Slacker Assassin's Multiverse Daily Chapter 35

"This organization has existed for thousands of years. Countless prominent figures throughout history have died by its assassinations—from Xerxes I before the Common Era to Cleopatra afterward. Even some American presidents who were assassinated throughout history had inextricable ties to that organization... Jiang Hang is a member of it." Yusaku Kudo looked at Conan, who seemed unable to believe it, and patted him on the shoulder.

"More precisely, the main reason we came back this time was both because of you and because we wanted to find out why that organization had suddenly sent someone to Japan," Yusaku Kudo continued.

"Using intelligence sent by an undercover agent the CIA had planted in the Black Organization, we disguised ourselves as members of the Black Organization and used information about a certain 'treasure said to be capable of changing the world order' that the Brotherhood had sought for thousands of years to lure him out. To be honest, this test of yours was actually an accident, because he was the one who proposed trading your information for the intelligence he needed. So your mother and I discussed it, and in the end, we put on this act with him behind your back."

"Of course, other agents were supposed to carry out this mission at first. But since it involved you, your mother and I ultimately chose to handle it personally. Honestly, when we were testing that man last night, I broke out in a cold sweat."

Yusaku Kudo's words contained an overwhelming amount of information, and even Conan could not fully process it all at once.

Yukiko Kudo walked up to her son as well. "The organization Jiang Hang belongs to is far too mysterious. It's even much more dangerous than the Black Organization that turned you into this state. Shinichi, you should come back to the United States with us as soon as possible. Your father has friends in both the FBI and CIA, and that's also a place where the Brotherhood's influence is relatively weak. We'll be able to protect you there."

Conan was now caught in immense hesitation.

Not only had the Black Organization set its sights on him, but another, even more mysterious assassin organization was watching him too. What was he supposed to do now?

Did he really have no choice but to go to the United States with his parents?

If he did not go, Jiang Hang would definitely realize something was wrong. Since that man could sell his information without hesitation, he could certainly kill him without mercy as well!

Though Conan felt that something about this seemed off, his parents were looking at him with grave expressions, leaving him deeply conflicted. Just as he was locked in an inner struggle, the door that had been locked from the inside was suddenly opened from outside!

Facing the door, Conan immediately saw Jiang Hang standing in the doorway with a gloomy expression.

"What a wonderful show you put on for me." Unlike his usual lazy demeanor, Jiang Hang felt like the Grim Reaper of legend to Conan at that moment.

He was dressed in a waiter's uniform, with a fake human-face mask still clutched in his hand. Conan instantly realized that the waiter who had brought them food earlier had been Jiang Hang in disguise!

"If I hadn't discovered last night that the kid was peeking through the door while we were talking, I might really have been fooled by you."

As he walked forward at an unhurried pace, his hidden blade extended from his wrist.

"World-famous mystery novelist Yusaku Kudo, Yukiko Kudo, the household-name actress from eighteen years ago, and the legendary high school detective Shinichi Kudo." Jiang Hang's gaze finally fell on Professor Agasa. "And of course, you too, Professor Agasa. Honestly, a genius like you shouldn't have gotten involved in this operation. Wouldn't it have been better to stay at home and work on your inventions? Compared to Shinichi Kudo, I personally would have preferred to recruit you into our organization. Unfortunately..."

"Run! I'll hold him off—" Before Jiang Hang could finish, Yusaku Kudo had already pulled out a pistol, intending to take Jiang Hang down first.

"Too slow!" However, Jiang Hang was simply far too fast.

Only then did Conan truly understand that Jiang Hang had been telling the truth when he said he could dodge bullets!

From the moment Yusaku Kudo drew his gun to the moment he aimed at Jiang Hang, the entire process had been incredibly brief. Yet before that could happen, Jiang Hang had already driven his hidden blade through Yusaku Kudo's chest.

As Jiang Hang coldly pulled the hidden blade free, Yusaku Kudo slowly collapsed to the floor. His eyes gradually lost their focus as blood gushed from his chest, swiftly staining his shirt red.

Watching his father collapse helplessly before his eyes, Conan felt as though something had clamped around his throat. He could not make a sound at all.

Yet it was not over.

After pulling his hidden blade from Yusaku Kudo's chest, Jiang Hang caught the pistol Yusaku Kudo had dropped.

Without the slightest hesitation, he raised the gun and fired two shots straight into Professor Agasa's and Yukiko Kudo's chests.

As crimson flowers bloomed across their chests, the only people still standing in the room were Jiang Hang and Conan.

