Ke Xue: Xiaolan delivers goods to your door at the beginning

I was trying to make the girl happy, but she already knew the inside story, which made things awkward.

The problem is, even knowing this, are we still worried that he might accidentally rush onto the stage...?

Is this a sign that they're worried he's so bad at the game that he can't even open the tampered props?

597. My master is a magician

Hattori Heiji looked at Hoshigawa Dogo speechlessly and thought that being spoiled was actually quite nice.

A middle-aged man wearing sunglasses, sporting a thick beard, and smoking a cigar opened the door, clapping as he entered. "That was fantastic, Xinghe! How about a joint performance with me next time?"

Xinghe Tongwu snapped out of his daze and smiled amicably, "Sure, if you don't mind."

"Oh, that's great!" the man said, pushing up his sunglasses with his little finger. "Because you're very popular!"

"Oh, then can I join?" A woman with bob haircut walked in with a smile, took the cigar the man was holding, and blocked it with her hand. The next second, the rising smoke from the cigar disappeared, and a bright red rose was slowly moved out by the woman's fingers. "With this opportunity, we can also find out which of the three of us is the rightful successor of our master, Master Zheng Ying!"

"Master Zhengying?" Toyama Kazuha asked curiously.

"That's the amazing magician who used to be a regular on TV and performed live, but suddenly disappeared ten years ago. There's a rumor that he's still alive and hiding somewhere," Hattori Heiji said, looking at the three of them. "I never imagined that the three of them were actually disciples of Master Sei-ei..."

"Don't magicians like to announce who their apprentices are?" Shirley asked Lin Xiaofeng.

"I don't know," Lin Xiaofeng said in a low voice. "I'm just doing this as a hobby, but my teacher told me not to tell anyone that he's my teacher."

This is strange, but it seems that this is how it is in the world. Many young magicians are active on stage, and even if their teachers are very famous, they will not use "disciple of so-and-so" as a gimmick. In fact, very few people know about the master-disciple relationship.

Conan thought back and realized that his mother had never revealed who the magician who taught them disguise was; she was very mysterious.

"Can't we even tell anyone?" Shirley also found these people quite strange.

"Who knows? Maybe he thinks I embarrassed him," Lin Xiaofeng said truthfully.

To be honest, he did embarrass himself by disguising his own teacher's disguise, so it's not impossible that Koizumi Akako might feel a little uncomfortable about it.

Shirley frowned, but quickly relaxed.

Her son, Xiao Feng, is an amateur, not a professional magician. Maybe that magician is strict and doesn't want his apprentice to be unskilled and then spread rumors...

Over there, the middle-aged man was still actively suggesting to the other two, "By the way, since that's the case, why don't we find Sanada Ichizo, whose popularity is comparable to Hoshikawa's, to join us? We could call it 'The Four Heavenly Kings of Magicians' Dream Performance,' what do you think?"

“I’m fine,” the woman said.

Hoshikawa Tongwu hesitated, "The question is, will he accept it?"

The middle-aged man stroked his chin awkwardly. "That's true. Although we're both magicians, we don't know him at all."

"By the way, Ran," Kazuha Toyama said, looking at Ran Mouri, "you seem to know Ichizo Sanada, right?"

“Yes, that’s right,” Ran Mouri recalled. “Once, Sonoko’s family received a notice from Kaito Kid at the Suzuki Foundation’s 60th anniversary cruise party. Sonoko’s mother hired him to play Kaito Kid as a guest performer. Another time, the wife of the genius magician Motoyasu Tsukumo asked my father to investigate the cause of his death. Mr. Sanada was one of Mr. Tsukumo’s three disciples.”

"Oh?" Hoshikawa Tongwu was somewhat surprised to hear the two girls' conversation, but quickly laughed and said, "No wonder you know some magic tricks, so you have magician friends!"

"Ah," Ran Mouri tried to explain, "that's..."

"I think we should go to Teacher Zhengying's house first and then discuss it," the middle-aged man suggested, looking at Lin Xiaofeng and the others. "You guys should come too; there might be a simple magic show after dinner!"

Ran Mouri and Kazuha Toyama exchanged a glance, somewhat hesitant. "Can we come along too?"

