Conan: Above all force, there is truth!

Seeing this, Ryuno and Ran exchanged a smile, and walked to the sofa with Sonoko, pouring her a glass of warm water.

After gulping down the water in her cup, Sonoko and Ryuno smiled excitedly at each other.

"Let's take advantage of this short holiday and go boating! My parents received an invitation from the eighth chairman, who wants to invite them to a three-day luxury cruise."

"But they don't have time these few days, and besides, they're not actually that familiar with this eighth chairman, so... hehe, let's invite more people to go together!"

"Should we call more people?" Xiaolan asked, puzzled.

“Yeah, there’s no limit to the number of people anyway~ The more people, the more lively it is!” Sonoko laughed.

"Oh, is this alright?"

"Don't worry, I've already asked, it's fine~" Sonoko patted her chest and looked up.

A moment later, as arranged by Sonoko, Ran was in charge of calling Kogoro Mouri and Professor Agasa.

Sonoko was responsible for calling Sera Masumi and the Junior Detective League.

As for Tatsuno, he was responsible for contacting Ai Haibara.

Seeing that Ran had already dialed the number, Sonoko immediately and cautiously walked to Ryuno's side and whispered, "Ryuno, you should be ready, right?"

"Huh? What are you preparing?" Longye was taken aback.

"Of course it's a gift! A gift! Ran just won the Kanto Karate Championship!" Sonoko said in a low voice while watching Ran not far away.

Seeing Sonoko's cautious expression, Ryūno finally realized what was going on.

No wonder Sonoko suddenly invited them to go on a cruise; it turns out she wanted to gather everyone together to celebrate Ran's victory in the karate tournament.

So, Sonoko's claim that her parents didn't have time to participate in the cruise trip... might not be true.

Thinking about this, Ryūno couldn't help but feel a pang of admiration for the friendship between Sonoko and Ran.

"Don't worry, I've already decided what to give you. Thank you, Sonoko~" Ryuno said with a smile, looking at Sonoko.

"Hmph~ Who told you to be my best friends! Speaking of which, it's been a long time since we've all gone out together. This is a perfect opportunity for us all to have a great time~" Sonoko tilted her head back and chuckled softly a few times.

Soon after, Longye and his two companions received replies from the crowd.

Uncle Mori, Conan, and the Detective Boys have all confirmed that they can participate.

Professor Agasa and Aunt An wanted to participate, but due to the heavy workload at the company, one of them had to stay at headquarters to oversee things, so neither of them could necessarily come.

The others could understand this.

Ever since Professor Agasa and Aunt An got together, Aunt An decided to move Fusae's company headquarters to Beika.

Unlike moving house, relocating a company involves more complex and complicated issues.

Therefore, she and Dr. Agasa have been very busy lately.

Ai Haibara's experiment has come to a temporary end, so she accepted Tatsuno's invitation.

As for Sera Masumi, she simply stated that she had something to do and therefore could not come.

When she said those words, Sonoko could even sense the intense regret in her voice.

Tatsuno wasn't surprised that Sera Masumi couldn't come. After all, she had a "younger sister from outside the domain" who needed "care".

She can manage a short absence, but she definitely can't participate in a trip like this that lasts for several days.

……

The next afternoon

The group of Tatsuno boarded the luxury cruise ship "Aphrodite" to enjoy a wonderful three-day trip.

After changing into the jackets provided on the cruise ship, Longye and his companions went to the top deck.

As the sun set, both the sky and the deck were bathed in a fiery red glow.

With the gentle sea breeze, Longye and his companions were captivated by the beauty of the sunset and the fleeting nature of time.

same moment

Inside a cabin on the ship, a red-haired man wearing glasses, with a smirk, opened a backpack filled with explosives and props.

after an hour.

Longye and the others arrived at the ship's main restaurant.

Looking at the spacious and magnificent restaurant in front of them, Mitsuhiko and his two companions exclaimed excitedly.

“Of course! The Yashiro Group is a huge conglomerate! This cruise ship was built by Yashiro Merchant Ship, an important member of the Yashiro family, so of course it has to be luxurious!” Sonoko explained.

Soon after, a waiter came to the group and went to prepare a suitable table for them.

Just then, a beige-clad man wearing glasses walked up to Kogoro Mouri and exclaimed in surprise, "Could you be Mr. Mouri? The famous detective?!"

“Yes, that’s right, that’s me.” Kogoro Mouri looked at the man in front of him with suspicion, wondering why this stranger had come to “chat” him up.

Upon seeing Kogoro Mouri admit his identity, the bespectacled man immediately smiled and said, "Great! I'm a screenwriter named Hironari Kusaka. I'm a huge fan of yours!"

After speaking, the man looked at the woman behind him and continued, "This lady behind me is Ms. Minami Akiyoshi. She is the deputy commander of the team responsible for designing this ship. She's the one who came up with the beautiful name 'Aphrodite'."

Upon hearing this, everyone turned their attention to Ms. Minami Akiyoshi.

The moment Kogoro Mouri saw Ms. Akiyoshi, a bead of cold sweat appeared on his face.

This woman with glasses...why does she look so much like Eri Kisaki?!

After everyone introduced themselves, the waiter finished tidying up the table and returned to the group.

