Daily Spy Life in the Detective Conan World

Chapter 196 Explosion
Anya was definitely raised long-term, while Ai Haibara was only raised for a year. Once all the plots are over, she should be able to develop an antidote to grow bigger, right?

Joel is so considerate, he'll definitely agree, right?
This year has been rather long.
"Alright, let's not talk about this now. I'll talk to Yoel when I have time." Xia Chuan changed the subject and got to the main topic: "What's the situation with Moriya Teiji?"

"Well—" Frank drawled, sounding somewhat excited, "He's probably going to act tomorrow. This architect's got some nerve! Going to rob a Japanese gunpowder depot all by himself, he's really not taking the guards seriously!"

Actually, Natsukawa also didn't quite understand why Moriya Teiji was able to steal such a large amount of gunpowder.

Even if an architect unlocks the key to the gunpowder depot, the security forces are not something he can easily evade; it can only be said that Ke Xue's will is at work.

"Let's leave that aside for now. You make some preparations on your end. When he makes his move tomorrow, we'll make our move too. This time, with Moriya Teiji taking the blame, we'll take as much gunpowder as we can. Don't try to save money for Japan."

We'll also be allocating a batch of Gin liquor later, so we'll definitely get a larger share.

"Don't worry, we'll just use that armored car from the IRS. I've already fixed it. This time, we'll just fill the trunk. A hundred pounds isn't a small amount, and a thousand pounds wouldn't be too much."

"Oh, right." Frank paused for a moment before saying, "He also went to the Kurokawa residence in Beika-cho 1-chome today. It seems like he was scouting the place. I think his first target should be the Kurokawa family."

That's ruthless! Dissatisfied with their own building, they actually destroy it in this way.

Even after many years in the industry, Frank had rarely heard of such talent.

Dissatisfied with the buildings they designed in their youth, they resort to stealing explosives to smash them down. This kind of behavior would be extremely outrageous in any country.

As night falls, Tokyo's skyline appears and disappears in the darkness, and the city becomes tranquil and mysterious under the cloak of night.

The sky was covered by a few thin, dark clouds, with a few stars occasionally peeking through the clouds, twinkling faintly.

The Toyo Gunpowder Depot was located in the suburbs of Beika.

Because it was a gunpowder depot, there were hardly any people around. This was for safety reasons; otherwise, with such a large explosive yield, people nearby would likely be affected as well.

"Built along the lake, it's easier to put out fires quickly in the event of an explosion. The architect really thought of that." Xia Chuan sat in the driver's seat of the armored vehicle, glancing at the terrain with some emotion.

"You didn't know?!" Frank, in the passenger seat, asked in surprise.

"What do I know?"

"I did some research these past two days, and the Japanese gunpowder depot was indeed the work of Teiji Moriya."

Look at this architectural style, it's symmetrical, with buildings standing side by side, and even the surrounding greenery is symmetrical.

I thought you already knew.

It turned out to be the case.

Xia Chuan suddenly realized that he hadn't noticed this before.

The reason he knows everything is mainly because of the plot. The plot doesn't seem to mention that the Japanese gunpowder depot was the work of Teiji Moriya, or perhaps it did mention it but he forgot.

No wonder the other party could easily steal the gunpowder; it must have been his creation.

The Orient gunpowder depot was only five years old, and perhaps Moriya Teiji was already planning to destroy his early works at that time.

The reason the other party approached Shinichi Kudo was simply because Shinichi Kudo was interfering with his architectural aesthetics, not because he wanted to demolish the asymmetrical building.

It's at most a catalyst.

The real culprits should be those Japanese officials who commissioned Teiji Moriya to design the building. Why did they have to choose Moriya of all people?

They were very lucky.

They demanded bribes and favors, and in the end, the shoddy construction project was about to be blown up by the designer. This messy affair was settled by Teiji Moriya, and those people should be very happy.

"I see. No wonder you asked me to drive to the lakeside. Is there a secret passage here?" Xia Chuan asked again.

