The Different Color Tracks in the Detective Conan World

The Chemistry Symposium of Tokyo University was held as scheduled in the university's Centennial Auditorium. This grand event, which brought together top scholars from home and abroad, was ostensibly a platform for academic exchange, but it was secretly being watched by unseen eyes—the organization wanted the latest research report on "Kavasilon," which would be presented at this conference by Professor Yamamoto of Kyoto University.

Lin Mo stood at the entrance of the auditorium, watching the scholars enter one after another, his fingertips unconsciously rubbing the miniature walkie-talkie in his pocket—this was specially prepared for him by Professor Agasa, which could communicate with Conan and Ai Haibara in real time.

"Keep an eye on the man in the gray suit," Conan's voice came through the walkie-talkie, crackling with static. "The professor has found out he's an outer member of the organization, codenamed 'Messenger,' responsible for delivering intelligence."

Lin Mo's gaze swept across the crowd, quickly locking onto his target. The man was about forty years old, wearing gold-rimmed glasses, with a refined air. He was sipping coffee and conversing with several scholars, his seemingly casual gaze occasionally glancing towards the stage, clearly waiting for Professor Yamamoto to appear.

"How's it going on Haibara's side?" Lin Mo asked in a low voice.

"I'm backstage," Haibara's voice was as calm as ice. "Professor Yamamoto's security is fine, but his assistant is a bit suspicious. He's been secretly looking at his watch."

Lin Mo's heart tightened. The assistant was the person with the easiest access to core information, and the organization was likely to start their operation from there.

"Lin Mo-kun!" A clear voice came from behind. Lin Mo turned around and saw Ishikawa Yuki dressed in a smart white suit, holding a camera in her hand. "I came to take photos for the student council. I didn't expect you to be here too."

"I'm just here with a friend." Lin Mo didn't say much, just pointed to her camera. "It's going to be big today, we'll be busy."

"Yes, it took three days just to prepare the venue." Ishikawa Yuki smiled and waved her camera. "Oh, by the way, Sera-senpai is here too. She said she's waiting for you in the back row of the venue."

Lin Mo looked in the direction she pointed, and sure enough, Sera Masumi was sitting in the corner, dressed casually, holding a black backpack, her eyes scanning the room warily, like a cheetah ready to pounce. Seeing Lin Mo, she raised her hand and gave him an "OK" sign.

The seminar began with a brief opening address by the moderator, after which Professor Yamamoto stepped onto the stage. The elderly scholar, with his graying hair, was remarkably spry, holding an encrypted USB drive, ready to present his research report. His assistant followed closely behind, standing with his head bowed on the side platform, his fingers nervously twisting the hem of his clothes.

"Watch out for the assistant's hands," Conan's voice rang out again. "There's a reflection on his cuffs; he might be hiding a miniature syringe."

Lin Mo immediately glanced at the assistant's cuff and, sure enough, noticed a barely perceptible metallic sheen. It seemed the organization's plan was to use an anesthetic to incapacitate Yamamoto and then steal the USB drive.

"Shiliang," Lin Mo said into the walkie-talkie, "go to the side stage area and try to keep the assistant occupied."

"Received." Sera's figure quickly disappeared into the crowd.

Professor Yamamoto's lecture reached its climax, and the scholars in the audience were intently taking notes, oblivious to the undercurrents on the side of the stage. Sera, through some unknown means, started chatting with her assistant, who kept glancing at his watch, his expression growing increasingly impatient.

Just as Yamamoto was about to insert the USB drive to display the data, the lights in the auditorium flickered a few times and then went out completely!

"What happened?"

"Is there a power outage?"

A commotion immediately erupted in the audience. By the dim light of the emergency lights, Lin Mo saw the "messenger" quietly move towards the stage, while the assistant, taking advantage of the chaos, pulled out a syringe and crept towards Professor Yamamoto!

"Attack!" Lin Mo shouted, rushing towards the podium.

Almost simultaneously, Conan burst out from the gap in the stands, launched a rubber ball with his soccer belt, and accurately struck his assistant's wrist! The syringe clattered to the ground.

The assistant gasped and turned to run, but was stopped by Sera who suddenly appeared. "Where do you think you're going?" Sera delivered a swift side kick, striking the assistant squarely in the knee, causing him to fall to his knees in pain.

Meanwhile, seeing his plan exposed, the "messenger" grabbed a glass of water from the table, intending to splash it on Professor Yamamoto—the water was likely laced with something. Lin Mo reacted quickly, grabbing his wrist and slamming him onto the table. "Your coffee's cold, try this instead." He picked up a glass of ice water and splashed it directly on the "messenger's" face.

"Cough cough!" The "messenger" choked and couldn't speak, glaring at Lin Mo with resentment in his eyes.

Then, the lights came back on. Everyone was stunned, staring at the subdued assistant and "messenger," as well as Lin Mo, Conan, and Sera standing on the stage.

"W-What's going on?" Professor Yamamoto was still in shock.

