No one understands the laws of Collider better than me.

However, the software—the software that the Black Organization forced him to develop—could not possibly be stored on a USB flash drive. It was probably stored on an external hard drive, since nothing related to the Black Organization was found on his computer. But we'll have to find an opportunity to conduct a thorough search.

A thorough inspection of Itakura's computer would take a long time, and Kitahara Masaki didn't dare let Ai remotely control Itakura's computer to conduct the search, because it would be very dangerous if the organization discovered traces of remote control in the future.

Now we can only try to determine the contents of the USB drive.

After Inspector Megure took the passerby culprit away, Kitahara Masaki grabbed Conan and rushed to Professor Agasa's house to confirm the details of the USB drive.

Chapter 227 The Sims

"So why didn't Itakura's diary record anything? Apart from mentioning tequila, it didn't say anything about the Black Organization."

"Don't worry, look at the blank spaces of varying lengths in his diary. It's possible that he's trying to hide his true feelings."

Kitahara Maki pressed the shortcut key to select all, and the blank space in the middle also displayed the document.

"Ah! He used this method to cover up his diary so that no one would see it."

The first diary entry with blank characters appears more than ten days after Tequila's visit. By carefully reading those blank entries, one can sense that Itakura is a complete neurotic, but also a talented person.

Even though he had never received counter-surveillance training, he was still able to notice that the pen on his desk had been moved a few centimeters and that his home had been broken into.

Later on, it turns out that the person who initially contacted him was Vermouth, who said that if it was completed within a year, it would give Itakura a large sum of money. However, Itakura expressed fear about the unfinished software, saying that stopping its development was for the benefit of all mankind.

"The well-being of all humanity!? What exactly is this software that the Black Organization made him develop?"

"Heh, this is just the diary of a narcissistic guy. What's wrong with exaggerating a bit? Think about it yourself. Software that can be developed by one person can affect all of humanity? That's utter nonsense."

Indeed, Conan glanced at Ai Haibara, who was also reading a diary. Even if she inherited her parents' research and was a genius scientist herself, developing something like Drug A would still require the assistance of an entire pharmaceutical company. Therefore, the software developed by Itakura shouldn't be too outrageous.

The diary revealed that Itakura Taku had left checks for the amount of his payment and the unfinished software at his villa in Gunma, and that his computer would receive an email with the delivery time and address in a few hours.

"Tsk tsk, time is of the essence. They probably don't know that Itakura Taku is dead."

Strictly speaking, they already know, but there is room for further action only because Kitahara Masaki hasn't told Gin yet. Most importantly, Kitahara Masaki doesn't need to tell Gin because he has no idea that the organization has contacted Itakura.

Good luck, this means Kitahara Masaki can impersonate Itakura Suguru and make contact with Gin...

"Kitahara-kun, there's more content below!"

We can be both God and the devil, because we're trying to raise the dead against the flow of time.

Hiss—Vermouth actually said something that sounds like something a riddle-maker would say? This really makes him even more curious about what that software does.

"Alright, I'll be the one tracking them now. You can all go home and get some sleep."

"Kitahara-nii! Take me with you!"

Kitahara Masaki, seeing Conan eager to try, grabbed his arm, injected the sleepless brat with an anesthetic, and then immediately drove off to Gunma alone.

However, just as he was wondering whether to tell Vermouth, Ai suddenly got into the car and said:

"You have to take me there in order to find out how to open that software."

"This is too dangerous. The key is your face. If Gin looks at you directly a few times, he might figure out the relationship between you and Shiho Miyano, and then things will get very troublesome."

"Then why don't I just take another car? Let Evelyn drive over to help you."

“She has nothing to do with these things.”

Ai Haibara had long suspected that Evelyn's identity was likely similar to Masaki Kitahara's—a member of the Black Organization. In fact, a little deduction would have made it clear: an undercover agent not afraid of being exposed because of her bedmate suggested she was also an insider. However, even the astute Ai couldn't have guessed that Evelyn was actually Vermouth, the witch.

"But... Kitahara-nii, you need to understand, if you were really captured by the Black Organization and they found out what you've done, do you think they would let Evelyn go?"

Sigh, Kitahara Masaki felt a pang of inner conflict. Finally, he made a phone call to Vermouth and asked:

"Did you ever contact a software designer named Itakura Taku and have him create a piece of software?"

Vermouth immediately recalled Kitahara Masaki's hurried manner that evening and asked:

"Itakura is dead?"

