Daily Spy Life in the Detective Conan World

Chapter 208 Winner in Life
Anya overheard Conan's thoughts and chuckled teasingly before turning to Ran and saying, "Ran-neechan, shall we go for a soak in the hot springs together later?"

She gave Conan a defiant look, as if to say, "I can do it, but you can't. Aren't you angry?"

"Together? Sure!"

Xiaolan readily agreed. The guesthouse owner had said that the men's and women's hot springs had been booked by two groups of people between 7 and 8 pm, but now it seems that Xia Chuan and two others were among those who booked them.

She really wanted to experience hot spring bathing as soon as possible, especially since there was a snowy forest view outside the hot spring. Soaking in the hot spring while enjoying the beautiful scenery would definitely be wonderful.

Furthermore, with Yoel and Anya around, there's no need to worry about the Snow Woman appearing.
She arrived at the hot spring hotel two hours ago and has been watching "The Snow Woman's Love" with her dad and Conan ever since.

Although I "fled in panic" later, the terrifying scenes from the story would still occasionally reappear in my mind.

To be honest, that's why she went out to scout out the ski resort even though it was already dark.

The reconnaissance was a pretense; the real reason was fear of the Snow Woman plot.

Now that Anya and Yoel are with me, I'm not afraid anymore.

Ran nodded and looked at Conan: "Conan, do you want to come with us?"

Conan is a six-year-old child, and Ran thinks it's fine for them to take a bath together, especially since Anya is also there, so the two kids should have something to talk about.

Conan's eyes lit up, a glint of light flashing in them.

A smile couldn't be stopped appearing on his face.

However, he hesitated for a few seconds and pondered for a moment before agreeing.

Xia Chuan's expression froze, and he reached out to stop her, but then Anya suddenly said in a low voice, "Conan is a boy, and she is a girl. Let Conan take a bath with his father and Uncle Mori."

Xia Chuan nodded repeatedly, staring intently at Conan with a "fierce" gaze.

Conan:
"I'll just take a bath with Uncle Mori and Uncle Natsukawa."

Conan said something reluctantly.

Not long after they sat down, they heard the Japanese-style door being pushed open, and a creaking sound came from behind them.

"what is this?"

As the door was pushed open, a doll dressed in the attire of a nobleman from the Warring States period slowly entered the living room.

The dolls are all less than a third the height of Anya, making them extremely small.

Moreover, she didn't look cute at all; she looked like a puppet used in ancient puppet shows, with a stiff expression, empty eyes, and a swaying gait. Xiaolan, who was already frightened by the Snow Woman drama, couldn't help but take a few steps back.

A bit scary.

The doll stopped next to Xia Chuan, raising its hands to hold a wooden tray no more than fifteen centimeters in diameter. On the tray sat a cylindrical teacup, steaming gently.

"This is."

Kogoro Mouri raised an eyebrow, recognizing it as a mechanical doll at a glance. However, using it to pour tea was far too troublesome, as there were six of them here, and waiting for tea would take forever.

"This was a gift from a guest who stayed at our hotel years ago. Isn't it adorable?"

The guesthouse owner, Kitamura Genbei, and his wife, Kitamura Kayo, appeared at the door, smiling as they explained to the group, "This guest's skill in mechanical arts is truly remarkable; this doll has been used for over ten years and it still hasn't broken down."

"It's really great."

Xia Chuan nodded, placed the tea on the table, and picked up the doll to examine it for a few seconds.

This is a very classic old-fashioned doll, made entirely of wood, with a hole in its back, which is probably the wind-up hole.

Through the gaps under the doll's feet, you can see a lot of gears and similar things.

Natsukawa lost interest when he discovered that the device used a spring instead of a force-driven one like the wooden ox or the flowing horse.

Professor Agasa can develop seven or eight of these things a day, and they're all remotely controlled.

As for the fact that puppets don't need electricity, haha, Professor Agasa's inventions can even use solar energy, which is dozens of times more convenient than mechanical puppets.

Technology has changed life.

However, these mechanical dolls add a unique charm to this traditional-style hot spring inn, serving as a perfect finishing touch.

"Honestly, I was startled. I had just watched a TV series about the Snow Woman, and suddenly this tiny, moving doll appeared."

"Sister Xiaolan, there is no such thing as a snow woman in this world. Demons and monsters are all fake. This is not based on science."

Conan rolled his eyes. He had explained the same story countless times, but Ran just wouldn't learn.

Despite being a high school student who received a science education and was virtually unbeatable in karate throughout Tokyo, he was afraid of this kind of thing.

Conan, being a boy, couldn't understand it at all.

Across from him, Kitamura Kayo shook her head: "Then you're wrong. Our Mikachi has been famous for a long time because the Yuki-onna (snow woman) often appears in the area."

As she spoke, she suddenly curled the corners of her lips into a smile, her eyes widened abruptly, and her face turned gloomy. "Tonight, the Snow Woman might appear. If you're scared, you'd better keep your eyes wide open when you sleep."

