Conan: The Man Behind the Romance

Chapter 252: Toru Amuro feels lucky after falling into the spider web
"The situation between Sonoko and I is not what you think, and Xiaolan knows it." Yingsheng looked towards the arena.

Xiaolan, who was resting on the edge of the field, gave him a thumbs up from a distance, slowly turned it over, and nodded twice.

Yingsheng looked innocent, shrugged, and turned to look at Amuro Toru who was sitting next to him: "Is there any progress on the martial arts software, Mr. Amuro?"

"No, I just happened to pass by here and saw the karate competition banner outside, so I thought I'd just come in and take a look."

Amuro Toru glanced at the lively group of students from Haido High School on the right and said with a smile, "It turns out that this is the loudest place. When I walked over, I saw Mr. Suigetsu."

Yingsheng turned around and said: "It's okay to relax from time to time, but don't forget my commission."

"Well, we will step up our efforts. Mr. Shuiyue is quite a capitalist."

Toru Amuro also looked at the field. It was now the quarterfinals. Although the quality was still somewhat uneven, the fighting was obviously much more entertaining than yesterday.

He looked at them for a while and said, "These people are definitely no match for Miss Lan."

"I've said we should aim higher, this game is just a starting point."

Yingsheng stared intently, and when the red player defeated his opponent with a beautiful flying kick, he nodded in appreciation: "Although he used too much force, his timing was quite accurate. It can be regarded as Xiaolan's nourishment."

Amuro Toru said: "Mr. Shuiyue has high expectations for Miss Lan."

"People always strive for higher goals. If you want to do something, you must do it to the best of your ability."

Yingsheng leaned back on the chair and looked up at the silver-white metal dome of the stadium. The surrounding circular tempered glass reflected the blue sky. The scorching sunlight shone through it onto the stadium, like an angel's halo magnified more than a hundred times.

Yingsheng laughed twice: "What do you think we should do if this thing hits the contestants' eyes?"

Amuro Toru also took a look and said: "It should be able to be controlled to open and close, and it will close when the angle is not right."

"That makes sense. What style of martial arts did you learn, Mr. Amuro?"

"I just practiced some boxing, no particular style. It's just to protect myself when I occasionally run into trouble as a private investigator."

"That's really amazing, you talented guy, Xiaolan said you are much better than her."

"After all, he is older. What style did Mr. Shuiyue learn? His vision was very impressive just now."

"Of course it's karate, my master is Xiaolan."

"Then why didn't Mr. Shuiyue participate in the competition?"

"Why else? I'm not strong enough."

The phone rang. Yingsheng looked at it, shook his head and hung up. "Is this guy so impatient? Mr. Amuro, can I ask you to find out the contact number and home address of Kusano Kaoru? She is the singer, a former member of the Earth Ladies Team. I want to ask her for an autographed photo."

"I can give it a try."

"It's better to visit before eight o'clock tonight. If it's too late, I won't be able to visit you."

"..."

Amuro Toru was quite speechless: "Mr. Shuiyue, I am a detective, not a wish-making machine."

"Ah, that's a bit of a shame. Mr. Amuro, could you help me check it using the police system?"

Amuro Toru looked confused: "Me? The police system?"

Yingsheng was equally confused: "Aren't detectives always on good terms with the police? Is this not possible?"

"...Generally speaking, it's not possible, but your classmate Kudo-kun has a good relationship with the police, so maybe it's possible."

"Forget it, that would be too weird. Let me think about it. Let me think about it... By the way, would Mr. Amuro imitate other people's handwriting?"

"...Mr. Shuiyue, if you want to give a gift to a friend, you should put more thought into it."

"Just tell me if you can do it."

"will not."

"Do you know anyone who can?"

"Mr. Shuiyue, why do you always have these strange thoughts? In fact, it's okay to explain it directly to the other party. It's not a big deal."

"Okay, you're right."

