Detective Conan: Developing a younger version of Ran Eri, and the stunning Yukiko.

"Chairman Suzuki, just who was this Wakabayashi Juzo? His passing has caused such a sensation."

"Wakabayashi Juzo is a very accomplished biology professor with unique research achievements in the field of cell biology."

He has unique insights, especially regarding the topic of how to prolong human life. Many prominent figures in both the political and business worlds are frequent guests of his.

His sudden death in the bombing has truly shocked the Japanese political and business circles.

"The issue of continuing human life? Could it be that this is related to that mysterious organization?"

"What's wrong? Shiraishihara, has something come to mind?"

Shiraishi knew perfectly well that besides Shiho Miyano, another key figure involved in the development of APTX4869 was Professor Eisaku Tokiwa of Teito University. However, Tokiwa had mysteriously disappeared, most likely arrested for his involvement in the assassination of a rival for a seat in the Diet. As for Juzo Wakabayashi, he was someone he had never heard of before.

"No...it's nothing."

Shiraishi quickly shook his head, then asked, "Officer Sato Miwako, were the bombings at the Suzuki Library and the Dorobiga Amusement Park committed by the same criminal?"

Miwako Sato, who was holding the car steering wheel, nodded in response: "Based on the information we have so far, that is indeed the case. They are using a type of bomb called the Apple Device."

……

When they arrived at the memorial service, they saw that many prominent figures from all walks of life in Japan had come to Wakabayashi Juzo's funeral.

Even Gin and Vodka, two guys from the organization, showed up.

This was the first time Shiraishihara had ever seen these two. They were utterly useless and more likely to cause trouble than anything else. Not only did they force Shiho Miyano, a key figure in the organization, to leave for distant lands, but they also played a cat-and-mouse game with Conan for over a thousand episodes.

As a result, they didn't catch a single real traitor, but instead killed many of their own people.

This shows that in an organization, the destructive power of an idiot can be far greater than that of a traitor, especially when that idiot is in a high position.

Gin and Vodka noticed Shiraishihara's gaze and glared at him fiercely, their eyes seeming to warn him not to look around.

However... Shiraishihara wasn't afraid at all, and directly returned their gazes with a mocking look, deliberately provoking them.

The two were indeed enraged by Shiraishihara, but unfortunately, they were at the memorial service and had no way to lay a hand on him. They could only suppress their anger.

"Brother, who is this kid? Maybe 363 should find a chance to take care of him."

"He's a high school detective in Tokyo. If we make too much of a fuss, we'll be targeted too. Let's just bear with it for now."

Gin decided to be patient for the time being, and Vodka, who always obeyed his older brother's orders, had no choice but to agree.

"Is there something wrong with these two?" Sato Miwako noticed Shiraishihara's gaze.

“That’s definitely not right. Look at the weather right now, it’s so hot and humid, everyone is wearing summer clothes… but these two are wrapped up tightly, looking like two idiots.”

"Now that you mention it..."

Sato Miwako also found the two of them very strange. Aren't they hot wearing such thick clothes?

Especially that tall guy, who was wearing a thick trench coat, just looking at him made people feel hot all over.

As for Miwako Sato herself, she was wearing a white inner lining, paired with a black and gray hip skirt, and a gray suit jacket over it.

Even so, she felt unbearably hot, and she wouldn't have worn that gray suit if it weren't for attending the memorial service.

"Never mind them. Next, I'll tell you about the suspects I've identified, and you can give me your opinions."

"Okay."

Miwako Sato led Shiraishihara around the memorial service, while also introducing him to the leads the police had gathered.

"Based on the current situation, the most likely perpetrators of the bombing are Wakabayashi Juzo's six disciples."

These six disciples had long since separated from Wakabayashi Juzo, each pursuing their own careers in different fields.

However, they actually maintained close contact with Wakabayashi Juzo and were particularly interested in his research topics.

"These six people are Akira Akagi, a psychology researcher at the University of Tokyo; actress Himiko Natsume; Akane Torii, an administrative staff member of the National Police Agency; Joji Nishimaki, a curator at the Suzuki Museum; Yuji Hotei, a journalist; and Ippei Todo, a computer software producer."

"All six of them have come to the memorial service. I'll take you to meet them in a bit."

Miwako Sato took Shiraishihara to meet the six suspects one by one, and each of them left a completely different impression on Shiraishihara.

Akira Akagi, a psychology researcher at the University of Tokyo, is a young man who looks somewhat frivolous; actress Himiko Natsume is a young and beautiful woman.

Akane Torii, an administrative staff member at the National Police Agency, is a sharp-tongued and mean-spirited old woman;

Takeji Nishimaki, the curator of the Suzuki Museum, is a taciturn man with glasses; Keiji Hotei, a journalist, is a man whose face is full of sorrow.