Having done all that, Jiang Hang could not help sighing. "How bleak. Looks like I can only leave Japan and have someone else continue the mission. It wasn't easy for me to get out and enjoy life for a few years, yet this happened after only a month."

He grabbed Conan, who stood frozen in disbelief, and said in a sinister tone, "And all of this happened because of you. So tell me, what method should I use to dispose of you?"

His hidden blade moved back and forth between Conan's head, neck, and heart. The thick scent of blood in the air seemed to have no effect on him whatsoever.

If the first prank had made Conan feel the fear of life and death, then witnessing his loved ones die before his eyes this time had left his mind almost completely blank. Even with Jiang Hang pointing his hidden blade at him, it was as though Conan's thoughts had stopped functioning.

"Then this time, it really is over, Conan, you little death-seeker..." As he spoke, Jiang Hang pressed his hidden blade against Conan's chest.

Then, with a sudden BANG from the ceiling, golden rain abruptly began to fall throughout the room.

Next, to Conan's utter shock, the people who had just pranked him once before climbed up from the floor while changing out of the clothes stained by the thick fake blood.

His mother was the most pleased of all. She directly pulled a bag of blood from her chest and made a suggestion to Jiang Hang.

"Jiang Hang, you should shout 'Cut!' at the end. That would make this performance a perfect finale!"

After the Curtain Falls

Once Conan learned the full truth, his face no longer showed any expression at all.

That was only natural. To go from fear to discovering it had been a false alarm, then immediately fall into despair, only to find out it was another false alarm—if someone did not faint from the overwhelming stimulation in such a short time, they could already be considered mentally strong.

His gaze shifted back and forth between his parents, Jiang Hang, and Professor Agasa. Right now, he could not shake the feeling that another twist might suddenly appear at any moment.

Of course, Jiang Hang and Yusaku Kudo were not demons. Pulling the same stunt twice was already enough; if they kept going, they might actually make Conan cough up blood from the shock.

Yukiko Kudo, on the other hand, the former actress who had not had a chance to properly show off her acting skills in a long time, still looked somewhat regretful.

"Actually, I suggested earlier that this scene might be a little too simple. If we added some explosion effects, it could probably rival a Hollywood blockbuster."

Listening to her, Jiang Hang muttered inwardly, What's so special about Hollywood blockbusters? Conan's set will be no worse than those movies in the future.

After Conan's emotions calmed down slightly, Yusaku Kudo crouched before his son and spoke earnestly. "Originally, I had only prepared a test of your deductive abilities. But after hearing what Jiang Hang told me, I felt that you needed to understand your current situation more clearly."

They had already changed into fresh clothes, but the smell of blood in the room would not dissipate so quickly. For now, they could only keep the hotel air conditioning running while opening the windows to clear out the bloody stench as quickly as possible.

Yusaku Kudo explained one by one all the flaws that had allowed Jiang Hang to discover Conan's true identity.

"When it comes to deduction, there is nothing more I can teach you. If you want to improve, you can only build experience and knowledge through more mysteries. Back in Hawaii, I also taught you quite a few other things." He acknowledged that his son was a genius in many ways, but he also mercilessly pointed out his serious shortcomings in certain areas.

"But what you lack now is experience and a sufficiently calm temperament. Too often, you act out of emotion and impulse. After you successfully escaped this morning, you had many options. Yet in the end, you did not seek any support, nor did you check whether your equipment was still intact. After deciphering the clues I left behind, you came here alone. If this had truly been the Black Organization, no one would have been able to save you then."

He looked toward Jiang Hang in the distance. "As for your identity, I really wasn't the one who told him. He noticed it himself long ago. If he truly were from the Black Organization, or another organization coveting the fact that your body suddenly shrank, do you think you would still be standing here safely?"

"When the time comes, not only you but everyone around you could be in danger—me, your mother, Professor Agasa, and even the Mouri Detective Agency where you used to stay."

Conan looked at Jiang Hang with a complicated expression. By now, Jiang Hang had completely shed that top-tier assassin, king-of-special-forces demeanor and returned to the familiar person Conan knew, seemingly utterly unaware of just how much psychological trauma he had inflicted on him moments ago.

Even now, merely seeing the hidden blade strapped to Jiang Hang's wrist made Conan's heart turn cold.

If you'd discovered my identity long ago, then just tell me outright! You had me worrying about you for days, and then you secretly teamed up with my dad to put on this whole act. You nearly scared me to death.

