Conan: When Shinjiu and Maolilan swap bodies

Chapter 438 I want to ask some questions about Qingze

Looking at that face, Shuichi Akai took a deep drag on his cigarette, which had long since burned out. The pungent embers stung his throat, but they did nothing to suppress the surging frustration, anger, and lingering confusion in his heart.

His brows were furrowed, forming a deep "川" (river) shape.

Not right.

He knew little about Koniak, but from the fact that Koniak always wore a hood, he could tell that he was an extremely cautious, secretive figure, like the shadow itself.

Based on limited prior contact and intelligence, he is by no means the kind of person who would deliberately expose himself at a crime scene out of arrogance or a desire to show off.

This deliberate act of turning around to face the surveillance camera, as if afraid of missing a shot of his face... it's almost like a performance, deliberately trying to let them see his face and confirm his identity.

Is that correct?

No, something's not right.

If the other party simply wanted him to know that his sister had been kidnapped, there were countless more discreet and traceless ways to do so, without needing to make such a big fuss, let alone willingly hand over surveillance footage that could be considered irrefutable evidence.

With this video, he had every reason to push the police to issue an arrest warrant for "Koniak's" face—which was tantamount to the other party handing him leverage.

Could Koniak have really lost his mind? Or... is this not Koniak at all?

Is it internal strife?

Shuichi Akai forcefully stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray, which was already overflowing with cigarette butts. The sparks flickered under the pressure, mirroring his chaotic thoughts at that moment.

He turned his gaze back to the frozen face with the eerie smile on the screen, trying to dissect the incongruity in every pixel.

Due to limitations in lighting, angle, and the camera itself, the image is not very clear, with a lot of blur and noise, but the basic outline and facial features are still discernible.

White hair, red eyes, a striking combination... If it weren't for that completely different dangerous aura and the deliberately cruel curves in the image, he would almost have thought he was seeing a white-haired version of Qingze.

Aozawa and Koniak... could they be blood brothers? Is that why they look so alike?

Amidst a multitude of speculations and doubts, Shuichi Akai decisively picked up his phone and dialed the number that might provide a clue.

Ran Mouri was biting the end of her pen, her delicate brows furrowed, struggling with a math problem.

The pen tip glides across the draft paper, making a soft, rustling sound.

Behind the desk next to him, Qingze sat quietly, his gaze focused on the computer screen, occasionally moving the mouse and making a soft clicking sound.

Only a desk lamp was lit in the study, its warm yellow light enveloping the two people and creating a focused and peaceful tranquility.

The tranquility was shattered by the sudden ringing of a cell phone.

Ran Mouri caught a glimpse of "Shuichi Akai" flashing on the screen, looked up in surprise, and subconsciously glanced at Aozawa, "It's Mr. Akai on the phone."

Qingze looked away from the screen, his eyebrows twitching almost imperceptibly. "Answer it, put it on speakerphone."

"Hello? Mr. Akai?" Ran Mouri pressed the speakerphone button, placed the phone on the table between the two of them, and her voice carried a hint of doubt.

"Ms. Mori." Shuichi Akai's voice came through the speaker, as deep as ever, but now with a hint of subtle caution and directness.

"Excuse me for bothering you. I'd like to ask you some questions about Qingze."

"Huh?" Ran Mouri's heart skipped a beat, her gaze shifting back to Aozawa, her brows furrowing involuntarily. "Why are you suddenly asking about Aozawa? Is... something wrong?"

Shuichi Akai didn't beat around the bush and went straight to the point: "Does he have any brothers? Blood relatives?"

This question prompted Ran Mouri and Aozawa to exchange a quick glance.

A smile curved at the corners of Qingze's lips.

We were just talking about this last night, and someone asked about it today.

