost imperceptibly, her heart skipped a beat, and she knew something was wrong.

She turned around, trying to maintain a natural smile, and explained, "Ah... because I wanted to take some nice photos with my mom to remember the occasion, wouldn't it be better to dress up a little?"

She tried to make her tone sound casual.

However, this answer did not dispel Conan's doubts. Instead, he keenly sensed her guilty conscience from her question and couldn't help but say:

"Sister Ran would definitely look even better dressed up, but you don't usually wear makeup. Is it really just Aunt Eri coming with you this time?"

He felt that Xiaolan's excitement this time was a little unusual.

Xiaolan felt even more guilty.

If Conan knew that Yoshiki was going too, he'd probably start nagging to come along again... Yoshiki was right, the kid seems a bit too clingy and possessive.

Therefore, despite her headache, she didn't dare show any sign of distress and simply smiled to change the subject: "Yes... the two-person meal is just for me and Mom. By the way, Conan, aren't you guys going camping with Professor Agasa today? What time are you planning to leave?"

Conan stared at her for two seconds before replying, "The professor said he'd pick us up after ten o'clock."

He wasn't completely swayed; instead, after Xiaolan relaxed a bit, he abruptly steered the conversation back, asking tentatively:

"Sister Xiaolan, is Brother Jiashu going with you this time too?"

"..."

Just as Ran, with her back to him, was wondering how to answer and her heart was racing, Kogoro Mouri yawned widely and sauntered out of the bedroom looking disheveled.

"Ah—those of you who need to go out, hurry up and go out!"

He stretched, looking on with a look of contentment at the impending liberation. "Ah! For the next two days, I can finally have some peace and quiet and be free!"

Upon hearing this, Xiaolan immediately followed up, saying, "No, Dad! We're not home, and you're probably planning to stay drunk all day. In short, you're not allowed to go to the horse race, and you're definitely not allowed to sneak off to an izakaya!"

"I know, I know!"

Kogoro Mouri waved his hand dismissively and walked towards the bathroom in his slippers, saying, "So young and already so fond of giving advice."

Ran breathed a sigh of relief, temporarily escaping Conan's questioning. She continued packing her luggage, mentally figuring out how to completely steer the conversation away from the previous topic.

Because Kogoro Mouri had taken over the restroom, Conan didn't go in with him.

As Conan watched Ran's retreating figure, his suspicions grew stronger.

A moment later, Kogoro Mouri finished washing up and changed into his suit. When he habitually put his hands in his pockets, he found that his cigarettes were gone.

"Tsk, out of cigarettes."

He muttered to himself, grabbed his wallet, and prepared to head downstairs.

"Dad, why don't you finish your breakfast before coming downstairs?" Xiaolan called out to him.

"I'll just buy it at the convenience store downstairs and come right away."

Without turning his head, Kogoro Mouri waved his hand and opened the door to the office.

"Really..." Ran sighed, then looked at Conan and said, "Conan, you should hurry up and wash up, or your breakfast will get cold."

"Okay...but Sister Xiaolan, can I go to the hot spring with you too?"

"Eh...uh, but Conan, didn't you guys already make plans to go camping?"

"But soaking in a hot spring sounds even more relaxing! Please, let me go with you!"

"But if we do that, Genta and the others will definitely—"

Xiaolan wanted to say that the other children would be disappointed, but before she could finish speaking, she heard a cry of "Ouch!" from the stairwell outside the door, followed by a series of chaotic tumbling sounds.

A moment later, Kogoro Mouri's painful howls came from outside: "It hurts, it hurts so much—!"

"Dad?!" "Uncle?"

Ran and Conan's expressions changed, and they immediately rushed out.

The two arrived outside and saw Kogoro Mouri lying on the corner of the stairs in an extremely disheveled position, clutching his left leg, wincing in pain, and sweat beading on his forehead.

"Dad! How are you?"

Xiao Lan, who rushed over, hurriedly squatted down and reached out to help him up.