Conan: When Shinjiu and Maolilan swap bodies

"Sky Gate" is a super high-rise twin tower building located in Yokohama, consisting of two towers each 380 meters high, connected by a sky bridge, and shaped like a gate leading to the sky.

The total investment in this Sky Gate is 2000 billion yen, with the Karasuma Group, the project leader, contributing 700 billion yen and holding a 35% stake.

The remaining major investors are local city development companies and banks.

This is based on the participation of 20 other companies in the joint investment.

Aozawa saw the Matsui Group inside.

To be honest, Qingze also admires Rum quite a bit.

Despite being the managing director of the Karasuma Group, he still personally goes to sushi restaurants to make sushi.

It seems necessary to have "Kanezo Wakita" appear as Rum.

That was Rum's stand-in, and a stand-in should fulfill its purpose.

By the way, let him learn about Rum's connections.

……

In the basement, Rum sat alone on a hard wooden chair.

Because of his cooperation, his single-layer clothing was replaced with a thick cotton coat, so at least he no longer had to worry about freezing to death.

But the situation remained harsh—a dark, unlit room, meals that wouldn't arrive for a long time, a bottle of water only available every other day, and the only way to relieve oneself was in a wooden bucket in the corner…

It's ten times worse than being in jail!

At least while in jail, you'll be provided with meals on time and won't lack food or drink!

But circumstances are beyond our control, and we have to endure it no matter how bad the conditions are.

Rum didn't want to die. He had climbed to this position with great difficulty, holding power and secrets in his hands; how could he be willing to end it all?

He is waiting.

When the outside world notices his disappearance, when someone follows the unusual signs and comes here.

Koniak was not familiar with his own way of doing things; some of his habitual wording and habits were beyond his control.

Koniac could play the role for a while, but not forever.

Currently, he has only provided some basic information and has not explained much more.

After all, the information he possesses is his current value.

If Koniak fails to handle something properly, someone will soon notice his abnormality.

After that, he only needed to provide some incorrect information, and then he could secretly transmit the information about his imprisonment.

The footsteps approached from afar, becoming exceptionally clear in the silence.

Rum looked up in the darkness, his neck slightly stiff from holding the same position for so long.

A soft click came from outside the door, and the narrow room was suddenly filled with cold white light.

The iron gate swung open with a clang, and Qingze walked in, carrying a transparent lunchbox.

It's fried rice with eggs, and there's a small plastic spoon stuck in the side.

He glanced around the dusty cell, his gaze sweeping over the wooden barrel in the corner and the bare cement wall. Finally, he placed the lunchbox on the only dusty wooden table in the room, shook his head, and sighed.

"Sigh, I have to cook and deliver food to you every day, it must be really tiring."

Rum's face was tense, and the corner of his mouth twitched; he was almost laughing in anger at those words.

He was about to retort when he saw Qingze turn his head and look at him seriously, his eyes seemingly deep in thought.

“Or…” Qingze’s tone was as calm as if he were discussing the weather, “you might as well just die. That would save me the trouble of going back and forth like this.”

Rum's breath hitched.

"You have too many things to deal with, I can't handle them all. Your disappearance will probably be discovered soon."

Qingze took half a step forward, his voice low but each word clear.

"Instead of going through all that trouble only to find something amiss in the end, I might as well just sink you into the sea. The result will be the same anyway, and I can save myself some trouble."

Chapter 464 Do you know where the BOSS is?

Rum broke out in a cold sweat instantly, and a chill ran down his spine.

He saw that Qingze's eyes held no hint of joking—he was genuinely weighing the options and calculating.

His voice was a little tight, and his throat was dry. "There aren't many things that require my personal attention. Most of them are just procedural confirmations... My stand-in or secretary can handle them perfectly well!"

Qingze didn't speak, but just looked at him quietly, waiting for him to continue.

Rum took a quick breath and hurriedly gathered his thoughts.

He knew that what he was about to say had to be both impactful and life-saving.

"Wakita Kanenori at the sushi restaurant... He looks similar to me, and I've trained him to imitate me. He'll even represent me at events that require a real person to be present."

"As for some simple and routine business matters, your secretary can handle them on your behalf; you don't need to be fully responsible."

Rum spoke faster, his gaze fixed on Qingze, "Only contact involving the organization and directly related to you, sir, must be carried out by me personally."

Rum stopped speaking at the right moment, leaving room for interpretation and suspense.

He couldn't give it all at once, but he had to provide enough information for Qingze to feel that "keeping him is more useful."

Qingze squinted at him, the murderous intent in his eyes fading slightly.

Do you know where the BOSS is?

When the word "BOSS" was mentioned, there was not a trace of respect in Qingze's tone.

Rum's heart skipped a beat, and he stared intently at Qingze's face.

He had assumed that Koniak's move to arrest him was merely a preemptive strike after sensing his intentions, but he never expected that the other party's goal was far more than that.

When did he break free of control? How did he do it?

