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

Chapter 276 Gin Chooses the Red Pill (Seeking Monthly Tickets!)

Before shifting the focus back to a detective in a villa, discussing their next move over the phone.

Perhaps we should first set aside those sentimental, individualistic "heroic narratives" and revisit the ordinary residents of Beika Town who have always lacked agency.

Yes, those poor residents.

After all, this might be our second-to-last chance to bring them up.

Without a doubt, Conan Edogawa's thoughts in his "unconscious" state had an extremely serious, even systemic, impact on the entire town of Beika.

Although Conan Edogawa is not a cruel god, in fact, many people know that the boy's kindness is beyond doubt.

But it is precisely that kind of destruction, which is not motivated by malice, that is more frightening.

No matter how careful He is, His radiance—or rather, His "gravity"—like some kind of terrifying celestial body, compels everything around Him to revolve around Him.

It is that unconscious "divine will" that subtly fixes the "structure" of countless intertwined fates and recurring cases within the small area of ​​Beika Town.

This is one of the reasons why many people within the alliance have always disliked Conan Edogawa.

Take, for example, the "school festival incident" not long ago.

That is, the "case" in which he appeared as the "Black Knight".

Good heavens, I mean, my God.

That was supposed to be just a typical school festival event organized by Japanese high school students.

At most, they might serve a few glasses of lemonade in a coffee shop, put on a stage play, or sell a few marshmallows or homemade cookies.

However, in Detective Conan Universe-001, in order to prevent Shinichi Kudo from revealing the "whole truth" to Ran Mouri at the end of the event.

Or even more deadly—

For example, to prevent him from choosing to "stay" after that agreement.

Perhaps for some kind of balance, the universe has gone mad in amplifying the power of "Karasuma Renya".

To be precise, it amplifies the impact of the case, theoretically titled "The Desperate Revival," on Beika Town.

If it were Lin Sheng himself, he would definitely complain again about why Japanese high school students' "school festivals" are always so dangerous—while also trying his best to lend a helping hand.

Unfortunately, he wasn't "in" Beika Town at the time.

Honestly, the joke above isn't funny at all.

For the alliance, after careful evaluation and despite the dissuasion of Karasuma Renya himself, a difficult decision had to be made:
Now, the only option is to have the remaining members of the Black Organization take action.

"Have Gin and Vermouth evacuate everyone as much as possible!"

As the executive team made its final decision, the temporary evacuation plan, known as "Evacuation Night," was initiated.

Anesthetic drugs and anesthetic fumes were injected into the air circulation system of Beika Town through pre-installed systems disguised as "fire safety projects" in urban construction—almost every residential building, convenience store, bus stop...

That day, the air throughout Beika Town was filled with a peculiar floral fragrance.

Chianti and Cohen were in charge of this aspect.

They were responsible for loading the citizens who were under the influence of anesthesia onto the Black Organization's smuggling trucks, and then transporting them out of Beika Town one truckload at a time.

Even Vermouth took a moment to lend a hand—she removed the remaining hypnotic gas.

Unfortunately, a significant number of citizens bypassed the system coverage—they received the invitation to visit Teitan High School for the "School Festival".

They completely forgot every single instruction in the "Mihana Town Life Handbook".

For example, you should avoid going to a certain place in groups of three or more, or not go out to work like a normal person, or something else.

Instead of questioning the authenticity of the "invitation," they brought their children, elders, and pets to embark on this fateful "carnival."

They went to the Teitan High School festival with great enthusiasm.

In a word -

That Sunday, the day of the "school festival," was filled with cases every moment, every second—this is not just a rough description.

That Sunday, cases rained down like raindrops.

……

Of course, there was also a lucky side.

Perhaps it was Shinichi Kudo's hesitant attitude.

Or perhaps, because "that day" has not yet ended; or perhaps, because the number of passengers on the last train at Beikacho Station "today" has been determined by the League.

Just like the homeless man Gin killed reappeared at the subway entrance a few hours later.

Theoretically speaking, the city's population has not decreased by a single person.

With most of the Alliance's technology now unrestricted, erasing their painful experiences using a memory erasure program is not a difficult task.

With just one "sleep induction procedure," their nightmares will be gently sealed away in a corner of their memory and will never resurface as recollections again.

Of course, for the members of the Black Organization who had to do all of this themselves, the scene was not so pleasant.

That's far more tragic than "just having a nightmare I can't remember".

This is why it's necessary to mention what exactly happened in Beika Town "that day".