"There's no secret passage, but there is a sewer that leads directly into the gunpowder depot. According to the architectural plans, going in from here leads directly to the internal emergency passage. Although the emergency passage is sealed off, Moriya Teiji must have left a backup plan."

Taking this route would allow them to avoid at least three waves of guards, making it Moriya Teiji's top choice.

Many architects have a penchant for leaving a hidden passageway, and Teiji Moriya was no exception, so I'm certain he intended to enter through this sewer.

Xia Chuan sighed deeply. What's wrong with him these past two days? He's been crawling through the sewers every day. It's disgusting.

Frank patted Xia Chuan on the shoulder and pulled two gas masks from under his feet.

"My brother really understands me. You're such a clever little devil, but..."

Xia Chuan glanced at Frank's feet to make sure he wasn't wearing slippers or barefoot before nodding in satisfaction.

Guided by Frank, Xia Chuan drove to a secluded corner, waiting for the protagonist to appear.

Half an hour later, a black van slowly pulled up by the lake.

“It must be him.” Frank rolled his eyes and said, “Black vans are rare to begin with, and he didn’t even turn on his headlights while driving. It must be Moriya Teiji.”

A short while later, a tall, thin figure got out of the van.

This person was completely covered in black. It wasn't the black character from the anime, but rather Teiji Moriya who had wrapped himself in a black diving suit, with what appeared to be a black stocking over his head, making him look rather odd.

The two people in the car exchanged a glance, both seeing the speechlessness in each other's eyes. Dressed like that, what kind of gunpowder are they trying to steal? They should be stealing jewelry.

As the other person stealthily walked down the slope and into the sewer, Xia Chuan quietly followed.

Frank approached the black van, skillfully opened the door, and installed a listening and locating device under the brake pedal.

Then he glanced at the route Moriya Teiji had taken, silently took out the hoe he had prepared beforehand, and dug a hole in the ground.

We'll need to knock them unconscious later. Their plan involves more than just this; it'll take some time. It'll be easier to get them knocked out.
The sewers extended inwards and soon reached the area directly beneath the Japanese gunpowder depot. Xia Chuan caught up with Moriya Teiji midway through the sewers, who was currently tightening screws at the opening of a ventilation duct.

It seems he intends to enter through this ventilation duct.

"How can there be such a large ventilation duct?"

He had assumed the other party had made some special arrangements in the emergency passage at the end of the sewer, but it seemed the arrangements weren't inside, but rather in this ventilation duct.

The ventilation duct from which Ai Haibara escaped was only big enough for a child to enter, but this one was different; it was unusually large, and an adult could easily enter it.

Xia Chuan strongly suspects that this is a hidden door left by Moriya Teiji when he designed the gunpowder depot.

This guy had indeed started planning to steal gunpowder years ago.

As for using gunpowder to make plastic bombs, it's only natural that the architect would know some demolition experts and know how to make plastic bombs.

While waiting for the other person to enter the ventilation duct, Xia Chuan didn't rush in. Instead, he continued walking forward to avoid running into the other person when they came out, since there were no obstructions in the sewer.

The ventilation duct is a one-way passage, and he couldn't possibly go in while the other person was still inside, otherwise it would be a bit awkward if they looked at each other inside the ventilation duct.

After waiting for twenty minutes, a rustling sound came from inside the ventilation duct.

Not long after, a silver-white metal box appeared at the pipe opening and was then pushed out.

With a clang, the heavy metal box fell to the ground, its edges dented slightly.

It looks like it weighs at least fifty pounds.

Teiji Moriya appeared at the pipe entrance, covered in sweat. He carefully stepped out after confirming that it was safe outside the pipe, without even resealing it, and ran out carrying the box.

Xia Chuan watched the scapegoat leave, then went to the ventilation duct.

Entering the armory through the ventilation duct, which connects to the exhaust vents of the internal restrooms, one is greeted by two unfortunate men lying on the floor.

The two heavily armed guards were breathing steadily, one of them even snoring.

There was also a white, spherical object next to them. After sniffing it, Xia Chuan confirmed that it was a hypnotic gas.

