The establishment of the Time Travelers Alliance began in the first year of Conan

Chapter 218 Around 5:30 PM (12,000 words, please vote!)
In fact, compared to the detective team or the distillery team—

Conan and Heiji Hattori were delayed by a report from Akira Sato on the 25th floor.

Vermouth and Gin, due to their respective timelines and the need to gain more advantages, did not enter the fray immediately.

On the contrary, it's Ran Mouri and Ai Haibara.

Because of the cover provided by the "historical inertia," they encountered no obstacles and were therefore the first to reach the forty-ninth floor.

The elevator doors slowly opened, and Ran Mouri took Ai Haibara's hand and walked into the pristine white corridor leading to the banquet hall.

The marble floor was so clean it almost reflected people's images, and the walls on both sides of the walkway were also made of light-colored stone.

The soft white light emitted by the retro wall lamps illuminated the corridor in front of them as if it were a path to heaven, but at first glance, Ran Mouri felt a strange chill.

The colors on their clothes are wrong.

In this pale landscape, the deep blue and deep red stood out starkly.

Ran Mouri subconsciously glanced down at her blue casual clothes, then looked at Ai Haibara, who was wearing Ayumi's burgundy coat.

For a moment, a strange illusion arose in her mind.

Behind them, the guests who had come up in the elevator with them were all dressed in neat black formal attire, chatting quietly as they walked slowly.

They were the only true colors swimming in this pristine space, like fish swimming towards the exit, surrounded by a mass of ink.

In this corridor that seemed to consist only of black and white, they appeared to be completely invisible to these people.

No one even glanced at them.

This sense of emptiness, as if its existence had been artificially "filtered out," stirred a feeling of unease within Ran Mouri.

She instinctively squeezed Ai Haibara's hand back and asked in a low voice, "Haibara, are you sure this is where the person you're looking for will be?"

Ai Haibara nodded slightly in response.

She didn't feel anything was wrong, or rather, her attention was now entirely focused on examining the group of men in black around her.

Ai Haibara is trying to find members of the organization, or rather, Gin and Vodka.

She knows too little information right now, and the emergence of the organization is very likely related to the message her sister wants to convey.

They glanced warily around out of the corner of their eye, and then slowly walked with the flow of people to the magnificent golden gate.

The golden relief extends from the center of the door to the top of the door frame, and is a pattern similar to an ancient celestial globe.

On either side of the entrance, several waiters were handling the registration.

Ran Mouri nervously led Ai Haibara closer, prepared to be stopped—her attire was clearly inappropriate for a memorial service.

Blue casual wear is by no means formal, let alone Ai Haibara standing next to her, who is wearing a rather bright red coat.

But no matter what, I have to try to get into the memorial service.

Taking a deep breath, Ran Mouri mustered her courage and was about to say, "I'm sorry, we forgot our dresses," but the other person's reaction was faster and gentler than she had expected.

For Shimizu Yuko, who was playing the role of a waitress, her pupils contracted sharply the moment she saw Mouri Ran.

She casually tapped the watch cover on her left wrist with her finger, uploading the message "Ran Mouri appeared at the memorial service registration desk on the 49th floor," and then immediately stood up with a gentle smile.

"Do you have an invitation?"

Ran Mouri quickly took out the VIP card she had won in the lottery from her pocket and carefully spread it out in front of her, along with her handkerchief.

"Is this ok?"

"Of course, you're welcome."

Yuko Shimizu nodded, took the VIP card, and began registering the serial number on it.

The moment she looked down, a message from the moon appeared on her retina.

Yuko Shimizu slowed down the registration process.

Her next task was to stall for time until the other team members responsible for providing the keys arrived, ensuring that Ran Mori remained in the corridor.

Even according to the worst-case scenario, all the team members who arrived were blocked.

At the very least, I need to get them reunited with Conan and Heiji Hattori.

However, at this moment, an indescribable sense of crisis quietly spread.

"Wait, why am I thinking about 'them'?!"

This question quickly arose in Shimizu Yuko's mind, and she realized that something was not quite right.

"Besides Ran Mouri, there's someone else?"

As Ran Mouri took Ai Haibara's hand, Yuko's gaze quietly swept over the small figure standing to the side, seemingly out of place with its surroundings.

The moment Yuko noticed Ai Haibara, a flicker of panic crossed her eyes.

She immediately realized that there was something wrong with the disharmony she had just felt inside—

That wasn't a reaction caused by league training!

She immediately looked down at the silver-white watch on her wrist.

Under Ran's somewhat puzzled gaze, the waiter in front of her suddenly and quickly reached for her wrist.