That race against death was the starting point for Gin to become a "philosopher".

Furthermore, Vermouth vomited and had diarrhea three times, and Vodka and others underwent a memory erasure procedure.

Perhaps the devil would prefer to set up hell in Beika Town rather than somewhere else.

That very night, at the league's temporary quarantine station.

Gin, whose face was still a little pale, stared at the three vodkas "soaking" in the light blue solution.

Vodka, unusually, curled up in the solution, breathing evenly, as if asleep like a fetus.

"Are you and I in the next batch?"

Gin glanced at Vermouth beside him and asked in a low voice—her expression looked several times worse than his own.

"Perhaps you should be the first to erase those bad memories."

Vermouth's words made Gin frown.

“No, they are the last batch,” she said.

Gin was stunned.

Then he saw a Beretta pistol being handed to him by Belmod.

"GIN, now it's your turn to choose."

Vermouth's voice was calm, revealing neither anger nor pity. "The three of them, or you alone."

"What do you mean?"

She took out a pack of cigarettes, pulled one out, and slowly lit it, letting the red flame dance under the light.

"The fourth pointer... its unshakeable nature requires the destruction of the Black Organization as a result."

Vermouth whispered the truth that Gin and the others had to face:

"Gin, you don't actually think you've successfully betrayed the organization, do you?"

Vermouth stared at the red glow emanating from the cigarette between her fingers.

The slightly trembling point of light left a fleeting red trace in her field of vision.

Vermouth was clearly not at peace either.

She stared at the cigarette burning between her fingers and softly explained why she did it.

“That old bastard Karasuma will run away as soon as the case is closed. How are we going to explain to that kid that the organization is over?”

She paused, then added a sentence.

"And, you know, it was you and Vodka who first gave him a blow..."

The air was silent for three seconds.

Vermouth exhaled a puff of smoke with a hint of melancholy, watching it dissipate into the air.

"The league has created a perfect dream for them, and honestly, maybe it's good that it ends here."

Gin didn't say anything.

His throat moved, and he slowly raised the Beretta in his hand.

Then--

Suddenly, the gun barrel turned in a different direction, and he fired three shots at himself.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

There were only gunshots and smoke, but not a single drop of blood flowed from the bullet holes.

"Dud?"

This was the first thought that popped into Gin's mind, and then he noticed several bullet holes around him and brass cartridge cases rolling on the ground.

These are clearly the real thing...

Gin has already made his choice through his actions.

To be honest, Vermouth wasn't surprised at all.

“Oh, I forgot to mention.” Vermouth stubbed out her cigarette. “If you choose the ‘red pill,’ then the plan will shift to direction B.”

Gin frowned; he had absolutely no idea what the so-called "direction B" meant.

He only cared about one thing: "If we're talking about direction B, what about Vodka and the others?"

Vermouth shrugged. "They should survive. I'll do everything I can to keep them alive until the very end."

"Should?" Gin finally couldn't help but laugh in exasperation.

"Are you kidding me?!"

He rushed up to Vermouth, grabbed her by the collar, and pressed the dark muzzle of his gun against her chin—he was quite certain that the moment he pulled the trigger, Vermouth's brains would create a perfect picture on the wall.

He growled at Vermouth in a low voice, like a wild beast driven to the brink of despair.

"So, in the end, we all die?"

Vermouth looked into Gin's eyes and could see more pleading than anger in them.

She knew that Gin was simply afraid of dying meaninglessly.

"I'm so sorry," was all she could say.

The sense of powerlessness that had briefly dissipated after the small boat left Moonshadow Island surged back again—and more intensely than before, sweeping through Gin's heart like a tsunami.

Gin's hands were trembling slightly.

The barrel of the gun pressed against Vermouth's chin softened along with his arm, his torso... along with every bone and every fiber in his body.

Gin looked at the vodka "soaking" in the jar, along with the smile on his face.

Vodka's expression was serene, with a slight smile on his lips, as if he were having a wonderful dream.

Gin's Adam's apple bobbed, and his suddenly hoarse voice carried a hint of weary self-mockery.

"Vermouth...you are such a cruel person."

He was silent for a moment, then looked up, but the murderous intent in his eyes was gone.

"Speak," he gritted his teeth, "What exactly is Plan B?"

……

Of course, neither Professor Agasa nor Ai Haibara knew that these things had happened on that day.

Ai Haibara and Professor Agasa have been busy building a reasonable decoding box that can "decode" the fourth pointer.

