Conan: When Shinjiu and Maolilan swap bodies

"There's a new employee at the coffee shop downstairs from the Maori office. I suspect he's one of Rum's people."

"Oh?" Vermouth's eyes narrowed again.

There's already a bourbon, so what is Rum trying to find out by sending people there again?

Is it Bourbon? Or Cha Xiaolan, or perhaps Kogoro Mouri?

Or perhaps, they still doubt Shinichi Kudo?

"I understand, I'll go and sound them out."

After exchanging a few more words, the call ended.

Qingze let out a sneer that was hard to decipher.

what is this?

Because of Ran Mouri, he became an ally of Vermouth?

He wanted to see how much she could do for Ran Mouri.

……

In the villa with the Edogawa nameplate, the Kudo couple finally returned from America.

Looking at their son who came to the door to greet them, Kudo Yusaku rubbed his head.

"I heard that something else has happened recently."

Conan nodded and silently followed him into the living room.

Yukiko Kudo looked at the father and son and gave them some space.

The living room fell silent for a moment. Kudo Yusaku clasped his hands together, looking at his unusually silent son.

He keenly sensed the low spirits in Conan, a mixture of weariness, sadness, and self-doubt.

"Dad, I'm a little confused..."

Conan's eyes were filled with confusion, his head was slightly lowered, and he seemed unsure of which way to go next.

Yusaku Kudo didn't respond immediately, but just stared at him quietly, his deep gaze seemingly able to penetrate that small body and see the scarred soul inside.

"Is it because of Kiel?"

Yuzaku's voice was deep and steady, without a trace of blame, only a knowing understanding of everything.

A flicker of pain crossed Conan's eyes, which quickly faded, and he nodded gently.

"Yes...it wasn't just her. I watched her die before my eyes, watched her perish in the flames of the explosion, and there was nothing I could do...that feeling of powerlessness...it was so vivid..."

It wasn't just this sense of powerlessness that made him feel even more powerless; what made him feel even more powerless was that he and Xiaolan were growing further and further apart.

"And Xiaolan..."

Previously, besides a sense of justice, what motivated him to move forward was his strong desire to recover his body and not let Xiaolan wait too long.

But now, Xiaolan is no longer waiting for him.

Another person appeared in her life, and Xiaolan was very happy with him.

It seems he no longer has many necessary reasons to revert to being Shinichi Kudo.

He felt so tired that he even had an escapist mentality.

He slowly recounted the things he wanted to escape and the things he wanted to retreat from.

Yusaku Kudo listened quietly without interrupting, waiting for him to continue.

Conan paused, took a deep breath, and tried to suppress his surging emotions. His voice was heavy and weary:

"Moreover... Kir's exposure and sacrifice means we've lost another eye within the organization. Mr. Amuro will be under even more pressure, and our channels for obtaining core intelligence have been almost completely cut off."

"This organization is like an iceberg. We have tried our best to pry open a small crack, but what we see is only the tip of the iceberg. We have no idea how big the huge base hidden deep in the sea really is."

He looked up at Yusaku Kudo, his eyes filled with unprecedented confusion and bewilderment.

"Dad, can we really fight against such a behemoth?"

Can Shinichi Kudo really destroy such a terrifying organization?

The living room fell silent again, with only the faint sound of the wind outside the window.

Yusaku slowly stood up, walked to Conan's side and sat down, the sofa slightly dented.

He looked at Conan and gently stroked the top of his head.

"It's our fault. We've been busy in the United States, which has led you to shoulder the entire burden of eliminating the organization."

From the moment he shrank to the present, it has been Shinichi himself who has been constantly searching for clues and investigating the organization.

Whether it's the FBI or the Japanese Public Security Bureau, they are all helpers that Shinichi discovered and found himself.

Perhaps it was the pride of youth that made him unwilling to rely on his parents; he wanted to solve the problem and destroy the organization using his own abilities.

Yusaku Kudo reached out and gently placed his hand on Conan's shoulder.

Those hands were broad and warm, conveying not only temperature but also a profound sense of support.

"But Shinichi, you forgot something very important."

"Eliminating the organization is not your responsibility or obligation. You are just a high school student, you are not an adult yet, and you are putting too much pressure on yourself. You need to know that you are not a savior."

"If you're tired, take a rest. It's not a bad idea to stop for a while."

"But rest is for better progress."

Conan stared blankly at his father, as if the chaotic fog in front of him had parted a little, and the invisible heaviness on his shoulders seemed to have lightened.

Yes, he's just a high school student, but why does he act like a savior?

"Shinichi, you alone are far from enough to destroy the organization. What we need to do is unite all the forces that can be united, work together as one, and fight against it together."

"Miss Kiel chose this thorny path, and she knew the risks better than anyone else."