"They wanted to steal your research report." Lin Mo picked up the syringes and the miniature camera from the "messenger's" pocket. "These are the evidence."

Security guards at the venue quickly arrived and took the two away. After a brief interrogation, the assistant admitted that he had been threatened by the organization and forced to cooperate with the operation; while the "messenger" gritted his teeth and refused to say a word.

"Well done." Conan ran to Lin Mo's side, looked up at him with admiration in his eyes, "But the way you splashed water just now was pretty cool."

Lin Mo chuckled: "It's better than letting him hurt the professor."

Shi Liang walked over and patted Lin Mo on the shoulder: "I didn't expect you to be so skilled. I never knew you were like this before."

"I used to practice a little self-defense," Lin Mo said vaguely—it was something he had specifically learned before his transmigration to prepare for his criminal investigation internship.

The seminar was interrupted for half an hour. When it resumed, the atmosphere was noticeably more tense, but Professor Yamamoto still insisted on completing his report. When he presented the inhibitory formula for "Kavasilone," Lin Mo noticed a figure quietly leaving the audience—it was Ai Haibara.

A thought struck him, and he followed them out.

Haibara stood under the cherry blossom tree outside the auditorium, watching the falling petals; her back view was as thin as a feather.

"Aren't you going in to listen?" Lin Mo walked to her side.

"It's nothing to hear." Haibara's voice was soft. "That kind of stuff, if it falls into the organization's hands, it's poison; if it stays in the research lab, it might become a new problem."

"But Professor Yamamoto's original intention was good; he wanted to use it to treat nervous system diseases."

"Original intention?" Haibara sneered. "My parents' original intention was also to research medicine to save lives, and what was the result?"

Lin Mo fell silent. He knew that the wounds in Haibara's heart could not be healed with just a few words.

"Thank you for being inside just now," Haibara suddenly said. "If you hadn't stopped that 'messenger,' Professor Yamamoto might have really been injured."

"We're partners, aren't we?" Lin Mo looked at her. "No matter what happens, we can face it together."

Haibara stiffened slightly, but didn't turn around, only giving a soft "hmm." The wind ruffled her hair, revealing her fair neck, and Lin Mo noticed for the first time that this girl, who always had a cold face, actually had very red ears.

After the seminar, Lin Mo ran into Akemi Miyano at the auditorium entrance. She was there to pick up Ai Haibara, carrying a thermos.

"I heard something happened inside?" Miyano Akemi asked with some concern.

"It's a small matter, it's been resolved." Lin Mo smiled. "Are you going back?"

"Yes, the professor made stew and told us to go back and eat it early." Akemi Miyano opened the thermos, and a fragrant aroma wafted out. "Do you want to come along?"

Just as Lin Mo was about to agree, his phone rang. It was Inspector Megure calling—the captured "messenger" had attempted suicide at the police station but was fortunately discovered in time, though he kept muttering "rye whiskey."

"I have to go to the police station," Lin Mo said apologetically after hanging up the phone.

"Is it a case?" Akemi Miyano asked with concern. "Then you should go quickly and be careful."

"Okay." Lin Mo glanced at Haibara. "Take good care of your sister."

Haibara didn't speak, she just nodded.

When Lin Mo arrived at the police station, Conan was already there. "'Rye Whiskey' is the organization's code name," Conan said gravely. "The person corresponding to it is an FBI undercover agent named Shuichi Akai. But we haven't heard from him for a long time. The fact that the organization suddenly mentioned him means they've probably discovered something."

"Or perhaps they wanted to lure him out," Lin Mo added. "The 'messenger's' suicide might also be part of the plan."

The two stayed at the police station for a long time, only leaving after confirming that the "messenger" was not in mortal danger. Walking on the streets late at night, the streetlights cast long shadows of the two of them.

"Do you think Shuichi Akai is still alive?" Conan suddenly asked.

"I don't know." Lin Mo looked at the neon lights in the distance. "But if he's still alive, he's definitely looking for weaknesses in the organization. We're not fighting alone."

Conan looked up at Lin Mo and suddenly smiled: "With you here, I do feel a little more at ease."

Lin Mo smiled too. He remembered the thermos that Miyano Akemi had handed him, Haibara's blushing ears, Sera's nimble movements, Ishikawa Yuki's smile when she raised her camera, and Ran and Sonoko's chatter... These vivid figures, like scattered stars, though faint, were enough to illuminate the darkness ahead.

"Let's go," Lin Mo patted Conan on the shoulder, "Let's go back and have some stew."

"good!"

The two walked side by side toward the doctor's house, their steps much lighter. The night was still deep, but there seemed to be a touch more warmth in the air. Lin Mo knew that the confrontation with the organization had only just begun, and countless undercurrents awaited in the future, but as long as he had these figures standing shoulder to shoulder with him, he could walk step by step through even the most difficult road.

Because their goal has always been the same—to tear a crack in this world shrouded in shadow and let the light in.