The cross-dressing master in the world of Detective Conan

However, considering that both Inspector Megure and Inspector Shiratori, as police inspectors, are out and about all day, and even Superintendent Matsumoto of the Metropolitan Police Department has to go out for a stroll from time to time, it's not so bad.

"Inspector Mume said that this was a planned and premeditated crime, and the missing item was such a sensitive thing as gunpowder. It is very likely that the criminal stole the gunpowder in order to commit the crime. Therefore, the department asked us to find the suspect and recover the gunpowder within ten days."

"Ten days? That's so short. What's wrong with the higher-ups? Don't they usually not have any strict requirements for us? They usually let those detectives handle things, don't they?"

Kaoru Kazama found this strange. Although it was a bit abnormal, that's how the police in the Conan world actually handled cases. The police basically just went through the motions, providing detectives with a place and services to investigate cases. All that was left was for those incredibly capable detectives to uncover the truth.

So sometimes it's strange to think that even though criminals could easily take the evidence and flee, they insist on lingering near the crime scene. The case is usually resolved within a day, without any deadlock or loss of evidence.

"Speaking of which, I actually find it strange myself."

As Sato fastened his seatbelt, he gossiped to Kazama Kaoru:

Kazama Kaoru was actually quite resentful; she had just failed to get the steering wheel again, and she was probably in for a rough time.

"We have a new Superintendent General at the Metropolitan Police Department. I heard his surname is Ayanokouji. He's very dissatisfied with our way of solving cases by cooperating with detectives. He says we need to cultivate an image of a shrewd and capable police force, which is why our working style has changed so drastically."

"Ayanokoji? Shouldn't their sphere of influence be all around Kyoto?"

Kazama Kaoru found it strange. This Ayanokouji surname is not a simple surname. Conan once mentioned it, saying that it is a descendant of Kochomi. But that's not the point. There are quite a few Kochomi, but very few of them have been able to extend their sphere of influence into the modern era.

However, shouldn't their sphere of influence be in Kyoto? Why did they come back to Tokyo? This is illogical.

Inspector Ayanokouji, who appeared in the Conan series before, is a prime example. He's considered a big shot in Kyoto, but he might not be so intimidating outside of it.

After all, even a powerful dragon can't suppress a local snake, and every place has its own division of power, like a cake that has already been divided up. If outsiders try to interfere, they will be rejected by everyone.

"You mean this? It seems like they're here to gain experience or something. Anyway, it won't be long. They'll probably go back to Kyoto next year, since that's their hometown."

Sato was clearly well aware of the ins and outs of the matter. No fool could become a police inspector in his twenties. Normally, one would need at least ten years of patrol experience to be promoted to this position.

As they drove and chatted, Kazama Kaoru noticed that Sato, in his eagerness to gossip, hadn't been speeding at all, but had instead kept the speedometer below 100 km/h.

Although it's a bit exaggerated, it's normal for Sato. The Metropolitan Police Department reimburses Miwako for more than three times the amount of gasoline expenses for other police officers every year. It's normal for Miwako's expenses to be over 120 yuan.

"Hello, I'm Sato from the Metropolitan Police Department, and this is Officer Kazama. We're here to investigate the recent gunpowder theft. Could you tell us more about it?"

As soon as he got out of the car, he was so eager to rush out and ask the person in charge that he was so scared that he thought he had done something wrong and was almost ready to surrender.

"Don't be nervous, we're not here to arrest you. We just received news of the theft from that Japanese gunpowder depot, and we're here to investigate."

In the end, it was Kaoru Kazama who stepped in to comfort the person in charge, who was trembling with fear. Officer Sato's flustered demeanor would probably really scare anyone with a guilty conscience.

"Oh, is that so? This happened three hours ago, right when our staff member on duty was Jiaojie."

"How do prisoners know the handover time when the shift workers are changing shifts?"

Kazama Kaoru immediately grasped the key point and questioned the person in charge.

"We don't know either. There has never been an incident at our gunpowder depot. It uses the most advanced smart locks in all of Japan, which are virtually impossible to crack and have extremely high security. Therefore, the staff on duty have never been changed; they are all veterans who have been working here for five or six years."

"So that means there's a very high chance you have a mole here?"

"Well, we can't rule out that possibility, but this electronic lock is intelligent. All our staff on duty have their own set of passwords. It's absolutely impossible for one person to open this powder magazine."

"So what you're saying is that there's more than one traitor among you?"

Kazama Kaoru realized that this seemed to be the plot of the first movie, the one about the obsessive Moriya Teiji who was so ruthless that he wanted to destroy all his works from his youth, and incidentally prepared a tragic farewell scene for his friend Washi, whom he didn't like.

Although a very treacherous trap had been dug based on people's hearts, it was still no match for this guy's protagonist aura, and in the end, they escaped unscathed.

"Eh, so that means the one last night was Moriya Teiji, right? I never thought I'd just brush past a murderer."

