"I'm really sorry, Detective Mouri. My son has caused you so much trouble during this time."
"He's been eating and staying here, so it must have cost you quite a bit. This is just a small token of appreciation. Please accept it, and please don't refuse."
Yukiko, disguised as a plump middle aged woman, took an envelope from her bag and handed it over.
Kogoro still had some basic dignity. He hurriedly waved his hand and pushed the envelope back.
"You're too polite. I like this kid Conan very much. How much could a small child possibly spend. You're being so courteous that I feel embarrassed instead."
The moment Kogoro's hand brushed against the envelope, his expression changed slightly, and that bit of dignity disappeared immediately.
This envelope is thick.
If it's filled with ten thousand yen bills, something this thick has to be at least a million yen.
He used to think this kid Conan came from nowhere. Who would have thought his family was this rich.
"Oh my, Detective Mouri, please accept it. This child has been mischievous since he was little and must have caused you plenty of trouble. If you don't take it, I'll feel terrible."
Yukiko pushed the envelope back again.
By now, Kogoro's attitude had completely changed. He nodded seriously.
"This brat Conan really is mischievous sometimes. He's always running to crime scenes and I have to explain things to the police every single time."
"Since Madam Edogawa insists, if I don't accept it, that would be disrespectful. You look busy with work, so if you ever need someone to look after him, you can send Conan over anytime."
"My daughter is virtuous and a good cook too. Taking care of a small child is no problem at all, haha."
As he spoke, Kogoro could not help laughing heartily.
He might have gained some fame recently, but being a detective was never an easy way to make money.
If he happened to solve a murder case, there was no pay involved. That was just helping the police.
The jobs that actually paid were things like tracking mistresses or finding lost pets.
Kogoro's life had always been tight. Where else could he find a job that easily earned a million yen.
At this moment, Conan was completely stunned.
My name and identity are fake. How could I suddenly have a mother.
Then who is this woman. Has my identity been exposed. Is she someone from the Black Organization.
Just as Conan's mind was in total chaos, Yukiko walked up to him, grabbed his clothes, and said,
"Let's go, Conan. Don't bother them here anymore. We'll will take you out to eat first."
Only then did Conan snap back to reality. He said anxiously,
"You're not my mother. Ran, she's not my mother. I don't have a mother at all."
Under the disguise, veins popped out on Yukiko's forehead.
Are you cursing me to death.
She immediately switched into full acting mode. Tears welled up as she wiped the corners of her eyes.
"Conan, Mom knows she's been busy with work and hasn't taken good care of you."
"But why do you think Mom works so hard to earn money. It's all for you, so you can live well. Mom knows she was wrong, but I hope you can understand me."
Seeing the kind plump woman crying in front of her, Ran put her hands on her hips and said sternly,
"Conan, you made your Mother sad. You even made her cry."
Ran grew up in a broken family and had always longed for a mother. Hearing Conan's words, she was genuinely angry.
Yukiko's acting was too convincing. Earlier, while chatting with Kogoro, she had talked about many details from Conan's childhood.
She spoke clearly and vividly, with obvious affection when talking about her son. Ran and Kogoro had long believed they were mother and son.
Kogoro, for the sake of that million yen, also put on a stern face.
"You brat, how can you talk to your mother like that. Your Uncle Mori is getting angry too."
Just as Conan was about to argue, Yukiko leaned closer and whispered.
"If you don't come with me, then I'll have to deal with Kogoro and Ran right here."
"You might not know this, but there are snipers outside aiming at this place."
Conan broke out in a cold sweat. He immediately shut his mouth and forced a smile.
"Mom, please don't cry. I said the wrong thing."
Yukiko finally smiled, said goodbye to Kogoro and Ran, and left the detective agency with him.
Ran watched them get into the car and sighed softly. It was better for Conan to go home with his mother than to stay with Dr. Agasa.
Living on instant noodles every day was really not good for a child's growth.
…
At an intersection not far from the Mouri Detective Agency, a Land Rover was parked.
Toru, in disguise, sat calmly in the driver's seat, watching the road ahead.
In the back seat, Haibara was also wearing a mask and hat, occasionally glancing at Toru.
Dressed in black with a black hat, Toru carried a cold aura that was eerily similar to members of the Black Organization.
