Solving cases with Detective Conan's science? No, I'm a cultivator!

The keyword triggered a great deal of sobering up for Kogoro Mouri, who earnestly pleaded, "Please take me with you, Sonoko-sama!"

"Okay!" Sonoko winked at Ran, indicating that she had it all figured out.

Xiaolan smiled helplessly.

Sonoko asked with a hopeful look, "I wonder if we'll have a chance to be selected as lucky audience members?"

Kitagawa Taki put down his glass and asked curiously, "What kind of prize do the lucky viewers get?"

He only knew that the variety show was quite popular recently, but he didn't know the details.

Sonoko explained, "Lucky viewers can sample desserts during the show. These desserts are made by Master Takeki Masanori himself, and if they can guess the fruit used in the desserts, they can eat the dessert that won the competition."

"Takeki Masanori?" Kogoro Mori was equally clueless.

Akemi Miyano introduced her as "the pinnacle of Japanese desserts, a very accomplished dessert master."

Kogoro Mouri nodded, then muttered to himself, "But, is there really nothing fishy about these kinds of shows?"

Sonoko retorted, "Mr. Takeki is very strict; he keeps the competition questions a secret before each recording!"

"No," Ai Haibara said, "Perhaps there really is more to the story!"

She continued, "This issue's theme is strawberries, and Mr. Kurimura just happened to have prepared ice cream and jelly that are perfect for strawberries, and this has happened more than once."

"This...this shouldn't be, right?" Sonoko hesitated. Ai Haibara's words clearly implied that the champion was cheating, but the problem was that Ai Haibara was right.

Once could be a coincidence, but what about twice or three times?

"Well... even the TV station staff didn't know what was inside the box of fruit before it was opened!"

The box was filled with fruit and locked by an expert who was good at selecting fruit before being sent to the TV station. The program producer who received the box would then put another lock on it before returning it to the expert.

After the expert unlocks the box, it is returned to the TV station. Only after the program starts will the host use the key given by the producer to open the box.

"There shouldn't be any problems with this process, right?"

Ran looked at Kitagawa Taki and Mouri Kogoro.

"I see." Kogoro Mouri understood. "Isn't this the same method used to exchange secret documents? This way, only the person with the key can know what's inside the box, and the other transporters have no way of knowing."

Kitagawa Taki asked, "Is that lock reliable?"

Sonoko replied, "The purse lock we use is specially made; it doesn't sound an alarm when the key is inserted into the lock."

"Hmm~ What's the prize for the champion?"

"There's no real reward, but it brings a lot of popularity. I heard that Mr. Kurimura's dessert shop has opened another branch!"

Kitagawa Taki nodded. Self-interest drives people's hearts, and rules are meant to be broken.

"However, I'm sure I'll see even more things that aren't on TV if I go to the event tomorrow!"

Sonoko clenched her fist; after all, the show had been edited.

……

The next afternoon.

Sonoko, Ran, and Kogoro Mouri arrived downstairs at the agency, along with Sera Masumi.

When Sera Masumi heard that Ai Haibara would also be going to the show, she immediately realized that this was an opportunity, so she asked Sonoko to bring her along as well.

Sera Masumi met Miyano Akemi, and the two introduced themselves. She was certain that she had never seen this woman before.

Ai Haibara came downstairs a little later, and Sera Masumi didn't even get a chance to say a word.

Because there were so many people, Yuanzi brought her own car.

Although Sera Masumi really wanted to hitch a ride with Kitagawa Taki and take the opportunity to get to know Haibara Ai, the two had only met yesterday, and she didn't want to make it too obvious.

About twenty minutes before the recording of the program began, everyone arrived at the recording site located in the Nichiri TV station.

Chapter 283 Who is the real idol?!

The television crew on stage are working diligently on preparations.

A box larger than a person was lifted up by several staff members working together.

Kitagawa Taki asked curiously, "Such a big box? Will the competition be able to use up all this fruit?"

“Of course we won’t use them all,” Akemi Miyano explained. “The remaining fruit will be distributed to the audience.”

