Ming Ke Theater Chapter 033

【……

Conan asked, “You weren’t tied up?”

Haibara Ai said, “That’s right, that’s why I’m so anxious. Logically, they shouldn’t have left me untied. Before they come back, you need to listen to me carefully…”

“He won’t be back for a while.” Conan interrupted Haibara Ai, the “he” in his words referring to Pisco.

“After you disappeared, I called Inspector Megure,” Conan briefly explained his actions and his deduction about the handkerchief, then said, “I’ll first ask the hotel staff where the rarely used wine cellar is, and then rescue you. As long as I tell them a girl was accidentally locked inside, they should open the door.”

Haibara Ai disagreed with this method: “Idiot, didn’t I tell you that anyone involved with me will be killed? So the staff member who helped me escape won’t have a good end.”】

Akai Mary said, “Ai-chan, you’re quite considerate of others. You used to worry about implicating Professor Agasa and your friends, and now you even consider unrelated people. Only kind-hearted people would do such a thing, so don’t hate yourself. Your true color is white.”

Haibara Ai was touched by her words, but she was ultimately a cowardly person. In the past, she lacked the courage to resist, and the things she had done were still objectively real, leaving her powerless to argue.

【……

“Do you know Hercule Poirot’s Romanization?” Haibara Ai asked Conan on the other end.

“Huh?” Conan was confused, “What are you doing? Did you drink the Bai Gan wine?”

Haibara Ai sat by the computer: “I did. Although I don’t know what effect it has, I feel a bit uncomfortable after drinking it. Just tell me Poirot’s Romanization first.”

“Hercule Poirot. Why are you asking?”

“I want to save the APTX- 4869 data into an MO disk on the organization’s computer, but it requires a password.” Haibara Ai said as she typed, “No, Poirot’s name doesn’t work.”

Conan asked, “Using Poirot’s name as the password? What’s going on?”

“Its series number is 4869, which sounds a lot like Sherlock in Japanese pronunciation. Because people in the organization once called this drug ‘the crippled great detective’ when it was still in the development stage. But now it seems, trying out one great detective’s name after another isn’t an easy task.”

Conan was silent for a moment, then thought and said, “Shelling Ford. Its Romanization is ShellingFord. Try that first.”

Haibara Ai typed in the string of letters, a little puzzled: “Is there such a person?…” She pressed enter, and it actually went through.

Haibara Ai was astonished: “How is that possible? It really opened, why?”

Conan said, “Shelling Ford was a name Conan Doyle tried before naming the detective in his novel Sherlock, which means ‘the great detective in the trial stage.’”】

Bourbon glanced at Kudo Shinichi: “I didn’t expect this detective to be quite clever.”

Vermouth’s heart skipped a beat. Being a focal point for the organization was clearly not a good thing, but the current video was clearly centered around COOL GUY, and she couldn’t stop it at all.

Bourbon was a rising code-named member in the organization in recent years. He was very capable and wouldn’t easily let go once he latched onto a target. Moreover, he had somehow learned her secret, and they were in a delicate stage of cooperation. If she turned against him now, it would be detrimental to both herself and COOL GUY.

At this point, it seemed she could only take things one step at a time.

【……

“Haibara, be careful, they’re here!” Conan saw Gin and Vodka get out of the car and walk into the hotel, “You hide in the fireplace first.”

Two seconds passed, and Conan received no response, worriedly asking: “Hey, what’s wrong? Hey!”

Haibara Ai, who had drunk the Bai Gan wine, felt a sharp pain in her heart. The intense pain came, causing the unprepared Haibara Ai to let out a terrible scream.

The experienced Conan quickly knew what was happening to her. He dialed Inspector Megure’s number: “Inspector Megure, this is Kudo. Please question the identities of those two men in black who just entered the hotel.”

Inspector Megure was puzzled and did as Conan urged, but according to the police feedback from the first floor, the entrance was completely blocked by reporters who had rushed to the scene, making it impossible to tell who was who.

“Bang.” A short gunshot. Vodka used a silenced pistol to break the lock on the wine cellar door and walked in, but there was no one inside.

“Huh? Pisco isn’t here? He said we’d meet at the parking lot near the hotel in 30 minutes, but then there was no news. Following the transmitter, I only found the computer, but not him. By the way, why would he come to the wine cellar?”

Gin checked around, slowly walking towards the fireplace: “This might be a room Pisco prepared as a precaution. If he took action outside the venue, he would probably place the body here.”

Vodka said, “Anyway, let’s leave this hotel quickly.”

Gin smiled playfully: “Hmm, alright.”

Hearing the wine cellar door close and no movement inside, Haibara Ai finally dared to breathe loudly.

Conan asked, “Are they gone?”

Haibara Ai: “Mmm…”

Conan: “Then do you have clothes…”

Haibara Ai: “Pervert, I have clothes. It’s the cleaning staff’s uniform from the wine cellar. I also brought the MO disk with the drug data. But it’s truly surprising, does Bai Gan wine contain elements that can accelerate cell proliferation?”

She was very interested in this question now.

Conan said, “Don’t get too happy too soon. It only works for a while. You need to escape through the chimney before you turn back into a child.”】

“No matter how many times I watch it, it’s still amazing. How can a person’s body shrink and grow like that?” Hattori Heiji said, “It’s like magic.”

“Yes, it’s a pity I don’t research this area, otherwise I could be an assistant to Ai-chan or something.” Professor Agasa said regretfully. He was old, and even if he changed his research direction, he wouldn’t have the opportunity.

Haibara Ai said, “Professor, you’re doing enough by just eating less sugar.”

Professor Agasa rubbed his head: “Hahahaha.”

Bourbon had already noted down this wine, Bai Gan, thinking that he must find someone to research it after he got out, or perhaps he could get Haibara Ai’s research data. Then, even if he couldn’t get the organization’s drug, he should be able to deduce something from the data.

Gin also thought about Bai Gan wine, considering the organization’s purpose in developing this drug. If he had the lab personnel research this wine, would there be an unexpected gain?

He felt a bit expectant.