Yingsheng picked up the phone and pressed the top call record to redial. The call was connected in seconds. Before the other party could speak, he said:

"At nine o'clock tonight, Bloody Rose, I'll treat you to a drink."

"OK~~"

Huaying's note of hope was long.

After hanging up the phone, Amuro Toru, who had been watching the game, sighed softly: "Mr. Suigetsu is really popular with women."

"No, Mr. Amuro is much better looking than me, and has a more masculine temperament. He must be more popular with women than me when he goes to a bar." Yingsheng turned around, "Just curious, is Mr. Amuro married?"

Amuro Toru smiled and shook his head: "No."

"Then you definitely have a girlfriend, are you living together?"

"No, Mr. Shuiyue, are you here to provoke an old widower like me?"

"Eh???"

Yingsheng's eyes showed surprise: "Mr. Amuro is so outstanding, this shouldn't be the case. Is there someone or something in your heart that you can't let go of?"

"Not at all. I just get used to it."

"Is that so? Then do you want to go to the bar together tonight? Let's experience a different nightlife."

Amuro Toru tilted his head and looked at him with a strange expression: "Mr. Shuiyue, you seem to be a minor, right?"

"NONONO."

Yingsheng nodded his head with a serious look on his face: "Although I look underage, my consciousness has been bathed in the light of the stars from eternity. I am one with that light. You can even say that I am an old monster."

"…You mean, you are mentally old enough?"

"correct."

"........."

Amuro Toru decided that he would report the "Blood Rose" bar for selling alcohol to minors. But before that, he couldn't miss such a good opportunity to get information.

"Well, I have nothing to do at night anyway." Amuro Toru smiled, "Nine o'clock in the evening, Bloody Rose?"

"Of course, see you there."

After saying goodbye with a smile, the two continued the game, but it didn't take long before it really ended.

Suzuki Sonoko came back after finishing her phone call, sat on the right side of Hotaroo, and kept staring at Amuro Toru.

Amuro Toru felt uncomfortable being looked at by her. He knew that she wanted to talk to Yingsheng, so he stood up tactfully and said, "I have to go investigate the financial situation of lawyer Hime."

"Thank you for your hard work. See you tonight, Mr. Amuro." Hotaru waved his hand.

"See you tonight."

Toru Amuro leaves.

Yuanzi immediately spoke up: "My sister didn't do that. She has never ordered the kidnapping of anyone."

"Did I tell you who the suspect is and who the kidnapped person is?" Yingsheng tilted his head. "Why did you ask?"

"I just want to ask her how far she investigated you, and whether she did anything too radical." Yuanzi hesitated for two seconds and said shyly, "I said you found out that someone was secretly investigating you, and that your lover was kidnapped, so you came to me for help."

"Oh, that's fine, she just keeps denying it?"

"My sister said she would stop the investigation and help you find the lady and ask you for her identity and address."

"You are really kind-hearted. In other words, that person is slandering Miss Ayako, right? How about I hand him over to you around 11 o'clock tonight? You can interrogate him carefully and find out why he did this. I would be very grateful if you can give me a conclusion in the end."

"This……"

Yuanzi was a little conflicted. Should she really do such a thing as interrogating others privately?

Yingsheng reminded: "Perhaps you can ask your sister for her opinion. Her reputation is directly threatened."

Yuanzi narrowed her eyes slightly: "You are still doubting your sister, right? If she agreed to your handover and even couldn't wait, you would be sure it was her."

"It's up to you. There are countless people slandering the Suzuki Group every day. It's hard for your public relations department to dispel rumors like that. Of course, you can just ignore it." Yingsheng changed the subject, "Have you contacted your father? What about the Alzheimer's disease?"

Sonoko looked at Yingsheng for a long while and said suspiciously, "Could it be that the kidnapping was fabricated from beginning to end? Are you just using it to put pressure on me? I will state in advance that I will not participate in business negotiations. My attitude does not matter at all."