But it was too late!
The second hand on the TDD stopped the moment Shimizu Yuko looked at Haibara Ai, followed by the minute hand, then the hour hand...

Yuko realized there was something wrong with the disharmony in her heart before she tried to send that urgent message.

The sense of urgency that had just appeared in her eyes vanished instantly, like a bursting bubble.

Yuko Shimizu resumed her usual smile.

She gave a slight bow, and then naturally took off her watch and placed it aside.

She even thoughtfully asked:
"If you don't have an evening gown, we can prepare a custom-made one for you."

"This dress... may not be in accordance with the banquet's rules."

While the other members of the alliance—those who were also tourists without evening gowns—rushed to the registration desk in a seemingly legitimate manner, based on the information sent by Shimizu Yuko.

Ran Mouri's figure, along with Ai Haibara's, has disappeared.

"Damn it! The [story timeline] has hijacked them!"

Looking at the watch that had been taken off and placed on the registration desk, Imagawa En gritted his teeth.

His tone unconsciously carried a hint of urgency and helplessness as he immediately contacted the "tourists" behind him who also hadn't brought formal attire, through TDD.

"Everyone, immediately transfer the remaining CYZ effect reserves in TDD to Rimi and Mao, and then evacuate according to the evacuation procedure!"

"Rimi, Mao, the location of the changing room on the 49th floor has been sent to you. Try to find Ran Mouri immediately."

"Remember, never try to see Ai Haibara, otherwise the [story timeline] will definitely reset you using [historical inertia]!"

Not only Rimi Nara and Mao Asakura, but all the special task force members responsible for formal wear and changing rooms immediately received orders from the executive level.

Lin Sheng could see it clearly: the story timeline had already begun to move.

Those research departments that chose to remain in the [Alliance Cycle] and have not yet evacuated—through calculations and simulations, they obtained a rather dangerous result.

If Ran Mouri, dressed in a formal gown, were to lead Ai Haibara into the memorial service, the story's timeline would definitely reverse and utilize this historical momentum.

Lin Sheng saw that Bai Zichen looked somewhat anxious in the future, one month after the cycle in the [Loop].

"Ran Mouri didn't appear in the 'Reunion with the Black Organization,' which means that after she brings Ai Haibara into the meeting hall, the situation will likely change again, with her covering Ai Haibara's tracks!"

Of course, Lin Sheng knew he couldn't completely control the [story timeline], but it was delaying Conan's meeting with Ai Haibara—

At the very least, if Ran Mouri and Ai Haibara both changed into black dresses, it would be difficult for Conan and Heiji Hattori to quickly locate them based on their physical characteristics.

The variables are increasing, and the situation is becoming somewhat troublesome.

……

As for Ran Mouri, with the help of the waitress named Yuko Shimizu, she successfully found the dressing room where spare dresses were kept.

But when she changed into that exquisite black dress, she didn't feel joy because of the dress's splendor; instead, she felt a bit uneasy.

Ran Mouri attributed her unease to the results of her analysis.

She had confirmed that the child named Ai Haibara was definitely not asking her for help because she was separated from her family.

Otherwise, why didn't the child ask a waiter for directions after entering the forty-ninth floor?

Even as she was choosing her own evening gown, the child immediately seized the opportunity to make the same request.

"Sister Xiaolan! What a beautiful dress! I want to wear an evening gown too!"

Ran Mouri paused slightly, then turned to the waiter and asked, "Do you have a style that fits this child?"

"It's really rare to see someone bring their child to this kind of memorial service!"

However, despite saying that, Ms. Yuko still found a black dress that fit Ai Haibara perfectly.

(PS: I only found these two chapters with the same style of black dress)
After changing into her formal attire, Ran Mouri's gaze unconsciously drifted to the still-closed dressing room door.

"Haibara? Do you need help?" Ran Mouri asked softly.

"Children's bodies are such a hassle..."

While silently complaining to herself, the adorable Haibara was "struggling" with the ties on the back of her dress.

Well, actually it's because this is the first time she's worn this kind of evening gown, and she's wearing her own body from when she was a child.

Ai Haibara's voice, which she tried to keep calm, came from the dressing room: "Um, could you please help me tie the back strap, Ran-neechan?"

Ran Mouri sighed, opened the door, and went inside.

As she entered the dressing room and began helping the child put on the evening gown, Ai Haibara's gaze froze for a few seconds at some minor scratches on her body.

Ran Mouri's thoughts quickly returned to the details of their time at the campsite.

The child took Ayumi's jacket and her own hat from the campsite, and the marks on her body seem more like—

Cuts from the grass while walking through the woodland near the campsite?
Her intuition told her that none of these things were accidental.