Seeing Aozawa's smile, Ran Mouri immediately understood, her tone perfectly balanced, a mixture of genuine confusion and honesty in her attempt to recall:

"Well... I'm not too sure. Aze suffered a brain injury and lost all his memories before the age of ten. He forgot everything about his family and background. So, whether he has any brothers or not, he probably doesn't even know himself."

Amnesia?

On the other end of the phone, Shuichi Akai's voice suddenly turned somber. This crucial information was like a stone thrown into a lake, instantly increasing the likelihood of the speculation that "Aozawa and Koniak are brothers"!

"Yes."

Ran Mouri repeated firmly, her voice carrying a hint of tender pity for her lover's past:

“Aze said he was ten years old when he became conscious, in an orphanage. He was adopted by a kind-hearted wealthy businessman not long after.”

"Can you tell me which orphanage it is?" Shuichi Akai pressed.

"It's the Sea Forest Orphanage."

This time, it was Qingze himself who gave the answer.

His voice, transmitted clearly through the loudspeaker, reached Shuichi Akai's ears; it was calm, open, and without the slightest hint of anything amiss.

This identity was meticulously constructed by him, from the records of the orphanage and the vague memories of the children from the same period to the deceased "adoptive father," all of which could withstand conventional investigation.

He added just the right amount of curiosity to his voice, as well as an instinctive probing when his past privacy was being touched:

"Mr. Akai, forgive my bluntness... Is there some special situation that has led you to ask these questions all of a sudden?"

He paused deliberately for half a second before asking in a tone as if a sudden inspiration had struck him, "Could it be that you saw someone who looks a lot like me?"

Aozawa guessed that it was Gin who appeared using his face.

They probably did something else, like kidnapping Shuichi Akai's sister to lure Shuichi Akai out or something.

Knowing that Shuichi Akai has such a relative outside, it would be no Gin if he didn't take some action to force Shuichi Akai to show himself.

Using his face can both create endless trouble for him and achieve the main goal—killing two birds with one stone.

Shuichi Akai was silent for a few seconds on the other end of the phone, then cautiously spoke, making the question more specific:

"Mr. Qingze, there's another question that might be a bit offensive, but I hope you can understand. Could you tell me exactly where you were and what you were doing this evening... around five or six o'clock?"

An alibi? Sure enough.

Qingze understood, leaning slightly forward, closer to the phone, his tone relaxed and casual, as if he were simply responding to a routine inquiry:

"At this time, Xiaolan and I were making dinner, and then we ate together..."

Ran Mouri added, "Yes, Mr. Akai. I came to Azawa's place after school to have him tutor me. Did something happen?"

"...I understand. Sorry to bother you, thank you."

Shuichi Akai did not answer directly; the call was abruptly ended, leaving a busy tone.

Chapter 439 Disgust was just a side effect

The study fell silent again, but the air seemed heavier than before.

Qingze looked at Ran Mouri, who was deep in thought, put a hand on her shoulder, and leaned closer to her.

"What came to mind?"

He was curious to see how much Ran Mouri could deduce from the available information without his prompting.

Ran Mouri raised her head, her delicate eyebrows slightly furrowed, and her tone was solemn.

"It's Qin Bar. He appeared disguised as you, and I'm afraid he did something else as well."

"What do you think he will do?" Qingze asked gently, guiding her to think further.

Ran Mouri was deep in thought, her fingertips unconsciously tapping lightly on the table.

Yesterday, Gin, disguised as Shuichi Akai, met Sera.

Today, Gin reappeared disguised as Koniak.

Gin and Aozawa had a long-standing feud, and Aozawa even pinned a blame on him, which restricted his activities outside.

It's certain that Gin will retaliate against Aozawa...

Suddenly, Ran Mouri stood up abruptly, her face drained of color:

"Sera! Sera is in trouble!"

A terrifying hypothesis took shape in her mind—Gin would use Aozawa's identity to kill Sera, then leave behind irrefutable evidence to firmly pin the crime on Aozawa's head.