Then, based on the psychological measurement scale sent by the alliance, we adjusted that emotion prediction device that should have been scrapped long ago, but which was still indispensable.

Based on their brief interactions with Conan over the past few days, they attempted to determine Conan Edogawa's psychological state.

In short, various trivial matters kept them confined to that small villa.

The soundproof areas surrounding the villa effectively shut out screams, shrieks, frequent explosions like fireworks, the sound of breaking glass, and so on.

For Ai Haibara and Professor Agasa.

Plan B was to tell Conan, after he arrived and received the text message, that the fin of the dolphin he made in clay sculpting class had been stolen.

"And at the same time, I also need to prepare his skateboard?"

Ai Haibara looked at Professor Agasa in disbelief, fully understanding what "getting the skateboard ready" meant.

That means a detective is about to pull off another big move.

"Also, persuade him to wear that watch," Dr. Agasa added, his tone calm. "Based on my prediction, the fourth pointer case will be resolved today."

Ai Haibara stopped talking.

After a while, she let out a long sigh, then muttered softly, "It really feels like we're heading towards the end..."

Ai Haibara glanced at the screen at Conan, who was rushing to Dr. Agasa's house.

"It sounds much faster than the third one," she said.

The doctor cleverly answered the "question" with a meaningful smile.

“That child has always been like this; once he sets his mind to something, there’s nothing he can’t do.”

……

It's time to bring our focus back.

Just minutes before Conan saw the text message from Ran Mouri, he was on the phone with Heiji Hattori discussing the "pointer" (the optical pointer).

Now on his wrist is a black watch, different from the silver-gray detective watch he wore before.

About thirty minutes ago, Professor Agasa and Ai Haibara "demonstrated" to Conan once again how they got that name.

Then, the professor, under the pretext of repairing Conan's detective watch and adding some new functions, took away Conan's original tranquilizer watch.

Ai Haibara, who remained in the living room, was responsible for using the computer to help search for information about "fearless courage".

At the same time, he was semi-forced to put the black watch back on his wrist—but because the watchband was obviously too big, Conan eventually put it back in his pocket.

"Conan, do you know?"

Ai Haibara, pretending to be casual, read out the most important sentence from Plan B.

"When PE class ended yesterday, Ms. Lin discovered that the fin of the dolphin you made in clay sculpting class had been removed."

"It was probably done by some naughty kid, or someone accidentally knocked it over."

Conan didn't think it was a big deal at all.

He is currently busy remotely directing Heiji Hattori to investigate matters concerning the "pointer".

"Heiji, Haibara just found out that there's a collector in London who owns a gem pointer with that name. If possible... could you use your connections at GSSRA to confirm it?" He spoke quickly and clearly—after all, the next task was the easy but somewhat boring process of investigating clues.

Heiji Hattori called back about half an hour later, but his tone on the phone had become somewhat serious.

"It's been stolen."

What does "stolen" mean?

Conan was taken aback, and his surprised voice made Haibara turn her head away.

"Conan, according to the person involved, he was robbed in the early hours of this morning, which is last night."

Conan shivered inexplicably, still not grasping the deeper meaning behind Hattori Heiji's words.

"Stolen? What about Fenrir Atkinson? He had one too—"

"They've all been stolen."

At that moment, it felt like something had been severed.

A biting cold wind suddenly blew out from the other end of the phone, the cold wind turning into an equally cold electrical signal, traveling halfway around the world, and finally turning into a tiny vibration on the other side of the ocean.

Heiji Hattori's voice was like a gradually spreading freeze, like slowly growing ice crystals, even reaching Conan's cochlea and advancing into his brain.

Then, the chill transformed into bioelectricity, traveling along his stiff spine and every nerve, freezing Conan's body in the motion of gripping the receiver.

Fenrir Atkinson.

"Aina Layton".

“Anne Edward…”

Heiji Hattori then read out the names of a series of collectors who owned or possessed gem pointers related to "fearlessness" and "courage," which Conan and Ai Haibara had previously found.

The list that Conan just sent him completes the final piece of the puzzle in his investigation over the past few days.

Heiji Hattori had actually noticed many signs in London before, but it was only now that he was connecting them.

"The pointers in the list you just sent have all been stolen."

The voice on the other end of the phone disappeared for a moment, as if deliberately giving Conan some time to accept this fact.

But that terrifying silence only further confirmed the conclusion Conan had deduced.

"This is impossible……"

Conan murmured, his voice so low it was almost inaudible.

"They couldn't possibly know about this, it's impossible..."