"Yes, he's been dead for two days. Anyway, the murderer is a friend of his, a stranger. He has nothing to do with the organization. But I read in his diary that he had met with Tequila before, and that you commissioned him to make the software. The software is still unfinished and is currently in Itakura's villa in Gunma."

"I see... So you're planning to disguise yourself as Itakura and go to that villa in Gunma now?"

"Yes, because the diary also states the specific delivery time, I have to go there in advance to get the software. Actually, what is that software used for?"

Vermouth sighed and explained:

“You should know that Itakura is famous for his CG production. His CG is used in many movies. Even when I was using the identity of Sharon Vineyard, I had worked with him. However, because of my disguise, his software could not build Sharon’s appearance in her childhood. I even had a fight with him about this, just so that he would stop simulating 'Sharon' in the future.”

Vermouth first recounted an anecdote—explaining that Itakura, the CG creator, was capable of producing incredibly realistic live-action CG.

"So, as long as a real face is imported, his software can simulate a person's appearance at various ages?"

"Of course, but the organization wants more than just this one function from the software he creates. What they want is software that can truly change a person's psychological age, including not only appearance simulation but also thinking simulation functions related to the corresponding psychological age..."

If this software, Itakura, is paired with Ai's drug A, it could truly make an old person young again. The software would allow the user to quickly adapt to the corresponding age and psychology, while the drug A would physically turn the user's body back into that of a child.

"Actually, what the organization wants is a VR game similar to The Sims, except that this game can have a huge impact on people. The appearance simulation function and the psychological age simulation function are only part of what Itakura is responsible for. Rum has already successfully built the framework that can carry these functions. Now we are just waiting for elite programmers from all over the world to write out the various functions."

Vermouth smiled at this point and continued:

“Although I have no loyalty to the organization, I really hoped that the VR software could be successfully completed so that I could become a less utilitarian person with fewer calculations in my heart. However, after meeting you, I no longer needed the software, and I handed over the task of following up on Itakura to Gin, who was already in Japan at the time.”

No need... Kitahara Masaki really doesn't remember allocating any skill points to the "Talk-no-Jutsu" skill.

"So let me go with you, it'll be a good opportunity to put an end to the past."

Chapter 228 He Will Not Be Written in History Books

Kitahara Masaki drove the disguised sports car produced by the system. After disguising himself as Itakura Taku, he was now a neurotic middle-aged man with a bad heart and eyesight. Professor Agasa followed behind Kitahara Masaki's car. Since Vermouth had Kitahara Masaki's positioning, she didn't need to follow so closely. Besides, in order to prevent others from noticing that the two cars were related.

Vermouth disguises herself as Professor Agasa's daughter, while Ai Haibara disguises herself as his granddaughter. The family then pretends to be on a skiing trip in Gunma Prefecture—this is the disguise they chose for this occasion.

When Kitahara Maki arrived at the villa deep in the mountains, the surrounding area was blanketed in snow, making it impossible to visually determine if anyone was hiding. However, the drone's sensors clearly showed that there was no one at the villa or around it. This, in turn, made Kitahara Maki realize that Gin didn't value the software designer.

However, it seems that Gin really did keep his promise to Itakura Taku. The neurotic Itakura Taku kept emphasizing that he should not let the Black Organization members get close to him, as he could only complete the software if he could have a quiet working environment.

Having found the key somewhere on the stairs, Kitahara Masaki initially intended to go straight in, but instead waited a little longer at the door.

Upon entering the villa, I discovered that it was completely empty, containing only a computer, a bed, and a desktop telephone. The kitchen and bathroom were completely bare. I hadn't expected Itakura to be such a minimalist.

Suddenly, the headphones started playing:

"Time is running out. Emails from organizations like this usually require a password and have a time limit. So what are you planning to do?"

"It's simple. Just open that email and wait for the time to pass. See if they call. If they call Itakura Taku's personal cell phone, it doesn't matter, because cell phones are definitely not working. So they will definitely call the landline at the villa."

"Then they told Gin via landline that they wanted to change the location for the transaction, right?"

"Of course, as long as I still have this software disk, they will definitely take the bait."

And just as Kitahara Masaki had predicted, after a certain amount of time, Vodka called the villa.

"Hey, Itakura, why can't I get through to your phone?"

"Oh, my phone died, and then the power went out here. Only my landline is still on battery, so you can contact me now. After I get your money, I'll go abroad and live in seclusion."

