Daily Spy Life in the Detective Conan World

Chapter 267 A Complete Sweep?
"I find it a bit strange."

In the car, Conan suddenly said to Kogoro Mouri, "Katsuyoshi Asahi's name contains the number nine. Could he also be the culprit's target? But Uncle Mouri shouldn't know him, right?"

The murderer has always used Kogoro Mouri's network of relationships as a starting point to commit crimes, so it's strange that someone outside of that network has suddenly appeared.

"Actually, I just thought of the name Xu Shengyi, which contains the number nine, but I really don't know this entrepreneur. Could it be that I've seen him on some TV show?"

Kogoro Mouri had appeared on several shows, both big and small, during this period, and suspected that he had seen the other person on some of them, but he just couldn't remember it.

Xia Chuan drove steadily and did not join the two's discussion. With the intelligence of the two detectives, they should soon realize that the murderer was just using Kogoro Mouri as a cover.

“This case is becoming increasingly suspicious. When the murderer attacked Inspector Megure, Aunt Eri, and Professor Agasa, he clearly didn’t kill them. So why would he kill Tsuji Hiroki? This is different from his previous behavior.”

"Perhaps he really is bad at archery," Xiaolan said.

"But how does Aunt Yingli explain this? When the other party poisoned the food, they could have used cyanide or other poisons to kill it instantly. There was no need to use stomach pumping to solve the food poisoning problem."

Kogoro Mouri didn't like hearing this; it sounded like he was cursing his wife. But while it was unpleasant to hear, it was very true.

"Perhaps Tsuji Hiroki is his real target, and the remaining eight people might be the same." Natsukawa's sudden interjection startled Conan and Kogoro Mouri.

Kogoro Mouri crossed his arms and rested his chin on his hand. "If that's the case, is that person still Joe Murakami?"

The person who knew he would send chocolates to Eri Kisaki must be someone he knew well. So, does Murakami Takeshi have an accomplice who is someone he knows well?
"Could it be that I accidentally let it slip when I was drunk at a brothel?" Kogoro Mouri muttered to himself as the car arrived in Tokyo Bay.

Mori and Conan stopped thinking about the problem. As long as they stayed close to Sawaki Kohei, they might have a chance to catch the culprit directly.

The newly built underwater restaurant, Crystal Water, is spectacular from the outside. The decoration is obviously elaborate and exquisite. The gorgeous design, combined with the vast sea, makes it look magnificent.

To reach this underwater restaurant, you'll need to take an electric cable car.

Xia Chuan felt that Aoyama had probably just watched a science fiction movie when he was creating the art style; in short, the architectural style and the overall atmosphere were quite explosive.

However, judging from his financial capacity, Xu Shengyi's ability to fund the construction of the Shuijing Crystal is sufficient proof of his substantial financial resources.

Zoos are precisely those established by wealthy individuals, which aligns with the requirements of a zoo.

This time, Asahi Katsuyoshi was clearly unlucky. Not only was he targeted by Sawaki Kohei, but even Gin wanted to kill him.

and many more!

Looking at the Shuijing Crystal complex, Xia Chuan suddenly remembered that Asahi Katsuyoshi seemed to have been killed before the Mori group entered.

It seems the other person was thrown directly into the sea.

Wow, I didn't expect Sawaki Kohei to be so efficient.

He had been worried that Ze Mugong's actions might be delayed until three days later, but now it seemed that the other party was truly eager for revenge and was unwilling to wait even a day longer.

However, to be on the safe side, it's still best to confirm on the spot to avoid any discrepancies between the storyline and reality.

At this moment, several more cars drove in one after another.

The most eye-catching thing was a red sports car.

For reasons unknown, the sports car owner performed a drift in front of the group, spraying exhaust fumes all over Inspector Megure's face, which angered him so much that he considered taking over the traffic police duties from Miyamoto Yumi.

A beautiful woman stepped out of the sports car after it came to a smooth stop in the parking space. The woman was young but surprisingly arrogant.

"It's the internet celebrity model Nana Koyama!" Ran exclaimed in surprise. She had met her before when she went shopping with Sonoko; she was an internet celebrity.

"Are there already internet celebrities in this day and age?"

Xia Chuan's forehead creased with three black lines. The internet was still very underdeveloped in this era. Videos and photos were not yet mature, and people mostly chatted online in text form. Xia Chuan really didn't know how internet celebrities came about under such circumstances.

This name is as explosive as the "Crystal Underwater Restaurant".

Three people also got out of the other cars.

