Human Favors and 'Accidents'

Yamamura Misao was momentarily stunned. He glanced at Fujino and felt that the other person was so young that it was unlikely that he was an advisor or anything like that.

But since that old man has already said that...

Yamamura Misao swallowed hard. "Is your work ID real?"

Fujino pulled out his work ID again and waved it around.

"Then why didn't you say so just now?!"

Unable to resist calling out, Yamamura Misao was about to take out his phone to call his superior when he realized he had left it in the police car.

"..."

After a moment of silence, Yamamura Misao knelt on the ground, tears welling up in his eyes. "I let the murderer go during the on-site verification... and then I didn't report that there were children in the forest... I'm definitely going to be dismissed!"

"Well, I think dismissal is actually the lightest punishment."

Fujino rubbed his chin meaningfully and said, "If it causes any negative consequences, we might even be held legally responsible... You don't want that... cough hum."

"How so!?"

Yamamura Misao's face stiffened as the scene of tears behind Yamamura Misao flashed through his mind. "I still have my grandmother to care for in her old age and see her off when she dies..."

Just as he was about to wipe away his tears, Fujino suddenly spoke up again, "Actually... there is a solution to this problem."

Yamamura Misao, as if grasping at a straw, asked, "What method!?"

Fujino said, "Why not just bring the child to justice before Numabuchi Kiichiro finds him?"

"What kind of method is this...?"

Yamamura Misao pursed his lips, feeling that what he said was as good as nothing, "If it were really that easy to find, we would have found it long ago... Besides, that guy Numabuchi Kiichiro is a ruthless serial killer!"

Fujino: "..."

After a moment of silence, Fujino felt that Cao-ge was making a big fuss over nothing.

Isn't that just Numabuchi Kiichiro?

He was the one who personally took him down and sent him to the police station back then.

What's there to be afraid of?

"Brother Fujino is super amazing!"

Suddenly, Ayumi spoke up, "We'll definitely be able to catch that murderer!"

"That's right, that's right!"

Genta chimed in, "He's just a murderer; we can take care of him in a couple of moves."

Yamamura Misao: "..."

Are you two alright?

That's a murderer!

Aren't you all afraid?

After a moment of silence, Yamamura Misao seemed to suddenly remember something and muttered, "But speaking of which, the name Fujino sounds kind of familiar..."

"High School Detective Fujino?"

"Yes, yes, that's it!"

Yamamura Misao tapped his hands in agreement.

However, he quickly recovered and pointed with a surprised finger. "You're that High School Detective Fujino Doji!?"

"Doesn't it have a name?"

Fujino pointed to the name section of his work ID.

"It really is the Great Detective, Fujino!"

Yamamura Misao immediately grabbed his hands excitedly. "Since there's Great Detective here, I'm saved!"

"Don't worry, I'll take care of catching Numabuchi Kiichiro."

Fujino patted his shoulder and said in a deep voice, "The reason I didn't reveal my identity to that officer was to help you, Officer Yamamura. After all, if I had revealed my identity, the fact that a child ran into the forest would have been impossible to hide, and the punishment from above would have been much harsher."

"So that's how it is. No wonder you're Great Detective!"

Yamamura Misao wiped her eyes and said, "I'm so touched that they're thinking of me like this."

"Hey! What's the big deal? Police and civilians are one family."

The two sang in harmony, like brothers who hadn't seen each other for many years.

"..."

Professor Agasa and the other children stood silently to the side.

Meanwhile, Haibara and Conan, who understand Fujino and whose minds remain sharp despite his shrunken body, immediately see through the truth of the matter.

Fujino is fooling idiots again...

The relationship between Japan police officers and detectives varies from person to person. Some officers don't mind detectives helping them, while others have deep prejudices against detectives.

In this situation, cultivating a good relationship with the police becomes an essential skill for detectives—at least for Fujino.

Just like Megure, who maintains a neutral to friendly attitude towards detectives, Fujino also appreciates this kind of attitude.

Yamamura Misao, being simple-minded, indecisive, and having a positive attitude towards detective work, is naturally the type Fujino prefers.

After all, this type of person is easier to control. As for control... it doesn't mean they are real puppets, but rather a stable resource.

Where there are people, there are human relationships, and helping others usually involves returning the favor in kind, whether it's something of equal or unequal value.

By doing this, Fujino was essentially taking a gamble with his intuition, and by doing so, he also inadvertently gained the favor of a future police inspector, or even a higher-ranking police officer.

A police officer with unlimited potential might have unexpected benefits at a crucial moment...

After all, being a detective is a skill in itself.

Detective work isn't just about fighting and killing; it's about human relationships and 'incidents'!

After all, without accidents, where would human relationships come from...

Of course, the most important thing is that Brother Cao is easy to fool.

As darkness fell, the group continued their search for Mitsuhiko in the forest.

However, in addition to Mitsuhiko, there is another target— Numabuchi Kiichiro.

Fujino and Yamamura walked at the front of the group, while Ayumi, following behind, asked Conan worriedly, "Have you contacted Mitsuhiko yet?"

"No..."

Conan shook his head slightly. "He hasn't answered since just now."

"What on earth is he doing?"

Genta guessed from the side, "Could she have fallen asleep somewhere?"

Ai Haibara silently lowered her head and rested her chin on her hand, then suddenly said, "Could she have already met a tragic end?"

"Hello..."

Professor Agasa couldn't help but feel a bit embarrassed. "Haibara..."

"That should be impossible."

Mitsuhiko, who already knew why Mitsuhiko had come and had just texted Fujino, suddenly spoke up, "After we arrived in the forest, the cursor was still moving. If he had been killed, the cursor should have stopped. And based on the cursor's trajectory described by Conan, I think he's more likely lost."

"Getting lost is indeed quite possible, but I'm just guessing."

Ai Haibara's expression turned slightly serious as she continued, "After all, the person hiding in this forest is a murderer who committed countless murders in the Tohoku region, Kanto, Tokyo, Chiba, and the Kinki region almost a year ago. It's not surprising to think that way."

"You really know a lot..."

Conan turned around, slightly surprised in a low voice. "I thought you didn't usually pay attention to these kinds of things."

"I just happened to see it..."

Ai Haibara paused for a moment, then casually replied, "Besides, I do read the newspaper regularly, okay?"

Conan glanced at her and chuckled, "But you mostly read reports about Fujino, right?"