The Different Color Tracks in the Detective Conan World

Three days after the case was resolved, Tokyo was hit by a continuous downpour.

Lin Mo stood in front of the vending machine downstairs from the apartment building, holding an umbrella, his fingertips tapping on the cold glass. Various drinks scrolled across the screen, and he finally chose a can of hot cocoa. The metallic clanging sound of the coin being inserted was particularly clear amidst the rain.

"Ding—" The hot cocoa fell to the ground. He bent down to pick it up, and his fingertips had just touched the warmth of the can when he suddenly heard a series of hurried footsteps behind him.

"Excuse me! May I pass by?"

A clear, slightly flustered female voice rang out. Lin Mo instinctively turned to the side and saw a girl in a Teitan High School uniform running towards him. The hem of her uniform jacket was soaked by the rain and clung to her body. She stopped in front of the vending machine, her fingers rapidly tapping the buttons, muttering, "Hurry, hurry, I'm going to be late..."

It is distant mountains and leaves.

Lin Mo's gaze lingered on the hand holding the coin—there was a slight abrasion on the knuckles of that hand, as if she had just fallen.

"Do you need any help?" he asked.

Kazuha was startled. She turned around and saw Lin Mo. She hesitated for a moment before waving her hand, "Ah, no need, no need, thank you..." She looked back at the vending machine and pressed "Oolong Tea" with trembling fingers, but the coin got stuck in the entrance.

"Tsk..." Kazuha stamped her foot in frustration, glancing at her watch. "Oh no, I'm going to be late for the kendo club's morning practice!"

Lin Mo reached out and patted the side of the vending machine. The stuck coin clattered into the machine, and the oolong tea quickly fell out. He bent down, picked it up, and handed it to He Ye: "Here you go."

"Ah, thank you!" Kazuha took the drink, a bright smile spreading across her face. Raindrops dripped from her hair, her eyes shining like the sunlight after the rain. "My name is Kazuha Toyama, and you are...?"

"Lin Mo".

"Lin Mo-jun?" Kazuha tilted her head. "I feel like I've heard that name somewhere before... Oh! Ran said you were an exchange student who came back from abroad and lived around here, right?"

Lin Mo nodded.

"What a coincidence!" Kazuha shook the oolong tea in her hand. "I'll treat you to a meal another day to thank you! I'm leaving now, bye-bye!" Before she finished speaking, she had already turned around and rushed into the rain. After running a few steps, she turned back and waved. The red hem of her school uniform skirt drew a light arc in the rain.

Lin Mo watched her figure disappear around the street corner, then lowered his head and took a sip of hot cocoa. The warm liquid slid down his throat, but it didn't dispel much of the chill. He had a feeling that in the direction he and Ye had run, there seemed to be a person standing in the shadows at the alley entrance, wearing a black trench coat with the brim of the hat pulled low.

Is it just my imagination?

Without thinking further, he turned and walked towards the apartment. As soon as he reached the second floor, he saw Ai Haibara standing at the door of the doctor's house, holding a folder in her hand, seemingly waiting for him.

"Is something the matter?" Lin Mo stopped in his tracks.

Ai Haibara raised her eyes, her gaze behind her glasses calm and unwavering: "Professor Agasa asked me to ask if you're free tonight. He's made a new invention and would like you to take a look."

"Inventions?" Lin Mo's lips twitched as he recalled the various inventions the professor in the anime had, all of which always failed at crucial moments. "What inventions?"

"A portable fingerprint reader, supposedly capable of quickly extracting fingerprints on-site." Ai Haibara's tone was emotionless. "Of course, you can refuse."

"What time tonight?"

"Seven o'clock."

Lin Mo nodded: "Understood."

Ai Haibara didn't say anything more and turned to go inside. Lin Mo watched her retreating figure, feeling that her reasons for seeking his help weren't as simple as just wanting to help the professor's invention. This girl was like a wary little animal, each approach tinged with probing.

In the afternoon, Lin Mo went to the Mihua Library to research information—he wanted to gain a more systematic understanding of the criminal investigation system of this world, as well as major cases that had occurred in the past decade, hoping to find clues about the Black Organization.