They are photographer Eiaki Shishido, essayist Nishina Nishina, and Peter Ford.

"You two weren't also invited by Asahi Katsuyoshi to meet at the underwater restaurant at 3 o'clock, were you?"

After everyone had gathered together and introduced themselves, Xia Chuan got straight to the point.

"Are you guys like that too?" Nana Koyama asked curiously.

"What exactly is Asahi Katsuyoshi trying to do, inviting so many people all at once?" Peter Ford's probing gaze swept across everyone's faces, finally settling on Inspector Megure.

"Officer, were you also invited? This must be Mr. Mori?"

For some reason, Peter Ford seemed to recognize Inspector Megure and immediately recognized him.

As for Kogoro Mouri, he is someone who frequently appears in newspapers and news, so it's normal for him to be recognized.

When his identity was revealed, Kogoro Mouri nodded casually without saying much. All his attention was focused on the expressions of the group of people. Murakami Takeshi might have accomplices, and they might be among these people.

"Yes, we came to check the situation. It'll definitely be packed with people when it opens, and we'll need to provide police force to maintain order at the scene." Inspector Megure lied without hesitation; this wasn't about exposing the playing card murder.

Creating panic will only make the situation more uncontrollable.

Inspector Megure can just make up an excuse and cover it up when he sees Katsuyoshi Asahi later.

Xia Chuan noticed that this Peter Ford seemed to be something special. The moment he arrived, he sharply observed everyone and the surrounding environment, which was very much like what a veteran of the battlefield would do.

Moreover, there seemed to be a faint but palpable killing intent emanating from the other party.

Others might not be able to sense this murderous aura, but Xia Chuan had been in the martial arts world for many years, and his perception and sixth sense were extraordinary, so he noticed the slightest problem.

When I introduced myself, the other person didn't mention their profession, which is also suspicious.

Given that Asahi Katsuyoshi is connected to the zoo, Natsukawa has reason to suspect that this person, who can't even reveal his identity, is likely an employee of the zoo.

Could it be that they discovered something happened to Asahi Katsuyoshi? Or was Gin's mission to kill him discovered?

"Uncle Xia Chuan, let's go. What are you thinking about?"

"It's nothing, I was just amazed by the crystal. I never imagined there was such a thing as an underwater restaurant in this world."

With these questions in mind, Xia Chuan took the cable car into the underwater restaurant area with a view of the sea.

The underwater restaurant is divided into two parts.

One part is a restaurant with a view over the sea, and the other part is a restaurant with a view underwater.

They didn't linger on the surface, but instead, led by Sawaki Kohei, went directly to this part of the seabed.

The elevator slowly descended, and schools of seafood swayed around them. "I really want to eat them all in one pot!"

Fisherman Xia Chuan's eyes lit up; steaming, braising, or stewing all seemed pretty good.

Especially the stews, the seafood and fish soups are incredibly delicious and melt in your mouth, especially with a touch of pepper, they're absolutely amazing.

Although Asahi Katsuyoshi may be dead, this underwater restaurant is a good place for fishing. Natsukawa silently noted down the address, planning to catch a few fish next time he came, using Professor Agasa's new invention, the Spider Web Launcher.

No more fishing next time. Thanks to Professor Agasa's invention, Natsukawa realized that net fishing was the best option.

The original purpose of this thing was to serve as a weapon to subdue enemies in certain situations. However, since Blue Castle used it to catch fish, Xia Chuan has redefined its purpose!

It's a shame not to use this thing for fishing!
The underwater restaurant was not yet open for business, and it was rather quiet inside. The group looked around and waited for the host to come out and greet them.

However, ten minutes passed and Xu Shengyi still did not appear.

"Strange, where is Asahi Yoshito? He called us all over, but he's not here himself?" Sawaki Kohei pretended to be annoyed as he looked around.

“Maybe he’s no longer here.” Xia Chuan walked straight to the sofa and sat down, his words causing everyone’s expression to change drastically.

"What do you mean by this?"

The four people who arrived later, unaware of the situation, changed their expressions drastically upon hearing this.

The phrase "gone" easily evokes thoughts of death.

"The Japanese pronunciation of Nana Koyama is the same as the number seven; the character Shishido Eimei has a number six below it; the English pronunciation of Peter Ford is the same as the number four; the character Ninaka Nyan has a number two below it."

With the addition of Mr. Sawaki Kohei, Uncle Mori, and Uncle Natsukawa, it seems we're almost complete with a deck of cards numbered 1-9.

