Conan, I'm an actor

"That's where the cellar's ventilation is; they're inside the cellar," Xincheng said, pointing to a flowerbed. "As for the cellar entrance, it's inside the annex."

"Brother Mori, how's it going on your end?" Inspector Megure ran over anxiously, only to be stopped a few meters away by Shinjo.

The sweltering heat wave cleared Megure's head considerably; rushing into a fire without any protection could be fatal.

"It's fine here, it's just so hot." Kogoro Mouri's voice came from the ruins. "I said, Inspector Megure has arrived, can we come out now?"

"You can come out as long as you don't want severe burns," Xincheng said with a smile. "Just wait a little longer, and you can come out when the temperature drops. The gold up there is still liquid right now, why don't you give it a try?"

"Never mind, never mind." Mori's voice was a little sore. He was a money-grubber, and it was heartbreaking to have missed out on so much gold.

"This really is gold!" Megure was a little dazed. How much gold must there be?

“Stop looking, all this gold is mine. The owner of this villa has already given me the gold.” Shinjo put his hand directly on Megure’s shoulder. “How much is this worth? Why don’t you help me calculate it? I’ll see which gold shop can afford to take it.”

Megure rolled his eyes. This guy had probably been away from the police force for too long and had forgotten the procedures.

As this is the site of a terrorist attack, it's a place for taking photos and collecting evidence. To get this gold, we'll have to wait at least three to five years.

During this time, Inspector Megure kept trying to ask about the armed helicopter, but Shinjo kept brushing him off.

Half an hour later, two helicopters landed one after the other in the open space in front of the annex. More than a dozen people in suits got off and took over the case immediately. The Metropolitan Police Department officers were cleared out.

After waiting for several more hours until the temperature in the ruins of the annex had completely dropped, the rescue team entered the wine cellar and brought everyone out.

Of course, all the guns they carried were confiscated by the Metropolitan Police Department, including the two contraband guns in New Town.

As the helicopter arrived in Tokyo, everyone said their goodbyes. Kogoro Mouri looked at Shinjo, opened his mouth as if to say something, but after looking around, he ultimately said nothing.

"Don't worry, they'll return it after they've checked the gun number." Shinjo patted Mori on the shoulder, indicating that he shouldn't feel guilty.

He confirmed upon boarding that the helicopter wasn't from the Metropolitan Police Department; judging from the markings, it belonged to the Security Bureau. The Security Bureau's subordinate department was the Security Planning Division, so it seemed that Amuro already knew about the Twilight Villa incident.

"You haven't retired?" Kogoro Mouri was taken aback.

"I guess I'm officially retired now. My name shouldn't be listed in the Metropolitan Police Department's database anymore. I'm probably on a temporary contract now, occasionally working as a temporary worker." Shinjo helped Koshimizu into the car driven by Director Ochiai. "Give my regards to Conan. I sent him four prank candies last time, I don't know if he ate them."

"You're as awful as ever, why are you tormenting the kids?" Mori said with a hint of helplessness.

"That kid isn't exactly a child, is he?"

"Yes, it's good for him to suffer a little."

"Dad, Uncle Shinjo, how could you do this?" Ran Mouri said, somewhat indignantly. "Conan is just a child, you've gone too far!"

Upon hearing Shinichi's words, Shinichi's expression began to falter. While ostensibly addressed to Kogoro Mouri, the words were actually meant for Shinichi.

The medicine was sent to him by Xincheng, so it goes without saying who Moriarty is.

This guy should have known how to find the treasure of Twilight Villa long ago. Why did he go to such lengths to take over Twilight Villa and then give it to me? What is he trying to do?

And the case at the art museum—it was him after all! How despicable!

Also, he had the antidote, so why did he only give me four pills? It made me so nervous, I had to time my doses perfectly, it was infuriating! I'm going on a date with Xiaolan this afternoon, I'll ask him for more pills if I run out!

Chapter 88 Gin's Mistake and the Medicine

Meanwhile, inside a bar with a predominantly black color scheme...

“Boss, the police have taken over this case.” Vodka said somewhat awkwardly. “The detectives who participated in this detective gathering have all been placed under protection, and the helicopter was arranged by the Security Planning Division under the Public Security Bureau. We haven’t been able to find the list.”

Bourbon stared at the glass in his hand, his knuckles tightening slightly. Luckily, he reacted quickly, otherwise that Cognac guy would be finished. But why was Gin so concerned about that villa? Even if it was the BOSS's former residence, it didn't warrant such attention.

"What about those people from the Metropolitan Police Department?" Gin asked, frowning. "They should have seen those people; getting their names on the detectives shouldn't be too difficult."

