"Thanks, I'll head back to rest now… You two be careful on your way." Shinichi's face looked increasingly weary after he returned to his doorstep.
"Okay, I'll come see you again tomorrow." Ran gave a few instructions before saying goodbye and leaving.
On the way back, Ran was gloomy and in unusually low spirits.
She had thought that the four of them going out today would be more fun than usual.
But after comparing, she felt even more unhappy!
However, she didn't voice these thoughts, only burying them silently in her heart.
After Ran internally processed these unhappy emotions for a bit, she turned her head and asked, "Shirashi-kun, are we eating dinner back at the Mouri Detective Agency tonight?"
Baishi Hui saw that Ran was tired today and said, "Let's eat out, and invite Mouri Detective along. It's nice to eat out once in a while."
"Okay, I'll call Dad now." Ran took out her phone to call Kogoro Mouri.
A moment later, the call connected.
She spoke softly, "Dad, are you free tonight? Let's go out for dinner… Huh? You have a case, so you can't go? That's too bad."
Upon hearing Ran's words, a case suddenly flashed through Baishi Hui's mind: "The Kidnapping of the Chairman's Daughter."
Originally, this case would have been solved by Shinichi as Conan, but now Shinichi was sound asleep at home.
If he ignored it, that little girl, Tamaki Shoko, would probably be killed, right?
The education Baishi Hui received did not allow him to do that.
He wouldn't bat an eye if he had to kill a thousand gang members.
But to let an innocent little girl die because of his inaction, he couldn't accept that.
Baishi Hui immediately said, "Ask him where he is, and we'll go help. After the case is solved, we can go to dinner together."
Ran liked this suggestion very much. She nodded and said, "Dad, where are you? Shirashi-kun and I will come help you, and after the case is solved, we can go to dinner together!"
"Minhua Park? Okay… We're not far from there, we'll go now."
After getting the address, Baishi Hui and Ran quickened their pace and arrived at Minhua Park.
From a distance, they saw Kogoro Mouri puffing on a cigarette.
Upon closer inspection, Baishi Hui saw his face full of worry, his brows tightly furrowed, and he immediately chuckled, "Mouri Old Brother, have you run into a tricky case? Tell me about it!"
"Heh. You? Can you handle it?" Kogoro Mouri looked at Baishi Hui with disdain, completely disbelieving that he had the ability to help him.
Before Baishi Hui could speak, Ran urged, "Dad, just tell him about the request first! What if he really can help?"
Kogoro Mouri was a doting father, and seeing Ran say so, he explained the situation of the case.
When Baishi Hui heard it, the entire process was no different from the case that occurred in the anime.
The only difference was that without Conan reminding him, Kogoro Mouri was completely in the dark, with no idea how to solve it, so he had to run to the crime scene, trying to find eyewitnesses.
"Mouri Old Brother, you can't even figure this out?" Baishi Hui looked at Kogoro Mouri teasingly and chuckled, "I already know where the kidnapper is."
"Really?" Both the Mouri father and daughter were startled at the same time.
Kogoro Mouri anxiously pressed, "So where exactly is the kidnapper?"
"Call me Big Brother and I'll tell you!" Baishi Hui said with a laugh.
"You!!" Kogoro Mouri's face changed. He didn't expect Baishi Hui to bring that up at this time. He gritted his teeth and said, "I already let you call me Mouri Old Brother, isn't that enough?"
"Of course not enough!" Baishi Hui said unceremoniously, "You've lost to me so many times in drinking, and you still haven't called me Big Brother."
Upon hearing this, Ran immediately became anxious.
She felt that the situation was urgent, the hostage's life was unknown, and this was no time for jokes!
So, just as she was about to say something, Kogoro Mouri spoke.
He gritted his teeth and, with great determination, said, "Alright, if I call you, you'll tell me the kidnapper's location!"
"Of course! I'm not like you, going back on my word!" Baishi Hui vowed.
"Okay, I believe you!" Kogoro Mouri took a deep breath, then turned to Ran and said, "Ran, call him!"
"Ah?" Ran was suddenly stunned. How did this get dragged into her?
Kogoro Mouri, fearing that Baishi Hui would go back on his word, said at an extremely fast pace, "He didn't say I had to call him! Ran, you don't want to see your dad call someone your age 'Big Brother,' do you?"
"B-Big Brother!" Ran had no choice but to blush and crisply call out to Baishi Hui.
She was blushing out of shame for her father's actions!!
"…When it comes to shamelessness, you're the best!" Baishi Hui looked at Kogoro Mouri with admiration. He even found this loophole!
He really chose the wrong profession back then. Why be a police officer when he could have been a lawyer? That would be much better!
He might even become Beika Komikado.
And in the future, he might even be able to compete with his wife in court.
"Less nonsense! Just tell me if you heard it or not!" Kogoro Mouri said shamelessly, "Big Brother has already been called, now quickly tell me where the kidnapper is!"
"Don't worry, I'm not like you, I'll honor my word… Let's talk as we walk!" Baishi Hui motioned for the Mouri father and daughter to follow him as he walked towards Erqiao Middle School.
Along the way, he directly used Conan's deductions.
He was that confident!
"Amazing! Shirashi-kun, I didn't expect you to be so good at deduction too!" Ran exclaimed, her eyes shining as she looked at Baishi Hui!
"Let's talk about it when we get there and find the kidnapper!" Kogoro Mouri said stubbornly.
But inwardly, he was secretly astonished, not expecting that the other party was not only good at Karate but also so intelligent!
Honestly, this made Kogoro Mouri very uncomfortable!
He originally thought they were fellow sufferers.
He didn't expect the other party to be skilled in both literary and martial arts!
Alas, he was afraid his brother was suffering, but also afraid his brother was driving a Land Rover!
With complex emotions, Kogoro Mouri followed the other party to Erqiao Middle School and quietly approached the abandoned warehouse.
Through the window, they could vaguely see someone inside.
"There, the person is inside." Baishi Hui lowered his voice and looked at Kogoro Mouri, saying, "What do you plan to do?"
He was not Shinichi Kudo; he didn't have such a strong desire to show off. Instead, he gave Kogoro Mouri a chance to perform.
Ran was right there watching.
It was only right to let the father show off a bit.
Baishi Hui couldn't help but think: If Shinichi had half of his social intelligence, Kogoro Mouri would have long since recognized him as a son-in-law.
"Let me think…" After a moment of thought, Kogoro Mouri quickly came up with an idea.
He said, "I got it! Baishi, you and Ran pretend to be a couple and walk towards the abandoned warehouse from a distance."
"Remember to make a lot of noise so the kidnapper notices you!"
"When he sees you coming towards the warehouse, he'll definitely come out to chase you away!"
"And I'll take this opportunity to sneak in from behind and rescue the hostage!"
Baishi Hui listened to Kogoro Mouri talk on and on, then said exasperatedly, "Couldn't you just say 'lure the tiger out of its den'? You're rambling on and on!"
"Shirashi-kun! You're amazing, you even know the idiom 'lure the tiger out of its den'!" Ran couldn't help but praise him.
"Alright, alright, I know you're highly educated! Now go!" Kogoro Mouri urged unhappily.