Qingze's face remained expressionless; he merely tilted his head slightly, looking at him with scrutiny and inquiry in his eyes.

"You've actually wanted to replace him for a long time, haven't you? Why haven't you made a move yet?"

“I don’t know where he is,” Rum replied in a low voice, speaking slowly. “He’s hiding very well.”

He had, of course, considered replacing the boss and taking control of the entire organization more than once.

But that old man who was nearing the end of his life seemed to be dying when he was young, and now that he himself is old, the other party is still hiding in the shadows.

If you can't find it, you'll be hesitant and afraid to act rashly.

“I suspect… he may have used drugs to make himself younger.”

"Oh?" Qingze raised an eyebrow slightly. "What's the basis for that?"

“In previous years, when we communicated, even though he used a voice changer, you could still hear that he lacked energy and spoke slowly. But in recent years, that sense of old age… has disappeared.”

Qingze's eyes darkened, as if he were deep in thought.

He didn't communicate much with that old man; they mostly communicated via email when there were missions, so he hadn't noticed this.

"Maybe he used a body double, just like you?"

Rum scoffed at this. "Do you think there's anyone in this world he could trust to act on his behalf? Unless..."

His face suddenly turned cold, and he lowered his voice:

"Unless his situation has deteriorated to the point where we must prepare for both possibilities..."

After all these years, that old man's physical condition must be nearing its limit.

If someone can handle affairs in this era, it only means one thing: he is grooming a successor.

They would rather hand over the position to a successor of unknown origin than leave it to him, the loyal second-in-command who had devoted himself to the organization.

—That old man's heart is indeed cold.

"A two-pronged approach..."

Qingze repeated in a low voice, a glint of light flashing in his eyes.

He felt that there were probably more than two hands.

One reason is to cultivate a successor; another is to prevent the organization from falling into chaos after one's own death.

APTX-4869 is the second one. Given the known precedent of Vermouth, it's hard to guarantee that the old man won't try his luck with one before he dies.

As for the third... it is consciousness transfer, changing the body.

And perhaps this is still not all.

Who knows if that old man explored even more bizarre and "magical" realms?

After all, witches do exist in this world.

"I think his condition is quite stable."

Rum frowned. "What do you mean?"

Qingze looked at him with a mocking smile, "If there is a change of leadership, there will definitely be turmoil within the organization. The new BOSS will have to get rid of you, this major threat, first if he wants to take control of the organization."

He leaned forward slightly, his voice low but each word clear:

"Do you really think the boss can't see through your ambition?"

The air seemed to freeze for a moment.

"He's just..." Qingze chuckled softly, but the smile didn't reach his eyes, "There's no need to deal with you yet."

Rum's pupils suddenly contracted, and a chill ran down his spine.

Those words, though seemingly casual, were like a thin blade, precisely slicing through the truth he had always been unwilling to delve into.

Yes, how could that gentleman not know? Those clandestine arrangements, the gradual erosion of power, those subtle probing attacks…

When exactly did I start to really believe that I could hide it from him?

The cold light shone down from above, casting Qingze's shadow at his feet like a silent boundary marker.

"Pis was very loyal, wasn't he? He'd been in the organization for so long, and yet he still died so easily."

Qingze straightened up, his tone returning to its usual calm, "It's only a matter of time before you're replaced or eliminated. The only difference is... who will do it, and when."

Rum's throat was dry, and after a long while, he managed to squeeze out a voice: "...What exactly are you trying to say?"

"I don't want to say anything."

Qingze tossed down a few bottles of water and some packets of compressed biscuits, then turned to look at him:

"Just stay put. I have no grudge against you. After I kill the BOSS, I might let you live."

......

The sushi restaurant was relatively quiet in the afternoon. Kenjiro Wakita was tidying up the last few tables, stacking the bowls and plates and taking them back to the kitchen.

The smell of cooking oil and raw fish mingled in the air. He picked up a towel and wiped the sweat from his forehead, unable to help but complain inwardly.

The waiter's work is endless: greeting customers, cleaning tables, tidying up, and delivering food. It's exhausting and makes his back ache.

I really don't understand what Lord Rum was thinking, choosing such a disguise.

Lord Rum hasn't shown up for two days, only briefly instructing via cell phone, "Everything as usual."

He sighed, took the takeout order and food container from his colleague, and walked out onto the street.

A gentle breeze carrying the aroma of street food swept by, and the winter chill instantly dispelled the stuffiness of the kitchen.

Halfway there, I felt a vibration in my pocket.

He freed one hand to reach for his phone, and a short message lit up the screen:

Three days later, attend the opening ceremony of "Sky Gate" in my place. —Rum

Kenjiro Wakita's eyes lit up, and his steps unconsciously became lighter.

The Gate to the Sky? If he remembers correctly, it's in Yokohama. It's been under construction for five years and is finally about to be completed.

He was finally able to get rid of the uniform and rag for the time being.

He was fed up with bending over to wipe tables, greeting people with a smile, and having his fingertips always stained with vinegar and fish.