Vodka hadn't decided which car to take, but Jiang Xia seemed to have already decided for him. He quickly led Vodka downstairs from the Ryujin Economic Research Institute, where Vodka's own car was parked.
Vodka stared warily at the familiar vehicle, wishing he could replace his eyes with a pair of electronic scanners. "..." There wasn't a bomb on it, was there?
Fortunately, though his eyes lacked X-ray vision, they still told him a few things: the thin layer of dust on the hood was still even, so it probably hadn't been opened. The trunk and rear doors were also the same as when he'd arrived... And considering how long he'd been gone, perhaps no one really had tampered with the car?
Vodka pretended to tie his shoelaces and crouched down to glance beneath the chassis. Only after confirming there was nothing strange underneath did he stand up, climb into the car warily, and shut the door.
Jiang Xia nodded at him, then backed away several steps into the shadows.
For some reason, Vodka felt like a hostage being released by kidnappers. He took a deep breath and swiftly checked the inside of the car.
After finding no suspicious traces inside either, he was about to leave. But just then, something flickered at the edge of his vision—he saw a small figure come downstairs from the building in front of him, sneaking straight this way.
Vodka: "..." It was that damn elementary school student, the future Number-Two Uzo whom Uzo had carefully cultivated!... What was this brat trying to do?!
In a flash, Vodka had no time to think. He instinctively ducked down, avoiding Conan's sweeping gaze.
After observing the kidnappers' hideout, Conan quietly but swiftly returned to the stairwell and jogged downstairs.
He went around to the back