Chapter 176: The Scene is Too Beautiful to Imagine
Conan turned to look at the area ahead, praying that Takagi had already informed Inspector Megure as instructed.
He was still apprehensive about the Black Organization.
They had guns and were highly trained assassins. It was impossible not to be afraid.
His watch-shaped tranquilizer gun and power-enhancing shoes were powerful, but he couldn't guarantee their effectiveness against the Black Organization.
They were fine against ordinary high-IQ criminals, but against an organization like the Black Organization, where assassins were numerous, their effectiveness was questionable.
"The gunshots just now should have attracted their attention. Do you want to call Tequila again to confirm what's going on?"
Miyano Akemi nodded. "I understand."
She then took out her phone and dialed.
"Huh, this phone looks like Uncle Natsukawa's."
While waiting for the call to connect, Conan's eyes lit up when he saw her phone.
This thing seemed better than his own Detective Badge phone. After all, Professor Agasa's gadget had a limited range and wouldn't work in areas with poor signal.
The phone that Natsukawa used seemed to be a satellite phone, usable almost anywhere.
Miyano Akemi's phone was the same as Uncle Natsukawa's, so the functions shouldn't be much different.
"These kinds of phones are sold on the dark web. Aside from being a bit expensive, they have no other drawbacks. Your Uncle Natsukawa using this kind of phone might mean he's a dark web user."
She paused, hesitated for a moment, and then continued, "You need to be careful of these kinds of people. Those who become dark web users are not kind people. Assassins, bounty hunters, yakuza organizations—they're all dangerous people."
When she said this, she included herself in the count.
She hadn't killed many people, but some.
Especially in the last two days, she had directly killed two people. Although they were social scum, killing was killing—that was undeniable.
"The dark web?"
Conan felt a little heavy-hearted. He had long suspected Natsukawa's background.
But considering Natsukawa's attitude toward him, and the existence of Anya, such a person couldn't be bad.
At least Natsukawa's behavior was very positive now. He seemed like a good person.
"Don't worry, Uncle Natsukawa is a good person. If it weren't for him, I wouldn't have been able to find your location so quickly."
Natsukawa played a crucial role in the investigation.
He kept Conan involved in investigating the case, found the USB drive hidden behind the socket, and spoke up for him multiple times to avoid Uncle Mouri's fists.
A good person, confirmed!
Although it involved the dark web, Conan didn't believe everyone on it was a bad guy.
There was always a portion of good people, and Uncle Natsukawa was definitely one of them.
"Just be careful. Don't let the fact that you've shrunk be revealed. This kind of thing is too terrifying. If word gets out, the whole world will be shocked, and countless people will want to capture you and dissect you for research."
Having spent many years in the underworld, Miyano Akemi knew how dangerous it was and was wary of everyone.
Conan was an exception.
Because he was the person her sister mentioned who could potentially change their situation.
Although she didn't know his specific actions, her sister wouldn't lie to her.
"I know."
Conan still admitted his identity and decided to trust Miyano Akemi.
If she wanted to spread the word, she would have already.
If word got out, Gin might already be looking for him.
To put it more bluntly, if Gin really wanted to get him, his grave would probably be overgrown with weeds by now.
Just then, the phone, which had been ringing for ages, finally connected on the last ring.
Miyano Akemi breathed a sigh of relief. Tequila was still willing to answer, so there might still be room for negotiation.
"Tequila, did you arrange for another member of the Organization to come and make a deal with me?"
She didn't question whether he intended to eliminate her. After all, unpleasant accusations should only be made after confirming the situation.
"What nonsense are you talking about? I'm almost there. The person you're dealing with is confirmed to be me—I won't change my mind. Someone approaching might be a dockworker nearby. Be careful not to be spotted. I'll be there in ten minutes."
As the call ended, cold sweat broke out on Miyano Akemi's back.
"Not... one of the Organization?"
What dockworker? That was clearly wrong. His clothes and gait were all suspicious.
Not only Miyano Akemi, but even Conan was confused.
So, who was the man in black that Miyano Akemi had just seen through the second-floor back window?
Has another force gotten involved in this case?
They're also dressed in black, and Conan was convinced the other party wasn't a good person.
Perhaps it was a rival yakuza group who overheard information from the police. Those people also wore black.
"Damn it, if only Uncle Natsukawa were here!"
Given the current situation, Conan desperately needed a super-strong backup, and he thought Natsukawa would be perfect.
However, his Detective Badge phone was with Takagi, so he couldn't make a call right now.
"Akemi-neechan, turn yourself in. This deal is just a cover. Tequila definitely came with the intention of killing you."
