Knock, knock.
At the Mouri Kogoro Detective Agency, Yang Tao politely knocked on the door. Soon, a female voice called out:
"I'm coming!"
A young woman, appearing to be around twenty, opened the door. Even in her realistic form, Yang Tao immediately recognized her as Ran Mouri, the heroine of the Conan world.
The real-world Ran radiated a youthful vibrance surpassing her anime counterpart, and her long, elegant legs were strikingly captivating.
Progress: 16.0012%
Watching the progress bar rise, Yang Tao's suspicions were confirmed.Truly deserving of being one of the main heroines…
"Hello, may I help you?"
Yang Tao smiled warmly. "Hello, I'm looking for Conan."
Ran blinked in surprise. "You know Conan?"
"Yes, I've met him twice. Quite an adorable little fellow."
Before Ran could inquire further, footsteps echoed from behind her. Conan, flustered, hurried down the stairs.
Hearing the commotion, Ran called out, "Conan, someone's here for you."
"Sis Ran, he's a new friend of mine. I'll step out for a moment and be right back."
Conan quickly put on his shoes, attempting to pull Yang Tao along. But Yang Tao had no habit of holding adult men's hands—especially those already grown.
"Ma'am, I'll accompany Conan for a while. I'll make sure he returns shortly."
"O…okay."
On a bench not far from the detective agency, Yang Tao sat, watching Conan's pronounced dark circles and teasing: "What's the matter? Didn't sleep at all last night?"
"I couldn't. I simply can't figure out who—or what—you really are."
"Just consider me background scenery. I won't interfere with anything you intend to do; I just hope to follow along for a bit."
Conan studied Yang Tao intently, as if trying to see through him.
"What's your goal?"
"Goal? Just to meet your friends: Ran Mouri, Kogoro Mouri, Professor Agasa, Yusaku and Yukiko Kudo, Sonoko Suzuki, Heiji Hattori, Kaito Kuroba, and your classmates—Ayumi, Genta, Mitsuhiko…"
A vein pulsed on Conan's forehead. Except for Kaito Kuroba, all names were familiar—friends or close acquaintances.
"You've been investigating me?"
"That's a secret. But rest assured, I won't harm them. I merely wish to meet them. Think of it as…an idol fan meet-and-greet, perhaps."
"And Kaito Kuroba?"
Yang Tao glanced at Conan in mild surprise, then smiled knowingly: "You see, I forgot to ask the recent timeline. Which murder case have you encountered lately, or have you received an invitation?"
"Who measures time by murder cases?!"
Conan found Yang Tao's logic incomprehensible. In the Conan world, time was chaotic: grades didn't progress, months flipped unpredictably. Without case records, calendars were almost meaningless.
"Yesterday, Uncle Mouri received an invitation from Sonoko's father—he'd been challenged by the international phantom thief 1412 to steal the Suzuki family's treasured Black Star…"
"Phantom Thief 1412?"
Yang Tao's expression shifted in recognition. He knew this episode well; it marked Kaito Kid's first appearance.
"So you haven't been small for long, huh?"
Conan raised an eyebrow. "You know Kaito 1412?"
"Not personally, just aware. Earlier you asked who he is—he's Kaito Kuroba, the Phantom Thief Kid. By the way, he's also a high school student."
Yang Tao didn't fret over spoilers. He was here to collect world progress; any crucial plot would naturally self-correct, especially in a Conan world that revolved around deductive reasoning.
"Also, you might wonder why a Phantom Thief is a high schooler. The previous Kaito Kid was Kaito's father, Toichi Kuroba, who was allegedly assassinated during a performance eight years ago. Rumors claim he's dead… though truth is uncertain."
Conan, hearing Yang Tao recite facts like a census, almost flipped the table in frustration. What's the point of this?
"And the note's secret…"
"I can't recall exactly. Apparently, he'll appear tonight on the rooftop of a certain hotel. Friendly tip: I can accompany you there."
"Thank you so much!"
Conan slouched in resignation; being a detective suddenly seemed mundane compared to having near-omniscient abilities like Yang Tao.
"One thing I wanted to ask last night: why did you seek me out?"
"Uh… I think you found me first."
Yang Tao spoke truthfully; he had been chopping trees in the main world. Conan had unwittingly barged into his life.
"And why follow me now?"
"To meet the people I mentioned earlier."
Perhaps due to Conan being the protagonist, or the unwavering trust Ran and Kogoro placed in him, Yang Tao seamlessly joined the main cast.
It was almost outrageously simple.
In the car, Yang Tao rode with Kogoro, Ran, and Conan toward the Miha Museum, where the Black Star was on exhibition. He gazed out the window, finally understanding Conan's perpetual exasperation.
This world of Conan… is absurdly entertaining…
Conan himself was thoroughly exasperated. Secrets unveiled, puzzles solved, and the "examiner's" efforts utterly exposed—it was a crushing blow to his pride.
A loud rumble shook the car. Yang Tao looked toward the sky: dozens of helicopters hovered above.
Deploying this many forces for a single Phantom Thief… should I admire Kaito Kid's skill, or question the police's efficiency?
In the Conan world, aside from a few notable officers, most were mere background cleaners.
As Yang Tao pondered, the car soon arrived. The unregistered visitor swaggered behind Kogoro into the heavily guarded Miha Museum.
On the second floor, Kogoro approached the glass, surveying the dense array of police below. "Spectacular. It seems Tokyo's entire force has been mobilized!"
Yang Tao inwardly quipped: If a gang got word in advance, they could rob the bank with ease—difficulty drops ninety percent!