Especially after getting close to Ai Haibara, that lingering sense of vigilance has not surfaced until now.

And that warning...

The inner warning is related to the truth that "Shinichi is Conan".

A vague guess popped into her mind, but she quickly suppressed it.

"I can't let her sense my suspicion."

Ran Mouri reminded herself to act like a high school student who was genuinely happy to be able to attend the memorial service.

After she and Ai Haibara changed into their formal attire, they tacitly took each other's hands.

They missed several other tourists who had also gone into the dressing room because they hadn't brought their dresses, and then they all walked into the spacious hall together.

The ceiling features an elegant arch, supporting the massive dome that leads to the top-floor observatory.

At the center of the dome, a huge crystal chandelier hangs, its crystals refracting the central light into countless tiny spots of light, which are projected onto the exquisitely painted star chart patterns on the ceiling.

Light streamed down from the dome, illuminating them, and their black gowns shimmered under the lights.

The two girls seemed to be an integral part of the occasion, perfectly at ease, like a pair of distinguished guests arranged by fate.

They were among the first guests to arrive.

The atmosphere in the hall was somewhat quiet, with guests gathered in twos and threes, talking in hushed tones.

The waiters, dressed in elegant uniforms, were setting plates and arranging bouquets on the tables.

Ran Mouri held Ai Haibara's hand tightly, her gaze darting anxiously through the crowd, trying to find the "family" Ai Haibara had mentioned.

Or, more precisely, it was a figure she knew all too well.

Anxiety is like an undercurrent sinking to the bottom of the sea, growing deeper and deeper.

Ran Mouri could even hear her own heartbeat, and the growing unease in her heart made her even more anxious.

But it wasn't until the emcee stood in the center of the stage that the screen that was about to project Akira Sakamaki's most important work began to slowly descend from the ceiling.

At that moment, Ran Mouri's gaze remained fixed on the surroundings of the hall.

She still didn't see Conan, nor did she see Heiji.

Anxiety began to surge within her, but she had to forcefully suppress her desire to uncover the truth.

Even if it was just a fleeting attempt, the "warning" that echoed in her mind like a nuclear attack gave Ran a terrifying sense of suffocation.

This was the first time Xiaolan had ever experienced such a strong intuition-driven warning just from thinking about it.

She was now certain that the child she was holding was related to what Shinichi was facing.

That innate intuition told her: this time, things were more serious than ever before.

The strong warning indicated the seriousness of the situation.

The last time she had such a premonition was at the Mihana branch—when she instinctively lunged forward and hugged Conan, avoiding the jeep that crashed into the bank.

Where is Shinichi?!

She almost shouted it out in her heart.

Ran Mouri desperately searched for that figure, like grasping at a straw.

"I must tell Shinichi about the dangers ahead, and about the child!"

She was mentally prepared to forget the truth:
Even if... even if I forget.

Even if the truth escapes her mind again, she wants to tell Shinichi the important thing before that happens—

Tell him everything about the child's appearance and the impending danger, without missing a single word!
Ai Haibara felt the same anxiety.

For Ai Haibara, after confirming that Gin and Vodka had arrived at the Star Viewing Tower, she had been thinking about how to break the deadlock—

While following this high school student whom she initially thought was easy to fool, Ai Haibara vaguely felt that she looked familiar.

But when she finally looked into Ran Mouri's eyes and heard her introduce herself not long ago, the gears of memory suddenly started turning at breakneck speed.

—She recognized her.

That postcard I saw in Shinichi Kudo's room!
The fact that she had just learned his name in the elevator confirmed it.

Therefore, she did not take the opportunity to slip away immediately after arriving at the 49th floor.

Even when Ran Mouri walked into the fitting room alone, Ai Haibara hesitated for a moment, but ultimately did not leave. Instead, she chose to stay by Ran's side.

Because she knew—

The shrunken "Shinichi Kudo" must be here too.

She had even seen that guy and another detective walk into the elevator not long ago.

"If only I had chased after them back then!"

Ai Haibara thought to herself with a hint of annoyance, her fingertips subtly clenching a small piece of fabric on the hem of her dress.

She had noticed the details of the conversation between the detective Heiji and Shoji Sato because of Ran Mouri—

Judging from the people who ran around on his orders, the high school detective named Heiji sounded quite powerful.

If I can find the shrunken Shinichi Kudo, and then use my own shrunkenness to gain his and the detective's trust, I might be able to achieve my goal.

He found the things his sister had left him, even the gin and vodka, and then identified them.

