Chapter 53 Conan: So It Was You Who Snitched

Early the next morning.

Gao Mo got up early and went for a run along the river embankment. After completing his routine training with the "Flesh-Building Club" in Kageyama, he also added kendo practice to his schedule.

Additionally, he intended to have someone look around for a suitable property on his behalf.

Yesterday, the Suzuki family had given him two million yen as a retainer fee, which, combined with his own savings, was enough to start making preliminary preparations.

At the very least, he needed to find a proper location for his detective agency.

It was already afternoon by the time he returned to his apartment.

Gao Mo planned to take a short nap before catching up on his detective studies, but just as he passed the front desk, the building manager called out to him.

"A package has arrived?"

Without saying much, Gao Mo quickly went upstairs and opened the package.

It was still a red-wax-sealed envelope and an invitation.

This time, the invader—no, the inviter—was the director of the Beika Library, and his profession had finally returned to what it was in his past life: a librarian.

It seemed the advancement conditions for Actor Lv3 could be gathered ahead of schedule.

On the other hand, the star ratings had become a bottleneck.

There wasn't a very good solution for this; even Beika Town wasn't a place where murder cases could be encountered casually.

Moreover, it seemed not all murder cases were effective.

It had to be a case that remained unsolved by the police, while he deeply participated in it as a specific character.

Although there was no explicit role-playing mission, actual role-playing still existed—playing oneself was also playing a role.

However, the Beika Library...

A sinister old face surfaced in Gao Mo's mind.

He had a deep impression of "The Library Murder Case", and the scene of the crime was precisely this Beika Library.

The victim was also a librarian...

"Ding-dong!"

The doorbell outside interrupted Gao Mo's train of thought. No one was visible through the peephole, and it wasn't until he opened the door that he met Conan's inquisitive gaze.

Still carrying his schoolbag, the boy looked as though he had headed straight here the moment school let out.

"Brother Kido, I want to have a serious talk with you."

"Come in." Gao Mo poured a can of iced cola for Conan.

"What on earth are you planning, Brother Kido?" Conan didn't touch the cola. "I assume you aren't resigned to hiding forever, right? That's why you can be seen everywhere... and that Kindaichi who followed Uncle around yesterday..."

"I want to try letting 'Kindaichi' appear in the public eye, or at least establish a relative impression."

"Kido! You know what I want to ask," Conan said solemnly. "Running away won't solve problems. I hope to face that Black Organization together with you. There are people on my dad's side who can help as well."

"You misunderstood. I'm not like you," Gao Mo said helplessly. "The Organization has nothing to do with me, and I am not hiding from the Organization."

"But—"

"Don't be too anxious. What you're doing right now isn't actually wrong. As long as Kogoro continues to remain active and famous, he will touch upon Organization-related cases sooner or later."

Gao Mo took a sip of his own cola.

"Being too eager might bring counterproductive results. Those people are even more dangerous than you think... I believe your parents must have taught you a lesson as well. No matter what you do, you must think through the consequences. If a mistake happens, what do you think the outcome will be for Kogoro and his daughter?"

Conan's eyes widened: "You were the one who snitched to my dad and mom?"

"What snitching? I merely offered an appropriate reminder."

Gao Mo rubbed his nose.

"Speaking of which, how far along are you in your investigation?"

"I only know that they have immense influence, like to wear black clothes, and frequently conduct secret transactions..."

"Isn't that the same as having found out nothing at all?"

"What do you mean by nothing at all?" Conan protested unconvinced. "At least I understand their modus operandi. I ran into them last time on the Shinkansen, and their trading target was almost silenced by them, even at the cost of causing a Shinkansen explosion... They are a bunch of inhumane, unscrupulous bastards!"

Gao Mo: "And so?"

"It will be easier to hunt these guys down in the future," Conan said confidently. "Dad has also contacted friends abroad. An organization that acts this rampantly easily draws attention... Don't you have any leads at all on your end?"

Gao Mo pondered in a deep voice.

The Black Organization was indeed rather uncanny. There were still many secrets in the original story that had yet to be revealed, and with so many undercover agents failing to bring down the organization, there were clearly numerous deep-seated inside stories.

It would be best for him not to mislead Conan.

"I only know they use alcoholic beverages as code names. The two people who shrunk you are Gin and Vodka respectively. Pay special attention to Gin; he is quite a sharp guy. Don't treat him like an ordinary criminal, and the Black Organization is not an ordinary crime syndicate."

