Detective Conan: Starting with Yukiko covered in black stockings!

Then she looked at Vermouth.

"Right? Chris?"

boring!

Discussing philosophical questions about life is a complete waste of time.

Just as Cao Yu was finding the two of them boring, he suddenly felt a chill on his neck.

Looking to the side, I saw that Conan's eyes were filled with hostility.

Depend on!

They've been targeted by Death!

In the original storyline, Cao Yu would most likely have met a tragic end, either as the murderer or as a victim.

Fortunately, he's a time traveler, a bug in the Detective Conan world, so it's hard to say who's the nemesis of whom.

After a moment's thought, Cao Yu had already guessed why Conan hated him.

It was simply because when Ran Mouri looked at him, her eyes revealed an admiration for the strong.

That damn charm is impossible to hide!

"I can't see through Cao Yu at all, so why do I feel inexplicably threatened?"

Conan muttered to himself!

Based on his detective instincts, he not only felt jealous but also sensed a sense of crisis.

"Yes, my life has been a series of misfortunes."

"When I risked my life to step onto the big screen, my parents died in a fire."

"The day after Oscar was taken away, I was in a car accident and almost got disfigured and had to leave the stage."

Vermouth was depressed, as if everything she had said had actually happened.

Keep making things up!

Cao Yu had to admire Vermouth's acting skills; she managed to completely fool Yukiko and the others.

"Why think so much? Isn't it better to just eat and drink as usual?"

"The most important thing about participating in the celebration is to have fun. The performance starts in an hour, so let's go inside first!"

Kogoro Mouri pursed his lips, ending the heavy topic.

If we're talking about who lives the most carefree life in the world of Detective Conan, he's second to none.

I enjoy a few drinks every day, play mahjong, and watch Yoko Okino's dramas.

When he's hungry, Ran Mouri cooks for him; when he receives a request, Conan is there to uncover the truth. He doesn't have to worry about anything, yet he reaps both fame and fortune—a true winner in life.

Life is short and tiring, so let's drink and be merry tonight!

"As expected of a famous detective, his understanding of life is different from that of ordinary people."

Cao Yu smiled and couldn't help but make a teasing remark.

Although Kogoro Mouri is the type who appears foolish but is actually very clever, he is very capable when he gets serious, but usually he plays the role of a tool.

Conan contributed his "minor" strength to solving the case, but the entire process was controlled by Conan.

"Of course, hahaha..."

Kogoro Mouri was delighted and let out a mesmerizing laugh.

……

Theater, backstage!

The three actresses who will soon be performing in the musical "Golden Apple" are busy getting ready and familiarizing themselves with the script.

crunch--

The door opened, and Cao Yu and his group walked in.

"what?"

The three actresses, startled by the noise, turned their heads in surprise, then their expressions turned excited.

"Oh, it's Yukiko! You really came to see our performance."

"I never thought that what our commander said would come true one day."

"This is amazing, it's like a dream."

"Let's have dinner together later!"

Yukiko won numerous awards in the entertainment industry and became a global sensation at the age of 19. She was both a senior to the three actresses and their idol.

Unfortunately, she chose to retire from the entertainment industry at the age of 20 and had a whirlwind marriage with Yusaku Kudo; otherwise, she would have achieved even greater success.

"I didn't expect you all to admire Aunt Yukiko so much."

Ran Mouri was quite surprised, calling her "Auntie" so naturally.

If it were Conan, he would probably have gotten a slap across the face from Yukiko long ago.

"Yes, because Yukiko already knows the director of this theater troupe. As long as she says she wants to come and see it, the director will naturally prepare the tickets for her."

"And she is currently the most popular female detective, Your Excellency the Baroness."

Vermouth crossed her arms, completely unconcerned about her superstar image.

"Your Excellency Baroness?"

Ran Mouri has read many books and knows everything from astronomy to geography, but she doesn't like reading detective novels.

The title "Baroness" was something she had never heard of before.

"You don't know? Let me tell you!"

"Because Yukiko is the wife of Yusaku Kudo, the author of Baron Baron, she appeared on a local TV special program as the wife of a famous mystery writer."

"Yukiko's deduction on the show happened to hit the nail on the head, and she successfully caught the culprit."

"So from then on, people gave her the title of 'Baroness the Female Detective'."

Cao Yu's explanation helped him connect with Ran Mouri.

Having the script in hand is just awesome.

Besides the title of Baroness, Cao Yu also knew that what Yukiko said on the show was just Kudo Yusaku's daily newspaper comments; she was simply copying it verbatim.