As for telling Ran Mouri everything… Ai Haibara glanced at her.

Xiao Lan forced a calm smile, occasionally joining in the guests' pleasantries, and tried to ask others about the name she had made up on the spot.

Judging from Ran Mouri's behavior just now, she had no idea that the detective had shrunk, and had no idea that "Conan" was "Shinichi Kudo".

In other words, even if I tell her the truth, she probably won't believe me.

In fact... precisely because she didn't know, she couldn't say.

Just moments ago, Ran Mouri had carefully fastened her dress, and now, she was pulling at people in the crowd, asking if anyone had seen her family.

She didn't want to involve her.

"I still need to gain his trust later. Since the shrunken Kudo chose to keep it a secret, it means he doesn't want to do this either..."

Ai Haibara silently told herself this, trying to convince herself.

But in reality, she doesn't need to worry about that at all.

Before she actually meets Shinichi, even if she tries to tell Ran the truth, Ran will always interrupt her.

……

For Professor Agasa, who is currently camping.

With Ran Mouri's departure, the "mask" finally stopped maintaining the "fake timeline" mode and voluntarily withdrew.

But now is not a good time.

In fact, Dr. Agasa almost wished he had never thought of it.

Without a doubt, the story timeline immediately noticed his attempt to call Conan directly.

then--

"Sorry, the number you dialed is not in service."

or--

"Professor Agasa, could you please send Genta back tonight...?"

The Junior Detective League has now become an obstacle.

He had to send all the children home first, and only after he was free from the "camping incident" could he possibly try to contact Conan again.

After all, from Conan's perspective, Ran Mouri and the children are all around him now, so he won't contact him on his own initiative!
"Children! We're going home! Your parents called and said they need you to be there tonight..."

After telling the children not to run far, he immediately began packing up the tents and belongings at the Lushan camp.

The old man prayed silently that everything would go well.

"Shinichi...and Ran...you two have to hold on!"

……

"The attempt to get Professor Agasa to inform Conan Edogawa about Ran Mouri has failed, and the plan has been changed to..."

"The attempt to have Ran Mouri and Ai Haibara wait for Conan Edogawa in the corridor failed, and the plan has been changed to..."

"An attempt to subtly suggest to Ran Mouri in the elevator that she go to the 49th floor failed..."

As a member of the "Eternal First Move" team, Masahiko Takeda could only watch helplessly as his plans failed one after another.

Even worse—according to shared intelligence, the [real-world timeline] has also imposed a blockade on Professor Agasa.

Whether their intentions are to restrict the alliance's actions or something else entirely, this is not a good sign.

Ran Mouri has already entered the hall, and with Conan yet to arrive, the tight security of the [story timeline] prevents all the disguised members from entering the hall!

They will only be defined as waiters or waiters by "time".

"Takeda, we have to evacuate."

For Lin Sheng, without using the redundant resources prepared for the final moment, he could only order some of the special task force members to evacuate and concentrate the limited CYZ effect for a small number of people to use.

Clearly, for members of the "magical timeline" who need more CYZ effects to maintain their existence, they are part of the group that needs to be evacuated.

Even so, according to the calculation results of the research layer—

"Will only about three people be able to successfully enter the banquet hall...?"

This number represents a significant disadvantage for the league.

With just three people, they attempted to guide Conan to drink baijiu (a type of Chinese liquor), gave Conan enough hints, prevented a murder at the last moment, and also made arrangements for Ran Mouri and Ai Haibara...

That's almost impossible!

Not to mention——

"Captain! If we only have three people left in the tower, how are we going to deal with GSSRA?!"

When asked by Masahiko Takeda, Meng Han fell silent.

In the original plan, they were a group of members who were difficult to detect even with two timelines, and they were meant to deal with the final stages of this case.

But now, in order to preserve their medium-term plan, they have to give up even this layer of insurance.

“I have a plan, Captain.”

Masahiko Takeda's voice came through the communication channel.

"Don't send it to headquarters, they won't agree. Besides, the [real-world timeline] will find out too."

After Masahiko Takeda's voice fell, the channel fell into a long silence.

For everyone in the [Eternal First Strike] team, for a moment, only the faint "buzzing" sound of electromagnetic currents could be heard.

Meng Han did not respond immediately.

They all knew that the Alliance had issued a phased evacuation plan, and their final destination this time was the moon.

The alliance's "cycle" may very well be completely erased from the gap between reality and the story due to their absence and the final outcome.

They didn't even have time to say goodbye, there was no ceremony, no mourning, nothing at all.

Those who remain on the front lines will likely watch their homes crumble behind them.