"But why do we need to go to the teacher's house?" the woman asked, puzzled.

"Have you forgotten? Ten years ago today was the day our teacher went missing," the middle-aged man chuckled. "Maybe he's already secretly gone home?"

On their way to Zhengying's house, the group bought some ingredients. It was completely dark before they headed to Zhengying's house together.

When they started walking on the road, the middle-aged man in the shirt and the woman in the shirt also formally introduced themselves. The man was called Fan Tianli, and the woman was called Ji Gongzhanzi. They were both magicians.

“I see,” Hoshikawa Tongwu said with a smile after hearing Ran Mouri’s explanation. “So Mr. Lin is also a magician’s apprentice. Judging from his appearance, he must be a famous magician, right?”

Lin Xiaofeng nodded in agreement, "You could say that." In reality, Koizumi Akako was not famous at all; she was not a magician, but a sorceress.

"Huh?" Toyama Kazuha looked at Hoshikawa Dogo.

“Because when magicians first step onto the stage, they are all considered novices with many shortcomings. As for the master magician, he worries that the apprentice will use his fame to attract the audience, or get so caught up in the hype that he forgets to improve his skills. He also worries that his fame will put too much pressure on the audience for the first performance,” Hoshikawa Tougo explained with a smile. “So, if the apprentice wants to perform independently, a famous magician will not tell others that this is his apprentice. He will let people discover and be surprised in the future. Surprise is the expression that magicians most want to see on people’s faces.”

"That's really a twisted sense of humor," Hattori Heiji couldn't help but remark.

“Maybe there are other reasons as well,” Himegami Nobuko joked. “For example, she might be worried that her apprentice will be targeted by her old rival, or that her old rival might use this opportunity to find out something. Sometimes magicians have conflicts too.”

“That’s why I think Mr. Lin is a famous magician,” Hoshikawa Tougo continued. “Of course, it’s also possible that Mr. Lin is an amateur, which is why his teacher doesn’t want him to tell others.”

“However, Miss,” Fan Tianli turned to Mouri Ran and said, “we still hope you can help contact Mr. Sanada. If it’s inconvenient for you to speak up, we can speak for 513.”

Ran Mouri nodded. "I'll help."

Himegami Nobuko looked at her two fellow students and said, "Although we don't know Sanada, we can be friends and exchange magic techniques in the future. If he doesn't have anything urgent to do, he should agree."

"Oh, we're here!" Fan Tianli quickened his pace, reached the door, and rang the doorbell.

Not long after, the door opened, and the woman who opened it looked to be in her fifties, with a few wrinkles on her face, but she was dressed neatly and elegantly. She repeatedly said "welcome" to Fan Tianli, and when she saw Himegami Tenko and Hoshikawa Togo behind her, she smiled with surprise, "Ah, could it be that Hoshikawa and Tenko are behind you?"

"Hello."

"long time no see."

Hoshigawa Dogo and Himegami Nobuko bowed and greeted him.

"It's been such a long time, probably ten years, hasn't it?" the woman said with a smile, then looked at Lin Xiaofeng and the others, "And who are these gentlemen?"

Fan Tianli introduced, "Tonight's special guest!"

Ran Mouri and Kazuha Toyama bowed together in greeting, "Excuse me, sorry to bother you!"

The woman smiled and said, "Looks like I need to go buy some ingredients for dinner."

"No need, no need," Fan Tianli pulled out a piece of cloth and stood in front of Mao Lilan, Yuanshan, and Ye, letting the two girls carry the bags full of ingredients in their arms as they had agreed before. After putting the cloth down, he showed it to the woman, "Look, I'm all ready!"

598. Japanese men don't know how to cook.

This clumsy trick, like that of a child, made the woman smile broadly. She praised him a couple of times, then turned and led a group of people inside. She mentioned that Fan Tianli would come every year, but this year was much more lively. She also mentioned that her three apprentices had stayed here for special training before, and that Xinghe Tongwu often came to her house before becoming her apprentice...

"So Mr. Xinghe is the eldest disciple?" Yuanshan Heye asked curiously.

"Hmph, it doesn't matter who the eldest disciple is," Himegami Nobuko retorted, "What matters is whose magic surpasses the teacher's!"

