People are in Conan, but Ace Attorney

Chapter 1021 Conan's Intervention

"A mysterious organization...? A zoo?"

Xiangyuan Law Firm.

Ai Haibara looked up at the spiky-haired lawyer.

She couldn't understand why Xiang Yuanguang always liked to get involved in all sorts of dangerous events that had nothing to do with him, even though Xiang Yuanguang couldn't gain any benefit from these events.

This is not the kind of thinking a normal person should have.

Although this man wielding a demon-hunting knife and using hair gel in his hands is indeed completely unlike any so-called normal person.

"I don't know much about the zoo."

“You should know that after I studied in the United States, I returned to Tokyo and worked in the laboratory until the organization decided to get rid of me. My understanding is limited to the organization’s internal affairs.”

A former scientist of the Black Organization.

As a true heiress to organized crime, even a small amount of information she reveals about the Black Organization is equivalent to the amount of information Conan gathers from several months of investigation on his own.

However, regarding the matter of the mysterious organization...

Ai Haibara didn't really know, she just said,
"All I know is that the mysterious organization seems to believe that there is a gem in the world that can make people immortal, so even though they are an assassin organization, they keep pursuing new gems."

"Furthermore, the clothing styles of the mysterious organizations are similar, and there has been some contact between them. However, the mail has information about contact with the spider you mentioned... only once."

She hesitated for a moment, then said...

"Vermouth had contact with spiders in the United States, but there is no other information about her."

"Besides, Spider isn't based in Tokyo. The mysterious organization that is based in Tokyo has an assassin codenamed Snake. If you ask me about Snake, I might be able to explain it more clearly."

—Vermouth.

Upon hearing this name, Xiang Yuanguang's eyes narrowed involuntarily.

Unlike at other times, Xiang Yuanguang's eyes became exceptionally sharp and dangerous at this moment, almost like he would personally send someone on their way.

He didn't have many interactions with Vermouth.

It happened only once, but that one time was enough for him to know just how dangerous an enemy Vermouth was. It happened on a train from Tokyo to the Shikoku region.

For the first time, the person Xiang Yuanguang wanted to save lost his life protecting him, and he almost died as a result.

I felt the atmosphere around me suddenly turn much colder.

Ai Haibara didn't speak, but simply lowered her head slightly.

Seeking shelter from the cold front.

Although she was confined to the laboratory with strict restrictions on entry and exit, she wasn't completely unaware of other matters; she had heard about the dispute between Vermouth and Xiang Yuanguang.

If Ai Haibara were to experience the same set meal...

Then she would only be more decisive than a nice guy like Xiang Yuanguang, such as considering shooting Vermouth—or perhaps not.

She has never actually shot or killed anyone, despite her experience with firearms.

"What are you talking about?"

The door to Xiangyuan Law Firm was pushed open.

Conan has arrived.

He was very curious about where Xiang Yuanguang had gone without saying a word.

This Sherlock Holmes of the Heisei era never had his curiosity satisfied, especially his curiosity about his friends.

Conan sat down in the chair next to him, quite familiar with the place.

He looked at Hikaru and Ai Haibara, who had suddenly fallen silent, and couldn't help but slowly form a few question marks above his head.

—What are they doing?
Before I came in, you were all chatting away, but as soon as I entered, you stopped talking, right? What's going on? Bullying? Targeting me? "Xiang Yuan, is it about the Black Organization?"

Conan said it bluntly.

He disregarded whether Ai Haibara, a former member of the Black Organization, was present, and simply asked with a puzzled expression,

"Could it be that you think the Black Organization is too dangerous, so you don't plan to let me know they've come to Tokyo again, or that they've launched some major operation, and you're going to check on the situation?"

“I know my parents asked you to take care of me before, but this kind of thing…”

Before Conan could finish speaking, he raised his eyebrows and adjusted his non-prescription glasses.

A flash of white light appeared on the lens, and he then spoke.
"It's not about the Black Organization, is it? Or is it about some other criminal group?"

"Is this related to me? Is it unrelated to me? It should be unrelated to me..."

"If there's just danger, you'll usually tell me frankly. But if there's no danger, you can't possibly not tell me about the plan, unless knowing it would cause trouble."

"...Is it Kaito Kid?"

Conan deduced the correct answer on his own.

—Kaito Kid.

He had already clashed with Kaito Kid a long time ago, when he was still Shinichi Kudo, and Kaito Kid arrogantly said that he would steal the clock tower's time.

The two clashed in mid-air, and Phantom Thief Kid narrowly escaped from him.

Conan has always felt that Kaito Kid's actions are illegal.

However, based on the previous trial of the case involving Motoyasu Tsukumo, the Phantom Thief Kid he knew didn't seem to be an irredeemable villain. Nevertheless, he still had to be arrested.

In Tokyo, he is the only person who can make Hikaru Mugen reveal this appearance.

There will be no one else but Kaito Kid.

To this, Conan simply asked with a puzzled expression,
"What exactly did you discuss with Phantom Thief Kid about that you're keeping it from me? Are you afraid I'll report you for going to steal jewels with Phantom Thief Kid?"

Xiang Yuanguang remained silent for a moment and took a sip of coffee.

"...Stealing what gems? You're not going to do it yourself, are you?"

Conan narrowed his eyes and then asked,

In response, Xiang Yuanguang simply replied,
"of course not."

—So you're still going to steal it.

There seem to be quite a few famous gemstone exhibitions lately, including the world's largest pink sapphire, the Tsar's gemstone set in the Romanov dynasty's commemorative egg, and a new gemstone acquired by Suzuki Jirokichi, an advisor to the Suzuki Foundation.

Which one will Kaito Kid steal?
It should be the first one. Conan thinks that Sonoko Suzuki might help Kaito Kid steal his own jewels, but it's unlikely that Hikaru Mukamoto would help Kaito Kid steal Sonoko's jewels.

"Okay, then, one last question."

Conan sighed and asked,
"If you're not going to participate in the jewel theft, then what are you going there for?"

Faced with questions from the Grim Reaper elementary school student.

Xiang Yuanguang simply said earnestly,

"I have to make sure that Kaito Kid and Hakuba Saguru don't die at the hands of assassins."

"Now that I know about this, I must take action."

Was the theft also part of the plan?

Conan raised an eyebrow, and finally said,
"Okay, I'll go to the scene and see for myself what kind of killer you're talking about."

(End of this chapter)