"Whatever you think."

“Assuming there is that person, what would you do now?”

"Just break one leg and let him go. What else can I do?" Yingsheng turned around and said, "Is it because I used too much force? Why do I feel like you think I'm a bad guy who ignores the law?"

"...You have always been like this, since the first day we met, you have..." Sonoko paused, turned to look at the stadium, "I have already contacted my dad, the game here ends at five o'clock, he sent someone to wait for us outside the stadium."

Yingsheng glanced at the time. It was already three o'clock in the afternoon. Time had passed quite quickly.

"Can I ask you for one more favor?" Yingsheng asked.

"Speak first." Yuanzi didn't even look at him.

"Can you help me find Kaoru Kusano's contact information and home address? I want to visit her with Xiaolan later and ask her for an autographed photo."

"…I'm sorry, I can't help you with that."

"Eh? Isn't this easy for the Suzuki Group?"

"But I'm alone. Are you going to ask me to call my dad for something like this? That's weird. Also," Sonoko looked at me coldly, "you asked me to help you get the lead-in information for your date with Xiaolan. Is there something wrong?"

"I'm so sorry, but you and Xiaolan are good friends, so it's okay."

"Hmph, not good at all."

"Don't say that. I won't dare to answer you." Yingsheng thought for a moment, then quietly pointed at the dark-skinned young man who was three seats away from him, and whispered, "Don't turn your head. What do you think of Kyogoku-senpai? To be honest, he has secretly looked at you several times. It's obvious that he is interested in you."

As expected, Yuanzi didn't turn around, and glared at him fiercely: "Why, you want to set me up with someone else, afraid that I will fall in love with you again? You are too self-indulgent."

Yingsheng shook his head: "I am serious. When you were cheering for Xiaolan yesterday, the way he looked at you was not right. And with his sharp martial arts intuition, he didn't even notice that I was paying attention to him at that time. He was definitely obsessed with you."

"Oh, he……"

Yuanzi was still a little concerned about being liked by someone, but she kept glancing at him for two seconds, but she didn't glance at him. Instead, she snorted coldly:
"It's normal for someone to like me since I'm so outstanding. And it's none of your business."

"Lest you miss a chance to meet someone you don't realize it." Yingsheng shrugged. "You have a cheerful personality. If you don't take the initiative to think about that, what if you become buddies with him, like rubbing yellow earth for incense and swearing brotherhood in Peach Garden?"

"........."

Yuanzi gritted his teeth and said, "Go to hell!"

"Ok."

Yingsheng tilted his head, took out a headset and put it on: "I'm going to chat with the ghost for a while, don't disturb me."

Yuanzi snorted unhappily: "It must be a woman again, you bastard..."

"Mr. Amuro, I suddenly thought of something."

Yingsheng spoke and spread his hands towards Yuanzi with an innocent look. Yuanzi was annoyed and turned her head away, not wanting to pay attention to him.

On the other side, Toru Amuro had just sat in the driver's seat of the Mazda. When he heard what Hotaru said, he was quite speechless. This guy really does what he wants.

"Please say."

"It's like this. I live in Ian Apartment. One time when I was taking the elevator, I met Ms. Okino Yoko. Wasn't she also a member of the Earth Ladies Team in the past? She was a teammate of Kaoru Kusano. I want you to confirm her apartment number."

"Are there any more specific clues?"

"One elevator in one unit in one building, and there are no more."

"Mr. Shuiyue, didn't you pay attention to the floor when you met her that day?"

"The elevator in that apartment building is card-operated. It seems that there are separate elevators for several floors, and there are annual exclusive packages or something. This can be considered a clue, please help me, Mr. Amuro."

"……I see."

It turned out to be a high-end apartment. He is indeed a young master.

Toru Amuro hung up the phone speechlessly, without mentioning the commission fee. Now he has been entrusted with so many things by Hotaru, including one that is obviously a long-term computer software task. He will settle the accounts with him when the time comes.

