The Different Color Tracks in the Detective Conan World

After the snow, sunlight streamed through the library's glass windows, casting long patches of light on the floor. Lin Mo sat by the window, an old book on cryptography open in front of him, but his gaze kept drifting to the person diagonally opposite him—Miyano Akemi was looking down at a pharmacy textbook, sunlight falling on the tips of her hair, gilding them with a soft golden edge.

Ever since the incident at Suzuki Manor, Lin Mo felt like a stone was weighing on his heart. The organization's "White Dove" group and the "Silver Bullet" code were like thorns, pricking him and making him uneasy. He knew that the enormous shadow had never left; it was just temporarily lurking in the shadows.

"What are you thinking about?" Akemi Miyano walked over unnoticed, holding two cups of hot milk. She handed him one, "I noticed you haven't opened a book for a while."

Lin Mo took the milk, feeling its warmth on his fingertips: "Nothing, just thinking about the riddle in that cipher book from last time."

"You seem to really enjoy these brain-teasing things." Miyano Akemi smiled and sat down opposite him. "But you need to relax sometimes; staring at words all the time can be tiring." She opened her book but didn't start reading immediately. Instead, she looked at Lin Mo. "Thank you for the cold medicine at the manor last time; I didn't catch a cold."

"It was nothing." Lin Mo's gaze fell on her book, the cover of which was "Principles of Synthetic Novel Antibiotics." "Working on a new research project?"

"Yes, I'd like to try extracting natural antibiotics from plants, as they have fewer side effects than chemically synthesized ones." Akemi Miyano's eyes lit up. "If it works, it might help a lot of people."

Lin Mo looked into the light in her eyes and felt a pang of sadness. This gentle girl was always chasing the light in her own way, unaware of how deep the darkness she was in. He wanted to say something, to warn her to stay away from those dangerous studies, but the words caught in his throat—he had no evidence, and speaking rashly would only make her uneasy.

Just then, the library's loudspeaker suddenly announced that closing time would be brought forward, urging readers to leave as soon as possible. The two packed their things and walked out of the library together.

"Don't you have classes this afternoon?" Lin Mo asked.

"Yeah, I'm thinking of going to the lab to organize some data," Akemi Miyano said. "What about you?"

"I'm going to the detective agency. Lan said she wants me to take a look at some case files."

The two said goodbye at the intersection. Miyano Akemi turned and walked towards Tokyo University, her white scarf fluttering gently in the cold wind. Lin Mo stood there watching her back until she disappeared around the corner before turning and walking towards the Mouri Detective Agency.

As soon as I got to the bottom of the office building, I saw Conan and Ai Haibara standing at the door, both of them looking rather grim.

"You've finally arrived." Conan lowered his voice. "Something's happened. The lab at Tokyo University was robbed last night."

"Those same raw materials again?" Lin Mo's heart sank.

"No," Ai Haibara's voice was a little tense, "it's a research notebook that my sister left there, which records... early experimental data of APTX4869."

Lin Mo's pupils contracted sharply: "Does Miss Miyano know?"

"We haven't told her yet," Conan shook his head. "We just got the news from Dr. Agasa. The police's initial assessment is that it was an inside job, because there are no signs of the lab's security system being compromised."

"An insider..." Lin Mo recalled what Miyano Akemi had said about a new member joining her research group recently, a male PhD student named Asai. "Could it be related to that newcomer, Asai?"

"The doctor has already checked. Asai didn't come to school today, saying he had family matters to attend to." Ai Haibara's fingertips were a little cold. "Although there's no core data in that notebook, there are some annotations left by my parents. If the organization sees them, they'll immediately know I'm still alive."

"We must find Asai before they get their hands on the notes," Lin Mo decided immediately. "Where does he live?"

Conan gave an address: an apartment building on the edge of Beika Town.

The three rushed over immediately. Asai's apartment door was unlocked, and a strong smell of disinfectant hit them as soon as they pushed it open. The room was empty, as if it had just been cleaned, with only a half-finished cup of coffee on the desk, fingerprints still on the cup.

"The person is gone." Conan examined the room, "but there are signs of a struggle here. Look at the broken vase in the corner and the scratches on the floor."

Lin Mo walked to the window. There was a thin layer of dust on the windowsill, with a half-faded shoe print on it. The size was too large, unlike Asai's—the information said Asai was only about 1.6 meters tall. "Someone came by and had a conflict with Asai."

Ai Haibara opened the drawer of her desk, which was empty except for a torn sticky note. She carefully pieced the pieces together, and there were only a few words on it: "Port warehouse, three o'clock".

"It's 2:30 now, we still have time." Lin Mo glanced at his watch. "Let's go to the port warehouse."

The old warehouse district of Mihua Port was desolate, the sea breeze carrying a chill that stung their cheeks. The three found warehouse number three on the note; the door was ajar, and faint voices could be heard coming from inside.

Lin Mo gestured for Conan and Ai Haibara to hide outside the door, while he quietly pushed open the door a crack to peek inside—Asai was tied to a chair with a cloth stuffed in his mouth, and two men in black trench coats were standing opposite him, one of whom was holding the research notebook.