Meng Han's chest heaved violently, anger rising like a black fire from the depths of his heart, mixed with grievance and resentment. Why? They had given everything, crossing the barrier between two timelines, withstanding the dual pressure from the [real timeline] and the [story timeline], enduring the torment of the "magical timeline" technology...

Another steady, slightly hoarse voice came through the channel; it was Toyotomi Hideaki, who was in charge of receiving passengers at the southern passage of the Observatory.

"Tell me your plans, Masahiko."

……

Heiji Hattori and Conan returned to the memorial service five minutes before it began, both dressed in understated and solemn black tuxedos.

While Ran Mouri and Ai Haibara arrived at the banquet hall with ease and success, they faced the opposite level of difficulty and hardship.

Especially gin and vodka.

The moment the Alliance realized that the [story timeline] was trying to stall for time, it was the [real timeline] that took action, following the Alliance's changes to Vermouth's plans and the replacement of the bullets used against Gin.

When Gin and Vodka returned to the Star Viewing Tower from the parking lot, the memorial service was about to begin, and GSSRA security personnel were conducting an unprecedentedly rigorous search.

"Sir, we need to conduct a routine check."

That was clearly not a routine check.

It was a relentless, almost obsessive search.

Fortunately, Gin has gotten used to it.

These people obviously couldn't find anything, but that's precisely why they slowed down every move the organization made.

This resulted in Conan and Heiji not encountering any members of the Black Organization, especially not discovering any trace of Gin.

Conan and Heiji Hattori went straight to the 49th floor via elevator.

The moment Conan stepped out of the elevator, he noticed—

Ahead of them was a man pushing a wine cart, seemingly with extraordinary difficulty, pushing it toward the entrance of the hall with an unimaginable strain.

—That's Masahiko Takeda.

The moment he looked up at Conan, he felt as if he were on fire.

Every moment of his life, every possible future, changes with the thoughts, reasoning, and speculations of the detective named Shinichi Kudo.

Even the smallest of choices are analyzed, dissected, and pushed closer to the finish line under Conan's watchful eye.

But he had already written his own ending.

The swaying trajectory of the wine truck coincided with the gears of fate at that moment.

Conan and Heiji practically ran towards the hall.

"Excuse me! Please make way!"

Heiji Hattori's voice rang out from the crowd as he pushed through the throng, trying to make way for Conan behind him.

Just as they were about to pass the liquor truck, Masahiko Takeda suddenly swerved to the side to avoid it, but the liquor truck "went out of control" at that moment and crashed into Heiji.

Wow——!
With a sharp crack, the ice bucket on the car suddenly tipped over, and ice and champagne poured out like a waterfall. The icy liquid splashed all over Conan, instantly soaking him from head to toe.

"Really sorry!"

A head waiter rushed over, his face full of apology, but his tone was urgent and demanding, as if he was worried that the accident he had witnessed in front of everyone would cost him his job.

"Gentlemen, please proceed to the changing room immediately to change your clothes! This way, please!"

The changing room they were led to was the one next door to the room where Ran Mouri and Ai Haibara had been before.

"I'm so sorry about that."

The head waiter, Meng Han, spoke gently. After receiving Conan's forgiveness, he seemed to breathe a sigh of relief and even considerately took Conan's situation into account.

He thoughtfully handed over two ironed black suits, then turned his gaze to Conan, who was shivering from being soaked in ice water.

"I've already informed the kitchen, and they'll bring you a hot drink to warm you up soon."

Soon, as Conan was drying himself off, a car appeared at the entrance to the changing room, with two steaming bowls of oolong tea on it.

"Please call me immediately if you need anything."

As he said this, Meng Han closed the door for them with an apologetic look in his eyes.

Outside the door, the members of [Eternal First Strike] who had been lying in wait revealed themselves, gathering their TDDs and Meng Han's together.

These CYZ effects should be enough if you only maintain them for one minute.

The moment the door closed, the outside noise seemed to be shut out, and there was no sound at all.

"I didn't expect their service to be so attentive!"

"Besides... changing into a black dress does make you more low-key."

"Ah sneeze——!"

Conan sneezed and couldn't help but mutter:
"Yes, all we had to do was say it directly. It's just a matter of changing clothes..."

Fortunately, the strength-enhancing shoes were waterproof. He squatted down to tighten his shoelaces, then pulled out the soccer belt from his original children's clothes and put it on his black formal attire.

The air conditioning in the changing room was a bit cold, and Conan casually picked up the cup of "oolong tea"—but his eyes widened when he took the first sip.

"Heiji—this isn't tea! It's alcohol!"

Almost immediately, Conan slammed the cup down, pushed open the door, and rushed out.