The effects of this hypnotic gas last about half an hour to an hour. Moriya Teiji used it for a bit too long just now, and the two of them are probably on the verge of waking up.

To allow the two guards to get a full night's sleep, Xia Chuan took out a handkerchief wrapped in a transparent film from his pocket and covered the guards' noses with it.

"I wish you both sweet dreams tonight."

Stepping over the guard, I followed the map in my memory to an open warehouse.

The metal crates in the warehouse were exactly the same as the ones that Moriya Teiji had just pushed out.

"Looks like that's all." Xia Chuan said, one in each hand.

Compared to the physically weak Moriya Teiji, Natsukawa appeared much more composed. The two boxes, weighing over 150 pounds, were nothing to him.

It took half an hour to move six boxes out.

Frank was very professional; he had been waiting at the ventilation duct entrance, pushing a cart.

"How is it? Where's Moriya Teiji?" Natsukawa asked as he piled the boxes onto the cart.

"They've already knocked her out."

"He probably didn't notice, right?"

"Impossible!" Frank waved his hand triumphantly: "At most he thought he had accidentally stepped into a hole dug by the brat and passed out. He never imagined that I would shoot him with a tranquilizer dart."

"That's good."

Xia Chuan breathed a sigh of relief, glanced at the ventilation duct, shook his head and said, "It's almost time for the shift change. We can only get six boxes. We'll use Moriya Teiji's box to give to Qin Bar."

They originally planned to empty the Japanese gunpowder depot, but the back door that Teiji Moriya made was too small, making it impossible to move large quantities of gunpowder, so they had to give up.

"I think so too."

The two put the items in the car, and then spent some time making some modifications to the car that Teiji Moriya had used to commit the crime.

They installed a detonating bomb and modified the car into a remote-controlled version.

Not long after the two returned to the armored vehicle after doing all that, Moriya Teiji slowly woke up.

"Ouch, that hurts!" Moriya Teiji rubbed his ankle, then glanced at the hole beside his foot, cursing under his breath what kind of monsters these kids are, actually digging a hole in the muddy riverbank.

But what's causing this slight pain in the back of my neck? Did I bump it just now?

I glanced at my watch and realized that almost an hour had passed.

"Never mind, it's almost time for my shift to change, I have to leave right away!"

Moriya Teiji rubbed his ankle for a while, endured the pain, carried the large box to the car, and then started the car and disappeared into the night.

"If I'm not mistaken, he'll make his move tomorrow!"

Frank conducted a detailed investigation into Teiji Moriya's personality and found that he had a high-pressure personality.

They might be able to endure it when there's no other way, but once they get their hands on the explosives, they absolutely won't wait any longer.

"Then let's make the deal with Gin tomorrow; the timing is just right."

As he spoke, Xia Chuan glanced at his watch; it was already past one o'clock.

"I wonder how things are going at Baijiu Pharmaceuticals."

Natsukawa looked in the direction of Beika Town and tapped his fingers on the steering wheel.

The police have certainly confirmed the situation at Baijiu Pharmaceuticals. Especially now that Gin has moved a large amount of research equipment, it will definitely raise the police's vigilance.

As he was thinking, a burst of fire shot into the sky in the direction his gaze fell.

The crimson light illuminated the sky, and the dark clouds, rendered red, quickly dispersed, forming a red hole above the light, resembling a wormhole from a science fiction movie.

The sound of an explosion could be faintly heard here, but it wasn't very clear. The main thing was the constantly flashing red light, which indicated that a series of explosions had occurred. It seemed that Gin had indeed detonated it.

"It still exploded." Xia Chuan frowned, somewhat curious about the scene.

Frank peeked out and gasped, "The distillery is really insane. This amount of damage would probably collapse the city hall. We're probably in for a brutal police retaliation."

Xia Chuan disagreed.

He shook his head without explaining, or rather, he himself was somewhat unsure.

Amuro Tooru was also present at the meeting, and he would definitely try his best to notify the Public Security Bureau. So, in the current situation, it's not necessarily true that the Public Security Bureau has been framed.