Still, because of this incident, Conan truly began reflecting on his actions over the past month since he had shrunk.

At that moment, Yusaku Kudo once again brought up the matter of having Conan return to the United States with them.

"Other than the parts about Jiang Hang and that Brotherhood being fabricated, I didn't lie to you about anything else. As for the Black Organization, Interpol, the CIA, and even the FBI have all tried sending undercover agents to infiltrate it. Every year, quite a few undercover agents around the world are exposed and killed by that organization. Even now, no one knows who its leader is, nor why they built such a transnational criminal organization... Shinichi, your opponent this time isn't an ordinary person."

"I know you want to become the Sherlock Holmes of the Heisei era, but if you truly intend to face that 'Moriarty,' then as your father, I still hope you can grow up in a healthier, more normal way."

"So come back to the United States with us. Once we figure out what drug that organization used on you, perhaps we can find a way to restore you to your original appearance."

Back on this subject, Conan looked at his father in confusion. What had just happened had shaken his previous determination to remain in Japan.

Jiang Hang, who had been watching from the side, sensed that something was wrong.

Wait, in the original plot, shouldn't this kid have refused without hesitation because of Ran? Why does he look so hesitant now?

Could it be that because I got involved, Yusaku Kudo ramped up what was originally a harmless script, leaving Conan doubting himself?

If this kid really goes back with his parents, wouldn't I lose the chance to show off in front of Conan from now on?

No, Jiang Hang shook that thought from his head. He was a righteous little detective full of positive energy—how could he possibly want to show off in front of Conan?

But if Conan really goes to the United States, wouldn't the Detective Conan setting just end?

Thinking about how, after Conan left, the Detective Boys probably would not keep courting death, how Tokyo's buildings could finally breathe easy without worrying about being blown up, and how the butterfly effect might even lower Japan's accidental death rate by several percentage points in the future...

And once Detective Conan disconnects, won't the stage be mine alone?

At that thought, Jiang Hang felt no disturbance in his heart whatsoever. If anything, he secretly wanted to rejoice.

Conan, hurry up and listen to your dad and mom. Pack your bags and go to the United States.

I'll solve your cases from now on, use the gadgets Professor Agasa invents, and your Ran... Ahem, I'll help you keep an eye out for any other suitors. If any rivals in love show up, I'll notify you right away. Go harass the American people in peace!

But the Detective Conan setting was not so easily disconnected. After hesitating for a long time, Conan ultimately chose to remain in Japan.

Only this time, his reason for staying was not solely because of Ran.

His gaze shifted toward Jiang Hang.

"We need to talk."

The developments afterward did not differ much from the anime.

Yukiko Kudo disguised herself as that woman from before, formally entrusted Conan to the Mouri family, and gave Kogoro Mouri a sizable sum for his care.

After that, Yusaku Kudo and Yukiko Kudo did not remain in Japan for long. At Jiang Hang's suggestion, they even put on an act of being distraught and leaving in a hurry.

Soon afterward, word gradually spread through the police that the high school detective Shinichi Kudo had mysteriously vanished and his whereabouts remained unknown.

This was a necessary measure to ensure that the Black Organization would not realize Shinichi Kudo was still alive.

A day passed, and Conan was now in Jiang Hang's office, receiving his instruction.

"If you want to remain in Japan and secretly investigate information on the Black Organization, of course that's fine. The Black Organization isn't actually as terrifying as your father made them sound. They're not so idle that they'd pay attention to an insignificant little nobody like you," Jiang Hang bluntly pointed out the fact that, in the Black Organization's eyes, Conan could only be considered a minor nobody.

Hearing that, Conan wanted badly to argue, but he could only swallow his anger and accept it. Jiang Hang's fists were bigger, after all, and before leaving, his father had told him to seek Jiang Hang's help if he ran into trouble.

At least in Japan right now, aside from Professor Agasa, Jiang Hang was the only other person who knew he was Shinichi Kudo.

Of course, Conan had his own calculations as well.

Since Jiang Hang truly had nothing to do with those organizations, and since Miyano Akemi's case had put him directly at odds with the Black Organization, then given the sense of justice Jiang Hang had always displayed, he surely wanted to eliminate the Black Organization as soon as possible too.

Conan's body might have shrunk, but that also made him less likely to attract attention. With Professor Agasa's gadgets, so long as he became more vigilant from now on, he could cooperate with Jiang Hang from the shadows.

