Jiang Hang had no intention of following a group of first-grade elementary school kids on their treasure hunt. Once he noticed that Conan Edogawa seemed to have figured out the key to the puzzle, Jiang Hang simply stroked his chin thoughtfully.
After all, with Eagle Vision, Conan would never escape his observation.
So all Jiang Hang needed to do now was wait until Conan located the real hiding place of the treasure.
"In any case, it's almost evening already," Jiang Hang said. "Nighttime can be dangerous, so you kids should head home soon. Here—your treasure map."
"Eh? Big brother isn't coming treasure hunting with us?" Ayumi Yoshida asked with visible disappointment.
From her perspective, Jiang Hang had only glanced at the treasure map briefly and already deduced several important clues. If he joined them, they might find the treasure almost immediately.
"I think your friend here already has an idea," Jiang Hang said with a smile, glancing at Conan. "You should try solving it yourselves."
As he returned the treasure map to the Junior Detective League, Jiang Hang quietly activated Eagle Vision.
Just as expected.
Less than one hundred meters away, three suspicious-looking men were lurking and watching the children from a distance.
They were most likely the remaining gang members connected to the stolen gold coins.
So these Italian gangsters can't figure out their own treasure map and are instead relying on a group of elementary school kids?
How embarrassing.
After offering a few encouraging words and once again reminding the children that nighttime could be dangerous, Jiang Hang said goodbye and left.
Of course, he knew perfectly well that this group of thrill-seeking kids wouldn't give up on a treasure that seemed so close.
Through Eagle Vision, Jiang Hang had already noticed something important.
Those gangsters were carrying guns.
In the anime, Conan and his friends would naturally escape unharmed.
But this was the real world.
If something went wrong, the safety of these children could not be guaranteed.
Even if the chance of danger was small, Jiang Hang preferred to eliminate risks before they could develop.
Of course, that didn't mean he was planning to personally confront the gangsters.
Are you kidding?
He hadn't yet obtained any combat or assassination skills from the system. Aside from slightly superior physical fitness, Jiang Hang was still basically an ordinary person.
Fighting three armed gangsters alone would be nothing more than a suicidal fantasy.
So Jiang Hang chose the most appropriate course of action for a detective.
He called the police.
Although the police in this world often seemed somewhat unreliable, the description Jiang Hang provided matched the appearances of three gang members currently on the police wanted list.
As a result, the police responded surprisingly quickly.
As night gradually fell, Jiang Hang maintained contact with the police while using Eagle Vision to monitor the gangsters from afar.
With Jiang Hang's nearly cheat-like field of vision guiding them, the police successfully set up a containment perimeter.
When the three gangsters followed Conan and the others through a street corner, plainclothes officers suddenly rushed forward and tackled them to the ground.
Even as they were being arrested, the gangsters had still been dreaming about the luxurious life they would enjoy once they recovered the gold coins using the children.
At that moment, Jiang Hang was standing beside a police car, speaking with a large, heavyset officer.
Naturally, the officer was none other than the well-known Inspector Megure.
Megure was expressing his gratitude for Jiang Hang's report.
After all, the gang had stolen maple leaf gold coins worth six hundred million yen. Although the gang leader had already been captured, the gold coins and the remaining three accomplices had not yet been located.
When Megure learned that Jiang Hang had recently opened his own detective agency, his attitude toward him became even friendlier.
After all, the police in this world often relied heavily on talented detectives to solve cases.
Most capable detectives, however, were extremely arrogant.
If they could solve a case themselves, they rarely involved the police at all.
By the time the police arrived, the case was usually already over.
For the police force, this situation was rather humiliating.
But Jiang Hang was different.
Although he had provided information about the suspects' location, he had only assisted from the sidelines and never interfered with the police operation.
After the arrests were completed, he even praised the police for their efficient work instead of claiming any credit.
By the time their brief conversation beside the police car ended, Megure was already comfortably calling him "Brother Jiang."
Jiang Hang understood perfectly well that he would be dealing with Inspector Megure frequently in the future.
Building a good relationship now was definitely a smart move.
After the three gangsters were taken away in police cars, Jiang Hang estimated that Conan had probably already found the hiding place of the maple leaf gold coins.
He immediately informed Megure that the suspects had previously been following Conan and the children.
Using Eagle Vision, Jiang Hang quickly located Conan's group again.
Then he confidently explained that he had "deduced" the treasure's location and guided Megure and several officers toward it.
When Jiang Hang arrived at the hiding place with Inspector Megure, the expressions on the faces of the Junior Detective League went through several dramatic changes.
First came excitement when they discovered the gold coins.
Then shock when the police suddenly appeared.
After learning the full story, their expressions shifted from disbelief… to disappointment… and finally to pitiful frustration.
Watching them glare at him like he had just cheated them, Jiang Hang could only sigh helplessly.
From a child's perspective, treasure they discovered naturally belonged to them.
If Jiang Hang had simply taken a share as someone who helped, that would have been acceptable.
But calling the police?
That felt like breaking the rules entirely.
Even though Jiang Hang had indirectly protected them by eliminating the gangsters, the children were still unhappy about losing their treasure.
"Alright, alright. Don't be upset," Jiang Hang said with a laugh.
"As compensation for losing your treasure, how about I treat you all to the most delicious eel rice bowl you've ever had?"
The moment Genta Kojima heard the words "delicious eel rice bowl," he instantly switched sides.
After all, they were just children.
With a few comforting words and the promise of food, Jiang Hang quickly cheered them up.
In a few days, they would probably forget the whole incident anyway.
Conan Edogawa, however, reacted very differently.
After learning the full story from the police, Conan seemed strangely depressed.
He had spent the entire afternoon analyzing the treasure map.
Yet Jiang Hang had only glanced at it briefly before identifying the key clue and leading the police to the treasure location.
He had only arrived slightly later than Conan.
More importantly, Jiang Hang had discovered the three gangsters following them and had easily dealt with them.
Meanwhile, Conan himself hadn't noticed anything at all.
If those gangsters had continued following them all the way to the treasure site, the entire group might have been in serious danger.
The thought sent a chill down Conan's spine.
When he looked at Jiang Hang again, the previously ordinary-looking young man suddenly seemed unfathomably mysterious.
To think I would randomly encounter such an incredible detective on the street…
Maybe I really was too arrogant before.
Of course, Jiang Hang had no idea what kind of dramatic thoughts were running through Conan's mind.
He simply rubbed his stomach.
After running around all day, he still hadn't eaten dinner.
First he needed to cooperate with Inspector Megure to finish giving his statement.
Then it was time to find a good restaurant and enjoy a proper meal.