"Only half of the money has been paid?" Mouri Kogoro nearly shouted in shock. "How could that be? He told me the accommodation fee was fully covered!"
The front desk staff pulled out the registration form to double-check, then nodded and replied, "'Mr. Agasa and three others,' correct? The room charge is indeed only half-paid..."
"Dad, what's going on..." After changing clothes, Ran Mouri led Conan over and asked curiously, "Still not done?"
"Conan, what's going on?" Mouri Kogoro turned and asked in a low voice. "Why was only half of the room paid? Didn't you say this trip was free?"
"Oh, Dad, at least half of it is already paid..." Ran tugged at his sleeve awkwardly.
"But what about the rest?" Mouri Kogoro leaned closer and whispered, "I thought I wouldn't have to pay. I didn't bring much cash..."
"Hey guys, what's up?"
That familiar voice made Mouri Kogoro turn in surprise. "Isn't this Kazawa from downstairs… Are you in Izu too?"
"Yeah, I happen to be staying at this hotel as well." Kazawa, a towel around his neck, had also come to the front desk. "Is there a problem with your reservation?"
Seeing Kazawa, the front desk staff immediately smiled and greeted him politely, "Mr. Kazawa, did you enjoy the beach? These guests booked a three-day stay, but only half of the total amount has been paid in advance. We're just verifying."
"The front desk knows him..." Mouri Kogoro was even more surprised.
Conan glanced around the spacious, luxurious lobby, decorated in elegant French style, and whispered to them, "Kazawa lives in a luxury suite on the top floor… At a hotel like this, the staff will remember guests who spend that much."
Mouri Kogoro nodded, still a little confused.
"I see." Kazawa glanced at the room key card registered with the passport, picked up a pen from the counter, and said, "They're in Room 1902, right? Just put the balance on my account."
Mouri Kogoro froze, temporarily forgetting to question Conan. He quickly stepped forward to stop him. "Oh no, that's not right..."
"It's fine. I've been living downstairs from you for a while. Consider it a thank you for your hospitality. And if you want to stay longer, even better. The seafood at this hotel is fantastic, and the beach is lovely." Kazawa had already signed the payment form and casually pushed the paperwork and room cards over to Mouri Kogoro.
After all, they were going to drain the organization's funds—might as well spend more.
Later tonight, he'd ask Xingchuan and Akemi to each buy two big lobsters. The more expensive the better.
Spend big, Conan-kun. Every bite of expensive seafood is another bullet straight into the organization's heart. Don't stop now!
Conan couldn't understand Kazawa's satisfaction just yet. Watching him smiling as he signed the bill, Conan could only assume this was just how rich people enjoyed themselves.
...But Sonoko is rich too. Why haven't I seen her act like this?
Kazawa smiled as Mouri Kogoro accepted the room card awkwardly, and continued with the earlier question, "Mouri-san, you said it was a free event that brought you here to Izu. So why was only half the fee paid in advance?"
"I haven't figured that out yet..." Mouri Kogoro scratched his head.
"You, are you the 'Night Baron'?" A low male voice suddenly cut into their conversation.
"...Huh? Me?" Mouri Kogoro blinked and pointed at himself.
"Hmph... 3.7 seconds." The man with narrow glasses and long bangs clicked a stopwatch on his phone, glanced at the screen, and raised an eyebrow. "That's not a very fast reaction."
"Excuse me, who are you?" Mouri Kogoro frowned at the strange man.
"I'm Shiro Konno, staying in Room 2002. We'll be getting to know each other soon, won't we?" His tone was mocking, and despite the words of introduction, there wasn't a shred of friendliness.
Kazawa stared at him for a moment, then glanced toward Conan.
Receiving Kazawa's silent signal, Conan nodded calmly.
This was one of the names on the list collected by Tequila.
The two exchanged a brief glance, then simultaneously turned to scan the hotel lobby with tacit understanding.
The French-style decor made the first-floor lobby feel open and extravagant. Gilded chandeliers and carved pillars separated the restaurant area from the reception space.
At the moment, many people sat scattered throughout—on sofas in the lounge, around dining tables, and near coffee tables. Everyone's attention subtly shifted toward the front desk, watching each guest's movements closely.
All these people were here for the "Night Baron" virus.
"If identifying the 'Night Baron' was as simple as this, we wouldn't have bothered gathering here in the first place," sneered a man lounging on an armchair with a can of draft beer.
"What do you think, Mr. Ehara in Room 2101?" Shiro Konno looked at the greasy man.
"Everyone keeps asking the same questions. Isn't it annoying?" Jiang Yuan Shinan looked up and took another sip of beer, rolling his eyes. "You're not gonna find the 'virus' with your methods!"
The moment he said "virus," the entire hall seemed to stir slightly.
Those watching eyes began scanning the participants in the "Izu Mystery Tour" more frequently. Even Kazawa, standing off to the side, was getting his share of scrutiny.
"Him too?" Kazawa muttered quietly as he stepped sideways to stand in line with Conan.
Conan nodded again.
This event was started by an online forum, and participants had submitted both identity information and room numbers.
As soon as he received Dr. Agasa's message, Conan compared the list with data obtained from the police.
He suspected that in addition to those who were selected, others had come on their own—likely programmers or employees from software companies.
"Even he's here... Interesting." Kazawa narrowed his eyes and stared at the rat-like Jiang Yuan Shinan for a moment.
Whether it was a butterfly effect or if Jiang Yuan Shinan was actually that skilled, he had somehow made it onto the organization's programmer recruitment list… Fascinating.
Just then, Kazawa's phone buzzed softly. He pulled it out, glanced at the sender, and turned his head slightly toward the beach entrance of the hotel.
Sure enough, Miyano Akemi and Hoshikawa Teru were sitting on a sofa nearby, sunglasses on.
Thinking about the scene carefully, it was a bit absurd.
Kazawa opened the email from Miyano Akemi. It had only a single line of text:
[The man in front of you is called Shiro Konno. He's a programmer at the Beika Central Bank—the same one I robbed. He helped build the bank's core security system. He's also one of the people mentioned in the mission data the organization left me back then.]
Ps. Chapter 162 was a thank you note