No one understands the laws of Collider better than me.

"Alright, alright, now you can watch the fireworks."

Kitahara Masaki snapped the simple switch, and the neon-lit building in front of him instantly turned into ruins in the explosion. The rising smoke and dust, like an earthen dragon soaring into the sky, caused people in the nearby residential area to rush out of their homes, pointing and whispering about the scene.

"Gin, have the road surveillance footage been processed?"

"It's not your place to worry about that."

Hmm, it seems there are no problems.

Chapter 183 Classic: Self-Checking

"Oh, I've been dragged here again. This was supposed to be the job of the police team that specializes in fires, but the whole building has been burned to ashes."

"Haha, Officer Kitahara, although that's what you say, you're not at all surprised that I asked you to come and solve the case."

"Of course, since you've come to ask me to solve the case, doesn't that mean someone has died? Just like the warehouse arson case last time. I remember the warehouse that was burned down belonged to a company called Longshen Economic Research Institute, and several employees registered under its name were burned to death."

Inspector Tomioka Yumina, who was at a loss about what to do at the scene of the fire, was approached by Masaki Kitahara shortly after he had completed his mission. He hoped that Yumina could help the arson investigation team to see if the fire was really caused by the fire.

"Yes, that case was eventually dropped because no suspect could be found."

Of course, since they deliberately concealed their movements, and in the end I burned everything to the ground, it's normal that there was no evidence at all. After all, their boss wouldn't care about these subordinates who could be hired with money, let alone go to the Metropolitan Police Department to confess and assist in the investigation.

So this time will be the same.

The boss of the conglomerate wouldn't be saddened by the death of his secretary. Although the Hojo Alliance is a yakuza alliance, it is only a loose alliance. The yakuza gangs within it actually act independently, and everyone wants to monopolize the business in Kanto. If it weren't for people from Kansai coming to try to seize the Kanto yakuza territory, the Hojo Alliance might not even be able to put together a family photo.

This time is no different. I will definitely not let the police find any loopholes or clues about the case I committed. Perhaps it is because of my current position in the First Investigative Division that Gin is using such violent and direct methods.

"It seems like it's the same this time, Inspector Gong Chang. You'd better let go quickly. This time, the scene isn't like last time, which happened in a warehouse district where anyone could go. This is supposed to be a villa area favored by the wealthy, but something like this still happened... It proves that things are very complicated here."

“Officer Kitahara, I’m not afraid of fire, and I’m not afraid of deep water either.”

“Even if you’re not afraid, you still need to confirm the victim’s identity first. Judging from the scene, any clues have been burned away, and no bullets were found. So if this was an assassination, then…”

Inspector Gong Chang nodded in agreement. The problem now was that they had already run into trouble from the very beginning of identifying the deceased.

"Inspector, we've already identified some of the people in the inner room!"

The officer handed over the documents, and the names on them surprised Inspector Gong Chang. He guessed that the DNA from the underworld was entered into the police database, so it could be compared quickly.

After Inspector Yumikaze handed the information to Kitahara Masaki, he feigned surprise, then pretended to ponder, and said:

"Could this be a problem between the underworld?"

Since those whose identities cannot be confirmed are all members of conglomerates, it's perfectly reasonable for Kitahara Masaki to make this inference. In any case, it's safe to pin the blame on the Japanese underworld for now.

Inspector Yumikazuchi understood Kitahara Masaki's signal and, after some internal struggle, decided to wait and see. He immediately went to apply for cooperation with Section 4 and a search warrant. The subsequent search was obviously tedious and boring, and seeing that there was no excuse to keep Kitahara Masaki, he could only watch him wave goodbye and leave.

Just as I boarded the bus to enjoy the scenery, a familiar face suddenly appeared among the passengers boarding at the next stop.

"Oh, what a coincidence, Mr. Amuro."

"Yes, what a coincidence."

The understanding Amuro Tooru naturally wouldn't reveal Kitahara Masaki's identity as a police officer, and simply gave a casual greeting.

"How are those kids doing lately? Have they been helping out?"

"Haha, kids have so much energy. They've already finished all the pet-finding cases in my detective agency. And then there's Conan, that little kid. He seems a bit different from everyone else. How should I put it? He's a child with innate wisdom."

"Well, actually, Mr. Amuro, you could also call that style of doing things a show-off."

On this day, Kitahara Masaki took the bus because he was too lazy to drive, while Amuro Tooru's car was being repaired. The scratches left during the last chase of the criminals could only be repaired by the repair shop, so he also took the bus.

