Traveling back thirty years to Conan, intercepting Princess Eri

Meanwhile, Lin Xiuyi and the others also arrived at the fireworks display venue in Chi Bo's car.

The road leading to the fireworks display was bustling with pedestrians, roadside vendors were loudly hawking their wares, the aroma of various snacks mingled in the air, and the laughter of children chasing and playing filled the air with festive cheer.

Ikenami Shizuka slowed down the car, glanced at Hayashi Hideichi sitting in the passenger seat, and introduced with a smile: "The fireworks display is on the riverbank of the Yodogawa River. The view is wide over there, and it is the fixed venue for Osaka's annual fireworks festival."

Lingzi peered out the car window at the crowds outside, a hint of worry in her voice: "There are so many people, will we still be able to find a good spot?"

“If we had known this would happen,” Yukiko sighed, “we should have come sooner.”

Although they were mentally prepared, they were still taken aback by the huge crowd when the car drove to the vicinity of the riverbank.

Looking out, the riverbank was packed with people, colorful lanterns swayed among them, and flags from various stalls fluttered in the wind, making parking a difficult task.

After circling around several times, Ikeba Shizuka finally found a parking space on the roadside, some distance from the venue.

"Why are there so many people?!"

As soon as Kogoro Mouri got out of the car, he couldn't help but click his tongue in amazement. Looking at the throng of people not far away, he was filled with frustration.

"If I had known it would be this crowded, I would have preferred to go back to the hotel and lie down to watch TV."

Liuli rolled her eyes at him, her tone tinged with amusement: "A celebration is only a celebration if it's lively. You always say that life is boring, but now that it's lively, you complain about the crowds."

The group squeezed into the crowd and slowly moved towards the riverbank.

Lingzi is short, and when she was blocked by the crowd, she could only see the backs of the people around her.

Upon seeing this, Lin Xiu simply bent down and picked up the little girl, saying, "Get on, this way you can see."

The little girl hugged Lin Xiuyi's neck and excitedly looked around: "There are so many people! Onii-chan, look, there are masks for sale over there!"

Shizuka Ikenami explained with a smile, "Tonight's fireworks display is the grand finale of the Osaka Castle Founding Festival. I heard that we invited a nationally renowned fireworks master to design it. There will not only be traditional fireworks styles, but also creative performances that combine light shows. The scene will be very grand, which is why so many talented people have come."

"But there are just too many people, it's hard to even find a place to stand."

Kogoro Mori stood on tiptoe and peered inside, only to see a sea of ​​heads.

Yukiko, growing impatient from the crowd, wiped the sweat from her brow and said helplessly, "With so many people, even if Yuko and the others come, they probably won't be able to reunite with us."

She and Kawada Yuko got along well and became close friends after only half a day of spending time together. They had even planned to take a photo together under the fireworks.

"It's just fireworks, it's the same no matter where you stand." Lin Xiuyi didn't care, steadily carrying Lingzi on his back, his tone indifferent, "As long as you can see fireworks, it's the same scenery no matter where you are."

"But I still want to take pictures!" Yukiko waved the camera in her hand, looking annoyed. "I want to take pictures with my new friends under the fireworks."

Chibo Jinghua pondered for a moment, then pointed to a small hill not far away: "Let's go over there! Although it's a bit far, it's higher up and there are definitely fewer people there. Maybe we can see it more clearly than we can from here."

Eri, who was already annoyed by the crowd, immediately nodded in agreement upon hearing this: "Great, let's hurry over there. If we keep squeezing in here, I won't be able to breathe." The group finally managed to squeeze out of the crowd and headed towards the small hill.

The hillside wasn't high, and climbing it wasn't difficult. Just as Chibo Jinghua had said, there were very few people here, only a few tourists, but the view was exceptionally wide, allowing you to take in the entire riverbank scene.

"If I had known there would be so many people, I should have booked a hotel room in advance."

Looking at the hotel on the riverbank not far away, Ikeba Shizuka said with some regret.

The hotel balcony was packed with people; it was clearly the best spot to watch the fireworks.

Looking down from the hillside, you can even see people setting up tables and chairs on their balconies, drinking tea and waiting for the fireworks to begin.

“This place is actually not bad,” Lin Xiuyi comforted her. “Although it’s a bit far, the view is wide, and we can see the whole fireworks display in a while. It’s much more comfortable than being squeezed in the crowd.”

No sooner had he finished speaking than a loud "bang" suddenly came from the fireworks display site on the riverbank!
A dazzling spark shot into the sky like a signal flare, then exploded in the dark night sky, turning into countless golden stars.

Immediately afterwards, several colorful fireworks and cannons soared into the sky at the same time, red, blue, purple and green, blooming one after another in the night sky, illuminating the originally dark night as bright as day.

"Wow! So beautiful!"

Lingzi, clinging to her brother's back and refusing to get down, waved her arms excitedly, her little face full of a bright smile.

Eri adjusted her glasses, a rare gentleness appearing on her usually aloof face. Although she didn't say anything, the way she stared intently at the night sky clearly showed that she was also captivated by the grand fireworks display.

Yukiko instantly perked up, picked up her camera and started snapping photos, afraid of missing any wonderful moment.

Midori Orikasa leaned against the fence on the hillside, watching the dazzling fireworks fill the sky, and couldn't help but exclaim, "Beihana has had fireworks displays before, but never one this grand. It's so breathtaking!"

“Tokyo is a place where every inch of land is incredibly valuable, and real estate development is happening everywhere.” Tomizawa Chikage curled her lip. “It’s difficult to find a venue this large enough to host a grand fireworks display, let alone hire such a famous master to design it.”

"So beautiful..." Liuli looked up at the night sky, her face full of fascination.

Standing beside her, Kogoro Mouri had long forgotten what he had said earlier about not wanting to come. He stared intently at the night sky, afraid of missing the slightest detail, and occasionally let out a gasp of amazement.

Lin Xiuyi stared blankly at the fireworks before her. The brilliant flames bloomed in the night sky and then slowly fell, like a grand but short-lived dream.

This familiar scene reminded him of the magnificent sight of fireworks blooming all over his hometown during the Lunar New Year in his previous life.

Back then, the family would sit together, fireworks lit up the sky outside the window, and laughter filled the house—it was a warm and lively atmosphere.

A faint sense of homesickness welled up in his heart, making his eyes somewhat unfocused.

"So, Lin-kun, this trip to Osaka wasn't a waste, was it?" Ikenami Shizuka noticed his expression and asked softly with a smile.

"Hmm," Lin Xiuyi snapped out of her reverie, looking at the fireworks filling the sky before her, and slowly nodded, "It really is beautiful..." (End of Chapter)