Heiji Hattori also didn't know how all of this had happened, but he knew what he should do now.

"But this is the only possibility at the moment."

He told Conan his decision in an undeniable manner.

“Conan, you are in danger right now. I have already asked Gehrman to send people, and they will take you and Professor Agasa to a safe location immediately.”

"Your safety is the most important thing right now. The matter of the 'pointer'... can be discussed later."

Before he could finish speaking, a "beep" sound came from the other end of the phone, indicating that the call had been disconnected.

Conan stared blankly at the phone in his hand.

"Haiyuan..."

He looked up and his gaze met Ai Haibara's questioning eyes.

Before Haibara could ask anything, Conan spoke first, though his tone was low and bitter:
"That organization... has most likely already discovered me."

He lowered his head, forcing himself to sort out every detail of what had just happened.

If Conan could initially convince himself that the pointer was stolen when he first heard "Fenrir Atkinson," it was just a coincidence.

But after the list of names was read out, it was learned that all the collectors associated with "courage" and "fearlessness" had, without exception, lost their pointers the previous night.

Conan knew very well that this was no longer a coincidence.

There is only one "truth".

The Black Organization learned the name of the fourth pointer and attempted to obtain it using a method similar to "exhaustive search".

"But how did they do it?"

This is something Conan has never been able to understand.

The pointer's name was something that the Doctor and Haibara had only managed to obtain two days ago after much effort.

In fact, Haibara had just told him the name of the pointer in class yesterday.

Moreover, Haibara assured him that she had not told anyone the name, and that she had not even searched for it online before today.

The Black Organization could never possibly know the situation regarding the fourth pointer.

Because they had never even been to Moonshadow Island, and they didn't even know that the third pointer was already in his hands!

However, without knowing about Moonshadow Island or receiving any information related to the third pointer, the Black Organization still took action last night!
Moreover, the goal is clear.

What does this mean?
This suggests that Dr. Agasa and Ai Haibara's every move is very likely under the control of the Black Organization!

But this makes absolutely no sense!
If that organization already knew that I was actually Shinichi Kudo, why would they have allowed me and the Doctor to have the watch and the hands...?

No, it has already happened, and now is not the time to think about how it happened.

Conan forced himself to regain his composure from a series of negative emotions, including fear, panic, and disbelief.

He looked at Ai Haibara.

"Haibara! Please go and tell the Doctor to pack your things right away. Someone will come to pick you up and take you to a safe place soon."

And the very next second after Ai Haibara ran into that dimly lit corridor.

Conan immediately pulled out the phone—the one Professor Agasa gave him that allowed him to contact Ran directly.

The instant Heiji Hattori reminded him that the situation was dangerous, another name flashed through Conan's mind:
Maori Ran.

And there's Kogoro Mouri.

They are in great danger now as well.

Conan pressed the power button, and as soon as the screen lit up, the long-awaited text message popped up.

"Shinichi, do you know? The helmet you wore when you played the Black Knight was stolen..."

The pupils suddenly shrank.

Now, the reason why the Black Organization was able to find him and discover that he was Shinichi Kudo has been found.

The dolphin's fins and helmet clearly bear its fingerprints.

Although there are still some doubts about how the Black Organization knew the name of the pointer, the "truth" is already quite clear—

The Black Organization used these "taken" items to pinpoint his connection to "Shinichi Kudo"!

But his inner regret was cut off in the next second by his rational judgment:

Since the Black Organization hasn't made a move yet.

Or rather, the fact that they are only targeting the fourth pointer, rather than themselves, suggests that they are not yet ready to immediately attack their own side.

After all, Kogoro Mouri is the Metropolitan Police Department's official advisor, and Shinichi Kudo himself has connections with Heiji Hattori and GSSRA.

Or perhaps they are waiting for more verification, hoping to use it to obtain the genuine fourth pointer.

There is still time to reverse the disadvantage on their side.

Conan was even a little relieved that Ran had accompanied Uncle Mori to the Metropolitan Police Department this morning for the meeting on the serial murder case.

They probably won't take action inside the Metropolitan Police Department.

Thinking this, Conan pressed the voice changer button and dialed Ran Mouri's number.

"Hey? Ran, listen to me, you and Uncle Mori are in danger right now. You two stay in the Metropolitan Police Department and don't move. I've already spoken to Hattori, he'll be here soon..."

His tone was urgent and rapid, as he tried to convey the crucial information in the shortest possible time.

But then he heard another, somewhat unfamiliar voice.