Computer software developer Toudou Ippei is a bespectacled man who looks somewhat sleazy.

Aside from Natsume Himiko, Shiraishihara felt that the others were all suspects, and each of them looked resentful.

No. .

114 Xiaolan, you're too naive. He'll eat you alive.

Chapter 114

It was noon soon, and Sato Miwako invited Shiraishihara to have lunch together.

"I've invited Akira Akagi to lunch. Why don't you come too?"

"Hmm? Akira Akagi, that's the psychology researcher?"

“That’s right. Akira Akagi is a very famous psychology researcher in Tokyo. I’d like to hear his opinion on this matter. You can also give me some advice and suggestions.”

"okay."

Given the killer's utter depravity, Shiraishihara was eager for the police to apprehend him as soon as possible, and he would be more than happy to help if he could.

The three found a seat in a restaurant, and Akira Akagi faced Shiraishihara and introduced himself:

“I am friends with Officer Sato Miwako. I am currently a psychology researcher at the University of Tokyo. My name is Akira Akagi.”

"Hello, my name is Shiraishihara," Shiraishihara replied.

Sato Miwako said, "Akagi, you should know why I asked you to come out."

Akira Akagi smiled and nodded, saying:

"Of course, you're just suspicious of me and a few other students who have been in contact with the professor. By the way, how do you plan to conduct your investigation?"

Sato Miwako said, "If I had a good idea, why would I be asking you?"

Akira Akagi said, "You're not doubting me, are you? I heard it was a bombing planned and carried out by terrorists. The professor just happened to be in the library at the time, which is why he was unfortunately killed..."

Sato Miwako said, "That's all? It's even less useful than I imagined."

Akira Akagi was taken aback by Miwako Sato's blunt words and quickly said, "Ahem... I will definitely do my best to help as long as it is within my power."

Only in this way can I comfort Professor Wakabayashi's spirit in heaven. I gave it my all.

Sato Miwako said, "That's easy for you to say. You don't just want to use this as research material, do you?"

Akira Akagi laughed awkwardly: "I admit... hahaha, I did have that thought."

At that moment, Shiraishi was engrossed in his lunch, the combination of steak and pasta on his plate was exquisite and truly delicious. However, the other two had no appetite whatsoever, their minds completely focused on discussing the case.

Sato Miwako rubbed her temples and said, "We carefully searched Professor Wakabayashi's room and found a very peculiar place. It was filled with clocks, all of which pointed to nine o'clock, except for one that pointed to three o'clock. What are your thoughts on this?"

Akira Akagi shook his head and replied, "What's so special about that? I guess it's just that a clock happened to stop, right?"

Miwako Sato countered, "That's not true. All the clocks have stopped running, but this one is different."

"What does this prove?" Akira Akagi pondered deeply.

"If I knew the answer, would I need to ask you?" Clearly, Sato Miwako was equally clueless.

Just when the two were at their wits' end, Shiraishihara provided the answer. By then, Shiraishihara had finished his meal. He picked up a napkin and gently wiped the corner of his mouth before slowly saying, "It's actually not that complicated."

"What?" The two of them immediately focused their attention on Shiraishihara.

"In reality, it's highly likely that only one clock is telling the correct time, while the rest are pointing incorrectly. Perhaps Professor Ruolin noticed something amiss and deliberately mixed a clock pointing to three o'clock among the many clocks pointing to nine o'clock. There must be a deeper meaning behind this!"

Akira Akagi instantly grasped the point, but a slight unease lingered in his heart. As a psychological researcher, having a boy beat him to the punch was a blow to his pride. He shook his head slightly and said, "Let's put the clock thing aside for now." He then changed the subject, "Next, as a psychological researcher, I'll analyze the other five suspects. Hotei is responsible for covering social news; Ippei Todo owns a computer company; actress Himiko Natsume used to frequently look in the mirror during class; Akane Torii handles administrative affairs at the police station…..."

Akira Akagi's performance greatly disappointed Miwako Sato, who had initially placed high hopes on this psychological researcher. Miwako Sato glanced at her watch, then at Shiraishihara's nearly empty plate, and stood up, saying, "That's enough for now... I'll be going now, Akagi. Shiraishihara, let's go."

Shiraishihara responded and followed Sato Miwako away. Akagi Akira let out an "Eh," seemingly wanting to persuade her to stay, but Sato Miwako had already led Shiraishihara away.

Miwako Sato drove the car, with Genji Shiraishi in the passenger seat. It was a convertible; one had to admit, the management's treatment was quite generous, allowing them to be provided with such an excellent vehicle.

"Shiraishihara, do you think Akagi Akira is highly suspicious?"

"Why do you ask that?" Shiraishihara said after thinking for a moment. "Do you think that among all the suspects, Akagi Akira is the most suspicious, so you invited him out, pretending to ask him for advice, but actually trying to get clues out of him?"

