Ming Ke Theater Chapter 021

Kudo Shinichi felt a little confused, but he was not stingy in answering her questions.

“According to later investigations, he came here to trade a list of computer programming experts from all over the world with Hidemasa Nakajima,” Kudo Shinichi replied.

“Hidemasa Nakajima?” Sera Masumi compared the name with the face. “Isn’t that the person next to you? Was the collision just now a rendezvous?”

Kudo Shinichi nodded and said, “You guessed it. They exchanged number plates, but they didn’t expect Nakajima’s number plate to have been swapped beforehand.”

“Ah? Why?” Sera Masumi asked.

Before Kudo Shinichi could answer, Suzuki Sonoko interrupted their conversation: “I say, you two, enough is enough. The most taboo thing about watching a TV series is spoilers!”

Kudo Shinichi couldn’t stand it: “Hey, how is this a TV series?”

Suzuki Sonoko retorted: “How is it not a TV series?”

These things indeed looked very much like a TV series, but inside was his life. Kudo Shinichi closed his mouth and retorted in his heart.

Suzuki Sonoko continued, “It was the same with the Moonlight Island case before. They pointed out who the murderer was at the very beginning. How am I supposed to watch the rest of the story?”

Kudo Shinichi: “Is it my fault then?”

Suzuki Sonoko: “Is it my fault?”

Discussing this with you is my fault, Kudo Shinichi couldn’t win against her and thought bitterly.

【…

Conan finished using the restroom and separated from Hidemasa Nakajima. In the lobby, he encountered the tall man he had bumped into earlier again.

“Number 98…” The service staff helped him find his luggage and handed it to him. After taking it, he turned and walked towards a nearby telephone.

Conan glanced at him and found that the briefcase in his hand had the Mantendo logo. Was he a Mantendo employee?

But according to Hidemasa Nakajima and the others, this person should also be wearing their company’s tie clip, and Nakajima said he had never seen him at that time.

Never mind, it’s none of his business. He should help Uncle Kogoro buy some tomato juice for his hangover first.

Conan came behind the tall man, where a vending machine was placed.

Behind him, the tall man answered the phone. He said, “Hello, it’s me, Tequila. The transaction is complete…”

His speech had a Kansai accent, but what caught Conan’s attention was that he called himself Tequila.

Tequila, the name of an alcoholic drink.

The man continued, “Hmm, foolproof… Hehe, don’t worry, Vodka, I’ll meet up with you before evening. Tell Gin.”

Gin! Vodka! This man is with them!

Conan suddenly felt a chill all over his body. His wallet fell to the ground, and change scattered everywhere.】

Gin’s face was always unpleasant, because these idiots around him always challenged the limits of his patience.

【…

Conan found an opportunity to stick the bug and transmitter to Tequila’s shoe sole. He quietly followed him to the restroom, stood outside the restroom, and opened the receiver on his glasses to eavesdrop on the movements inside.

“Strange…”

“Why can’t I get in?”

“Huh? It’s open?”

“Ah!”

Before Conan could even think about what the other party had encountered that caused such a scream, an explosion suddenly occurred in the restroom. Flames burst forth. If Conan hadn’t been standing behind the wall, he would have been directly hit by the shockwave of the explosion.】

Kudo Yusaku said, “Shinichi, you need to be more careful when you act. Luck can happen many times, but misfortune often only happens once.”

Kudo Shinichi learned: “I know, I’ll pay more attention.”

【…

An explosion occurred in a densely populated area of Tokyo. The Tokyo police immediately took action, with Inspector Megure still leading the team.

While listening to the police questioning, Conan had many questions. The strangest thing was the Mantendo icon attached to the outside of the briefcase.

If the bomb was placed in the restroom, this icon would not be curved outwards like it was now, but inwards. But the fact was that the bomb was placed inside the briefcase.

So, the key now is to find the person who traded with him!

Conan accidentally saw the number plate placed on Ran Mouri.

Number 96, Number 100.

Wait, he heard Tequila say that the luggage number plate he was going to pick up was Number 98.

It turned out that Tequila’s trading partner was among those three people who cut in line.

But even if it was to silence someone, why would they do it in such a place? It didn’t make sense. Also, based on the voices he heard at the time, Tequila didn’t get the key to that briefcase, and the briefcase was inexplicably unlocked…

Did he get something wrong?

Many people nearby were queuing to pick up their luggage. An explosion had occurred here, and everyone wanted to leave as soon as possible.

It was Hidemasa Nakajima’s trio’s turn. Hiroshige Takeshita took out his number plate, which was 99. Mitsuji Ueda’s was 97, and Hidemasa Nakajima’s was 124.】

The person who traded with Tequila was clearly Hidemasa Nakajima.

“So he killed Tequila,” Yukiko Kudo understood the trick and pointed out the person she thought was the murderer.

“It wasn’t him. Things are not that simple,” Kudo Yusaku said.

“Eh? Is that so? I thought I finally saw a murder method that I could figure out at a glance,” Yukiko Kudo was a little disheartened.

In the video, Conan had already seen through the truth. He thought to himself, it turns out they killed the wrong person.

【…

Time was pressing. If they let people go home, they might not find the murderer, and the person who traded with the Black Organization couldn’t be allowed to leave either.

Conan immediately took action, aiming his watch-type tranquilizer dart at Kogoro Mouri. Unfortunately, Ran Mouri happened to walk over, and it stuck to the number plate in her back pocket.

There was only one tranquilizer dart, and it needed to be removed.

Conan quietly approached and reached his hand towards Ran Mouri’s butt… behind the tranquilizer dart.

Ran Mouri felt a hand touch her butt and was startled.

“Pervert!” Ran Mouri kicked fiercely sideways, then turned around to see Conan behind her.

Ran Mouri frowned at Conan: “Was it you?”

Conan quickly explained: “I saw something dirty on your pants, so…”

Ran Mouri was stunned. What was that feeling of kicking something under her foot then?

She looked up, and oh, she had kicked her father, who was resting by the pillar.】

Kogoro Mouri’s face turned black, and he said to Ran Mouri again, “Ran, give that brat a good punch!”

Ran Mouri felt guilty towards Kogoro Mouri, but asking her to lay a hand on Kudo Shinichi was a bit unreasonable. Forget it, she’d just pretend not to hear.

“Hey, Ran, didn’t you hear me?” Kogoro Mouri waved his hand in dissatisfaction.

【…

Although… well, but the result was what he wanted. Conan immediately took out his bow-tie voice changer, adjusted his voice, and said in Kogoro Mouri’s voice, “Ran, I’m fine. Thanks to you, I’ve understood something.”】