"Wow, you know so much! You must really enjoy reading mystery novels, right? Just like Shinichi. He's a mystery fanatic."

Ran Mouri prompted Shinichi Kudo and then struck up a conversation with Cao Yu.

Conan, who was watching from the side, felt somewhat uneasy.

He knew very well that it was Cao Yu who brought him a sense of crisis.

As for why this is the case, Conan couldn't explain it clearly at the moment; perhaps it stemmed from his detective sensitivity and intuition.

"Miss Ran Mouri, actually I don't like reading mystery novels at all, I even hate them a bit. Who is this Shinichi Kudo you're talking about? Is he your boyfriend?"

Chapter 12 Every Cause Has an Effect

Challenging Death is incredibly exciting!

Cao Yu pretended to be confused, glancing at Conan out of the corner of his eye.

"No, no!"

"Shinichi has strong reasoning skills and has helped the police solve many cases. He is a very remarkable high school detective."

Ran Mouri denies any relationship with Shinichi Kudo, yet she greatly admires him.

Before they confessed their feelings to each other, they weren't really in a romantic relationship.

"I've heard of that high school detective you mentioned."

"His flamboyant personality was inherited from his mother, Yukiko, while his meticulous reasoning ability was inherited from his father, Yusaku Kudo. He is known as the savior of the island nation's police."

"Even so, I'm afraid he'll still be responsible for wrongful convictions!"

Cao Yu was not vengeful; rather, he was filled with hatred.

He knew better than anyone how painful it was to be wrongly accused of rape and murder.

"Nonsense, Shinichi would never wrong anyone."

Conan was indignant and retorted.

"is it?"

Cao Yu hesitated, a wicked smile flashing across his lips.

If curiosity killed the cat, then detectives are the felines among humans, always wanting to find out the truth when they encounter a problem.

Given Cao Yu's understanding of Conan in the Detective Conan world, he would inevitably investigate Conan's identity sooner or later.

The fish have taken the bait; now it's up to time!

Just then, the three actresses who were chatting with Yukiko noticed the presence of Cao Yu and the others.

"Who are these four people..."

Originally, there were five people entering the theater together, but because Kogoro Mouri had entrusted him with protecting Yoko Okino's safety, he had already parted ways with the others when they arrived at the backstage entrance.

"That guy with the mustache is named Cao Yu, and he's an artist's assistant; the one next to him is Ran Mouri, the daughter of the famous detective Kogoro Mouri."

"The child wearing glasses is the child of a distant relative of mine, and is temporarily staying at the Mouri Detective Agency as Conan Edogawa."

"As for this young lady, don't you think she looks familiar?"

Yukiko walked up to Vermouth and deliberately kept her in suspense.

"Could it be..."

The three actresses recognized Vermouth, but found it hard to believe and dared not confirm it.

After all, they were just obscure musical theatre actresses who never dreamed they would one day have the chance to get up close and personal with an Oscar winner.

"That's right, she's Chris Vineyard, a rising star in the United States!"

With a smile, Yukiko solemnly introduced Vermouth's identity.

"Wow, it's actually true! I guessed 9644 based on 893, but I was wrong by 60."

"It's so great to meet Sharon's daughter, a former American actress, who has earned her place in the film and television industry through her own abilities."

"It's incredibly lucky that Your Excellency the Baroness and the Thousand-Faced Witch came to see our performance together."

"..."

You got the script?!

Cao Yu was quite surprised to see the three actresses so emotional.

In the Detective Conan storyline, only a few people know Vermouth's identity as the Thousand-Faced Witch.

The fact that the three extras in the play revealed this directly shows how poorly the distillery maintained secrecy.

"Didn't you know? Chris's acting skills are superb. She can handle any role without any trace of acting. Fans have given her the title of 'Thousand-Faced Witch'."

Seeing Cao Yu's puzzled expression, Ran Mouri explained the reason.

That's it!

The "thousand-faced witch" mentioned by the three actresses refers to her acting skills, not her disguise abilities.

Before Cao Yu could speak, a mocking voice suddenly rang out.

"What a pity. I thought that with the Baroness here, we could finally unravel that strange gift. It turns out she just brought the child backstage to watch the fun. What a disappointment."

The harmonious atmosphere was broken, and everyone turned their heads to look in the direction of the sound.

A blonde woman stood at the door, looking at Yukiko with disdain.

What strange gift are you talking about?

Conan became interested and asked curiously.

"This is the theater troupe that received a gift three days ago."