Last night when I went downstairs to buy cat food for Xiaobai, I saw an old man with a scholarly air. That must be Moriya Teiji. He really doesn't look like a criminal. It seems that obsessive-compulsive disorder is a harmful thing. It's all self-inflicted.

While Kaoru was swimming, Miwako had already asked almost all the questions she needed to. Kaoru had overheard a few of them and roughly understood the ins and outs of the matter.

There was this guy who got drunk and couldn't keep his mouth shut. One time, while drunk, he told a stranger he met a set of codes.

It's true that people who become overly familiar with others after drinking too much can be quite dangerous; they might even casually tell others their bank card PIN.

The key point is that this Moriya Teiji is really amazing. I don't know how he used it, but he managed to open the entire Japanese gunpowder depot with just this one set of passwords, and he could come and go as he pleased, as if it were his own backyard.

It's no wonder that intellectuals are so terrifying when they commit crimes; if the professional knowledge they've acquired is used for murder and arson, that's truly horrifying.

There's a saying that goes, "It's not scary to be a hooligan, it's scary to be a hooligan with culture!"

Chapter 87 Looking at a beauty under the lamplight, the more you look, the more energetic you become.

"Ugh, this is completely hopeless! We've been searching for ages and haven't found any clues. Maybe we should just arrest the person who leaked the password and be done with it, so we don't have to worry about it anymore."

Sato ruffled his soft, beautiful hair into a mess, a hairstyle that perfectly reflected his anxious state of mind.

"Calm down, Sato. The deadline hasn't come yet, so just relax. I'll buy you a coffee to perk you up."

Oh right, I forgot to mention, it's already 1 a.m., but Sato and Kazama Kaoru are still busy with the theft of the Toyo gunpowder depot.

At first, Miwako thought the case would be simple when she learned that someone inside had leaked the code. However, apart from finding this out, there was no progress. Based on the surveillance footage, on-site evidence, and witness testimonies, the person who leaked the code was not suspected of stealing gunpowder.

Thinking about it, that makes sense. If it really was that person who stole the gunpowder, not to mention why he was so confident he hadn't fled, even after guarding the gunpowder depot for five or six years, there must have been a better opportunity than this.

And to be honest, the main threat this gunpowder poses to social security is not so much. It is more valuable in war-torn regions, but in peaceful societies it is really not worth much.

It's not necessarily possible for a lowly employee to get in touch with those international warmongers.

"You're not worried at all. The higher-ups only gave us ten days, and three days have already passed, and we still haven't found a single clue. How can you be so relaxed? If the case isn't solved, we in the First Investigation Division will probably be in deep trouble."

Miwako rubbed her cheeks, trying to perk herself up. Surprisingly, the tired look on this strong woman was kind of cute, and Kaoru Kazama even had the urge to take a picture of it and use it as her phone wallpaper.

There's a saying: "Looking at a beautiful woman under the lamp makes you more energetic." With a beautiful woman by his side while working late at night, Kaoru Kazama didn't feel too sleepy. Moreover, he knew the ins and outs of the matter, but he didn't know how Teiji Moriya had managed to steal so much gunpowder from such a heavily guarded Japanese gunpowder depot.

This is simply a miracle. He's an intellectual, and not even someone who specializes in this field. Without help, it would have been absolutely impossible for him to accomplish this.

Although the TV anime didn't explain this in detail at the time, Kaoru Kazama had a feeling that it wasn't that simple, and that there might be some force behind it all.

These days, all sorts of monsters and demons have appeared, and Kazama Kaoru isn't so confident anymore. He feels that with his current fighting strength, dealing with the Black Organization shouldn't be too difficult, but if something of a higher level appears, then that might not be the case.

So he's been thinking for the past two days about whether he should change his outfit and do a new cosplay.

In fact, there is still a lot of room for maneuver in this ability to be imitated. At the time, the system did not stipulate that it had to be a person from that place, or that it had to be female.

Of course, if he were to wear men's clothing, he would probably experience that feeling of being in an infinite sage mode again, so the amazing abilities of those novel protagonists can only be imagined.

"Let's go, let's go. Don't think about it too much. The world is vast, filling our stomachs is the most important thing."

Kazama Kaoru pushed Sato out of the Metropolitan Police Department without saying a word, leaving the brightly lit department behind. In fact, quite a few people still resented the time limit for solving cases. To be honest, the Metropolitan Police Department was quite lazy.

"Uncle, two bowls of clear broth udon noodles, please."

"You little rascal, coming to eat so late?"

Kaoru Kazama walked straight into a 24-hour udon noodle shop. At this time, there were hardly any customers, so the owner was sitting at a table reading a novel to pass the time.

When they saw Kazama Kaoru, they were clearly surprised, obviously not understanding why someone as lazy as him would be out eating so late.

"Isn't the Metropolitan Police Department working overtime? We're racking our brains to protect your safety."