Anyway, this person paid the money quite promptly and there was no delay in payment.

When thinking about the commission remuneration, Amuro Toru suddenly thought that he was actually receiving double salary. And one of the companies had not contacted him for a long time, so he had time to work as a detective part-time every day.

Well, let’s just call it a third salary.

Buzz buzz buzz—!
As soon as he finished his thought, his cell phone rang. Amuro Toru took a look and his face immediately became serious. The call he had been waiting for for so long finally came.

"Lord Rum, it's me."

After the call was connected, Toru Amuro spoke first.

Rum went straight to the point and gave Toru Amuro the task in a stiff and cold electronic voice.

Looking for people, several people.

Vermouth, Kiyoko Yuzuki, Shirley.

Rum hung up after speaking briefly. Amuro listened to the beeping sound gradually turning into the quiet background noise, and then turning into the voices and horns of the outside world, and thought for a long moment.

Vermouth and Shirley probably really defected from the organization, but what about Yuzuki Kiyoko?

It was fine that the first two codename members paid attention to her in the past, but why is Rum here too?
Could it be that she is also one of Shirley's allies?

Shirley escaped with her help?

Many thoughts flashed through his mind. Toru Amuro searched for Ian's apartment on his mobile phone and drove straight there.

Things have to be done one by one, and isn't it just right to go to the hospital after finishing here?

After all, the direction of the investigation will fall on Kudo Shinichi.

At 3:12 pm, Toru Amuro arrived at Ian Apartment and asked the security guard where Yoko Okino was. Of course, he didn't get an answer. He stuffed a red envelope, but still got nothing, because the security guard really didn't know.

So Toru Amuro took the red envelope back, and the security guard was so angry that he jumped up and down, and rushed out with an explosion-proof fork.

Toru Amuro ran away, returned to the car, and drove away amid the security guard's harsh words.

Glancing at the security guard in the rearview mirror who was baring his fangs and claws like a lobster soldier, Toru Amuro raised the corners of his mouth slightly, took out his cell phone, made a call, and said sorry in his heart.

He wasn't so bored that he wanted to play tricks on the security guard for fun, but he wanted to deepen the security guard's impression of him in this way and do it for Yingsheng to see.

Let Yingsheng know that he was actually investigating it personally, and not using other methods.

"Hey, Mr. Furuya, what's going on?"

Yuya Kazami's voice came from the phone.

Amuro Toru said, "Kazami, help me find Okino Yoko's address, it's near Ian Apartment."

"…Is Okino Yoko related to the organization?"

"Well, probably."

Amuro Toru smiled. Before, Hotaru asked him to use the police system to investigate something. Although he didn't show it on his face, he was really nervous. Later, he found out that the other party was just asking casually, and now he was using the police system to help...

Well, it feels very interesting.

After a while, Toru Amuro parked the Mazda in the underground parking lot of Beika Central Hospital. Yuya Kazami also found Yoko Okino's address and reported it to her. By the way, he also talked about the follow-up of yesterday in a somewhat strange tone:
"When we were chasing the little woman carrying someone, she threw out a disk to divert our attention. When we opened it, we found a group of dance photos. The protagonist was an unknown woman, and her identity could not be found in the system."

Amuro Toru wondered: "Isn't this very important information? Maybe that face holds a secret."

"Well, we originally thought so, but after carefully checking the files of the Shizuoka case, we found that it was just a photo of the suspect Shirakura Yang wearing women's clothing."

"........."

Toru Amuro wondered if his subordinate had been too relaxed recently, and was using this kind of thing to tease him?
Amuro Toru shook his head and asked about something he was concerned about: "How is Miyano Akemi's investigation going?"

After he recognized last night that the injured person might not be Vermouth, considering that it would be difficult for him to contact the Miyano sisters, he naturally requested an investigation from Team Zero.