Fan Tianli sighed helplessly, "Hey, Zhanzi..."

Himegami Nobuko, however, was completely unconcerned. A confident smile appeared on her lips. "If we can really do a joint performance, my grand finale magic trick will be 'Witch Resurrection'! I'll erect a huge cross in the middle of the audience, tie myself tightly to the cross, hand the other end of the rope to an audience member, set the cross on fire, disappear into the flames, and then reappear amidst the ashes—a super magic trick!"

The woman, Fan Tianli, and Xinghe Tongwu's expressions froze. They turned to look at Ji Gongzhanzi, who was speaking eloquently, and their expressions did not ease for a long time.

"How was it?" Himegami Nobuko asked. "Was it exciting and fun?"

Fan Tianli snapped out of his daze and composed himself. "Ah, yes..."

"It's almost time," the woman said, glancing towards the kitchen. "I'll go prepare dinner."

Ran Mouri looked at Kazuha Toyama and asked, "In that case, shall we go and help?"

Kazuha Toyama nodded, "Okay."

“I haven’t been here in a long time,” Himegami Nobuko said. “I wanted to take a walk around the house.”

Xinghe Tongwu laughed and said, "That's a good idea."

“Then I’ll go to my room and rest for a bit,” Fan Tianli pushed up his sunglasses with his little finger. “I got up too early this morning.”

"Dinner is ready. I'll go call you then," the woman said.

Watching Fan Tianli, Himegami Tenko, and Hoshikawa Dogo leave, Conan frowned and whispered, "The atmosphere suddenly stiffened a bit just now, didn't it?"

Hattori Heiji responded, "Yes."

Shirley looked up at Lin Xiaofeng and saw that he was looking down, seemingly lost in thought. She didn't ask any further questions.

The atmosphere was definitely a bit off just now. Will tonight be any better...?

In the living room outside the kitchen, the woman had Lin Xiaofeng and the others sit down before going to the kitchen to make tea and then starting to prepare dinner.

Ran Mouri helped out for a while, but was then pushed out of the kitchen by Kazuha Toyama and taken to the lounge to call Kogoro Mouri and talk about Ichizo Sanada.

A short while later, the woman also came out of the kitchen.

"I'm so sorry," the woman said apologetically with a smile. "I didn't notice that the seasonings were almost gone, but I'll be back soon."

“It’s okay, Xiao Feng is a great cook, he can help,” Yuan Shan and Ye followed out with smiles, looking at Lin Xiao Feng who was sitting in the living room looking down at his phone. “Xiao Feng, we’re out of seasonings. Madam Zheng Ying is going to buy some, and Xiao Lan is on the phone and hasn’t come back yet. Could you come to the kitchen and help me for a bit?”

"Okay." Lin Xiaofeng put away his phone and stood up.

"Then thank you for your trouble." The woman smiled and nodded, then turned and walked towards the door.

"What?" Hattori Heiji glanced at Toyama Kazuha with an annoyed look. "Can't you handle this by yourself?"

Kazuha Toyama immediately turned around and retorted, "Shut up, you who can't cook at all!"

Lin Xiaofeng ignored the two of them and went into the kitchen.

"Who says I can't?" Hattori Heiji angrily picked up Conan, followed him into the kitchen, and put Conan aside. "Okay, what do you want to do?"

Conan sighed speechlessly. What did this have to do with him? Why was he dragged into this?

Shirley didn't sit down either, but followed to the kitchen door to watch the commotion.

Kazuha Toyama began assigning tasks, which were nothing more than chopping vegetables and preparing ingredients.

Lin Xiaofeng didn't need to say much; as soon as he heard how to do it, he knew how to best prepare the ingredients.

Heiji Hattori and Conan, holding kitchen knives, looked serious, their expressions gradually turning grave, their faces darkening as they considered giving up...

Shirley couldn't stand it anymore and stepped forward, saying, "Let me do it."

"No need, Sherry," said Kazuha Toyama. "I'll go get Ran to help. And you two, you're just making things worse, so don't get involved!"