The library was quiet, with only the rustling of pages and the sound of rain outside the window. Lin Mo found a row of old books in the criminal psychology section and was reaching for one on the top shelf when a hand suddenly reached out and easily took the book down.

Is this the one?

A cool female voice sounded above Lin Mo's head. He looked up and saw a girl in a beige sweater standing beside him, her long hair loosely tied back, revealing her slender neck. Her fingers were long and slender, with neatly trimmed nails, and she was holding the spine of the book "Analysis of Abnormal Criminal Psychology".

It's Akemi Miyano.

Lin Mo's heart skipped a beat. He knew that this gentle, smiling girl would one day die at Gin's gun while protecting her sister.

"Thank you." He took the book, trying to make his voice sound natural.

Akemi Miyano smiled, her eyes gentle. "You're welcome. You're also interested in criminal psychology?"

"I guess so, just browsing." Lin Mo turned the pages, his fingertips feeling a little cold. Should he warn her? But he couldn't prove anything right now, and speaking rashly would only make him seem like a madman, or even alert her and hasten her demise.

"This book is hard to understand," Miyano Akemi said, looking at the book in his hand. "The cases in it are very extreme. I've seen them in the university library before, but I didn't dare to finish reading them."

"Are you... a student?" Lin Mo asked.

"Yes, I'm from Tokyo University, and I study pharmacy." Miyano Akemi's gaze fell on the rain curtain outside the window. "I occasionally come here to borrow books."

Pharmacy… Lin Mo’s heart sank. Just like in the plot.

"And you? You don't look like a high school student." Miyano Akemi turned her head and looked him up and down with curiosity.

"I just graduated and came back here to stay for a while," Lin Mo replied vaguely.

The two fell silent, each engrossed in their books. Lin Mo could sense Miyano Akemi occasionally glancing up at him, her gaze filled with a faint curiosity, but not in an unpleasant way. He turned the pages slowly, his mind racing—if he wanted to change Miyano Akemi's fate, he had to find a breakthrough before she carried out her ten billion yen robbery plan, but he couldn't even get close to the Black Organization.

As evening approached, the rain subsided. Lin Mo closed his book, preparing to leave, just as Miyano Akemi finished packing her things.

"Are you leaving?" she asked.

"Um."

The two walked out of the library together, the steps at the entrance were wet. Miyano Akemi opened a light blue umbrella and turned to Lin Mo, saying, "The rain hasn't stopped yet. If you didn't bring an umbrella, how about I give you a ride?"

Lin Mo glanced at the empty cup in her hand—she'd left her umbrella at the apartment that morning. "Thank you for your help."

Raindrops pattered softly on the umbrella. The two walked side by side on the sidewalk, neither too close nor too far. Miyano Akemi didn't talk much, but occasionally she would point to a shop and say something, such as, "This shop's dorayaki is delicious," or "That bookstore has a great selection of used books," her tone relaxed, like an ordinary girl next door.

"My apartment is just ahead." Lin Mo stopped when he reached the intersection of Beikacho 5-chome.

"Okay." Miyano Akemi closed her umbrella, raindrops wetting her bangs. "I'll be going now, goodbye."

"Goodbye." Lin Mo watched her turn and walk into the rain. Her light blue umbrella, like a floating cloud, quickly disappeared around the street corner. He stood there, his hand still holding the warmth of her touch when he took the book from her.

Changing one's destiny is never an easy thing.

At seven o'clock in the evening, Lin Mo knocked on the door of Dr. Agasa's house right on time. Conan opened the door. When he saw Lin Mo, his little face was expressionless, but he stepped aside and said, "Come in, Dr. Agasa is tinkering with his invention."

Inside the room, Professor Agasa was hunched over the table, holding a palm-sized black device in his hand. Ai Haibara sat on the sofa next to him, flipping through a magazine, seemingly uninterested in the professor's invention.

"Oh! Lin Mo's here!" Professor Agasa looked up, adjusted his glasses, and exclaimed, "Come and see my invention! A portable fingerprint reader! Just point it at a suspicious spot, and it will instantly display your fingerprint. It can also connect to your phone to store data!"

