coobybook Chapter 116 Another FBI Agent Arrives
Chapter 116 Another FBI Agent Arrives
This case wasn't too complicated for Conan and Heiji Hattori, and within an hour, they had solved it. After the murderer was taken away by the police, everyone watched as order gradually returned to the venue, but they couldn't hide a sense of disappointment. The once lively school festival had been interrupted by this sudden incident, and it was clear that it couldn't continue.
"Alas, this is the script I worked so hard on..." Sonoko complained in a low voice, with a hint of regret in her tone.
Kazuha also sighed: "You're right, I was looking forward to your performance, but this interrupted it."
Mao Lilan smiled slightly and comforted her: "It's okay, there will be opportunities in the future."
Seeing how they looked uninterested, Chen Shuo suddenly smiled and suggested, "How about this? Since the school festival is canceled, how about I treat everyone to dinner tonight to put an end to today?"
As soon as he finished speaking, the expressions of several people changed immediately. The original lost look disappeared, and was replaced by a face full of expectation.
Yuanzi's eyes lit up and she said excitedly, "Great! I know a great store!"
Mao Lilan smiled slightly, with tenderness in her eyes. She took Chen Shuo's arm and said softly, "Then it's up to you tonight, Brother Shuo. It just so happens that I don't feel like cooking today!"
Seeing them regain their spirits, Chen Shuo smiled easily and waved his hand, "It's settled then. Let's have a good meal tonight!"
When several people were excitedly discussing what to eat in the evening, Chen Shuo's originally relaxed smile suddenly froze, and his eyes instantly glanced sharply at a corner of the auditorium.
In the dim light, a plump, blond, foreign woman stood. She wore a dark red dress, slender yet imposing, her short, straight blond hair cascading over her shoulders. But her eyes betrayed a deep sense of unease, a look of fear and alertness, as if she had seen something monstrous. The moment their eyes met, her expression changed, and she hurriedly turned and headed for the auditorium exit.
Chen Shuo glanced at her, then seemed lost in thought before looking away. Although his expression quickly returned to normal, Huiyuan Ai, who was standing beside him, keenly noticed the change. Following Chen Shuo's gaze, she looked in the direction the woman had left, then asked in a teasing tone, "Do you like this type?"
Chen Shuo chuckled, shook his head, and ruffled Huiyuan Ai's hair. He smiled and said, "No! Don't talk nonsense." He then patted Xiaolan's shoulder, pointed in the direction where the blonde woman had disappeared, and asked casually, "Xiaolan, do you know that person?"
Haibara Ai was stunned for a moment, and was completely confused by Chen Shuo's words: This perverted uncle actually wanted to ask his girlfriend about another woman so blatantly?
Mao Lilan didn't think much of it. She followed Chen Shuo's gaze and looked at the departing blonde woman. She explained casually, "That's our school's new English teacher. Her name is Judy Starling. She's quite popular among the students."
Yuanzi immediately rolled her eyes and retorted with a disgusted expression like a dead fish, "Is that so? I think only those stinky boys think she's 'popular'! She walks around in those revealing clothes all day long, really showing off. I don't think she takes us girls seriously at all!"
At this point, Yuanzi suddenly reacted and glanced at Chen Shuo with a hint of warning in her tone: "I say, Brother Shuo, you are not also bewitched by her, are you? Xiaolan will be sad! Don't - Ouch! It hurts!"
Before Yuanzi could finish her words, Chen Shuo raised his hand and tapped her on the head. He looked as if he didn't want to argue with her anymore. He didn't even glance at her. Instead, he stared coldly at Judy's retreating back, a sneer on his face, and whispered, "FBI? Humph! What a bunch of annoying stray dogs."
Chen Shuo's voice was so low that the others could only vaguely hear the word "wild dog." Yuanzi frowned in confusion and couldn't help but mutter, "Wild dog? What stray dog? Is there something wrong with Teacher Judy?" She was completely confused and even found the statement a bit baffling.
Mao Lilan and Haibara Ai also looked at Chen Shuo with curiosity, obviously not understanding why he, who was always gentle, would show such disdain towards his school's English teacher.
Chen Shuo curled his lips coldly and sneered, scanning the noisy crowd around him to make sure no one was paying attention to their conversation. He shook his head and whispered, "This isn't the place to talk. Let's wait until there are fewer people around."
Several girls also reacted immediately and realized that the crowd around them was too crowded and it was not suitable to discuss any private matters, so they nodded, suppressed their doubts, and quietly waited for the right time to listen to Chen Shuo's explanation.
---
That evening, at a high-end restaurant, Chen Shuo and his group sat around a long table, enjoying a sumptuous meal. Maori Kogoro and Conan also arrived, bringing this somewhat turbulent school festival to a successful conclusion. Unfortunately, Hattori Heiji, upon hearing of a new case in Osaka, rushed back with Kazuha to handle it, much to the disappointment of the girls who had recently become friends with Kazuha.
Chen Shuo and Maori Kogoro couldn't help but shake their heads and complain. Chen Shuo sighed, "That's outrageous. If you want to leave, just leave. Why do you have to drag He Ye along with you? Can't we even have a good meal?"
Maori Kogoro echoed, looking helpless: "That's right! This guy is too unromantic. He makes a girl accompany him here and there. How tactless."
Conan, on the other hand, seemed to understand, his eyes gleaming with eagerness, as if he couldn't wait to go to Osaka together. However, before he could act on his "little thought", Maori Kogoro saw through it and grabbed Conan in his hands, telling him to stop fooling around.
Conan was suppressed and could only sit on the chair, his face full of reluctance, turning his grief and anger into appetite, and he ate heartily with mixed feelings. The people at the table couldn't help laughing at him. This kid was sometimes annoying, and sometimes childish and funny.