"Her sacrifice was not meant to plunge you into an abyss of guilt and confusion, but to fight for the light she believed in and that was worth sacrificing her life for. Her will needs to be carried on."

Yusaku's voice wasn't loud, but every word was clear, like the sound of bells striking Conan's heart.

"You said the organization is as large as an iceberg, and information channels are cut off. That's really frustrating."

"But Shinichi, what we are fighting against is never the ethereal iceberg itself, but the 'foundation stones of evil' that make it up."

“Every member exposed, every plan thwarted, contributes to its disintegration.”

“Pisco, Tequila, Ireland, Calvados, Curaçao... We have dismantled many of the organizations’ strengths, and these are our achievements.”

Kudo Yusaku's palm tightened slightly, and that warm power seemed to flow continuously into Conan's body.

"You are not a god, Shinichi. You cannot foresee all dangers, much less save everyone. Even Sherlock Holmes has watched Watson fall into peril and has experienced failure."

"The important thing is whether we can stand up after failure and pain, and whether we can still uphold the justice in our hearts."

Chapter 234 Keep an eye on him

Kudo Yusaku looked at his son with incredibly gentle eyes.

"Shinichi, confusion and pain are not weakness; they are the most genuine perceptions of the weight of life and responsibility deep within your soul."

"Feeling heavy is precisely the proof that you have the heart to bear this weight."

"But when you feel that the road beneath your feet is too dark, the burden on your shoulders is too heavy, or you are even suffocating, look up."

"Behind you, there will always be me, your mother, the doctor, and many, many people who believe in you and are willing to help you."

He gently patted Conan on the shoulder, a smile of encouragement playing on his lips.

"Your mother and I will always be your strongest support. So don't be afraid of feeling lost, and don't be intimidated by the huge shadows."

"Face it, digest it, and then, as you have done countless times before—with your wisdom, your courage, and the strength of all of us—go to find that light."

"Intelligence channels are cut off? Then let's change our thinking and perspective. No matter how large an organization is, it is still made up of people, and people have weaknesses."

Yusaku's eyes shone with absolute trust and pride—pride in his son.

“You are the Sherlock Holmes of the Heisei era, my son.”

Conan felt the warmth from his father's hand, a warmth that seemed to support the whole world. Hearing his father's steady and powerful words echoing in his ears, his bewildered and confused heart was replaced by a warm sense of security.

"Raise your head, Shinichi."

"Your mother and I are always behind you."

"You are not fighting alone, and you never will be."

"I understand, Dad."

Conan raised his head, and a resolute look returned to his childlike face.

He's gone down a dead end, affected by the deaths of Xiaolan and Jill.

We came this far knowing nothing before, and now that we know so much and have so many helpers and companions, why should we back down?

So what if the organization sends out Ospreys?

Didn't he still get shot by Mr. Akai and flee in a sorry state?

Ultimately, it was an organization operating in the shadows, unwilling to expose itself to the light of day.

The road ahead is long, and the darkness remains thick, but as long as the torch is lit, a way forward can always be found in the darkness.

What he needs to do is to keep going firmly on this path.

Kudo Yusaku laughed, his voice and posture much more relaxed. He opened the mineral water bottle, soothed his slightly dry throat, and spoke with a smile.

"We brought you good news from our trip to the United States."

Conan's eyes lit up.

"What good news?"

“A name—Karasuma Renya.”

"Karasuma Renya?" Conan felt like he'd heard that name somewhere before.

"This is a billionaire. Half a century ago, he went underground under the guise of 'death' and built this dark criminal empire."

Conan remembered that the Golden Villa he had visited before belonged to Karasuma Renya!

Conan held his breath. Karasuma Renya!

The mark carved with ravens was black, just like the organization's.

The enemy in the darkness revealed its initial outline.

"Knowing this means that we are not facing an abstract 'organization,' but an 'entity' with a clear origin, historical trajectory, and likely specific goals and weaknesses. This is a very big step forward."

Conan nodded vigorously.

That's right. Knowing this, they can search for clues in past historical records, find people who are connected to the organization, and bring hidden figures into the light.

“Besides Karasuma Renya, there’s also Rum.”

"Rum?"

Conan repeated the code name.

So far, all they know is that this is the organization's number two person, but they have no idea what she looks like or whether she is male or female.

"About 20 years ago, while carrying out an important mission, he made a serious mistake, leaving a mark..."

......

"Binga, how's Bourbon? Any unusual activity?"

A robotic voice came from the phone.

Binga sat at his computer desk, a bottle of white rum beside him, the laptop screen in front of him lit up.

He held the phone in one hand and poured himself a glass of wine with the other.

"No. He just works as a clerk at the coffee shop, goes to get off work and leaves normally, and we haven't found any suspicious contacts..."

“I tested him a few times, and he acted normally.”

"I'm also monitoring his phone, and so far I haven't found anything unusual..."