Conan, Look, It's Your Mom

With three cases in two days, perhaps the case volume had been temporarily exhausted. Afterward, Tang Ze quietly attended school for a few days. While becoming more familiar with Ran Mouri and Sonoko Suzuki, he finally experienced a few days of normal high school life without any cases.

Incidentally, the small card Tang Ze had given to Oohara Kazuo was just one of dozens of templates he had made, like flyers slipped under doors.

Considering the overly simple folkways of Beika Town, with Palaces, cases, and quasi-criminals surrounding him, Tang Ze had prepared several plans. If there was a Palace and he had the time, and he felt motivated to intervene, he would grandly issue a custom advance notice letter to announce it to the world, building the Phantom Thieves of Hearts' reputation and style. If a case couldn't be stopped in time, or Tang Ze didn't want to stop it, and it was a case where he directly stumbled upon the body, he would blend in as part of the detective faction to interact with newly introduced Red Faction characters as much as possible.

And if it were a case like the one where the truck crashed into the store, whether the case was attempted or completed, and the deceased didn't deserve death, he would try to save them and use the Phantom Thieves' warning letters to encourage them to be good.

Never mind whether they were encouraged or not, you just say whether they became good!

Currently, the plans in several directions were operating well. Relying on his ability to strip Conan bare, no, his alias's traps, Tang Ze, in this identity, had successfully become deeply bonded with the Red Faction. Next, he just had to wait for the various characters to appear. His Tarot still had many empty slots; everyone could be his wings!

Peaceful days, in Conan's world, were ultimately not long-lasting.

After attending school for half a day and learning that there would be a three-day consecutive holiday starting that afternoon, Tang Ze had a premonition that it was coming.

As expected, after returning to the cafe for lunch, Tang Ze, who was sitting by the window doing homework, casually looked up and saw the Mouri father and daughter leading Conan downstairs. Accompanying them was a plump woman dressed in a black formal suit.

She opened the back door of a small Volkswagen Beetle, and Conan was unceremoniously shoved into the car.

The woman closed the car door and bowed politely to the two of them: "Thank you for taking care of Conan these past few days. We will definitely visit again to express our gratitude another day..."

Ran Mouri waved happily at Conan in the car: "When you go to America, be sure to email us often, Conan!"

Inside the car, Conan, who had straightened up, looked anything but willing. He pounded and smashed against the car window, his face turning red with urgency.

Ah... this was another very familiar arc. The Kudos were here...

Yusaku Kudo, disguised as "Edogawa Fumiyo," Tang Ze stared intently but couldn't find any traces of disguise. He reasonably suspected that the disguise techniques in Conan's world were magic disguised as magic; it was too absurd.

In the later stages, the main storyline's battles of wits would always involve disguises. There would be a disguise master on the Black Faction's side, a disguise master on the Red Faction's side, you disguise, I disguise, and at critical moments, it would be a face-ripping competition where everyone could rip off their faces...

If he had the chance, he definitely wanted to try out this skill. He wondered if Yukiko Kudo had a Tarot. This couple was always abroad, and their screentime wasn't that much, so he felt it was unlikely. However, Tang Ze hadn't placed his hopes on her anyway; he had more preparations saved for the Phantom Thief Kaito Kid, who would appear in the future.

Today was an opportunity to make contact, so Tang Ze naturally had to try.

Thus, as Conan, who had no one to turn to, pressed himself against the car window like a specimen pinned in a box, silently mouthing words, he suddenly felt a gaze directed his way. He looked past the oblivious Mouri father and daughter and met Tang Ze's shocked and worried face.

This neighbor, the only one who knew his identity, had actually noticed. Yes! Come out! Tang Ze, go for it! Conan looked at Tang Ze and pounded on the car window with all his might.

...It didn't budge at all. So how did Tang Ze manage to pound on the car window glass with his bare hands?

"Mr. Mouri, Mouri-san." Tang Ze unhesitatingly abandoned his homework, stood up, and walked out of the shop towards the three people who were exchanging pleasantries. "And who is this?"

"This is Conan's mother! Ms. Edogawa Fumiyo!" Ran Mouri, happy that Conan would soon be reunited with his family, mentioned as she introduced them. "She's here to take Conan to America!"

Tang Ze carefully considered, then looked warily at "Edogawa Fumiyo." He walked towards the back seat where Conan was, naturally reached for the door handle, and pulled hard, saying, "Are you leaving already? Come down and say hello to your brother. You haven't finished the book I lent you, have you?"

Unfortunately, as soon as Conan got into the car, Edogawa Fumiyo had activated the child locks on several doors, making it impossible to open them. Tang Ze then looked at her as if seeking her opinion.

"I'm sorry. If it were any other time, I'd be happy to chat with everyone. I also want to thank Mr. Mouri for taking care of my son these past few days," Edogawa Fumiyo glanced at her watch and said, "But our flight departs in four hours, so time is a bit tight. I hope you understand."

She subtly sized up Tang Ze, bowed once more, got into the driver's seat, and started the car.

Tang Ze's brows furrowed. Seeing the car start to move, the Mouri father and daughter turned to go home. Noticing Tang Ze standing still, they kindly consoled him, "You really like children, huh? Haha, I find this little brat annoying. It's always better for Conan to be with his parents."

Conan shifted from the side window to the rear windshield. He saw Tang Ze clench his fists, put on a determined expression, and look at him with his blue eyes full of resolve.

Then, Tang Ze actually pushed off the ground and started chasing after the car on foot.

Conan quickly shrank back and started talking to the strange aunt, trying to distract her so she wouldn't notice Tang Ze: "Who are you, really!"

Edogawa Fumiyo pushed up her glasses, obscuring her eyes with the reflection, and said inscrutably, "I am your mother, Nan-chan."

"You're not! My mother, she..."

Conan's retort was directly interrupted by Edogawa Fumiyo: "...is Kudo, Kudo Yukiko, isn't it?"

His true identity revealed in a single sentence, Conan's expression changed drastically. Edogawa Fumiyo, on the other hand, recited as if listing family treasures: "At 19, a world-renowned genius actress, she received multiple prestigious awards. With her superb acting skills and stunning beauty, she was all the rage. Later, due to her romance with novelist Yusaku Kudo, she made a graceful exit from her career to start a family. The two have long resided overseas and have one son, who is precisely..."

"...you, Shinichi Kudo."

Conan's composure was completely shattered. He couldn't immediately process how strange Edogawa Fumiyo's self-praising introduction, filled with laudatory terms, was. All he could think was, was this person an accomplice of the men in black who had knocked him out?!

Edogawa Fumiyo pulled a small, delicate ladies' pistol from her pocket. The loaded pistol was steadily aimed at Conan's forehead. She said in a sinister tone, "Don't even think about running away, kid. Bullets have no eyes. Come with me obediently to a certain place..."

How could he surrender so easily! Thinking of Tang Ze's actions from the past few days, Conan gritted his teeth. As the car passed an intersection, he kicked the accelerator pedal under Edogawa Fumiyo's foot!

The small Beetle, with that sudden acceleration, lurched towards the traffic. Edogawa Fumiyo quickly slammed on the brakes, avoiding a chain reaction.

Conan seized the opportunity, unlocked the car door, pulled it open, and quickly ran out.