I'm in Conan, I'm not a gangster

Chapter 761 Jack the Ripper is no longer cutting open chests?

Shiraishi E and Conan hurried along and arrived at the Imperial Opera House in Warsaw. It felt like they had only walked a short distance, but when they looked up, the sky had quickly darkened as if it had been dyed black. The gas lamps along the street lit up one after another, casting a dim, swaying halo on the cobblestone street.

"The flow of time has been adjusted." Conan glanced at the suddenly changed sky and said in a low voice, "It seems to be Noah's Ark's doing again, it's urging the plot to develop."

The two men circled around to the back door of the opera house and were whispering about how to sneak in unnoticed when a staff member in uniform, who looked like a stage manager, happened to walk out of the door.

Upon seeing Shiraishi E, he immediately broke into a warm and familiar smile: "Good evening, Mr. Holmes! What brings you here?"

Shiraishi E was slightly taken aback, not expecting that the "Sherlock Holmes" face would be so useful in London's social circles, practically a pass that allowed for unimpeded access.

He quickly got into character and replied calmly, "Good evening. I just happened to have some free time tonight, so I came to check in. By the way, who's performing tonight?"

"It's Miss Irene Adler!" the staff member exclaimed with a hint of admiration. "Tickets for her shows are incredibly hard to come by."

Shiraishi E then made a request: "So it's her. I was just about to go in and have a chat with her. Is that convenient?"

“Of course, of course! Mr. Holmes, please follow me.” The staff member readily agreed, becoming even more proactive than before, and took the initiative to lead the way.

Passing through the slightly messy yet artistically decorated backstage corridor, Conan, taking advantage of the guide's inattention, leaned close to E Shiraishi and whispered with a hint of surprise, "It seems that Mr. Holmes's status in society is much higher than we imagined..."

This respectful treatment they received wherever they went certainly made their investigation much easier.

Soon, they were led by a staff member to the door of a beautifully decorated dressing room. "Miss Adler is getting ready inside."

After finishing speaking, the staff member politely took their leave.

Shiraishi E nodded her thanks, then raised her hand and knocked lightly on the door twice.

A moment later, a soft, melodious, and uniquely magnetic female voice came from inside the door: "Please come in."

Shiraishi E gently pushed open the door.

At the same moment he and Conan stepped into the room, the figure who had been sitting in front of the dressing mirror with her back to the door elegantly stood up and turned around in their direction.

When that all-too-familiar face came into view, Conan's eyes widened instantly, and he blurted out, "Mom?...Oh."

The woman standing before me, Erin Adler, had a face that looked exactly like Yukiko Kudo's!
The next second, he couldn't help but roll his eyes dramatically, rubbing his forehead in exasperation, and said, "Just as I thought... Dad's twisted sense of humor..."

"How rude of you, little brother." Upon hearing this, Irene Adler immediately pouted her luscious red lips, feigning reproach, "Dr. Watson, I'm still single..."

She paused deliberately, then winked playfully and added, "But to be precise, it's about becoming single again after the divorce!"

At this point, she smiled sweetly, took light steps and walked straight to Shiraishi E. Under Conan's horrified gaze, she actually tiptoed and quickly kissed Shiraishi E on the cheek, saying with a radiant smile, "Of course, if Mr. Holmes is willing, I don't mind... immediately returning to the married status."

"..." Conan's lips and eyebrows twitched violently at the same time.

The woman in front of me, Erin Adler, is completely out of place. Not only does she look exactly like her mother, but she also perfectly imitates her mischievous, slightly willful, and charming personality. She is just like Yukiko Kudo herself who has traveled to the Victorian era!
He shivered, fearing that Shiraishi E, with her unconventional thinking and eccentric behavior, might suddenly have a dangerous idea like "let's see if this game can trigger a marriage plot," and then impulsively agree to "Miss Eileen's" "proposal."

If things really escalate to that point, let alone whether Conan's fragile heart can handle it, the important task of capturing Jack the Ripper tonight will be completely ruined!

Therefore, Conan acted swiftly, cutting to the chase before Shiraishi E could utter any shocking remarks, and said urgently, "Miss Irene! Please stop today's performance immediately! We have received definite information that Professor Moriarty has sent Jack the Ripper to assassinate you tonight!"

"Assassinate me?" A perfectly timed look of doubt appeared on Eileen's delicate face. She tilted her head slightly. "Why? I don't think I've offended that professor."

Shiraishi E shrugged and said in an obvious tone, "It's probably because I hit his servant and grabbed his collar yesterday... He didn't dare to retaliate at the time because of the situation, so he chose to take revenge afterward. And you, unfortunately, became the tool he used to take revenge on me."

"Oh, I see." To their surprise, Eileen did not show any panic. Instead, she smiled calmly, as if she had heard an interesting piece of gossip rather than a deadly threat.

She then looked at Shiraishi E, a sly glint in her eyes, "Since this trouble was caused by you, Holmes, it's only right and proper that you take responsibility for dealing with it... So, you have to protect me! This shouldn't be too difficult for the famous Sherlock Holmes, right?"

