Conan: I Feel Like There's a Mastermind in the Organization

Driven into the bedroom by Little Ai to sleep, Guchuan unwillingly curled up on the bed and played Tetris.

He had to secretly install a TV in his bedroom behind Little Ai's back, then stay up watching it all night.

"Guchuan."

Knowing Guchuan was bored, the thoughtful Conan called again to bring him some entertainment.

"Conan." Guchuan answered the phone solemnly.

He still thought highly of this employee who only needed one dinner to deliver five results.

"Two more people died, and I still haven't found any clues." Conan's voice carried an indescribable weariness.

Guchuan was terrified.

Conan, could you slow down a little? Being this fast was going to make Gin suspect me. This wasn't efficiency any human could have.

"Conan, take care of yourself. Don't wear yourself out."

Guchuan decided to buy more supplements for Conan. His little body was precious now.

"I will." Hearing Guchuan's concerned words, Conan felt warmth spread through his heart. To care about and help you when you were at your lowest—what kind of incredible friend was that?

"Guchuan, I suspect there's a mastermind in the organization."

"Tell me more." Guchuan perked up.

Which worthy talent could possibly be called a mastermind by Conan?

"All of those people who were killed were murdered by someone close to them. And the reasons for the murders were extremely far-fetched, while the motives were very strange." Conan's face was full of suspicion.

"Oh? So you suspect someone incited them to kill?" Guchuan held back his laughter until his stomach hurt.

In this peaceful city, didn't people kill over the smallest things? Most people connected to the organization weren't good people anyway. Their personalities were terrible, so it was perfectly normal for them to make lots of enemies.

Besides, with you, the Grim Reaper, going after them, it would be hard for them not to die.

"That's right. I think there's a criminal mastermind in the organization who approaches those 'murderers' and lures them into killing, thereby keeping himself out of it." Conan analyzed reasonably.

"I think you might be onto something." Guchuan gave Conan his approval.

"So when you investigate those 'murderers' in the future, you should also investigate who they came into contact with."

"Mm, I understand."

After hanging up, Conan suddenly felt that something was off.

Why had Guchuan immediately said that when I investigate the murderers? Did he think I would definitely only find them after the organization silenced them?

Damn it, it was all because I'd performed so poorly today that Guchuan looked down on me. I had to work even harder tomorrow!

Guchuan continued enjoying his wonderful life. Every now and then, he would wander around Nichuri TV, then go home to watch television, or take Little Ai, bundled up from head to toe, out to have fun.

Conan, too, continued striving forward with high spirits.

In five days, he completed the twenty assignments Guchuan had accepted—an average of four kills a day.

Just as Conan was once again asking Guchuan about people connected to the clues, Ran suddenly brought his progress to a halt.

Because he had skipped school so many times, Conan was hung up and beaten by Ran.

Conan experienced a complete childhood all over again. Amid his cries for his parents, he reluctantly put on his backpack and went to school. Damn it! I was just about to get hold of evidence against the organization!

At the bar, Gin stared at the newspaper in his hand and sank into thought.

"Scholar Guchuan Recommends That All High School Girls Wear White Stockings"

Unlike the previous wave of insults, this time Guchuan had gained countless supporters.

"I thought Scholar Guchuan was an idiot, but it turns out he really understands what the public needs!"

"I'll support Lord Guchuan forever!"

"Pah! White stockings are heresy!"

"Why only recommend them for high school girls? What about middle school girls? Elementary school girls?"

Gin had long since stopped finding Guchuan's daily foolishness surprising. What truly caught his attention was the report beneath it.

"'Sleeping Kogoro' Solves Seven Cases in a Single Day"

"After 'Sleeping Kogoro' became famous, many imitators emerged. In just five days, ten imitators solved cases while 'asleep'"

"What Is Happening in Beika? Can the police really protect the citizens' safety?"

"Kogoro Mouri?" Gin murmured.

According to Guchuan, this was the muddleheaded detective he had promoted. But Gin did not believe Guchuan had that kind of ability.

"Vodka, do you think everything Guchuan said before was true?" Gin asked.

Vodka fell silent. He did not know either.

But all twenty targets had died, so claiming it was all a lie was hardly convincing. Thus, Vodka chose another angle from which to undermine Guchuan.

"Boss, I think the truly capable one is Kogoro Mouri," Vodka said with certainty.

"You know Guchuan's personality and abilities very well. He definitely isn't the type to use highly intelligent crimes. He's too lazy to even carry out assignments, and if he did do them, the only possibility would be shooting people dead directly while causing trouble. That would suit his personality." Vodka used Guchuan's character against him.

Indeed, judging by Guchuan's performance, Vodka's words did make some sense.

But Gin did not take Vodka's side of the story at face value.

"Vodka, go follow Guchuan."

"What!?" Vodka was horrified.

Was Big Brother abandoning him? Was he even being sent to work as Guchuan's lackey? There had never been a precedent in the organization for a code-named member becoming the subordinate of an outer member.

Gin gave Vodka a speechless look.

Vodka was loyal and obedient, but he was not exactly sharp, and his abilities were lacking as well.

"I'm telling you to see how Guchuan completes his missions," Gin said.

If Guchuan had truly solved those cases through his own ability, then the organization had gained a real treasure. But even if he had completed the missions through sheer luck, he was still a treasure.

The organization's recent development had not been going smoothly. They kept running into all sorts of misfortunes, and Tequila's death in particular had been exceptionally unlucky.

With someone as lucky as Guchuan joining them, perhaps he could change the organization's fortunes.

"Big Brother, couldn't we just send an outer member to handle this?" Vodka cautiously suggested.

He did not want to deal with that lunatic, and he had always badmouthed Guchuan in front of Big Brother. Guchuan knew that too.

Without Big Brother's protection, he did not dare imagine what Guchuan might do to him.

"The others aren't trustworthy." Gin still trusted Vodka.

Though he was touched by Big Brother's trust, the thought of facing Guchuan alone left Vodka far less pleased.

"Understood, Big Brother." Vodka nodded grimly.

For Big Brother, I'd be willing to climb mountains of blades and descend into seas of fire!

It was just Guchuan. I refused to believe he would truly dare disrespect a code-named member like me. Right now, he was still only an outer member!