The two, who had given up their seats to the elderly, stood on the train carriage. Kitahara Masaki, bored, picked a topic from their repertoire of conversation and asked:

"Mr. Amuro, has your detective agency taken on any murder investigations?"

"Haha, Mr. Kitahara, you overestimate me. My little temple can't accommodate troubles like murder cases."

"Really? Then let me tell you a story. Here's what happened: three consecutive murders occurred in the city, each with a different location and method. The victims seemed unrelated, and due to a lack of eyewitnesses and physical evidence, no one suspected a connection. However, in the case of the fourth murder, police found hair at the scene that appeared to be the killer's. The hair belonged to a man named A with a criminal record. This Mr. A had connections to the first three victims in some way, but not to the fourth. When the police arrested A, he vehemently denied committing the murder. So, Mr. Amuro, what do you think is the truth?"

Actually, Amuro Tooru had seen something that made him frown, but hearing Kitahara Masaki so enthusiastic, he felt awkward interrupting him. However, as he listened, he understood what Kitahara Masaki meant. After Kitahara Masaki finished speaking, he quickly replied:

"Well... there was a Mr. B who wanted to kill someone, but he didn't want to be suspected, so he targeted A, who had a criminal record, and obtained A's hair. After killing three people connected to A, he killed his real target and left A's hair at the scene, hoping to confuse the police investigation. I think this Mr. B is likely a barber, doctor, or cleaner; people in these professions would have had the opportunity to collect A's hair."

"Oh! That's a quick reaction, Mr. Amuro, indeed. Although this method might initially draw the police's attention to A, during the review, they will definitely notice the connection to the fourth case. And if it's someone like a barber or a cleaner, the hair they collect is likely to have clear cutting marks or be contaminated with other substances that weren't at the crime scene. Needless to say, a doctor would definitely remember the doctor who pulled out his hair. In short, this method seems feasible at first glance, but it's nothing but a fool's fantasy, completely untenable."

"Yes, some people just think their criminal plans are foolproof."

"Ahem! You two, could I borrow this car for a moment? I'd like to get off."

Just as Kitahara Masaki and Amuro Tooru were chatting, a man sitting in a seat suddenly asked them to move aside.

However, both Kitahara Masaki and Amuro Tooru looked at the man with kind eyes, because the man had just stolen an old man's wallet and sat down in a blatant manner.

"The murderer in the case we're discussing is just like you, overconfident and conceited."

“Mr. Thief, we have witnessed your crime. We hope you will come with us to the police station.”

Chapter 184 The number four still caught up with me.

"Oh... So, Doctor, you recently attended a party for inventors and mentioned Ai's father, Atsushi Miyano, and someone said they knew an architect who is a friend of Dr. Miyano?"

"Yes, I was surprised too. I thought no one would know about Dr. Miyano, but I got this information."

"It's quite surprising to confirm, after all, my father is known as a mad scientist, and now it turns out he has a friend."

Kitahara Masaki lay on the sofa in Professor Agasa's house, his hands behind his head, somewhat surprised by the sudden information. However, he didn't think that Professor Miyano's friend knew anything, after all, if he knew anything, he wouldn't have lived this long.

"Professor Agasa, you said that Dr. Miyano's friend is a designer, right?"

"Yes."

"Well then, I'll visit him myself. I have a good reason for it."

Conan and Ai Haibara looked at him with sparkling eyes, seemingly wanting to go along, but Kitahara Masaki refused them directly, saying that he could tell them the specific information after he returned.

"Kitahara-nii, why can't we go?"

"Heh, think about it yourself. Atsushi Miyano once organized the people in charge of drug development. Even if such an important person has passed away, there are still records left. I believe that his friend's house must have been searched. If I take you there now and Gin and the others see us, how am I supposed to explain it? Especially since Haibara looks exactly like Sherry."

There was another reason Kitahara Masaki didn't mention—the FBI. He believed that with Akai Shuichi's investigative abilities, he would soon be able to find out about Haibara's father. If he discovered that a man had taken Haibara to Dr. Miyano's friend's place, then the idea that 'Haibara might be related to Shiho Miyano,' which they had finally managed to dispel a few days ago, might resurface, and then another group of FBI agents would come to monitor them.

So after obtaining the address, Kitahara Masaki disguised himself as an ordinary company president who wanted to design game advertisements and went to the workplace of Dr. Miyano's friend.

--------------

"Oh! You mean Atsushi's matter?"

"Yes, Mr. Izushima, do you have any impression of Dr. Miyano?"

