Ke Xue: I was raised by them in Mihua.

But for some reason, it gave her an inexplicable sense of unease.

"Xiao Luo, what do you think of this statue?"

As the saying goes, when in doubt, seek outside help. Having learned from the experience of the last kidnapping case, Ran Mouri already knows who to consult.

"statue?"

Luo Tian reluctantly shifted his gaze from the girl's exposed skin to the bronze statue.

"It feels... a bit high."

He rolled his eyes and said weakly.

Without standing on tiptoe, he was only about the same height as the statue's stand, making it impossible for him to observe the entire statue, let alone discover anything amiss.

Damn it!

Just as he raised his foot to kick the display stand in frustration, Luo Tian was suddenly lifted into the air, his gaze rising considerably.

"Will this be any better?"

Ran Mouri picked up the little boy and walked to the display stand. She tried to get as close to the statue as possible through the railing and began to observe it carefully herself.

Despite her best efforts, it wasn't her field of expertise, and there was a restless guy in her arms interfering with her. Her blue-violet eyes reflected the bronze statue, but she didn't notice anything unusual.

"I see!"

Luo Tian lightly punched the girl to get her attention.

Unfortunately, the way he punched her was rather impolite. He achieved his goal, but it also made the girl gasp and subconsciously let go of his hand, instead protecting it in front of her chest.

Hey! I'm jumping!

With a nimble roll, Luo Tian landed steadily on the ground.

He then crawled over the railing and onto the display stand, ready to touch the bronze sculpture.

"Wait, Xiao Luo, no!"

While maintaining the posture of protecting her chest, Ran Mouri tried to dissuade her.

This scene, this pose—if it weren't for a cute little boy in front of you, it's hard to guarantee that people wouldn't have dirty thoughts.

…………

(Please, please, please).

Chapter 20 Thus, Luo Tian began to think.

　"This is the clue you found?"

Kogoro Mouri was investigating clues at the art museum when he suddenly received a call from his daughter.

After they met, he looked at the bronze statue in front of him and fell into deep thought.

Calling it a clue isn't entirely accurate, since no information about the suspect who stole the exhibits has yet been found.

However, several cracks have appeared on this knight statue.

The crack has been repainted with paint, and the color is very close to that of the bronze statue itself. It would be almost impossible to notice unless you got very close.

"I think the suspect accidentally knocked over the statue while stealing, causing a crack, and did this to avoid being discovered!"

Ran Mouri analyzed the situation logically and with evidence.

Given Director Ochiai's childlike attitude towards the museum's exhibits, it's impossible for him to allow such a damaged statue to be displayed.

Therefore, this guess is reasonable and coincides with Kogoro Mouri's thoughts.

However, the elderly father was still somewhat confused and had no clue about the suspect.

"If there are security cameras here, won't they capture bad guys?"

Walking to a corner, Luo Tian strained to look up at a monitoring device on the ceiling and spoke up to remind it.

Based on the angle of this surveillance camera, it should be able to cover the location of the bronze statue.

Although the suspect's face may not have been captured, it can still provide some clues.

That way, it will be easier for me to explain myself later, and I won't have to give away spoilers that would arouse suspicion from others.

Suddenly, Luo Tian felt a soft spot on the top of his head.

They tilted back a little more, and the girl's pretty face came into view, though only part of it.

The other part was blocked by her powerful frontal armor.

"It definitely looks like we can get a shot!"

Ran Mouri supported the little boy, who was leaning back, with both hands, while her gaze was fixed on the monitor.

Perhaps because the exhibits are not particularly valuable artworks, the security measures in this art museum are only so-so, and the surveillance equipment does not cover the entire area.

Only a few corridors and the lobby have surveillance equipment installed, and there are still many blind spots.

"Shall we go and ask Director Ochiai, Dad?"

The girl casually took the little boy's hand and returned to her elderly father's side.

……

After arriving at the art museum, Director Ochiai went to take care of some matters and told them to feel free to tour the museum and investigate the clues.

What they didn't know was that the other party was dealing with the matter of the medieval art museum being acquired.

"No! Absolutely not! We clearly agreed on this!"

When they found the old man, he was arguing fiercely with a middle-aged man with a fierce face, his words particularly heated.

"You'll go to hell for breaking your promise like this!"

"Plans can't keep up with changes. You're already so old, do you intend to stay here and die guarding this art museum?"

The middle-aged man's words were even more blunt, almost giving the old man a heart attack.

The atmosphere was tense, and Kogoro Mouri didn't dare to interrupt. He could only stay aside with his daughter and the little boy and wait.

"Damn it! That guy, Manaka, is a demon!"

Beside them, a seemingly honest and kind-hearted staff member was also cursing viciously.

