He's in Detective Conan, and he's the mastermind behind everything.

"Then let it happen."

"Nani?!!!"

Megure Juzo's eyes widened instantly, he could hardly believe what he was hearing.

"Brother Kudo! Do you know what you're saying?!"

"Inspector Megure, assuming the mastermind continues his operations, he doesn't have many targets left to choose from. The police have the ability to place informants around them. Give me one last chance, and I'm sure I can catch him!"

This is a classic case of luring the snake out of its hole!

When Shinichi Kudo said this, his eyes shone with an unprecedented light of excitement.

I have never encountered such an opponent before.

He absolutely has to win!

Chapter 41 Shinichi Kudo decides to go alone!

Saturday, noon, at the Kudo residence.

Shinichi Kudo groggily turned over; the sunlight was a bit too bright. He pulled the blanket over his eyes, and within a minute, beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.

"Ah ah ah ah ah--!!!"

Frustrated, he threw off the covers, but his eyes remained closed. Bright sunlight pierced his eyelids, casting a blood-red curtain deep within his pupils.

"Damn it, I clearly drew the curtains, why is it windy now!"

Shinichi Kudo swept away the curtains that were blowing in his face, feeling annoyed and his sleepiness vanished instantly.

He reluctantly reached for the bedside table, fumbled for his phone, and glanced at it with half-closed eyes.

11:30...

!!!

His eyes widened suddenly, and he jumped out of bed.

"late!"

But as soon as his toes touched the cold floor, he suddenly realized that it was Saturday and he didn't have to go to class.

He sighed inexplicably, dragged his somewhat limp body to the bathroom, and looked at the person in the mirror. Hmm... he was still handsome, but his hair was a mess, and his eyes were slightly swollen.

"Sigh, why did Inspector Megure refuse? Nothing will happen."

Shinichi Kudo sighed again. At four in the morning, Inspector Megure sternly rejected his proposal at the Metropolitan Police Department, expressing his gratitude for his help, but the matter ended there.

Of course, he was unwilling to give up, so he used the excuse that it was still dark to get the police to cooperate with him in continuing to investigate some things and to keep thinking about and studying the case.

But even as the first rays of dawn broke in the east, he still hadn't found conclusive evidence.

Unfortunately, Game Over.

When Inspector Megure drove him back, he seemed to comfort him in some way, but Shinichi Kudo patted his dizzy head and couldn't remember anything.

Sigh, it's probably just some talk about prioritizing life and stability.

Shinichi Kudo shook his head and began washing up.

He understood all the reasons, but the most important thing was to uncover the mystery and catch the mastermind behind it all.

Now that the police have withdrawn, he'll investigate alone.

One day, he will win!

Shinichi Kudo, wearing a blue jacket, stepped out of his house at just past midnight. He planned to find a restaurant to eat first, and then go to Ginza Hospital to continue his investigation.

In the early hours of the morning, he had already figured out how the mastermind was sending a message to Gao Yuanyi, probably by hanging down an earpiece or something from the rooftop.

Unfortunately, he was also unable to verify this, and in the end, he could only return to the motives behind Gao Yuanyi's suicide.

However, he had already investigated with the police in Shibuya and interviewed many people who knew Takahara Yoshi, but apart from a minor suspicious point in a family relationship, they found nothing unusual.

Sigh, how did the mastermind behind this do it?

"I love you, I'm willing to give you anything!"

A voice suddenly rang out beside him, startling Shinichi Kudo, who was lost in thought. He turned around and saw a television set in a glass display case playing a period film imported from abroad.

Shinichi Kudo shook his head and chuckled, continuing to take a step, but the next second, his raised foot froze in mid-air.

A man's scream suddenly came from the television, but Shinichi Kudo paid no attention.

What kept echoing in his mind was the seductive words spoken by the woman with snow-white skin and bewitching beauty.

"I want your heart."

Your heart...

Your heart!!!

Shinichi Kudo's pupils contracted sharply. He had always believed that the mastermind behind everything was Kiyoko Yukimatsu, his unknown lover, and that she had orchestrated everything.

But what if Kiyoko Yukimatsu was also involved?!

This sounds like a stupid statement, but considering the police's continuous investigation of her over many days, they found absolutely nothing wrong with her...

That's just terrifying!

Shinichi Kudo's eyes flickered. He guessed that what Kiyoko Yukimatsu was doing was all done from a distance and in a roundabout way, and the breaking point was several days later. So even Miwako Sato, who was following her, did not find anything unusual!

For example:

The death of Gao Yuanyi!