Gao Mo finally revealed this much.

"Those gadgets given by Dr. Agasa, small tricks like trackers—you'd better not think about pulling one over on Gin... Otherwise, next time it won't just be you shrinking, but the entire Mouri Detective Agency or even I will be silenced."

"I know." Conan's little face wore a faint sorrow.

It looked like he had truly been frightened by the "surprise" from the Kudo couple.

After a brief pause, Conan continued his questioning: "So what are you actually planning to do now? Are you really going to be Uncle's assistant?"

"I haven't decided yet. I'm planning to look for a suitable workplace and open a detective agency of my own." Gao Mo flipped through the newspaper on the table.

Yesterday's Maru family case had indeed caused a huge commotion.

The famous detective Mouri Kogoro and his mysterious partner, Mr. Kindaichi...

The media had published a description of "Kindaichi's" appearance for the first time: the image of a novelist around forty years old, to the extent that the newspaper even made a special mention of Yusaku Kudo.

"You're going to compete with Uncle?" Conan's lips twitched.

"There are plenty of detective agencies, one more won't hurt," Gao Mo said, looking at the iconic smiling face of the mustache on the front page of the newspaper. "Besides, I don't plan on taking up adultery investigation work; I won't steal Kogoro's business."

"In that case, would you like to borrow my house?"

Conan suddenly suggested.

"Don't you also need to read books? You can help keep an eye on the house for me at the same time. It's very suitable to be used as a detective agency. A small personal agency shouldn't have restrictions, just file the proper declarations."

"Your house?"

Gao Mo was rather tempted.

He had originally wanted to find a commercial-residential building similar to the Mouri Detective Agency.

However, if the Kudo residence could be used as an office, it was quite attractive.

He could directly use that high-end, magnificent study as an office.

"Your parents..."

"They won't mind," Conan said with a relaxed demeanor. "It's vacant anyway, almost treated like a haunted house; having someone live there is definitely better... It's best if it gets cleaned frequently, and make sure those book collections are well protected."

"Alright, I'll pay you market rent... I'm not that strapped for cash right now."

Gao Mo stopped Conan, who was about to say more.

Actually, he was still quite strapped for cash.

Short of money was short of money, but he didn't want a free ride in a place like this, even if the Kudo family probably wouldn't care.

"No need for market price, let's say 50% off," Conan nodded speechlessly, slinging his schoolbag over his shoulder as he prepared to leave. "The doctor can help you with the declaration stuff."

"Ouch!"

The moment the front door opened, three children behind it collided in cries of pain, tumbling into the entryway in a pile like a human pagoda.

A chubby boy, a freckled boy, and a little girl wearing a headband... three school children with a very strong sense of déjà vu.

"Why are you guys here?" Conan awkwardly glanced toward Gao Mo.

He had actually been tracked here by a bunch of brats.

Kido wouldn't think he was unreliable, would he?

"We wanted to see Conan's house! Is this it?"

The quirky little girl at the front guiltily put her hands behind her back, quickly slipping into the room along with the other two.

"Such a big house! It's even bigger than mine!"

"Mister, are you Conan's dad? We're Conan's classmates. Because Conan always likes to be by himself, we followed to check it out."

"Yeah, this kid is always worrying people," the chubby boy sniffed, drooling profusely as he said, "It smells so good, is there something delicious... Is it an eel bento?"

"Hey, hey..."

Conan felt a headache coming on from these overly familiar fellows.

"Didn't I say I'm boarding at the Mouri Detective Agency? You guys get out of here!"

"Huh? Mister isn't Conan's dad?"

The little girl lifted her chin with a grown-up attitude and stood in front of Gao Mo.

"Mister couldn't be a celebrity from TV, right? Living alone in such a big house, and so handsome..."

"No, I'm not," the freckled boy flipped through the newspaper and knowledge books on the table, touching his chin as he deduced, "Mister must be a detective. A newly entered or not-yet-entered detective."

"Call me 'Brother', and I am neither a celebrity nor a detective."

Gao Mo's forehead twitched.

These troublesome kids... he almost forgot about them.

The Junior Detective League members who frequently gave him high blood pressure in the anime.

Ayumi, Genta, and Mitsuhiko.

"Then is he the butler?" The freckled boy noticed the butler reference materials next to the TV cabinet.

"Not a butler either, I'm a freelancer."

Gao Mo cast a sidelong glance at the sheepish Conan.

"Well," Conan coughed and stepped out the door, "I'm heading back, Brother Kido."