Upon arriving at the Art Museum, Guchuan Ning pulled Little Ai away from the Harley Motorcycle she had been scrutinizing. Although Little Ai still wanted to see whether it was her Harley Motorcycle, she could not overpower Guchuan Ning and was dragged into the Art Museum.
Judging by that child's expression, she must have been forced here by an adult too.
Conan watched Guchuan Ning and Little Ai, silently complaining to himself.
Nearby, Ran was talking with Curator Ochiai.
"Yes, the previous owner had no choice but to sell the Art Museum to Boss Manaka after his company went bankrupt," the curator told Ran.
Little Ai tugged on Guchuan's sleeve.
"Didn't you say you bought the Collection Hall? Why did that curator say it was sold to Boss Manaka?"
"Take a guess." Guchuan gave an inscrutable smile and turned to inspect the Art Museum's exhibits.
Little Ai sniffed.
I'm not guessing. I have no interest in knowing at all!
Little Ai followed Guchuan as he aimlessly wandered around the Art Museum. Even after the soles of her feet started hurting, Guchuan showed no intention of leaving.
"How much longer are you planning to wander around?" Little Ai could not help asking.
He had been dragging her around by the hand the whole time. She could not even stop to rest.
"Almost there, almost there."
Guchuan crouched down and patted Little Ai's head. She did not even have the energy to dodge.
"Ah!"
Guchuan and Little Ai looked up at the same time, toward a room deeper inside the Art Museum. Before Little Ai could react, Guchuan picked her up and rushed toward the scream.
"What happened?"
Guchuan set Little Ai down and looked at the panicked Ran.
"Boss Manaka was murdered."
Little Ai looked at Conan, who was staring at the corpse in thought. So this is the shrunken Shinichi Kudo? A child who isn't afraid at all when he sees a corpse... How strange.
Then she took a step back, hugged Guchuan's leg, and trembled in fear.
"Big brother, I'm scared."
"It's okay. Big brother is here. Don't be afraid." Guchuan held Little Ai and gently patted her back.
An evil scientist from a criminal organization, trembling in fear and hiding in Guchuan's arms for comfort.
After the police arrived, Little Ai stayed in Guchuan's arms and watched Conan energetically fool the officers, snatch evidence, and run all over the place. She was completely speechless.
That idiotic detective... Is he so afraid no one will suspect him that he has to make it this obvious?
"Inspector Megure, we found the armor in a cabinet in Mr. Kubota's room."
Two officers carried over the bloodstained armor. Guchuan stared at it and stroked his chin.
This armor seemed rather collectible too.
"There are two irrefutable pieces of evidence: this bloodstained armor and the note the victim left before he died..."
While the police and Conan investigated the murderer, Guchuan quietly left the scene with Little Ai in his arms.
"Little Ai, let's head back first."
"Uh, can we?" Little Ai asked in surprise.
"Of course we can. The police didn't stop us when we left, did they?" Guchuan said matter-of-factly.
Little Ai looked toward the officers, who had not noticed them at all, unable to understand.
Although neither she nor Guchuan was under suspicion, the police were taking them far too lightly.
Guchuan carried a large cloth sack on his back and led Little Ai out of the Art Museum.
Crossing the police cordon so easily made Little Ai feel as though it was unreal. The Japanese Police were really...
"By the way, what's inside that sack?" Little Ai asked.
Guchuan jostled the sack on his back, and the sound of metal clanging came from inside.
"A work of art."
"A murder just happened at this Art Museum, and you thoughtfully took away a work of art to lessen their burden. You're such a good person," Little Ai could not help saying.
There were surveillance cameras right at the entrance. Wasn't he being far too brazen, carrying something out so openly?
"How can someone so young say something so sarcastic?" Guchuan grumbled as he rubbed Little Ai's hair, flattening her fluffy hair at once.
Little Ai clenched her fists.
Heh! With behavior this blatant, Guchuan would probably get along well with those perverts from the organization!
"After you stole something today, the police might haul you off to the Metropolitan Police Department tomorrow."
"Ah~ I was already a regular at police stations back in America, but the Metropolitan Police Department in Japan feels more like home."
Seeing that Guchuan was utterly unfazed, Little Ai could only feel helpless.
She had actually thought this guy was a good person at first. She had truly been deceived by his kind-looking appearance.
Moreover, what worried Little Ai most was her identity being exposed.
Although Guchuan said he had already arranged household registration for her, who knew whether the police would find anything suspicious?
"Come on. Let's hide my collectible first."
Guchuan put a helmet over Little Ai's head, then lifted her onto the motorcycle.
Little Ai felt that she was fated to be around criminals. She had lived in a criminal organization throughout her childhood, and after finally escaping, she had been "kidnapped" by another criminal.
"Guchuan, did you collect this motorcycle?"
"What? The wind's too loud. I can't hear you." Guchuan continued pretending to be deaf.
Little Ai angrily rammed her helmeted head into Guchuan's back.
This Harley Motorcycle was definitely collected by that little thief Guchuan—it was mine!
"You thief!"
"Then you're the thief's little sister."
"I'm not your little sister."
"See? You're being tsundere again."
How is this tsundere?!
Little Ai felt as though her chest was about to burst with anger. Did he only know the word "tsundere"?!
"Hold on tight. I'll let you experience speed and passion!"
Guchuan sped through the streets of Tokyo on his motorcycle.
Inside the Art Museum, Conan and the others were still searching for the murderer.
"What terrifying bloodstains. A perfectly good artwork has been ruined," Kogoro Mouri said regretfully as he stared at the armor.
"No, this is only a decorative replica. The replica was used for the murder, so the original was not damaged," Curator Ochiai said.
"Is that so? Then where is the original?" Kogoro Mouri asked.
"The original is, of course..."
"Curator, this is bad! The original is missing!"
"What?!" Curator Ochiai anxiously grabbed the man's shoulders.
Conan, who had been deep in thought, was also thrown off.
A murder had just occurred here, and there were so many police officers at the scene, yet someone still dared to take advantage of the chaos and rob the place. Their nerve was incredible.
Inspector Megure was also exceptionally furious.
Though the Japanese Police did not look particularly competent to outsiders, it was far too arrogant for just anyone to dare walk out right in front of them carrying something away.
"We must catch that bastard and let him know the consequences of looking down on us!"
"Yes!"
Then, a group of people gathered around the surveillance monitor and watched Guchuan openly walk out of the Art Museum with a sack on his back. At the entrance, he had even had the leisure to chat and laugh with a little girl.
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