Heiji Hattori almost threw his cleaver, but he held back. He secretly glanced to the side and saw that Lin Xiaofeng's knife was smooth and fast, and the cucumber slices he cut were even and moderate. When he looked at the crooked and 'torn' cucumbers that he and Conan had cut, he suddenly felt very discouraged.

He seems to be really bad at it...

"Brother Xiaofeng, could you please hold on a little longer?" Yuanshan Heye said, and hurriedly went out.

"Okay." Lin Xiaofeng replied simply, took the fish that Yuanshan and Ye had washed from the basin next to him, and calmly and quickly cut it into even thin slices.

Heiji Hattori stared blankly for a while, but his mind started to wander.

Xiao Feng's knife skills are really amazing...

"Hey, Hattori, you..." Conan turned his head and saw Hattori Heiji staring blankly at Lin Xiaofeng cooking, and instantly understood.

He understood. Sometimes, watching Lin Xiaofeng chop vegetables was so brainwashing that he felt like he could keep watching forever.

Shirley watched for a while and couldn't help but ask, "What are you thinking about? You've been spacing out."

"Huh?" Hattori Heiji snapped out of his daze, realizing that Sherry was looking at Lin Xiaofeng, and then looked at Lin Xiaofeng in surprise.

Is Brother Feng actually spacing out?

Brother Xiao Feng was actually distracted while chopping vegetables?

And it's cut so well, does it even make a living?

"I'm thinking about how to do that 'witch resurrection' magic trick," Lin Xiaofeng said, looking down as he processed the fish slices. "...To make the audience see a figure in the fire, we need a mannequin. Inside the mannequin, we need props that will wiggle their limbs or make a low hum when heated, so that the mannequin's movements and sounds in the fire are close to those of a real person. The time when the mannequin replaces the audience should be before the fire is lit, when the assistant hands the rope to the audience, or when one of the assistants approaches with a torch..."

Conan couldn't help but join the analysis, explaining, "Because after the fire is lit, the audience's attention will be focused on the burning cross, and the light from the flames makes it inconvenient for the magician to replace himself with a mannequin."

"So, the magician first ties himself to the cross, and the cross and rope might be tampered with. Then, while the audience's attention is diverted elsewhere, the magician and the dummy quickly switch places and hide. The person who gets burned on the cross is actually the dummy, right?" Hattori Heiji stroked his chin. "And if the mechanism is cleverly designed, the magician can hide inside the cross. That way, after the fire is extinguished, with some performance, the magician can reappear unharmed, making an amazing resurrection... The magician and the detective are like this: one designs and sets up the trick, and the other sees through and exposes it!"

“That’s it…” Lin Xiaofeng put the sliced ​​fish into a bowl for pre-processing, picked up the meat for making dumplings, and prepared to start slicing. “Hattori, hurry up.”

Often, magic tricks seem amazing and exciting, but they are actually just illusions, and once you get to the bottom of it, they're not that interesting.

For example, two orbs of light are placed on either side of the stage. The magician walks into the left orb of light and instantly appears in the right orb of light, as if the orbs of light can make people ignore the length of the middle of the stage and move in an instant. In reality, it may be two people. They use a curtain that is the same as the stage background to cover up, one hiding and the other appearing. With the performance, they create the illusion that it is one person.

"Ah, okay..." Heiji Hattori continued chopping vegetables, then suddenly sighed, "This is really troublesome, it's not as smooth as solving a mystery."

"How did you teach your home economics class?" Lin Xiaofeng couldn't help but complain.

You two have plenty of home economics classes from elementary school onwards, like cleaning, cooking, and sewing, right? How did you manage to get to high school?

599. If there's nothing to talk about, then let's flip the table.

When Ran Mouri, Toyama, and Kazuha returned, Lin Xiaofeng had already finished wrapping the dumplings, and the vegetables he was cooking were almost ready.

"You guys are really fast," Ran Mouri said with a slightly embarrassed smile. "I think I've been on the phone for too long."

Kazuha Toyama approached Heiji Hattori and couldn't help but burst out laughing when she saw the vegetables Heiji had cut.

Hattori Heiji was immediately speechless. In a moment of carelessness, the knife went astray, and a cut appeared on his left hand, which was holding the food.

The chaotic situation continued until Master Zhengying's wife, Zhengying Manli, returned.