"Hmph! You'd better hand over the software to us first. If we find out what tricks you've been up to, you should know the consequences! Also, why didn't you enter the password? Did you actually forget it?"

"There's nothing I can do. My power is out here because of the heavy snow, as I just mentioned. In short, I hope you can find another place to exchange places."

Vodka's voice betrayed his impatience, and Kitahara Masaki, to make sure no one was around, flicked the coin in his hand onto the light switch, making it appear from the outside that the villa's lights had suddenly turned on.

If the organization's people were nearby, they would definitely have told Vodka about the situation, but Vodka seemed to be discussing another location with Gin and was completely unconcerned about the situation at the villa.

Kitahara Masaki honestly felt that he might have been a bit too cowardly. Vodka and Gin didn't pay any attention to Itakura at all. To them, there was no need to pay attention to these guys who could be easily threatened.

It seems that what Gin said—that he wouldn't remember the names of the people he killed—is probably true.

Kitahara Masaki used persuasive tactics to get Vodka to agree on a meeting place at a train station under construction in Tokyo, and that he had to arrive in four hours, making the timeframe extremely tight.

Gin felt that the short timeframe would force Itakura Taku to make a decision quickly, but for Kitahara Masaki, such a short time would actually reduce the chances of Gin and the others noticing Itakura's strange behavior.

"Things are going very smoothly."

"Then cheer up."

"Haha, alright. Hurry up and get Ai over here. The most important thing is to have her check if the software on this disk can be copied."

After handing the disk over to the professional hacker Ai, she immediately revealed that opening the disk required a password and that it was set to a mode where copying was not allowed.

"Ai, can I install a virus on this disk?"

"No, because Itakura's skill level is also very high, so I have no way to set up a stealthy virus in such a short time."

Kitahara Masaki nodded; this was something he had expected. So he said to Vermouth:

"The prisoners you brought back from all over Japan should know what they're supposed to do by now, right?"

"Of course, they have all realized that they have no choice but to fight for us."

Kitahara Masaki chuckled, for he now finally had an armed force under his control, allowing him to persecute Gin more effectively.

"Tell them to go to the location we arranged with Gin immediately, and then put them into hibernation mode. I'm sure Gin and his team will arrive right on time, and they'll have plenty of time to prepare."

“But Gin isn’t some yakuza trash who can be manipulated at will. If he senses even the slightest danger, he will absolutely not get involved… Ah, I see. You weren’t planning to kill him; you wanted to scare him away so he wouldn’t realize who was lying in ambush on him.”

Vermouth immediately saw through Kitahara Masaki's intentions. After all, those wrongfully convicted prisoners were all recruited by Vermouth, and she naturally knew that their level was definitely insufficient to surround and kill Gin. Therefore, Kitahara Masaki's intention was indeed to make Gin's mission fail.

"Of course I won't kill him. He's the main person in charge in Japan right now. Since I know him so well, how could I bear to kill him so soon?"

Even if Kitahara Masaki personally intervened, without heavy firepower support, the chances of defeating Gin were less than fifty percent. Therefore, it's best to continue using psychological tactics and keep him tormented both physically and mentally.

Therefore, when Heaven is about to entrust a great task to someone, it will first test their will, strain their muscles and bones, starve their body, leave them destitute, and thwart their endeavors, so as to strengthen their resolve, temper their character, and increase their abilities.

However, Gin's final fate will not be recorded in history books.

Chapter 229 Gathering Intelligence Through the News

Just as Kitahara Masaki had predicted, Gin, upon realizing the ambush around the station, immediately had Vodka drive away. He had no intention of entering the encirclement to test it, and Kitahara Masaki ordered his men to retreat after they did.

When they tried to contact Itakura Taku, Gin found that he could no longer reach Itakura Taku because the evidence at the scene had already been taken back to the police station. Even after going to his house, he found no clues.

Gin then realized that he had been tricked, and by a software designer with zero fighting skills and no background.

"Vodka! Send the lower-ranking members to gather intelligence!"

Gin immediately dialed the intelligence team's number. Previously, he hadn't approached Itakura because the information said that Itakura was a particularly neurotic guy, and that investigating or intimidating him rashly might cause his software to stop working. But now it was certain that this guy had aligned himself with a powerful force, but the organization was completely unaware of this!

Why have so many important missions recently encountered unexpected situations? From Akemi Miyano to today's Itakura Taku, it seems that someone has been influencing these events, and the identities of these people have yet to be determined.