Lin Mo walked over, picked up the device, and examined it—it looked like a small flashlight with a miniature camera at the front. "Is it based on optical recognition?"

"Yes, yes, yes!" Professor Agasa's eyes lit up. "You know about this?"

"I've learned a little about this." Lin Mo pressed the switch, and the device emitted a faint blue light. "The lens resolution isn't high enough; it might not be able to recognize fingerprints on complex surfaces, and battery life is also an issue."

"Ah... really?" Professor Agasa's enthusiasm instantly wilted. "I thought it might come in handy."

"It can still be used with some modifications." Lin Mo put the instrument back on the table. "For example, reduce its size and replace it with a high-capacity battery."

Conan leaned closer, tilted his head back, and asked, "Brother Lin Mo, what did you study before? It seems like you know a little bit about everything."

"I've learned a few miscellaneous things, just the basics." Lin Mo didn't answer directly, his gaze falling on Ai Haibara. "You had the professor call me here, surely it wasn't just to see this, was it?"

Ai Haibara put down her magazine and looked up: "You went to the library today?"

Lin Mo raised an eyebrow: "How did you know?"

"Conan saw you," Ai Haibara said calmly. "He said you were walking with Akemi Miyano."

Conan nodded in agreement: "I went to the library to return some books this afternoon and saw you guys coming out together."

Lin Mo's inner alarm bells rang. Was Ai Haibara deliberately mentioning Akemi Miyano to test him? Or...?

"It was just a coincidence, and she gave me directions," Lin Mo replied calmly.

Ai Haibara didn't press further, but her gaze turned colder: "Stay away from her."

"What?"

"I said, stay away from Akemi Miyano," Ai Haibara repeated, her voice low and trembling slightly. "She's not someone you should associate with."

Lin Mo looked at her and suddenly understood. Ai Haibara knew her sister's plan and the danger she was in, which was why she warned her. This seemingly cold girl was actually protecting the person she cared about in her own way.

"I understand." Lin Mo did not refute.

Just then, the professor's phone rang. It was Kogoro Mouri calling, his voice frantic: "Professor! Something terrible has happened! I'm eating at a restaurant in Beika-cho, and a murder has occurred! Conan's here too! You guys need to come quickly!"

The call ended, and Conan immediately jumped up: "I'll go get Ran!"

Lin Mo and Ai Haibara exchanged a glance, both seeing helplessness in each other's eyes.

Another case.

This upscale French restaurant in Beikacho is dimly lit and filled with the aroma of red wine and truffles. But at this moment, the atmosphere in the restaurant's private room is heavy.

The deceased was the president of a company, lying beside the dining table with a steak knife protruding from his chest, his blood staining the white tablecloth. The door to the private room was locked from the inside, and the windows were tightly shut, making it another enclosed space.

"Brother Mori, what do you think?" Inspector Megure frowned as he looked at the scene.

Kogoro Mouri gestured at the corpse, saying, "Hmph! It's obvious the killer came in through the ventilation shaft! Look at this shaft, it's big enough for a person to squeeze through!"

Conan paced back and forth in the private room, observing the details: there were no fingerprints other than the deceased's on the doorknob, one of the chairs next to the dining table was overturned, there was a broken wine glass on the floor, and there was a faint lipstick mark on the glass.

Lin Mo's gaze fell on a service bell in the corner. The button was lit, as if it had just been pressed. He walked to the ventilation vent and found a thin layer of dust on the grille, with no signs of tampering.

"The ventilation vents haven't been touched," he told Inspector Megure.

"How did the killer get away?" Inspector Megure asked, puzzled.

"Lin Mo-kun? You're here too?" Ran Mouri was a little surprised to see Lin Mo, then pointed to a girl next to her and said, "This is Sonoko's friend, Sera Masumi, she's a detective too."

Lin Mo turned his head and saw a girl with short hair and casual clothes, who was looking around with her arms crossed, her eyes sharp, like a little leopard ready to pounce.

"Hello, I'm Sera Masumi." She extended her hand, her smile bright and cheerful. "I've heard of you before, Lin Mojun. I've heard you're very good at solving puzzles?"