"No, my sister is still in the Organization. Even if this is a trap, I have to try." Miyano Akemi smiled bitterly. She knew the situation.
But the die was cast, and there was no other choice. At this point, she could only hope the Organization would keep its word. Even if it couldn't save her own life, at least they had to get Gin to release her sister.
After all, she still held one billion yen.
"You said your sister is a scientist for the Organization. They definitely won't give up such a talented person easily. They absolutely won't let your sister go. One billion yen for a scientist—their value is on a completely different level, Akemi-neechan."
Conan earnestly tried to dissuade her. Miyano Akemi couldn't die here, nor could she be captured by another organization. He still had many things he wanted to know.
This woman was too foolish, practically throwing her life away.
Just then, outside the front door.
"Takagi, what are you standing there for?"
Natsukawa arrived and launched into a soul-searching question at Takagi, who was crouching in the corner.
Before the other person could answer, Natsukawa turned to the abandoned shipping container beside him. "And that friend over there, that container is badly rusted and has many sharp edges. If you lean against it, be careful not to cut yourself. An infection would be a real problem.
Even if you don't cut yourself, it'll be a hassle to do laundry when you get back."
Hearing this, Takagi's expression turned serious, and he raised his pistol, aiming it at the abandoned container.
"Who's there? Come out now, or I'll shoot!"
Takagi warned, also alerting Conan inside the warehouse that someone else had infiltrated.
It might be that mysterious yakuza organization.
Such an organization would all be armed, since the robbers who worked for them even had submachine guns—the source of the weapons was obvious.
Inspector Megure wouldn't arrive in Tokyo Bay for at least another ten or twenty minutes, and he would be the only policeman in that gap.
He was already somewhat confident protecting Conan, but now with Natsukawa and the armed Miyano Akemi inside the warehouse, Takagi felt immense psychological pressure.
"Yuya-san, I've been exposed."
Speaking into his headset, Kazami Yuya emerged from behind the abandoned shipping container. His upper body was covered in orange-yellow rust, indicating he had been behind it for a long time, shifting positions several times.
"Who are you?! Put down your gun!"
Takagi tensed the moment he saw the gun. Sure enough, there was a gun, and it looked like a Colt.
Kazami Yuya didn't flinch at Takagi, raising his gun to confront him. "How did you find me?"
He asked, pointing toward Natsukawa.
This guy... Yuya-san seemed to have asked him to investigate this person before. The guy was just an unemployed bum. How did he end up in a place like this?
Could he also be a member of the Black Organization?
Wait, he remembered Yuya-san scolding him when he came back.
His brother-in-law seemed to have some kind of special identity.
Right, a special investigator for the National Tax Agency—a profession that struck fear into the hearts of people in the business world!
"You're standing there, your position is completely exposed. I'm almost embarrassed to point it out."
Natsukawa picked his nose, somewhat speechless, and said, "With your skills, you'll probably have a hard time getting ahead in your organization."
Kazami Yuya thought to himself: It's all because you walk so silently. I was completely focused on this man in the dark gray suit, and you suddenly approached without a sound. It's a miracle I wasn't startled.
Kazami Yuya could only think this to himself.
The microphone was on, so Yuya could hear everything he said, and he dared not speak carelessly.
How strange!
How did Natsukawa get involved in this case?
And he even seemed acquainted with this peripheral member of the Black Organization. Judging from the tone of his address, they were definitely acquaintances.
Could it be that the National Tax Agency has become so powerful that it's even collecting taxes from the Black Organization?
Today, Miyano Akemi just robbed one billion yen, and Natsukawa rushed to the scene of the transaction to collect taxes.
"Hello, I'm from the National Tax Agency. Today you robbed the Mitsubishi Bank Beika branch of one billion yen, and now we are collecting robbery tax according to law."
Ah, this... the scene was too beautiful to imagine.
The three stood at opposite corners, forming a sturdy equilateral triangle.
Both sides assumed Natsukawa's identity was legitimate, so they pointed their pistols only at each other.
"What organization? I'm not a member of any organization. Natsukawa-san, I advise you to stay away from that man named Takagi—he's the one who's a member."
"You know me?"
Despite knowing that Kazami Yuya had investigated him, Natsukawa pretended to be someone who had just found out.
He had to play his part completely.
He wondered how Conan and Miyano Akemi's conversation was going.
He couldn't say too much, or it might affect the plot development.
That was why he was there.
He needed to get the police to take Miyano Akemi away quickly, to prevent Conan from having too much contact with her.
