"..."
Fujino fell silent for a moment, then sighed. "Over a hundred people? What, do you think you're fighting terrorism?"
"Don't tell me everyone has a gun, too?"
Yamamura Misao scratched his head sheepishly. "They're a criminal organization, after all. I just wanted to prepare more manpower in case something happened."
So you've never actually dealt with a criminal organization before, have you?
And you're not worried their guns might misfire and get you held accountable afterward.
Still, over a hundred people would be pretty damn impressive. I could really show off.
Fujino gave him a deadpan stare as he grumbled internally, then said helplessly, "Do you know how huge a scene it'd be with over a hundred people?"
"If over a hundred of your people show up, they'll spot us before we even get up the mountain. You could probably surround the entire mountain."
"Forget fifty people—you could surround fifty people and wrap them up like dumplings..."
"Fine. Have those people stay hidden. Be careful not to let them get discovered and alert the enemy..."
"Understood."
Meanwhile, Conan hurried into the Winter Crimson Leaf Forest.
He ran to the large tree where Ran had previously found the red handkerchief tied.
Turning on the light of his tranquilizer watch, he began digging beneath the tree.
As he dug, he found something buried beneath it.
It was a skull deeply buried in the dirt. Even the flesh had completely rotted away.
Conan's expression turned serious for a moment, but then a wicked grin curled across his lips, and he grew excited. "Now I just need to find a way to lure that person over here..."
"Ran won't work. She's directionally challenged and forgetful, so she's definitely forgotten where this place is."
"Fujino won't work either... If he finds out, who