Going Further Down the Road to Self-Destruction

"So the auntie's husband died in an avalanche..."

Ran's voice came from inside, sounding like she was chopping something with a kitchen knife.

"Yes, it happened to be February 14th four years ago."

Standing to the side, Funakawa explained, "It was Saburo who dug him out of the snow. He had been buried in the snow for a week when he was found. However, besides the former boss, there was another person buried in the snow who we haven't found yet."

That's my brother.

Ganli mentioned, "After that avalanche, he also disappeared. The police said that he may have died in the avalanche, which is why they couldn't find him no matter how hard they dug... But I always felt that he was still alive, so I come here every year to pay my respects to my former boss's tombstone, since my brother's tombstone is right next to it."

She paused for a moment, then continued, "I'm sorry, we're talking about making chocolate, but it's such a heavy topic."

"Saburo, is that the name of that Shikoku dog?"

Ai Haibara then looked up and asked, "If it's Saburo, there should also be two dogs named Taro and Jiro, right?"

"That's right."

Funakawa nodded in agreement. "However, Taro and Jiro passed away a long time ago."

"I see..."

Ran expressed her regret, while Sonoko exclaimed, "But Saburo is really amazing. He was able to find his owner even after only a Saburo. He's just like Hachiko from the movie."

"Because the Shikoku dog is a breed that is very loyal to its owner."

Ai Haibara said calmly, "Although untrained Shikoku dog are very irritable, once trained, they become very docile. They are also hunting dogs and can actively seek out their owners. This is the quality of this breed. Because their personality and appearance are very similar to those of a samurai, they are called samurai-like dogs."

"I really want to have one too..."

Upon hearing this, Sonoko looked up and dreamed for a moment.

"However, medium-sized dogs eat a lot, and they also poop a lot."

Ai Haibara immediately poured cold water on the idea. "If you don't train well, you'll make a mess of the house."

"Then let's forget about it."

Sonoko decisively chose to give up; she didn't want to waste her precious youth on a cute dog repairman.

At that moment, Conan and Fujino had been eavesdropping outside the door, pushed it open.

Conan asked the group, "Um, do you need any help?"

"Da mei da mei!"

Pinkawa turned around and sternly refused, "How can boys easily come in when girls are making Valentine's Day chocolates? Even children are not allowed. If they don't do it right, they might get hurt like Er Heng!"

"Feel sorry..."

Conan apologized and closed the door.

Turning back, she gave Fujino a resentful look as he hid by the door.

That guy is really mean!

He ran behind the door to avoid the commotion!

After being kicked out of the restaurant, Conan returned to the living room dejectedly with Fujino, who hadn't been scolded.

Conan glanced at Fujino, unsure what to say. After all, he didn't really enjoy awkwardly chatting with this old man, Fujino, while pretending to be a child...

So he simply sat down and started watching the Detective Saburou" Zammonji" on TV.

Fujino simply lay down on the sofa, closed his eyes, and sent out the Black Ghost.

The shadow attached to my feet gradually detached from my body, quietly slipping out through the cracks in the floor and into the outdoors.

The main body closes its eyes, clears its mind, and rests; the shadow consumes very little mental energy.

It's perfect for sneaking out to play... or rather, scouting during awkward moments.

The Black Ghost transformed into Xiao Hei and strode away from the villa into the woods, beginning its search for the man it had encountered earlier.

Soon, he found the man with all his buffs... except that there was a big bearded man next to him.

In the forest.

"So, have you made up your mind?"

Er Heng leaned against a large tree, carrying a backpack, and looked at the other person with great interest, his tone slightly condescending.

"I can't make this decision on my own."

The bearded man's tone was also not good; his voice was somewhat low as he said, "My companion hasn't arrived yet. We'll talk about it when he gets here."

"I must warn you, don't try anything funny!"

Er Heng frowned upon hearing this. "Cash on delivery. Don't expect me to agree if I don't see cash."

"The money is in that guy's hands, I don't have any money."

The bearded man continued, "If you want money, you'd better wait patiently."

"Tsk..."

Er Heng clicked his tongue. "That makes sense, after all, you two were both involved in that incident back then."

He paused, then continued, "But back then, it was my brother-in-law who died, and the price..."

What do you mean?

A cold glint flashed in the bearded man's eyes.

"Of course, it's more money."

Er Heng's lips curled slightly as he said coldly, "If it weren't for those two shots, he wouldn't have died, and the owner of this villa wouldn't have been crushed to death by an avalanche while trying to save someone. My videotape records everything clearly. If I expose it, you two will probably both end up in jail!"

"Snort..."

The bearded man snorted coldly, "I'll consider it. Let's wait until that guy arrives."

"Then take your time to think about it. Anyway, that thing is in my hands."

Er Heng left after saying that.

"That despicable guy..."

The bearded man watched Er Heng leave, a murderous glint flashing in his eyes.

'Is this kid playing with fire and getting burned?'

On a nearby treetop, a dark figure stood atop a branch, watching the two.

The murderous intent in the bearded man's eyes was obvious; he definitely wanted to wait for his accomplices to arrive so he could double-cross them.

However, he also didn't quite understand what Er Heng was thinking.

Master Jiaqian never plays when he's at a disadvantage; even when he is, he can still win big.

But they were trapped in the mountain villa, and the other party still had guns.

How dare you threaten me like this?

How dare this guy!

The buffs are maxed out, yet they're still going further and further down the path of self-destruction.

Do they feel they haven't lived long enough, or do they think Ke Xueren is too old to lift a gun anymore?

"..."

On the sofa in the villa, Fujino recalled Xiao Hei and sat there in silence for a moment.

If he wasn't mentally unstable, then he must have just happened to stumble upon the scene of an extortion case when he went out for a walk.

If he wasn't mistaken, the bearded man and his accomplices must have shot and killed Er Heng's brother-in-law, Ganli's brother, in the past.

The hotel's former owner was also killed in an avalanche triggered by the shooting.

That makes sense now.

Er Heng may have captured some evidence of murder back then, but for some reason, he didn't choose to report it to the police. Now, he's blackmailing those two guys...

As expected of the Conan World, even a visit to the villa can lead to such an exciting case.