Traveling back thirty years to Conan, intercepting Princess Eri

"How do we settle this now?"

Lin Xiuyi stood up, patted off non-existent dust from his pants, and looked at Chibo Jinghua with a mischievous smile.

He even pointed to his neck deliberately: "You really hit me squarely..."

Ikeba Shizuka glared at him irritably, her cheeks slightly flushed, whether from the exercise earlier or from her current embarrassment was unclear.

She bit her lip and snorted, "Let's call it a draw! If that little girl hadn't suddenly run out..."

"A draw?" Lin Xiu raised an eyebrow. "Then what about our bet?"

"A draw means the bet is void!"

Ikenami Shizuka seemed eager to end this topic that was damaging her image as soon as possible, and said somewhat cheekily,
"We'll talk about O'Neill's matter later. As for the case investigation, I'll ask Uncle Gangsi for you when the situation is clear!"

"Shall we continue the competition?" Lin Xiu asked with a smile.

"What's the point of competing anymore!"

With a frustrated expression, Ikeba Shizuka sheathed her bamboo sword and put it back into the specially made portable sword pouch inside her tracksuit. Her practiced movements drew Lin Xiuyi's attention once again.

"I've become a scary older sister wielding a sword, how could I be in the mood for sword fighting? If someone I know hears this, my image will be completely ruined."

Ikeba Shizuka sighed. Her original enthusiasm for proving herself through the competition and taking the opportunity to "bully" Lin Xiuyi was completely dampened by this little incident.

"Ha ha……"

Seeing Chibo Jinghua's depressed yet pretentious expression, Lin Xiuyi finally couldn't help but chuckle softly.

The laughter sounded particularly grating to Ikeba Shizuka, immediately earning her an even fiercer glare.

The tense atmosphere between the two was completely dispelled by this unexpected event. They lost interest in running or competing anymore, so they strolled back to the Chiba family mansion side by side along the path they had come from.

As the morning light gradually brightened, more pedestrians and vehicles began to appear on the streets.

Shizuka Ikenami seemed to still be bothered by the title of "terrifying older sister," and didn't say much along the way.

Lin Xiuyi was happy to have some peace and quiet, and as she walked, she sorted out her thoughts about last night's case.

As soon as the two stepped through the imposing black lacquered gate of the Chibo family's residence and past the meticulously maintained courtyard entrance, a maid came to greet them.

"Miss, you're back." The maid bowed slightly and said in a slightly faster voice, "There was a phone call for you just now. It was Mr. Gang Si. I told him you went for your morning exercise, and he said if you come back, please call back as soon as possible. It seems to be something important."

"Uncle Gang Si?" Chi Bo Jinghua was slightly taken aback, somewhat surprised.

Takeshi Ikenami is the head of the criminal investigation department at the Osaka Police Headquarters. He's very busy, so it's unusual for him to call her home so early in the morning, especially if it's something important.

She immediately thought of the case from last night.

"I understand," Ikeba Shizuka nodded, and without even changing her clothes, she quickly walked towards the living room in the mansion where there was a telephone.

Lin Xiuyi had similar thoughts and quickly followed.

Shizuka Ikemura entered the living room, picked up the retro rotary telephone on the rosewood coffee table, and skillfully dialed the number for Takeshi Ikemura's office.

"Uncle Gangsi, it's me, I just got back..."

Lin Xiuyi stood not far away, unable to hear the voice on the other end of the phone, but he could clearly see the changes in Ikeba Shizuka's expression after answering the call.

She listened for less than two sentences, and her previously calm face instantly showed surprise. She even unconsciously raised her voice slightly: "What?... Mito Hayato?... How could this be?"

Her brows furrowed more and more as the voice on the other end of the phone spoke, and her expression grew serious. After responding softly for a few more minutes, Ikeba Shizuka slowly put down the receiver, her fingers still unconsciously lingering on the cold handset, seemingly unable to process the news she had just heard.

"What did Minister Gang say?" Lin Xiuyi took two steps forward. From Chi Bojinghua's reaction and the name he mentioned, he already had a bad feeling.

Ikeba Shizuka turned around and looked at Lin Xiuyi, her eyes still filled with astonishment.

She took a deep breath, as if trying to calm herself down, before saying in a slightly hoarse voice, "Uncle Gangji called and said... Mito Hayato is dead."

Mito Hayato is dead?

Although Lin Xiuyi had a premonition, her pupils still contracted slightly upon hearing the definite news.

The young man who confronted the father outside the hotel last night and was a prime suspect has died overnight.

“Yes,” Shizuka Ikenami nodded, her tone heavy, “It was discovered this morning by the Mito family’s maid. Mito Hayato was in his room… hanged himself.”

The girl paused, then added.
"Uncle Gangsi also said... something unusual was happening at the scene. He asked me if I was still there, and said that if I was interested, I could go and take a look."

The sudden death of a suspect often indicates that the case may be more complex or that a deeper secret is hidden.

Lin Xiuyi's heart beat slightly faster, and his curiosity was instantly ignited.

He said almost without hesitation, "Yes! Of course I'll go and see."

……

Eri, Yukiko, Reiko, and the other girls were still fast asleep in their rooms because they had stayed up too late yesterday for the celebration and the case.

Even snores could be heard coming from Kogoro Mouri's room.

Lin Xiuyi decided not to wake them and instead went to the Mito family home with Ikenami Shizuka to check on things.

Before setting off, he called Hattori Heizo using the contact information he had left yesterday and briefly explained the situation.

Hattori Heizo was clearly taken aback and immediately said he would rush to the Mito family home to meet up with them as soon as possible.

Afterwards, Lin Xiuyi got into the car driven by Ikeba Shizuka.

The car drove out of the quiet courtyard of the Ikenami family and headed towards the Mito family's residence.

The Mito family mansion is located in another upscale residential area in Osaka. Unlike the traditional Japanese neighborhood where the Ikenami family lives, this area is dominated by Western-style villas and estates.

The distance between the two sides is not far, less than a twenty-minute drive.

As Shizuka Ikenami's car approached the Mito family residence, the unusual atmosphere was immediately apparent.

Two or three police cars were already parked outside the imposing, ornate wrought iron gate, their red and blue lights turning silently.

Several uniformed police officers stood guard at the main gate, their expressions serious, registering people and vehicles entering and leaving.

After verifying the identities of Lin Xiuyi and Ikeba Shizuka, the police officers guarding the gate opened the door.

As the car drove in, a scene completely different from the exquisite and elegant landscape garden of the Ikeba family came into view.

The expansive lawn was meticulously manicured, and the carefully cultivated rose garden, the neatly arranged shrub maze, the white gazebo... all exuded a rich Western manor style.

On a normal day, it would surely be a breathtakingly beautiful sight.

But at this moment, neither Lin Xiuyi nor Ikemura Shizuka was in the mood to appreciate it. (End of Chapter)