At that time, Aozawa will face Shuichi Akai's all-out revenge and fury, as well as the pursuit of the entire FBI and even the Japanese police!

Gin will repay kindness with kindness, an eye for an eye! He will imprison Qingze, so that he, like Qingze, can no longer walk openly in the sunlight!

"Sera is in trouble... What should we do now?!"

Her fists clenched unconsciously, filled with genuine anxiety for her friend's situation and helplessness at the prospect of Qingze being caught in the storm.

Just then, a hand with distinct knuckles reached out to her, its fingertips holding a mint candy whose wrapper had already been torn open, the candy shimmering under the lamplight.

Ran Mouri looked up and gazed into his calm, unwavering eyes.

This strange sense of calm felt like a silent comfort, and she instinctively opened her mouth and took the candy.

The cool minty flavor exploded on her tongue and rushed straight to her mind. The coolness strangely soothed the vexation and panic in her heart, clearing her chaotic thoughts.

"Tell me, what have you thought of?"

Qingze's voice remained steady, bringing a strong sense of security.

Ran Mouri took a deep breath, letting the cool sensation of the mint fill her chest, making her mind clearer:

"Gin is probably going to use your identity to target Sera and make you a wanted criminal! Mr. Akai will call... I'm afraid Sera has already disappeared!"

As she reasoned this far, her voice became urgent again.

Qingze nodded approvingly, "Your reasoning is good, but you missed one point."

"What?" Ran Mouri was taken aback. She thought she had considered things quite thoroughly.

"Gin's real target is actually Shuichi Akai."

Qingze calmly revealed the answer and began to analyze it for her in detail.

"If it was just to frame me, he would have no reason to risk harming Sera Masumi."

“I could use my face to commit a murder anywhere, and as long as it’s captured on surveillance, I could become a wanted criminal, but with less risk and less chance of complications.”

He paused, looking at Ran Mouri's thoughtful expression, and continued:

"You have limited knowledge of Gin's ways of doing things, and you are not clear about his grudge with Shuichi Akai, so you subconsciously focused your revenge on me."

"But in reality, for Gin, the interests of the organization and the threat of eliminating the organization take far higher priority than personal grudges."

Qingze began to explain the entanglement between the two in detail:

"Shuichi Akai, an FBI ace, successfully infiltrated the organization in an attempt to capture Gin. Even at the critical moment when his identity was exposed, he escaped unscathed from Gin's clutches, leaving behind that iconic scar on his face."

"For someone as proud as Gin, Shuichi Akai's very existence is a thorn that must be removed, a stain on his career, and a huge threat to the organization's security."

"My feud with Gin is an internal conflict between our own people, while Shuichi Akai is clearly the core of an external hostile force."

"For Gin, the organization's interests take precedence over his personal feelings. Shuichi Akai is his number one target for elimination; disgusting me is just a side effect."

"Before Shuichi Akai is successfully lured out and falls into the trap, Sera Masumi, as the most effective bait, will be relatively safe and will not be in immediate danger of death."

As Qingze meticulously analyzed the situation, Ran Mouri's violent heartbeat gradually calmed down, and her chaotic thoughts were cleared up.

She slowly sat back down in her chair. Yes, if Gin's goal was to kill, there was no need for such a elaborate kidnapping.

The bait must be alive to be valuable.

Ran Mouri clenched and unclenched her fists, feeling extremely uneasy about her friend's perilous situation.

"Then what should we do? I can't just leave Sera unattended."

It's not in her nature to do nothing when she knows her friend is in danger.

Not to mention that Qingze is also involved.

Even if disgusting Qingze was just a side effect, Gin's move was still extremely vicious and had a huge impact.

Qingze patted her shoulder gently, still unhurried.

"Keep thinking, think about what Shuichi Akai will do, think about what Gin will do next, and think about how you can break this deadlock."

Ran Mouri's gaze fell on the bracelet on her left wrist.

Qingze had already made preparations for this.

……