Yuya Kazami said, "We only found out that she resigned from an accounting firm the afternoon before yesterday, and she has not been seen since. The apartment she was renting was also vacated by a moving company yesterday afternoon, and she checked out this morning."

Toru Amuro discovered the point: "On the surface?"

"Yes, Miyano Akemi also rented an apartment at 6-chome-17 in Beika-cho. According to the manager's description, it should be her. She had hardly been there before. But around midnight last night, the manager noticed that the light was on there."

"I see. Is Inspector Kuroda okay?"

"It's just a sprain, nothing serious. The compensation for the fallen soldiers is being properly processed. Mr. Fūya, don't worry about us. You must be careful."

Amuro Toru was silent for a few breaths: "Goodbye."

call--

After letting out a long breath in the car, Toru Amuro raised his hands to cover his face. He was now a very deep nail, a nail embedded in the darkness.

With the corners of his mouth slightly raised, Amuro Toru smiled silently. Three seconds later, he put down his hand, his eyes returned to calmness, and used another mobile phone to dial the number he had called last night to Vermouth.

Shut down.

Toru Amuro had anticipated this result. He pushed the door and got out of the car. Soon he arrived at Room 413, Building , Inpatient Building, Kudo Shinichi's ward. He knocked on the door and entered. He was the only one sitting on the hospital bed, looking out the window quietly. When he heard the knock on the door, he turned around and looked over.

"Mr. Amuro, why are you here?"

"Ms. Aida has taken a day off today, and Mr. Suigetsu asked me to come and chat with Mr. Mori for a while, and to visit Kudo-kun on the way." Amuro Toru looked at Kudo Shinichi's bandaged left shoulder and raised his eyebrows, "What's wrong with your shoulder? Has Kudo-kun got a new injury?"

"It's just a small matter. I got stabbed by a piece of glass."

Kudo Shinichi smiled, and didn't seem to be in a very good mood. If Amuro Toru had known better, he would have said goodbye and left. However, he came with a purpose, and immediately showed a concerned look on his face and asked:
"Are you in some trouble, Kudo-kun? Is there anything I can help with?"

Toru Amuro shifted his gaze slightly and looked at the bed next to another window, which was naturally empty.

"Has Qingzi-kun woken up yet?" he asked again.

Kudo Shinichi shook his head slightly: "It's no trouble, Kiyoko is awake and has left."

He is not in a good mood right now, especially since he is not very familiar with Toru Amuro, so naturally he doesn't want to mention this.

However, Toru Amuro seemed to be completely unable to read the air, and asked inappropriately: "Did Kudo-kun encounter relationship problems? What happened to Kiyoko-kun? This kind of thing should be over soon."

"........."

Kudo Shinichi was quite speechless. Who are you? Why are you so familiar with others? You just start talking about this kind of thing. He thought about it and decided to find something to get rid of this guy. He just happened to have something he wanted to confirm, so he said:
"Mr. Amuro, I want to entrust you with something."

"Please say."

"Can you find out which kindergarten I attended before I transferred to the Sakura class thirteen years ago? It should be a kindergarten near Beika Town, most likely a private one, and the name is Kudo Shinichi."

"Can I ask why?"

"I just suddenly felt that time passed so quickly, and I had a sudden thought. But I didn't want my parents to know, lest they laugh at me for being so sad at such a young age."

Amuro Toru smiled and said, "I accept this commission. It doesn't sound like a big deal. The fee is tentatively set at 20,000 yen."

He felt that there must be a secret here!

Kudo Shinichi is also a detective, and he said that the injury on his shoulder was not serious. If he was just suddenly nostalgic for the past, he could investigate it himself after he recovered.

Wouldn't that make more sense?
And even if the memory of childhood is not clear, there should be a vague impression. Now the statements of "should" and "possibility" feel like they are completely uncertain, as if you are investigating others!

"No problem, please hurry up."

(End of this chapter)