Conan was talking to himself when he suddenly felt his hair stand on end and a chill run straight to the top of his head!

He discovered the problem while on the cable car; perhaps Asahi Katsuyoshi's invitation was just a pretext, and in reality, Murakami Takeshi was planning to wipe them out in one fell swoop.

I still held onto a sliver of hope, thinking I was overthinking things.

But ten minutes passed and no one came. Xia Chuan's guess was probably right; Xu Shengyi was most likely dead.

Inviting so many people at once, it's impossible for Xu Shengyi not to be here; this is not something a successful businessman would do.

"What happened?" Nana Koyama, who had been taking photos of herself with marine life while holding onto Eimei Shishido, exclaimed in horror, "You mean Mr. Katsuyoshi Asahi is dead?"

In addition, Peter Ford told them from the beginning that there were police officers and famous detectives at the scene, which immediately created the atmosphere of a murder case.

"Officer, are you hiding something from us?" Shishido Eiaki pushed up his glasses, staring intently at Inspector Megure, wanting an answer.

If a murder really happens, he should leave immediately.

However, there were clearly others here who were even more impatient than him, and the person who was most afraid was actually Renke Nian.

Renke Nian was originally a landlubber.

Afraid of water.

It was obvious when we were riding the cable car, and now I'm even more trembling. What if a murder really happens, and the two sides start fighting and break the glass, causing seawater to rush in?
Before Inspector Megure could explain, Nishina jumped up as if he were on pins and needles, rushing toward the elevator at inhuman speed.

"We absolutely cannot stay here any longer!"

At this moment, Renke Nian only had this thought.

However, when he arrived at the elevator, he found that no matter what he did, the elevator doors would not open.

"Open it now, you bastard!" He pounded on the button, but the elevator didn't budge.

"Mr. Nishina."

A group of people chased after them, wanting to comfort them.

"The elevator won't open!" Ren Ke Nian, no longer the elegant writer, looked terrified and extremely pale. He sat on the floor with his back against the elevator door, rubbing his hair and looking desperate.

Upon hearing this, Kogoro Mouri stepped forward and fiddled with it for a while, but he still couldn't open it.

"Make a call outside! Quickly, officer!"

Renke felt a sharp pain in his heart; the current crisis made him feel like he was about to have a heart attack.

He clung tightly to Inspector Megure's trouser leg, pleading.

Inspector Megure nodded thoughtfully, then took out his mobile phone and made a call.

After a long while, they found that the phone could not be connected no matter what they tried.

Xia Chuan shook his head: "It's no use. We're fifty meters underwater, and the space is so enclosed that the signal can't be transmitted."

"Try the landline?" Conan's expression wasn't good either; it seemed the culprit intended to catch them all at once!
However, the result was not ideal; not only was the elevator blocked, but the telephone line was also cut in advance.

"What's this?" Shishido Eimei suddenly noticed a note on the ground next to the telephone.

Welcome to my Crystal Restaurant! I apologize for being late; please wait a moment. Also, Mr. Sawaki, please go to wine rack M18 in my wine cellar and retrieve your favorite bottle as an apology for my tardiness.

“Asahi Katsuyoshi isn’t dead yet, he’s just late, right?” Renke Nian felt much better after reading the contents of the letter, and that was the only way he could comfort himself now.

“Possibly, but how do you explain the elevator?” Peter Ford asked.

"It's probably broken. After all, it hasn't opened for business yet, so it's normal that some equipment hasn't been fully tested."

After saying that, Nana Koyama glanced at Natsukawa.

It's all that guy's fault. He suddenly said that Xu Shengyi was dead, which gave them a big scare. Now it seems it was just a false alarm.

"No, something's not right!" Conan pondered, resting his chin on his hand. "Mr. Asahi Katsuyoshi could have called ahead to let everyone know he would be late, and the fact that the phone line couldn't be reached is also suspicious."

"Anyway, I'll go get the wine first. I remember his wine cellar should be in this direction." Ze Mugong's plan was about to begin, so naturally he wouldn't let these people leave. He turned around and headed straight for the wine cellar.

Halfway there, he suddenly turned back and said, "By the way, why don't we all go together? If there's a problem with this note, we can look out for each other."

He orchestrated an assassination attempt on himself in the wine cellar. If no one else went, who would he be performing for?
The criminal plan had already been somewhat affected; at least the problems with the elevator and telephone lines shouldn't have been discovered so quickly.

He needs to clear himself up first!

(Ask for monthly ticket)

(End of this chapter)