"Hehehe"

Ran's forehead broke out in a cold sweat again, and her heart, which had just been comforted by Conan, began to waver once more.

Despite receiving formal scientific education, Xiaolan still couldn't shake the lingering folklore and strange tales from her mind.

After all, these are monster legends that have been passed down for hundreds or even thousands of years. If they have survived to this day, they must be true.

Just look at Kidd. No magician can fly around in the sky and quickly change their face and disguise themselves as someone else. That must be magic.

Seeing that Kidd always wears a white battle robe, this is very likely the legendary white magic.

Before Xiaolan could ask any more questions about the Snow Woman...

Natsukawa and Yoel's gazes suddenly turned simultaneously to the Japanese-style gate behind the Kitamura couple.

Conan noticed this and turned his head.

Strange, nobody's here?
The area outside the Japanese-style gate was deserted; there was no one in sight.

Because they had just been talking about the legend of the Snow Woman, the two of them suddenly did this. Conan thought about many things in an instant, but he didn't believe in the existence of the Snow Woman. He just thought that a small animal like a mouse or cockroach had passed by.

Just as Conan was consolidating his scientific worldview, a woman's voice suddenly came from the doorway.

"Is anyone home? Is the boss here?"

The Kitamura couple, who were in the living room, heard the noise, exchanged a glance, and knew that the last group of guests had arrived.

"Coming right away!" Kitamura Genbei turned around and replied, nodding apologetically to the group. He placed the tea on the table, then turned and walked out of the room to greet the new guests.

It seems the deceased has made his appearance.

Xia Chuan breathed a sigh of relief. It was good that the hotel owner wasn't the one who died, so it wouldn't affect his hot spring bath.

Conan stared thoughtfully at Natsukawa and Yoel for a few moments.

He clearly hadn't heard a sound at all, yet Xia Chuan and Yue Er turned to look outside the door. What amazing hearing!

Anya, standing next to Xia Chuan, froze.

The deceased makes an appearance?
Anya didn't know why her father could always foresee death, but she didn't think about it too much. Just like Bond could foresee the future, perhaps her father had been modified by some mad scientist.

Furthermore, after spending so much time together, she completely believed in her father's sincerity and that he would never harm her.

However, there is one strange thing. It seems that Conan is always present when the father foresees that someone will die.

"Weird guy."

Anya glanced at Conan discreetly, then suddenly had a flash of inspiration and quietly took out her camera to fiddle with it for a bit.

Ai Haibara assigned a lot of homework, which had been a bit of a problem for her before, but now seeing Conan suddenly stirred up her emotions.

With all this dirt on him, he should be able to blackmail Conan into doing his homework, right?
No, it's about having the other person guide you. Ai Haibara is so smart; if Conan were to write down the answer directly, the sharp-eyed Haibara would definitely notice the problem with her handwriting. It's best if Conan tells her the answer and lets her write it down herself.

What a clever little boy I am!

Anya silently praised herself, then moved closer to Conan.

Conan suddenly shivered, turned his head to look around for the source of his unease, and finally fixed his gaze on Anya next to him.

He glanced at the camera in the other person's hand, sighed, and said, "Just say what you want to say. There's no need to take this out."

Anya chuckled, revealing her signature crescent-shaped eyes, and her upturned lips almost stretched to her ears, making Xiaolan, who had just calmed down, get goosebumps again.

Slit-mouthed woman?
Ignoring Ran's whimsical idea, Anya leaned close to Conan's ear and whispered, "Haibara gave me a homework assignment. Could you help me with my studies tonight?"

"How about I just write it for you? That would be much faster."

Conan knew how slow Anya was at doing her homework; she could take forever even for the smallest things. He didn't want to waste his precious time.

He's been under a lot of stress lately, and he finally managed to win a voucher for a hot spring hotel. He wanted to enjoy the hot spring as much as possible and planned to watch a good mystery drama before bed to relax.

Anya's threat somewhat disrupted his plans.

As he was thinking, he suddenly noticed something strange.

"Didn't Haibara come?"

Even though they've become a family of four, Ai Haibara didn't come. Could it be that she's not getting along well with the Natsukawa family?
"She went to Professor Agasa's house."

"Professor Agasa?"

"I see," Conan nodded with satisfaction. "Aihara is quite a nice person; she started studying the research materials as soon as she got them."

Yesterday they only briefly checked the feasibility of the research materials. Today, Ai Haibara is probably checking the completeness of the documents and planning the next research direction.

Conan looked on with anticipation, believing that he would soon be able to become the famous high school detective again.

However, before that, we need to deal with the mess left behind by the other party – Anya.

"Don't worry, I'll tutor you properly tonight."

Anya rolled her eyes. "Who needs your tutoring? Just tell me the answers. We're focusing on quantity, not quality, today."

Outside, Kitamura Genbei bowed ninety degrees and greeted the two beautiful women in front of him: "You two must be Kinoshita Akiko and Asanuma Yoko, right?"

