Conan: When Shinjiu and Maolilan swap bodies

【Indifference】Stepped to the edge of consciousness, distancing herself from the chaotic Qingze.

[Cunning] came over.

He looked at him with a smile and said, "Tell me, what kind of show is this?"

[Indifferent] Expressionless, "It's pointless to do this for feelings."

"You're the one who's boring."

The morning light was just beginning to break, and the air was still filled with the lingering sleepiness.

Ran Mouri was lying on her side next to Aozawa, already awake. At this moment, there was only a fist's width of space between them.

Her gaze fell on his face and never left, intently tracing the outline of his sleeping form.

Seeing his eyelashes tremble slightly and his eyes slowly open, a soft smile immediately spread across her eyes, like a tranquil lake surface to which a pebble has been thrown.

Her fingertips, still slightly cool from the morning air, gently touched his furrowed brow.

"What did you dream about? You've been frowning the whole time." Her voice was very soft, with a hoarseness from just waking up.

Qingze's arm around her waist suddenly tightened, easily pulling her into his embrace.

His chin gently brushed against the top of her fluffy, soft hair, and a sweet fragrance quietly entered her nostrils, refreshing her senses.

"I dreamt that a bunch of me were fighting." His voice was low, with a hint of languor from just waking up.

Ran Mouri pressed her cheek against his warm chest, tilted her head back, and asked curiously, "A bunch of you?"

"Hmm." Qingze chuckled and gently tapped her forehead with his fingertip. "They said whoever defeats everyone else will get the Holy Sword to marry the princess."

"Did anyone win?" Her eyes sparkled.

"No." He sighed helplessly, "There are too many people, we can't beat them."

Ran Mouri couldn't help but chuckle, her shoulders trembling slightly in his arms.

"What if... there are only two of you?" she asked mischievously, looking at him with a smile.

Qingze was infected by the light in her eyes and chuckled softly. He tightened his arms around her, making the last bit of space between them disappear.

“Then…” he drawled, looking deeply into her eyes, “there is only one outcome: mutual destruction. After all, I only have one princess.”

Ran Mouri felt as if something had gently bumped into her heart.

She didn't say anything, but simply stretched out her arms to wrap around his waist more tightly, burying her burning cheeks deeper into his chest.

"...I don't want you both to suffer." A muffled voice came from his arms, carrying a hint of barely perceptible coquettishness.

"Then what do you want?"

Qingze's voice suddenly became lower and hoarse, carrying a hint of dangerous allure.

The hand that was originally around her waist quietly slipped into her pajamas and gradually moved downwards.

Ran Mouri jolted as if she'd been electrocuted!

She gasped softly, broke free from his embrace, and jumped off the bed.

"I...I'm up!" Her cheeks flushed, she spoke rapidly, grabbed the clothes lying to the side, and rushed to the bathroom almost as if fleeing.

Qingze sat up, looking resentfully at the frosted glass door that was quickly closing, from which came the sound of rushing water.

He rubbed his temples helplessly and muttered under his breath:

"...They set it on fire and ran away, they really don't care about the consequences..."

He lay back down on the bed, turned his attention back to the ceiling, and stared at it, lost in thought.

More than 24 hours have passed since Fiano brought the test subjects back to the research institute. The APTX4869 experiment should have specific data by now. It's only a matter of time before the drug exposure causes people to regress to a juvenile stage.

Although Vermouth has been dragging its feet on developing a cross-age recognition system, the system itself is not actually that important.

After all, if that brandy person knew, there would be no need to use an age recognition system to find Shirley.

He could find Shirley in less than three minutes if he simply looked at his little nephew.

The deadly shadow had silently crept to their feet, while the protagonists at the eye of the storm seemed oblivious to the false sunlight.

That won't do.

Chapter 554 I've Found You, Sherry

Fiano stood in front of the absolutely isolated observation window, his eyes behind his gold-rimmed glasses unblinking, reflecting the sterile, cold light of the room.

The electronic recording tablet in his hand was automatically inputting various physiological data at an astonishing speed, but his attention was entirely focused on the scene inside the sealed chamber.

Subject W-17, a 54-year-old male selected due to multiple organ failure, is undergoing changes that defy all common biological sense.

The initial intense spasms and abnormal metabolic peaks at the cellular level have passed.

At this moment, the skin of the experimental subject exposed under the monitoring probe is undergoing bizarre changes at a speed visible to the naked eye.

The loose skin and wrinkles seemed to be slowly smoothed out by an invisible hand, and the gray hair began to show a dull, unhealthy gray-black color from the roots.

On the monitoring screen, a series of age-related indicators, such as bone density, muscle mass, and skin collagen content, are defying common sense and regressing back to the physiological state of twenty or thirty years ago.

“Abnormal temporary elongation of telomeres has occurred… Mitochondrial functional activity has surged briefly, exceeding baseline by 127%… The overall metabolic pattern is mimicking that of a young individual…”

The assistant researcher's voice trembled uncontrollably, whether from fear or excitement, it was hard to tell.

Fiano did not respond. He simply leaned forward slightly, staring intently at the scene inside, his nose almost touching the cold glass.

Change continues, and it is accelerating.

Before long, an elderly man regressed to infancy.