Kazama Kaoru casually chatted without changing his expression, but the real headaches were with Sato, Inspector Megure, and the like; it had basically nothing to do with him.

"Then I'll give our dutiful policewomen a little extra!"

"Hehe, thank you, uncle!"

The boss was quite shrewd; he stayed at the Metropolitan Police Department until after 1 a.m., and Kaoru Kazama was really starving.

The Metropolitan Police Department is really stingy. They make people work overtime so late and don't even offer a midnight snack. It's a good thing that food delivery services haven't come out yet, otherwise they would definitely order a meal for a midnight snack.

"Sato, would you like more? You can just sweet-talk the boss."

Kaoru Kazama looked at Sato, who was sitting in a chair, still frowning and thinking about the case, but she didn't get a response. It was clear that even though she was out for a meal, she hadn't given up thinking about the case.

"You workaholic, can't you take a break? This is your break time. If you keep doing this, I'm going to tell your aunt."

Sato has obviously disregarded his health for work on many occasions, and sometimes Kazama Kaoru couldn't dissuade him. For Sato's health, stricter measures had to be taken.

"Okay, okay, then boss, give me a little more, I can pay extra."

Clearly, Sato didn't do what Kazama Kaoru wanted. If you want to see her act cute, you'll probably have to wait a few hundred years.

"Hey, isn't that Teiji Moriya? I keep running into him lately. Why is he out so late? Could it be that he's here to scout out a spot and plant explosives?"

Just as Kazama Kaoru and Sato were arguing, another person entered the shop. It was obviously Moriya Teiji, whom Kazama Kaoru had met at the pet store a few days ago. This old guy was also strange, coming here to eat in the middle of the night instead of resting.

Kaoru Kazama had previously mentioned to Ran that he sent an invitation to a tea party to Shinichi Kudo, but in the end, Kogoro Mouri took Ran and Conan with him. I heard that he even gave Kogoro Mouri a riddle at the tea party, which embarrassed him in front of everyone.

It's common for Kogoro Mouri to embarrass himself, but the question is why he would pose that seemingly simple riddle that actually stumps many people.

He committed such a major crime as stealing from a Japanese gunpowder depot, and he still had the mind to create a mystery. This old guy is really bold. However, Kazama Kaoru had a feeling that this matter was not so simple, because he knew who the culprit was before and after the incident, so he also paid a lot of attention to Moriya Teiji's information.

This guy is truly a genius. He has had a smooth career in architecture. After graduating from a prestigious university, he caught the wave of the construction boom in Japan. His outstanding talent quickly made him a sought-after talent by major construction companies.

Not only that, he is also a scholar-architect, having published numerous books, some of which have even become classic textbooks in architecture. At a young age, he became an emeritus professor at the University of Tokyo—his career has been remarkably smooth.

It's truly baffling why someone would steal gunpowder, especially to destroy their own early work.

The ideas of geniuses are always elusive. Perhaps his constant success made him increasingly self-centered, to the point that he could not even tolerate buildings that were not designed according to his own ideas.

From another perspective, architecture is like a designer's child. The painstaking design and research, the emotions and energy invested are no less than those invested in a child. To still think about demolishing it can only be said that one's obsession has reached an incurable level.

Chapter 88 Sato-style Speeding Technique

"Xiao Xun, your udon noodles are already served, why aren't you eating? What are you looking at?"

"Oh, it's nothing. I was just thinking about the case."

Kazama Kaoru shamelessly used the most improbable reason. Like a lazy bum, he might have investigated further out of curiosity if it were a case, but now that he knows the plot, he definitely won't use his brain at all.

Sato rolled her eyes at Kazama Kaoru, then lowered her head and silently ate her udon, leaving Kazama Kaoru alone, eating her udon without tasting it.

He's good at everything; he has most of the qualities of a lazy bum. There's just one thing: he's too curious, which isn't suitable for being a lazy bum.

"Wow, Uncle, your cooking skills are truly exceptional! This bowl of clear broth udon noodles is so smooth, and the broth is so clear and delicious. It's probably worthy of being nominated for a Michelin three-star restaurant."

Kaoru Kazama ate while still talking non-stop. As the saying goes, flattery will get you everywhere. Although that's a bit of a lie, people like to hear nice things, and no one cares about small details.

"You're so good with words. I wouldn't even dare to dream of a Michelin three-star restaurant; those are only awarded to five-star hotels."

Everyone likes to hear nice words, even saints are not immune to this, which is why people who know how to flatter live such good lives.

"Actually, you don't need to worry so much. There's always a way out. The case will eventually be solved. If it really can't be solved, can't it just be left as a cold case? Anyway, the people in the special case team don't have much to do usually."

Kazama Kaoru was referring to the department established by the newly arrived Superintendent General of Police, which was ostensibly to solve long-standing unsolved cases that had accumulated in various departments.

In fact, everyone scoffs at this kind of thing. They've invested so much manpower and resources and still haven't solved the case. And you, a bunch of people who know nothing, want to take it over.