Conan: When Shinjiu and Maolilan swap bodies

A tremendous fear gripped Rum's heart and throat like an icy hand; his muscles tensed, and he instinctively reached for the gun under his pillow.

But it was too late.

The moment Rum's hand touched the cold gun handle under the pillow, an irresistible force slammed into his wrist, the bones cracking with a teeth-grinding sound.

Before the excruciating pain could fully erupt, another hand gripped his throat like an iron clamp, silencing all his cries of pain and attempts to retaliate within his trachea.

"Ho...ho..."

"Lord Rum, what are you planning to do hiding here?"

Qingze gripped his throat, staring at him with a chilling gaze.

Rum stared intently at Qingze, his eyes bulging and bloodshot, his face contorted with suffocation and fear.

He tried in vain to scratch the arm that was restraining him with his other hand and kicked his legs in an attempt to save himself, but all his struggles seemed ridiculous and powerless in the face of the other's overwhelming strength.

Qingze didn't even use a bit more force; he simply tightened his fingers slightly.

The lack of oxygen caused his vision to go black intermittently, and his consciousness began to blur.

Just a second before he completely lost consciousness and fell into darkness, the grip on his neck loosened.

The next moment, a blunt force struck my neck, and my vision returned to silence and darkness.

Qingze released his grip, letting the unconscious Rum slump onto the bed.

He listened intently, but the sushi restaurant remained completely silent. The Mori Detective Agency next door was equally quiet.

After searching the house thoroughly, he collected all of Rum's belongings, then stuffed the unconscious Rum into a large carrying bag, and left as quietly as he had come.

The clouds closed again, and the moonlight disappeared.

......

Shuichi Akai was taking a short rest, leaning against the table, with several empty coffee cans piled up next to him.

It's already late at night, almost midnight.

He has not found any clues, nor has any news come from him.

The same applies to the deal with Amuro Tooru.

He neither agreed nor disagreed, remaining silent as if he were.

Shuichi Akai wasn't sure if he had guessed something and was in a state of despair, or if he was using silence to replace rejection.

In short, his attempt to find a breakthrough through Amuro Tooru failed.

A soft ringing sound came from the phone, and Shuichi Akai abruptly opened his eyes.

On his phone, the location of Zhen Chun suddenly appeared, displayed in bright red on the map, like a silent invitation, inviting him into a deadly trap.

Looking at the location on the map, he made a deep face and dialed a number.

"Mom, Zhenchun's location has appeared."

Sera Mary, who had been waiting for news, immediately sat up.

"where?"

“An abandoned steel plant in the western suburbs of Tokyo, in the old town area.”

“The steel mill…” Mary repeated softly, quickly recalling map information from her memory, “and they chose a place like this.”

Shuichi Akai's finger swiped across the tablet, bringing up a detailed 3D topographic map and historical information for the area.

"The factory covers an area of ​​about 50,000 square meters, has been abandoned for more than ten years, has a complex structure, and has many ruins."

"There are no tall buildings within several kilometers, and the view is unobstructed. The only high point in the factory area with a height advantage is the abandoned water tower inside."

He zoomed in on the factory map, "and the signal source is located on the west side of the factory, in the former steel rolling workshop, which has a spacious interior."

“A classic trap.” Sera Mary’s voice came through the radio waves, carrying a metallic, cold quality. “A dragon’s den and a tiger’s lair.”

"Zhen Chun is inside. We have to brave even the most dangerous places."

Shuichi Akai put down his tablet, stood up, and stretched his stiff neck and shoulders, which had become stiff from sitting for a long time. His bones made a slight cracking sound.

"I have applied for limited operational authorization to mobilize reliable agents currently in Tokyo. James has approved it, and Judy and Cameron will accompany me."

"The number of people is small, but enough to carry out a precise infiltration and rescue."

“I will not participate in your direct operations. My current situation is also not suitable for public cooperation with the FBI. I will act independently.”

"clear."

Shuichi Akai didn't say much. Between him and his mother, there was no need to explain the risks and necessities.

"Keep the encrypted channel open and synchronize information in real time."

"Shuichi."

Before hanging up, Mary called out to him. The background noise was the quiet night, and her voice, though low, was exceptionally clear.

"Bring Zhenchun back. You two, be careful."

"Will do."

The moment the call ended, Amuro Tooru called.

Shuichi Akai narrowed his eyes and answered the call.

Chapter 446 Shuichi, you must also be careful.

Abandoned steel mill.

Cohen lay atop a towering water tank, dressed in black, almost blending into the rusted metal and the heavy night.

Through his infrared sniper scope, he patiently locked his sights on the entrance to the abandoned warehouse not far ahead, the crosshair glowing faintly red in the darkness.

In another location, Fryward was hidden in the shadows of the broken workshop, his gun also pointed at the only way into the warehouse.

Two intersecting lines of deadly fire, like an invisible net silently unfurled, watch over every possible entrance, waiting for their prey to step inside.

The pale moonlight poured down through the huge hole in the warehouse roof, forming a murky beam that just happened to illuminate Sera Masumi, who was tightly bound to the central pillar.

Her head was drooping, and she appeared to still be unconscious.