---
Suddenly, Conan, who was gritting his teeth and cutting a steak, seemed to have thought of something. He looked up at Mao Lilan and Sonoko, and his tone was a little inquiring: "By the way, Xiaolan, Sonoko. A few weeks ago, you held a party in a small house on the roof of a building, right? Did you find anything strange on the second floor at that time?"
Conan frowned slightly. He had been holding this question in his mind for a long time. According to his own research and analysis, the trajectory of the sniper bullet at the entrance to Director Sakamaki's memorial service actually passed through the second floor where Sonoko and the others were having their party. He had wanted to ask about it for a long time, but had never had the chance. Now that everyone present knew him as Kudo Shinichi, he felt safe to ask.
However, Conan did not doubt that Ran Mouri and Sonoko were involved. He just asked with a desperate attempt, hoping to find some clues.
Hearing Conan's question, a subtle glint flashed in the eyes of Mao Lilan, Sonoko, and Haibara Ai. They had long expected that Conan would eventually find the sniper point in the building, so they were not panicking. They were extremely confident in their finishing touches, ensuring that everything was flawless. No matter how clever Conan was, he would not be able to find any other clues.
Mao Lilan was possessed by the actor at the moment. She frowned pretentiously, thinking for a moment with feigned confusion, and then shook her head innocently: "No, we were playing in the lobby on the first floor at the time and never went upstairs. I didn't feel anything unusual at all. What's wrong?"
Sonoko immediately took over the conversation and said teasingly with a smile: "Hey, Conan, do you want to hold a class reunion there too? Do you need me to help you arrange the venue?"
Conan carefully observed the expressions on their faces. Whether it was Ran Mouri's innocent look or Sonoko's playful smile, they both seemed so natural that he couldn't doubt them. Conan sighed inwardly, realizing that he was being a little overly sensitive. After all, how could they possibly be connected to the assassination of an FBI agent?
He shook his head slightly, chuckling self-deprecatingly, consoling himself by thinking, perhaps the sniper had sneaked onto the second floor beforehand and set up the attack. With the high school students' gathering downstairs, the second floor was undoubtedly the perfect sniper vantage point. Furthermore, no one had investigated the upstairs at the time. If he and his father hadn't studied ballistic analysis in Hawaii, they probably wouldn't have found out.
Conan thought about it, silently put his doubts behind him, and continued to eat his steak with his head down. He felt a little frustrated. Sometimes detectives really have no way to deal with such professional killers.
---
Late at night, at Chen Shuo's house, the lights in the living room were soft. Mao Lilan, Sonoko and Haibara Ai sat on the sofa with serious expressions, listening quietly to Chen Shuo's analysis.
Chen Shuo leaned back on the sofa, his eyes deep as he spoke slowly, "That Judy is most likely an FBI agent. I'm all too familiar with the scent of those wild dogs."
I previously busted all the FBI agents lurking in Tokyo. This time, Judy's presence in Tokyo is probably to investigate that incident, and she's probably just been sent here to get the lowdown. However, I've already directed all the attention towards that organization. Their focus should be on them, and the FBI won't mess with me easily."
Mao Lilan frowned slightly, feeling a little uneasy: "Then... is it possible that they will suspect us? After all, Brother Shuo, you are such a big target."
Chen Shuo nodded gently, a hint of annoyance in his eyes. "It's very likely. The FBI has a keen sense of smell and is very persistent. So, what you need to do is try to get along with Judy as usual, and don't show any flaws. As long as you keep a low profile, they will definitely not notice you. After all, you are just ordinary high school girls. This can be considered a test for you. Don't show any flaws. The Conan scene at the dinner table today is quite good."
Hearing Chen Shuo's words, Mao Lilan and Yuan Zi nodded firmly. They knew in their hearts that they didn't want their lives to be disrupted by external forces. Chen Shuo looked at their determined eyes, and a trace of relief flashed in his eyes. They had indeed grown a lot during this period.
Chen Shuo suddenly thought of something, turned to look at Huiyuan Ai, and asked: "Xiao Ai, Conan hasn't taken the medicine yet? Or... has the research and development failed?"
Huibara Ai rolled her eyes helplessly and replied with a hint of dissatisfaction: "How could my research fail? I asked him, and he said that if he turned back into Kudo Shinichi, the target would be too obvious. So he planned to wait for the right time before taking the medicine."
Chen Shuo nodded, a slight smile on his face. "This kid has become much more steady. I thought he couldn't wait to take the medicine as soon as he got it."
Sonoko couldn't help but grumble, "Don't mention it. 'Steady' refers to other things. Whenever there's a murder, he's the first one to rush out! Today at the school festival, he ran faster than anyone else!"
Mao Lilan smiled bitterly and nodded, with a hint of helplessness in her tone: "Fortunately, Dad and Hattori-san helped him cover up, otherwise I think he would have been exposed long ago."
Several people were increasingly speechless about Conan's "true nature." They looked at each other, shook their heads, and couldn't help but sigh: "This guy is completely hopeless. Sooner or later, something bad will happen to him."
However, everyone just complained a bit, knowing full well that they had tried everything. Even his parents' acting couldn't change his bad habits. With that in mind, everyone could only helplessly let him die.
After finishing the business, the night grew darker and everyone gradually felt sleepy. Mao Lilan yawned, stood up and suggested: "Okay, everyone stay here tonight. Anyway, there are rooms for you all here, so you can get a good night's sleep."
Ai Haibara and Sonoko nodded. This place had become their second home, so who would be polite? They smiled at each other and went upstairs to wash up and go to bed.