"More importantly, where is Miss Yoko?"

Kogoro Mouri craned his neck and looked around the room. Apart from the staff in dark green uniforms, there was no one else there.

Xiaolan said, "They should be in the lounge."

"Don't worry, that big screen will capture her." Sonoko pointed to a large screen hanging on the stage.

"What?" Kogoro Mouri was immediately shocked and exclaimed, "Isn't that the same as watching it at home?"

Sonoko smiled and said, "At least you're a little closer to your idol now!"

Kogoro Mouri's lips twitched. He had already seen the real person before, hadn't he?

At that moment, a staff member from the TV station walked over.

"that……"

Kogoro Mouri thought he was being too loud and quickly apologized, "Sorry, I'll be quieter."

"It's okay, the show hasn't started yet."

The staff member then looked at Kitagawa Taki and asked, "Are you Mr. Kitagawa Taki?"

"I'm."

The staff member said, "Actually, there's something I'd like to discuss with you."

Kitagawa Taki glanced at his name tag, which read "Nichimi TV - AD Furuya Wataru".

Furuya? That's quite a rare surname.

Kitagawa Taki agreed to Furuya Wataru's request and followed him to a secluded corner.

"What is it? Tell me."

"That's right, we still can't get in touch with our other guest judge, Mr. Takeki, so our production team would like to ask Mr. Kitagawa to be our guest at the last minute."

Perhaps worried that Kitagawa Taki might not agree, Furuya Wataru specifically said, "This was proposed by Ms. Okino Yoko, and the production team will pay the corresponding remuneration."

Kitagawa Taki nodded and said, "Okay, I agree."

Whether or not there is payment is irrelevant.

After saying goodbye to the girls, he left with Furuya Watari.

When Kogoro Mouri learned that Kitagawa Taki was going to be a guest with Okino Yoko, he was full of envy and wished he could take their place.

Without Kitagawa Taki standing between them, Sera Masumi spoke to Haibara Ai, saying, "Hello, Ai, my name is Sera Masumi."

Ai Haibara simply nodded.

Sera Masumi's expression froze for a moment, sensing that this young girl was not easy to approach!

"Sera, don't worry about it, Ai is just a bit cold."

Akemi Miyano put her arm around Ai Haibara's shoulder and explained with a smile.

She had a good impression of Sera Masumi and felt a strange sense of closeness to her.

Sera Masumi repeatedly said, "No."

Then she decided to change her approach and get her hands on the photos first.

She took out her phone and suggested, "Let's take a group photo together!"

“Okay, okay,” Sonoko was the first to agree.

Akemi Miyano and Ran had no objections.

So, Sera Masumi looked at Ai Haibara with an expectant expression.

Ai Haibara eventually agreed.

Click~

Sera Masumi successfully took a picture of Ai Haibara.

……

the other side.

Kitagawa Taki met Okino Yoko and her manager Yamagishi Eiichi in a studio.

"Miss Yoko, it's been a long time!"

"Mr. Kitagawa, you've arrived!"

Upon seeing Kitagawa Taki, Okino Yoko stood up in delight to greet him.

"Hello, Mr. Kitagawa!"

Yamagishi Eiichi, standing to the side, bowed and greeted him with great respect.

Kitagawa Taki nodded in greeting.

Eiichi Yamagishi then left the studio with his staff.

Kitagawa Taki felt something was off. The show was about to start in ten minutes, so why had everyone left?

“I was worried that you wouldn’t agree, Mr. Kitagawa!” Yoko Okino patted her chest.

Seeing that Kitagawa Taki was a little confused, she explained, "I heard that many programs have invited Mr. Kitagawa before, but he has refused them all."

Kitagawa Taki understood. After the plane incident, in addition to the media blocking his door, he had indeed received many invitations from programs, but he refused them all because he found them troublesome.

"Since it was you, Ms. Yoko, who invited me, I certainly won't refuse."

"Then why didn't you respond to my invitations before..."

Yoko Okino bit her lip and spoke in a barely audible voice.

"what?"