"Sigh, he and I are indeed childhood friends, but we haven't seen each other for thirty years. I've been trying to contact him, but I can't find him at all. To be honest, this design company originally belonged to Atsushi, but one day he suddenly gave it to me."

"I gave it to you?"

"Haha, actually, thirty years ago I wanted to start a design company, but I couldn't find a cheap place to rent. Then Atsushi said he could lend me this place, and it's been like a gift to me for thirty years."

It is estimated that thirty years ago, Dr. Atsushi Miyano and his wife Elena Miyano went to the Black Organization to research the so-called 'elixir of immortality'. Then they both died in a laboratory fire and naturally never paid any attention to this place again.

"Ah! Speaking of Dr. Miyano, they actually came twice!"

One of President Izujima's employees suddenly said this.

"Hey, how come I didn't know?"

"Oh, you happened to be out when they first came, President. The second time, only Dr. Miyano's daughter, Akemi, came. I think the first time was about twenty years ago. Because their family is quite special, I remember it very clearly. The second time was not long ago, probably about three months ago."

Three months ago! Only Akemi came, so it must have happened before the 1 billion yen heist. However, Akemi didn't mention it to Kitahara Masaki before he hurriedly put her on the plane, so it seems unimportant. But something must have been left behind…

"Oh! That explains why I didn't recognize that young girl, but she knew my name. She's Atsushi's daughter! But she probably just happened to be passing by and came here to use the restroom."

"Yes, I remember it very clearly, because she only came to our company to use the restroom once and then left. Not long after that, our company was broken into twice, but the thief didn't steal anything. It's very strange."

It was nearing noon when President Izushima sent one of his employees to buy lunch.

“Mr. Tan, we have received your request and will be able to make a sample soon.”

"Oh, no need to rush, I have plenty of time. By the way, after that girl came, your company was broken into twice. Apart from that, has anything else strange happened? I'm quite curious."

President Izushima picked up a hamburger and started eating. Hearing Kitahara Masaki's question, he seemed to remember something and said:

"Ah! There really was! Right after Akemi came to use our restroom, our water usage... Ughhhhh!!!"

Before the president could finish speaking, he collapsed to the ground, seemingly after eating an almond-flavored hamburger.

Damn it! How come I didn't notice—including President Izujima and his employees, there are only four people here! Four people!

The ominous number caught up with Kitahara Masaki, and before he could gather all the information, the number returned to three. Now, instead of gathering information, he had to solve the case first.

The "breaking into the house" thing they just mentioned—it's obvious that the organization, or rather Gin, came here. In order to find Miyano Akemi's whereabouts, he tracked her down and found that she had been here before. He probably didn't find anything, so he came twice.

What Kitahara Masaki was more concerned about was what President Izushima meant by 'water usage'—was it because Akemi's visit had caused water usage to increase or decrease?

Furthermore, when Atsushi Miyano first came, he brought his wife and Akemi, who was still a child. What was the reason for this? Masaki Kitahara checked President Izushima's file through the Metropolitan Police Department's channels and found it to be clean, not someone who would have any connection with the organization. But Atsushi Miyano still came...

"Ahem, everyone, let's call an ambulance and the police first. And before the police arrive, it's best if we don't move around too much."

"why?"

Kitahara Masaki felt the pulse of the president of Izushima and replied:

"Because President Izujima is dead."

Chapter 185 The Famous Mystery of Shrimp Dumplings

"The deceased was named Sohei Izujima, the president of this design company. Also present were three of his employees and a person who had come to ask the deceased for design work."

When Inspector Megure arrived at the scene, he was surprised to find that there was no one he knew there. He thought about calling Kitahara Masaki, but then he remembered that it was Kitahara's day off, so he gave up.

"Ahem, officer, it seems you're trying to make a phone call. I think the person trusted so much by the tough guys of the First Investigation Division must be Officer Kitahara Masaki!"

Hearing the flattery from the person in front of him with the side-swept bangs, Inspector Megure replied with a smile:

"Yes, but it's his day off today, so I didn't want to bother him."

"Well, if that's the case, I'm willing to share your burden, officer. After all, I actually know Officer Kitahara. We went to the same university in the United States, and I'm quite confident in my reasoning skills."

Inspector Megure took the business card handed to him by Kitahara Masaki, which clearly read: Dan Kuroto, CEO of Genmu Group.

"Oh, so you and Kitahara are alumni. But strictly speaking, you're also a suspect in this case, according to our police regulations..."