Chapter 21: The Legend of the Fastest Forensic Showdown

"The... the Organization?" Conan’s brain gradually ceased to function. "Haha, you’re just a child, how could you..."

"Just like you, I took that drug," the girl replied with a smile. "Due to the sudden activation of a spontaneous cellular destruction program, aside from the nervous system, all cells—bones, muscles, internal organs, hair—reverted to a childhood state. It is a mysterious poison."

"Sherry, that is my codename."

"Are you surprised, Shinichi Kudo?"

Conan stared at Sherry, then turned his head with great difficulty to look at his parents.

"Alright, I won't tease you anymore," the girl said, turning her head away, walking past Conan to the bed in the room, and sitting down.

"Ha... haha," Conan laughed awkwardly.

"But Ai isn't lying, you know," Yukiko explained with a beaming smile.

It wasn't until the Kudo couple contacted him to arrange the kidnapping of Conan that Ji Yi realized what they had been busy with all this time.

Can you comprehend the shock of meeting Ai Haibara sixteen volumes earlier than expected?

It was clear that those transmigrators who shouted, "I don't want to get involved in the main plot, I just want to survive," could never escape it. How is it that when I finally prepared myself to get involved, you all went behind my back and pulled off such a massive stunt?

In transmigration novels, shouldn't the protagonist just stay on the sidelines as a tool-NPC ready to appear at any moment if they don't want to participate?

In truth, it was only after synthesizing Miyano Shiho's account that Shuichi Akai provided the full picture of what had transpired.

Basically, during this period, in order to find Miyano Shiho, Akai had gone all-out, relentlessly pursuing Gin. As for the reason, the Black Organization assumed it was because he was back to take revenge for his dead girlfriend.

Meanwhile, having lost word of her sister, Miyano Shiho had threatened to stop the development of the A-drug, just as in the original story.

Because he was being pressed so hard by Akai, Gin had far less patience than in the original timeline and had locked Miyano Shiho away.

What followed was the ingestion of the drug and her escape.

Just like the original, little Shiho chose to try her luck near the Kudo residence, the place she perceived to be the most likely location where they hadn't actually died.

Perhaps it was the will of the Creator, but the person who found her was still Professor Agasa.

The only difference this time was that with Akemi there, her identity was recognized immediately.

***

Having heard the whole story, Ji Yi felt that if this were any other fan-fiction, the author would surely be savaged by readers for being lazy, irresponsible, and forcing a return to the world line.

Moreover, Shuichi Akai, are you even capable? As the "Silver Bullet," you didn't help at all and nearly got the girl executed ahead of schedule.

At this moment, the cherry-haired, squinty-eyed persona, Subaru Okiya, walked into the guest room, accompanied by a cute girl with a round-faced bob haircut.

Ai Haibara turned her head away to avoid looking at Subaru, while the girl walked over and gently stroked Ai's hair.

Conan was numb. There were simply too many characters appearing without any foreshadowing.

Next came the re-introductions in front of Conan.

Fortunately, once Conan’s internal processor rebooted, he quickly understood everything.

"So, all the events following the one-billion-yen heist were part of a plan you set up to help Ms. Akemi get away?" Conan muttered with a half-moon eye. "Inspector Tohno is a detective from the First Investigation Division, and he actually went along with this madness..."

"So now, Mr. Akai and Ms. Akemi are just living in our house?" Conan confirmed.

"Yes, but in public, remember that we are Subaru Okiya, a graduate student in engineering at Toto University, and his girlfriend, Sakiko Inoue," Akemi cautioned.

"I know." Conan wouldn't mess around with matters of life and death involving the Organization. "But why did you decide to stay?"

Given Shuichi Akai's identity, wouldn't it have been more appropriate for them to flee abroad and join a witness protection program?

"Obviously, it's because of the drug you took," Ai Haibara said coldly. "What do you think would happen if others found out about what happened to you and me?"

If she were still just Miyano Shiho, no matter how much she loathed Shuichi Akai, she would have dragged her sister into a witness protection program to escape. But in her current state...

As the creator of the A-drug, she had far more to worry about.

Conan went silent.

"Shinichi Kudo, we need to talk about you now," Ji Yi said at the opportune moment.

"About me?" Conan realized everyone was looking at him, puzzled. Wasn't the test over?

"We certainly won't argue against your decision to stay and fight the Organization, but since you’ve made up your mind, you need to think carefully about your actions," Ji Yi said.

"I understand. I won't be impulsive again," Conan promised honestly. In this kidnapping test, he realized there were indeed many irrational mistakes he had made that could be improved.

***

"No, we aren't talking about your future actions, but about arrangements for you."

The Kudo couple doted on their son and wouldn't take the initiative to contradict him. Akai and the Miyano sisters could fall back on the FBI’s witness protection program in a worst-case scenario. Only he was on his own.

He couldn't count on the Metropolitan Police Department to take down the "Wine Factory."

Therefore, even if just to save his own skin, he had to be the villain.

"We need to discuss the necessity of you returning to the Mouri Detective Agency."

Conan’s eyes widened.

"Don't think your thoughts can fool anyone here," Ji Yi said with a stern face. "The Professor has already told us that when he first had you stay at the Mouri house, it was with the intention of using Kogoro Mouri’s status as a detective to gather intelligence on the Organization. However, as everyone knows, the results have been lackluster."

Conan was silent. Given Kogoro Mouri's abilities, it was impossible for him to encounter events related to the Organization; even if he did, Conan would do everything in his power to stop it.

"In fact, regarding this kidnapping case, I don't know what Mr. Kudo thinks, but in my view, this was also a test for Mr. Mouri," Ji Yi said bluntly. "Clearly, you barely passed, but Mr. and Ms. Mouri failed completely."

"I cannot understand how they could, when a child is resisting so violently, fail to contact Professor Agasa, who was in the know, and instead immediately decide to let you be taken away."

"Even if they weren't detectives, any normal person with a sense of responsibility should have at least verified the situation."

Conan bowed his head, unable to refute.

"You say you have reasons for not being able to leave, and we all know what those reasons are. At your age, it is understandable to have longings for the opposite sex and romance," Ji Yi continued. "However, if you want to continue fighting the Organization, you must cast these things aside when you think."

In a manga, you can talk about shipping couples and romance, but in reality, Ji Yi absolutely could not allow such things to happen.

In truth, even if the later stages of the story became a "Water Factory," if one analyzed it carefully, the goals were almost always achieved.

Ji Yi cherished his own life and had no intention of wandering around without the backing of a "God of Death."