"Yes, I called to make an appointment a few days ago."

"You must have had a tough journey. The road was rugged, and with the snow, it must have been difficult to get here. The room has already been prepared in advance."

The boss nodded with a smile.

Business was good today; there were three groups of customers, totaling eight people. This was the best business we've had in a while.

Normally, they'll come in at most two groups, and sometimes it's deserted, with no one at all.

Kitamura Kayo was about to lead the two into the house when a noise suddenly came from the direction of the living room.

A brush sound.

Kogoro Mouri appeared at the entrance like a wolfhound that had smelled blood, his eyes gleaming.

"What? Boss, you just said Akiko Kinoshita? Did I hear that right?"

Kogoro Mouri's eyes lit up, and he clasped his hands together in front of his chest like a little girl chasing after a star, quickly locking onto Akiko Kinoshita at the entrance.

Before the boss could explain, Kogoro Mouri darted over in a flash: "It really is you! We were just watching you in 'The Snow Woman's Love,' and now we're seeing you in person! We're so excited!"

Kogoro Mouri's excitement was evident not only on his face but also in his body language.

It was as if gesturing wildly could increase the persuasiveness of his words.

Xia Chuan, who had come out to watch the commotion, shook his head, a premonition in his heart that the deceased was very likely Kinoshita Akiko.

After all, the only people who can catch Kogoro Mouri's attention are either the murderer or the deceased.

Since Kinoshita Akiko is a celebrity, the person next to her who looks like an assistant must be the murderer.

As for the reason, he could guess it without even thinking: either it was a crime of passion, jealousy, or the female celebrity's daily habit of bullying her assistant.

"Dad, calm down. You're a famous detective, aren't you?"

Xiao Lan whispered behind her back, thinking that her father was behaving very strangely.

Even if you meet a celebrity, it shouldn't be like this.

She previously thought her father only liked actress Yoko Okino, but after watching "The Snow Woman's Love," another actress, Akiko Kinoshita, appeared.

Thankfully, she's a TV drama actress, not someone like Yoko Okino who holds concerts every now and then.

Now that the family's savings have increased significantly, she doesn't want her dad to go to some other person's concert every day.

"Cough cough cough."

Kogoro Mouri realized his lapse in composure and quickly adjusted his expression, suppressing his smile.

However, when he thought about her acting skills, he couldn't help but praise her: "Ms. Kinoshita Akiko's acting skills are really superb, especially the action of jumping into the pool, which I would call a classic."

I just finished watching "The Snow Woman's Love" in the living room, and it was absolutely wonderful! It's a truly excellent work that perfectly blends a poignant love story with a traditional folk tale.

Akiko Kinoshita smiled slightly. She was also very happy that her work was recognized by others, especially since the person was the famous detective Kogoro Mouri.

"It's alright. I had to film it many times before I got it right. And I didn't do the diving move myself; Yoko did it."

Akiko Kinoshita pulled her companion to her side and said with a smile, "This is my personal stunt double. Yoko does some of the most dangerous stunts for me. She is definitely an indispensable part of my acting career."

Most of the dramas starring Akiko Kinoshita are period dramas, and many of the dangerous stunts were performed by Yoko Asanuma. She was responsible for acting, while Asanuma, whose acting talent was slightly lacking, served as her stunt double—a win-win situation.

"Yoko has been my good friend since college. We entered the entertainment industry together and have worked hard together to get to where we are today."

As she spoke, Kinoshita Akiko smiled and put her arm around her best friend's shoulder, unaware of the hidden murderous intent that appeared in her friend's eyes.

"Is that so!" Kogoro Mouri scrutinized Yoko Asanuma and noticed that her appearance was somewhat similar to Akiko Kinoshita, and their figures were exactly the same.

It seems I'm right, the actress named Akiko Kinoshita is nearing her end.

Natsukawa crossed her arms and looked at Kinoshita Akiko's face strangely. The other woman didn't seem like the type to bully a Stand, especially since she had just been praising Asanuma Yoko.

Never mind, it has nothing to do with me anyway.

This case wouldn't benefit him in any way, and he had no intention of getting involved. He glanced at it and didn't pay much attention; he still needed to put his suitcase in the room.

After he put his things away and left the room, the deceased and the murderer were both settled.

Kogoro Mouri, on the other hand, returned to his original state, sitting in the living room, sipping beer and eating snacks, as if this was his pursuit in life.

But it's almost the same.

Kogoro Mouri is definitely a winner in life.

He was the best graduate of the police academy when he was young, and after graduation he became a detective and married a mature and sophisticated woman like Eri Kisaki.

More than ten years have passed, and my daughter has grown up so much. The key is that she is both elegant and capable in the kitchen, and she even won a prize in a lucky draw!

Recently, thanks to Conan's addition, the detective's reputation has gradually grown.

In a way, Kogoro Mouri's life seems to have always been at its peak, never falling from grace.

(Ask for monthly ticket)

(End of this chapter)