The bomb device wrapped around her was clearly outlined, and a green light on the signal receiver flickered regularly, like an ominous pulse in the darkness.

Gin stood in the shadow of the huge warehouse, his long silver hair hanging down his back. He should have been an extremely conspicuous presence in the darkness, but strangely, he was absorbed and assimilated by the surrounding darkness, as if he were just a part of the shadow.

He stood still, like a hunter waiting for his prey to step into a trap, his breathing barely audible.

"Gin, why not call this operation Koniak?"

Fryward's voice came through the encrypted communication channel, tinged with boredom.

It's such a pity that Koniak wasn't even present at this major operation.

Gin ignored her and didn't reply at all.

Cohen remained silent as well, with only Vodka responding softly on the channel.

"The four of us are more than capable of killing Shuichi Akai."

The eldest brother used Koniak's face to abduct Sera Masumi, and Koniak can't find out about this so soon, nor can he be involved in it.

Heaven knows if that love-struck fool will release her for Ran Mouri's sake.

So what if Shuichi Akai is the FBI's ace? He doesn't believe Shuichi Akai can survive this trap!

“Shuichi Akai certainly won’t come alone, will he?” Fryward pressed. “If he teams up with the police and surrounds this place, how will we get out?”

Vodka adjusted his sunglasses, his words brimming with unusual confidence:

"Don't worry, the surveillance cameras on the surrounding roads and around the Metropolitan Police Department are all within my monitoring range. If the police make any big moves, I will be able to detect it immediately."

He paused, then said with a hint of pride:

"And there's Lord Rum too."

Lord Rum also participated in this operation, though only behind the scenes.

But Rum's involvement provides a source of confidence.

Even if the police are dispatched, they can cause a traffic accident at any time to block the road. Even if the police want to come, they will have to clear the road first.

"Keep quiet while on a mission."

A processed, mechanical voice came through the communication channel, making it impossible to identify whose voice it was.

The communication channel immediately fell silent after those words were spoken.

......

The beams of the car headlights illuminated the pitch-black night, and Shuichi Akai finally arrived at this outskirts of the city.

He stopped the car and stared at the pitch-black distance.

In the distance, the abandoned steel plant lay silently in the darkness, like the skeleton of a giant beast.

The massive blast furnace, rusted pipes, and silent overhead cranes were outlined in a distorted and menacing silhouette under the thin moonlight.

Like a gaping maw of an abyss, about to devour anyone who steps into it.

Shuichi Akai turned his head to look at Cameron in the back seat and Judy in the passenger seat:

"Get off here. Approach in a roundabout manner according to our plan, avoiding all main roads and any possible road surveillance. Stay alert and use the terrain for cover."

“Understood!” Cameron replied in a low voice, his tone tense and focused.

Judy Sterling's finger paused on the passenger door handle for half a second before finally pressing it down.

The car door opened, as if the curtain had been raised on a heavy chapter.

The chilly night air rushed into the car.

She didn't get out immediately, but turned around, her gaze piercing through the dim light inside the car and landing on the profile of the man in the driver's seat.

The shadows outlined his sharply defined features, calm, aloof, like a rock.

However, beneath this silence, she seemed to hear the silent plots, the lurking murderous intent, and his own resolute indifference.

This is a den of dragons and tigers tailor-made for him; a moment's carelessness could trigger a deadly trap.

Perhaps this will be our last farewell.

Her lips moved, and all the unspoken words, all the deep-seated fear and longing, condensed into a short but weighty admonition:

"Shuichi, you too... must be careful."

……

A steel mill, top of a water tower.

Cohen's index finger rested firmly on the outside of the trigger guard, his whole being seemingly becoming one with the cold, rusty steel tank beneath him.

He peered through his sniper scope at the scene not far ahead. In his infrared vision, the area near the warehouse entrance was nothing but a black and white landscape devoid of any signs of life.

He shifted his gaze slightly, surveying the entire perimeter of the warehouse.

Sudden--

At the edge of the thermal imaging lens, near a pile of twisted and collapsed pipe debris, a blurry, warm-colored outline flashed by.

The warm-colored outline stands out too much in the black and white view, like a torch in the night.

He quickly moved the gun barrel and gave chase, while simultaneously issuing a warning through his earpiece.

"Attention, outside, at the nine o'clock position, in the abandoned pipe area. A heat source has appeared, a single entity, moving extremely fast."

"Oh?" Fryward's voice immediately cut in, his previously listless tone instantly ignited, revealing the excitement of a hound catching a scent. "Finally, some appetizers."

Upon hearing this, Gin, hidden deep within the dark warehouse, curled his lips into a cold and cruel smile beneath his hat brim.

“Shuichi Akai,” he whispered silently, like a viper striking, “this time, I will make sure you die a horrible death.”

Beside the pillar, Sera Masumi, who had been hanging her head as if unconscious, twitched her fingertips almost imperceptibly.

Are there any other people?

As he asked the question, Fryward had already moved the sniper scope toward the direction Cohen indicated.

Her position wasn't as high as Cohen's, but the complex area of ​​abandoned pipes fell right into her effective field of vision.