There was nothing outside the door. The apologetic head waiter had disappeared; to be precise, there was only a piece of clothing lying quietly in the corner.

Conan swiftly picked up the garment, and then heard a dull thud.

A black watch with six hands rolled out of the clothes and hit the floor with a dull thud.

The moment Conan saw the watch, his pupils contracted sharply, and he grabbed Heiji's sleeve.

"They're here too! Heiji, it's—'Science Frontier'!"

The sacrifice of [Eternal First Move] was made in exchange for this moment of discovery.

The instant Conan subconsciously realized that the "boundaries of science" had also appeared inside the Star Viewing Tower, many waiters, staff, and tourists froze for a moment—

Now, they have a sufficiently "reasonable" reason to stay.

Conan's words immediately made Heiji Hattori realize the seriousness of the problem.

However, due to the sudden turn of events, the story timeline and the real timeline immediately began to cooperate.

Just as they were about to head to the registration desk to check the identities of the two people who had guided them, Conan saw a waiter carrying a stack of clothes out of the dressing room next door.

——It’s Yuko Shimizu.

The top piece was a blue casual outfit that he was familiar with.

After listening to Conan's somewhat anxious question, Shimizu Yuko recalled for a moment, "You're the younger brother that the customer was looking for earlier!"

"She came up with a little girl by her hand, and it seemed like she was going to a memorial service to help the child find her parents."

"Damn it!" Conan glanced at his watch and immediately took off running towards the banquet hall. "The memorial service starts in ten minutes! Why did Ran suddenly..."

“Kudo, this isn’t the time to talk about this,” Hattori Heiji immediately caught up, trying to calm Conan down. “No matter what, as long as we find them, that’s all that matters.”

"Do you remember that someone from GSSRA also infiltrated the banquet hall? I just need to have Sato order someone to take Ran away in a moment."

"you're right……"

Conan took a deep breath to calm himself down and looked at Heiji.

"Heiji, first tell Sato to investigate this line on his own. Tell him to find a few trustworthy people, but don't let headquarters know."

Then he looked down at the watch he was clutching tightly in his hand; two of the six hands were missing.

Each of the other pointers points to the position of "4", "8", "6", and "9" respectively.

Conan's voice sounded more serious than ever before.

"If I'm not mistaken, Professor Agasa's idea is correct; the name of the third pointer must be related to the Star Viewing Tower!"

……

Lin Sheng saw everything clearly, and witnessed the collapse in that instant.

He saw the "Eternal First Strike" team disappear the instant they closed the locker room door, unable to maintain their existence.

Their figures faded away like ink marks being quietly erased, swallowed up by the inertia of the story's timeline.

Meng Han provided the range of TDD to an inanimate object—the clothes wrapped around TDD—hoping that Conan would discover the clues he provided.

Conan did not disappoint him.

Lin Sheng didn't even have time to feel a trace of sadness; he could still clearly hear the research team's hurried discussions.

"The target did not immediately show any cold symptoms."

"At the same time, the amount of baijiu that [Shinichi Kudo] drank was too small to confirm whether it would trigger the 'growth' transformation."

"At the same time, according to the analysis from the Conan Psychological Research Institute, he will be very cautious from now on and may not try any drinks."

For Lin Sheng, the current situation can be described as both good and bad.

The benefits are quite obvious; the league now has enough manpower to take action.

The downside is that the [real-world timeline] has begun to notice the Alliance's actions; Shimizu Yuko's behavior just now was a test.

Lin Sheng calmly began to adjust the plan in real time according to the situation.

"The key to postponing the order of attempts to change [Shinichi Kudo]'s drinking habits lies in ending the [historical inertia] that has been incorporated into the [story timeline], and in helping him decipher the name of the third pointer."

"At the same time, lower the overall temperature of the air conditioning ducts to induce some equipment malfunctions in the equipment and monitoring teams."

As the engineering team adjusted several refrigeration units in the central air conditioning main duct to overload operation, a weak but rapidly descending cold air emanated from the ceiling ducts.

Under Lin Sheng's orders, Yu Hao began to send the two special forces, [Destiny's Manifestation] and [Plot Guide], toward the 50th floor.

"The story timeline, and even the real timeline, will not sit idly by."

"Ran Mouri and Ai Haibara have been confirmed to be on the 49th floor. To prevent the two timelines from making a desperate move, you will immediately go there as GSSRA soldiers to protect them!"

Lin Sheng's speculation was undoubtedly correct.

……

From the perspective of the story's timeline, the historical inertia of this so-called "Shigehiko Tomoguchi murder case" was already distorted beyond recognition before it even began.