Shiraishi stroked her chin, seemingly considering the suggestion seriously, before nodding decisively: "Well, logically and morally speaking, you shouldn't suffer this undeserved misfortune... Alright, I'll take responsibility for your safety."

Eileen's smile immediately brightened, becoming even more radiant, like a blooming rose: "Then I'll leave it to you two, Holmes and this lovely little Watson!"

Conan watched in stunned silence, finally able only to sigh helplessly, rubbing his forehead inwardly: "This personality is exactly like my mom's! Even that 'naturally pushing troublesome things onto men' mindset is exactly the same! It's really... so troublesome!!"

———————— Inside the Imperial Opera House in Warsaw, the lights were bright and the orchestral music was melodious.

Shiraishi E and Conan hid in the shadows on the side of the stage, their eyes fixed intently on Irene Adler, who was singing loudly on stage, and on any possible unusual movements in the dimly lit audience below.

They were on edge, especially wary of someone suddenly pulling out a deadly firearm from some corner.

Just as the two were on guard, an accident occurred.

"boom!!!"

A deafening roar suddenly ripped the music apart, and the entire theater shook violently as if gripped by an invisible giant hand!

Immediately afterwards, explosions rang out one after another from hidden corners of the theater—next to load-bearing pillars, under boxes, and even on the stage base!
Flames and thick smoke erupted instantly, and wood chips and gravel flew everywhere like a rainstorm. The ornate decorations were reduced to dust by the shockwave.

The audience, who had just been immersed in the enjoyment of the art, were suddenly plunged into extreme panic, with screams and cries drowning out everything.

This move completely caught Conan off guard. He stumbled and nearly fell, exclaiming in shock, "A bomb?! How could it be a bomb?! How could Jack the Ripper, who always used a knife to kill with precision, resort to such a large-scale, indiscriminate bombing attack?!"

After the initial swaying, Shiraishi E quickly regained his balance. He looked around at the hellish scene and chuckled, his tone knowing: "There's nothing we can do. Noah's Ark was forced to increase the pressure... I reckon Jack the Ripper himself didn't want to play with bombs."

Conan instantly realized what was happening, glanced at Shiraishi E who remained calm even amidst the explosion, and nodded in agreement: "Yeah, I think that's very likely."

"After all, if Jack the Ripper really did follow the original script and came up with a knife to stab people, he would probably have been easily subdued by you before he even got close to Miss Irene... He wouldn't have had a single chance of winning."

"Therefore, Noah's Ark could only forcibly change the character's behavior logic and 'upgrade' his equipment."

The entire theater was likely rigged with countless explosives.

Although the black powder bombs of this era were vastly different in power from the high-energy explosives of a century later, for the people of the Victorian era, the sight of flames soaring into the sky and the earth shaking was no less terrifying than any modern attack.

"Snap—crash!!"

A sickening cracking sound came from above.

The largest and most dazzling crystal chandelier on the theater's dome was severely affected by the shockwave of the explosion.

The massive metal chain groaned under the strain, swaying violently and precariously, carrying countless shimmering crystal shards, before finally crashing down like a falling star towards the very center of the stage—where Irene Adler was standing!
"Watch out!" In the nick of time, Shiraishi E had already anticipated the danger. He moved like lightning, rushing onto the stage in one stride. To Eileen's horrified gaze, he grabbed her waist and easily and nimbly pulled her out of the deadly fall, bringing her back to the relatively safe edge of the stage.

However, the crisis was not over.

Just as Shiraishi E saved Eileen, he keenly sensed another strange noise above him—a huge decorative plaster component, loosened by the explosion, was hurtling down with rubble!

"Excuse me," Shiraishi E murmured, not letting go of Eileen, but instead spinning smoothly around her while still holding her close.

It was as if he wasn't dodging a deadly falling object, but rather leading his dance partner in an elegant yet thrilling waltz.

Amidst the falling rubble and dust, he held the still-shaken Eileen in his arms, moving with precise, dance-like steps, calmly dodging attack after attack from above.

Their posture was relaxed and carefree, as if the surrounding explosions and chaos were merely background music accompanying them.

Eileen, who was being held tightly in his arms, was initially terrified, but when she looked up and saw Shiraishi E's calm and even slightly teasing profile, and felt his strong arms and incredibly precise steps, her fear gradually transformed into an indescribable thrill and infatuation.

She gazed up at him, his composed figure reflected in her azure eyes, as if the entire world consisted only of this man who was "dancing" with her on the verge of destruction.

Conan, on the other hand, didn't have that kind of "leisure time".

He scrambled and leaped among the falling planks, lamps, and bricks, his small frame displaying remarkable agility to barely avoid being hit.

"Hey! You guys still have the mind to dance?!" he shouted angrily, but his voice was quickly drowned out by more explosions and collapses.

He was too busy dodging the falling debris to pay attention to Shiraishi E's womanizing antics.

(End of this chapter)