—An extremely cold voice, yet carrying a familiar mockery.

"Shinichi Kudo, do you know Batman?"

Conan's voice suddenly stopped.

Gin's voice seemed to come from some distant abyss, yet it was so clear:

"Oh, no, of course you know, after all, you just played the Black Knight, didn't you?"

He grinned sinisterly and then announced his current location.

"I want you to come here alone, wearing that watch."

"Don't hurt Xiaolan!"

Conan's voice suddenly rose, and he shouted it out almost subconsciously.

Gin sneered.

“If you come alone, of course I won’t do that.”

The next second, as if acting, he held the phone to Ran Mouri's lips.

Ran Mouri is now sitting on a chair that stands on the edge of the rooftop, with spider silk ropes firmly securing her to it.

The strong winds high above the East Tower were howling in her ears.

This made Ran Mouri completely afraid to make any violent struggles. When she woke up, she was faced with an unobstructed blue sky and a hard concrete ground hundreds of meters below.

Of course, out of her sight, a long, elastic rope was tied to an inconspicuous corner of the chair.

Gin can see anger, hatred, and fear of death in Ran Mouri's eyes.

He reached out and shook the chair like a villain, making a soft creak that caused Ran Mouri to let out a small scream.

Ran's scream made Conan's heart clench.

"Xiaolan!!"

Gin didn't give Ran Mouri a chance to say a word—after all, even Ran Mouri, who was asleep earlier, was lucky enough to give him a headache.

It would be bad if her words caused some kind of sudden, temporary earthquake collapse.

This tower has been reinforced many times.

“I’ll be waiting for you here. Remember, come alone, [Shinichi Kudo].” — Gin emphasized the last four words.

There was silence on the other end of the phone.

That silence gave Gin a vengeful, pitiful kind of pleasure.

But he also felt sad.

After all, evil in this universe is always short-lived and singular.

Gin recalled those unforgettable scenes—the day he and Vodka broke through that treacherous beach and sat on that rock watching the sun rise below the horizon.

"But that's not bad either..."

Gin simply smiled.

It was the calm laugh of someone destined to walk into the end of darkness.

……

The phone hangs up.

Conan glanced down the corridor where Ai Haibara had disappeared.

Whether it's to rectify his own mistakes, to prevent more people from being harmed, or simply because he is Shinichi Kudo.

He ran to the computer in the living room and skillfully pulled out a bottle of antidote belonging to Ai Haibara from the compartment under the table.

Then there's that super skateboard.

Three minutes later, Shinichi Kudo reappeared like Superman or Ultraman.

The wind whistled past his ears as he rode the skateboard that was "flying a little low" straight toward the East Tower.

"Heiji, listen to me."

It was already afternoon, and the setting sun, like him, was on its way down the mountain. Conan turned on his headset, his voice carrying a suppressed anger.

"Evacuate the East Tower and everyone in the vicinity immediately."

Of course, he couldn't just go and throw his life away like that.

Conan has found a crucial clue from even the slightest hint.

"Kudo, what on earth happened—"

"Xiao Lan has been kidnapped by them."

His words immediately made Hattori Heiji's voice turn serious.

"I'll take care of it right away. Is there anything else I need to do?"

Conan recalled a few casual conversations that Kogoro Mouri had exchanged with him when he came home at night these past few days.

"I suspect that members of the Black Organization were at the meeting that Uncle Mori attended recently."

"If possible, immediately have GSSRA detain everyone in the Metropolitan Police Department who has met with Uncle Mori, and check the relevant surveillance footage—whether it's Teitan High School, Teitan Elementary School, or the Metropolitan Police Department's internal surveillance."

A fierce rage ignited in Conan's eyes.

"Whether it's Gin or the rest of the Black Organization... I'll take them all today—"

"Kudo! Calm down!" Heiji Hattori's voice tried to stop him. "Don't be impulsive. The most important thing now is to rescue Ran!"

"I'm already on my way."

"Hey, Kudo—!"

"Damn it!" Seeing the phone hang up in front of him, Hattori Heiji immediately grabbed the phone and dialed the hotline. "German, get the troops into the city immediately!"

"Don't worry about the consequences! This is the biggest fish!"

……

And in the distance, the night had already enveloped a corner of the city.

Vodka boarded the Apache attack helicopter with an excited expression.

"Cohen, Chianti, get ready to go!"

The three people in the helicopter looked so spirited.

However, they still don't know what kind of ending awaits them.

(End of this chapter)