Ming Ke Theater Chapter 025

The organization conducted several in-depth investigations into the mysterious disappearance of Sherry from the laboratory, but they found no answers.

During this process, they found a few small rats lurking within the organization, but none of them were related to the Sherry incident.

After seeing Sherry’s shrunken appearance, they had a vague answer in their minds. Now, hearing her describe her escape process, it thoroughly confirmed their suspicions.

“I can’t believe it was like this. No wonder our investigations yielded nothing back then,” Vodka said.

The video continued.

[…

“With nowhere else to go, I could only think of you, Kudo Shinichi. We’re in the same boat, so I thought you’d definitely understand me,” Haibara Ai said.

This made Conan furious. “What are you talking about? How could I possibly understand someone who makes poison to kill people! Do you know how many people your poison has killed?”

Haibara Ai lowered her head, her gaze fixed on an unknown spot. “I couldn’t help it… I never intended to make poison in the first place…”

“What?” Conan couldn’t accept her cold attitude from the bottom of his heart.

Professor Agasa tried to persuade him beside him. “Let it go, she’s already left the organization.”

At this point, Conan thought of something. “Since she’s the inventor, the antidote should be developed soon, right?”

Haibara Ai spread her hands, helpless. “All the data is in the research facility, and there’s so much information, how could I remember it all?”

Conan: “Then tell me the location of the lab!”

“It’s useless.” Haibara Ai stood up and unfolded a newspaper, which reported on a fire at a pharmaceutical company. “Look, it’s from three days ago’s evening paper. Going there would be pointless.”

Jodie’s eyes darkened. “That organization’s actions are, as always, swift and leave no trace.”

James guessed she might be thinking of her family’s fate and didn’t want to say anything that would rub salt in her wounds. He could only sigh inwardly.

[…

Haibara Ai said, “I bet they’re going crazy looking for me, though they don’t know I’ve turned into this… But if the organization continues to use this drug for assassination plans, there might be more cases like ours. When that happens, they’ll know my childhood appearance and they’ll definitely find me.”

She was quiet for a moment, then spoke again in the stagnant atmosphere, “Well? Do you still want to kick me, this troublesome person, out? High school detective, Kudo Shinichi?”

She was threatening him.

Conan could only say, “If your secret is exposed, I’ll be discovered by them sooner or later too. Although I feel bad for the Professor, you should just stay here as an elementary school student. If you run around and get discovered, it’ll only cause more trouble.”

Kudo Shinichi thought to himself that during that time, he had been wary of Haibara Ai, but who would have thought that this woman, who grew up under the organization’s surveillance, was completely different from those people? People’s hearts always change, and now, he already regarded her as an important partner.

Haibara Ai also didn’t expect such a significant change in her own psychology. Despite having done such unforgivable things, she had to admit that deep down, she still yearned for a good life.

[…

“Wait… I just remembered, she sent me two or three floppy disks with photos from a trip she took a few years before she died. I browsed them on the lab computer and then sent them back to her. Later, the floppy disk with the drug data went missing, and I searched everywhere but couldn’t find it.” Haibara Ai recalled this.

Conan said, “I see. The floppy disk you sent back to your sister might have contained the floppy disk with that drug data.”

“Then let’s go look for it at your sister’s place…” Professor Agasa said.

“It’s no use. After her death, the organization completely cleared out her apartment. Everything should have been disposed of,” Haibara Ai recalled what happened then. “However, she once said that the university professor who went on the trip with her was the one who scanned the photos onto the floppy disk.”

“Do you know who that professor is?” Conan asked.

“Professor Masami Hirota of Nanyo University.”

Since they knew who it was, they quickly contacted him and scheduled a visit. However, coincidentally, when they arrived, Professor Masami Hirota had been murdered.

“What a coincidence? Was it done by that Black Organization?” Mouri Kogoro stated his guess.

Kudo Shinichi said, “It wasn’t them, but we haven’t ruled out that possibility yet.”

There were many voices in the phone recording, one of which sounded like Vodka.

[…

Conan searched for clues at the crime scene. Haibara Ai watched his busy figure and recalled a meeting with her sister.

“Edogawa Conan?” Miyano Shiho said.

“That’s the boy I mentioned to you last time,” Miyano Akemi said. “Didn’t you say you were going to someone’s house in Beika Town to handle some things?”

“Yes, Kudo Shinichi.”

“Hmm, he’s the child from the detective agency near his house,” Miyano Akemi said. “But what’s strange is that this child, despite his young age, has a very calm demeanor and seems quite mature.”

Miyano Shiho wasn’t concerned with these things and asked her sister about other matters. “By the way, are you okay, sister? I heard things have gotten a bit bad.”

Miyano Akemi smiled. “I’m more worried about you, Shiho. Stop making drugs and get a boyfriend or something. I’m fine, sister.”

I’m fine…

I’m fine…

Haibara Ai remembered that newspaper. On it was a report titled “ 1 Billion Yen Robber Commits Suicide,” and there was a photo. Her sister lay under a white sheet, and a boy stood beside her.

Edogawa Conan, no, Kudo Shinichi.

Kudo Shinichi still felt a little ashamed seeing her memories. “Sorry, Haibara, I…”

Haibara Ai immediately interrupted him. “No, I know I was being unreasonable. You had no obligation to save someone unrelated.”

[…

Under Haibara Ai’s unconscious hints, Conan saw through this seemingly accidental locked-room murder.

He chose to use Professor Agasa’s voice to reveal all the truth.

The culprit was the model. He had undergone plastic surgery before becoming a model and suspected Professor Hirota was mocking his appearance. In a fit of rage, he killed him.

Afterward, he came up with a way to fabricate an alibi, but a fake is a fake; no matter how much you fabricate it, it can’t become real, so Conan found the flaw.

Professor Agasa thought for a moment and said in his own voice, “I think Professor Hirota sent you those old photos to tell you not to pretend to be someone else and to have more confidence in yourself.”

A misunderstanding in words caused this tragic case, and the killer’s impulsive actions led to an irreversible outcome.

Professor Agasa said to the police, “By the way, I want to get the disk I need back quickly.”

The police righteously refused. “No! All evidence must be sent back to the station for investigation first.”

There was nothing they could do about it; they just had to leave it at that for now.