In previous investigations, Shinichi Kudo and the police generally believed that Yoshiyuki Takahara deeply loved his wife and, after her death, spent his days drowning his sorrows in alcohol, contemplating suicide.

But what if we change direction?

What if Takahara Yoshi didn't actually love his wife that much, and he went to the izakaya every day to drink simply because he was bewitched by some woman, or rather, a young girl?

This also explains the minor doubts in the survey results, since it wasn't just one person who mentioned it:

"I never expected that guy to be so sentimental. I never knew it before."

It's confirmed, that's definitely it!

Shinichi Kudo gradually became excited, feeling that he was one step closer to the truth.

Although he couldn't understand this abnormal love at all, it was still unknown whether it could really drive Gao Yuanyi to suicide.

But compared to being completely clueless before, at least we have a direction now.

Moreover, Gao Yuanyi's suicide may have been caused by a combination of factors, perhaps even including the speculation from last night? What long-cherished wish did the mastermind behind it help him achieve?

After buying a sandwich at a convenience store, Shinichi Kudo took a taxi directly to Shibuya.

He remembered the name of the izakaya that Takahara Yoshi frequented:

Maku Izakaya!

Thirty minutes later, Shinichi Kudo stood on the street in Shibuya Jingumae 6-chome, walked into a side street, and turned the corner to his destination. He pushed open the door and went straight in.

At noon, the izakaya was empty, with not a single customer in sight. The air was slightly stuffy, but not murky; instead, there was a faint floral fragrance.

Shinichi Kudo twitched his nose slightly, recognizing the fresh fragrance as coming from fresh roses.

The proprietress, around forty years old, still retained a faint trace of her former charm. She was leaning listlessly behind the counter, dozing off while watching a historical drama on a small TV. Hearing a noise at the door, she slowly looked up.

"We only have tempura and rice for lunch, but drinks are still available. Sir/Madam..."

Upon seeing the figure in the backlight, she immediately stopped speaking, clicked her tongue, and turned her head back to watch TV. "Detective, what are you going to ask this time? I was 100% cooperative last time."

Shinichi Kudo walked to the counter and got straight to the point: "Does Takahara Yoshi always drink here alone? Has he ever been accompanied by other women?"

"Oh dear, didn't I tell you last time? He always drinks in the innermost private room on the second floor, and once the food and drinks are served, he doesn't want anyone to disturb him. With so many guests at night, I can't possibly keep an eye on him all the time, so how would I know if anyone else has been in his room?"

“You’ll have to clean up the private room after he leaves.”

The proprietress thought for a few seconds after hearing this, then shook her head and said, "No, there's only one set of chopsticks and bowls each time, and I've never seen him with any other women."

"It didn't say it was a woman."

Shinichi Kudo opened a photo of Kiyoko Cedar on his phone and showed it to the landlady.

Have you seen her?

Chapter 42 Shinji's First Encounter?!

"there has never been."

After staring at Kiyoko Yukimatsu's photo for a long time, the proprietress gave her answer, then looked at Shinichi Kudo and saw that he had his brows furrowed slightly, so she couldn't help but purse her lips.

"Detective, do you really think such a beautiful girl would go drinking with some penniless, powerless middle-aged office worker? You're overthinking it. If I had been half as good-looking as her when I was young, I would have been a big star in the entertainment industry."

Shinichi Kudo still refused to give up, frowning as he said, "She might wear a mask and put on makeup."

"So even if she came, I won't remember her." The proprietress pointed to the empty corner above the counter and chuckled, "How about the detective generously pays me to install a security camera here?"

Shinichi Kudo didn't reply, but just kept thinking, could it be that his previous guess was wrong?

A short while later, he turned his head to look at the stairs to the second floor.

Since we're already here, let's go up and take a look. Maybe we can discover some details we missed last time.

He remembered that it was by the window, perhaps so that one could see something outside. In the past, he had assumed that Gao Yuanyi was drinking alone and didn't pay much attention to the outside world.

"May I go up and take a look?"

"Whatever, but there's a guest waiting for someone upstairs. I don't know which private room she's in, so just don't disturb her."

It seemed the rose scent came from that person. Shinichi Kudo's detective instincts kicked in immediately, and he asked curiously, "Is she pretty? Are you two close?"

The proprietress glanced at him sideways: "Related to the case?"

Shinichi Kudo asked doubtfully, "Otherwise what?"

"Tsk, it's nothing. She's very beautiful. It's the first time I've seen her. The reason she told you not to bother her is because her male companion is very generous and said she likes peace and quiet."