Kudo Shinnosuke

"Talk. Where did you lock Professor Agasa away?"

"Not talking, huh? Have you heard of the Eight Great Tortures of the Qing Dynasty? Blood Eagle, Bamboo Torture, Water Torture, Rat Torture, Spanish Donkey, Catherine Wheel, Nail Torture, Iron Maiden, or Bronze Bull—pick one."

Professor Agasa was still unconscious as Guchuan arrogantly held a gun to the Kudo couple's heads.

"Guchuan, their mouths are still gagged," Conan said, tugging at Guchuan's clothes.

"Of course I know. It's just to scare them. Did you forget when we interrogated Kameida before? The moment he got scared, he immediately confessed," Guchuan said.

Conan nodded as if he understood.

Sure enough, Guchuan had his reasons for doing things.

Yusaku Kudo kept mumbling through the cloth in his mouth, trying to spit it out, but his struggles made him feel nauseous.

Yukiko Kudo was also on the verge of tears, frantically rocking her chair.

"Very good. I like prisoners who fidget around like you." Guchuan walked toward Yukiko Kudo and gave Conan a look that said, "Don't come interrupt me."

Conan admitted that he really was no match for Guchuan when it came to interrogations, so he obediently watched him act.

Conan watched Guchuan loosen the woman's ropes without reacting. Guchuan must have had a reason for doing it.

Then Conan watched Guchuan start taking off the woman's clothes, and he couldn't—

"Guchuan! What are you doing?!"

Conan hurried over and grabbed Guchuan.

"Guchuan, don't do anything rash or stupid!" Conan felt that Guchuan must be having some kind of episode, or he would not have been so indiscriminate.

Yukiko Kudo was terrified stiff. It felt like she was about to stumble into the plot of an adult film.

"Conan, let go. I, Guchuan, abide by the law. I definitely won't do anything stupid." Guchuan speechlessly lifted Conan up, then tore the mask off Yukiko Kudo's face with one hand.

Conan stared blankly at that familiar face.

"I just thought her body proportions looked off. I figured she had disguised her figure." Guchuan pulled open Yukiko Kudo's coat as well, and her bloated figure instantly became curvaceous.

"Mom?!"

"Hehe, Conan."

Yukiko Kudo forced an awkward smile. This was not exactly a wonderful reunion.

Conan ran to the side and removed Yusaku Kudo's mask.

"Dad!"

"Shinichi, I never expected us to recognize each other again like this." Once the cloth was removed from his mouth, Yusaku Kudo faced Conan with calm composure. "Untie me first."

Conan reached over to untie him.

"Wait!" Guchuan lifted Conan up again and placed him in Yukiko Kudo's arms.

"I have something I want to say to Mr. Yusaku Kudo."

"You can say it after you untie me," Yusaku Kudo said.

Faced with the somewhat unhinged Guchuan, Yusaku Kudo felt a little afraid inside.

"We'll talk like this." Guchuan gave Yusaku Kudo no room to bargain.

Conan's expression was complicated. Guchuan seemed to have a problem with his dad.

"Why haven't you written a new novel yet?"

Conan let out a sigh of relief. So he was just a reader demanding updates.

"I've already started a new book. This outfit I'm wearing is also based on Baron of the Night from the book," Yusaku Kudo said, though he was skeptical that Guchuan was really a fan of his work.

"Is that so?" Guchuan nodded in surprise.

"Then why aren't you updating faster?!"

"I don't have any inspiration," Yusaku Kudo said.

"If writers stop writing whenever they lack inspiration, do female bodhisattvas stop receiving customers whenever they lack desire?"

How vulgar. Comparing writers to... Yusaku Kudo felt like he had already been tainted. And he suspected Guchuan was not his fan at all; he just wanted an excuse to beat him up.

At his father's pleading look, Conan untied Yusaku Kudo as well. The four of them sat on the sofa in awkward silence.

The Kudo couple felt embarrassed and ashamed at having been captured by their own son. Conan felt awkward because he had kidnapped his parents. Guchuan was awkward along with them.

"So, when did you return to Japan?" Conan was the first to speak.

"Yesterday," Yukiko Kudo said.

"Ahem."

Yusaku Kudo coughed and stood up.

"After we returned to Japan and found that you weren't home, Professor Agasa told us you had become smaller. That was why we arranged this little event to test your deductive skills. As expected, you, our outstanding child, found the clues and tracked us here—and even made such 'formidable' friends."

"I really thought you were from that organization." Conan folded his arms unhappily and turned his head away.

"Shinichi, do you want to leave this dangerous country with us and live abroad?" Yusaku Kudo asked.

"I have a friend in the UN Police Department. If we ask him, his organization can help us investigate. I'm sure we'll get that drug soon, and your body will return to normal."

"No!" Conan firmly refused Yusaku Kudo.

"This is my own problem. I'll solve it myself!"

"You'll solve it yourself? This time, it was only an organization we played at being. What would you do if that organization really showed up? With your temperament, it's only a matter of time before their people notice you," Yusaku Kudo persuaded him.

"What are you talking about?! I'm not as reckless or attention-seeking as I used to be," Conan said indignantly.

"Is that so? 'Sleeping Elementary School Detective—Edogawa Conan.'"

"Um..." Conan flailed as he tried to explain, but Yusaku Kudo would not listen. Left with no choice, he turned a pleading look toward Guchuan.

You're the one who started this. Help me explain!

Guchuan silently looked after Professor Agasa, who was still asleep, and had no intention of getting involved in the Kudo family's domestic affairs.

"Um," Guchuan said as he stood up.

"I won't get involved in your family matters. My sister is calling me home for dinner."

Ignoring Conan's attempts to stop him, Guchuan slipped away.

He was not worried Conan would leave Japan at all. How could Kudo Shinnosuke bear to leave Ran behind?

After leaving the Beika Grand Hotel, Guchuan hailed a taxi and left.

"I'm living very well in Japan. I don't want to leave and go live somewhere unfamiliar at all!"

While Conan was still arguing with his parents, he suddenly glanced at an email on his phone.

Guchuan: The car I drove you here in was borrowed from someone—I don't know who. Remember to return it. Remember to compensate the hotel for the room door, and clean up Professor Agasa's house. Clean up the bullet marks from where I fired in the hotel room, too. Someone may report the gunshots, so deal with the police for me. Also...

Didn't you say the car was borrowed from a friend?

Conan read through the email line by line, his blood pressure steadily rising.

Suddenly, he felt that going somewhere without Guchuan might actually be pretty nice.

This chapter will be getting a trial recommendation next week. I hope all you wonderful readers can help scroll to the last page and tap follow-up reading.