"It was just good luck." Lin Mo shook hands with her, his fingertips touching the thin calluses on her palm—probably from frequent Jeet Kune Do practice.

Sera Masumi raised an eyebrow: "Luck is also part of skill." She looked around the room. "This escape room is very interesting. Where do you think the breakthrough is?"

Lin Mo pointed to the lit service bell: "The murderer pressed the service bell to let the staff find the body as soon as possible. Why?"

Conan also noticed the service bell: "Maybe they're trying to create an alibi?"

"The waitress said that when she heard the bell ring, the door was locked from the inside, and she opened it with the spare key," Inspector Megure added. "There were three suspects in the restaurant at the time: the deceased's secretary, who had argued with him that afternoon; the deceased's wife, who was reportedly going through a divorce; and the restaurant's head chef, whose food the deceased had just complained about as being terrible."

Lin Mo walked to the dining table, picked up the plate in front of the deceased, and took a bite of the steak. He smelled it, glanced at the wine glass beside him, and suddenly smiled: "I know who the murderer is."

Everyone looked at him.

"The murderer is the head chef," Lin Mo said. "The method used in the locked room was simple. When he was delivering the food, he took advantage of the victim's inattention and put him to sleep with red wine laced with sleeping pills before killing him. As for the locked room, he didn't lock the door when he left. Instead, he used ice to prop up the latch—the restaurant's air conditioning was very cold, and it took time for the ice to melt. Once the ice melted, the latch would naturally fall, creating the illusion of being locked from the inside."

He paused, then pointed to the broken wine glass on the floor: "The lipstick stain on this glass is the same color as the napkin in the chef's pocket, so he must have accidentally rubbed it off. Besides, only the chef has free access to the kitchen and private rooms, giving him ample time to set up the scene."

The chef's face turned deathly pale instantly, his legs went weak, and he collapsed to the ground: "It was him... he said my food was garbage, and that he would ruin my career in the restaurant industry... I acted impulsively..."

The case was solved, and Inspector Megure took the chef away. Sera Masumi patted Lin Mo on the shoulder: "Not bad, Lin Mo-kun, your deduction was brilliant."

"I'm just more observant," Lin Mo smiled.

Conan looked at Lin Mo with a complicated expression. This guy who suddenly appeared not only had strong reasoning skills, but also seemed to know many unknown things. In particular, Haibara's attitude towards him always made Conan feel that something was wrong.

When I left the restaurant, the rain had stopped. Moonlight shone through the clouds, illuminating the wet streets.

"Let me take you home, Lin Mojun," Ran Mouri said.

"No need, I don't live far away." Lin Mo waved his hand. "You should all go back early too."

He turned and walked towards Beika Town. After walking a few steps, he heard someone calling him from behind.

"Lin Mo".

It was Ai Haibara. She didn't walk with Ran Mouri and the others, but stood still, the moonlight falling on the tips of her hair, like a layer of silver frost.

"Is something the matter?" Lin Mo stopped in his tracks.

"What exactly were you planning to do at the library today?" Ai Haibara's voice was soft, but it carried an undeniable seriousness.

Lin Mo looked at her, remained silent for a few seconds, and then said, "I want to know, is there any way to help someone avoid a danger that is destined to happen?"

Ai Haibara stiffened, her eyes dimming: "Some things are unavoidable."

"How will you know if you don't try?" Lin Mo looked into her eyes. "Like you, like... other people."

Ai Haibara looked up abruptly, as if struck by those words. She stared at Lin Mo for a long, long time before turning and walking into the shadows, leaving behind only a light, fleeting sentence:

Don't be so naive.

Lin Mo stood there, watching her figure disappear. He knew his words had worked. This world was fraught with danger, but as long as there was a glimmer of hope, he would not give up.

And the fates of the girls who appeared in his life seemed to begin to deviate subtly because of his intrusion.

The road ahead is long, and he needs to be more cautious and stronger.

Lin Mo clenched his fist, turned, and disappeared into the night. The distant neon lights flickered, illuminating this city full of mystery and danger, and also guiding him in the direction he was heading.