Going to the United States with his parents, then entrusting Interpol to investigate the Black Organization and obtain an antidote so he could return to normal, was certainly the safest choice. But when Conan thought about how the Black Organization had repeatedly frustrated intelligence agencies from so many countries, he simply could not place his hopes on Interpol.

Leave it to those people, and I might really never get my body back. When it comes to something like this, I still trust my own abilities more.

At heart, he was still quite narcissistic. In deduction and solving cases, aside from his father, Jiang Hang was the only person he had acknowledged so far.

Jiang Hang had The Pioneer Foundation behind him and could use the Foundation's power to investigate the Black Organization. At the same time, Jiang Hang's own judgment was likely no weaker than Conan's, while his powers of observation even surpassed Conan's.

Most importantly, Jiang Hang was extremely cautious as well. Their strengths could complement each other in that regard. If the two of them worked together wholeheartedly against the Black Organization, perhaps they could uncover the organization's weakness faster than Interpol could!

It was precisely after considering this that Conan finally decided to remain in Japan instead of accompanying his parents to the United States.

If Jiang Hang knew that this was what Conan had in mind, he would probably only be able to laugh helplessly.

You used to suspect I was with the Black Organization and spent all day thinking about how to guard against me. Now that your dad and I have taught you a lesson together, you're thinking of clinging to my thigh?

Although it did feel quite satisfying to have Conan voluntarily cling to him, Jiang Hang himself knew he was not much of a thigh to cling to at all.

The Pioneer Foundation was merely a backdrop. The system would not say anything if he borrowed its name to throw his weight around, but expecting to use it to do things for him was wishful thinking.

As for Jiang Hang's current combat ability... he knew perfectly well that he still could not punch through a utility pole barehanded.

If he had his hidden blade, he figured he could exchange a few moves with Makoto Kyogoku, the combat ceiling of the Detective Conan setting. But in barehanded combat alone, Jiang Hang felt that his Intermediate Fighting was still not enough to take on someone like him. At most, with Mind's Eye assisting him, he would not lose too miserably.

Jiang Hang continued giving Conan a "lesson in caution."

"The Black Organization probably won't spend too much effort on you. Besides, your parents have gradually spread the news of your disappearance, so they likely won't realize you're still alive."

"But that doesn't mean you can keep being so high-profile. If you want to protect yourself and the people important to you while also investigating the Black Organization, then you have to suppress that urge to show off," Jiang Hang said, pointing at Conan's anesthetic wristwatch.

"Your dad asked me to properly teach you what it means to be careful and cautious, so I'm telling you now: don't use that thing unless it's absolutely necessary. Especially not on your 'future father-in-law.' It's only been a month, but you've probably anesthetized him seven or eight times already, right? Even if that guy really hasn't noticed anything, aren't you worried you'll give him some kind of side effects someday?"

Jiang Hang placed special emphasis on "future father-in-law," making Conan flush red as he tried to deny anything between himself and Ran Mori.

"That couldn't be helped! With Uncle Mori's abilities... honestly, solving cases isn't easy for him. I had no choice! And Ran and I are still innocent!"

Jiang Hang ignored Conan's final excuse. What he had been waiting for was what Conan said earlier.

He pretended to ponder for a moment before speaking to Conan.

"As for that problem... it actually isn't hard to solve."

"If you run into a case in the future, you can first find some clues and use them to give your father-in-law a hint. If he understands what you mean and the case gets solved smoothly, that would naturally be best. But if your hints don't work, you can contact me directly and tell me what you know. Then I'll notify Inspector Megure."

That was right—this was the best method Jiang Hang had come up with to openly piggyback on Conan's cases.

Conan encountered a murder or kidnapping every two or three days on average. Jiang Hang had his own things to do, so he couldn't possibly keep watch on Conan at all times just to mooch off cases.

But now, everything had been perfectly resolved.

As long as Conan was forbidden from using the anesthetic needle on Kogoro Mouri, and Kogoro Mouri continued performing as usual, then no matter how desperately Conan hinted at things, the man would probably find it difficult to uncover the truth.

That meant the rest could only be left to him, the great Eagle Eye Detective!

Jiang Hang imagined how, in the future, he would only need to sit in his office and wait for Conan—the guy favored by the God of Death—to stumble upon a case, search for clues, uncover the truth, and then notify him to come help wrap things up.

In the end, Conan would satisfy his desire to solve cases, while Jiang Hang, though he wouldn't get to experience the thrill of deduction and cracking cases, could at least receive a bit of negligible money and reputation from the system rewards as compensation.

At that thought, Jiang Hang couldn't help but lean back slightly in a tactical recline.