"Oh! Please elaborate!"

The old father's eyes lit up as he realized there were stories to hear.

Perhaps noticing that the three people in front of him were brought by the curator, the staff member named Cook Island made no attempt to hide anything.

It turns out that with the mass starvation of artistic youths, this art museum had long been in financial deficit and unable to continue operating.

We've been able to hold on until now thanks to Director Ochiai's tireless efforts in raising funds.

It was at this moment that the president of the company, named Manaka, appeared. He not only pretended to be an art-loving young man, but also made a solemn promise that if he were to buy the art museum, he would definitely continue to run it.

Overjoyed, Director Ochiai believed it to be true and quickly signed the contract, unaware of the traps hidden within.

As a result, not long after the president of the company bought the art museum, he decided to convert it into a hotel.

They were given only a little over ten days to clean up the art museum.

It's important to understand that forcing someone to change careers is like killing their parents, let alone using such dirty methods.

Most of the museum staff were dissatisfied with this, but there was nothing they could do.

The contract clearly states in black and white that the art museum already belongs to the other party, and whatever they do is legal.

Director Ochiai couldn't swallow this insult and argued with President Manaka almost every day, trying to dissuade him from turning the art museum into a hotel.

But in the end, it always ends in failure, just like today.

"Sorry, I made you laugh."

The old man came over, clutching his chest and breathing rapidly as he spoke; it seemed he had been quite angry earlier.

Ran Mouri stepped forward with some concern and asked.

"So, the news that the art museum is about to close is actually..."

"Ah, it's true."

Director Ochiai sighed, his eyes filled with desolation.

"Perhaps I lack business acumen, but this art museum has reached its end."

"It's clearly because that guy Manaka is dishonest! He actually wants to turn this place into a restaurant!"

Iida seemed to have a good relationship with the old man, he added indignantly.

"How could such an important matter, which concerns the livelihoods of the entire museum and its staff, not be written into the transfer agreement?"

Kogoro Mouri was a little confused. In all his years as a detective, this was the first time he had ever seen such an unreliable person. No wonder the art museum was on the verge of bankruptcy.

"It's no use talking about this now. Did you find any clues by coming to me?"

"We do have a clue; we'd like to check the monitoring room."

"No problem at all!"

Led by Director Ochiai, the group headed towards the museum's monitoring room.

Luo Tian, ​​at the very back, glanced in the direction of President Zhenzhong.

To be fair, he disliked this kind of cunning businessman, but ultimately, this guy couldn't be called a criminal; he was just doing what a qualified businessman should do.

If we let this guy get killed, we'll end up taking a poor old man with us.

Blinking his bright, innocent eyes, Luo Tian began to think.

Chapter 21 The girl is ready for battle (Please, please, please!)

　"Hurry! I have to find that bastard! And then..."

Inside the museum's monitoring room, Director Ochiai was angrily ordering an employee named Cooking Island to retrieve the surveillance footage from the past two days.

When he learned from Kogoro Mouri that some exhibits had been damaged, he looked furious, as if his lungs were about to explode.

If someone hadn't stopped him, he probably would have rushed out and fought that person to the death.

As for who this "someone" was, the old man did not say.

Kogoro Mouri only just realized that his client already had a suspect, but lacked evidence, which was why he had asked him to help investigate.

"This is such a troublesome task!"

The old father scratched his head in distress, wanting to just give up.

He's quite adept at catching mistresses and investigating extramarital affairs.

This time, however, even the museum staff and the curator, who knew the museum inside and out, found no evidence.

Where should he begin?

At this moment, he could only hope that the surveillance footage would reveal some clues.

"Xiao Luo, why are you so quiet? Are you feeling unwell?"

Ran Mouri originally wanted to watch the surveillance footage with her elderly father and indulge in her passion for solving cases one more time.

But when she saw Luo Tian enter the monitoring room and remain silent, just standing there in a daze, she became a little worried.

Ignoring everything else, she attentively cared for the little boy, offering him comfort and concern.

"I'm fine, I'm thinking."

Luo Tian crossed his arms and struck a thoughtful pose, but given his cute appearance, it didn't convey any persuasiveness whatsoever.

Instead, it made the girl's heart skip a beat. When she came to her senses, her hand had already instinctively rested on the little boy's head.

"So Xiao Luo was thinking. Is there anything I can help you with?"

She asked with a smile, stroking her smooth black hair back and forth on her head.

"Can you help with anything?"

Tilting his head, Luo Tian muttered something under his breath, causing the girl to pause for a moment.

She's got the wrong idea again!

Fortunately, Ran Mouri recovered when she met the boy's clear, almost foolish eyes, and silently blamed herself a few times.