Fortunately, the alliance's overwhelming advantage allowed the real-world timeline to immediately "support" the story timeline.

Therefore, even with all these setbacks, the moment Heiji Hattori and Conan stepped into the memorial service as the last two guests, the [story timeline] immediately grasped at that lifeline—

Thanks to a brief concession in the [real-world timeline], it was finally able to force its way forward—

Tonight is destined to come a little earlier.

In the distance, dark clouds, raging with the wind, were sweeping towards the Star Tower.

The [real-world timeline] has already figured out what the Alliance is going to do, and the [story timeline] has done the same.

They immediately began attempts to alter the celestial phenomena.

Such an attempt would obviously alert the command post not far away.

—This is exactly the effect the [real timeline] wants.

"Get the assault troops moving immediately, and have the squads carrying cutting equipment follow behind!"

"Get them to the fiftieth floor immediately with the explosives! We can't risk being attacked by weather weapons again!"

……

For all the guests in the conference hall at this moment, this was not much different from any of the lavish banquets they had attended in the past.

"Distinguished guests present!"

At the center of the stage, the emcee, Naomichi Muikura, surveyed the entire audience, his tone solemn and full of emotion.

He raised the microphone and announced the next part of the memorial service:
"We will now enjoy a precious slideshow together. Yes—it is a private collection of director Sakamaki's works that he never made public before his death. The creative process behind each of his award-winning films is condensed in these images!"

"Yes, it's the most precious record of the filming of 'The Rainbow Handkerchief,' a film by director Sakejuki that has won every award!"

As he finished speaking, he clapped his hands lightly, and the lights suddenly went out, plunging the entire hall into darkness.

The guests around them were already getting into the mood with the emcee's words, and the atmosphere suddenly became lively.

However, Conan, Heiji Hattori, Ran Mouri, and Ai Haibara's expressions grew increasingly tense in the darkness.

"Oops!"

Conan, trying to find Ran Mouri in the crowd, immediately exchanged glances with Heiji Hattori—

This is by no means a coincidence, but an extremely dangerous signal!

Time seemed to be running out. Conan glanced down at his watch, and a chill ran down his spine—

I feel like I just came in with Heiji not long ago, how come it's already five o'clock!

Damn it! I've wasted way too much time searching for the Black Organization and Ran!

Should we continue searching for Ran Mouri... or find the pointer first?

"Heiji! There's no time left!"

Conan gritted his teeth, remembering the time limit GSSRA had given them, which Heiji had previously told him about.

The meeting must end no later than 6 p.m.!
He pulled Heiji up and rushed to the entrance of the fire escape floor connecting the 49th floor and the top floor. He then knelt down, took the special skateboard from Heiji, and quickly began to assemble it.

"Go find Xiaolan, and make sure she leaves the Star Tower immediately, then comes to the top floor to find me!"

"Wait a minute, Kudo, we don't have the key to open the top floor door yet!"

"I've found the key. Do you remember the numbers on the watch I just found?"

"You mean—!"

"There's no time to explain!"

The sudden disappearance of that member of the Science Frontier filled Conan with an unusual sense of unease; Sato had already given him a reply.

Those two people aren't even on the work schedule!
Now it seems that things are more serious than he had anticipated.

He recalled in his mind the structural diagram that Hattori Heiji had shown him.

"As you just saw, the lights in the lobby went out, which means that the Black Organization has definitely started to take action."

"I'll go to the fiftieth floor through the air conditioning ducts. Come find me as soon as the 'incident' is over!"

"The incident? Conan, wait a minute, explain yourself clearly!"

But Heiji Hattori was too late to stop Conan.

Before Hattori could finish speaking, Conan had already completed the final slam of the transforming skateboard.

It turned out to be a sophisticated glider—and then, he leaped into the air and vanished instantly at the end of the safety passage, flying towards a higher level.

Heiji, who remained where he was, didn't dare to waste a second. He immediately took out his communicator and gave instructions to Sato Shoji.

"Immediately mobilize everyone at the memorial service to find a girl named Ran Mouri—she may very well have a child with her!"

"Act immediately!"

……

For Ran Mouri and Ai Haibara, they had already spent a long time at the memorial service.

As the memorial service descended into darkness, Ran Mouri instinctively tightened her grip on Ai Haibara's hand.

The moment Conan left the banquet hall and headed towards the top floor, her inner warning immediately went off.

She first heard the sound of something heavy hitting the ground.

Then came the crisp sound of shattering glass, followed by the frantic running and panicked shouts of the crowd.

Shigehiko Tobuchi died just like that.