He'd heard from Yoru that Yuya was still single, and with Miyano Akemi being so beautiful, he wondered if she could help his brother-in-law find a wife.
He was really worried about his brother-in-law.
Killing two birds with one stone—both completing the mission and finding a girlfriend—such a thoughtful brother-in-law was truly one of a kind.
Although Miyano Akemi had tried to deceive him a bit, it didn't matter. This was punishment for Yuya's unfriendly attitude last time. Even a patient person has their limits, and his brother-in-law had his pride too, right?
"Uh..."
He'd let it slip.
However, he had already transmitted the name Natsukawa to Yuya-san through the earpiece. From now on, he just needed to follow orders.
"Who's there?" Yuya thought he'd misheard and asked again, "You mean Natsukawa? Is that that Natsukawa?"
He would never call him brother-in-law. Last time, his sister had forced him to comply.
Kazami coughed to confirm.
"Why is he here?"
Yuya's expression was uncertain. Natsukawa's appearance here at this time—could he be a member of the Black Organization in secret?
If so, thinking about his sister gave Yuya a headache.
"Ask him why he's here."
"What are you here for?!" Kazami asked.
"Because my neighbor's child is inside. I was a little worried about him, so I came."
Child.
Yuya instantly caught the word.
He looked up at the second-floor ceiling, but it was too thick and seamless to see if Anya had been captured.
This warehouse was peculiar.
Normal warehouses used gaps in the second-floor slabs to save materials and allow for ventilation. This warehouse was different—it was completely sealed off, with only breathing and whispers audible.
However, it wasn't entirely hopeless to rescue the child.
Yuya's gaze sharpened, locking onto the support frame of the second-floor platform.
The frame had a diagonally welded triangular support in the middle, providing good leverage.
Climbing to the second floor using this would be no challenge for a well-trained elite agent like him.
If his sister were here, it would be even easier. She could probably jump up with minimal leverage.
Although he wasn't as skilled as his sister, they shared similar genes, so he was confident.
Taking advantage of the renewed whispers on the second floor, Yuya pushed off with his feet, leaping onto the triangular support. His arm strength was immense. His sleeves billowed as he exerted force, silently pressing against the second-floor platform.
The second floor of the warehouse was built around the walls, with corridors on all four sides, designed for directing the movement of goods into and out of the warehouse—essentially a multi-level storage layout.
He could now clearly hear the conversation upstairs.
"Akemi-neechan, only surrendering will save your life."
"Impossible! I absolutely cannot let my sister suffer like this. We'll die together, we'll live together!"
A boy's voice—thankfully, not Anya!
But other children wouldn't do either. As a police officer, he had a duty to protect the lives and property of Japanese citizens from criminals.
He dangled his hands from the horizontal bar below the platform, braced his right foot on the support, and with a powerful push, using the bar as his pivot point, his entire body executed a beautiful windmill maneuver like a gymnast.
Whoosh—
Conan suddenly saw someone leap up from the edge of the railing, startled, and stumbled back a few steps.
Once at the railing height, the person gripped it tightly and swung up again.
In less than a second, they had completed a magnificent ascent.
"Sugoi!"
Conan couldn't help but exclaim, then pulled Miyano Akemi aside.
However, the second-floor corridor wasn't very spacious, and even this only created a distance of a little over a meter between them.
"This person should be the one who just appeared at the back door, right?"
Conan aimed his watch-shaped tranquilizer gun at Yuya, waiting for Miyano Akemi to confirm his identity.
"Y-yes, it's him."
Miyano Akemi turned around to confirm his face, her heart pounding as she took two steps back in shock, then frantically raised her gun to aim at Yuya. "Who are you?! You're not from the Organization, yet you have such skills. Who is this guy? When did I offend him?"
"Conan, put down that weird watch of yours. Your Uncle Natsukawa is waiting for you outside with some snacks."
Yuya recognized Conan the moment he saw him.
While investigating Natsukawa, his connections were also part of the investigation.
This little boy must be Edogawa Conan, who was staying at Kogoro Mouri's house.
"You know me?"
Conan asked, bewildered. "Who are you?"
He clearly didn't know the other person, yet the other person knew his name.
Who was this guy?
"You're the ward of the famous detective Kogoro Mouri. I don't know you personally, but I've seen you in the newspaper."
Yuya waved his hand impatiently. "Hurry up and come downstairs. Don't interfere with my arrest of the suspect."
"Suspect?"
(End of Chapter)
[Power Stone Goal: 500 = +1 Chapter]
[Review Goal: 10 = +1 Chapter]
If you liked it, feel free to leave a review.
30+ chapters ahead on P1treon Soulforger