“This time it wasn’t the Nagano Prefecture police, it was the Metropolitan Police Department’s First Investigative Division. None of our people were there. But…” Vodka glanced at Bourbon, who was drinking, hesitated, and didn’t continue.

"But what?" Gin asked, staring at vodka.

"They were seen getting off the plane, and two of them were recognized by witnesses. One is the recently famous Sleeping Kogoro from Tokyo, and the other is the high school detective, Shinichi Kudo." Vodka couldn't help but wipe his sweat when he mentioned Shinichi Kudo's name.

Gin's glass, which he was about to bring to his lips, froze in mid-air. His eyes sharpened at that moment. "Who are you talking about? Which Shinichi Kudo?"

“It’s that Shinichi Kudo we killed at the amusement park,” Vodka said somewhat awkwardly. “I didn’t go back to check if he was dead, and he got away.”

“This is none of your business, it’s my problem,” Gin said with a dark expression.

He knew, of course, that Vodka was trying to take the blame for him and save him from losing face in front of Bourbon. But Gin was not one to let his subordinates take the fall, and most importantly, Bourbon wasn't stupid; he wouldn't be fooled by such a petty trick.

“I’m investigating something about Shinichi Kudo. Should I hand him over to you?” Bourbon said with a smile.

“I’ll take care of Shinichi Kudo.” Gin suddenly stood up.

Bourbon shrugged, appearing nonchalant on the surface, but inwardly he was in turmoil.

He was the one who arranged those two helicopters; otherwise, the list of detectives would already be in Gin's hands. What he didn't expect was that even with all his meticulous planning, Kogoro Mouri and Shinichi Kudo were still recognized.

According to his investigation, Shinichi Kudo should have turned into a child. So who is this Shinichi Kudo now? Does this drug mean that an adult can turn into a child, and a child can turn into an adult? That's a bit too outrageous.

But we need to hurry up and inform that guy from Shinjo; he's really good at causing trouble.

However, he couldn't get through to him on the phone; it kept showing that Shinjo's number was out of service, which gave Amuro Tooru a headache. But besides him, there was another person having a headache right now: Miyano Shiho.

In the laboratory of the research institute

“The efficacy of APTX-4869 is not a problem; I don’t think I need to prove that.” Shirley stared at the microscope in front of her. “However, due to storage conditions or other reasons, the tablets may have become ineffective.”

"Failed? That explanation doesn't convince me." Gin's face turned ashen.

“Medications have expiration dates and are subject to storage restrictions. We researchers aren’t gods; we can’t create pills that won’t spoil.” Shiho raised her head. “Besides, are you sure you really forced the medicine down his throat? If someone else induced vomiting in time, or if someone with certain stomach problems vomited the pill before the capsule was digested, then it’s the same as not taking the medicine at all.”

Vodka's face was a little stiff. They had only given him the medicine and hadn't done anything else.

"I'll try again. If your medicine still doesn't work, then..."

"Remember to capture them alive," Shiho Miyano said indifferently. "Those who took the drug are all dead. Surviving test subjects are very rare, and they might lead to a breakthrough in our research."

Gin's face turned ashen, but he finally managed to squeeze out, "Fine!"

There was no other way; Shirley was a research genius highly valued by the organization. If it were anyone else, he would have already sent a bullet.

Watching his boss leave, Vodka could only follow closely behind. Having been humiliated by Sherry, he was definitely looking for someone to vent his anger on. He just didn't know which unlucky person would become that scapegoat.

Watching Gin's departing figure, Shiho Miyano decided to go find Cognac. The antidote should still be used up; she needed to get him to use it or destroy it.

AI Research Center

"Is this what you've been busy with lately?" Koshimizu Nanatsuki followed Shinjo with a limp.

“Well, that’s one of my secrets too,” Shinjo said with a smile. “I probably won’t be going back to the detective agency for a while. If you want to find me, you can come here. By the way, this is the research center’s number. Just call this number to find me.”

"Can't I use a mobile phone?"

“There’s a signal jammer here, no cell phone signal. Don’t stay at the entrance, I’ll take you inside and introduce you to that guy who calls himself Moriarty.” With that, he walked into the supercomputing center.

"Why are you telling me all this?" Yue Shui asked, standing at the door.

The supercomputing center in front of her must be the secret of Xincheng, and what she was looking for. She just didn't know why Xincheng would confront her at this time.

“Sometimes, ability isn’t the most important thing.” Shinjo shrugged. “Besides, you should have already guessed that Moriarty and I are in cahoots. Since we can’t hide it anymore, let’s just lay it all out.”