"Speak! Is Shiho Miyano still alive?" a man asked sharply, his voice hoarse.

Asai shook his head frantically, his eyes filled with fear.

"Looks like he doesn't know." The other man sneered. "But this notebook is enough to prove she's still alive. Get rid of her, and we're out of here."

Lin Mo's heart leaped into his throat. He was about to rush in when a hand grabbed him—it was Ai Haibara. She shook her head, signaling him to wait.

Just then, police sirens suddenly sounded outside the warehouse! The two men in black changed their expressions drastically, exchanged a glance, dropped Asai and the notebook, and hurriedly fled through the back door.

"It was Dr. Agasa who called the police." Conan took out his detective badge. "I just sent him a signal."

The three rushed into the warehouse and untied Asai. Asai, still shaken, gasped, "They...they're from the Black Organization! They said they're looking for Dr. Miyano's daughter, and that there's evidence in the notebook..."

Lin Mo picked up the notebook from the ground, checked that it was intact, and handed it to Ai Haibara: "It's good that it wasn't taken."

Ai Haibara clutched the notebook tightly, her fingertips trembling slightly, and her eyes reddening.

The police arrived quickly and took Asai back to the police station to give a statement. According to his confession, he had indeed been bribed by the organization and promised to help them obtain Miyano Akemi's research materials, but he didn't expect them to directly steal the notes.

"Thank goodness we arrived in time." Conan breathed a sigh of relief. "But now that the organization knows about the notebook, they definitely won't let this go."

"We need to get Miyano-neechan moved somewhere as soon as possible," Ai Haibara said, her voice trembling slightly. "Or maybe we can get her to leave Tokyo temporarily."

Lin Mo nodded: "I'll go and tell her; she should believe me."

By the time they returned to the city, it was already dark. Lin Mo first took Ai Haibara back to the professor's house, and then headed towards Tokyo University—he knew that Akemi Miyano should still be in the lab at this time.

The lab lights were indeed on. Lin Mo pushed open the door and saw Miyano Akemi staring blankly at the computer screen, with several green plants in a petri dish in front of her.

"Still here?" Lin Mo walked over.

Akemi Miyano was startled, but breathed a sigh of relief when she saw it was him. "I was waiting for the experimental data, it's getting late." She looked at Lin Mo, "You don't look well, what happened?"

Lin Mo hesitated for a moment, then decided to tell the truth: "Your research notes were stolen, but they've been recovered. It was done by the organization; they seem to be targeting you."

Akemi Miyano's face turned deathly pale: "The organization... how did they know...?"

"It might be related to Asai. He's already in police custody," Lin Mo said. "You'd better not stay in the dormitory for a while. Go stay at the professor's house or mine; it'll be safer that way."

Akemi Miyano remained silent for a long time before raising her head, tears welling in her eyes: "Actually... I knew all along they wouldn't let us go. The matter of Dad and Mom, and Shiho..." She choked up and couldn't continue.

Lin Mo handed her a tissue and said softly, "Don't be afraid, we're here. At least for now, the notebook hasn't been taken, so you're safe."

"Thank you, Lin Mo-jun." Miyano Akemi wiped away her tears. "I'll go stay at the professor's house. It'll be more reassuring to be closer to Shiho."

Lin Mo helped her pack her things and took her to Professor Agasa's house. Neither of them spoke on the way, but the atmosphere wasn't as relaxed as before. Miyano Akemi looked out the window at the passing street scene, a hint of determination in her eyes.

"No matter who they are, I will not give up my research." As they approached the doctor's house, she suddenly said, "My parents' life's work cannot be buried like this. Even if there is danger, I will keep going."

Looking at her, Lin Mo suddenly felt that this seemingly weak girl had a strong resilience hidden in her bones, like a plum blossom in the cold winter, seemingly delicate, but able to bloom against the wind and snow.

"I will help you," Lin Mo said earnestly. "No matter what happens, I will help you."

Akemi Miyano paused for a moment, then smiled. Her tears were still wet in her eyes, but her smile was like melting snow: "Thank you."

After dropping off Akemi Miyano, Lin Mo walked home alone. The night was deep, and the streetlights cast a dim, yellowish glow on the ground. He knew this incident was just the beginning; now that the organization had taken action, it would not easily back down.

But he wasn't afraid. Because he was no longer alone; he had Conan's wisdom, Ai Haibara's composure, Akemi Miyano's resilience, and those seemingly ordinary people who always brought him warmth.

These interwoven guardians, like an invisible net, may be fragile, but they are enough to provide a small patch of light in this world shrouded in shadow.

Lin Mo gripped his phone tightly in his pocket. The screen displayed a message from Conan: "Asai has confessed. The organization's next target is the Tokyo Chemical Symposium next week. They want to intercept a new report on 'Kavasilon' there."

Lin Mo replied, "Okay, we'll go together then."

He pressed send, looked up at the night sky. There were few stars, but the moon was bright, illuminating the path ahead. No matter how many storms the future held, he would continue step by step, protecting those who deserved protection and uncovering the hidden truths.