Fiano's eyes lit up with excitement, as if he had witnessed the most wonderful miracle.

However, this was accompanied by a chaotic scene where the life monitoring devices began to alarm wildly:

The heart rate was as erratic as an out-of-control engine, the neural electrical signals showed epileptic-like bursts, and gene stability monitoring showed signs of catastrophic disintegration at multiple chromosomal sites.

"Doctor, his physiological age peak is estimated to be around thirteen years old, but the stability window is extremely short, and the system is crashing!"

“Keep recording. All data, especially data on the crash process, is more valuable than ‘success’.”

As if to confirm Fiano's words, the body inside the cabin, which had regressed to its juvenile stage, suddenly began to convulse even more violently.

The test subject let out a painful scream, and its skin rapidly lost moisture, becoming ashen, dry, and covered with deep wrinkles at an even faster rate.

The past seemed to be snatched away in an instant, imposing a terrifying interest rate.

The experimental subjects went through the entire process from "youth" to rapid aging, and then to the complete disintegration of organs and tissues in a very short period of time.

When all vital signs finally converged on a hopeless straight line, only a young yet strangely aged body remained inside the sealed chamber.

The observation room was deathly silent, with only the low hum of the instruments.

Fiano slowly straightened up and adjusted his glasses.

The gaze behind the glasses fell on the final data graph on the recording board—a curve that first rose rapidly and then plummeted.

An excited smile curved his lips.

This is currently the only individual that has completely degenerated to the juvenile stage, but as long as the experiment continues, it will definitely not be the only one!

He went to the computer, put the experimental monitoring data into the highest level of security access, and then uploaded it to that dedicated email address.

Significant progress has been made in the experiment, and key optimization directions have been identified. However, experimental subjects are currently scarce and need to be replenished as soon as possible to continue the research.

[Appendix: MP4 file]

Kuroba Toichi received the email, and after reading it, he opened the video file.

The cold light from the screen reflected on his face, flickering between light and shadow as the experimental subject on the screen underwent dramatic changes.

At first, he leaned back in his chair, his expression one of usual scrutiny and assessment.

But when the aging body in the picture irreversibly regressed to childhood, with its skin smoothing out and its hair darkening, he leaned forward, his fingers unconsciously clenching and supporting himself on the table.

He saw the miraculous regression, and he also saw the collapse that followed.

When the young yet aged body finally stopped convulsing and fell into stillness, only the hum of the instruments remained in the observation room.

The video will loop automatically after it ends.

Kuroba Toichi did not move.

He made the short video clip play again from the beginning.

The second time, he watched even slower, his gaze fixed on every change in the facial features of the test subject, capturing those details that symbolized "time reversal".

Then, the third time.

In the quiet study, only the low whirring of the computer fan and his increasingly clear, almost suppressed breathing could be heard.

The calm that had settled in his eyes was pierced by something intense, and light burst forth from the depths of his pupils, growing brighter and brighter, even taking on a terrifying sharpness.

Successful.

We've successfully rejuvenated ourselves!

It wasn't this experimental subject, but his nephew who disappeared and reappeared multiple times before "dying"—Shinichi Kudo!

There's no need to wonder why Shinichi Kudo disappeared and never reappeared.

Because his body has shrunk, he can no longer appear as the normal Shinichi Kudo.

And why was he able to reappear as Shinichi Kudo, and even fake his death?

Because of Shirley.

Sherry, who disappeared in the gas chamber.

When the fact that aptx4869 can make people look younger is laid bare, these previously indistinct illusions become exceptionally clear.

Kuroba Daoyi crossed his hands, tapping the back of his hands lightly with his fingers.

"What is Shinichi Kudo's current identity? Is he the famous detective boy known as Kaito Kid's nemesis—Conan Edogawa?"

Recalling the child's face he saw on the news, a knowing smile appeared on his lips.

Holding the mouse, fingers lightly moving across the computer screen, searching for all information about Conan Edogawa.

"The Junior Detective League..."

Looking at the girl with short brown hair in the group photo of several children in the news, the corners of his mouth turned up even more.

"I've found you, Sherry."

In the basement of Professor Agasa's house

Under the pale light of the lab bench, Ai Haibara was intently adjusting the focus of the microscope, her fingertips steadily turning the knob.

The solution in the beaker had a very faint blue fluorescence, and the only sounds in the room were the low hum of the instruments and her own soft breathing.

Without warning—

A cold, sticky chill suddenly surged up for no apparent reason, instantly engulfing her limbs and bones.

Her hands suddenly froze, she hugged herself tightly, and her fingers dug deep into the fabric of her upper arms.

Cold sweat seeped silently from his forehead.

She slowly raised her eyes, her brown pupils contracting as she gazed at a point in the void.

There was nothing there, yet it seemed to reflect a suffocating figure, a mixture of blood and darkness.

They've found their way here?

Chapter 555 Shiho, We Love You

Dr. Agasa!

If they get here, Professor Agasa will be in danger!

She needs to confirm!

Let's leave here, go up there, and take a look!

She took a deep breath, forced herself to loosen her stiff fingers, and moved away from the lab table.

Her steps were initially unsteady, but then they became faster and more hurried.