As the two were still marveling at the red light in the distance, the sirens of the Japanese gunpowder depot suddenly blared, and the red lights flashed wildly.

"The Metropolitan Police Department is going to be very busy. An explosion and a theft of gunpowder—either one, the reporters must be going crazy."

Frank, intrigued, suggested, "Why don't we go check it out?"

Xia Chuan nodded; he was somewhat interested in this.

He also wanted to know if Yuri was alright.

Although Amuro Tooru is there, the Public Security Bureau shouldn't suffer any losses, but speculation is never as reliable as seeing is believing.

The police arrived at the scene shortly after the two drove away.

An explosion and a theft of gunpowder nearly caused Odagiri Toshiro's phone to be ringing off the hook with calls from his superiors within minutes, naturally prompting an extremely rapid response from the police.

When the two arrived at the vicinity of Shiraito Pharmaceutical, the scene was already surrounded by Metropolitan Police Department officers and fire trucks.

In addition, reporters, quick to respond to the news, began reporting from various angles.

The explosions had stopped, but the flames still shimmered brightly, illuminating the surrounding area for miles.

Xia Chuan drove around in circles, but he didn't see a single person, not even someone who looked like a police officer, let alone anyone from the winery.

Several firefighters carried a few limp people out of the scene.

They weren't wearing white lab coats; they were all ordinary citizens dressed in plain clothes.

"Didn't Amuro Tooru inform Yuri?"

Xia Chuan was puzzled. A day was enough time for Amuro Tooru to notify the police. These "ordinary citizens" who were clearly already dead were obviously Japanese police officers.

After all, he knew most of the people at Baijiu Pharmaceuticals, and these people's clothing did not match the style of the organization's researchers or peripheral members.

The researchers at Baijiu Pharmaceutical all wear white lab coats, while the peripheral members wear black suits. These individuals do not meet these criteria.

Xia Chuan frowned and gestured for Frank to take the gunpowder back, while he got out of the car to observe the scene up close.

However, after searching for a long time, he still couldn't find any trace of Yuri, which made him frown.

Could he have been blown up?!

Xia Chuan's gaze lingered on the ambulances, one after another carrying away corpses whose fate was unknown.

"Mihana General Hospital?" Xia Chuan hailed a taxi that was watching the commotion and headed straight for Mihana General Hospital. He needed to check on the condition of the dead and injured.

The taxi driver was a little surprised, not expecting that he could get a fare just by casually watching the commotion.

There shouldn't be many people around here, especially since there was just an explosion. Normal people wouldn't go near this spot, right?
"Sir, are any of your friends among the people injured at Beika General Hospital at this hour?" The taxi driver, driven by curiosity, finally asked.

He was just asking casually, after all, Xia Chuan's expression was indifferent, and he didn't look like someone with relatives or friends who had been killed in the explosion.

"No, my stomach hurts. I want to go to the hospital for emergency treatment. It's probably because I ate some mutated seafood tonight," Xia Chuan casually made up.

"By the way, do you know what happened here?" Xia Chuan had chosen the taxi driver only after confirming that he had been there for a long time, hoping to find out some information.

"An explosion, isn't that obvious?" The taxi driver shook his head and said with some emotion, "The explosion occurred at Baijiu Pharmaceutical. I just heard from the police and reporters that the source of the explosion was in the research room on the first floor of Baijiu Pharmaceutical."

"For a pharmaceutical company to do something like this, I bet they're researching some kind of illegal substance."

"The research labs on the first floor," Xia Chuan muttered, then casually asked, "Are there many casualties?"

The driver shook his head: "At this hour, there shouldn't be many people around. I've been watching from the side since the beginning, and the firefighters have only managed to rescue a handful of people."

However, it's possible that some people have already been killed in the explosion or burned to death, making rescue efforts unnecessary.

Xia Chuan nodded and stopped asking questions; the taxi driver had not provided any useful information.

(Ask for monthly ticket)

(End of this chapter)