"Hyouka, you're right. So what do you think?"

"Hmm... I feel like he's been deliberately playing dumb, behaving very childishly, which is seriously inconsistent with his age and status. I suspect he must be hiding some important information."

“I feel the same way, but even if we know he’s hiding something, there’s nothing we can do right now, since there’s no evidence pointing to him.”

"I'm sorry I couldn't be of any help." Shiraishihara pondered for a moment, but indeed found nothing suspicious.

"It's alright, this is the police's job, it's none of your business."

Afterwards, Sato Miwako escorted Shiraishihara back to school, just in time for the afternoon classes.

However, after school in the afternoon, Sato Miwako reappeared. She appeared as a cool, short-haired, beautiful older sister, and took Shiraishihara directly from the classroom.

"Officer Sato keeps coming to take Shiraishihara away lately, it seems really suspicious," Sonoko said to Ran, raising her index finger.

“What’s suspicious? It must be that the Metropolitan Police Department needs the detective’s assistance in their investigation.” Ran recalled that Inspector Megure often came to the school to ask Shinichi Kudo for help.

"Ran, you're just too naive... If Officer Sato were to abuse his power for personal gain, Shiraishihara might not be able to handle it," Sonoko said earnestly.

"Huh? How could such a thing be? Sonoko, you're overthinking it." Ran felt both amused and exasperated.

Sonoko pursed her lips: "I hope I'm just overthinking it."

……

Shiraishi Hara accompanied Sato Miwako to a dinner party where all six suspects were present.

"cheers!"

The six suspects were all Professor Wakabayashi's students, and they hadn't gathered together like this in a long time. The atmosphere in the restaurant was lively, and everyone relaxed.

"That's refreshing! A few draft beers are just what you need in early summer," the reporter said contentedly.

"Budai, watch your mouth, it's covered in foam," software developer Dongtang reminded him.

"Hahaha... Dongtang, you're still such a worrywart." Budai responded with a loud laugh.

"Who is this boy? I've never seen him before." Natsume Himiko looked curiously at Shiraishihara sitting opposite her. As an actress, she had seen many male celebrities, but the handsomeness of the boy in front of her far surpassed those of them. Compared to this boy, those so-called stars were simply unremarkable.

Before Miwako Sato could speak, Akira Akagi interjected, "Himiko, don't underestimate this boy. He's a high school detective named Shiraishihara. Am I right, Officer Sato?"

Himiko Natsume looked at Miwako Sato curiously. Miwako Sato took a sip of beer and said, "That's right."

The others weren't too surprised to learn that Shiraishi was a high school detective. In this world's Japan, the police indeed relied heavily on detectives. Whenever a case occurred, the police would always have a detective assisting them; otherwise, solving the case would be extremely difficult.

Police Chief Administrator Akane Torii remarked sarcastically, "The Japanese police's reliance on detectives is becoming a laughing stock in the media."

Miwako Sato said unhappily, "Akane Torii, aren't you a member of the Metropolitan Police Department yourself? Is it appropriate for you to say such things?"

Akane Torii responded nonchalantly, "Although I work in the same Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department as you, I am in charge of administrative work."

Himiko Natsume smiled and looked at Shiraishi Hara, asking, "Detective Shiraishi, are you the detective who assists Officer Miwako Sato in solving cases?"

"Not entirely. Inspector Megure also frequently asks me for help," Shiraishi replied calmly and truthfully.

"I see. If I were to ask Detective Shiraishi for help, would you agree?" Natsume Himiko looked at Shiraishi with alluring eyes.

"Miss Natsume, have you encountered any cases?"

"No, I mean... things related to daily life..."

"Ah this..."

Just as Shiraishihara was feeling troubled, Sato Miwako came to his rescue.

"Enough with the jokes. I brought this high school detective here, and I'm sure you can guess why."

Upon hearing Sato Miwako's words, everyone's expression changed.

Himiko Natsume said, "Heh... Officer Sato, you called everyone here because you suspect us, right?"

Sato Miwako said, "It's not a matter of suspicion. If I really suspected you, I would have taken you directly to the police station for questioning. As far as I know, you are all students who have close ties with Professor Wakabayashi. I just want to ask, who do you think deliberately murdered Professor Wakabayashi?"

Himiko Natsume's face darkened, and she said, "Is it not that terrorists are taking revenge on society, and Professor Wakabayashi just happened to run into them? Do you suspect that someone deliberately killed him?"

At this moment, Shiraishihara said, "Is it possible that before Professor Wakabayashi was killed in the explosion, there was another explosion at Dorobiga Paradise? Perhaps that explosion was intended to mislead the police, making them believe that Professor Wakabayashi's death was just an accident?"