But now, his death is the least important part of an increasingly chaotic situation.

Or rather, it's the prelude to something much bigger chaos.

The alliance's advantage is now too great; even Conan's decision to go directly to the fiftieth floor was unexpected by Lin Sheng himself.

He instinctively left Hattori Heiji behind to take his place as the "detective".

The story timeline has run out of patience; the situation is already very dangerous for him, and his only reliance is the inertia of history.

However, if things continue as they are, it will be the first one to be eliminated in this case.

So it continued along its original trajectory, directing Pisco to fire a shot at the ceiling of the hall.

Amidst the chaos, Heiji Hattori rolled over, quickly pulled a flashlight from his waist, and was the first to run towards the source of the commotion. Then he pulled out his communicator:
"Sato, turn on the lights! Turn on all the lights!"

"Chief Heiji!" came the equally urgent voice from the other end. "The lighting system has been sabotaged!"

Soon he was standing in front of the fallen chandelier.

Heiji Hattori now understands what Conan meant by the "incident" he just mentioned.

He glanced sharply at the location of the observatory's elevator and pressed the communicator button again without hesitation:
"Sato, come find me right now in the very center of the conference hall! It's right here on the elevator leading to the observatory!"

"Send over that team of people you trust! Have them raise the elevator up!"

Then, he immediately started shouting at the top of his lungs, "Xiao Lan! Xiao Lan!"

And they began searching for Ran Mouri's whereabouts from the center outwards—now was no longer the time for covert operations.

As for Ran Mouri, she ran against the flow of the crowd towards the very center of the chaos.

Both her intuition and rational analysis told her so.

Shinichi will definitely appear at the place where the incident occurred!

Without even asking Ai Haibara's opinion, she picked her up and resolutely rushed towards the direction where the chandelier had fallen.

And sure enough, she ran into Hattori Heiji.

"Heiji?!"

"Where's Conan? I have something very important to tell him!"

"Xiao Lan! It's too dangerous for you to be here!"

Hattori Heiji quickly ran forward, turned to look at the GSSRA soldiers who were running after Sato Shoji, and ordered in a stern tone:

"You are to immediately escort Ms. Ran Mouri out of the Star Viewing Tower! This is an order!"

"Heiji, listen to me—I have to..."

But it was too late.

With the death of Shigehiko Tobuchi, it was as if a signal was sent, completely igniting the offensive intentions of both timelines.

[Story Timeline] He immediately relinquished his share in the "Star Viewing Tower Case".

Furthermore, since Shinichi Kudo withdrew from the case, it directly issued new orders to Gin and Vodka.

"Bang bang bang!"

Three gunshots rang out, accurately hitting the steel cable of an elevator.

"Ah—! Help—me!"

As Gin's three bullets accurately hit the steel cable of an elevator, Ran Mouri and Heiji Hattori saw the elevator, which was still emitting a warm yellow light, suddenly disappear.

It plunged into hell amidst the cries of some guests trying to escape downstairs, leaving only the elevator shaft behind it emitting a few faint red lights.

Hattori Heiji was stunned.

The next second, the communicators of the GSSRA soldiers who were guarding Hattori Heiji, including himself and Sato Shoji, all started buzzing.

[Real-world timeline] Without hesitation, all GSSRA soldiers who were trying to reach the observatory from the elevator shaft were sacrificed.

As they used the elevator's steel cables and climbing equipment, they watched in despair as the rubble of steel above them, sparking, plummeted downwards like a meteorite.

The last call that was cut off was:

"Repeated! We are under attack! Requesting backup!"

"Repeated! We are under attack! Requesting backup!"

For Lin Sheng, the situation suddenly became even worse.

The ceiling of the hidden fourth basement level was breached by the heavy impact of the steel debris falling from a height of 250 meters.

The two timelines worked together, and the last remaining team of soldiers, who were searching on the third underground floor, immediately discovered the gap while trying to reach the elevator shaft to rescue the wounded.

"Reporting to command, we have discovered a path that is likely leading to the fourth basement level. Requesting backup."

Obviously, it's not hard for anyone to imagine that if there's a fourth negative level, there might be a fifth negative level.
The alliance only has three squads on the fourth and fifth underground levels.

Yu Hao's voice rang out in the communication systems of several squads of [Time Weavers].

"I will tell you their location."

"Try to guide them to circle around on the fourth basement level first. Jingwu, your team can consider leaving some misleading clues. We need to hold out for at least another hour or so. Don't fight them head-on."

At approximately 5:30 PM, just as the command center had told Hattori Heiji—

The war started ahead of schedule.

(End of this chapter)