Seeing this, Mr. Kusaka asked Kogoro Mouri if he could have dinner with Ms. Minako Akiyoshi.

Kogoro Mouri nodded slightly and agreed to his request.

Watching Kogoro Mouri and the others walk away, Sonoko leaned close to Ryuno and Ran's ears and asked suspiciously, "Huh? Uncle's acting strange. Normally, wouldn't he be excitedly chatting with that Akiyoshi-san already?"

Ran was taken aback when she heard Sonoko's words; it seemed to be true.

Before Ryūno and Ran could speak, Sonoko immediately began to imitate them: "Oh my~ Speaking of Aphrodite, she's the goddess of love and beauty! Ms. Akiyoshi, I think you're more suited to that name than this ship~ Hahahaha!"

Seeing the smile on Sonoko's face that was even more like a Mori-san's smile than Mori's, Ryuno and Ran also laughed.

Chapter 293 The Star of Azure

After laughing for a while, Ryuno chuckled and said, "Perhaps it's because that Miss Akikichi looks a lot like Auntie Fei~"

“That’s right! When I saw her just now, I also thought she looked a lot like my mom~” Xiaolan nodded.

Sonoko nodded thoughtfully, looking as if she had just realized something.

Soon after, everyone sat around an extra-long dining table and began to chat amicably.

After a brief chat, Hiroshige Kusaka casually asked about what was currently on his mind most.

"Mr. Mori, you must have been invited here, right? Are you here to investigate some case?"

"No, how should I put it, actually I..." Kogoro Mouri scratched the back of his head and smiled sheepishly.

At this moment, Ran spoke up: "Actually, the ones who were invited this time are Sonoko's parents. Her father is the chairman of the Suzuki Foundation."

After Ran finished speaking, Sonoko waved her hand and smiled, "Well, since my parents didn't have time, I came in their place. It's more fun with more people!"

“That’s right, Professor Agasa and I are their guardians.” Kogoro Mouri nodded.

Hearing this, Hiroshige Kusaka placed his hands on the table, a slight smile playing on his lips, and murmured, "I see, so that's how it is..."

Having gotten the answer he wanted, Hiroshige put on a gentle smile again and changed the subject.

"Actually, I'm currently writing a proposal for a TV series set on a luxury cruise ship. It was through an interview that I met Ms. Minami Akiyoshi."

"Uncle, what kind of story are you writing?" Yuan Tai asked.

"Is it a story about traveling around the world on a luxury cruise ship?" Mitsuhiko asked.

Seeing how excited Mitsuhiko and the others were, Ai Haibara chuckled, "Maybe it might be a disaster like the Titanic~"

Upon hearing this, everyone present was stunned, and Mitsuhiko and the other two blinked in bewilderment.

Just then, Kogoro Mouri suddenly looked up at the ceiling and recalled, "Speaking of which, didn't we have an accident before when a merchant ship from Yatsushiro hit an iceberg?"

“Yes, it happened fifteen years ago in winter.” Minako Akiyoshi nodded.

"I remember the reports at the time said that it was due to the captain's misjudgment. In the end, one crew member died, and the captain sank with the cargo ship..." Kogoro Mouri continued to recall.

Upon hearing this, Mitsuhiko and his two companions panicked, fearing that the cruise ship would also sink.

Seeing their nervous expressions, Minami Akiyoshi smiled and reassured them, "Don't worry, the captain of the Aphrodite is excellent, and there are no icebergs nearby~"

“If this ship really sinks, I think those guys will be rescued first… They just happened to arrive~” Hiroshige Kusaka suddenly looked into the distance and chuckled with a hint of sarcasm.

Upon hearing this, everyone followed his gaze.

Two people dressed in traditional clothing slowly walked to the highest point of the restaurant, led by a restaurant staff member.

"They are Chairman Yashiro and his daughter, Yashiro Entarō and Yashiro Takae." Hiroshige Kusaka stared intently at the two as he introduced their identities to the crowd.

Sonoko added, "Speaking of which, I remember that President Takae's husband recently passed away in a car accident..."

“Yes, you’re talking about Professor Yashiro Eito, right? He’s my boss and the chief designer of the team that designed this ship,” Akiyoshi Minamiko nodded.

Upon hearing this, Kogoro Mouri recalled the incident involving Eito Yashiro and added, "It seems he suffered a heart attack while driving and ended up driving off a cliff."

Ryūno didn't speak, but glanced at Hirosaki Kōsei and Akiyoshi Minamiko and blinked.

It wasn't his imagination; when the Yashiro family was mentioned, both men seemed to exude a hint of killing intent.

It seems...

"Ah, that must be the captain, right? He's so handsome!" Ayumi's eyes lit up as she looked at the man in uniform next to Yashiro and his daughter.

Although Mitsuhiko and Genta did not speak, they stared at the man in uniform with shining eyes.

Sure enough, people are always interested in people in uniforms, whether they are children or adults.

“He is Captain Haito. Do you remember the shipwreck you just mentioned fifteen years ago? He was the first mate of that ship back then.” Hiroshige Kusaka squinted at the captain and chuckled.

Although he introduced it with a smile, Longye could still detect a hint of hatred in his words.

Ryūno: "?"

Now that things have come to this, Longye clearly understands what will happen next...

It seems there must be some inside story behind that so-called "shipwreck incident fifteen years ago".