Sometimes even Haibara felt a brief sense of confusion, as if she had truly been captured by the Organization.
Unable to stand the silence, she asked,
"What are you waiting for."
Toru was holding a tablet. A red dot was moving closer on the screen.
"I'm waiting for someone. Alright, they're here. Haibara, sit properly and fasten your seatbelt."
With that, Toru stepped on the accelerator and controlled the speed as the car charged straight toward the sedan ahead.
Inside Yukiko's car, the moment she got back in, her expression turned cold, no longer showing the warmth she had at the agency.
Conan, sitting in the passenger seat, had also calmed down.
"Where are you taking me."
"Don't ask questions. You'll find out when we get there, Kudo Shinichi."
Hearing his real name, Conan's pupils shrank sharply.
As expected, she was from the Black Organization. She even knew his true identity.
His heart pounded violently.
"What will happen to Uncle Mori and Ran."
"As long as you behave, they'll be fine. If you don't, I can't guarantee anything."
After a brief pause, Yukiko could not help asking.
"Other than caring about that father and daughter, don't you care about your own parents."
Conan suddenly reacted.
"Oh right. No, that's not right either. What did you do to my parents."
Yukiko nearly choked.
Does this kid really not care about his parents anymore.
Gritting her teeth, she said,
"The same rule applies. Their lives depend on how you behave."
As she spoke, the car stopped at a red light.
Countless thoughts raced through Conan's mind.
Should he run.
This woman did not seem very alert. The red light was his chance.
But if he escaped, would the Organization really go after Uncle Mori and Ran, and even his parents.
Just as he was struggling to decide, a Land Rover suddenly rushed toward them.
At first, Yukiko did not notice. Then she realized something was wrong.
That car was heading straight for them.
She panicked. There was no time to accelerate or turn the wheel.
At just the right speed, the Land Rover crashed into the front of her car.
With a loud bang, the airbags deployed and the sedan spun violently.
Conan felt dizzy as his head slammed into the door frame, sending sharp pain through him.
The pain quickly snapped him back to his senses.
He did not know what had happened, but one thing was clear.
He had to run.
He unbuckled his seatbelt, kicked open the door, and bolted out.
Yukiko was too slow to stop him.
Disguised as a fat woman and trapped by deployed airbags, she could barely move in the cramped space.
Just as she was about to shout after Conan, her eyes widened in terror.
The Land Rover's door opened, and a man dressed in black stepped out.
Conan also noticed the man.
Before he could react, the man had already closed the distance and struck the back of his neck with a sharp chop.
As consciousness faded, Conan's mind was filled with confusion.
What is going on. Are these Organization members fighting among themselves. You all want to catch me, right.
Toru easily knocked Conan unconscious, grabbed him by the collar, and casually tossed him into the car.
He got back into the Land Rover, reversed, and drove away.
Yukiko struggled out of the car and could only watch the Land Rover disappear, leaving behind a trail of exhaust.
Conan had once told Dr. Agasa about the appearance of the people who fed him the drug.
Agasa had relayed that information to Yukiko.
Now seeing someone who looked like a real Organization member take Shinichi away, Yukiko panicked completely.
She only wanted to pretend to be from the Organization. How could she run into the real one.
This was like a fake running into the real thing.
She quickly pulled out her phone and made a call.
"Yusaku, something terrible has happened. Shinichi has been taken."
"I'm not joking. I just saw someone from that Organization, and Shinichi was taken by them."
…
Conan felt someone moving him.
When he finally regained some consciousness, he realized his hands and feet were tied, and he was lying on an operating table.
Staring at the unfamiliar ceiling and the shadowless lamp, terrifying images of experiments flashed through his mind.
Vaguely, he heard two people talking.
"Sherry, how are the preparations."
"I'm about to draw his blood, Martini. The equipment here is excellent. Just drawing blood would be a waste. I plan to take some bone marrow as well."
"You won't take so much that you kill him, right."
"No. I'm confident in my skills. He seems to be waking up. Wait a moment. I'll give him an anesthetic."
The next moment, Conan felt a sharp sting in his arm as a drug was injected.
His vision went dark, and he lost consciousness once again.
(To be continued.)
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