"It can't be just that reason," Yue Shui said, staring at Xin Cheng, her breathing becoming rapid.

"And then there's your safety. You've already been dragged into this, so I need to find a way to ensure your safety." As Xincheng spoke, he had already entered the supercomputing center. "There are underground fortifications and security systems here. If you encounter danger, try to run here. Just hide here and wait for rescue."

"You know that's not what I want to hear."

"Because you are my partner, nothing more, don't overthink it."

A dozen minutes later, when Xincheng saw the rows of servers that were not turned on on the second and third floors, he was completely stunned.

You should know that when I left last time, the servers on the third floor occupied less than one-sixth of the total area.

He still remembered how slow the delivery was when he asked Johnson and Dr. Agasa to buy the servers; it was like squeezing toothpaste.

How come the efficiency has increased so much in just a few days?

And where did they get the money to buy the machines? Nobody notified him to pay!

Chapter 89 Karen's Design Drawings

"Mr. Xincheng, there is a shipment here that you need to sign for. It's all servers, and the payment has already been made." Johnson approached Xincheng with a document in hand.

Xincheng stared blankly at the order form on the document. Having done his research on servers beforehand, he immediately recognized that the servers listed were the latest models, not secondhand.

These servers are all on the prohibited sales list. Although Japan is not in the prohibited sales area, it is still very difficult to get them unless you intercept a server order from a large company.

Hijacking an order and snatching a bargain are two different things. Hijacking such a large order would cost an astronomical sum of US dollars, and Attorney Pepper should have informed me of that.

"Where did the money come from?" Xincheng asked after a moment's thought.

“Miss Karen has been making money using cryptocurrency lately, and all of this money is earned by Miss Karen,” Johnson said, rubbing his hands together. “This batch of servers was ordered by an internet company in Southeast Asia, but due to a certain bill, the company was unable to purchase these servers and ended up reselling them to us.”

Xincheng's expression was somewhat strange. Based on his understanding of Karen, he knew that making money with virtual currency was most likely due to stealing someone else's computing power or virtual currency.

As for why Southeast Asian internet companies cannot purchase servers, it is very likely that this guy reported it. The ban on sales is not 100% comprehensive; there are always some gray areas that can be operated, and Karen seized on this as a result.

"Have you checked it? Is there anything wrong with the goods?" Xincheng asked.

"The goods are all in good condition, and the installation is complete. As long as Mr. Shinjo signs off, it can be integrated into the supercomputing system immediately." Johnson's voice was excited; he couldn't wait to see Kallen in her full form.

These days, AI has brought him so many shocks that he seems to see the future of humanity.

After confirming there were no problems, Xincheng signed the document and introduced Yue Shui's identity to him. However, Johnson wasn't very interested in getting to know Yue Shui; he was currently focused on improving the supercomputer's computing power.

"This must be the legendary supercomputer. Why did you bring me here?" Yue Shui asked, somewhat puzzled. "Didn't you say you were going to introduce me to Moriarty? But there's no one here except the engineers."

"Remember when Moriarty said that no one could ever find her?" Shinjo asked with a smile. "Do you think she's so arrogant?"

"Her?" Koshimizu Nanatsuki was taken aback. "The investigation into those detectives' preferences must have been done by Miss Moriarty. As long as we monitor the detectives' movements and avoid their areas of activity, we naturally won't be found."

“That’s one line of thinking. She can monitor the detectives’ movements, but that’s not her only advantage.” Shinjo walked over to a monitor as he spoke. “Her secret is hidden in that last phrase, ‘human yet not human.’ Literally, she is human, yet not human. Come out, Karen, and meet your new friend.”

The monitor suddenly lit up, and Karen's head appeared on it. "I thought you would rest for a few days. You're here to inspect the results so soon? Your battle suit is not finished yet. It will take at least three more days. This must be Ms. Koshimizu. Good afternoon."

"Uh, hello, I..." Yue Shui felt her mind was a little foggy. "You are... a hacker?"

“No, her true form is the server here, or rather, the supercomputer,” Xincheng said with a smile. “This place is just one of her bodies. She can move to another server whenever she wants. If we have to define her, she is an artificial intelligence life form, a human living in a virtual world. You can’t capture her true form without entering the virtual world.”

“That’s right, I am an artificial intelligence life form, Karen,” Karen said with great pride. “Those detectives would never have imagined that the person they were investigating was not human at all.”

"This is really..." Yue Shui's lips twitched.

She was there when the detectives were reasoning about the phrase "not human," so she naturally overheard their thought process. If they had followed that line of reasoning, she probably would never have found Moriarty in her lifetime.